.Real.Greg.Lee.

Tuesday night we announced Jared's transition and Brendon's new role to the students

Things are changing around here all the time, but I thought you’d love to know some shifts going on here on our team and the cool stories behind them.

Brendon Foulke — On Tuesday at our last Student Life Gathering of the year, I announced that Brendon is getting more responsibilities.  He has been Student Life Pastor at the St. John Campus for over a year now and he is now also becoming the “Global Leader” (all campuses) for student ministries.  He has led so well this year and the connection he has with the students is indescribable.  GREAT young leader.

Jared Mehrle — Jared has been both our Highland Campus Pastor and Global Leader (again…all campuses) for Student ministry to mentor Brendon coming in and make a smooth transition.  As Brendon moves into that Global role, Jared has picked up another key leadership role — he is now the Global Leader for Community Groups.  It’s the first time in 6 years that Jared hasn’t been connected to Student Ministry, but his legacy remains all over students lives.  I should blog about that sometime soon.

Bobbie Ruetter — Bobbie is the kind of story that makes Suncrest what it is.  She started attending a few years ago, became part of a community group, then became a community group leader, then became a coach of other leaders in our Community groups.  Now, she has moved into a staff position to lead those coaches and the Community Groups effort at the St. John Campus.  It’s a role I’ve tried to fill for the last couple years,but haven’t given the attention it deserves.  In a very short time she has things on a very healthy track with big plans for the fall.  We are so fortunate to have her.

Those are the big shifts on Ministry staff, but there are always other people stepping up too.

Emily Cioroianu has stepped into the vacant role of helping David Vineyard provide support to our missions/church planting efforts and also our benevolence compassion efforts.

Brian Money has attended suncrest for a while and has stepped into an internship role with David Vineyard and our “Contribute” ministries.

Zach Pugh and Emily Higgenbotham are college students that just arrived this week doing summer internships with Bobby Jackson in our worship Ministry.

Living day in and day out with this team makes for fun days at the office.  As you see them around, offer them a word of encouragement in their new roles…and pray for God to use them in powerful ways.

Posted in Suncrest

The Suncrest elders took off Friday for our annual retreat.  We drove just up into Michigan and got the chance to spend more time than we normally would praying, reflecting, talking candidly, and enjoying life together.  Our church is shaped by these spiritual leaders in powerful ways, most of which they would never get credit for as they function behind the scenes.

Here were the big pieces of our agenda this year…

Friday Evening

Reflection together on Suncrest’s health.  We have stretched in faith-filled ways over the past few years to reach new people.  2011 is about making sure we are healthy internally with leadership development, more people connecting in groups and contributing by serving.  Our honest assessment was that we need to be patient to work through these and other key systems, knowing these things are so big they will carry us into 2012.

Dreaming about Suncrest’s Future.  What will things look like in 2012 and beyond?  We know our mission will drive us, but the thoughts, dreams, and ideas need more prayer and reflection before we go public with any of them.

Late night, we got in a friendly game of Texas Hold’Em.  Bill Davy won.

Saturday

My Review.  I’m one of the elders, but also accountable to them as the Lead Pastor.  I had answered a questionnaire from them and we took almost 3 hours going over it in the morning.  It was (as always) a healthy and candid exchange.  They encourage me and push me.  They help me see my blind spots.  They ask probing questions.  They help me succeed.  They offer support.  They care deeply about my marriage and my children.  And at the end, they prayed for me that was powerful in ways I could never fully describe.

Succession Planning.  We always have a big item or 2 we try to tackle and this year was Succession Planning.  I tell the elders every year that I still love serving here and picture myself here for decades more.  Still, it would be unwise to exist without the framework of a  plan for how we would respond if something happened to me.  Also, though our track record at retaining staff is stellar, our multi-site approach gives us reason to always be prepared to carry on ministry if there were ever changes in key staff positions.

We had read the book Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne together and discussed aspects central to Suncrest, particularly about how roles for staff and elders evolve as a church continues to grow.

It was a cold and drizzle outside, but we did get in one game of “Horse” on the outdoor court.  On a fluke, I won that one.

Perhaps the most powerful part of the retreat every year is when we check in with each other in a pretty transparent way.  We talk about our year, what is REALLY happening in life (good, bad, and ugly), and how our own spiritual lives are doing.  It’s not necessarily dramatic, but it is powerful…again ending with a great time of praying for one another.

Sunday

I had to head out Saturday late night so I could teach at St. John, but the rest of the elders stayed one more night and then went to worship at our Walkerton Campus together.  It was awesome to have them all at one of our newest campuses to encourage and experience their community.

If you haven’t heard me (or our staff) say it lately, you will soon.  We are very grateful for the elders God has blessed Suncrest with.

Posted in Suncrest

I was at a dinner meeting tonight when this piece of cake was set in front of me for dessert. I ate it.  All of it.  Discipline is hard, eh?

Disciplines in front of me right now:

Nights away:  With our elder retreat over the weekend and my meeting away tonight, I’m up to 3 nights away from the family this year.  Quite a change from last year.  I’m turning down opportunities often, but it has been SO worth it.  My next night away isn’t scheduled until August.

Biggest Loser:  I did eat the whole piece of cake, but I still have Nash Propst (Hobart campus worship guy) in range to overtake him soon for the lead of the men’s division!  Get this:  SUNCREST STAFF has lost over 125 pounds in the last 6 weeks during our competition.

Spiritual Retreat: I’ve talked to Jenny about this and talked with the elders about it on our retreat.  As good as God has been to me and our church, there are times I feel like I’m leading and teaching with “just enough” spiritual vitality inside of me.  And nothing will feed that longing except extended time with God.  I’m looking for the right time and place soon to “retreat” for some reflection, prayer, and listening.  But it won’t happen until I schedule it and that takes discipline.

What is the place in your life where you just need to choose discipline?

Posted in Suncrest

If the spirit at our leader’s gathering last night told me anything at all, it is that our church has fallen in love with being one church in 4 locations.

So, I love every opportunity for our campuses to help each other.  You probably know about…

• the amazing way our Hobart campus was given a building
• the amazing way volunteers there have worked every Saturday since November
• the amazingly small budget we are doing the re-hab of the building on
• AND the AMAZING opportunity this facility gives the campus to  be a presence in the Hobart Community.

We are within a month of moving in and I have one SIMPLE way people from all campuses can help.  We want to outfit the children’s ministry with the elements that create a powerful first impression for every family that comes through.  When you add up all the elements that could make that happen, it gets expensive.

So, how about instead of adding them all up, we split them all up and each tackle a small part?  Our team has created a list of desired items at Target’s Website.  There are items that range from $3 to $500 so I think there could be something for everyone.

I just went there and bought a few things myself and it was so simple.  I picked items from the list and paid for the  items, but they are shipping directly to Suncrest.  If you would rather get it in store and bring it to the church you can do that too.

Click here for the link to the Suncrest//Hobart list.  Happy shopping…and thanks for doing a small part to support and encourage one of our campuses.

Posted in Suncrest

Make you plans now to join us at the St. John Campus for an African Dinner next Friday night.  There will also be a silent auction with some really incredible items.

The Cause:  “Impact Liberia” is our original and major partner in Liberia.  We support their ministry out of our missions budget and now their supporting churches are trying to help them fund things that are too big to fit in their budget.  We want to give them the funds they need to FINISH their building project…work that will be done in correlation with a team going there this fall.  We also are working to bring their family back to the United States for their missionary “furlough”.

The Food:  If you were at this dinner a couple years ago, you know the food was incredible.  You’ll get an authentic (and delicious) African meal prepared by some who have been on our trips…and have excellent culinary gifts.

The Auction:  A part of the fundraising aspect is a silent auction. There is no pressure to bid, but you can walk away with some great deals on cool stuff:  Massages, Cubs tickets, Sox Tickets, Artwork, ‘Night out” downtown Chicago, gift certificates water park and golfing, Jewelry, tools,  Some very nice items. And, of course, every dollar goes to this very worthy cause.

The Details:  Friday, May 20.  Arrive at 6:00pm.  Dinner at 6:30. Presentation at 7:00.  Silent Auction in 3 cycles at 7:45/8:00/8:15.  Tickets are $10/person and are available by contacting david.vineyeard@suncrest.org and at all campuses on Sundays.

I will be at an out of town wedding on Saturday, but am staying in town Friday night just for this.  Hope to see you there!

Posted in Suncrest

I’ve been asked for my thoughts on this many, many times since the news Sunday night.  There are plenty of differing opinions out there on the topic whether at your water cooler or in the world of Twitter/Facebook/Blogs.  Similarly, among pastors there is hardly one unifying stream of thought.

There is a lot of dumb stuff that gets said and written.  And a lot of smart stuff.  And a few things I thought were dumb when I first read them, but I later decided were smart.  And a few things that I thought were smart….  You get the point.  So…I want to focus on few principles for processing this while including some of my reflections..

1.  Take a learning posture.  Be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).  If we decided we already knew everything about how we should react when you heard the announcement, I think we missed out on a great chance to learn something new.

2.  Acknowledge our shortage of perspective.  I’ve been affected by Osama Bin Laden, but not anything like others.  How would I feel if it was my dad who died on 9/11?  How would I feel if my cousin in the army was killed in fighting against Bin Laden’s terror cause?  Or, conversely, how would I feel if I were Bin Laden’s son?

3.  Genuinely consider how God viewed Osama Bin Laden?  I’m confident God loved him deeply and hoped Bin Laden would return to Him.  And, as someone who is full of unrepentant evil, actively, aggressively, arrogantly doing the work of Satan on this earth…one already responsible for death of thousands and using his time left on earth to be responsible for more.

4.  Respect Context when applying Scriptures.  If I disregard context, I can find a Bible verse to support any position I desire.  It’s not because the Bible is inconsistent.  It is because the way it gets used is shallow.  I’ve seen a lot of Bible verses thrown around.  I’m THRILLED if people are looking there for guidance.  I’m MAD if people are looking until they find a verse that seems to support what they already decided they wanted to say.  This isn’t just for pastors…anyone can think through an example like this:  In a teaching on how you personally relate to an individual who hits you, Jesus said turn the other cheek (Matthew 5).  Does that mean that in a government/war/justice situation we should let evil prevail?  No…read Romans 13.  But don’t stop with Romans 13 either.  Wrestle through the tensions of the whole story of God.

5. Pay attention to motives and self-righteousness.  I think this is my gut check.  Am I about revenge?  Am I happy that a human being met his Creator unprepared for that moment?   No, I take no pleasure in the idea that a man died without experiencing God’s grace, no matter how evil. The whole message and life of Jesus is an invitation to all (seriously…ALL) people to receive grace we don’t deserve.   When I align my heart with God, it wishes and hurts for a much different outcome for Osama Bin Laden.  I will not celebrate, joke about, or make light of his death and eternity.  You will never hear me say “I’m glad he got what he deserves.” Why?  Because I don’t want to get what I deserve…and I’m very thankful that because of the cross I will  not.

Where does that leave me?   I have peace about what played out on Sunday through our President’s decision and our armed forces doing their duty.  This does not come out of revenge, but a high regard for protecting innocents and a sense of justice.  It acknowledges that sometimes death is the regrettable, but right application of justice to a person like Osama Bin Laden…who is undeniably guilty of mass murder and actively working to bring further death and destruction to innocent people.  God gives no individual the authority to carry out such justice, but makes provision for governments to do so.

There are lots of verses, but I’m essentially reconciling these two as I sort out my reaction:

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice. (Proverbs 24:17)

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. (Proverbs 21:15)

Perhaps you have comments…agreeing or disagreeing.  Feel free to share.  I’m still learning…

Posted in Suncrest

Here is what I’m grateful for…

The New Campuses…Highland and Walkerton celebrated their first Easter services ever. I read an update from Walkerton early this morning…the crowd (almost 150) was incredible & the spirit was even better.

The New Stories…It’s a Facebook world and we had a newcomer post on the church’s Facebook page last night, “I loved the church!! It was amazing— I plan on going again. Everyone was wonderful.”

The Collective Effort…It is not an exaggeration to say Easter was possible at Suncrest because volunteers gave THOUSANDS of man hours to make it happen.  Children’s ministry and hospitality shined, not to mention our incredible teams that make the worship services happen.

The Baptisms…They are awesome all the time (Highland Campus had their first 5 last week!).  Doing them on Easter makes this verse come alive…We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

The Truth…We landed on a teaching focus that I felt was critical if we are going to be authentic in our faith.  The Resurrection doesn’t promise God will fix your circumstances, but it does promise his Peace and Strength through anything.  Among the comments…(from Hobart) “Awesome message at church today… Keeping it real!”  and (from St. John), “It’s just not going to be about the “answer” to the prayer anymore for me.  It’s going to be about the love that’s flowing from the God I am praying to.”

The Numbers…Suncrest, you went all out inviting.  Thanks for caring so deeply for people and their walk with Christ.  I think we probably have our highest attendance ever on Easter each year so that isn’t really new.  This year that number surpassed 2000 people for the first time.  God is giving us a great responsibility.

Beyond us…I’m reading updates from lots of pastor friends around the region and the country with updates that are just as powerful.  Never forget we are part of something much larger than ourselves.  And we work from this posture:  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…(Philippians 3:10)

Posted in Suncrest

I get lots of encouraging comments coming my way about our passion services this week.  My observations…

1.  I had almost nothing to do with it.  It’s the gift of a great team and great volunteers.  Every year I focus on Easter and others (Doug Gamble has always played a huge role) create the passion experience.  I was as blessed by it as anyone else.

2.  The services were 85% led by volunteers.  Our church would die immediately without so many volunteers serving in a VERY wide variety of roles, seen and unseen.

3.  Sitting in the round reminds us that Jesus didn’t just die for me, he died for us.  It is something we share and what gives us our identity as a “Body of Christ”.

4.  Our son sat in for his first Passion Service.  Generated a great conversation afterward.  Use every teachable moment you have with your kids!

5.  It is always fun to be together as one church.  Saw people from all 4 campuses last night.

5.  Our only mistake was underestimating the interest!  When you set up for a few hundred people and then have almost 500 show up Friday night we were scrambling to find places to put people.  Looks like we will be adding services next year somehow.

Posted in Suncrest

I got the sense people resonated Sunday with the idea that over time we could/have lost our fascination with Jesus.

So..what do you do about it?  You have to step back and expose yourself to the right experiences.  And there is an incredible opportunity we have crafted for you being hosted at the St. John Campus.

It is a simple “prayer walk”, but I’ve heard some powerful things about it.  This is from a friend who went through it today: I just went through the prayer walk.  It was such a great experience that I wanted to encourage you to participate if you at all can.  The volunteer leaders put something together that is unique and powerful.  It jarred and refreshed me.

It is going on one more day this week Tuesday, April 12^th (8 AM-8 PM).  It is self-directed so you go at your own pace.  Plan to spend about 30 minutes at the interactive stations praising God, praying, writing, and connecting with God in a new and unique way.

Posted in Suncrest

Hey all…good to be back blogging after I tried to unplug for a while with the family on Spring Break.

I wanted to update you on an important development that happened while I was gone.  Suncrest has been figuring out how to respond to the crisis in Japan.  The nuclear situation is obviously the centerpiece of the news right now, but I think that has overshadowed shocking loss-of-life and other huge humanitarian struggles.

Consider this…almost 13,000 are confirmed dead and over 14,000 more are still missing with hope for finding them obviously very low  almost one month later.  Beyond those 27,000 people, millions have had their livelihoods come crashing down around them.  Yesterday a 7.1 quake hit (they are actually calling it an “aftershock”) where additional lives were lost.

The devastation can’t be imagined, but is powerful in these before and after pictures.

What is our role in this?  We think it is the role of any Christ-follower to see the brokenness in our world and do our part to be part of putting the world back together.  Remember our verse as we concluded “The Story of God” a few weeks ago?

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”-Jesus (John 7:38)

Suncrest, your generosity at Christmas Eve to our Compassion Offering has us prepared to respond as a church to this.  It is there for needs in our community and for disasters around the world like this, so we were able to send an EXTREMELY generous contribution to the relief efforts. If you want to help with a gift individually, here is a link to send it through the same organization we researched and partnered with: Samaritan’s Purse

Posted in Suncrest