Patrick the Patron Saint of church planters

St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, might just be the “Patron Saint” of some church planters. In his writings he points out some of his many shortcomings and his great zeal to reach the “unchurched” in Ireland, two of the things that parallel my journey. In his Letter to Coroticus, written because soldiers had kidnapped Irish Christians that he had just converted and he was furious. Although Patrick was a gentle and humble man of faith he reached the people of Erin in spite of his stature in life.

His limited education, in Law and Theology was no stumbling block to the “community” he was reaching. The reason, I believe was he was lead by and open to the Holy Spirit, and as Acts 8:12 puts it “But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

During Patrick's captivity in the Irish wilderness he comes to know the God he missed as a child, although he was born into a Christian family (his father Calpurnius was a deacon; his grandfather Potitus a priest) yet he "did not know God." Galatians 4:8 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.” It is ironic that Patrick, as a slave found the God he missed as a free child and he takes on the same concern for the Irish that Paul had for the Galatians.

Although Patrick regrets his educational achievements, his crystal clear understanding of the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Love of Christ for the lost and the redemption found only in Jesus, was the start of Christianity breaking out on the Island of Éireann and spreading throughout the world.

Though Patrick wasn't the first missionary to Ireland, an unsuccessful Palladius preceded him. He was the first who was successful. And he took Christianity to people outside the Roman Empire. In their own community and culture.

Patrick also has a record of speaking out against slavery and was a defender of women and children. In his Confessio he writes of a woman who becomes a leader among Christian women and goes on to express grief that women held in slavery had the worst lot of all. In his regard for women and for the sanctity of life Patrick was a Planter ahead of his times.

• Kidnapped by pirates at age 16
• Embarrassed at lack of education
• Finds God while herding pigs(?)
• Escapes, guided by a voice
• Recalled to Ireland by dream
• A childhood confession returns to haunt him
• Boasts of bringing religion to the Irish
• Baptises a beautiful Irish princess
• And this is my confession before I die."

A new perspective on Psalm 23:4

Why sometimes do things just seem to go wrong? Does God really have a plan for me? If so, why do things go wrong so often?

We have all seen books, tapes, seminars etc on God’s Plan for My Life. I simply do not have time to read the stuff on the market, but I must admit that I wondered what effect all this material would have on someone who had been born into poverty, or had just found out they lost a loved one, or have become unemployed, a child was arrested. I wonder what people might think in a moment like those and do they believe that God has a plan for them.

This appears to be a real dilemma. On the one hand Christianity teaches that God has a plan; on the other hand, life shows us that bad things happen to good people. The only way out of the complexity is to say that there is nothing irreconcilable with God having a plan and things going wrong from our perspective.

Does that mean God wants things to go wrong for us? Absolutely not, Jesus clearly reveals God to be against making us humans suffer. But this does not mean that such things will not happen. For it is part of God's plan that things happen that are not sent to us directly by God. He just allows them to take place.

Dish out the blame when problems pop up in your life, whom do you hold responsible? That depends. You can hold people responsible; you do not say that God has mistreated you. You say so and so has mistreated you. In fact, you cry out to God for help in dealing with the pain

Likewise, if a friend close to you is injured, you explain what has happened by saying, 'The ladder broke,' or 'the other driver was drunk”. You shrug off the fact that the accident took place, and you place the blame on what you believe caused it: faulty equipment, irresponsible behavior, or whatever.

You do not hold God responsible for what has happened; and of course you appeal to God for help. Initially, in emotional upheaval, you might blame God, but when you think it through, you understand that God is as aggrieved as you are.

Because God gave us charge over the world, things go wrong that would never have happened if man had never fallen. When God let us loose on earth He allowed free will to come into play. The risk is that things will not be done the way God would wish they would; or they will be done badly, or selfishly, or unkindly; or not at all. God took a risk by sharing control over things with us, by planning our lives in a way that allows our free will and determination; it has become a world with suffering and pain. But not to involve us would have been to make us like robots or puppets, rather than human beings who are free. To make choices, choices that include our turning to Him with love and admiration.

So when you come to the end of your rope and you wish that God had not shared the running of the world with you, rethink it, God did, in spite of the risks. Why? Because God wants your love, through your free will because that is the sign of true love, not a forced obligatory love.
We need to live up to our responsibilities, as children of the King, offer our praise to Him, even in tough times because He first loved us. So when bad things happen. That does not mean that God has no plan all and is out of control. What God does promise is to be with us, no matter what happens. And so we can never say, 'I shall not walk in the valley of darkness,' but we can always say, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 these words express the constant plan of God; That God will always, absolutely always, be with us
Tone

Gilligans Island

Well we are three weeks from the first service at Doheny State Beach. I met with the staff today and had a fantastic meeting. They were beyond helpful. I was taken around the park and shown all the ins and outs, parking, loading, and a place to toss a tent if I wish. I know my friends are going to let it rip with Gilligan jokes so I thought I would beat them to the punch and point it out first. I know this is not what you might call a Church Plant but is sure is going to reach many people that otherwise might miss going to church because they are away from home, It will reach the staff of the park that wish to attend and I am sure, some people that might not otherwise go to a local church. What I hope will happen is for me to find someone local that might want to take over this next season. I have run into many kind people that have offered me help getting this going and I hope to do the same to those coming up behind me. If you find yourself on vacation in So Cal and want to stop in, please look us up Tone

Boy Scouts ROCK

My favorite group of young people are the Boy Scouts of Troop 650 that I get to interact with at least two or three times a week. Well tonight I again saw just how great these guys are. They decided to make a donation to our church to help pay for a portable sound system we are in need of. What a dichotomy, they are getting hammered with lack of funding because or our whacky PC mess in our culture seems to be in,yet they can dig into the shallow pockets they have to help us out, I can say I am beyond proud to call the REAL MEN, of Boy Scout troop 650 my friends.

Rock on Troop 650
Mr.O

Faith, Hope and Love

We need to consciously grow in Faith, Hope and Love during our day-to-day walk, but can we? Three of the greatest Christian powers for life are faith, hope and love, without these in our lives we are all but sunk. For a Christian walk to thrive we must either attain these qualities or at the very least strive for them. This is especially true during in the preparation for marriage. When we council young people on the sanctity of marriage and how they must grow together as a single unit, these three components must be central.

During the courtship period for a couple it seems like two out of these three are very strong. It is a time of intense love and euphoria like they are walking on water, never to be separated. Once the decision to marry is made, the world seems like the Garden of Eden. It is also a time of great hope, not in the sense of a clear hope that everything will be all right, but more in the sense of having someone that is so worth living for and with. So often though the one trait that is neglected is faith. This is the one quality that so many people are so unsure of, if they think about it at all. But no need to fret, God is there in the background and what a time it is for us to redirect the conversation to how Faith is a core component in the lives of newly weds. You know, never let the sun go down on your anger, seek the Lord while he can be found.

The pre-marital counseling time is such a special time to work on growing the faith of a young couple that will carry them through a lifetime of Love and Hope. It is a time when couples are going to look to us for prayers and advice, let us not forget the larger picture. Make it a time not just to chat but also to enter into real conversation of how God needs to be a core component in the bond of family and marriage. It is a time for them to grow in the knowledge of what the sacrament of marriage is and to discover the reassurance that Jesus will be with them always in their Love and Hope. It is a time to teach them to pray together for their marriage and for all that The Lord has for their life together. And it is a time to appreciate once again the responsibility we have to shepherd those we are entrusted with. So that their love will grow and their hope can become ever stronger and Faith can be developed.
Tone

Sunday no longer a day of rest

Sundays used to be the day for a BBQ with the family and a day at the park. Not any more.
Welcome to the modern enlightened day of 24/7, where Sunday, is just like any other day, a day of work, play shopping, hustle and bustle rather than rest, prayer or anything other than a time of intimacy with God.

This is not new, many people, already routinely work on Sundays or just run them selves so ragged during the week they spend the day in any other place but Church. In fact, contrary to the image of the Little House on the Prairie, we never stop, We Americans work harder than many of our counterparts in European countries and our workweeks seem to continuing getting longer. We commute an hour plus twice a day, then when we get home it is rush to the PTA, Scouts, Soccer, you name it. Then it is a rushed, for lack of a better word, dinner. Choke down a PBJ sandwich, cup of tea and drop off to sleep on the couch only to do it again tomorrow. Without much forethought or planning we are putting in a 60 hour week, go ahead and try fit God in there.
How do we reverse this trend? How do we get "flexibility" in our workweek? With Sunday just being another Monday. Our concept of priorities needs to change, I know, easier said than done but how about setting at least one day aside for God and family, both will appreciate it. Turn off the TV and pray over a meal with the kids. Say I love you before you pass out on the easy chair. Go ahead and try it for one week, make the effort and see how it changes your outlook.
These changes will rekindle the light that has gone dim and once the process is under way mix in a little time for God, surprise your family with a morning at a local church, and maybe a breakfast at a local diner. Jut try it for one week, it works.
We work enormous hours and if you put your mind to it you can find the time to enjoy life. The kids will be gone before you know it and when you do find the time to get back into their lives the will be in the same rat trap you trained them for, so go ahead, try it for just one week this month. Grab the family station wagon, press the shirt, and make a day of it.
You will reap ever-higher benefits and those around you will not suffer for your falling to pay attention to the spiritual side of love and family.
It's called real love and the changes are powerful and noticed.
Tone

Just Do It

Communication Is Key in Life


As Church Planters we are all marketers. That should step on a few toes. Well In the world of Church Planting, we've seen church marketing go to a world of targeted, measurable dialogue with “customers”. We've also seen “customers” become empowered, as never before, where they expect immediate, relevant communication in real time.

So, whether communicating with consumers or congregants, our programs need to support real communication in ways that reflect the mind of Christ.

This should create an impact on our advertising. In the world of the Bornstein group marketing and other marketing techniques "real-time" relevance manifests itself in a variety of ways. For example, “customers” today are "high tech", they are using a variety of media venues to communicate with their favorite brands and their loyalties to any one medium have given way to preferences among a variety of media. So, all methods must work together, and this will create an interesting demand on us church planters. Digital media will changed our playing field in that “consumers” will research products and services on the Internet. So, planters will need to ensure a Web presence that effectively communicates our messages about the Good News and how it will offer, from a “customer” point of view, an impact on the day-to-day life they are living. All the advertising, direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing, search, direct-response print and broadcast we are doing needs both to drive them to a relationship with Christ and away from further consideration into a world of distraction.


As ministers of the Gospel, we need to do just that. We need to manifest to the “the would-be buyers’ an expectation that the Gospel is what they need to do business with life. Their history and, life experience need to understand and track a transaction of service that requires a huge commitment for a quality of life, and for a life experience to maintain integrity. In short, everywhere a “customer” is "touched" by a planter, there needs to be an integration of that love and caring that will enable a "full customer view" and dialogue.

Tactically, today's church needs to rise to the challenges for “Christ’s sake”, and answer these questions: In our communication, are we targeting on a local level? What about on a global level, are we targeting “customers” depending on whether they are in a certain class such as “churched”, Non-Churched”, high-tech, or not and is there an ability to target the individual, one-to-one? Are all our messages harmonious, or does there remain conflict? Are systems in place to account and manage a return on investment?

We need to do a much better job of reaching our “customers”. How, I am not sure. But for long-term potential, we need to understand that the end-game is a “customer” relationship that needs to leed to a lifetime of care. Some “customers” are more of a challenge than others to reach but we need to think through a more effective way to reach them.

It Just Makes Sense

What are you thinking!! We are living in the new millennium it is 2006.You cannot possibly say there is a God, now can you. Get a clue dude; I thought God was dead, what proof can you lay on me.

Wow, I am sure you have all heard this stuff. Well, as I think through how I might answer these inquiries, I realize there are so many directions this conversation can go.

As for me, the reasons for believing that there is a God are so numerous; it racks my mind as to where to start .The first reason I believe in God is I am so unable to rationally define a world without a God. Look the vast universe; Science says that our universe had a beginning and that it is now running down due to the lack of available energy. In fact, the universe in which we live is fading away because of heat loss. Well since our scientific understanding rules out an eternal universe, and since it is totally irrational to believe that the universe sprang from nothing, the only rational explanation is that a supernatural being created the world in which we live; and that this being is all powerful, intelligent, moral, and, self-existent.

Another reason I believe there is a God is that atheism is incapable of accounting for the overwhelming experiences we encounter every day. The Non-Theistic worldview cannot fully account for such things as, the widespread laws of logic, laws of science, and the universal standards of ethics and morality. Also, if there is no God, then there is no ultimate meaning or purpose to life; we are no more than animals or rocks.

In closing, the major reason I believe there is a God, is that He has revealed Himself to me through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (John 8:58). Wow, what a claim, but it is not just an empty bit of clatter from a nut He supported his claim by His unrivaled personal character, His fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecy, AND His influence on human history, but most notably, by His confirmed resurrection from the dead. So, if you are looking for God, Just look to Jesus Christ Himself. As the author Josh McDowell says (I think it was him), he was a liar; a lunatic, a legend, or He was, in fact, Lord So if you seek with an open heart, all the evidence, will surly point you to the very real fact that He is the Lord, the one who spoke and the universe into existence.
Tone

Long Train Coming

Well, it was a long train comming but before I knew it it was a quick train stopping.

As the lyrics say "Makes me believe to my soul my rider calls that gone
But if I had wings, friend, like Noah's dove Friend, if I had wings, friend, like Noah's dove
I would raise and fly, God knows, where my lover was"

If I only had wings, Wow, This was the sixth "event" I was on with metrolink, and it is funny how my perspective has changed. I have been on the train for three or four suicides and a few "accidents" and it is funny how my perspective and attitude has changed. The first few "issues" I encountered I wondered how sad it was that people would be so distressed that they would step in front of a moving 200 ton moving train and end their life, but on this one, I found myself thinking, Oh my, I will be late for work,''' how sad the transition.

I hope I can "raise and fly" once again and that I am not so anesthetized by life around me that I do not once again, remember "where my lover was"

I can be, and I hope it is, "I am" raised on the wings of an Eagle,and am renewed in HIS strength, to be able to sore high above the distractions of life.

Cool News

I received an email this morning saying I was accepted into the California State Park Ministry chaplain program
http://www.californiaparksministry.com/
It is a great opportunity to share the Gospel in a relaxed environment this summer. I am trying to work out the details as to the park and duration. I feel like I could do the whole summer but I need to manage my enthusiasm with my schedule. My big bug a boo is a worship team, but I have a lead on a few people, including our home church people. I look forward to see how it plays out.
Tone

Cool to see the support

Well, it was great to see the support I received from the congregation yesterday, I had four people offer to help with the mall ministry, I need to make sure I do not drop the ball so we keep the vision going. I know we will have people jump on board once we get it started.
I am a little unsure of this blogging thing, but I found so far it has helped me to think more, I find myself being more observant in my routine throughout the day. I had a couple of emails from another church planter today, I am excited to have finally have connected with someone that is not into church planting for the wrong motives, the offer of help is just what I needed. I had gotten to the point that I thought other ministries were just out to look out for themselves and forget anyone else. Although help is all over the place, it usually has a price attached to it, real outreach is lacking in the planting arena, I hope to someday have an effect on that, maybe offer help to upstarts with no strings attached, just furthering the kingdom, how cool is that.

The Journey Begins

Well, It looks like we are off on a journey that was started in my mind a couple of years ago, I hope to keep this going and to update you as both good news and set backs pop up. I have had contact with two pastors, one in Denver and one in Minneapolis, both are very willing to offer up support and direction. Our next step will be to contact the mall management to see how willing they are to allow us to use space in the mall. My hope is we will have access to some space that is not being utilzed by a retail store.We have other options open to us but the best senario would be this space. We can look at the food court but it takes away from the intimate feel of a small church service.
So, keep the prayers going up.
Uncle Tone