October is National Pastors Appreciation Month. Our pastoral team is blessed to serve our Gateway family. It is a joy and honor. You always go out of your way to appreciate us and make us feel loved. This month, we decided to give honor to whom honor is due. THANK YOU to our 100 volunteer leaders who faithfully pastor your small group! May you continue to shepherd your flock with love, patience, and humility. Disciples are hand crafted, not mass produced. Because the love of Christ compels you to sacrifice, we are making the Great Commission our #1 priority. Together, we get to join Jesus on His mission!!! I love you.
Facing discouragement isn’t about if, its when. It helps to have a different perspective when facing it. Our staff had lunch with missionaries Steve and Christine Hayes (Russia) and Michael and Tiffany Richardson (Tanzania) this week. Their solutions will help when you are struggling emotionally:
1. Be grateful
Make a list of everything you’ve been blessed by God with and thank him for it. Cultivate a thanksgiving spirit by thanking others for every small acts of kindness.
2. Remember the “why”
Jesus called us to make disciples to all nations. Everything becomes a means to this end.
3. Be faithful
There are no small people. No small roles. No small tasks. We persevere in these things done in love. Never give up.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9
Do you know why you are burning out?
The demand of leading a growing church, family, or organization is intense. My administrative weakness was exposed when our church outgrew our infrastructure. A few of us began to feel like everything was falling on our shoulders. This lid was keeping genuine followers of Jesus from being assimiliated into healthy Fellowship and Volunteer teams. With the exception of my wife and kids, I was not meeting the relational expectations of so many around me. I lost my day off and was losing my passion. If you feel overwhelmed, maybe our experience will help.
Take Responsibility
Its a humbling moment, but liberating.
God Moment
Seek God. Really go after him in prayer, fasting, and Bible study. In rest, I discovered three truths. We are never created to bear more than what God intends. Ministry must be compelled out of a love for Christ. How often do we do because we feel like we owe it to God or others? The church belongs to Jesus. He is always victorious. The challenge we faced wasn’t new. We learned how the early church overcame a similar issue in Acts 6.
Let Go of Responsibility
I grew up in a church where its expected that the pastor do everything. Preach every Sunday. Do all the management and administration. Provide all the pastoral care. The problem is it simply isn’t possible or Biblical. We rob others from doing ministry and become the lid to growth. Its a shortcut to burn out. Our job description is found here and we are commanded to equip the body to minister to the body. This will help us stay focused in being a passionate follower of Jesus, lead a healthy family, be devoted to studying and preaching the Word, focus on the Great Commission, and lead areas in our strengths.
Ask For Help
We invited friends David Chrzan (Chief of Staff-Saddleback) and Justin Lathrop (Networking Guru) to spend a day with our key staff and advisory council. We locked ourselves in a conference room. We asked the right questions and together discovered the right answers.
Change
With growth, comes change. Change in personell, systems, and structure. Its not comfortable or easy, but needed for health. Our new executive team includes discipleship, operation, worship services, and church planting. God raised up the right leaders who are empowered with authority to identify the challenges and fix them. They are a direct answer to prayer and complete miracle. Over the next couple of days, I’ll introduce who they are.
Give God His Glory
We must stay humble. If we are healthy, we will naturally grow, bear fruit, and multiply. But it will be God who adds and we must remind ourselves often. It’s never us or about us. Its about Jesus.
What helps you from burning out?
Finishing the Leadville Silver Rush 50 mountain bike race by the 8 hour cut off time was the biggest physical challenge I’ve ever faced. The 50 mile race is hard because it starts at an elevation of 10,152′ and only goes up. Six times you suffer and climb to 12,500′. Blood thirsts for oxygen. Knuckles white from holding on during the descents. As you read, reflect on how these lessons will help you finish your race; whether it be a 5k, your spiritual journey, parenting, or a tough ministry assignment.
Learn from Failure
For 12 months, the letters DNF(Did Not Finish) haunted me. I wrote about how I quit here. Learning from painful experiences forced me to take it more seriously. It was redemption.
Coach
Recruiting a friend and certified coach from Arkansas helped me develop a training program. Having someone ahead of you available to ask questions was huge.
Training
My race was not “finished” on race day, but on the hot early mornings leading up to it. Getting myself out of bed when it was still dark to grind out hill repeats gave me the mental and physical toughness needed.
Riding Partners
You can’t always ride alone. The countless group rides with the Terminator, Raul, Gary, Jonsey, Mother Goose, Steph, Blonsky, Allison, and so many other Gatewayers made the journey fun.
Nutrution
Water and honey made up the majority of my fuel. You have to calculate the right calories your body can consume and burn to make it to the end.
Pace
My heart rate was 9 beats per minute slower than last year. 12 months ago, my 173 heart rate would not allow my body to process my nutrition or sustain me to the end. I went to fast and flamed out. Training and pace were the biggest factors to finishing strong.
Recovery
Chocolate milk immediately following training replinished the lost glycogen in my muscles. A day off after hard training was a non negotiable for the rest my body needed.
Support
Friends with an encouraging word, prayer, and my wife’s kiss always brought a smile to my face. For those of you who supported me, the Terminator, and Jonsey…THANK YOU!
Grit
No matter how you prepare, something will go wrong. 4 miles in and the nose of my saddle dipped four inches. This mechanical failure was sapping my energy and forced me to pull off the trail and spend five minutes correcting it. I also lost my fuel source and water bottle on a fast down hill. You can let it bring you down or you can choose a positive attitude that you’ll need later to dig deep. It takes courage to toe the line, but an even bigger person to smile when you suffer.
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-3
Our family returned from our third road trip to Leadville in as many years. We keep it simple by tent camping and enjoying each other in the raw land around us. Fishing. Watching sunsets. Chili Dogs. Long hikes. Campfire Devo’s. Ice Cream Cones. Playing cards. It was fun doing a few activities with a few other Gateway families and praying together for the Leadville community. The burden to start a church here started in January 2009 and has only grown.
Dear Harold,
May 21 came and went. No earthquake. No end of the world. No rapture. Your prophecy was wrong. No need to bash you. I hope people give me mercy when I say dumb stuff at age 89. We all make mistakes. But your error has caused us to loose street cred. The world laughs at us and “we” deserve it on this one. The silver lining is people are talking about it. A friend of mine asked me yesterday about the rapture because her parents’ pastor doesn’t believe in it. I hope I don’t insult you by reminding you what the Bible says about the Rapture, but I hope its helpful for others who get the opportunity to defend their faith because of the buzz you created.
What is the rapture?
Its an event when Jesus takes His bride (Christians) home. The word “rapture” isn’t found in our English Bibles, but it is written about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Titus 2:11-14, and Matthew 24.
Who will be raptured?
Jesus is coming back for his bride; his followers.
Why will the rapture take place?
We will be delivered from the Great Tribulation. You can read what Jesus said about it in Luke 21:36. Even though we Christians aren’t promised not to suffer or be persecuted on earth, we won’t be effected by the 7 year tribulation. Therefore, we don’t need to be looking for it or the Antichrist. We need to be looking for Jesus. We will be lifted out of the pain here on earth to be with our Lord Jesus, other Christ followers, and be rewarded according to our good works.
When will the rapture happen?
You thought you nailed it down to the exact hour. The problem with your calucation is you ignored Jesus. He gave us a list of signs in Matthew 24. We know that we are getting close and his coming is imminent, but he said in verse 36 that no one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels. The signs of His coming must be fulfilled before Christ’s visible appearing, but not necessarily before His secret coming of His followers.
What does this have to do with me?
If I’m not a Christian, I repent, confess Jesus as Lord, and surrender my life completely to Him. Those who do not repent and confess Jesus as Lord will be left behind to suffer through the Great Tribulation. Read the scary stuff that will happen in Revelation. If I’m already a follower, I live a holy life so as to not stain my wedding dress before he returns. I also take His great commission seriously. There are a lot of folks who are lost and He desires to baptize us in the Holy Spirit so we can have the power to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them everything Jesus commands us.
So Harold, about that new Oct 21 date you set. Just please just stop. It’s embarrassing. Apologize. Say you were wrong. We will forgive you. But if you don’t, we will have to call you out as a false prophet being in error of scripture. I pray our Lord Jesus gives you wisdom, humility, and a desire to know truth.
Sincerely,
John
Scripture memorization is optional. Its for mega Christian. Its too hard, besides I’m struggling just to read the bible and pray. I remember being forced to memorize memory verses in “childrens’ church”. Yuck. Not something we probably say out loud, but the reality is most of us believe it. But you have to wonder if there are bigger reasons under the surface that keep us from hiding God’s Word in our hearts. What if our view of God and His Word is not as lofty as it should? What if we simply don’t know or Love Jesus like we think we do?
On Sunday, a third grader named Morgan led our church family in quoting 11 attributes and verses. The next day, his dad told me Morgan couldn’t wait to start learning the next one. On his own. Just imagine if he keeps it up and memorizes all 81 verses about God. One verse each week. I’m all in that his high view of God will shape his own character. Morgan will discover how important these memorized scriptures are when praying, struggling, and sharing his faith. He will be like Jesus in Matthew 4 and quote his verses when he’s tempted. During our family’s devotions this morning, Hannah Grace noticed that even Satan memorized scripture and tried to use Psalm 91 against Jesus. My own kids have been inspiried by Morgan. Almost every morning and evening we review our cards and pray together. Its amazing to see the small transformation happening each week.
I pray daily that our church family will become passionate about God’s Word. It’s happening. I love seeing our 411 table on Sundays being swarmed by folks getting their attribute cards. If you’ve neglected this discipline, just ask a volunteer at the table to hook you up with a key ring full of cards and get started. I love entering a home and looking for the key ring of attribute cards. Here are a few pics from my collection.
Have you ever had a question, but was never provided with an opportunity to ask? Why has the traditional church service become so one sided during the teaching? I’ve listened to a lot of sermons in my life. I did the math and calculated that I’ve heard approximately 10,256 sermons since I was 5 years old. Confession: I was bored more times than not. But why? Shouldn’t the God-inspired Gospel be the most exciting thing we hear?!
During my Israel study tour, I discovered the eastern approach to learning is vastly different than how we learn in the west. We download content. They ask questions. In the synagogue, a Rabi would stand to quote the Torah, sit to teach, and then “rav”. From this word, we get our word “argue”. They asked each other questions as to interpret scripture correctly. Notice how many times Jesus answers a question with a question. It was a common practice with His own disciples.
The light bulb came on. Something inside of me buzzed with excitement as if I was given permission. Its like when you are doing something and in the back of your mind you know there must be a better way. My mom would be the first to tell you that I grew up a bit on the argumentive side. She knew if I wasn’t going to be a preacher, I’d probably be a lawyer. There must be more engagment.
We experimented in our celebration service last Sunday. During the teaching, we encouraged everyone to text their question to a number on the screen. At the back of the theatre, we had spiritually mature teachers who would discuss the questions, what the Bible said, and how to answer them so our church family would benefit. I don’t want to over hype this thing, but it was amazing. At the conclusion of the teaching, our teachers came up to the front to sit on stools. For ten minutes, they discussed questions and answers as it related to the Trinity. It was our first step in shifting from a spectator to a participant learning environment. It became a catalyst for many of our Fellowship Teams especially mine. The questions didn’t stop. Another side perk is it creates opportunities for those who have teaching gifts to develop and exercise their gift outside our normal teaching team.
We’re giving it another shot this Sunday as we discuss God’s attribute as the Baptizer of the Holy Spirit. It could get a little crazy.
What are your thoughts? Should people be allowed to ask questions? What’s the best and worst thing that could happen?
As I looked into the eyes of my staff team Monday morning, I gazed into the souls of weary zombies. The Monday Holy Hangover was having its way with us. No lie. Drew had his head face down on the table and mumbled something incoherent that none of us could decipher. I quickly remembered a good church planter friend of mine who questioned my wisdom of Monday morning staff meetings. After explaining why, I asked him what he did on Monday mornings. He said, “Smoke weed.” I awkwardly laughed. After our team prayed, I requested them to intentionally rest this month as much as they intentionally worked leading up to Easter. As if they received a revelation from the Lord, they wrote it down. I knew it was right.
I’ve never had to accuse our team of being lazy. They work harder than any church staff team I know. We should. Souls are on the line. When Jesus told stories of the farmer working the fields until harvest, it was understood you work the fields hard. But there are seasons. Seasons of work. Seasons of harvest. Seasons of rest. For driven leaders, we must remind ourselves to honor the Lord’s commandment to take a Sabath and rest. It is no accident that He gave a longer explanation for this commandment than others. He knew human nature. He knew we would struggle with it.
My prayer for our church is to rest. We have very little on the calendar. Don’t let it come accidently. Plan for it. Take naps. Read a book outside. Sleep in. Take a long walk in silence. Listen. Do nothing. Drink a glass of Dr. Pepper or three. Recharge your batteries. Recieve a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Read a book. Check out. It’s o.k. Don’t feel guilty, it may be the most Holy thing you’ve done in awhile. We are in this for the long haul and I would contend that if we don’t rest now, we won’t work effectively later.
I love this painting by Van Gogh named “Noon: Rest from Work”. After three heart attacks in three months, he got it. May we respect the seasons in our lives before we too pay a price.
4 Things every Gatewayer needs to know about Easter
Jesus
Egg hunts. Meals with family. NBA basketball. Candy. Tacky plastic, green grass. The bunny. All pale in comparison to Jesus. He’s alive and the very reason why we are making this Sunday a big deal. Let’s not forget this.
Invite
Let’s face it. Easter Sunday is our best opportunity for inviting unconvinced friends to meet our church family and listen to the Gospel of Jesus. Besides me teaching on my favorite attribute so far, our friend Tammie will be sharing a powerful five minute testimony. This could be the day your friend you’ve prayed for confesses and repents. No we are not going to have an egg hunt. We tried that in our theatre two years ago and it was a total flop (no pun intended). But we will be giving every kid a carton of eggs filled with candy and cool prizes. Who are you going to invite? Please email me their name so I can be praying with you. jvanpay@gatewayfellowship.tv
Come Early
We have 3 services this Sunday (8 (no elementary age services), 9, and 10:20). If you are not bringing a guest, please join our mission by creating an empty seat and coming to our 8 or 9 service. Thank you to our 75 families who have committed to this already! I’m asking God to put an extra jewel in your crown.
Camino Victorioso
Please pray for our first church plant. After weeks of preview services, they are ramping up for their Grand Opening.
