Doesn't get much better than this

Sometimes I have to stop and think about how blessed I am to do what I do. Just considering this week I have had more interaction with people who are diving into their Bible with the 21 Day challenge and/or considering going to the East campus. It's so awesome to hear from people who want to do something significant like being a part of the new campus. To talk to some who have only heard the smallest of details about the new campus and yet they are telling me, "I'm in!"

So cool to do this for a living.

21 day challenge

So, I don't know what I was thinking. I decided to create the "21 Day Challenge" blog to go along with the Catalyst message series we are in right now. It will give all the staff a chance to share their thoughts and reflections in this journey. Now with this one, along with the suncresteast.org blog, I am managing and contributing to 3 blogs. That's crazy. Oh well, crazy is fun.

3 years

This past weekend I celebrated 3 years at Suncrest. It came and went rather inconspicuously, as it should. It's not 10 or 20 or 30 years...something grand like that. And yet I feel like I have packed 10 years worth of experiences into 3 great years. I can't imagine serving a better place than Suncrest at this point in my journey. I feel like I have grown immensely, been allowed to serve in areas in which I am gifted and found a home.

For those reading that are a part of Suncrest, thanks for allowing me to have a place in your lives. You have been a blessing.

A reproducing church

Suncrest is a reproducing church. We want to reproduce at every level: disciples, leaders, groups/ministries, services, campuses and churches. I prefer the phrase "multiply like bunnies" but not everyone is with me. Anyway, we are intentionally focusing on what this means for us. It has become so clear that this is the way of the early church and really the only way to effectively spread the Gospel.

Community Christian Church has been such a tremendous resource for us. So over a year ago to be asked to be a part of their New Thing network was such an honor. We are still figuring out what this means for us. It certainly means coaching and accountability. And now it means we have the opportunity to be a "network within a network" by getting to work with 3 other fairly new churches in the network.

This probably doesn't make a lot of sense but it is exciting to be a part of a reproducing church network with the mission of Jesus at the heart. I heard a great podcast with Dave Ferguson of CCC and NewThing today raising questions and talking about how to be a reproducing church. It was kind of cool to hear him talk about the NewThing network and then indirectly mention Suncrest. To get the audio click here.

A New Year, A new direction, sort of...

It's been a crazy and great start to 2008. I have been reflecting a lot this month on 2007 and looking forward to 2008. One of the things that has been on my mind is the fact that I have been blogging for a year now. Can't believe it! It's been an experiment all along and fun. I have wrestled with the purpose of doing this.

Is it worth it?

Mostly I think yes. It has been nice to hear several say they read it. I'm not sure if it is helpful, but hopefully I can make someone smile occasionally, reflect a little and always point them to Jesus.

One thing I have been quiet about on this blog is the fact that this year Suncrest starts a new campus and I get to lead it! It's been a huge thing in the works for close to 2 years now. I'm excited to see how many people God draws to Him through this new campus. To help pull everyone together in prep for this launch I have opened up www.suncresteast.org. This will be the place to find updates on the new campus.

Keeping that site up to date and posting here may prove to be a lot so I imagine that I will post less, but maybe what I do say will be more substantial...nahhhh.

Thanks for reading.

Coffee time

This was probably the funnest video I got to be a part of. We had two guys come out of the store and ask us what we were doing. Kevin (director and cinematographer of this fine video) just told them we were making a video about how I was hooked on Starbucks. They laughed. Wonder if there is anyway I could get some gift cards from Starbucks with this...

Oklahoma, take 2

We are trying it again...visiting family that is. The last visit, over Thanksgiving, didn't turn out so well. All of the previous day's meals being purged from 5 of the Gamble's wasn't a fun way to spend Thanksgiving when I typically spend more time eating rather than...well...you get the picture. But we are here again to actually see my family and spend a little more time with Sheila's.

It's never been convenient or fun living away from family, but it appears to be the path God has chosen for us. When we were graduating college, I had many friends who said they would go where God led as long as it was in a certain area or not in another certain area. We never felt like that was really submitting to God's Will. So we live 9 1/2 hours away from my kids' grandparents. It definitely makes it tough at times, but it makes the visits all the sweeter. As I have reflected on this I have often thought that despite the disadvantages, there have been some blessings:

• Early in our marriage and with our first child we HAD to depend on each other and had no other family to run to when conflict arose;
• We made more and better friends because we didn't have family to spend time with;
• We have had other people "adopt" our kids as grandkids;
• We always have a reason to visit the promised land of Oklahoma.

I know the road that God leads us down is not always convenient or what we would choose, but it certainly has been the best path.