.Real.Greg.Lee.

I’ve taught on marriage dozens of times, but I think today is the first time I ever taught specifically on not being married.  I should have never waited 15 years.  I’m absolutely fascinated by the conversations that came out of this morning.  Many thanks to our teaching team for pushing a series on marriage to make sure we included this.

I referenced a couple of blog posts about dating and promised to share them in full here.  Perry Noble posted these within the last month.

I mentioned two from “You probably shouldn’t date HIM if…”

1.  He says his “Issues” will get better once you are married.

2.  You have to talk yourself into being with him.

Read the other six for ladies looking for a guy with some explanation by clicking here.

I also mentioned two from “You probably shouldn’t date HER if…”

1.  She cries and pouts when she doesn’t get her way.

2.  She is rude to you.

Read the other six for guys looking for a lady with some explanation by clicking here.

Posted in Suncrest

It’s that time of year.  I’m starting to plan our teaching series for the next year or so. I already have some ideas percolating, but I need you to brainstorm this with me.  Maybe something has immediately come to mind.  Or maybe one of these thoughts will help you get started…

• I’m curious what the Bible says about…

• I need to hear from God about…

• I have a friend who would come with me if we talked about…

• My everyday struggle in life is…

• My friend asked me this and I didn’t know how to answer…

• I don’t understand why God would…

This is brainstorm…no wrong answers!  You don’t have to attend our church.  I’m open to EVERYTHING.

Leave your ideas below in the reply section.  Last time I did this, I know some of the replies prompted more replies.

So…let me hear it!

Posted in Suncrest

How much is your marriage worth?  That’s not really a fair question. There are so many ways you could answer it.  My fear, though, is that it is worth way more than we are investing in it.

• Is it worth a weekend away to work on renewal?

• Is it worth  48 hours away from the kids…and everything else…to reconnect?

• Is it worth creating time and space to dream and imagine?

• Is it worth finding some encouragement and some coaching for helping you thrive?

I think it is.  Over 15 years, Jenny and I have done a guided weekend retreat 3 times.  The last time was 2 years ago at something called “Weekend to Remember” here in Chicagoland.  It was exactly what we needed at the time.  I’ve seen marriages benefit greatly whether as routine maintenance, a tune-up, or a complete overhaul.

In sync with our message series, Suncrest has arranged for anyone connected to us  to receive HALF-PRICE registrations at an upcoming “Weekend to Remember” March 23-25. One of our pastors and his wife (Bobby/Beka Jackson) are going and would love to have you there too.  (If those dates don’t work, “Weekend to Remember” has other options also.)

To explore it, sign up, and get the 50% discount, just go to www.suncrest.org and follow the instructions on the “Weekend to Remember” link.

Posted in Suncrest

I’ve been posting this week using a few different emails I received last week that I think embody the suncrest story.  Thanks for all the feedback. If you are from Suncrest, I hope you will always remember these are not my stories…they are your stories.  Story #1 was a person who has had her life changed.  Story #2 was a leader amazed at how things are multiplying.  Story #3 is bittersweet because it comes from Cece McAgy, a person who has shaped our church in tremendous ways, but is now relocating to North Carolina.

God has used Cece for incredible good in our church, giving leadership to our Prayer Ministry and Celebrate Recovery.  Her own story is a compelling journey of Grace and she is invested in a ministry beyond Suncrest called “Kairos Outside” that encourages family members of prison inmates.  It’s amazing.

I gave her a few church recommendations where she is moving and then she sent me this.  It’s a little longer and about her and God as much as Suncrest…as it should be!

Thanks for the recommendations. I know it’s going to be really important for us to get connected, especially the kids. We’re really gonna miss our church family here. Suncrest has gone through a lot with us. I’m still amazed how much Jim and I have grown in our faith since we first walked into that high school auditorium (when we met at Lake Central)!

 God’s timing and the listening series played a really big role in all of this. Jim and I had agreed it was time to look elsewhere for work. If we were going to move, might as well be where we wanted to retire to and where there was some family. In January I started applying for jobs in NC. Every company I applied to – responded! I drove out for interviews. The main job I went for did not pan out, but that was in the midst of “listening”. Jim wanted me to stay out there and keep networking. After “listening” the message was loud in clear. “Go home, get your affairs in order first, then come back.” I still had not resigned from the Kairos Outside board. I came home and immediately resigned. The very next day, one of the NC headhunters called about a job. The day after that, I had a 2 hour phone interview with this commercial real estate investment firm. A week later I was flown in for a interviews with the firm principals. By the time the plane landed back in Chicago, I had the job. Jim and I both know, this is all God. His hands and timing are all over it.

Someone told me over a year ago to pray specifically. Be really specific – where, when, how much, who, etc…. So for a year I have. God has answered every bit of it – right down to the penny! As always our timelines did not agree, but other than that, I have the exact job I prayed before, in the location I prayed for, and for the salary I prayed for. Surprisingly, I’m still amazed by that. I’m still amazed that God would come thru for us in such a big way. It has been a heck of journey in the last few years, but God has been there faithfully every step of the way. Jim and I see it so clearly there is no way we cannot respond to it. We have to give back which is why it’s so important to us to find a new church family in NC as soon as possible. It’s going to be tough to find a group like Suncrest that can so clearly apply the bible to everyday life and hold me accountable to it. It will be a tough act to follow!

Cece

God is always at work in our lives…as especially so through the trials.  A church in North Carolina is about to be blessed with this family!

Posted in Suncrest

I’m sharing a few stories this week that randomly came to me last week.  Bill Foster was a key leader of a Hobart church that closed 4 years ago and devoted much of their remaining resources to help launch our Hobart campus.  Bill may be best known around Suncrest//Hobart  for his hearty laughter.  This is what Bill wrote me…in his own words:

Having read your blog today about Suncrest being a church planting church spurred me to think back to the beginning of our relationship.  I thought about how the old Community Christian Church in its closing has “risen out of its ashes to become a great Phoenix.”  I am always amazed at exactly how God works in His time & timetable.  I’m sure each of the old Community fellowship was saddened to see our 25 year old work close.  However, how well blessed we are today to see how God has enabled our ” talents” to be so greatly increased in such a significant way.  Who, but God, could have dreamed how this move would be playing out today.  Going from 1 campus to 2 to 4 & now 6 (with Doug and Jared being sent out to plant churches)!  And hopefully, with no end in sight.

I am ever thankful to the elders & their foresight & vision & you & your staff for carrying it forward.  Never stop dreaming…. for with God’s help there is nothing that can’t be accomplished.  God bless you all.  

Bill

I deeply appreciate Bill.  There is a lot I could write but mostly I think this is a perfect picture of what can happen when unselfishness, humility, and vision get in sync.

Posted in Suncrest

It seemed like last week I was flooded with stories from people about how God is working through the church and in their life.  I’m going to post 3 of them this week with their permission.  They come from people with vast differences, but you’ll see a common theme.

The first is from a person (Jennifer) who was baptized two weeks ago…

I wanted to just send you a quick note and tell you how thankful I am.  It <the baptism> was one of the best experiences of my life.  I am so glad I listened to the suggestion of a friend who told me to come to Suncrest.  Since I did not grow up going to church and was not really exposed to religion much I never really knew how to start this journey…the birth of my daughter and my desire to raise her differently than I was, helped point me in the right direction, I don’t think I would have decided to become baptized anywhere else.  It just felt right 🙂  I am so glad that I now feel like I can give her her what I always wanted to have, but just never knew how to get it.  I’m sure you hear this all the time, but what you did yesterday for me really has changed my life.  

Thanks so much!  

 Jennifer

While I don’t hear that “all the time” I am very grateful when I do.  God has been very good to our church.  I’ll share another one tomorrow.

Posted in Suncrest

I’m not exactly a huge music fan.  My radio is locked in on sports and news and my ipod is full of sermons.  Honestly, I was doing the dishes last night and turned the Grammys on in the background.  I was interested in how they would honor Whitney Houston (our staff would tell you that if I have a sweet spot of music knowledge it is pop music from the late 80’s/early 90’s).

I was as surprised as anyone that I ended up watching the whole show.  I thought it was good, but the real fun was in watching my twitter feed and seeing people’s comments and reactions in real time with the performances.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Best observation:

@marcusleshock So…..Jennifer Hudson LOST American Idol?

Funny because it is true:

@jonacuff I love Bon Iver because he makes great music but kind of looks like he’d do your taxes too.

Inside joke to a very narrow demographic I’m a part of:

@ItsMattConner  Nicki Minaj re-interprets Carman’s The Champion

My favorite from Nash Propst, who was on top of things all night:

@nashpropst Is this Glen Campbell or George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life?

And my single contribution to the twitterverse (probably says as much about me as it does about Adele):

@realgreglee Adele…I’m a big fan. The ultimate in substance and a quiet confidence that makes something great without need to over-reach.

Posted in Suncrest

Suncrest plants churches.  Everyone around here knows that.  We give 10% of our offerings to it and have lots of stories to tell.  I guess there are a lot of ways you can look at it, but one of my favorites is that it is an investment in something beyond ourselves.

Rewind:  Suncrest started because others invested.  Years ago people and churches poured a couple hundred thousand dollars into a project called “Suncrest”. It’s hard to measure “return on investment” in church terms:  You could point to big numbers (almost 1000 people have been baptized in 17 years) or small ones (sending out 2 “homegrown” missionaries last year)…they all have a lot of meaning.  But think about this: Besides everything that has happened here within our church, Suncrest has given about $1.5 million dollars away to other missions and church planting.

I’m thinking about this because I spent a couple days in Boston this week with a church we have worked to start out there.  Our investment (over $50,000) was combined with others and REUNION Christian Church was launched 5 years ago in the “Back Bay” — the cultural center of the city.  They had almost 500 people attend on Sunday, have already expanded to 2 campuses, and we are preparing this year to hand off the oversight of the church from the team I serve on to leaders who have been developed there.  And guess what else? They are already financially supporting new churches themselves in Providence (RI), San Francisco (CA), and internationally in France.

Suncrest, thanks for your sacrifice…and your investment…to plant churches.

Posted in Suncrest

I met with my friend Dave Hamm yesterday.  He sent me this email.

Thanks again for the meeting today. I always enjoy our time together.  I forgot one thing though. On Wednesday night when we were leaving our training at the church I glanced over at your window and noticed that all of the Elders were in there.

I really got a smile because, I knew that our church was safe with you all in charge. To see all of you to be there so late, missing your families to guide the church, was the coolest.  I wanted to ask you to thank all of our Elders from me for their sacrifice, leadership and knowledge.

What an awesome group.

Our elders are spiritual leaders who guard and guide our church.  They love to live “under the radar” around here, but I know of their sacrifice, leadership and knowledge.  I’m glad others notice too.

Posted in Suncrest

You may know that two people (David Vineyard and Rod Reutter) from our “Jesus Mission: Liberia” team are on a 12 day trip to Liberia right now.  Communication is always a challenge in Liberia and again, they have had no way yet to send pictures or lengthy updates.  We have received some text messages and a phone call to let us know they are doing great and seeing incredible things.

Here are some of the highlights:

1.  Church plants are up and running!  So far, we have started 3 new churches in Liberia through “The Jesus Mission”.  Rod (who is one of our elders at Suncrest) actually got to preach at 2 of them on Sunday!

2.  Rod and David are all over the country.  They are encouraging our new churches, connecting with students we are supporting at a Christian College. They visited the Rubber Tree farm where we are investing in economic development so the churches we start can become self-sustaining.  They have seen the Buegar family and got encouraging news on their daughter who was recently in a bad auto accident.

3.  They are building partnerships.  In some places we made small investments and are following up to see how they were used.  This will help us know who to build larger partnerships with going forward.  The Jesus Mission Team has been so smart about this.

4.  They got to stay at a place with running water…but not until they had been there for almost 6 days!  Not hot water, mind you.  Just running water.  Now…that is an adventure.

Consistently, they are hearing people say THANK YOU.  They want to pass it on to Suncrest for the difference you are making there in a country with great need.  It is happening life by life by life.

Posted in Suncrest