Well, I am so in awe of God. My church, Wounded Healer Fellowship is 10 months old and we had our first hotel service on Sunday, November 27, 2005. 65-70 people in attendance and $1900 offering (biggest offering for us yet!). God has been so faithful. I was also thankful that my son, Samuel is using his gift of music for God by playing the piano for pre-worship. It is so great to worship God with your children and spouse. Here are some pics of the day. More pics posted at our site.

I was sent this from another sister in the journey…can you post this on your blogs as well? There is a book project coming soon by Rosie Molinary and they are in need of some Latinas. See below for the specifics:

You are Rerun!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

(This was recommended by N. Graham Standish, author of Becoming a Blessed Church, a book I would like to do with the developing church leadership…eventually)

Here are four simple principles to keep in mind whenever seeking to discern God’s will as an individual or group.

1. Grounding in Scripture
Discernment always starts with Scripture. That doesn’t mean that to discern, a person must immediately open the Bible and look for particular guidance. That works at times, but it isn’t the best way. For effective and powerful discernment, it is best simply to become a person of Scripture. This means engaging in regular devotional reading of Scripture, becoming part of Bible studies, and listening to Scripture through sermons. Grounding our discernment in Scripture allows us to be formed by Scripture so that the words begin to guide us even when we are not aware of their influence.

2. Listening for Christ’s Voice
God’s voice is so much richer than ours, and God can speak to us through anything—a song, a poem, a leaf, a graduation ceremony, the lettering on a truck, the stray comment of a stranger—anything. Learn to become attuned to how God is speaking. At the same time, don’t assume that everything you hear is from God. Be discriminating and somewhat skeptical. The true voice of God will resonate within. Your heart will leap at its sound.

3. Clarifying.
Don’t just assume because you have heard something that it has to be God’s voice. Far too many false preachers, teachers, and prophets have been deceived by their own pride masquerading as God’s voice. Have the humility to ask, “Is this really you, God?” Then talk with others, especially those who you believe are spiritually attuned. If God is speaking to you, they will sense it too. If the voice isn’t God’s, their doubts will help you go back and listen again. The important part of clarifying God’s voice is recognizing that Christ is present and speaks to us throughout life, but that our egos, especially when they are immature and afraid of seeking Christ, can speak to us through a false voice that mimics Christ’s voice. Discernment requires us to spend time clarifying, to whatever extent we can, whether the voice we hear is Christ’s voice. If it is, then it will be affirmed by others who also are seeking to discern God’s will.

4. Following in Faith
Following in faith is the thing that separates real ministry and mission from activities that are self-serving. When we follow God in faith, we still have doubts, we still are a bit reluctant, we still have trepidations, but we act anyway. If Christ is really the one calling, something special will happen. The impossible will become possible—and sometimes the possible becomes impossible when our timing isn’t God’s. Generally, God will find a way to work through us to make what God wants happen . This is how God as Presence works. God as Purpose calls us to ministry and mission, and God as Presence makes it happen through us. To be a blessed church means acting in faith.

…………………………………………….

Birthing a Church: Exploring a Feminine Model of Church Planting. Check out my article here.

Planting a new church is always a faith journey. It’s scary. It’s overwhelming. It requires RISK! There’s no way around it. To plant a church you must relinquish control and embrace the unknown. This year’s RISK conference is a time when God will speak to you and call you to step out and take fresh risks for Him. Check out this conference.

Jay is working with some folks to develop an Emergent Diversity Stream, they have a site up. Go check it out.  The following questions were posed by DJChang..what do you have to say?

1. What does Emergent want from ethnic diversity? (at least from your perspective as we can’t speak for them…this question was posed to them)

2. What do those who are ethnically diverse (aka in the minority) want from Emergent?

I’ll add my own:

3. What do you see as the ultimate benefit of this focus for Emergent?

4. What do you see as the ultimate benefit for the ethically diverse populations getting involved in this discussion?

5. How do you think Emergent should "reach out and touch someone" (those who are on the fringes right now talking about how white and male Emergent is right now)?

Brian McClaren once recommended a book that to me before I started my church planting journey. It was called "Simply Strategic Stuff:Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running of a Church". I took it out the other day (I think another Holy Ghost moment) after someone truly got me upset and I was going to respond to their email with an email. I thought I’d share the wisdom with you. Although I think you probably already know this due to ‘experience’. But here goes anyway…

"Despite email benefits they can get us into trouble. …I’ve seen miscommunication, relational explosions, and deeply hurt people as a result of email. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of e-mail."

The Good

• Can be copied easily to many people
• For those who are orally challenged, it can be an easier way to express thoughts
• Quick. Saves time.
• Can include web links or attached documents.

The Bad

• Can be copied easily to many people.
• You can’t read their eyes.
• You can’t see their hearts.
• You can’t tell what’s being understood or waht needs further explanation.

You should avoid an email when:

1. you are in any type of relational conflict with an individual
2. you are mad
3. you don’t trust someone, or you think he or she doesn’t trust you
4. you are hurt by something someone just wrote to you
5. you are writing anything that would not be OK if seen by everyone in your church.
6. your heart is beating hard, your fingers are typing fast and you feel vindicated when you finally hit the "send" button

They go on to say "there are some people you should NEVER email. The dynamics between you may require that you always communicate in person."

So think before you hit the send button.

the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

I’ve not posted in a while because I have had a hard time figuring out what to say. You see, there is lots going on in my mind, heart and body. But I came across this Richard Niebuhr thought and although I have seen it many times before, it was a good way to describe my prayer right now.

I had this long post but I decided (or maybe that was the Spirit prompting me) not to post it because even though it would have been a "no name" post it would have made people think it was them! And on top of all the headaches I already got, I don’t need to be dealing with another issue.

Bottomline, things in life change. Relationships change. Roles change. Sometimes we don’t have the courage to change things we are supposed to change because we want to keep things the same the way we like it. Other times, we go crazy fighting a losing battle because things already have changed and we want to go back to ‘that time’ when all was well. We all have to evaluate both the things we can change and the things we can’t and once we make a decision, we need to believe we have listened to God before we made it. That may mean losing friends, family, changing roles, losing status in someone’s eyes, etc. I am sad because I feel utterly helpless to stop what is happening, what is changing (or maybe what never really changed but I never knew) yet in my sadness, one thing does not change. I still want to be an instrument of His peace and with that I end…

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

–Francis of Assisi

As a church planter, I sometimes feel like people are all about seeking their own comfort. Church plants surely can’t meet these expectations but I would bet megachurches can’t either. This video this video expresses it best. But even sadder than that is what churches have become, no longer life saving stations but clubs. Check this out.  These videos are from www.sermonspice.com and now that our church is getting a projector with Sunday Plus we will have even more fun communicating the messages we believe we all need to hear. Great resource people!