Element Church Insider

It was a ROUGH day for me today.  A LOT of build up into today’s message and announcement and I just didn’t feel right today.  It all culminated with nearly not making it out to the platform for 3rd service.  (More on that in a bit)  Here are my ruminations on the day.

—  Today was the culmination of MONTHS of prayer, planning and preparation for what is next for Element Church.  It was about a year ago that God began to stir my heart toward this next step we are taking as a church.

—  Each sermon and sermon series since February has been building up to the end of this series today.  In February we did a series called “Movement” and looked at “Church as it should be” from the book of Acts.  In March we did a series through our discipleship process and strategy as a church, then this series was focused on all of our core values leading up to our vision today.

—  Essentially, here is what it boils down to.  Our vision has ALWAYS been the same. “To have such an impact on our city that if our church were gone the community would miss us.”  About a year ago I was convicted by ONE number I came across.  The number 8.

• Wyoming is the 8th largest unchurched state in America.  So there are more lost people per capita in the state of Wyoming than in 48 other states in our country.  That blew me away.  So I started praying and seeking God’s guidance on what Element Church could do to change that number.
• As I was praying and seeking God’s guidance I couldn’t escape one word in Scripture.  You don’t necessarily READ it, but you SEE it all throughout Scripture.  “MOVEMENT”!  Jesus started a movement that we are STILL a part of today.  We are standing on the shoulders of men and women who over the last 2.000 years have taken the message, mission and movement of Jesus seriously so WE could do what we do today.
• Well, because we are launching our first campus in Wheatland, WY in January of 2013, not only did our vision “statement” need to change, but based off the stats I shared earlier and that word I couldn’t get off my heart, I felt God was EXPANDING our overall vision.  So here is the new vision of Element Church.  “That we’d be a MOVEMENT of churches having such an IMPACT that if we were gone our COMMUNITIES would miss us.”
• As I was praying through that number 8, and praying through that word “movement”, God began to lay another number on my heart.  The number 23.  We were ONE church starting TWO campuses in the EIGHTH largest unchurched state in America.  That number 23?  That’s the number of counties in the state of Wyoming.
• Now here is our LONG TERM VISION:  We want to start a campus in EVERY county in the state of Wyoming.  (Or as many as we can.  Long story, there are 3 counties that we are not currently going to pursue a campus.)  This won’t happen in 1 year, it won’t happen in 5 years, it may not happen in 10 or 20 years, but as long as I’m the pastor of Element Church, we are going to do our BEST to be a part of the movement of JESUS and change that number 8.
• We have the BEST MESSAGE on the planet…why WOULDN’T we do EVERYTHING we can to take that message to lost people?  It would be irresponsible for us NOT to do WHATEVER we can to reach more people for Jesus OUTSIDE the city we live in.

—  I’ve been waiting SIX MONTHS to give this message today.  HA!  Good to have it out.  Now I’m ready to just MOVE AHEAD!

—  In between 2nd and 3rd service I was just sitting in my office, getting prepared for 3rd service, when all of a sudden an overwhelming urge to throw up hit me.  I had that sensation in my throat and mouth and thought I was about to blow.  My body got the chills, and I became very weak.  It was VERY weird.  I was on the floor with a trash can just in case.  Texted Pastor Kody and told him what was going on.  I didn’t know if I was gonna make it out or not.

—  The team had the video of the previous service ready to go if we needed to play it, but I felt good enough to give it a go.  I felt LOST during that service.  My legs were jelly, my mind couldn’t focus, body was weak.  Thankfully the Lord saw it through.  I don’t know if anyone but those who knew would have even noticed anything.

—  As I said, we closed out our series “This is how we change the world” today.  Today wasn’t really a sermon, I got to share the story of Element Church and talk about where we are headed.  I did use these Scriptures to set up the story of Element Church today.  Matthew 13:16-17 and 1 Peter 1:10-12.  Here are some other excerpts on the day:

• (About Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego)  We get so focused on them being from the fire, we miss the power of their response through faith.
• They had an “even if” kind of faith.  Whether God comes through for us or not we will NEVER be through serving and following Him.
• The BEST stories are yet to be written.  Everybody loves a good story and we are a part of the GREATEST story of all.  The story of Jesus and HE’S NOT DONE!
• Sometimes to get to where you’re going, you have to remember where you’ve BEEN.  To become who you need to be, you have to remember who you WERE.
• Attendance at Element Church is up 27% from this time last year and our giving is up 61% from this time last year.
• We have two choices.  We can stop now and not mess this thing up, or we can GO and not lose momentum.
• This is not about our state needing more churches, it’s about people needing JESUS, and as long as people need JESUS we will CONTINUE being a church that does BRAND NEW THINGS!
• I can’t look at that number 8 (8th largest unchurched state) and NOT do something to try and change it.
• How can we change the world?  WE CAN’T but JESUS CAN, and He’s handed off His message, His mission, His MOVEMENT to us and says “What will you do with what I’ve given you?”
• Whether God comes through for us or not, we are NEVER through serving and following Him.  We will have an EVEN IF kind of faith.  “EVEN IF He doesn’t come through, I want you to know that we will NEVER STOP SERVING OUR GOD!  His name is JESUS, and He is LORD of all!”

—  Alright Element Church.  I am SCARED and I am EXCITED!  This vision is an “If God doesn’t come through WE’RE through kind of vision!”  And it’s the ONLY kind of vision to have!  If we are able to accomplish this dream, if we even accomplish HALF of it, the ONLY person that could receive credit for it is GOD!

—  I love you guys!  Couldn’t ask for a greater group of people to serve God with.  You guys are AWESOME!

Till the end,

Jeff