What's the Plan?

Last night we welcomed 41 people into the Art Gallery of Myers Park High School for advent worship services. It was a tremendous gift to see people from a variety of different areas coming together to authentically worship Jesus Christ.  We all came together with multiple lenses of faith and church backgrounds.  People with deep walks of faith and those who have given up on Church but not on God.

As we headed out into the cold night, people wanted to know what the master plan is.  After hosting these three weeks of Advent services, then what?

It is a valid question.  Our training often tells us to have strategic plans, a 5-year vision, and step-by-step instructions.  And while we certainly do, it is essential that we leave space for the Holy Spirit to work.  

After these three weeks of worship, our Trailblazer community will continue meeting at 7pm on Tuesday nights beginning on January 14th to start planning for those next steps.  These three weeks will reveal to us the steps necessary to help this community emerge as the full body of Christ.  It is still our prayer that we could move to weekly worship in the Spring and Summer of 2014, but to get there, we need prayer and people committed to this mission.  Our goal is to have 40 Trailblazers committed in order to build a foundation for weekly worship.  

We will need people who are gifted musically, those who love to develop video, those who enjoy teaching children, those who can setup and breakdown space, those who can run spreadsheets, those who can smile and make folks feel welcomed into our community.  Though we may not fully understand all that God is doing and will continue to do, we know that He has called us to excellence.  We want to do weekly worship when it can be done in a smooth and well-designed fashion; if done prematurely then we will quickly find ourselves exhausted having sprinted when in reality we are running a marathon.  

If you are feeling God's nudging that in some way you may be called to have an impact on this city, on your community, in your life...I would invite you to Myers Park High School over the next two Sunday nights to meet our community and consider becoming a part of the Trailblazer team.

Years from now, when you pause to consider what impact your faith has had, what do you want to be known for? I know for me the idea of getting to help God birth a new community of faith will be life affirming and changing.

The mantra I am considering is how do we move from being invited to being challenged by God?  How might God be challenging you this Christmas?

SCCPP::November Newsletter

Get the latest thoughts on this journey:  Read the entire newsletter here.

"40 Yards Ahead"

     Yesterday morning I joined 9 other men as we sprinted around a track.  For all 8 of my laps, just in front of me ran a man, who by my calculations remained 5 seconds ahead. Unknowingly, he helped to motivate me to stay on course and continue at that pace when I hit difficult parts of the run.
     In a similar way, two weeks ago I was able to visit my hometown of Atlanta to meet with different pastors and churches...

"Devotion: Are you worth imitating?"

From 1 Thessalonians 1:2-12 we catch a glimpse of Paul's missionary style: Relational.

"From A Spouse's Perspective:  Faith Impact"

Following up from last month's post, the most important to me is how our entire family is adapting to the changes this journey has brought.  I would answer...

FULL NEWSLETTER HERE.

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SCCPP::10 Strangers Meet at a Bar

Last month we held the first official gathering of the Trailblazers at my new favorite place--The Lodge on Carmel and Rea Road.  In typical fashion, I snuck out of the house way early and found myself waiting at the bar for the rest--if any--of the Trailblazers to arrive.

My drinking beer with a Bible on my lap in the corner of a bar did allow me to meet Adam the barkeep, and scare off two young women.
  

However, 10 Trailblazers arrived, and I realized that for the most part beyond brief encounters, everyone really did not know each other.   So as our group began the awkward, "where do I sit dance?"  I intentionally took the middle seat just in case the conversation started to dwindle and I would need to hold court.  However, 15 minutes into the meal, I found myself with no one to talk with because everyone else was enjoying each other's company.

This was agony for an extrovert, but God grabbed my heart and told me to sit back and relax because this was what we have been praying for.  Then I spouted out my new mantra, "Starting tonight this is no longer Wes and Lindsay's project that we are looking for you all's support, but this our community that God is beginning to shape."

It's my prayer that this thing takes a long slow process to build because genuine community is not formed through a flash but through intentional efforts to build trust, share a mission and share a meal together.

We have begun mapping the course for this adventure, and would like to invite folks to come along this journey with us.  

SCCPP::October Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

"So, just how do you plant a church?"

Devotion: Are You A Spiritual Conduit?

"A Spouse's Perspective"

SCCPP: Vision Dessert

Three years ago, I was running my favorite route in SouthPark when I saw a for sale sign in the yard of the perfect home for our exponentially growing family of 1+Triplets.  Fast-forward to this past Sunday night, and I realized that God had orchestrated things perfectly.  Our home laid out ideally to host 29 friends for our Vision Dessert.  The home bustled with conversation as connections and stories were being shared.

After doing ministry for 14 years in Charlotte, it was awesome to see how a variety of people could come together to hear the vision and mission field for the South Charlotte Church Plant.  Our mission is to equip men and women with the Gospel in order that they may live out the Gospel in their places of influence.

The challenge is that in order to accomplish this mission a core group must form; like the Green Egg this church community will be a slow cooker of building Genuine Community, on a Biblical Foundation so that we may Authentically Worship God in order for our faith to have Daily Impact on our lives.  

At the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus doesn't tell the disciples to go and build churches, but to go and make disciples to invest in people's lives-and help someone else draw one step closer to Jesus.

If you are interested in a future vision gathering or would like to meet for coffee to learn how you can help in this mission please email me at wbbarry at mac dot com.

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The Plan for 2013

Fall:  2 to 3 more vision gatherings

October:  Trailblazer Social Gathering

November:  Trailblazers begin to meet for prayer, bible study and forming genuine community.

December:  Trailblazers gather for Advent Vespers

A Child Gets It

^"17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Luke 18:17

On this past Sunday, my six year-old daughter took her digital camera and left out the front door on a secret mission. She walked up the street to take a picture of our street sign, and then proceeded to come back and take a photo of our house number. Excitedly, she came running back into the house saying, "Daddy, you can put these on your posters to let people who don't have a church know where ours is going to be. Maybe they will put them in the newspaper for us too!"

She spent her sunny Sunday afternoon wanting to make sure that everyone would feel invited and welcomed onto this journey. Strangely, my daughter "received the kingdom of God" through this act, because in her heart she knew that receiving the kingdom of God means that we share Him with others.

As we are in the process of gathering a community of people to serve as the launch team--Trailblazers-- we are praying that God would raise up people like my daughter, who will be wondering who is someone I could share the message of God's love with.

Later that day, she turned to me and asked, "Daddy, when will people start meeting in our house for church?" To which I replied, "probably a few weeks or so." Her response, "Phew, I thought it was going to be a few years."

Interested in joining her?
We will be gathering in a few weeks to begin praying and dreaming what God has in store for our lives. Email Wes to get more information.

SCCPP: The Mission

I have had my boots on the ground the past two days and I am excited about The Mission.

Having been called to plant a church, and having found a vehicle through which to plan, I had one final question: where would God want to plant a church?

That's when I came across Acts 18:7 in which Paul leaves the synagogue to go next door to the house of Titius Justus a worshipper of God.  Around that same time, a church member appeared in my office to tell me about F3, a men's workout group in town that is seeking to reinvigorate male leadership in the community through fitness, fellowship and faith.  Hearing about the group, I was hooked--F3 was the perfect convergence of my life, ministry, and passion.

In the early morning workouts, I began to meet Godly men in Charlotte who I'd never met before...and men who'd left large established churches because they were uninspiring, men who have no faith life, men who were hungry for a faith life that actually requires something of them, and men who tag along with their wives who make them go to church (like the guy clutching his wife's purse at the Macy's dressing room)--in F3 parlance we call them "Sadclowns" because while they may be happy and the life of the party on the outside, deep down they slugging through life lonely and wondering if there is more to life than gathering paychecks and longing to be respected.

My wife's ministry in town has helped to define the female equivalent: the "PicturePerfect."  These are the women who appear to have everything under control and desperately want to be the best girlfriend/wife/mother/professional, to stay physically fit/calm/loving, and to prepare a home-grow delicious meal...while deep down wondering if there is more to life and having a hunger to be loved.

F3 opened my eyes to see I didn't have to cross an international border to be a missionary. Like Paul, I just had to leave the existing church structure, the ritual of the synagogue, the tediousness of security, the comfort of the stability and I had to simply risk everything by going where the people already are.  

So my mission is to "Equip men and women with the Gospel so that they may impact their places of influence."  Our mission is "to do less church activity and more Gospel living" so that faith is not just some passive spectator sport where we sit as "pew potatoes" but get out on the street living the adventure God has called us to.  Faith is not another bucket in our life...like work, family, hobbies...faith is the Bucket that undergirds and guides these other parts of our life.

Our goal is to create a community that is "a church for the overburdened and overscheduled by changing lives through genuine community, Biblical teaching and authentic worship."

We are looking to raise up 40-60 Trailblazers who want to commit the next 1-2 years helping to mark the trail, clear the debris, and set the path for this new church community.  We will be hosting some vision dinners in September to begin this journey.  I would invite the readers of this blog post to join our team, whether on the Prayer Team, as a Sponsor, or as a Trailblazer.

F3::Open Space

The #1 question I have received after announcing that I am planting a new church in South Charlotte is, “Where’s it going to be?” Or this question is followed by a set of derivatives: “did they give you a building?” “Do you have a building yet?” and no-kidding “will your new building have a gym to attract families?”

Continue Reading here

SCCPP: The Vehicle

One of the hardest personal acts of discernment in the church planting process to date has been determining with which denomination for me to plant.  When I became an administrative pastor two years ago, a pastor-friend counseled me that the new position was a great strategic move.  He then grabbed a napkin and began to draw a chart to show how if I worked in that role for the next eight years, I would be able to double my salary and climb the ladder of success.

At that moment, I realized God was calling me in another direction (in fact, one which results in a paycut) as I felt little urge to strive toward that idea of success. This past Saturday, I was formally transferred from the PC(USA)--a denomination I have served for 11 years--into the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO).  A lot of people have asked me "Why ECO?"  Why leave a large denomination with an existing job, a pension, a congregation, medical coverage, substantial perks and benefits, and established ministry partnerships? 

It is because I believe ECO to be the best vehicle for me to plant a new church in Charlotte.

First, I feel theologically at home in a denomination where there is an infallible belief in Scripture, the centrality of Jesus Christ, and an accountability not only for ministers but also for congregations.  Also this is a group who takes seriously the empowerment of the local congregation...much like my Presbyterian Outlook article.  I perceive ECO to be similar to what the PC(USA) was 15-20 years ago, when I first committed to the denomination.  I've felt increasingly unsettled by the evolution of the PC(USA).  The timing of the emergence of ECO seems God-ordained.

While the three foundational tenets of ECO are all part of the chassis for this vehicle, ultimately my desire to join this movement was because of its fuel.

A Missional Ethos:

Several years ago, I was a finalist for a church planting position within the PC(USA).  During my final interview with the Presbytery they asked me what theologians I read.  I responded "Tim Keller."  I heard an audible gasp from the Presbytery execs and others as they recoiled in horror..."but...but...he's PCA, isn't he?"  I replied, "Well yes, but if we want to be serious about church planting we have to acknowledge that the PCA is doing some of the best work in North America."  I did not get the job, by the way.

At an ECO conference last fall, the group discussed how church planting would be an essential part of the mission of this grouping of Presbyterians.  They also said they would use Keller's City-To-City, even though they are PCA.  Lindsay and I were ultimately assessed by the group and given access to PCA resources. It was crucial to me to be trained and supported by established and successful church planters.  The PC(USA) has not generally planted churches well, so ECO's embrace of the premier church planting body--despite denominational affiliation--convinced me that this was the route to take.  

Finally, ECO will be requiring the Sessions of each church to annually answer the question: "How has your congregation extended itself beyond its bounds through the establishment of new communities of worship and discipleship, expanding the kingdom of God?" Church planting--and supporting church plants--is vital to ECO's mission.  Here are three great ways to support us:  

PRAY

GIVE

CONNECT
As the first church planter for ECO in the Presbytery of the East, I feel like the startup of a startup.  I will not be able to passively sit at Starbucks all day recreating a mission plan so that dollars will flow down from headquarters. Instead, I will go where the people are to raise a launch team of disciple-makers and to share the gospel with those who are hungry for more in life.

SCCPP:: The CALL

When I attended a church plant’s launch nearly fifteen years ago, I heard God tell me that this culturally engaged style of ministry—that moves Jesus from being an intellectually interesting concept into a daily presence – is what the church should be about.  As that first worship completed, I vividly recall God speaking to me saying "this is what church ministry can be like."  At that moment, I believe that the Holy Spirit conferred a calling on me to participate in a church planting movement. Church plants are better suited to meet people where they are rather than crossing our fingers and hoping that the lost and lonely and least will come find us.  Today, I still feel God’s particular call for me to plant a church.  

  
In the years since, I have studied church planting, been mentored by church planters, and explored several opportunities to plant a church. Over the last year, however, I sensed God’s call to pursue church planting in South Charlotte in a way that is bolder and with more immediacy than any previous thoughts about planting.  He has given me a clearer vision for this endeavor as I seek to gather people into genuine community, with a Biblical focus in order to be missional in our endeavors.

Thankfully, God did not limit this call to just me.  During a church planting seminar my wife leaned over to me saying, “This is what you have been passionately saying for five years; this is what you are meant to do.  Why don't we just go and do it."

When we then informed our six year old daughter that we would be leaving our existing church to start a new one, her eyes lit up and she said, "so we can come up with a new name for it?  We should call it Church Welcoming because we will be welcoming to those who do not know Jesus yet." 

With a family two steps in front of me, church planting has grown from an intriguing concept to a clear call by God for us to pursue, because our heart is focused—not on building another church—but on sharing the Gospel with the people whom God connects with us.

SCCPP: So It Begins

Right now there are way too many new acronym's in my life: ECO, MNA, CPN, MAT, GAP...so I figured I would make up another unsexy one SCCPP

South Charlotte Church Plant Project

Don't worry it won't last...but as Lindsay and I begin this adventure, I wanted to start blogging our thoughts and reflections.  So the Label will be listed as "SCCPP" for now, and the first three blogs (don't all church things have to come in 3s?) will focus on:

Blog 1:  The Call

Blog 2:  The Vehicle

Blog 3:  The Field

I'd invite you to follow along our journey by keeping up with us through this blog.  You can also reach me via wbbarry at mac dot com.  As you click throygh this site, you will discover that the logos in the upper left will get you connected to me through a variety of social media options.

Things will unfold quickly over this summer and fall as I hope to redesign this website, setup a prayer email list, gather financial supporters, host vision dinners, and gather a community this fall to pray over what God desires in South Charlotte.

Stay tuned...and pray.