Prayer is the Work of the Kingdom

Many of you have asked how you can pray for Chesapeake Presbyterian Church.  Thank you, your questions about the church plant, your encouragements, and interest warm my heart.  I do covet your prayers, and quite plainly need them.  Planting a church is fundamentally a work of God.  My desire is to see God do something spectacular, in drawing many to faith and establishing a new church in Chesapeake for the people of Chesapeake.  While I could give you a quick list of approximately 100,000 details to pray about, rather, I’d encourage you to pray through three simple, yet profound prayers.

 

v  Open doors for the Gospel to go into Chesapeake

² Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  ³ At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison-  ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.  Colossians 4:2-4  

 

v   Make us bold to proclaim the Gospel

¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,  ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.  Ephesians 6:19-20   

 

¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,  ²⁰ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  Philippians 1:19-20  

 

v  Deliver us from wicked men who would thwart God’s kingdom

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,  ² and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.  2 Thessalonians 3:1-2  

 

³⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,  ³¹ that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,  ³² so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.  ³³ May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.  Romans 15:30-33  

 

Thank you for your prayers, for God to give us the aroma of life to those who are being called out of darkness into his wonderful light.  I’m trying to build a prayer team for the church plant, of about 100 people who will pray for God’s Spirit to move powerfully in the people of Chesapeake.  Would you consider joining our prayer team?  If so, would you please email or call me and let me know?

 

           

Artistic Creativity and Church Planting, Go Together?

Kinda, sorta.  I’m certainly no artist.  I think I wrote a song…once.  I struggle with paint by numbers; the lines keep getting in my way.  How exactly does planting a church involve artistic creativity?  It seems to me that, as a painter approaches her canvas or a songwriter his lyric, they each begin with a blank slate, and principles of art and music.  If the songwriter doesn’t follow the notes and chords in a key signature, or the painter ignores the color wheel, the listeners will cringe at the dissonance, and the painting will look more like a Willetts than a Rembrandt!  Just as the songwriter uses meter, keys, and rhyme, the artist uses principles of texture, color, and perspective, to name a few, a church planter also uses “church planting principles.”

 I’m at a fun place, as I stand before a blank canvas as I dream about a new church.  What will it look like?  Who will it attract?  How will it be structured?  What kind of culture will be created?  The possibilities are exciting!  Think of a triangle:

 

Each of these categories is interconnected.  As I pray and dream about Chesapeake Presbyterian Church, I need to listen to God’s Word concerning ecclesiology (doctrine of the church, or what the Bible say about the church).  Every church must be based on Biblical principles.  Then I must study the community and culture of Great Bridge to discover how to bring those principles (like mercy and justice) into this city.  Finally, I need to know myself, my strengths and passions.  The new church will be a fruit of the intersection of Ecclesiology, Culture, and Church Planter. Each church plant is unique!

 

 

Tiger Woods has a Coach

 

 

What?  He’s far and away the best golfer in the world.  He could crush his own coach in a round of 18.  In fact, he can give his coach a few pointers out on the course.  Imagine the coached being the coach.  Why in the world would he hire a coach, what could he possibly do for Tiger?

 

One of the reasons Tiger Woods is such a dominant force in the PGA, is his understanding that he needs someone watching his game closely, a set of eyes outside himself, to help him improve.  His coach can see a hitch in his swing or an improper stance for instance better then Tiger can.

 

I’m certainly no Tiger Woods in the church planting world.  Nobody will ever make that association.  But, I did hire a coach.  He’s kind of like a consultant.  He’ll help me figure out this whole church planting endeavor that the Lord is leading me on.  What does a church planting coach do?  Over the next year, (perhaps longer) he will give me an assignment every two weeks that I am to complete.  For instance, this week, he gave me a series of questions to help me put my thoughts on vision and core values, on paper.  In business terms, he’s currently guiding me in the process of writing a business plan for the church.  Planting a church is a pretty enormous undertaking.  Scott, my coach, will help keep me on task, provide encouragement, answer questions, and give direction from his previous church planting experience.

 

Financial Note:  Several of you have asked how you can support the Chesapeake church plant financially.  First of all thank you, your support is humbling and gracious.  Financial gifts can be given to Trinity Presbyterian Church designated for the Chesapeake church plant.

 

 

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