JOHNNYROBERTS.TV

Investing in the future

A young man handed me a wad of money last week.  He said... "I've been saving up this money for 'something' for a while... I want you to use it for the building...  I don't want anyone to know... it just seems like this way it will be used for something that will impact people for a long, long time..." 

This wasn't a small sacrifice.  Oh, he won't go hungry this month but his investment is significant enough to limit his next toy purchase or how he might blow some money on some cute little gal.  Beyond that... the investment goes far beyond a building... it reaches into eternity.  Have you considered that every time you invest in ministry, that you are investing in every piece of that ministry forever?  That an investment now could be a pivotal piece to the puzzle because of timing?  That maybe what seems like not a big deal could be THE thing God chooses to use?  That what happens today becomes a part of everything the ministry touches... forever. 

I guess I'm suggesting that this is where and why God calls us to be faithful in the "small things".  Little by little... time after time... simply taking the next step in faith... He calls us.  Sometimes we drop the ball... Sometimes we are selfish... and we miss out.  Sometimes by the grace of God, we are faithful... and make an investment that will last for all of eternity.

So my young friend... I don't think you can go wrong investing in the future of the church... in the work of God... in lives changed forever... because I think forever is a "long, long time"... DON'T BLINK!   

It's the people...

Group Magazine did a "Cool Church" survey, asking teenagers to rate factors that influence their commitment to church. The things most frequently rated "very important" were:

• A welcoming atmosphere where you can be yourself (73%)
• Quality relationships with other teenagers (70%)

What did teenagers rate as least important?

• A fast-paced, high-tech, entertaining ministry approach

Found this from Church Volunteer Central this morning.  Ministry is about people.  Nothing else matters if you don't get that right.  Evangelism is done through people loving others enough to invest their lives in others.  It has very little to do with cool... facilities, technology and entertainment.  Impacting churches of the future will be real and raw, focused on people not the institution.  Others will die a slow painful death.  A couple of key points "where you can be yourself" and "quality relationships".  What does that look like to you?

Volunteers No Show Weekend

BODers please read this article.  I know you love Furtick.  This idea is pure genious.  It will help you understand just how important the volunteers at TheBOD are.  Read it and then FIND YOUR FIT!!!!

You can read it here... NO SHOW WEEKEND at Elevation Church.

Coolchurch.com

Meet our new friends from Oregon, near Portland.  The Creative Marriage Retreat was great but the encouragement from George and Ann topped it all.  These guys planted Abuntant Life Church in Happy Valley, OR 19 years ago.  Growing the church to 750 in a facility that seats 200 until five years ago and then moving into a new building.  Things are exploding and they are now at 2700 and rockin.  New video ministry and a second video location 20 miles away.  Sweet. 

Launch Photos

We have a few photos of the Launch posted HERE.  Thanks Leisa for capturing the memories.

Wait... Wait... Wait... OK... NOW.

TheBOD.tv has been a long time coming.  I had actually given up on the idea that I would lead this church plant.  In that moment God said.. OK.  Another great post by Steven Furtick that hits on the importance of waiting on God's timing.  I'll just copy it here:

"The only thing harder than waiting on God
Is wishing you had”

Wow!  I’m not sure who said that originally, but someone shared the quote with me last week, and…

Wow!

What past experiences in your life cause you to say amen to that?

Your first marriage?
The bad business idea?
The mortgage payment that is eating you alive?
The thing you quit just before the breakthrough happened?
The discipline you discontinued because you didn’t see overnight results?
The conclusion you jumped to before you had all the facts?
The person you wrote off before you had a chance to hear his heart?
The sin that made you feel really good for a moment, but is haunting your soul years later?

Ready or not...

Oh man... here we go.  We're at 9 days to launch.  Are you ready?  Pray hard.  We are on the verge of something remarkable.

Embrace the Chaos...

I must confess, I love quiet time alone.  It's how I'm built.  For some reason my soul hungers for what I call "down time".  The reality is that my mind doesn't shut off during this so called "down time".  In fact, that's when things really start clicking.  When the chaos of activity fades and I am finally able to focus.  These times are important for me because it's in those moments that I think God is best heard.  They don't happen often enough for my liking but they are the fuel that feeds my soul in the midst of the chaos. 

It's in the chaos where life happens.  Work, family, church, ballgames, hobbies.... the list is un-ending.  For the past month or so I keep thinking that once we launch things will be more under control.  Maybe the chaos will settle a little.  But, are you ready for this.  I haven't dreamed big enough.  God is placing a vision in my heart that is so much bigger than anything I could have ever imagined.  A vision for a thriving, growing, world-changing church.  A church where student's lives are rocked and changed forever.  Where children from the entire region are passionately in love with Jesus.  Where families are healthy and loving.  A church that raises up church planters, missionaries, plants churches, feeds the hungry, clothes the poor.  A church that turns the community upside down.  Sounds pretty chaotic huh?  We will embrace the chaos because that's where life is found.  We will pause to breath but we will run to the chaos and live.   

Props to Tony Morgan and Tim Stevens for writing SIMPLY STRATEGIC VOLUNTEERS.  I'm working through it and chapter six prompted this post.  The vision has been growing in my heart for the past few weeks but this chapter helped me realize the need to embrace it instead of apologize for expecting people to join the journey.  Strap on your seat-belts BOD'ers we're about to take off.

 

Website Is Working...

Ok the TheBOD.tv website is up and running.  Nothing fancy but it should load quickly and be easy to update and keep fresh.  Just another small step on our say to September 9th.

501-c-3.....

Great news...  after lots of time, paperwork, a lawyer and money it's done.  I spoke with Karen at the IRS today and she said she has forwarded our application for tax exempt status (Form 501-c-3) on to her director with recommendation for approval.  So I guess we are officially official with the government.  Although churches are not required by law to file the form, most churches do to eliminate any questions about the tax exempt status of contributions.  Insurance for the contributor.  This is a huge relief and answer to prayer to have this out of the way.