No I have not had to get a 2nd job. We wanted to do something kind for the Carmike Theatre since they have been so kind to us in providing a meeting space. SO, yesterday I took up two large pizzas to the five employees who were working. The two guy’s who took (yanked) the pizza from me were very appreciative. It’s just a simple and easy way for us to serve the theatre. We are going to try and work a deal with the theatre as well to purchase movie tickets from them at a discounted rate to give out to our first time guests as a connection gift. We’ve got some cool ideas for launch day gifts as well. Anyway, thought it was cool to take the pizza up and we’ll continue to do stuff like that regularly to honor and serve the theatre. They have been GREAT to us!
I’m now delivering pizza!
20 06 2007Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Church Planting, Serving
Superday and Preview
18 06 2007Our next servant evangelism event is this Saturday at Cheyenne City’s Superday. We are providing inflatable games for the families who attend. We are using this event to leverage toward our first “full” preview service in the theatre. Below are the connection cards we got made to give out. Adam did a great job of putting them together. We had a great team meeting tonight mapping out some preview stuff. Volunteer lists, set up, that kind of stuff. It’s great to have the team to sit down and talk stuff through with. I don’t know how guy’s do this alone. We’ll update more on Superday, Unplugged and Preview in the coming weeks.
Following Christ,
Jeff
Front:
Back:
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Church Planting, Serving, Updates
Ministry
18 06 2007Adam did a great job on a blog about “ministry”. Check it out here.
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Uncategorized
21% increase
17 06 2007When you’re a smaller church increases and decreases seem much larger. We could say that we grew 21% in one week. Last week we had 28, this week we had 34. Two new families were at Unplugged today and the two new families from last week were there. It was great again to meet together. Adam did awesome leading us in worship. It was stinkin‘ HOT in our room. The heater was stuck on or something. We need to get that fixed next week. Talked about vision today. It was good. Took a few lessons out of Paul’s first missionary journey and asked the questions “Why are we here?” “Why am I here?” and “What should I do?” As it relates to vision. Already looking forward to next week as we talk about essential ministries at Element. Our first Preview is 2 weeks away. This week and next will be jam packed getting ready for that. I love doing this.
Following Christ,
Jeff
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Uncategorized
Our church!
17 06 2007Couldn’t go to sleep again last night. (same as last Saturday) The brain shut off button was malfunctioning. My mind races with the “what ifs” of Sunday. Not nervous what ifs but excited ones. Got up this morning to do my devotions and started 1 Corinthians. Read out of my Oswald Chambers devo and started praying. Something struck me as I was praying. Today at Unplugged we are talking about vision. What is God’s vision for Element Church? So as I was praying I said something to the effect of “Lord, I pray I would communicate in such a way that people would catch the vision of OUR CHURCH.” We have an “our” church now. That blew me away. For so long it’s been “the church” but now we have an “our”. People came last week. New people are coming this week. That blows me away! That God could stir the heart of people in Gillette and Sheridan in all stages and walks of life to start this thing called Element Church in a city 4 hours away and people in Cheyenne are looking for something to belong to and they become part of our church. Now before someone reminds me “It’s not our church it’s Gods”. I hope you know what I mean. We are a group of people who are taking ownership of this “new thing” God wants to begin. WOW! Our church. It’s not just me anymore, or 8 couples on a team, it’s become “our” now. I’m excited. Can’t wait to worship with everyone this morning and share what’s on my heart.
Following Christ
Jeff
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Church Planting, Personal
The importance of a strong team (and good leadership)
16 06 2007I can’t tell you how blessed I feel to have the team around me that I do. Keenan and Katrina are invaluable to element church. They came in September and by living their lives for the Kingdom led us to MANY of the relationships we’ve made. Grand and Terri are invaluable. Grant is a walking billboard (not a joke about his height) and Terri has gone above and beyond her call of duty to get the office set up, AND keep it going. Adam and Amber have only been here two weeks and they are also invaluable. How refreshing it was for me to worship at Unplugged and know it would be done well, preparing the way for the Word. I don’t have time and you wouldn’t take the time for me to write about my teammates. NONE of them have a college degree in ministry. NONE. Yet all of them are and WILL be superstars in ministry! I’d take a heart on fire for God and HIS ministry any day over an educated person with no fire in their belly. Are their bumps in the road with a team? YES! Is their patience required in a team? YES. Keenan and Katrina have lots to learn. Grant and Terri have lots to learn. Adam and Amber have lots to learn. Know what? I have TONS to learn. One thing I’ve realized as now “the boss” of the team is I have sooooooo much to learn on leadership. For every challenge and correction I give to a teammate I need to be challenge and corrected. Strong team is important but a strong team needs a strong leader. I pray I can be that man. As I have patience with my team I hope they have patience with me. I know I’m not the greatest in leadership, but I know I serve the greatest God. And all of us TOGETHER will get this thing done. We’ll look back and laugh at some of the stupid things we did. At some of of the things we learned that will seem so obvious, but as we look back I hope we’ll see a trail of souls that were won into God’s Kingdom because we were willing to be leaders REGARDLESS of how much we knew. Hope that made sense! I love my team. Today I wouldn’t trade any of them for anyone else. I mean that.
Following Christ,
Jeff
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : Church Planting
5 thoughts about my wife
13 06 20071. She is beautiful!
2. She started her own business (tastefully simple: gourmet food) when we moved her and last month she was #4 in sales out of a TON of people in the region. Not sure exactly how many but it was a lot. (Through her business we are seeing two families check out Element)
3. She is an amazing mother. I don’t know how she does it everyday with 4 kids. She takes care of the kids, the house, AND volunteers at church and runs a business. Plus she puts up with me.
4. I couldn’t do this thing called church planting without her.
5. We love watching tv and I love watching tv with her. When she gets home in 10 minutes we are going to watch Last Comic Standing together.
I don’t give her enough credit and she deserves it.
Humbled,
Jeff
Comments : 4 Comments »
Categories : Family, Personal
Can’t Wait!
13 06 2007I can’t wait until Sunday. We’re going to be talking about vision. Why are we (element) here? Why am I here? What do I do? We are going to be taking a journey through Acts 13-15 looking at Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas where they basically spent 1 1/2 years planting churches throughout the region. There are some great principles on vision in those 3 chapters. We’ve multiplied our Life Groups from one to three. That is very exciting. Last night a group of “younger” adults met. One of the new couples who came to Unplugged on Sunday came to Life Group last night. Tonight Grant and Terri are hosting their Life Group and another new couple is planning on being there. This Sunday night we are holding our Life Group at a new home. We’re expecting some more new faces at Unplugged this weekend as we talk about vision.
Our Vision: That God would so impact the Cheyenne area through Element Church that if it were gone the community would miss it.
I want to be a church, the vision I feel God has for our church, is that we’d love people so much; serve people so well; minister so creatively, relevantly, practically and effectively that if our church was gone the community would miss it. I don’t ever want to stop serving. I don’t ever want to stop stretching. I don’t ever want to stop being a place where LIFE exists. Element Church will always be looking for the next thing to do for Cheyenne. ALWAYS! We will always be asking how our services can be better. ALWAYS! We will always serve whether anyone attends our church because of it. ALWAYS! AND we will always passionately pursue a God who has vision.
I truly believe that God has ordained the local church to be the hope of the world, so we will always ask how we are being that hope. ALWAYS!
Did I mention I can’t wait until Sunday. And I hope I will ALWAYS feel that way!
Following Christ,
Jeff
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Church Planting, Updates
Can’t Wait!
13 06 2007I can’t wait until Sunday. We’re going to be talking about vision. Why are we (element) here? Why am I here? What do I do? We are going to be taking a journey through Acts 13-15 looking at Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas where they basically spent 1 1/2 years planting churches throughout the region. There are some great principles on vision in those 3 chapters. We’ve multiplied our Life Groups from one to three. That is very exciting. Last night a group of “younger” adults met. One of the new couples who came to Unplugged on Sunday came to Life Group last night. Tonight Grant and Terri are hosting their Life Group and another new couple is planning on being there. This Sunday night we are holding our Life Group at a new home. We’re expecting some more new faces at Unplugged this weekend as we talk about vision.
Our Vision: That God would so impact the Cheyenne area through Element Church that if it were gone the community would miss it.
I want to be a church, the vision I feel God has for our church, is that we’d love people so much; serve people so well; minister so creatively, relevantly, practically and effectively that if our church was gone the community would miss it. I don’t ever want to stop serving. I don’t ever want to stop stretching. I don’t ever want to stop being a place where LIFE exists. Element Church will always be looking for the next thing to do for Cheyenne. ALWAYS! We will always be asking how our services can be better. ALWAYS! We will always serve whether anyone attends our church because of it. ALWAYS! AND we will always passionately pursue a God who has vision.
I truly believe that God has ordained the local church to be the hope of the world, so we will always ask how we are being that hope. ALWAYS!
Did I mention I can’t wait until Sunday. And I hope I will ALWAYS feel that way!
Following Christ,
Jeff
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Church Planting, Updates
Can’t Wait!
13 06 2007I can’t wait until Sunday. We’re going to be talking about vision. Why are we (element) here? Why am I here? What do I do? We are going to be taking a journey through Acts 13-15 looking at Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas where they basically spent 1 1/2 years planting churches throughout the region. There are some great principles on vision in those 3 chapters. We’ve multiplied our Life Groups from one to three. That is very exciting. Last night a group of “younger” adults met. One of the new couples who came to Unplugged on Sunday came to Life Group last night. Tonight Grant and Terri are hosting their Life Group and another new couple is planning on being there. This Sunday night we are holding our Life Group at a new home. We’re expecting some more new faces at Unplugged this weekend as we talk about vision.
Our Vision: That God would so impact the Cheyenne area through Element Church that if it were gone the community would miss it.
I want to be a church, the vision I feel God has for our church, is that we’d love people so much; serve people so well; minister so creatively, relevantly, practically and effectively that if our church was gone the community would miss it. I don’t ever want to stop serving. I don’t ever want to stop stretching. I don’t ever want to stop being a place where LIFE exists. Element Church will always be looking for the next thing to do for Cheyenne. ALWAYS! We will always be asking how our services can be better. ALWAYS! We will always serve whether anyone attends our church because of it. ALWAYS! AND we will always passionately pursue a God who has vision.
I truly believe that God has ordained the local church to be the hope of the world, so we will always ask how we are being that hope. ALWAYS!
Did I mention I can’t wait until Sunday. And I hope I will ALWAYS feel that way!
Following Christ,
Jeff
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Church Planting, Updates
