Whenever a church planter/leader’s blog goes silent for a while, you can bet that things are either going really well or really poorly. In this case, thankfully, my unintended blogging break is evidence of things going really, really well.

Now, to get the ball rolling again, I’d like to share some of the lessons God’s taught us since ClearView Church launched. I wish I could say they’re original, never-before-thought nuggets of theological brilliance. Alas, they’re not. Maybe next year I’ll come up with something catchier – The Unicorn Principle, perhaps???

1. There are seasons.
Remember when you were a kid and you’d hit a growth spurt? You’d be the same height for a while, and then all of a sudden your shoe size would jump, then your arms and legs would seem to grow independent of the rest of your body, and then – and only then – the rest of your body would seem to clue in, stretching and filling out accordingly.

Growing isn’t smooth and it rarely seems coordinated, though of course it is. That’s how it is with growing a young church too. A more congenial metaphor is the idea that there are different seasons of growth. One week there aren’t any babies in the nursery. The next week there are 6. You can’t predict it, but you try your best to be ready in anticipation.

We’ve been through a season where only young singles seemed to be finding us. Then a season where no one was finding us. Then a season where families with kids, etc., etc., etc.

There are seasons where everyone who comes your way needs help, and you wonder if you can serve that many needs. And there are seasons where everyone who comes is looking to help, and you wonder if you’ve got enough spots for everyone to serve. It’s funny. The key is to remember that a season is only a season – enjoy it or survive it because tomorrow could be different.

2. Risk is a good thing.
Starting from scratch, there’s no alternative but to risk. So we’re trying to make it part of our DNA that we stay risky, that we lean toward faith, not sight.

Has everything we’ve tried been a homerun? No. But a lot have been, and the lesson in that is that not all mistakes are created equal. It’s far better to swing and miss than to not swing at all. (Unless your church thinks faith is overrated.)

This personal lesson led to the teaching series “Hey Buddy, It’s Green!”

3. Choose health over growth.
Growth is a result of health. If you’re pressuring folks into roles of service or leadership because you need to fill those roles in order to grow, you’re actually limiting, not facilitating, growth. Ministries, programs, and groups are helpful only if they’re venues of health. More than once we’ve slowed down or scaled back to make sure that those leading in a given area were doing so out of a place of spiritual health. Church members should think of their involvements as joys, not obligations.

4. You’re only as good as your relationships.
I don’t have anything profound to say here. It’s just true. You need good relationships among leaders, among church members, with guests, within small groups, with neighbors, with unchurched folks, and with other churches, non-profits and community groups.

5. God is good.
Something that’s often repeated in Scripture and around ClearView is this: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.”

I’m so grateful that in this first year, I’ve seen God’s goodness again and again. The more you see it, believe it, and hang on to it, the more you’ll trust, the more you’ll smile, and the more you’ll lean into relationships. This sounds lofty and nebulous, I know, but we’ve come to discover that it’s as practical as it gets.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve only got a year to figure out what unicorns have to do with church leadership.

I owe all of you an update on ClearView. We recently celebrated ONE, the first anniversary of our launch. After deciding to call the event ONE, we thought, “Why not use numbers to tell the story?”

Sometimes churches seem scared to talk about numbers, like numbers are inherently unspiritual. I would just point out that the Bible isn’t nearly as timid about numbers. It tells us that there is “one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:6) and that “about three thousand were added” to the church in Acts 2. So while it’s true that not all of what God is doing can be quantified, some of it can be. And it should be!

So with the understanding that it is God “who makes things grow” (1 Cor 3:7), here’s a by the numbers glimpse of what God has done in the first year of ClearView Church.

122 - Launch Day Attendance (Oct 2010)

We asked each of our 40 core-team members to invite two people because we knew we had room for 120 chairs. This is what happened.

125 – Friends’ Day Attendance (Jan 2011)

We asked everyone to try and top Launch Day. This is what happened.

623 Loads of Laundry

One of our home groups decided to begin Laundry Love, a ministry where folks show up once a month at laundromats and offer to provide quarters and soap. You wouldn’t believe the friendships being formed. In the first 5 months, we’ve washed and dried 623 loads of laundry for 165 families. Go to facebook.com/laundrylove to find out more or get involved.

6 First-Time Commitments to Christ

We’ve been privileged to walk with 6 people as they made a first-time commitment to Christ. We’ve also seen dozens of others make next-step commitments in their relationship with Jesus.

1000 Donuts Eaten

We provide donuts, coffee, and other delicious things before and after our Sunday gatherings. No one add up the calories, okay?

$3000 to the Penny.

This summer, after one of our young adults returned from a 6-month engineering project in Africa, we committed to raise $3,000 over a 3 week period to construct a clean water well that would complement that engineering work. After just 2 weeks, the total given was exactly $3,000. Coincidence? We think not.

250 First-Time Guests

We believe that what matters most to God is relationships (Matt 22:34-40). So, we’re thrilled to have met 250 new friends through our Sunday gatherings during year one.

We first compiled these numbers, and many others, for a book we distributed during our ONE celebration. (And I’d be happy to send one your way if you like!) I wanted to share some of them here because the prayers and support of those who read this blog have meant the world to me. Thank you for sharing this God-sized adventure with me and with all of the ClearView family! May we always remember that behind all the numbers there is ONE.

Remember the detail in the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River that the priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to step into the river? They couldn’t just walk up to the edge of the river. They had to get their feet wet (and risk looking mighty foolish) before God would do the rest, cutting off the flow of the river to create a clear path.

Flashback a generation. When Moses was leading the Exodus, he didn’t have to get his feet wet! All he had to do was raise his staff and the waters of the Red Sea parted ahead of him.

Now, back to the Jordan and the priests with wet feet: What do you think they felt taking that first step? They know, of course, that God could have dried up the river a mile and a half ahead of them if He wanted to, but instead, He said this,

“When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.”

Sometimes, like in the Exodus, God parts the waters before you. Other times God says, “You go first. Then I’ll show you what I can do.”

Another detail to notice: the Bible tell us that “the Jordan is at flood stage.” Why does it have to be at flood stage? God understands the water cycle. They’ve been waiting 40 years! Surely he could have timed this better, right?

Yet here they are, taking a step into a river that has never seemed so big.

Ever have one of those “wet feet” moments? A moment where you know God is with you but it’s still terrifying to take that decisive step?

For me, it was launching ClearView Church. One year ago (how time flies!) we stepped into the water. And since then? God has indeed shown us what He can do.

There’s so much from this first year that I want to share with you. I’m planning posts on the milestones we’ve reached, the ones we’re eyeing currently, and the lessons we’re learning along the way. But I want to hold off on those until after I have a chance to share some at our ONE celebration this weekend.

For now, let me just say two things

First, if it’s even remotely possible, please come worship with us this Sunday. (YMCA Camp Forbing at 10 a.m.) It’s going to be an amazing celebration of God’s goodness among us. I am so excited to share what God has done through ClearView this first year and anticipate what He’ll do in year two. If this is the first time you’ve visited, please read this open letter I wrote before Launch Day a year ago. It still expresses the community God has called us to be.

Second, the next time you come to a “wet feet” moment, go for it. Faith is more than just intellectual belief. It’s an active trust that God is present, active, and gracious. It’s about taking steps, one at a time, only to discover that you’ve journeyed farther with God than you ever imagined you would.

You go first. God won’t leave you wondering what He can do for long.

Ministry, you could say, was Jesus’ second career. He was raised a carpenter, and you probably know that it wasn’t until Jesus was 30 that he began to teach, heal, and call people to follow him (Luke 4:23). But have you ever wondered why he waited until then?

What’s so significant about 30?

One likely answer is that 30 was a milestone representing full adulthood and maturity. We know, for example, that 30 was the age at which an Israelite male could begin serving as a priest (Numbers 4:3; 1 Chronicles 23:3).

Now, today 30 may sound awfully young for the responsibilities of spiritual leadership, but keep in mind that life expectancy then wasn’t near what it is now. (Not to mention that this same nation had a king who was only 8!)

As you might have already guessed, I’ve been thinking about all this because I recently hit the 3-0 mark. On my way to 30, I’ve had the chance to preach and teach in dozens of settings, do a bit of short-term overseas ministry, spend a few great summers working with teens, lead a mature congregation, and, most recently, launch a new church.

In hindsight, I can see that God gave me an extended window of preparation for where I am now. An overly zealous youth deacon told me I was “ready” to preach my first sermon at the ripe old age of 13. (For those of you curious, it was called “The Power of Righteousness,” and, no, I did not know what righteousness meant.)

After my freshman year in college God used my lame desire to spend the summer away from home as a way to expose me to congregational ministry. (To this day I don’t know how the church that hired me ever got my name or phone number.)

After my first year in seminary, God used my impatience with seminary to bring me to Shreveport, allowing me to serve and finish seminary at the same time. Why would a mature congregation hire a guy a week shy of his 23rd birthday? God only knows! But they did, and for that I will always be grateful.

It was there I met my mentor, Norman, a humble guy who had served churches his whole life (and still is). He was in his 70’s and I in my 20’s so we joked that the ministry staff was in its mid-forties! He taught me how to marry and bury and a lot of things in between.

And now, I’m 30. I’m getting to watch as God shapes ClearView, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to see what all he has in store for us!

But back to Jesus – I keep thinking about the decision Jesus made to leave the carpentry shop behind and walk a different path. And I have one more theory about why Jesus waited until now.

To show that it was really his choice.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Jesus! But I understand that this is the season of life where one sets his priorities because it is also the season where every part of life seems to be screaming for attention.

“Career! Focus on your career; you’ve got to make something of yourself!” “No, Family! You’ll never get these years back!” “Well, what about your friends? You haven’t seen them in forever!” “And when are you going to plan for the future, huh? Have you even thought about retirement?” “What about that trip you said you were gonna take? When does that fit in? Or that degree you were thinking about?” Etc., etc.

I’m sure the pressures Jesus felt were a bit different, but make no mistake, he felt the pressure. And in the midst of it all, with every possible path demanding to be considered, he chose what he chose: to say goodbye to the season of preparation and walk into the season of ministry, to turn away from the carpentry shop and toward the cross.

Several years ago, on Easter, I taught about Jesus’ resurrection – shocking, I know. Then the next week, from the same text, I taught essentially the same lesson. I monitored the feedback I was getting as I went. Soon looks of curiosity (“Boy, this seems familiar…) turned to looks of frustration (“Did he not think up a new sermon for this week???)

Approaching the breaking point of everyone’s patience with me, I stopped and explained that the repetition was intentional. I said that in modern society, we’re all info-holics – people who want to be the first to know what’s new and what’s next. More books, articles, and sites are made each day than we could absorb in a year, so we skim, click, and jump, faster and faster and faster.

You could say we’re not very good at lingering.

But Easter is one place – perhaps the most important place – that’s worth lingering.

He is not here. He is risen.

Don’t move on just yet. Don’t tell me you’ve already heard that. Don’t go looking for the next big thing.

Don’t walk away from the empty tomb too fast. Linger. What does it mean–for me, today, this moment–that he is risen?

It’s been a week since Easter. Technically, it’s been 2,000 years and a week.

But it’s still Easter.

Jesus is still risen, still present, still active, still victorious over sin and death and anything else you’re facing.

If you’ll indulge me, a quick recap of ClearView’s first Easter illustrates exactly this point. Last Sunday was our six-month mark as a church, and it was an amazing milestone indeed.

In partnership with the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana we hosted a sunrise service in the amphitheater around the pond immediately behind the lodge where we usually gather for worship. A confession: I was not optimistic about the attendance. I thought we’d be fortunate if 20 or 30 showed up. To my amazement, 64 folks gathered together at that early, early hour and it was an awesome celebration. Gary Lash, president of the Y, told me just beforehand that the last person to give an Easter message in that spot was the famous evangelist Billy Sunday–no pressure, right?

Later, at our 10 a.m. gathering, we hosted an even larger group. As a surprise to everyone, our time of communion was led by Hannah Beatty. Hannah is part of our church family–but at a distance. Several months ago she quit her job as a civil engineer to go serve with Engineering Ministries International in Uganda. Obviously, she had to record her comments on video ahead of time, and the benefit of that is that you can be blessed by them as well (see below).

After that, during my teaching, I talked about Jesus’ victory over sin and death and the assurance that gives us regardless of the challenge or obstacle that confronts us. To paraphrase Matthew 28:20, he is with us always. Many of those who gathered recommitted their life to Christ, acknowledging their need to trust Christ in the face of challenges like debt, anxiety, family tensions, complacency, and questions of self-worth.

Still others said they were interested in making a first-time commitment to Christ. This led to yesterday, when ClearView celebrated it’s first baptism. The young adult who has now committed himself to Christ, considered himself a religious skeptic and was an outsider to church just a month ago.

Which seems to me to prove one thing – It’s still Easter.

Last week I wrote this brief message for ClearView’s website. I’m still digging it, so I wanted to repost it here. I’m planning a series of new posts too. Original content should start showing up again beginning this afternoon.

It’s Easter.

But we’re not going to hide any eggs. Or rent a bunny-suit. Or ask anyone to put on pastels.

What we are going to do is simple. We’re going to sing and shout and preach and pray like people who have been redeemed.

Like people who have been set free.

Like people who once were dead and are now alive.

Because we are.

And because it’s Easter.

And Jesus is alive.

And anything is possible.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to check out ClearView – This is it! There’s no better message than the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. We’re hosting two Easter Gatherings, one at sunrise and one at 10 a.m. Find out more and get directions here.

A number of you who read this blog do not live in Shreveport-Bossier. Nonetheless you’ve gone out of your way to pray for and encourage Jessica and me during this first season of ministry at ClearView. I have every intention of soon writing about some things that will give you a deeper sense of how we’ve seen God at work in and through this new church. For now, let me just say that this is for real. I mean, this is what church is all about.

Over Thanksgiving my father-in-law asked me how things were going at ClearView, and, without thinking, I said, “Fun.” That’s not a very profound answer, but anyone who’s done congregational ministry knows that it’s a great answer to be able to give.

In the meantime, I just wanted to post a few links and let you know that you can now listen in on the teachings that I’ll be sharing at ClearView. We’ve got a great podcast player up on ClearView’s site now (Jessica, you’re the best!):

clearviewshreveport.org/messages.html

Downloads and subscription options are also available through iTunes or your favorite RSS reader.

iTunes

RSS

I hope you’ll listen in and be blessed. And for those of you who do live in Shreveport-Bossier, well what are you waiting for? There’s always a seat for you at ClearView.

From all of us who have been working to see the vision of ClearView become a reality, we cannot tell you how grateful we are for the chance to meet you Sunday.

God put in our hearts a common burden to start a church that’s challenging but not intimidating, and now, this Sunday, it all begins.

Challenging but not intimidating?

Let me explain. By “not intimidating” we mean the kind of family where anyone–anyone–feels immediately comfortable, where cold religion gives way to a fresh working of the Spirit, and where Jesus is presented so clearly and beautifully that no one wants to spend much time discussing much else.

By “challenging,” however, we mean a church that produces honest disciples. Not fakers, posers, or attenders. Disciples. Men and women who would never pretend to have it all together but have handed their hearts over to Jesus for him to do what only he can do. Folks who, in the words of my favorite writer Brennan Manning, “want Jesus and want to want nothing else.”

Every church, we think, should be judged by two things:

The people coming in and the people going out. If people with issues don’t feel welcome, then you’ve lost the way of Jesus. At the same time, if the people who come aren’t captivated and drawn into new life, then you’ve sold short the only hope humanity’s got.

We believe everyone deserves a clear view of the gospel.

We believe that the choices we make and the lives we live will either put Jesus on display or obscure him further. We believe that seeing Jesus clearly leads to seeing everything else clearly. We believe that’s just as true for you as for us. That’s why we’re here.

We’ve got no interest in wasting anyone’s time.

We’ve got no interest in going through the motions or wedging our way into your already full calendar. Our interest is to walk with you in the way of Jesus in this world: as a family, sharing God’s grace, living for others.

Inevitably, something will go wrong.

Sunday won’t be perfect. There will be a bug (either figuratively or literally). When something goes unexpectedly, help us to have a sense of humor about it. Otherwise, we hope you’ll join in fully and share your thoughts with us honestly.

ClearView won’t be the right fit for all of you.

And that’s okay. We see ourselves as partners with every other band of Christ-followers. If you’re thriving as part of another church, thank God and keep going. If, however, you think God might be calling you to join us in this new mission, you’ll never find a group of people more excited to stand shoulder to shoulder with you.

I can’t think about the future of this church without smiling.

So thank you. Thanks for taking a chance and visiting us. Thanks for believing that God is up to something great, here and now.

See you Sunday!

John

I’m not afraid of aging. At least not today.

No, today I’m thinking about what a joy it is to walk with God. So, years from now, I may have gray hair or no hair, but I’ll have that many more years under my belt of being loved and shaped by God.

I’m not all I want to be. You’re not all you want to be. So, how great is it that our God chooses to walk with us, maturing and transforming us one step at a time, instead of condemning or abandoning us where we are?

This is true for churches too (unless yours is perfect…). It’s so exciting to think about the ClearView that God has in mind: a come as you are church filled with doubters, strugglers, sinners, and burnouts. A church for people with scars and bruises from previous encounters with religion and prior conceptions of God.

We know we’re not where God wants us, but we’re on the road.

All of this crystallized for me last week when I stumbled across some lines from Martin Luther, written in 1521, that I’d underlined (and since forgotten about) years ago. Hope they’re a blessing to you this week.

This life, therefore,

is not righteousness

but growth in righteousness,

not health but healing,

not being but becoming,

not rest but exercise.

We are not yet what we shall be

but we are growing toward it,

the process is not yet finished

but it is going on,

this is not the end

but it is the road.

All does not yet gleam in glory

but all is being purified.

Whatever you face, whatever your struggles, may you remember: “This is not the end, but is the road.”

As John Ortberg points out in his book Know Doubt, one of the ways you can divide up stories in the Bible is by how long they last.

Many of the Bible’s stories are three-day stories. They are fast-moving stories that communicate urgency and drama. They put on display the amazing power of God to rescue and redeem. When Israel was in slavery, Moses asked Pharoah’s permission for a three-day journey into the desert. Before Esther appealed to the king to prevent the genocide of her own people, she fasted for three days. When Jonah was in the fish, he was there three days, and when Jesus was in the grave…yep, you guessed it, he was there three days.

Other great stories, however, are forty-day stories. When Noah is in the ark, it rains forty days. When the Israelites reach Sinai, they wait forty days for the 10 commandments. Before Jesus begins his ministry, he fasts in the wilderness for forty days, and before he ascends into heaven, he spends a final forty days with his apostles.

What do these forty-day stories have in common? They are stories of preparation. Stories of powerful new beginnings, the God who makes all things new, and the consecration necessary to journey with him in this world.

In forty days our core group of about 50 folks is launching ClearView Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. That Sunday–October 24, 2010 if you want to mark your calendar–is the day that the training wheels come off, so to speak. The day we open our new community of Christ-followers to the world, inviting people of all backgrounds and beliefs to come and discover a clear view of the goodness of God.

Launch Day will be a powerful new beginning. It will be a celebration of the God who makes all things new. It will designate the start of a new journey with God in this world. But first comes the season of preparation. The season of consecration. The season where we lay our ignorance, incompetence, and impotence before God and say, “This is only possible by your grace. We have no hope except our hope in you.”

After forty days the rain stopped and a new world began to emerge. After forty days the Israelites (re)discovered that the universe was room enough for only one true God. After forty days Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God is near, and after forty days, he entrusted his disciples with the same message.

What will God do with us after forty days? How will he show himself anew? Whom will he rescue? What will he redeem? We do not know. For forty days we wait, we pray, we prepare, we hope.

And we remember that God has done some of his finest work in forty days.

Would you remember ClearView and our launch on Oct 24? It would mean more to me than you know if you would enter into this season of prayer and preparation with us. You can also listen to some of the recent podcasts on this site to hear more about the vision for this new church.

If God is putting it on your heart to be part of this new beginning, please contact me. You can do that through the contact page on this blog, or you can join us Sundays at 10:00 a.m. for our pre-launch worship gatherings. We are meeting at Camp Forbing on Ellerbe Road, and are so excited for the chance to launch in such a great space. See below for map/directions.

Forty days…one great beginning!

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