.Real.Greg.Lee.

What do you take for granted?  I’m sure there are a lot of things on my list, but we tend to notice them when they leave us, don’t we?

Seems like all month I’ve been fighting something health-wise.  My strategy is usually to fight through, reasoning that I can’t afford to slow down.  We had our big outreach season and a message series I thought was critically important for people, I was behind on stuff after our Africa trip, we are working through tough financial times without an administrator. 

For a week early in the month, I just “fought through” sore throat and achiness.  When it became obvious I was losing the fight, I went to the doctor.  I must have looked bad becuase in addition to the antibiotics for Strep, she gave me a steroids shot.  Of course, the result was a masking of the illness and the illusion of health, so 6 hours later I felt like a million bucks and just pushed it full-throttle again.

So now I’m feeling it again.  I wasn’t straying too far from bed or the bathroom yesterday…except for the funeral I was doing in the morning (it is still amazing to me how God does seem to give just enough strength when I need it).  Today I feel about 5% better, but all those meetings I cancelled yesterday are re-scheduled for today and tomorrow.  And Friday I leave for our annual elders retreat which always shapes some big things in our ministry.

I’ll make it…and I’ll learn (as I often do) how well most things can function without me.  I do welcome your prayers. 

And, I’ll stop taking good health for granted.

Posted in Suncrest

We have a new feature on the back of our “connection card” that people fill out each week.  It’s a simple box where people can write their next steps.  It’s huge because I think coming Sunday mornings without a next step for life makes for a lot of fat, lazy church-goers instead of vibrant Christ-followers.

A lot of times we suggest a specific next step from the theme or the message, but I’m finding people are writing things from their heart about their own journeys also.

Here’s a couple I got from Sunday (I’ll leave them anonymous here)..

      …bring my family to suncrest.  Involve my sister in youth group.

      …continue to re-establish my relationship with Jesus and find comfort in this church.

When I get these every week, they become my focused prayer list.  They are the everyday stories of our larger mission…to be used by God to change lives.

Posted in Suncrest

This morning we heard Bob’s story from his experience with encountering God and doing so through Celebrate Recovery.  It was once again a powerful story of God using our church (and others) to change a life.  That’s why we do what we do.

I said in the third service today at West campus that I’m confident most people at Suncrest have 2 thoughts when it comes to CR… 1.  They are thrilled we have it as part of our ministry (because it so powerfully changes lives).  And…2.  They figure it is for someone else…the person sitting next to them, their daughter they wish they could convince to go, etc.

That gets at our biggest CR challenge.  I think people assume CR is for those people with dramatic stories, who have hit rock bottom, suffer with a paralyzing addiction, and have no where else to turn.  Don’t get me wrong, CR can be a wonderful place for people in that circumstance…but it is also quite possibly for you.

It has been a great place of help for anyone who is struggling.  And who hasn’t had some struggles they could use some support with?  The phrase we use is that it helps us walk through any of life’s “hurts, habits, or hang-ups.”  I was talking to Bob (who shared his story) after one of the services today and he said a lady came to him expressing how much she wished her son would come to CR.  She was really struggling with the fact he wouldn’t get help. 

Here’s the point:  She figured Celebrate Recovery was for her son (and it could be).  But what she missed is that CR is for her…as she works through the emotions surrounding the situation!

Bob told her.  And I’m telling you.  If you could use a little help dealing with what life is throwing your way, Check out Celebrate Recovery this spring at suncrest.  It launches again on Monday, April 6 and then meets every week after that.  Click here for more info.

Posted in Suncrest

When I read a blog that hits me hard, I put it in a  folder to go back and read it again in a month or so.  If it hits me hard a second time, I share it.  This is one of those blogs.

I feel the need to preface this a bit just to remove any confusion.  I feel confident sharing the info below because it (mostly) doesn’t pertain to me/Suncrest.  I don’t want to be naive or assume I’ll never struggle with some of what is below, but no pity for me is needed or desired.  Jenny and I talk a LOT about how fortunate we are to serve a place as encouraging as Suncrest.

Still, many of my best friends are pastors and at some level all pastors are my friends…even if I’ve never met you.  There is a fraternity-thing here.  And as I read this today, I’m hoping you will pass this post on to your friends who might be oblivious to what many pastors face:

• 80% of pastors believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor’s children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
• 90% of pastors feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the demands of ministry.
• 80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• 85% of pastors said their greatest struggle is dealing with problem people such as disgruntled members, elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors.
• 90% said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be before they began.
• 80% of pastors’ wives wish their spouse would choose another profession.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.

There are more stats at Phil Pike’s blog and an extended reflection on the issues that surround them.

For pastors (and even volunteer church leaders feeling some of the same things), there is also a relatively new book out by Anne Jackson called Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic that is getting some great reviews.  Check it out here.

Posted in Suncrest

It was just like old times.  John Wasem (Suncrest’s founding pastor) and I just had day together up here in New Hampshire.  We talked about ministry, church planting, the trip to Liberia, our families…everything.  I owe most of my ministry wisdom, leadership and opportunity to him.

His middle child (John) is getting married next week so their whole family will be together.  Love that guy.

Posted in Suncrest

This is a defining week for Suncrest’s church planting in New England.

Early this week, the team overseeing the Providence, Rhode Island church plant (including Doug Gamble) had their initial meeting.  That new church will launch this fall and has a major commitment from Suncrest for it’s launch.

Today, I’m leading a meeting for Reunion Christian Church, our 2 year old church in located in the Back Bay/Fenway neighborhood of Boston.  There is a lot to celebrate, but our meetings can’t look back for too long because there is always something big coming.  Today, the discussion was about this 2 year old church of 300+ people likely launching a second campus…and maybe as early as this fall.  I love it!!

I shouldn’t be surprised.  Reunion is part of the NewThing Network with Suncrest and reproducing is what we do.  In fact, when you think about it, please stop and Pray for 242 Community Church near Detroit.  This 3 year-old NewThing Church is launching it’s second campus in Ann Arbor this Sunday!

Are you a ministry leader reading this and wondering about getting connected to serve with dynamic new works like this?  At Exponential (national new church conference) next month in Orlando, NewThing Network is sponsoring an opportunity just for you called Discover the Dream.  Check it out by clicking here.

Posted in Suncrest

Our 5 year old, Jackson, filled out his first NCAA bracket yesterday.  I carved out an hour to amke sure I got to do it with him, before I headed to the airport.  Truth is, he writes slow and was insistent on filling out every bracket himself, so we got about 60% done before I had to leave (or miss my flight).

So, right after I got through security at the airport, my phone rang and Jack wanted to do the rest of the bracket over the phone.  I talked to him until I was instructed to turn my phone off on the plane working through most of the rest of his sheet.  The highlights:

-He always wanted to know who I picked…He matched mine 80% of the time, but got this cool grin when he decided to go a different direction.

-He caught on to the 1-16 rankings and used them…at least as much as I use them!

-He tended to pick familiar names (like states he had been to) and teams known just by letters, which caused some consternation on UCLA vs. VCU.

-He’s getting in the family pool that my brother runs…Good luck reading his writing, Ben!

-His has an appetite to learn like no one I’ve ever met.  We could have done it for 3 hours becuase he wanted to talk about everything!

It was  a great day.  I’m so proud…

BTW, My Final Four teams are Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, North Carolina…Kind of sad as a huge Big 10 fan.

Posted in Suncrest

So, I must have created a little unintended mystery on Sunday with my comments about seeking God’s will, going ALL IN, and mixing it with some talk about Africa.  I had a few people ask me…and lots of people ask people around me…is Greg thinking about moving to Africa? 

There is the simple answer…which, by the way, is “no“.

And then the more complex one…

God is doing something in me through the back-to-back experiences of being in Africa and teaching this series on discovering God’s plan for your life (or my life!).  I’m wrestling with a lot of things that are good for me to wrestle with.  Here’s where I am right now with answers and more questions…

It only gets continually reinforced for me (directly from God and from – remember week 2? – wise counsel) that Suncrest is the place God wants to use me.  And, frankly, most of the time i sense this “Kingdom Assignment” is quite possibly for a lifetime. 

Wouldn’t anyone be thankful to have such a clarity and stability in regard to God’s “macro-plan” for their life?  I am, but it is also the reason for the stirring.  In my reflections about the life of trusting Jesus, stability serves one great purpose:  to provide a context to risk, to dream bigger dreams, start new things, live life on the edges.  It’s a great irony isn’t it?  Jesus said (Mark 8:35)  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.

And so that is where Liberia, Africa comes back on my radar.  My heart is broken in two ways.  One is out of compassion for the country.  The other is out of passion that a surge of people in in our church would be exposed to what we were exposed to.  And I’m wondering (now out loud for the whole world to read) what kind of difference we could make in a place like Liberia?  Liberia has 1/2 the population of Indiana and is roughly the same size geographically. And, what if we dreamed about the difference a church like ours could make over the next 30-40 years, not just over the next 12 months?   I start wondering if we could be part of changing an entire nation…

And so…the very fact that I have some confidence about God’s plan for my life leading Suncrest stirs me to think: what would he have us do that could take a lifetime?  Still blows my mind as I type it.  And I’ll keep wrestling with it…maybe for a lifetime.

Posted in Suncrest

I got this update last week from our church plant in Boston. 

Here we are a couple of months into 2009 and there are some big wins that we would like to share with you:

• Average attendance the past month has been 340, with our highest attendance at 366!
• Feb. 22 we celebrated our two-year birthday!
• Sojourn Collegiate Ministries was accepted as a registered student organization at MIT!

God is faithful and continues to bless our community.  We are excited to see what God as planned for the next two years in the life of REUNION Christian Church. Thank you so much for partnering with us in helping people find their way back to God. 

Their newsletter included a story about baptisms and asked for prayer about finding a location to start a second campus.  I’m heading out there tonight for a meeting about their next steps as the new church transitions off of outside financial and leadership support (Suncrest and other churches) to stand on it’s own.  At the same time, Doug Gamble (East Campus Pastor) is on his way back from a meeting about starting our next church out there…Providence, Rhode Island this fall.

It’s who we are, Suncrest.  We plant churches…and God blesses them…and us…and then we plant some more.  Gotta love it.

Posted in Suncrest

One of my leadership strategies is to create self-accountability.  (My opinion: Truly helpful accountability is a weak force in today’s world.  There is either a lack of accountability or an attempt to micromanage, leaving little freedom and motivation)  I think if you want to be successful in life, you should figure out ways to have to account to yourself.

I do this in a few ways, but the most common one I use is to go public with my intentions.  My experience is that my ideas and dreams see little progress as long as I’m the only one who knows about them.  I internally justify their delay (or worse, their demise) and they remain on the bottom of my priority list.

When I take an idea public, though, everything changes.  There is interest.  There is fascination.  There is resistance.  There are people who are automatically more interested in accomplishing it than I am (which is great, but creates some pressure).  Bottom line:  It won’t sit on the bottom of my list any more. 

Note: This “going public” has levels to it and ALWAYS starts with individual conversations, not a broadcast announcement (those who deserve to know first, those most affected, those we’ll need on board to get it done.)  Some of the big mistakes I see in leadership are when the “visionary” casts the vision to the masses without having key people in the audience already shaking their head yes because they feel in the loop and have had some key questions answered (or at least considered).

Back to the point…Most of us have great ideas…great intentions.  Many of us also have regrets.  It doesn’t have to be leading a church or a business.  It could be leading your family or follwoing a personal dream.  Push the envelope today…start telling people about it.

One more thing…When you want to take it to the next level, I start telling people about the dates you are setting to accomplish it.  To say “We are going multi-site” out loud is challenging.  To say “We are going multi-site in Fall 2008” throws it down…and gets it done.  No one else is going to hold you accountable to YOUR dreams.

Posted in Suncrest