Church Visit - Impact

This last Sunday, June 21st, I was able to visit the first church on my Sabbatical schedule: Impact Church in Elk Grove. Susan and I first visited Impact when they were meeting at a local college in 2001. At the time, the church was meeting in the college theater and the children's ministry was in the lobby. From those humble beginnings Impact has grown into a positive and powerful church in Elk Grove. They have had their bumps along the way. Barry Smith, the pastor of Impact, even wrote a book about their struggles called "Full Disclosure." I read the book last month as it described the ups and downs that Barry has experienced at Impact.

I visited Impact church with the hope of being encouraged and hopefully learn something from observing the way they do ministry. I wasn't disappointed. Here's a part of what I gleaned from visiting Impact...

1. My heart's focus has to stay on Jesus, not the success or growth of New Song. As I drove away from New Song on Sunday (after dropping off our kids) I was shaken by how much I rely upon myself for what's happening at New Song. It kind of scared me to think that New Song was happening without me there. Roger Gibson spoke at New Song and from what I heard everything went great, but it reminded me once again that it's all about Jesus I am just his servant! My visit to Impact reminded me once again that following Jesus means fulfilling God's goals, with God's strength, for his glory!

2. Impact is a great church with a great spirit that comes from Barry's faithfulness in following Jesus. As I looked around the church I quickly saw how Barry's personality and personal growth has helped Impact grow into what it is today. I was reminded how much the personality and spiritual maturity of the pastor influences the personality of the congregation. Barry was fun and casual while being very serious about what God calls us to from the Bible. I saw the same attitude in the people I talked with at the church.

Here's one example. As Barry started his message his microphone was going out, he tried a hand held microphone, then another wireless mic, and eventually went back to the handheld. Through the first ten minutes of his message Barry had to change microphones four times. For most pastor's that would be a very frustrating experience, I know it would have been for me. The great part was that Barry was very light hearted about the whole thing, which helped the church really connect with him and the message. So, the technical difficulties turned out to be a great addition in making the message personal and practical.

Overall, I was reminded once again how God has called me to follow Jesus. Anything that I do as a pastor or in leadership is a reflection of that calling. As I lead I can only ask people to follow me as I am following Jesus. It's all about him. This is part of the reason this Sabbatical is so important for me right now. It gives me a chance to focus on Jesus and my relationship with him above all else.

Tahoe Update

My Sabbatical is starting out great. On Sunday night, my sons learned how to ride bikes. We had a ball watching them ride up and down our cul-de-sac. Kyle Thomas suggested taking the pedals off so that they could learn to balance and it worked great. I have been trying to get them on a bike for months, but Kyle's method only took 15 minutes and away they went.

So far my week in Tahoe has been all about decompressing and recharging my batteries. On Tuesday afternooon, I also got to do one of my favorite things - ride my bike. I had a great ride from the state line (where my hotel is) to Inspiration Point at Emerald Bay and then back along Fallen Leaf Road and the Pioneer Trail. It was one of the best rides I've ever been on. The views were amazing and worth the climb.

I headed back to Emerald Bay (in my car) on Wednesday and found a an amazing secluded place next to Eagle Falls (photo below) to mediate and pray over Revelation 3:1-6. This passage will be the theme verse for our series in August – “Disciple: No Christians Allowed.” As I read over the verses I couldn't help but think about how easy it is to call myself a Christian and yet make everything in my life about me and not Jesus. Spent some time praying and repenting about that one.
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I also spent some time listening to a couple of great messages by Mark Driscoll. They are from the Desiring God Advance 09 Conference held in early June (you can download and listen to the conference for free here). Mark Driscoll's messages on idolatry and the church were some of the best sermons I've heard in a long time. Mark Driscoll's tone is tough for some to listen to (think the polar opposite of Joel Osteen), but underneath the yelling there is some really great content.
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I am also reading an interesting book called, "Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe" by Larry Osborne. The book reviews urban legends that most Christians believe but aren't in the Bible. "Dumb Ideas" found in the book include..."A godly home guarantees godly kids...Everything happens for a reason...A valley means a wrong turn...Faith can fix anything." I am thinking that these urban legends might make a good sermon series in 2010.

This week I also finished a biography of Franklin Roosevelt that was a great story of a great man. Before reading the book I had no idea how much he changed the world and how his influence is still being felt today. For example, did you know he created the SEC, the FDIC, Social Security, the United Nations. He also created a foundation that found the cure for polio. He did all this while fighting WW2 and the Great Depression and being paralyzed in his legs. Really inspirational stuff.

Right now, I am watching the sun go down over Lake Tahoe from my hotel room. I just had Baja Fresh for dinner and so now my day is complete. Baja Fresh is still open in Tahoe (unlike Folsom) and so I am getting it while I can.

The Discipline of Solitude

Today I am beginning my Sabbatical with a trip to Tahoe for a week of solitude. To be honest, not being at New Song for the next couple of weeks is freaking me out. I want to be there to keep up our momentum and try to hold everything together. This is exactly why I need to get away for a few days and be reminded that New Song is Jesus church not mine. I have to remember that Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).

I am going to Tahoe until Friday without Susan or the kids so that I can practice the spiritual discipline of solitude. Richard Foster, in his book, Celebration of Discipline describes the importance of solitude by saying “…the seeking out of solitary places was a regular practice for Jesus. So it should be for us...One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is intimately related to trust.”

This week I'll be praying, reading, and having extended times of being still with God (Psalm 46:10). I am going to really seek God's wisdom about what he wants me to learn and the questions he wants me to ask over the next few weeks. My hope is that my passion for Him will be renewed. I am also going to be praying for our church family and that God would do amazing things this fall at New Song as we move forward with some exciting new programs.

What a Great Sunday!

This last Sunday, five time Olympic Medal winner Josh Davis joined us for a great day at church. Josh was in town doing a swim clinic with local teams and had Sunday morning free, so he came to New Song. Everyone I have spoken with has said that Josh was the best guest speaker that we have ever had at New Song. We are already talking about asking Josh back next May or June when he may return to Folsom again for another clinic. If you missed Sunday's message make sure to listen to it at our church website in the media section.

http://www.newsongchristian.org/Media.aspx

Letter from MLT - Dale's Sabbatical

Our church Ministry Leadership Team recently sent out this letter by snail mail that I thought you might like to read...

Dear Church Family,

As New Song’s Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) we are writing to share with you about Dale’s upcoming sabbatical. We recognize that the rate of burnout for pastors in America is very high. It is estimated that about 1,500 pastors leave their ministry each month because of exhaustion. With that in mind, Dale has requested and we have agreed that Dale take a short Sabbatical.

One of Dale’s life goals is to pastor New Song church for the rest of his life. Since pastoral ministry is a high stress, high commitment, and time consuming role, fulfilling Dale’s goal requires seasons of rest and renewal. This was modeled by Jesus in his ministry as Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

A sabbatical is a purposeful time away from the day-to-day demands of ministry. It is different from a vacation in that it is an extended time with a focused plan that brings renewal. A sabbatical is a learning opportunity that includes extensive reading, prayer times, visits to other churches, and ministry learning opportunities.

As a church, we have gone through a positive season of rebuilding and stabilizing our foundation. Starting in August, we will be launching several new and exciting programs for our adults, youth, and children that help us fulfill our C2 goals. Great things are coming this fall!
To prepare for our fall launch, we feel now is a good time for Dale to recharge spiritually. We see a great benefit to you in having Dale at his best when we move forward with our new C2 ministry programs in the fall.

Dale’s desire for spiritual renewal began in January when he and Susan traveled to Colorado to visit Blessing Ranch, a pastoral retreat center. This sabbatical will be for several weeks this summer in June and July (June 15th-July 26th). During this time Dale will be traveling to other churches and retreat centers. While he is away we’ll have some great guest speakers at New Song including Roger Gibson, Bryce Jessup, and Joe Grana.

While Dale is away he’ll be checking in each Monday with Steve Caler and updating his blog weekly to keep us informed of his journey. In addition, Steve Caler’s role at the church will remain the same and he will be available at the Ministry Center during the week. To help support our children’s ministry we have also hired a part time assistant, Teri Murray, who will work with Steve in the weeks leading up to Kid’s Camp. Our Ministry Leadership Team will also be participating in our weekly staff meetings and serving on Sunday mornings to carry out some of the ministry roles normally assumed by Dale.

You might be wondering, “Is there anything wrong?” Not at all. Many pastors take Sabbaticals after five or six years of ministry. Dale has been working to start New Song since August 2000, so he is overdue. (The church officially began in February of 2002, but Dale and Susan moved to Northern California in August 2000 to work with Adventure church in Roseville to do the prep work to start New Song).

You might also be wondering, “Is the church going to be OK?” Absolutely! We have a solid leadership team in place and many of you serve so faithfully that our church will continue to function as normal. We also want to encourage you to make it a priority to join us each Sunday this summer when you are in town. The church has never been about Dale. It’s about Jesus and He will be at New Song every Sunday this summer!

If you have any additional questions regarding Dale’s Sabbatical please feel free to contact us. We’d also ask that you please pray for Dale’s renewal, encouragement, and growth during this upcoming stage of his sabbatical.

Sincerely,

Your Ministry Leadership Team: Brent Christierson, Scott Haaland, and Rick Kraemer

P.S.S. - If you’d like to read New Song’s formal Sabbatical Policy you can find it on our church web site in the media - file cabinet section under “Sabbatical Policy.”

Operation Christmas Child Update

This is an email I received this week from Mike Downs our Operation Christmas Child Coordinator...

"People often wonder where their shoe boxes ended up. I used an EZ Give Boy/Girl label and one of my shoe boxes went to the Philippines. I’d encourage others from our church who used the EZ Give option to let the congregation know where their shoe boxes went. I also pray that our congregation feels the joy, compassion and excitement of being able to do something in the lives of Children around the world.

Here is a brief story about how shoe-boxes delivered in the Philippines changes the life of a few children:

Reerose was 14 when she received her first Christmas present. She was overjoyed to get a shoe box containing a variety of school supplies—exactly what she needed for her course work.

“It is exciting to know that people like you from the other parts of the world are concerned about our situation here,” Reerose said. “Even my parents were very happy because what I prayed for was granted.”

Jeric received something even more valuable than the gifts inside his box. After enrolling in the follow-up discipleship program, he learned more about the real meaning of Christmas and accepted Jesus as his Savior.

“Before I came to know to know the Lord, I was very bad, disobedient to my parents, and caused much trouble to my brothers and sisters,” he said. “When I came to know Him, I was changed. I learned pray and thank Jesus. I am also not lying to parents anymore.”

Like Reerose, 12-year-old Jeric lives in a poor community. Last year God provided an answer to one of his prayers when a line of electricity was connected to their house. With the addition of electric lights, Jeric spends more time in the evening studying.

“I believe that nothing is impossible to God,” he said. “I believe Jesus loves me and poverty is not a hindrance to my dreams. Jesus is with me! He will guide me as I grow up.”

For millions of children, Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are tangible expressions of God’s love and constant presence. They are reassured that they have a heavenly Father who cares. And that’s a gift that endures forever!"