Family Tree

On October 5th, the Church of the Nazarene celebrates its Centennial Anniversary. You can trace her roots back to Jesus and the Early Church through the Holiness Movement, John Wesley and the Methodists, The Anglican Church and Reformation and The Catholic Church.
Happy 100th!

Movie Theatre Church - Week 4

The climax of the story: God's Christ.

A monarchy, an occupied nation and hope for a coming king.

Enter Jesus.

Instead of political power and peace through victory he uses the power of presence and peace through death.


Word of the Day: INCARNATION (think carne asada burritos)


The cross was more than an event one day in the life of Jesus; it was and is His continual style. Are we still arguing to be the greatest or looking for a place to serve?


Baby dedications help church attendance:
Thank you Jay Delbridge Benson!

Movie Theatre Church - Week 3

Today we focused on God's Covenant relationship with people such as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, , David, Isaiah and Hosea. Scott helped me tag team preach and it was fun.

Word of the Day: Interaction

God has demonstrated He never quits interacting with us. Even when we could not care less, He has given Himself to us 100%. The Cross is the ceremony of becoming blood brothers and Jesus' offering of all of Himself for all of us. What a deal!

Levels of Interaction...

• Couldn't Care Less


• Curious


• Casual


• Commitment


• Covenant

What covenant relationships are you interacting with?

4 Kinds of Emerging Churches

Mark Driscoll just wrote a descriptive article for Christian Research Journal on What is the Emerging Movement. Driscoll states that the movement started as a dirt path and is now a 4 lane highway. You can see his synopsis here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bie-Wu8S20E
Mark is kind and honest (unusual for the "cussing pastor") and believes the first 3 Lanes are Orthodox and the 4th is not (while admitting he doesn't know Bell).


1. Emerging Evangelical
Lane: Start new churches with cool services
People: Dan Kimball, Donald Miller

2. Emerging House Church
Lane: Against church buildings and institutions
People: Shane Claiborne, George Barna

3. Emerging Reformed
Lane: Reformed theology, Charismatic, Only Male Pastors
People: Mark Driscoll, John Piper

4. Emerging Liberal
Lane: Questioning Orthodox beliefs, Ambiquous answers
People: Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt


I WANT A 5TH LANE!!! Emerging Wesleyan
Lane: A middle way of Truth and Love between the Reformed and Liberal
People: so far...me and a few friends

OR... No label or lane at all that will further divide God's people, thus making it harder to answer Jesus' prayer in John 17 (that they may be one as we are one). Even better... "By this all men will know you are my disciples, by what label you subscribe to" (John 13:35)

Spending Fast

As politicians wrangle over economic words, it was not a good week for America's financial sector. The national deficit is close to 10 trillion dollars and climbs over 1 billion every day.

As the government spends fast on bailing out financial institutions my family is doing a spending fast. We gassed up our cars, went grocery shopping and put away the debit card for one week. Kristan is happy to save money and I am challenged in my unconscious consumerism.

The beginning of the week is always easier than the weekend. No movies, caramel macchiatos, chipotle steak tacos, gum, parking downtown, ice cream after school and my gas tank is already half empty.

If we get together this week, you buy, and I'll get you back next week. Thanks!

Movie Theatre Church - Week 2

God's Crisis - He created people and the world "very good". What the heck went wrong? It unravels through the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Tower of Babel.

Word of the Day: INCURVATURE
We have a "craving to get into trouble" called original sin or selfishness. This has caused separation between us and everything else.

Jesus is the mediator. He describes sin as disease (Mark 2) and is the cure for our demise (Romans 7).

Attendance is still strong and I'm hoping we remember the most important part of church gathering is loving God (in the service) and loving others (after the service). Or for the anti-dualists: loving God as we love people.

Marriage and Ministry

In Ireland, I had my first sip of whisky. It was terrible, so I added lots of Coke. This made it bearable. Sometimes ministry is like that. There are weeks of unkind comments and people acting like people and it gets very tiresome. I could not survive working at a church without my wife Kristan. She is lots of Coke to me.

At our wedding reception, Kristan's sister, Angie, toasted us with, "your ministry will only be as strong as your marriage". True. We have experienced both results of this statement.

The battle for balance in a pastor's home is ongoing and can be more challenging when both are pastors. Our kids have attended more church services and events than most people in a life time. We continue to find the key is the same as in all of life: Focus on Jesus and let him do through us rather than us frantically doing for him.

My daughter turned 6 today! On her wall are the pencil marks of how tall she has grown this past year (about 5 inches). Other than a few late nights and ministry trips, I've been able to watch her growth. And hopefully she senses our growth as marriage and ministry are mixed together.

Movie Theatre Church - Week 1

We focused on God's Creation in Genesis 1.

Word of the Day: Image

God created us in his image and we are to reflect his goodness.
Jesus is the image of God (Colossians 1:15).

Great turnout. Great help. Great time. New friends!

Already worth all the praying, planning and perspiring (preacher's like to use alliteration).

Now Showing!

Tomorrow, NorthGate church hits the road to host their worship gathering at Harkins Theatre. We will be there for 5 weeks for a morning service at 9:30 followed by conversation at lunch.
Here's the rundown...

9/7 - God's Creation
9/14 - God's Crisis
9/21 - God's Covenant
9/28 - God's Christ
10/5 - God's Church

The big question... WHY? valid question but hard to answer succinctly.

• We sense God leading and we are being obedient
• Shift from "come to us" to "go to them"
• Reach people, get our name out, meet new friends
• An opportunity to serve
• Better to die trying than live dying
• _____________________

I'm praying for an unexplainable success and asking people to pray and participate with me. I'll keep you updated.