.Real.Greg.Lee.

Hey Suncrest,  

We have a huge weekend in front of us…iMarriage begins and we’ve focused a lot of outreach resources leading through this month.  I hope you have given away your invite kits from Sunday.  It is just one way to “Care about people far from God”!  

Something was kind of painful to me on Sunday.   It was watching the really large number of people file in and find their seats after the sermon had begun.  Of course, we had switched the normal service order and the message began less than 10 minutes into the service.  I have to tell you…the last thing in the world I want to do is harp on people about getting here on time (especially since harping is both annoying and ineffective.)  But here is what I do want you to consider:  There is a spiritual experience that we are working with God to create from the first drumbeat of the service to the final song.  We take an informal approach instead of being stiff, but what happens in that room for that 70 or so minutes is sacred. 

·    We hear from God through his Word. 

·   We trust God and his promises through our offering. 

·   We express ourselves to God through singing. 

·   We encounter the crucified Jesus through communion.    

I learned today that we have 45 people going through Financial Peace University beginning this week.  WOW.  I love it that generosity is only one part of our church’s conversation about money.  I know FPU will transform people’s lives as it brings health to their financial situations.  Special thanks to those who stepped up to lead the sessions on Sunday mornings, Tuesday nights and Thursday nights!  

Maybe my expectations were too low.  We originally had a goal of sending 100 people to launch the east campus this fall, but the buzz around this announcement has been encouraging  to me…and the actual response even better!  Get this:  We have had ONE of THREE info meetings and already have…very latest stats here…75 people signed on to go.  On top of that, the luncheon for this Sunday is also full.  There is still room at the 7:00 info dessert on Tuesday night…email East Campus Pastor Doug Gamble < doug.gamble@suncrest.org > to reserve your spot there. I’ll see you Sunday (on time, right?)  

P.S.  Our Comedy Night is this coming Friday, March 7 (7:00pm).  Tickets are just $5 and it is the perfect occasion to invite new friends to Suncrest.  John Branyan is making his third trip back to Suncrest because he is HILARIOUS.  Get your tickets on Sunday at the reception center.

Posted in Suncrest

Got great news from our newest church plant today.  On Sunday, Reunion Christian Church in Boston celebrated their 1st anniversary.  This church is in the heart of the most unchurched city in America and they had their highest attendance yet with 278 people!

I’ll be out there in a little less than 2 weeks for a meeting and then early April for another one.  Great churches make those meetings fun!  Congrats to Hank Wilson and his team!

Posted in Suncrest

I didn’t blog last week because I was on vacation with Jenny and the kids.  For part of the trip, we were also with my parents and Ben’s (younger brother) family.  Tim (older brother) flew down just to go to the Daytona 500 with my Dad and Ben — pictured above.

I’m not a NASCAR guy, but the Daytona experience was pretty incredible…the power of the cars…the diversity of people…the 83 degree sunshine…and more.

We did Disney parks 2 days and Sea World and just hung out other than that.  We had some great people at the church let us use their time-share for free and did the mini-golf, pools, paddle boat with Jack on the other days. 

One real highlight was having dinner with Brian and Cindy Koopmans (and Sam) Friday night.  They are suncrest friends that moved to Orlando.  More than friends, actually…they were our small group leaders and are Jack’s “Spiritual Mentors” from his dedication.

Posted in Suncrest

Hey Suncrest, Apparently Doug gave up my “undisclosed location” on Sunday J.  Yes, I was 12 rows up from the crash on lap 181 at Daytona.  Yes, it’s a long story about how my dad got tickets to the race.  And, yes, I’m still in 80 degree Florida weather with the family…but will be back by the time some of you read this. 

I hope you’ll come out to hear the program by the 40 voice Lincoln Christian College Choir on Tuesday night.  It should be great.  There is no admission charge, but an offering will be received to support their tour. 

This Sunday, you will get some “Invite-Paks” to hand to your neighbors and friends.  We think March and April – with Easter right in the middle – is our best season for outreach this year.  I can’t wait for the series that begins on March 2.  It’s called “iMarriage” and is perfect whether you are dating, enjoying a great marriage or facing challenging season right now with your spouse.  It will be lots of fun in addition to receiving the insight God’s word always sheds on real-life issues like this. 

I know this multi-site concept had some flesh added to it on Sunday.  There will be more details to come, though much of it from here will be in settings like the upcoming informational lunches and desserts.  Speaking of those, I was kind of blown away by how many people have RSVP’d for the first one this Sunday.  I know some of you are just wired up to invest yourself in something that will matter long after you are gone and you are tackling this as an opportunity to do something for God with your one and only life.  You inspire me to no end!!

Posted in Suncrest

This is why I love this church…

Got an email this week from one of our “seekers”.  The credit for this guys story goes to our staff and volunteers (especially our worship team!)  He’s on an authentic journey even if he has not yet embraced Christ.  He’s also volunteers for us as a great sound guy/engineer.  He sent this email to a number of us who have been part of his story here.  I share it with his permission…

Well this week marks pretty much a year ago since I came to Suncrest to run sound.

Its been a huge journey for me.  Not just as a sound guy but as a seeker of the truth.  Its been a hard line to balance between wanting to do the best I can for the sound and production of the services but also do the best I can at understanding what is happening around me and what the teaching is leading me towards.  I can say this, there has been many times I have wanted to give up, to leave, but something kept pulling me back in. 

Today, as I think about it, I think it must of been god.  Or the fact that Ive come to love and respect so many of you as not only Christians, but friends.  I made it a point to meet God halfway a year ago.  Its become more of a commitment then I ever imagined.   But as I try my best to really be open to how God has blessed me since I became apart of this team, I cant deny his blessings.  Ive seen many problems along the way, and they seem to turn out ok, they seem to work themselves out and things get better than they were.  I’ve had to give up control on so many issues, and as much as I hate it, Ive grown from it. 

I wanted to personally thank everyone of you, for being yourselves and allowing me to learn about god in my own time and my own space.  I can honestly tell everyone of you that this is the ONLY Church Ive ever felt comfortable at.  And Ive gone to church most of my life.  Well from 0-16 then randomly until last year.  I will tell you all this, Im more open to what god is and can do in my life than I have ever been.  Yes, I haven’t taken that full step of faith, but if you all knew me two years ago you’d know the step I have taken is huge.  So I just wanted to thank you all for allowing me to grow at Suncrest and for putting up with me sometimes.  I know I can be blunt and stubborn and a few other things probably.

I love you all

Mike

Posted in Suncrest

Hey Suncrest,

This is going to be an odd weekly note…and one that all of us probably need to take a next step on one way or another.

 Multi-site Announcement

Sunday we unveiled it.  This fall, suncrest will experience a fundamental shift to help us better accomplish our mission.  We will become one church in two locations. Most of my conversations this week have focused on the excitement…and also the details of how this will work.  A lot of the details will be shared over the next 2 weeks…even more in informational meetings…and some of them will continue to come together in the next 7 months leading up to a September 28 launch of our “East Campus” in the Merrillville/Hobart Area.  You’ll get a big part of “how” this came about and the “why” for such a direction this Sunday.  The “Frequently Asked Questions” and more are available at www.suncresteast.org and specifically http://suncresteast.org/faq/

For anyone who is curious about possibly joining the launch team, we have 3 informational meetings that any are welcome to:

                -Luncheon: Sunday, February 24 after 3^rd service

                -Luncheon: Sunday, March 2 after 3^rd service

                -Dessert: Tuesday, March 4 at 7:00pm

We do need you to RSVP.  You can do so Sunday or by emailing doug.gamble@suncrest.org

Prayer Team…It’s kind of incredible to me that with 7 months until launch and only one announcement about it, we have 178 people committed to praying every week for this launch.  I love that about you, Suncrest.  Our goal is 300, so there is still room for you!  You can sign up here:  http://www.suncrest.org/295464.ihtml and you will get an email every week about what to pray for.

  CATALYST: A 21 Day Challenge

It struck me personally even as I was writing this line for my sermon this past week…How many of us BELIEVE that God has a specific plan for our lives but have given precious little time to actually seeking Him out about what that is?  And then, actually let other people’s plans for our lives drive us instead.

So we challenged everyone at Suncrest on Sunday to go on a 21 day journey seeking out what God has next for you.  If you weren’t here or didn’t get the bookmark, we will have some available this Sunday or you can visit www.suncrestchristian.blogspot.com for the reading plan and daily reflections from our staff each the passages of scripture (you can even subscribe to get it by email there).  And don’t forget:  Reading and reflecting is one thing, but writing down your reflections is truly powerful.  If you want a simple journal to do this in, we have “THINK Journals” available at cost ($4) in the bookstore this weekend.

The Catalyst series continues this weekend:  Last week we talked about how one indicator of what God wants us to do is found in how he has blessed us.  Those blessings are intended to be recycled to others not simply consumed.  This Sunday we talk about those times in our lives where it is kind of undeniable that God was at work in something – “God Things” – and how those are also indicators of where he is leading you in HIS plan.

 Something Cool

We recently got word of a fluke opportunity we have.  The 40-voice touring Choir from my alma mater (Lincoln Christian College) had a late cancellation on their schedule…so we jumped at it the open date.  It is right around the corner…Tuesday evening, February 26 at 7:00pm so we don’t have much notice, but I think you’ll love it if you can come.  In addition to the choir, their program has a lot of creative elements, drama, etc.  And, Suncrest’s own Jeremiah Montgomery is part of this group.

 Caring about People far From God

Next week you’ll begin to hear A LOT about a focus from now through Easter on reaching out to people we know without a church home or are distant from God.  We have events planned, a specific message series to attract people and more.  One thing we will do is supply everyone in our church with “door hanger” bags you can drop off in your neighborhood or to friends/co-workers.  Our immediate need is some help in assembling 5000 of these bags.  With a big crew, we can do it fast.  Please email cindy.barker@suncrest.org if you would be able to help do this next Friday, the 22^nd at 10:00am.  It would be a great help!

PS…If you missed the informational meeting about Financial Peace University, you can still get info and sign up this weekend.  This 13 week process will have gatherings on Sunday Mornings during the 11:00 service (childcare provided) and Thursday evenings at 7:00pm (no childcare).  If you felt a need to make a change in your debt situation a few weeks ago, this is the place to land.

Posted in Suncrest

We started  series on Sunday called “Catalyst” and I’m already hearing stories of how people are taking the 21 day challenge to read a passage of scripture and simply ask “What is God saying to me through this?” 

One lady wrote about how she just reflected the first two days, but started journaling on the 3rd day…“On the third day, when I wrote down my thoughts I found my self writing, and then writing some more, and before I knew it I was writing numerous pages of what I felt God was saying to me.  It is unbelievable what a few verses of scripture can say to us when we take the time to listen.”

In the big picture, we hope this 21 day will be a CATALYST to help us hear from God and prompt us all to see what he has next in His plan for our lives.

From there, we are confident God wants to use each of us as a CATALYST in someone else’s life. There will be plenty of chances for that around here in the next month and with the launch of our new campus this fall.

You can follow a staff member scripture reflection each day by clicking here:  www.suncrestchristian.blogspot.com

Posted in Suncrest

Hey Suncrest,

It’s been a while since I felt a financial series had such a meaningful response.  I just keep hearing about the specific commitments to get out of debt and to trust God by tithing.  Let me talk about those 2 one last time here:

For anyone who is wrestling with debt or money issues, PLEASE check out Financial Peace Universitythat Suncrest will offer this spring.  There will be a 30 minute info meeting after each of the three services this Sunday in Room 125 (near the children’s check in center on the north end of the building).  We have a great core of leaders… some fellow strugglers and some who have overcome this challenge…who are ready to facilitate this.  If you are interested in Financial Peace University, but absolutely can’t make it Sunday, please reply to this email and we’ll get you information sometime in the coming week.

From the stories I’ve had come my way and the questions that have come my way, the message about either trusting God or testing God on Sunday has stirred something.  I answered some of the common practical questions I got on my blog (should I tithe if I’m also trying to get out of debt?  What if husband/wife aren’t on the same page about this?  Do I tithe on gross or net?  Why 90 days for a testing period?).  You can see that in the post below.

I have to share a couple of emails I got after Sunday.  I’ve taken the names out to preserve confidentiality, but I think they reflect just how faithful God is in his promise to bless us when we trust him.

Greg, My husband and I have really enjoyed your “Monopoly” sermon series.  We are fortunately one of the few that were able to write down “zero” for our debt on the monopoly money the first week.  Your first thought might be “GREAT!”  But unfortunately we also aren’t regular tithers either.  When I asked my husband his thoughts on the sermon that first week he said “we need to start tithing again.”  … we should return to God the first 10% and then go from there with the rest of our needs and wants. Just in the first 2 weeks of tithing again God is already blessing us in amazing ways. I got a completely unexpected bonus from work on Monday.  Also we got a phone call asking us if we would like some furniture for our basement for free. I’m not surprised at all that He is blessing us in these ways.  I’ve known and believed what God says in His Word, I’ve just been very selfish. Anyway I know that last sermon wasn’t an easy one to preach.  I hope and pray that people will test God for the next 90 days.  It will change their lives. 

Greg, Great three weeks of the “money” series.   Loved your humor and your wisdom…………….Last Sunday was also powerful due to the words “test me” and “trust me”. On a personal note, God has greatly blessed my husband and I with our jobs/finances and the prosperity we are experiencing.  We both know it is due to our tithing. The windows of heaven are opening and God has been true to his word.  No stock market or investment company can give you what he has promised us.  We decided last year to raise our tithing to 12% (on our gross), 11% goes to Suncrest and the other 1% we share with other Christian/Jewish programs throughout the world.  And again, the blessings continue for us. (health, jobs, joy, peace, etc, etc.). I am proud to say my children are tithing, and they know the importance of it.  I am proud of their obedience in this. Not many teenagers tithe or understand it. .And for an example; last Christmas, through a relative, not expecting anything, they each received $1,000 in cash.   

I love that last one because though it talks about the financial blessings in one instance it also acknowledges that blessings aren’t purely financial, but come in different forms…health, jobs, joy, peace, etc. 

Make sure if you are testing God to live with your eyes wide open so you recognize his blessings when they come.  One of the songs we sing at Suncrest has powerful lyrics…

Many men drink the rain
And turn and thank the clouds
Many men will hear You speak
They will never turn around

Don’t test him and experience his blessing, but then chalk up his blessing to coincidence or something else.  Thanks for all of you who are giving renewed attention to how your finances and your faith intersect.

This Sunday we start a new series called “Catalyst”.  We have that huge announcement about Suncrest’s future this Sunday…see you there.

Posted in Suncrest

I finished up our “Monopoly Series” on Sunday by talking about tithing (returning 10% of your income to God).  In the big picture, tithing is about trusting…you can listen to the message by downloading it here:  Monopoly:  How to Really Win.

I had some great feedback and some really fantastic questions coming out of the message that were super-practical.  I thought I’d take a shot at them here:

Where should my 10% go?  All of it to the church?  Is it OK to split it among other charities that carry Christ’s message?  I feel like I’m the worst person to answer this question because I’m a pastor and people could definitely perceive a bias here.  First..and I hope this theme runs through all of these questions…I think the worst thing we could do in talking about tithing is to get legalistic and lose the spirit and joy of generosity.  So on one hand, I really want to say “do what you sense God is asking you to do”.  Here’s how I see it (and practice it) biblically:  The Bible talks about tithes and offerings.  in some ways you could say tithes (10%) expected to go to the temple (their place of worship) and offerings (pure generosity above 10%).  For Jenny and I we give just over 10% in our regular “tithe” to Suncrest (where we worship) and then try to do what we can on top of that as an “offering”.  That would be anything from special offerings at Suncrest (benevolence, etc) to supporting friends of ours who are missionaries to giving to faith-based or charitable organizations like breast cancer research, etc.

Should I tithe if I’m already focused on getting out of debt?  It’s a fair question purely form a dollars and cents perspective.  But I would still answer yes because tithing is about trusting God and involving Him in your financial situation.  What he does in his blessing has the power to transform you beyond the math.  Each story is different, but when I hear people tell stories from this perspective it has always been how they found God’s hand on them (blessing) overcoming their debt when they tithed.  And they feel as if something is working against them getting out of debt if they don’t.

What should I do if I disagree with my spouse on this issue?  I think there are 2 categories to this. 

First, in a setting where you want to to give, but your spouse is not a believer, I wouldn’t make an issue out of it at all.  Doing things that push him or her further from interest in the faith is almost always a bad strategy.  The priority here is to live in a way that your spouse would be attracted to the faith. 

Second, in a setting where you are both believers, I think you have to at least have some challenging conversations about trusting God, the example you want to set for your children, the blessings that you could potentially experience.  I talked with a lady Sunday who told me she really held back on this area, but her husband pushed on it…and today years later she is on board because of the blessings and the feeling of being generous.  Having said that, this issue is not worth the overall health of your marriage.  To the one who wants to tithe…Don’t be legalistic about this and then pay a price in your relationship.  To the one who doesn’t…I’d only be disappointed (especially if you are the man and expected by God to be the primary spiritual leader of your home) that given the chance to lead your family to trust God and experience blessings, you actually lead in the other direction.

10% is a lot.  How about if I start at 4% and get to 10% over the next few years?  I’ve used the phrase in the past that “10% is a great place to grow to and 10% is a great place to grow from.”  Then I heard someone teach that if God is asking for 10% then 8% is disobedience.  That’s a little strong for me and doesn’t seem to be in the spirit of Jesus.  But I can still see their point if you really want to experience God’s full blessing.  That powerful passage in Malachi about robbing God does say “bring the whole tithe.”  Again, do what God you sense God is telling you to do and what you can do with cheerful heart.  Give out of conviction, not compulsion.  There is a HUGE difference.

Should I tithe on my gross income or after-tax income?  Again, don’t be legalistic about this.  We tithe on the gross because I believe what I read from Jesus on Sunday…”With the measure you use, it (the blessing) will be measured to you.”  Start with “net” if you want.  I just believe after you do it for a while, you’ll decide to do it on gross.

Why set the testing time-frame at 90 days?  I want you to know there is nothing Biblical about this.  it’s just a time frame that felt like something that was the right mix between attainable and something that would stretch people.  Most importantly, it gives you a season during which you can live with your eyes wide open to see how God is blessing you.

I can’t wait to hear the stories that come from this.

Posted in Suncrest

I’ve been tired lately.

There are reasonable explanations I’m sure:  I’m getting older.  I pretty much never exercise.  I’m addicted to the presidential election coverage late into the night.

But my tiredness comes at a price to two important sets of people:  Those I love and those I lead.  So, I have to find a way out of it. 

Anyone who works in a church knows your rhythm is weekly.  Sunday is always coming…never more than 6 days away.  But it is just one in the mix of rhythms that I struggle to juggle:

-The grind of email.  I’m probably like most people.  I get about 300 messages a week.  About 1/3 of those are read and delete, 1/3 are quick response and done, and 1/3 require some type of thoughtful response.  I don’t dread email…but I find every free moment has a magnetic pull to dig out of my inbox (which serves as a quasi to-do list)…just hopping to get it down under 20 messages.  Right now it’s at 61.

-The grind of meetings.  When I start every week, I go into it with about 20 hours of meetings already scheduled on my calendar.  This is everything from staff meeting to worship review meetings to meetings with individual staff or departments.  They happen daytime and evening.

-The grind of sermon prep.  I block 12 hours of this on my calendar each week.  If only it fit so nicely into my schedule.  For the last 3 years I’ve let this time be invaded by almost everything…email, pastoral care, phone calls, staff needing to talk, etc.  I’ve committed not to do that in 2008, but honestly I’m struggling with that.  This is also hard because I need inspiration to prepare messages…that’s hard to schedule.

-The grind of Sunday morning.  Because of my approach, I walk out of our house at 5:45am, get to the church at 7:30, teach in 3 services, interact pastorally between them and usually walk out by 1:15pm.  It’s my favorite day of the week, but this 7 1/2 hours is more taxing on me than the days that are 16 hours.

The juggling really comes into play for me when the moving parts of life have varying rhythms:

-Most meetings are weekly.

-Some meetings are every other week (elders/multi-site/genesis team/etc.)

-Some are monthly (Business Management team/Area ministers meeting/New Thing network conference calls/etc.)

-Some are quarterly (one day staff retreats/Group and Ministry Leaders/partnership teams for our church plants/etc).

Pastoral care is rarely scheduled and if I’m the pastor involved, it’s probably a crisis, death or someone I also have a friendship with (which takes a personal toll).  Then funerals, weddings…and those 100 emails that still need a thoughtful reply.  My best move in the last year has been to really limit meetings I have to travel for (though with church plants it still does exist).  Jenny and I still host a Suncrest Community Group (which we love) and I teach for that every other week. 

After just typing all of that, I’m remind why “tired” doesn’t mean depressed.  I think I have the greatest job in the world. 

And even if I didn’t, I still have the greatest wife, son, and daughter in the world…and they are getting as much or more of me than they ever have because of some boundaries I’ve finally established in this crazy life.  I just want to make sure they are getting the best of me…not a tired dad.

Posted in Suncrest