Last night around 10:30 Stacie got up from bed with a soar throat and a slight fever. We had already planned to go to the Columbia Zoo this morning, so I kept the plan and allowed Stacie to get some rest while Caedmon, C.C. (Grandma Cloud) and I went to hang out with the animals.
It is fun to see how Caedmon is now beginning to interact with his surroundings. For example, while we were walking through the aquarium he kept showing CC and I his best imitation of a fish noise. While in the gorilla compound he pounded his chest and showed us his very best impersonation of the large primates!
So, here is what I can't help but notice as I am walking through the zoo... The majesty of God displayed in his creation. The beauties of the colors displayed on a toucan's beak, the myriad of tropical fish creating candy for the human eye, the strength of a crocodile's jaws, the elegance of the tiger, and much more. At the end of the day, as majestic as all of these animals I find none of them more captivating and beautiful than my 20 month old son. It is much like the description of God's hand in created in Genesis 1:26, "so God created man in his own image, male and female he created them."
I cannot help to see the hand of God as I look into the eyes of my child. To see his handy work and think that this child was knit together in his mother's womb. To know that this being has the capacity and connect with and intimately know God in ways that no other creature under creation can experience. Today I am amazed at the breadth of God's creation and am reminded that we are his prized "creation" with whom he desires a dynamic relationship. Something to ponder for the day!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Saying Goodbye
About 10 days ago Stacie, Caedmon and I said good bye to my favorite church in the world, Breakthrough Church. Over the last 4 years we have diligently given our lives to building a church that reached students who are far from God. As I reflect back on the transition out of Breakthrough Church I cannot have a deeper sense of gratitude for how God worked in the process of our "going" from Breakthrough... So here is what I am most thankful for!
1. Changed Lives... as I look back on our time in Texas I will always remember the countless number of students who lives were radically changed with the message of Christ. I think of students who were buddhists, athiests, and nominal Christians who caught a glimpse of God's love and responded by giving their lives to Him!!
2. The Support of Breakthrough... Stacie and I met with various students and leaders from our church to share the vision of how God is leading us to start a church in San Francisco, explaining that we would be transitioning out of Breakthrough and would need them to step up in the process. In the midst of their pain and sadnesss many of our key leaders rallied around us, prayed for us and even contributed significantly towards helping transition the church. We could not have gotten a better response from our Breakthrough Leadership team and staff. I am so proud of you guys! You stepped up!!
3. Christian and Sarah Williams... As of May 18 Christian assumed the position of Breakthrough's Lead Pastor. He and Sarah are a tremendous couple with a great heart for college students. They are going to do a fabulous job leading Breakthrough into the future.
4. Hope Church... Hope Church assumed oversight of Breakthrough so that it would be more viable from a leadership and finanical standpoint. Due to the fact that Breakthrough is a "student church" we knew it needed some outside leadership to move into the future. Harold Bullock and Hope stepped up and responded to God's prompting
to lead Breakthrough into phase II! I cannot say thank you enough to the staff and leaders at Hope for their willingness to step up to the challenge!
I have heard it said by many that you can discover alot more about a leader by the way he or she leaves than how he or she arrives. I believe God blessed our leaving tremendously. Stacie and I have said a number of times, "it went about as well as it could have gone." I am looking forward to not having to go through that again. Our vision is to go to the San Francisco Bay Area for the rest of our lives! It feels great to "go" with a clear conscience!
1. Changed Lives... as I look back on our time in Texas I will always remember the countless number of students who lives were radically changed with the message of Christ. I think of students who were buddhists, athiests, and nominal Christians who caught a glimpse of God's love and responded by giving their lives to Him!!
2. The Support of Breakthrough... Stacie and I met with various students and leaders from our church to share the vision of how God is leading us to start a church in San Francisco, explaining that we would be transitioning out of Breakthrough and would need them to step up in the process. In the midst of their pain and sadnesss many of our key leaders rallied around us, prayed for us and even contributed significantly towards helping transition the church. We could not have gotten a better response from our Breakthrough Leadership team and staff. I am so proud of you guys! You stepped up!!
3. Christian and Sarah Williams... As of May 18 Christian assumed the position of Breakthrough's Lead Pastor. He and Sarah are a tremendous couple with a great heart for college students. They are going to do a fabulous job leading Breakthrough into the future.
4. Hope Church... Hope Church assumed oversight of Breakthrough so that it would be more viable from a leadership and finanical standpoint. Due to the fact that Breakthrough is a "student church" we knew it needed some outside leadership to move into the future. Harold Bullock and Hope stepped up and responded to God's prompting
to lead Breakthrough into phase II! I cannot say thank you enough to the staff and leaders at Hope for their willingness to step up to the challenge!
I have heard it said by many that you can discover alot more about a leader by the way he or she leaves than how he or she arrives. I believe God blessed our leaving tremendously. Stacie and I have said a number of times, "it went about as well as it could have gone." I am looking forward to not having to go through that again. Our vision is to go to the San Francisco Bay Area for the rest of our lives! It feels great to "go" with a clear conscience!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
I have a hard time with school
I just finished up a test in my "Baptist Heritage" class. I had familiar experiene today as I walked in for the test. As I finished up my last minute cramming, looking through notes, praying for help, I thought "I will do better on the next one." If I've thought that once, I've thought that 100 times. It is usually at this point when I realize how bad of an "academic student" I truly have become. So here is my rant on why I have a hard time with school! (before writing, I must defend the fact that I at least have 3.3 g.p.a) :-)
#1: I am very A.D.H.D.
This means that I have a hard time focusing on what the professor is saying... most of the time. In addition, I am able to get internet in class. I often spend time facebooking, blogging, checking email, and lots of other various tasks while sitting in class. I am really hoping that for the second half of this semester, during my last class before graduating I can pay attention... kind of. (my professor is actually gives great lectures, i am the one with the problem)
#2: I don't do well on tests.
Most of the time when I receive the test in class, I look it over it and can't remember ever thinking about half of the content on the exam. In addition, I often feel like tests are such a false representation of knowledge. One can learn how to beat the system, memorize information and actually remember very little.
#3: I learn by doing
By nature I am an activator. I prefer to actually be making things happen, strategizing, mobilizing people, casting vision, reading books on life and leadership and then applying all of this stuff in "reality". I understand that seminary helps shape my theological understanding and the experience has been very helpful for shaping my character, building perseverance and faithfulness. However, in all honesty most of the helpful information for ministry and theology has come from the reading the bible, studying good books, asking lots of questions of good mentors, and staying focused on being a learner outside of class. Evaluated experience has personally been my best teacher.
All leaders are learners, right? I just think leaders learn differently. Leaders learn through evaluated experience. Often times the classroom does not stimulate evaluation, it stimulates regurgitation, and requires very little practical experience to receive your degree. This year thousands of students will graduate from seminaries all over the country and go to take jobs as pastors and various other ministry positions. Most of them will have no clue how to be successful and effective with their work. They will not know how to connect with people who are far from God, they will not know how to resolve work related conflicts, they will not know how to get a vision from God and then empower people ministry, and much much more. Does this make you sad? It breaks my heart and I believe this is one of the greatest problems facing the North American church. We have way too much unhelpful information with very little application, and way too little transformation.
Whenever I am faced with academic decisions it is very difficult for me to focus my time and energy on studying long hours for stuff that I will forget within 3 weeks of learning it. In addition to this, I've been way involved in the local church during seminary, and in all of this school has pushed me away from school. My heart's desire is to be a part of a church and a movement that changes the world, I want to be used by God to reach my generation, I want to see people with broken and messed up lives discover what it means to know that Jesus Christ is a God who loves them deeply and longs for each and every one of us to know him personally. May the decisions I make and the way I live lead me to that end!!
PS, My professor is a brilliant man who is a great writer, great thinker, and dearly loves God. My comments are regarding a system problem not a professor problem.
#1: I am very A.D.H.D.
This means that I have a hard time focusing on what the professor is saying... most of the time. In addition, I am able to get internet in class. I often spend time facebooking, blogging, checking email, and lots of other various tasks while sitting in class. I am really hoping that for the second half of this semester, during my last class before graduating I can pay attention... kind of. (my professor is actually gives great lectures, i am the one with the problem)
#2: I don't do well on tests.
Most of the time when I receive the test in class, I look it over it and can't remember ever thinking about half of the content on the exam. In addition, I often feel like tests are such a false representation of knowledge. One can learn how to beat the system, memorize information and actually remember very little.
#3: I learn by doing
By nature I am an activator. I prefer to actually be making things happen, strategizing, mobilizing people, casting vision, reading books on life and leadership and then applying all of this stuff in "reality". I understand that seminary helps shape my theological understanding and the experience has been very helpful for shaping my character, building perseverance and faithfulness. However, in all honesty most of the helpful information for ministry and theology has come from the reading the bible, studying good books, asking lots of questions of good mentors, and staying focused on being a learner outside of class. Evaluated experience has personally been my best teacher.
All leaders are learners, right? I just think leaders learn differently. Leaders learn through evaluated experience. Often times the classroom does not stimulate evaluation, it stimulates regurgitation, and requires very little practical experience to receive your degree. This year thousands of students will graduate from seminaries all over the country and go to take jobs as pastors and various other ministry positions. Most of them will have no clue how to be successful and effective with their work. They will not know how to connect with people who are far from God, they will not know how to resolve work related conflicts, they will not know how to get a vision from God and then empower people ministry, and much much more. Does this make you sad? It breaks my heart and I believe this is one of the greatest problems facing the North American church. We have way too much unhelpful information with very little application, and way too little transformation.
Whenever I am faced with academic decisions it is very difficult for me to focus my time and energy on studying long hours for stuff that I will forget within 3 weeks of learning it. In addition to this, I've been way involved in the local church during seminary, and in all of this school has pushed me away from school. My heart's desire is to be a part of a church and a movement that changes the world, I want to be used by God to reach my generation, I want to see people with broken and messed up lives discover what it means to know that Jesus Christ is a God who loves them deeply and longs for each and every one of us to know him personally. May the decisions I make and the way I live lead me to that end!!
PS, My professor is a brilliant man who is a great writer, great thinker, and dearly loves God. My comments are regarding a system problem not a professor problem.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Silicon Valley
On Sunday night at Breakthrough Stacie and I announced that we sense God leading us to the San Francisco Bay Area to start a new church. Our last Sunday at Breakthrough will be May 11th, and we will pass leadership to a local church in the Fort Worth area who will appoint one of their leaders to lead the church. More information will be coming on that in the near future. Here is a short film clip of the Silicon Valley, the area where we will plant the church. It is about 40 miles south of "The City" (San Francisco). There are about 2 million people in the Silicon Valley area. There will be more information in the near future. For questions about God's leading in our lives please email me: Andy@breakthroughchurch.org
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