Top 10 Favorite Things of NorthGate Church

Kristan and I have spent the last 5 1/2 years serving as lead pastors at NorthGate Church of the Nazarene. Here are just some of my favorite things...



10. Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the church with former pastors and families

9. Ministry to people and seeing God move to help and change them

8. Participating in life's passages such as marriages, baby dedications, baptisms and funerals (can you believe the Benson boys finally got married! Most painful to me was saying goodbye to Emma Simpkins - see you soon)

7. Preaching the Word - nothing greater than trying to communicate God's heart for people

6. Doing church at the movie theater - thanks for leaving the 99 so we can search for the 1

5. Getting healthy - I found a safe atmosphere to get physically healthy and strengthen my marriage

4. Taking trips - Mexico, Mt Whitney, Uganda, Grand Canyon rim to rim and Ireland!

3. Learning about leadership and loving people by teaching, practicing our faith and finishing my B.A.

2. Raising my family - Kennedy was 2 and Kristan was 8 months pregnant with Jameson when we came. NorthGate was a great introduction to my kids

1. People - Thanks for your love, support, patience and forgiveness. We love you too!!!

Emergentia - Missional

Dave Curtiss presented this message from Mark's Gospel.

He opened with Genesis 12 and the vague vision of God's plan. 2 of the most powerful words in Scripture..."Abram went".

This was paralleled with Jesus' call to his disciples...

"Let's go to the other side."

The other side of the lake was home to pig worshipping herders, demon possessed people and backslidden Jews.

Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit sending us on the Misseo Dei.

Emergentia - Holiness

Stan Reeder presented this topic. Very helpful in seeing the distinctive between yesterday's understanding of holiness and today's. His outline was Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis. This was debated on who is exactly under what. While being helpful, I didn't find it hopeful. Synthesis was a future reality not to be experienced today.

Thesis (1838 - 1960)

A. Personal Piety

B. Heavenly Focused

C. Crisis Emphasis

D. Prophetic Destiny

Antithesis (Today)

A. Authentic Community
B. Missional Focus
C. Discipleship Emphasis
D. Historically Rooted

Synthesis (Future - the pendulum will settle in the middle)

A. authentic community enjoyed by individuals of personal piety
B. mission focus compelled by eternal motivation
C. discipleship journey punctuated by crisis of experiential grace
D. historically rooted with a sense of prophetic destiny

What if the pendulum is the wrong image to think about in regards to God's revelation of holiness?

Emergentia - Christian

Dan Copp presented this session, I love this guy!
He started by telling his story of love expelling sin and pharisaical pride. Dan encouraged us to tell our stories but not be prescriptive on how God should work but rather descriptive.

"The body of Christ is to be the DNA of Jesus". - Howard Snyder

1. One - Diverse: put a name/face on those that are different
2. Holy - Charismatic: invite the Spirit into messiness
3. Catholic - Local: we are part of a Kingdom and a tribe
4. Apostolic - Prophetic: we follow the apostle's teaching and are visionary dreamers

The Nazarene's core values are stakes in a big tent.

Emergentia - Portland

I went to Portland, Oregon last week to attend the Emergentia Conference at the Community of Adsideo. It was a time to think about and discuss the Church of the Nazarene's core values and how they relate to the emerging church. In short, good times, good people, bad weather.

Some Highlights...

• Being with old friends and making new friends


• Enjoying local establishments in the Sellwood neighborhood


• Hanging in Adsideo's Living Room


• Voodoo Doughnuts - eating cock and balls


• Powell's City of Books - 1 city block and 4 stories of heaven


• General sessions with thought provoking presenters


• Seeing the difference between being a critic and an editor


• Feeling hostility on boths sides of the discussion


• Being away from home and more so coming home

Thanks to Jim Wicks and his people for their hospitality (especially Chad and Chris for letting us crash at your place).