Catalyst One Day with Stanley & Groeschel

The conference sessions exceeded my expectations.  Craig drove home the importance of articulating clear value statements that reflect the true heart of the leadership and the vision of the church.  He challenged us to aks honestly what our actions say we value, not just what we ascribe to.  The opportunity is to explore and identify the authentic values God has instilled in each of us.  Then he says shape your culture and build your people around your values.

Stanley nailed it with how to build a healthy staff culture.  Our main question should be "what can I do to help" to foster a culture of mutual submission.  He threw out the notion of top down authority based leadership in exchange for Jesus' command that we don't lord over one another but serve.  He gave a few great tips:

• Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone

• Systematize top-down service

• Create and maintain a sustainable organizational pace

• Without margin there is no room to serve

• Without margin, we seek first our kingdom

• Celebrate and reward mutual submission when you see it.

• Confront your ego

• Drop the term loyalty from your vocabulary...If you have to ask for it, demand it, or have people sign a document pledging it, YOU are the one who lacks it.

Catalyst One Day Preview Video from Catalyst on Vimeo.

An Opportunity "Right in Front of Our Noses"

New in 08

Las Delicias Water Project...moving ahead in 2008

We met with the community leaders Saturday (January 12th) and began working through a fundraising plan for the completion of the project.  We've calculated that we need $1.2 million to finish.  ENLACE will continue to fundraise for the project (we were able to raise $200K over the Christmas holiday because of a donor challenge).  We've estimated that the work will take 2 years to finish once we start, but the community does not want to wait to start the next stage. In the month of February they plan to do a survey of 1200-1500 families to see how much each family can pay towards the project.  They hope to raise between $200K-$400K themselves.  So we hope to begin the next phase in the March where we will start cutting, digging, and laying the first of 33 kilometers of piping.  We'll keep you updated with photos of the construction.

50/50...it's a great idea

Last month I spoke at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley.  It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed getting to know the church and their vision.  In 2007 this church reached their goal of giving 50% of their income out towards missions, church planting, and ministry to the poor.  This equated to a rough total of $4 million.  This is not only incredible when compared to the national average (2-5% * www.emptytomb.org ),  but has done amazing things in their body as they've gained a vision of what it means to live as a disciple of Christ with their resources.  You can hear Francis' sermon explaining their vision earlier this year by going to their website  www.cornerstonesimi.com and looking for the sermon named "I'm in Love, Part II" under the media and sermon section. 

MA Siss Story...A Church in a Chop Shop

I just read this story about an amazing church started in a rough area in Massachusetts. "MA Siss" started a church by purchasing an old chop shop and starting a thrift store.  As a result, she and a group of believers are changing their neighborhood as they reach out to serve the least.  The Boston Globe did an incredible job covering this story with plenty of photos and videos.  Go here

One year anniversery...

If you can believe it this week will mark one year since the shooting in Abelines (Jan 18th).  I can't say enough how much God has done to restore me, our family, and use this event to encourage many to trust in God's love (to hear me share the testimony visit here see media/sermon/"the cost of missional living").  Our first mission team of the year ventured up to Abelines last week to provide medical and dental care to hundreds.  One dentist pulled over 180 rotten teeth.  I wasn't able to join them because we were in the U.S., but I heard nothing but incredible stories of how the church continues to serve and transform their community through Christ.  This year they will work to train three surrounding churches along with all the initiatives they have planned.  See more great pics (these are incredible!) taken by David Mcgee (another ENLACE missionary) of last weeks trip. Go here.

Ministry is Relationship: Reflections on the Church in San Jose El Naranjo

healing handsLast week another team partnered with ENLACE to construct a home in San Jose El Naranjo. This year we hope to build ten homes, benefiting some of the most vulnerable families in the communities. With each home there is a sense of accomplishment, a visible structure that represents the active service of the local Jerusalem church. Yet, with each house I find myself asking whether or not we are truly helping to transform this community through the gospel. Some of the families that received houses last year are still struggling in their lives. Some still have alcoholic fathers, some have rebellious children, and others abusive relationships among family members. Many attend church, and proclaim Christ as their savior. They have the lingo down, but a question still haunts me, “What does transformation in Christ look like in a community like San Jose?”

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the church is not God's plan B

This last week I had the privilege of attending ENLACE's staff training for three days.  After the long road of recovering from the shooting, it was healing for me to hear again all that first drew me to work with the amazing team that makes up this ministry. In the trainings we studied various Biblical texts to seek God's heart for the body of Christ, "The Church."  Text after text, both Old and New testament, clearly showed us that God has always desired for His people (first with Israel and then with the new testament church) to first love Him, but then to bless all people through actively demonstrating lives redeemed by God and communities living out authentic love for others.

This is not easily done in any context, but in El Salvador it is especially difficult as churches here have been marked by rivalry and division.  Furthermore, the injustice in this country continues to tear at the fabric of families and communities.  The average Salvadoran is required to expend so much energy to simply survive, that the thought of simply serving one's neighbor for nothing in return seems foolish.  Even many of the evangelical churches here see service to their community as good, but not essential.  Instead a priority is placed on preaching, church attendance, and numeric growth.  Sadly, just like back home, the churches and pastors with the biggest attendance are looked to as leaders simply because of the apparent “success” of their ministries.

So here we at ENLACE work in four communities, serving 10 churches.  Compared to similar ministries we are dinky.  Yet, all I heard from Ron Bueno, our executive director, was that ENLACE is God’s work.  When Ron says this it is not a cliché.  I have seen our organization try to be one that simply seeks to hear God and then to respond to Him together.  And what God continues to reveal to our team is that He wants nothing more than for His church to fall in love with Him so deeply that we all will love others in the manner that Jesus loves us.  God continues to confirm that the reason we focus on the poorest in El Salvador is because they are very close to His heart.  He continues to reaffirm that when a body of believers will trust Him together and will seek to transform their communities through love and service, He will be glorified.  

As hard as this trial continues to be for me personally, I have to hold on to the hope that God is doing amazing things in His body.  He loves us all so much that He will allow us to endure hardship to become the beautiful bride He created us to be.  I really encourage you to check out a new series ENLACE has started on its blog explaining “Why the Church..” written by Ron Bueno our Executive Director.  You can read them on the website www.enlaceonline.org.