Teaching, Being Taught, a new friend, & a new thing

Tony Tomandl asked me an interesting question on the plane as we traveled across the Atlantic a few days ago. He asked, "So, what do you hope to accomplish on this trip?" My answer was simple. We weren't coming to Moldova to do a 'project' or a camp for kids. We weren't building anything and I wasn't doing any leadership training with church folks waiting for me to come teach them. I've done all of these kinds of things before on mission, but this was more 'touching and feeling'. I was simply trying to get to know the people, the organization, meet some of the beneficiaries...basically size the thing up.

"I want to better understand what we are supporting and hopefully gain some passion for our work in Moldova and our ministry partners there," I said. That was entirely true. That's what I intended and it was my end goal.


But so much more happened. God planned special, life giving encounters I would have. He knew in advance what would happen. But I had no idea that on this trip I would be taught so much about me and about PCC. And I had no idea that I would have a chance to teach so much to others.

Being Taught

David Saathoff and I hit it off from the start. Our planes met in Atlanta after my journey from the north and his journey from San Antiono, TX in the west. Pastors have notable stereotypes: Some pastors come from a tradition that ingrains them to be stuffy and stiff. Some big church pastors are arrogant. Some strictly theological pastors are constantly wanting to exegete some piece of Scripture. Some pious pastors are always wanting to spiritualize everything.

David wasn't any of these things. Though he pastors a megachurch of 7,000+ people, he treated me like an equal. He's fun and fun to be around, joking and laughing. He could be serious when the situation required it, but it was obvious he placed a high value on making things fun.

And he was humble. I would ask a question, with a notebook and pen ready to record his latest wisdom gush, and I would tell him I wanted to learn from him. He'd begin with a sincere 'we can learn from each other', and then he would answer my question. I filled PAGES AND PAGES of notes from the things he said - relevant things about where PCC is as a church, where I am personally and in my leadership, and what we need to do to get to the next place. PCC is pushing on the 1500 barrier, and Dave assured me this was the hardest barrier to break. But he planted his church (click here to see their website) and he led them through the barrier that is now holding us back. He's done it, and he assures me we can do it, too.

In addition to giving me extremely practical, technical advice and tools, he was also extremely encouraging. "Given what you've told me about yourself, your willingness to share your struggles and pain, and your history with PCC, I think you have the potential to lead the largest and most potent church in Virginia."

I didn't receive his words with pride or ego, but simply as an honest assessment from someone who has been where we are. I was moved by his affirmation that we are headed somewhere great. The end goal is not to have a big church, but if we accomplish the mission God gave us, the byproduct of reaching that many people will be a big church.

Dave was helpful to me in ways I can't describe, but will unpack as I travel home. We exchanged emails and began making plans for Susan and I to spend a few days with him and his wife in San Antonio when, in addition to some fun, I will attempt to suck everything he knows from his head and put it into mine.

Finally, Dave and I agreed to a template for returning to Moldova and do a leadership training venture for church leaders and pastors here that will equip them to reach the many broken and lost folks who are all around. I was honored that he invited me to co-lead that with him. And frankly, I can't wait!

 

Teaching

I ended the day on the other side of the table. I worked directly with 2 CERI leaders, peeling back the layers, with their permission, and helping them understand themselves, their families, and their struggles. Sometimes, when you do something all the time, you don't really realize the expertise you have acquired. By using my knowledge of family systems theory, birth order theory, models for functional teams, laws of leadership, good counseling practices and empathic listening, I helped these two people see some things they had never considered. It reminded me that I have gotten good at some things, and that I'm a steward of these gifts to be used to help leaders and their organizations and families be the best they can be.

So, at the end of the day, I look back and see that some things DID get built today and some leadership training DID happen. Something was built into me and something was built through me. Leadership was sowed into me and leadership was sowed into others by me.

God has really filled this trip with surprises. Honestly, I had zero motivation to get involved with Moldova as of 5 days ago. But today...the complete opposite. Also, I see that God want to continue the great work at PCC - that our new structure and PlayBook are ALL on the right path, and that we can enhance the effectiveness of our work with just a slight adjustment in a couple of strategic places. And I see how he wants to use me in our missions endeavors - all of them - at PCC.

To say this trip has been revolutionary for me would not be far from true. God is really doing something in me here and through the experience, and I'm excited to share it soon with our church.

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Moldova

A few months ago, I couldn't tell you where it was or find it on a map. And I knew very little about the country or its people. But today I am beginning to understand the desperate need here.

Moldova. A landlocked sliver between Romania and Ukraine, and just a short hop to Russia. It was a part of the Soviet Union before its historic breakup in the 90's. Now, Moldova is a small, struggling, independent democracy with a declining population. It's claim to fame is that it is the poorest country in Europe AND the poorest of the former Soviet block countries.

Poverty is a massive problem here. And no one has it worse than the orphans - defined as those kids who have either lost their parents to death OR been abandoned by them. Believe it or not, abandonment is common here. It's almost cultural to drop your kids off, sign a paper saying you can't support them, and leave the country to never be seen again. In the U.S. this is rare, but here t's an epidemic.

Government run orphanages are...well...let's just say that you and I would never tolerate such conditions for kids - ANY kids - in the U.S.

But the worst part is what happens when these kids turn 16. At the completion of the 9th grade, the kids are simply thrown out. That's right, they are put on the streets, with nowhere to go and no one to help. They become quick and easy targets for human trafficking, the sex trade, gangs and drugs and alcohol.


Moldova is one of the biggest sources of human trafficking in the world. Between 200,000 and 400,000 Moldovan women have been sold into the sex trade since the fall of the Soviet Union. Boys are often sold into the human slave trade. It has to stop. It's an affront to humanity and the ministry we support here helps stop it before it begins.

I came here because PCC give significant support to a ministry I knew about from a distance, but wanted to know first hand: CERI, which stand for Children's Emergency Relief International.

CERI has several programs, but the one we're involved with is called the Transitional Care, where kids who have aged out of the government run orphanages are rescued and given educational and life skills support as well as housing and food while they stay in school. You can learn more about it here and here.

One of the transitional apartments I visited today was an abandoned building that had been converted into living space, but I assure you that none of us would live there. The boys told me - with no small measure of joy - that they got hot water one day per week. Tony asked, "Only one day a week, even in the winter?" The teenaged boy replied, "No, we don't have it at all yet. We were told we'd have hot water one day per week next year." And it's COLD here. I can't imagine living like this. I can't imagine ANYONE living like this. I wanted to dump out my wallet right there and tell them to go get some hot water or go get a room at the Hilton.

As we learned of each kid's story (we visited boys at the boys apartment and girls at theirs), my heart just broke at their pain. Abandoned, lost, unwanted, dehumanized, no where to go, no options. No hope.

Except us. The local church is the hope of the world.

What I wanted to know was if our investment of Kingdom resources here really mattered. All I can say is that I am overwhelmed with the difference PCC is making in these lives. I met with the staff of CERI today and heard them tell story after story of kids who would have never had a chance were it not for support from churches like PCC. These were stories of success and joy and life out of poverty, darkness and hopelessness.

But the best part was this: CERI is not only humanitarian, they are deelpy committed to the spiritual needs of those in the program. They have Bible study with these kids each week, and they pray for them every single day as a staff! At the massive summer camps, kids made decisions about following Jesus every year, and many times in between. We visited some of these kids today, and there is a free flowing conversation about matters of faith. These people at CERI really get it!

The bonus for me on this trip is that I'm connecting with and getting to know the pastor of a HUGE church in Texas - David Saathoff. Too humble to admit he's a really big deal, Dave has been invited to speak at some of the most prestigiuos events in the country. He planted his church 20 years ago and grew it to 7,000 people today. I really like him and he's teaching me all kinds of things about church, growth, leadership, etc.

I think God had multiple reasons for me to come on this adventure, and I'm excited to see what the next 3 days hold before I come home.

 




 

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What I re-learned at church in Moldova

We went to two different church services today in Moldova. They were polar opposites - one very big, the other very small. I want to tell you about the first one - Jesus the Good Shepherd Church.

There were less than 25 adults, plus a few kids. We met in the upstairs room of a building that looked a lot like a house from the outside. The rectangular room was smaller than my living room and had been converted into a sanctuary. Chairs were set up 7 to a row, parting in the middle to create an aisle and all facing the small platform where there was a podium and a keyboard. A simple wooden cross faced the crowd, and it had a simple shaw draped along its beam.

The service began with a welcome and then, with words projecting on the wall behind the platform, we sang and worshiped together.

Except it was ALL in Romanian. Oh, I forgot...some of the songs were in Russian. But there was a good reminder in it that God wanted me to see and experience.

I sat in the back, singing in English if I recognized the tune and just humming when I didn't. Mostly I watched 25 individuals worship as one single church. Though I couldn't understand the words, I could join my heart with theirs and worship the same God at the same time. We aren't citizens of the same country, but we are followers of he same God, and His Name is Jesus Christ.

Fii Glorificat
Fii Glorificat
In veci de veci

"Glorify your Name, Glorify your Name, Glorify Your Name in all the earth!"

All the earth.

Not all of just Powhatan, Cumberland or Midlothian.

Not all of only Buckingham or Fluvanna.

Not all of Virginia. Not all of America.

But all the earth.

So, I was reminded again today that we at PCC are connected with churches all over the world by our common active and passionate faith in Jesus Christ. This is one of the most important purposes for international missions. People like me (and most of you) live the bulk of our lives in a bubble. Without being conscious of it, we live out our faith in Jesus as if we're the only ones on the planet.

But we're not.

We're connected. We're a part of something larger and greater than ourselves - the Body of Christ that surrounds the globe. And that body has richness we cannot imagine or conjure until we go and experience it ourselves, first hand.

So, we receive a great blessing when we visit churches in another culture and country. But we also GIVE these churches a great blessing. We're telling them "You are not alone! We care! We love you! We are brothers and sisters - Family together!"

We're better when we serve Jesus together than we are when we serve Him in isolation, as if we're the only churches in the world, or the only country with churches in the world. I believe this reminder is one of the things God wanted me to see, and one of the reasons He told me to come on this trip.

As a footnote, I was had the privilege of preaching at the largest Baptist church in the country this evening. It was a big deal, and I was honored to be invited. The truth is that my words will quickly be forgotten, but the Word of the Lord - which transcends language and race and nation - will endure forever. And the Word of the Lord is lived out most notably in His church throughout the entire world!

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:9-11)

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Why I am 6000 miles from home

A few months ago, I started sensing that God was saying something to me. I felt He was telling me to plan a visit to each of PCC's international mission partners. In case you don't know, PCC supports ministries in Belize, Moldova and Tanzania. In addition, God has led us to two local ministries helping people in our local community, too. (I'll talk more about that in a later post)

To be completely transparent, I pushed back on God at first. I had no idea where Moldova was and I didn't really want to go there. I was slightly more open to going to Tanzania, but not much. (I've been on mission with our team to Belize before, and I know some of the folks down there, and I was already excited about going.)

What I felt God saying to me was this: 'Brian, I have entrusted you with leadership in My church. You are a steward of the investment of Kingdom resources (people, money, time and expertise) in these places. I want you to go to them, encourage the people there, learn more about how I'm working there and about the need. I want your heart to be broken like Mine is for these places and these people, and I want to show you how you can do more and help others get excited about how I am touching and changing lives around the world.'

So, over time, I prayed sentiments like this: "God, I serve You. I don't want to go, but it's not about what I want. It's about what You want me to do. I'll do anything you say, whether I want to or not."

When you pray prayers like that (yes, this applies to you, not just me), you'll likely find yourself having more than just a grudgingly obedient heart, like "Ok, God, I'll go. But you can't make me like it!" Instead, you'll find that God often actually changes your heart, so that the thing you didn't want to do often becomes the thing you actually look forward to!

That's what happened to me, and I began to anticipate that God was about to do something dramatic in me, through me, and through our church.

So, in the next 18 months, I will visit all of our mission partners in these three countries. My adventure to the first stop began yesterday, with a long and tiring travel day from Richmond to Atlanta to Frankfurt and, finally, to Chisinau, Moldova.

I know you're dying to know what ministry we support here. And I'll have more to say about that in my next post.

Oh, and thanks for praying for me while I'm gone. I'll be back at our church on April 21. And in case you are wondering, Sunday April 14 is going to be a fantastic day at PCC, so don't play hookey! :-)

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Doubt vs Belief

One of the things that frustrates me about long standing norms in churchlife is the assumption that doubt is the opposite of belief.  The implication is that, if you have any doubts at all about anything, you must, therefore, not be a believer.  For many reasons, this is unreasonable and not biblical.  

But it is important that you settle on the foundational questions of faith:  

• Is God real?  
• Was Jesus the Son of God...God in the flesh?  
• Was Jesus, who died a physical death, resurrected from the dead?  
• Is Jesus still alive? 

These are important questions to wrestle with, investigate, ponder and pray about.  But at the end of that investigation, you have to choose.  To continue pondering into perpetuity is to choose not to believe.  I know this is harsh, but consider Jesus' words to Thomas in John 20:  "Stop doubting and believe!"  

Jesus' imperative to Thomas is the same thing He is saying to many people today:  "Stop doubting and believe!"  Jesus was (and is) talking about the belief that Jesus is alive.  That he rose from the grave.  That he is God!  Thomas' words at the revelation that Jesus was alive reflect the response that we are also to have at the same revelation: "My Lord and my God!"  

Many people I know start out their spiritual investigation with great fervor.  They are on a mission to discover the Truth about God.  But over time, the zeal fades and with it, the need to come to a conclusion.  So, many of these folks continue to come to church out of habit or because their family does or because they genuinely enjoy the services.  But the sense of urgency to make a decision is gone.

I think yesterday reveals the urgency from God's perspective.  Is it ok to doubt?  You bet.  As I said, the story of Jesus IS a tough pill to swallow.  

But you also need to come to a moment when you realize that you will never satisfy every question with a concrete, provable answer.  The belief in Jesus cannot be proven, at least not all of it.  That's why we call it faith!  It takes faith to believe that Jesus is alive.

It reminds me of when Moses was about to lead the people of God out of Egypt.  God said to Moses:  “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)  It's not much of a sign, is it?  The sign would happen AFTER Moses responded in faith!  Then, after he followed God, Moses would be proven right.

The same is true for you.  AFTER you set aside your doubt and choose to believe in and follow Jesus Christ...AFTER you go all in, you will know and experience His presence like never before.  Few people got to touch him like Thomas.  But Jesus says to us, "Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed."  

It's time to cross the line of faith for a lot of people.  Stop doubting and choose to believe.

HELP! You can make a difference this Easter...

You probably already know this, but just to say it anyway...

EASTER IS THE BIGGEST DAY OF THE ENTIRE YEAR!!!

...for a church, that is.

We have prepared to pull out all the stops and have the best Easter services ever at PCC.  Seriously, it's going to be incredible!

We're also preparing to have the biggest crowd we've ever seen in a single day at our church.  There's a decent chance that more than two thousand people will come to one of our four physical services, plus we're hoping for a record attendance online.  Here's the service matrix:  Powhatan Campus - 8, 9:30 and 11:15am; Westchester Campus - 10:30am in the BIG theater; Online Campus live broadcast at 11:15.

If you are part of PCC, we need your help!  We will have LOTS of guests on Easter Sunday. Here's how you can help make the experience great:

1) Pray for our church and for the people who will come!  Praying will help prepare you and just possibly will open someone's heart up to the life changing message they will hear that day.  Pray for the  people who will come and for all of the people involved in helping make our services happen.  If you know someone specifically, pray for them by name.

2) Leave the aisle seats!  Why?  People who don't regularly come to church are often a little intimidated by church.  They're anxious and nervous about what to expect.  Believe it or not, giving them an aisle seat makes them feel more comfortable, because it allows them to feel like they can bolt if we bring out the snakes!  (In case you are reading this and don't come to PCC, that's a joke.  We don't do that!)  First time guests want to know they can make a quick getaway if things get weird.  Let's give them the aisle seats.

3) Give guests the premium parking spots.  Every Sunday, I park in the farthest spot away, so that someone else can have the best spots.  At our Westchester Campus, this might mean simply leaving the very front spots for them, since there is a big parking lot.  But regardless of the campus you attend, think about rolling out the red carpet for our guests even before they get out of the car.

4) INVITE someone to church!!  Most folks who don't regularly go to church are very open to coming on Easter.  They're waiting for an invitation, so give them one!  And don't just invite them, but give them someone to sit with by inviting them to come with you!

5) Serve somewhere.  We need all hands on deck, and if you can serve, it would make a real difference.  We need folks in children, guest services, shuttle drivers, parking cars, etc.  Contact your team leader, campus pastor or just let me know and I'll get you to the right place.

6) Take the shuttle at the Powhatan Campus.  Especially for the hundreds of people who are serving this week, if you are serving at the Powhatan Campus, it would be very, very helpful if you would consider taking the Shuttle from the middle school.  I'll be riding the shuttle just like everyone else.  Please consider this, because parking is going to be crazy! (Isn't this a GREAT thing!?)

7) If you are a part of the Powhatan Campus, consider the 8am service.  Yeah, I know it's early, but freeing up some seats at our other two Powhatan services will help ensure we don't run out - especially at 11:15.

Easter 2013 will be a phenomenal day at PCC!  Thanks for doing all you can to make it great!

Starting Well Right Now

To finish well, you have to start well.  And you can start well right now.

I made that declaration several times today.  It reflects one of the foundational ideas that I believe about God.  Regardless of where you are or what you've done, He is the God of the second chance.  It's never too late to begin again...to start over...and to start well.  Jesus modeled it.  We can live it.

What I find is that many people often have a hard time keeping their commitment to God and keeping their faith strong and vibrant.  Many times, blame is assigned to God.  "He's not speaking to me." "He's not telling me what to do." "He's allowing bad things to happen to me."

But there is also a frequent pattern of neglect on our part.  We expect God to do all of the work, while we sit in our spiritual LazyBoy.  But that's not how it works.

In the Old Testament, there is a very conspicuous characteristic to the covenant that God made with His people.  It went like this:

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands...I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. (Lev 26:3,12)  

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut 4:29)

 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come." (Gen 17:7,9)

Notice that there are two sides to this commitment.  God does His part.  But to keep the relationship healthy, God's people have to do their part, too.  And this give-and-take relationship seems to continue even after Jesus came:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Note that we have to 'come to' Jesus.  That's our part.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:8)  Again, note that we have to come to God.  That's our part.

We have a part in the relationship.  We're not passive, but active participants.  Like any relationship, it takes TWO!  God is not going to force you into a healthy relationship with Him.  If He did all the work, it wouldn't be healthy!

But the good news is that God allows for a fresh start.  If you've neglected to invest in your relationship with Him, you will find Him waiting for you - excited to have you back and excited to be back in your life!

So, grab your Bible, get a little note pad and start reading.  Start in Matthew and Go!  Also, sign up for the daily Bible reading reminder by texting "pccwired3" to 41411.  You'll get a text every day with what to read, and you can also read with online by clicking here.

Finally, set aside some time to pray.  Just talk to God and allow Him to speak to you.  He will influence your thoughts, nudge you about things, offer corrections, promptings and direction.

You won't regret the investment.  Remember, you can't finish well if you don't start well, and you can start well right now!