.Real.Greg.Lee.

A little window into my life this morning…This isn’t necessarily dramatic, but it is candid. I ask Suncrest to be real with each other so this is me being real with you. This fall been one of the most intense seasons of my life. Some good. Some not so good. Very demanding. I feel like I’ve failed at some things personally and church-wise. I’ve also seen God work in some powerful ways – both through me and in spite of me. It hasn’t been an awful season…or the best season…just the most intense.

IMPORTANT: If you start feeling sorry for me when you read this…PLEASE STOP. Stop feeling sorry…and stop reading if you have to! 🙂 That would miss the whole point. The point is your life and my life are probably a lot alike. And the last 5 bullet points are BY FAR the most important.

I’m just reflecting here in some random bullet-point form about my thoughts from the past couple months…

-THRIVE was one of the most powerful series we have ever done…it generated a lot of intense and personal and time-intensive conversations.

-People re-calibrating their lives is huge and I think it’s hard to step right into another big thing like SERVOLUTION.

-I feel like we’ve had trouble getting SERVOLUTION “off the ground”. I could be wrong, but it feels too preachy to me…

-I know this about myself: When I get tired it shows up in my teaching. Sermons become more finger pointing and “you should” rather than insightful and “what if we did?”

-I’m praying hard that your community group is providing great inspiration to you here to fill the gap…and when you do jump in to serve somewhere you will experience the joy of it.

-I preached in Chapel at my alma mater last week. Getting invited back as an alum to help mark a significant change at the institution was a great honor…

-But I felt like the sermon I preached in Chapel wasn’t very good. (You ever been in a place you really wanted to hit a home run, but you just grounded out to the pitcher?)

-Jenny is trying to meet the needs of some of our neighbors by helping get kids on the bus in the morning. It makes for a full house from 6:45-8:15 most every morning.

-The Cardinals got swept in the playoffs. Ugh!

-I haven’t blogged for 10 days…I started to type late at night a couple times (embarrassingly late, actually) and fell asleep at the computer.

-It is budget time. And offerings that were strong in the spring are not so strong now. What does next year hold? God knows.

-By every measure out there, Suncrest is short-staffed for our size. It makes us creative and focused. It also creates a “plates spinning” environment.

– I keep praying for someone to make a $2.5 million gift to the church so we can take the $20,000/month we spend on a mortgage payment and use it for staff or other needs.

-I’ve preached every week for a while. I love that. It’s my favorite thing to do.

-I’ve preached every week for a while. I hate that. At it’s worse, the sermon is “the term paper due every week”.

-I get lots of people who want things from me or the church. That’s usually a good thing…they see a chance to make a difference in someone’s life.

-It’s only frustrating when the requests are more about personal preferences than kingdom-mission. That’s human nature, I guess.

-Jenny is serving in more areas than she ever has at church…Children’s ministry, visual arts, and going on the Africa Mission trip in February. I want it no other way.

-Every night she has had an Africa meeting, I’ve had another meeting. Is it good to farm the kids out so we can serve the church? We are blessed with great sitters.

-A very generous soul has given me the gift of unlimited free golf at a very nice local golf course. I used it only twice this summer. That makes me sick.

-I’ve had to have my share of “hard conversations” with people lately. I don’t know anyone who likes those. I know I don’t.

-God has placed some huge opportunities in front of us for next year…I want to tackle all of them. Not sure we can. But who wants to miss an opportunity?

-We keep seeing lives changed. We keep baptizing people at both campuses. As a pastor I know says, “THAT never gets old!”

-After I felt like Sunday’s sermon on “your gifts” was kind of a dud, the first three people I saw in the hallway told me they were jumping in to serve.

Which reminds me…

-God is always at work. He does not grow tired or weary…even if we do.

-Jesus really did overcome death…he can overcome any of my stuff (and any of yours).

-The Holy Spirit really does live inside of me. He guides me as much as I let him. The strength he makes available is limitless. But he doesn’t force it on us.

-In the midst of everything, when I stop to consider all God has given me there is no appropriate response except gratitude.

-I am pretty sure I have the greatest job in the world.

I love you, suncrest. Thanks for being authentic in who you are and encouraging me to do the same. This Sunday I’m going to talk about our passions and how they are God’s signal to us on where to serve. Can’t wait to see you!

Posted in Suncrest

Yesterday on the way home from church, I heard Abby (our 3-year-old) saying outloud to herself from the back seat, “Don’t worry about anything.  Pray about everything.”  Jenny and I didn’t teach her that.  It was her memory verse from her class that morning.  And this is the story of us raising Jack and Abby to be Christ-followers — we do everything we can…but we need the church to provide guidance too. 

It does my heart good to know that partnership is working at Suncrest.  Here are a few bullet-point reflections about our children’s minsitry.

• Julie Coons and Sue Hertzfeldt are the best staff anyone could ask for.  This is a true calling for them and they grow in it every day.
• Like I said about our teens…kids aren’t just “the future of the church”, they are the church! 
• An investment in children produces more fruit than anywhere else.  It can produce fruit for a LONG time – maybe 80-100 years!  It can reproduce – as these learners grow into teachers and contributors themselves.  AND…It can bring a whole family to faith – we have lots of stories like that!
• On Thursday and again on Saturday, I got to attend the first part of our Fall Training for all adult “contributors” in the Children’s ministry.  I was BLOWN AWAY by how many people serve…and how many people are needed! 
• And this didn’t even include younger volunteers that are also critical to our children’s ministry — our “Junior Contributors” — who have their training next week.
• The best part…we introduced 8 new COACHES.  Coaches are a HUGE part of our leadership ministry going forward in all areas of the church.  These are VOLUNTEERS who don’t simply serve…who don’t simply lead…but who lead other volunteer leaders.

I love every one of you who serves our children.  You are making a difference in children’s lives (including mine!).

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If you haven’t heard…you have to think about this.  Take your wife out on a great date!

JAVA GOSPEL from Sweden, a massive experience of joy, rhythm, movements and praise, is coming to Chicago September 29^th through October 5^th. 

And…Via a special connection with Suncrest Worship Team members Mitzi Montgomery and Storm Childress, Java Gospel will be performing LIVE at the West Campus THIS Friday, October 2^nd at 7PM! 

Tickets will not be sold, but a free-will offering will be received at the concert.  Childcare will not be available.

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We taught on “Correcting Course” Sunday to conclude our THRIVE series.  In the teaching Doug (@ east campus) and I (@ west campus) did this last week, we leaned heavily on some Biblical concepts gained from Andy Stanley, pastor of Northpoint Church near Atlanta. 

Andy is an incredible thinker, teacher, and leader and my favorite pastor to listen to and read.  He has written a book called “The Principle of the Path” that was a great resource for me in pulling the message together.

And…if you sense you could use some help in Moving beyond intentions to accomplishing worth goals, I would REALLY encourage you to pick up the book.

Click here for the Link to Amazon.

Posted in Suncrest

Really great morning at West Campus today.  Feel like doing this THRIVE series was definitely the right choice.  Felt like today’s message was the critical one, but couldn’t have had it’s strength without the first two.

We had people immediately text what step they were going to take to a friend at the end of the service.  I had a text form a guy in our small group.  I look forward to connecting with him this week.

After 3 services at West Campus, I headed over to East Campus for their one year birthday party!  Hard to believe it’s been a year since we launched this campus.   It was a great party with the high point being ANOTHER baptism. 

I got home for a 20 minute nap before we headed out to a small going-away dinner for Mary Beth.  It was just a small number of us who have served alongside of her for most of her 5 years with our spouses.  LOTS of laughs.  We’ll miss her on our team.

Got home to put the kids to bed, watch a little Sunday Night Football and prep for the week.  Th Colts look unstoppable. 

The Bears?  Good enough for the “W” and we’ll take that!

Posted in Suncrest

Fifteen years ago today…Suncrest opened our doors for the very first time.  And God has given us quite a ride ever since, hasn’t he? 

Suncrest, God has used you to change hundreds — actually thousands — of lives. 

• Some of those are your stories or they are stories of your children or neighbors. 
• Some of those are people you have never met worshipping in churches you have started. 
• Some of them are drinking clean water in Liberia or finding wholeness again through our Celebrate Recovery. 
• Some are from Hobart and beyond…now walking with God because of our east campus launch (having their FIRST birthday part this Sunday).
• Hundreds and hundreds have been baptized, experiencing new life in Christ.  We mostly do this in our services now, but for 8 years before we had a building they were done in countless swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, and other churches around the region.

I got an email from John Wasem (my mentor and our Founding Pastor) this morning.  He had a message for all of us.  Here it is…

15 years ago right now I was cleaning the bathrooms in the Lake Central Freshman Center as a couple of dozen others transformed the LGI Room, hallways, and commons areas into Day One of Suncrest Church. We were very excited … Very humbled … A little scared that only a handful would show yet reminding ourselves over and over that if Jesus is lifted up then God will draw the people to Himself. And yes He did. Glory.

Minus the well-wishers, we had 165 that day – miraculously still the record low attendance of the church. Congratulations, Suncrest, and thank you for your diligent, love-motivated, grace-filled, daily efforts to be good news to your world while there is still time. I’m proud of you all. But most of all I want to shout – YEA, GOD!

Yours & His from East Tennessee,

John and Leslie

Happy Birthday, Suncrest.  I can’t wait to see what the next 15 hold!

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I have.  I still think about Africa most every day. 

We have kids around the church doing amazing things to raise money for clean water systems.  We have container full of stuff we collected this summer that we are working to get shipped.  We have 17 people who have made deposits to go on a trip to Liberia next February (including Jenny).

We have figured out ways to support the ministry in Liberia in even greater ways even in very tight financial times.  Our missions coordinator (Denise Tribble) has made trips to other churches to rally more support and we’ve kept benefiting form our ties to the church that inspired a lot of this in us from Muncie.

We are trying to figure out how to make a significantly larger investment there – thinking mostly in terms of leadership and money.  We probably won’t get that done in 2010, but we are committed to keeping the vision alive and taking small steps forward.

So…I’m thrilled to share these pictures of progress.  When we were in Liberia in February, there were no walls on this church building.  This is progress that (in part) is possible because of you, Suncrest.  If you look at some of the pictures in detail, it is amazing how resourceful they are!

If you haven’t thought about Africa lately…look at the progress and people in these pictures and stop to pray for them.  This last picture shows their makeshift baptistry…a beautiful image of what this is all really about.

Posted in Suncrest

I spoke in our Student Life Worship Service last night, so I put on the coolest shirt I own and experienced a powerful night with  them.  These High School and Middle School students are incredible.  They  are only outpaced by Jared (our Student Life Pastor) and the adult leaders that invest in them!

After I got to see them interact and worship with them, I got up to speak and I had to take a few minutes to tell them how thankful I am for them — because they make our church a better church.  Here’s why:

1.  Their worship is unbridled.  They sing with their whole hearts.  No reservation.  No worry about the person next to them.  No audience except God.  I think our adult worship has become more passionate lately too, but these guys are still a model for us.

2.  Their acceptance is extreme.  It’s a mark of youthfulness that we lose somewhere along the way, isn’t it?  They accept people for who they are.  They aren’t making judgements based on how someone looks, dresses, thinks, or what they have in their past.  They are GRACE WHOLESALERS.  Suncrest as a whole is really good at this too, but it’s always worth a personal check-in for each of us.

3.  They hang out.  Church isn’t an event or a service — it is a place to hang out with friends.  I didn’t see anyone walk in late and walk out as soon as it was done.  They connect in relationships where truth meets life.

4.  They aren’t perfect…and they know it.  We talked about communion last night and the essence of the gospel.  I described it this way:  I’m messed up.  I can’t fix myself.  God sent Jesus to bring make a way back to Him.  You could see it in their eyes…the HURT (of what they have done) intersecting with the HOPE (of what Jesus has done for them).

These students aren’t just “the future of the church”.  They ARE the church.  And our church is better for their influence around here.

Posted in Suncrest

4 Great services (3 at West Campus and 1 at East Campus).  The highlight?  The prayer time at the end of the service.  Seeing people take the risk to go pray with someone and seeing people take the risk to be prayed for.  It was a beautiful picture of THE CHURCH. 

Here is what one of our elders wrote after he experienced the 3rd service: I need to reiterate what a powerful, spirit filled service today was.  I was able to truly feel God move in the music and message to reach so many lives.  Thank you for structuring the service to allow myself to be used by God to change lives in prayer and relationships!

Good News for the Mehrle’s.  Jared (our youth pastor) and Amy’s son went into the hospital early sunday morning.  He had to stay overnight, but is coming home this afternoon.  Thanks for praying for them.

My parents were in town.  That’s always good.  I golfed with my dad and my son before the rain came…does it get any better than that?

Bears win!  We went out for dinner and got to watch them pull off a HUGE win!  Given my poor record last year, I’m not predicting games this year on my blog…but let’s just say at this stage I would have missed both of the first two games.

Back to the Hospital…I went back out about 8:00 to spend some time with a neighbor who went to the ER.  They are good friends and felt like I should be there.  Got to see the Mehrle’s on the same trip.

Stayed up to watch the end of the Cubs/Cardinals Game.  The Cards gave one away.  That’s OK.

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Doug Gamble (our east campus pastor) and his wife Sheila had  a beautiful addition to their family today.  Click here for a picture of Doug with Lydia Faith Gamble on the east campus blog.

And click here for a little video on his personal blog.

We love the Gamble Family.  Doug has served here for 4 1/2 years now and has impacted a lot of lives.  Congrats to the Gamble family…including all the older siblings:  Ethan, Daisy, Grace, and Ben.

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