In the words of Martha Stewart, "I hope you all rang in the New Year with good cheer and lots of festivities. I wish, of course, everybody a happy and healthy 2009." I happen to be writing this post while my beautiful wife watches "Martha." We recently returned from a wonderful trip to San Diego where my cousin was married. It was quite an adventure traveling with our baby boy. The benefits are that you get rushed to the start of lines at the airport and no one wants to sit next to you on the airplane.
Here are a few highlights of the last part of 2008 since I can't hardly remember much past a month ago...
We visited The Rock church in San Diego and was blown away by their vision, growth and history. In 2009 they are going to be giving the city of San Diego over 700,000 hours of community service. In just 8 years of existence a small church on a college campus grew to over 10,000 people. They have always been and will continue to be a church that serves the community and reaches the unchurched. They are an example of a church that is outward focused.
The Rock Church in Brentwood, which is launching in 96 days, adopted 5 needy families in the area. Charlotte and I were privileged to purchase gifts, clothes and food for a beautiful family of four. They recently lost their father and the mother of three children is living off of disability. The mother said that they wouldn't of had a Christmas unless we as a church adopted them. It was fun being the church before we even started our public services. At The Rock Church in Brentwood we hope that these stories are not just around the holidays but are all year round as we serve the Brentwood area and display the gospel with our actions and words.
In December I visited the Slezinger's and IHOP in Kansas City. It was refreshing to hang out with my dear friends and hear about their growth and adventures in Missouri. IHOP is all about prayer. It was an honor to be a small part of a prayer meeting that has been going on 24/7 for a decade. This trip encouraged me to not just pray more but to make prayer the center of my life. The staff at IHOP pray for 6 hours a day and then they work. I think this is radical and a wonderful reworking of priorities. Isn't Jesus the one who really builds His church? So why do we need to be busy doing church business all the time instead of praying? It was such a culture shock to be around people who really focused everything on Christ, since I usually hear people say that but their life and testimony have no reflection of that.
In 2009 my son will turn 1, we will be planting a church in Brentwood and if that weren't enough my wife and I will continue to learn how to die to ourselves and conform to the image of Christ. 2008 has been the year of new beginnings for us. I left the church my grandfather started and I had been attending and serving at for 24 years to venture out into the unknown with a church plant in Brentwood. It has caused rapid growth in my own life and I realized a lot of things that were important to me really meant nothing. It is all about Jesus and following Him wherever He says to go.
I have to thank a few people that really meant a lot to me in 2008. I list them in no specific order but I felt the need to recognize mentors and friends of mine who really helped and supported me through the most challenging year of my life and are still an important part of my life and development: my wife, my mom and dad, Rob Lamkin, Mark Slezinger, Ken Malmin, Nick Higgins, Danny Bennett and of course Jesus who has my heart.
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