Stay Focused

At Velocity we're experiencing some go times, hurry up and wait times, etc. Just like life itself. One thing I'm learning is to stay focused.

written prayer

I asked several men to pray for me this week over email, facebook, etc. In doing this, I sent them a prayer in writing and let them know that I would like them to return a prayer for me. I like it when those prayers come in, just in the nick of time! God bless my prayer partners and those who pray for me!

Continued Education

I went with my friend John to visit St Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church here in Mansfield today. I've been using my Sunday's to visit other churches for the sake of learning and simply because I'm curious. It was a good service and many nice people. The minister spoke about the woman with blood who reached out to touch Jesus' garment and how we shouldn't use our uncleanliness as an excuse not to reach out to Jesus. He also spoke to the subject of communion - he had good things to say. It was of course a very detailed and well executed ceremony with much repeating and corporate singing in Greek - by those who knew how. John says the Greeks say that Sunday's are for God and family. that's why the Greek restaurant in town doesn't open on Sundays and why the Mansfield Restaurant which is owned by a Greek person closes at 2pm on Sundays. That's why most people brought food in this morning for lunch with everyone after service - God and family.

I have a meeting with my pastors panel coming up this week about VeloCity Church. I'm looking forward to sharing with them and seeing what new takeaways I can gain from inviting some of Ohio's sharpest ministers to give me some support in our new church launch with VeloCity.

I once read a report about two church plants that were given all the same resources to start with. The one failed within a year the other grew and continues to go forward. The only difference was the one minister didn't seek out counsel and the other did. You guess which one is still moving forward!

I hope to gain insight and wisdom by sharing and receiving w/ others and by visiting other churches as I look for helpful resources to further God's Kingdom.

Vision

I have the privilege of doing a chapel service twice a month at Primrose Retirement community in Mansfield. One trivia point I learned today is the guesstimate on the youngest person living there is 67 years old... I love it there! Not only is the place itself a very nice, high class place where a guest can eat all the ice cream, drink all the soda water and beer... if you so choose anyways; the best thing about the whole place is the people!

So after a great chapel time of sharing and praying for my friends, I was left in the room with Helen and Gerry. Gerry's been blind since Oct. of '07. I always greet her, hug her, tell her I love her and most often pray for her to be healed in every service we have. Gerry is awesome- she's always smiling, caring, giving, all the like. Today, after everyone else left, Gerry's nurse was running a little behind which gave me the privilege of just chatting casually with Helen and Gerry.

Gerry told Helen and I that being blind is the most heart breaking thing in the world but she has hope in Jesus Christ. Not that she suppresses her heart ache and does deal with the hurt, on the contrary, she kindly and gently presses through with a smile and a kind word every time I see her.

I want to be more like Gerry! In the midst of trial and discomfort, I want to smile and share a kind word and roll w/ it as well as Gerry! She taught me something of vision today that 100 people with 20/20 vision may have never been able to teach me in a lifetime.

Hope in Jesus, wear a smile, say a kind word to someone near by and look ahead to the future of being able to see clearly.

Launch Team Specialists!

Was a great launch team meeting last night for VeloCity Church. Here's a quick glance at what we're planning for our launch "still soft" starting in January:

1. A 12 month effort to partner with non-profit organizations around Mid-Ohio.
We've got 12 entities in mind that includes partnering with the Humane Society, Cancer Survivors, Military Veterans, expecting mothers, single moms, domestic violence shelter, the list goes on through 12!

2. An assimilation process that helps us connect with the many great people we are sure to love!
We want to be sure that anyone who visits a VeloCity service or event knows that we are here for them. We live to see lives changed by the power of God's Word and by the power of His Working Holy Spirit! Our people are good people who plan to be on the spot to counsel, befriend, love, and mentor anyone and everyone who needs a good friend!

Seems simple enough, doesn't it? It's going to be a year that Mid-Ohio will never forget because VeloCity is for Mid-Ohio Moving Forward spiritually & economically! We pray that God helps us meet the needs of many people who are crying out to Him! God, please help us be salt and light, a strong tower, help us partner with other Christian communities, churches, and co-labors in Christ that want to see Greater Things in Mid-Ohio!

Give us strength, energy, rest, wisdom, knowledge, a team work ethic, give us all that we need to be your hands and feet in Mid-Ohio and beyond! Let us Rock the House for God with the Launch of VeloCity Church!

Oh yea, God must be about LifeChange these days! I asked my good friend Konan who planted a church in Pickerington, Oh if I could use the term they have for their vision statement; "LifeChange". He said sure, they've surely borrowed it from somewhere else as well. Then, the next day, the very next day - I saw a new church plant in Mansfield with the tag line Life Change! Ha! God is up to something awesome; I'm looking forward to God's co-workers rallying in these last days to bring about true LifeChange for all of Ohio and Beyond! These are great days to be apart of God's Kingdom -

Greater Things: Moving Forward in Our Faith, Faith Forward Motion with Speed, God Speed...

VeloCity Church is for God healing, saving, comforting and counseling people of Mid-Ohio! We exist to lead people to LifeChange through a new found faith in God!

Roll w/ us!

Mostly VeloCity Update

I love God, life, people, and so on...feeling well today! (full of high octane coffee too)

Quick reminder: At Church Planting boot camp I was strongly encouraged to document our progress through this adventure of starting up VeloCity church:

So, Update on VeloCity:

First of all, thank you for all of your prayers. I have people asking me constantly about VeloCity and just as many people telling me you're praying for us! So awesome! We have a great team of people who are dedicated to seeing lives changed as a result of our efforts. Matter of fact, there's only one reason we're planting VeloCity Church: It's to see lives changed!

Sat. was pastor appreciation day at VeloCity. It went very well. Our people our becoming extremely focused on our dreams and visions for VeloCity. It was a great dinner and I love our people! Thank you all! Our team of people show their appraceation to me regularly!- I'm blessed!

This was our second Sat. service last week. We meet at Mansfield First AG at 5pm. Our team shows up early to set up chairs and do sound checks in the youth sanctuary. Scott S. comes and puts out our tri-fold signs on the street corners one hour before service. As of now, we view our "soft launch" as a whisper to the community. This means we're not doing a lot of advertising right now, just word of mouth while we progress slowly each week. Sometime in December or shortly after, we'll start doing a bit more advertising, as we get ready for Easter Sunday of next year; which we're considering our Hard launch! By the way, if you're not busy on Easter next year, you may want to reserve your seat now, I think our first issue to face will be our small building! Oh, and if you're not busy next April 11th, you may want a seat in that service too, it's Mid Ohio Moving Forward Day where we've already scheduled the Mayor of Mansfield to be there and I expect several other area mayor's to show up in support of Mid Ohio Moving Forward Day! Oh, and if you're not busy for Memorial Day weekend... well, get ready to raise the roof for our veterans in a big way, they deserve it! Wait, we may do that celebration a week eary so I can invite some special people....hummm.... stay tuned for that Veteran's appreciation day - we love our troops and we plan to show them so!

So... Our Saturday night services are going well and people see the need for what we're doing. We have a planning day coming soon for the Cook rd. property. We'll be painting, changing lighting, doing some construction, the works! We hope to have our land sold within a few weeks...did I ever say much about that? I actually expect a call today solidifying the sale document, but don't hold your breath, it's a slow process, no fault of our awesome buyer, who..... The short story is that last April, my now good friend, who I will keep anonymous until the sale is complete; however, the buyer (out of generosity) met our asking price - may God bless him and his family abundantly!

Grandma Jean... I need Leonard to come to a service next May as we celebrate our Veterans. I think I've got a good idea... We'll do our service the Sunday before Memorial Day so there's less schedule conflict for all involved...

So, as of now, I prepare for some time with my loving wife and Kids for a week's worth of vacation. Molly asked me what "Loving Kids" means... Sort of funny - Then we come back home to pass out 500 hotdogs on trick or treat night at my house, along with 500 bottles of water with the VeloCity logo on them... and a bag of chips! Then our Thanksgiving dinner on the Ohio State Michigan Game day, don't worry, time is set accordingly to not miss the game... Then it's Christmas time! Schew...

Today: I'm reading and studying... And will bundle up Levi and Molly for their last ride on the Ultra before the nearly last afternoon of good fall weather is gone like the wind...

Love you all -

what I learned about ministry from a mechanical bull ride...

My evening started great with a few couples from the church gathering at McD's to talk, drink water, and sip coffee/hot chocolate. Was very good!

Then, we caught the end of Pastor Terry Garrett's youth service tonight and to cap it off he rented a mechanical bull for over 80 kids. I watched many teens ride that thing and I knew I had to try it for several reasons...if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.

Well, I rode it. And rode it. And rode it. All on the same ride. It felt like forever even though it was just a few seconds. I did OK by the reaction from the people watching. Here's what I learned about ministry from before, during and after riding the mechanical bull...

1. Watch.
2. Study.
3. Ask.
4. Get a grip.
5. Stay Centered.
6. Flow.
7. If jostled and the operator stops the bull, readjust and give him the nod to go on.
8. Flow Faster.
9. Think Ahead.
10. Plan a respectable leap of faith when tired and need to let go.

Was a good ride!

Oh, and the best for last here - I had the best, I repeat, the best home made cinnamon rolls when I got home... Thanks jubilee! You and Mike are awesome!