"From One to Many - How Faith Works"

I recently met a new friend named Tim.  Over beers, he shared with me an amazing story of how faith came into his family back in the 1800’s. It is quite a story and I asked him if I could share it with you.  The following are Tim’s words.  It is a simple but powerful reminder of how faith works. Enjoy.

Osten Hansen was born in Lyster Sogn, Norway in 1846.  When he was 20 months old, his father died.  He went to work as a farm hand at the age of 6.  He was illiterate.  Another farm hand taught Osten to read using the Scriptures.  Thus, Osten learned to read and came to faith.  He got into the habit of lacing up his boots "Ina Jesu Navn" which means "In Jesus' Name" so that he walked with the Lord throughout the day.

In 1867 he loaded all his belongings into a steamer trunk and traveled to the US, entering at Ellis Island.  He made his way to Viroqua, WI where there was a settlement of Norwegians, and homesteaded.  He married Guri Prestegaard and the two of them started their family, living in a sod dugout.  He continued to lace up his boots in Jesus’ Name.

They lived 12 miles from the church, and every Sunday their family made its way to worship loaded into a lumber wagon drawn by 2 oxen, with their lunches packed.   By 1881, they had 7 children, and built a house on their farm.  In a matter of two months, six of these children died of black diphtheria.  A year later, the 7th child died of the same illness.  There were no hearses to carry the bodies of their children away.  They hung black curtains in the windows of their home to warn travelers to stay away, and buried their children in a make-shift cemetery at the farm.  

Osten and Guri started over, and had 6 more children.  My grandfather, Arthur, was the youngest of these 13 children.  Osten often said that he hoped at least one of his children would become a minister, because he and Guri would not have endured the loss of their family had it not been for faith in Jesus.  Arthur was the only child to go to college.  He served in the Navy in WWI, crossing the Atlantic 4 times on ship.  He graduated seminary and became a minister.  He married Marie, and had 4 sons - Paul, Rolf, James and John.  All 4 sons became ministers.  James, my dad, had four sons.  Two of them, Nathan and John, became ministers as well.  

I’m so grateful for the faith passed along to me by my mother and father.  This abiding faith in Jesus that we have known from childhood can be traced, in large part, to an unknown farmhand in the hills of Norway who befriended Osten and shared his faith.

"My Buddy, Al"

Maybe it was because he was from Western Nebraska and I was from Texas.  Maybe it was because I was born on February 12 and he on the 13th. More likely it was because we were both pretty goofy.  But whatever the reason, Al Henderson and I became fast friends in the fall of 1985. 

We were first year students at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  And even though the atmosphere there was decidedly scholarly and reverent, I would regularly hear a hearty, “R-r-r-r-u-f-f!” from across campus. That would be Al barking at me (yes, barking at me) to get my attention.  Let’s just say it was effective.  He never failed to get my attention or anyone else’s who was within earshot.  It was also contagious… at least for me.  Because, in spite of my initial hesitation, I was soon barking in reply to my buddy… across a seminary campus.  He was so dang joyful, so full of life, so… goofy.  He drew me in.

Al and his wife Kris, as well as their three children, became extended family to us.  We loved them and they loved us.

God, in His wisdom, chose to separate Al and me after the seminary; much like a wise parent separates two children who will only get each other into trouble.  He was called to be a pastor in Northwest North Dakota and me to Central Michigan.  We both got busy with ministry and life.  We didn’t talk often, but whenever we did, it was like we had seen each other just last Tuesday.  He usually called me (he was more faithful about that than me) and I always knew it was Al on the other end because when I answered the phone there was a deafening, “R-r-r-r-u-f-f!”

In fact, the last voicemail I ever got from Al consisted of one word: “R-r-r-r-u-f-f!”  Translated, it meant, “Hey buddy, this is Al.  Give me a call as soon as you can.  Love you!  Talk soon.”

That was the last voicemail I ever got from Al because on October 2 he was murdered outside the church he served in Fort Dodge, Iowa. 

But…

I don’t want to talk about how Al left this world. I want to talk about what Al left this world. 

Al left many, many experiences of God’s love that were the evidences of God’s love, especially for the first responders of Fort Dodge, Iowa… people who would have otherwise been unsure.  What do I mean?

Al had a family to love – and he did… mightily.  Al had a congregation to love – and he did, mightily.  But Al also had a group of men and women outside his family and congregation which he knew needed someone to mightily love them, too – the first responders. 

Many of them did not know or trust the love God already has for them.  They did not know or trust that God had already sent His Son for them, too.  So Al took it upon himself to love them and be the way through which they would experience God’s love.  God’s love was felt by these men and women because Al loved them with it.  And because they experienced God’s love through Al, the experience of God’s love became the evidence of God’s love for them. Al was tangible proof.

The following excerpts and quotes were taken from a recent article in the Fort Dodge newspaper. I figured the first responders themselves would do the best job of expressing what Al’s love meant.

When the law enforcement officers and firefighters of Fort Dodge were facing grim situations, they had the Rev. Al Henderson to lean on for support.

“He was just a selfless person,” Mayor Matt Bemrich said.

Fort Dodge Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter echoed that sentiment, saying “He just kept showing up in times of trouble.”

For Fort Dodge Police Chief Roger Porter, Henderson was a calming presence. The first time Porter met Henderson was about 10 years ago when Porter was a patrol supervisor. Henderson rode with Porter in his squad car as he patrolled the streets of Fort Dodge. “He rode with us a lot. He was always there to help out and ride with the officers and get to know them. The first time I met him he got in the squad car with me and we just talked. He wasn’t there to preach, he just wanted to be a listening ear. When I felt I needed to talk to someone I felt I could go to him. He was that person you felt comfortable going to. Sometimes he helped without you even realizing it. He saw the good in everything.”

Assistant Police Chief Cory Husske was able to write how he felt about Henderson. His statement was read by Sheriff’s Deputy Amy Stringer during a vigil for Henderson Thursday night. Husske wrote, “We’ve suffered the devastating loss of someone that was not just our chaplain. Pastor Al Henderson was our friend, confidant, coffee companion, voice of reason, our brother on the blue line, our greatest cheerleader, and sometimes he was simply the ride-along partner you didn’t know you needed until he got in with you.”

He added, “For 10 years Pastor Al selflessly invested the hours that it takes to slowly break down the unique and stubborn walls that we unintentionally build around ourselves as first responders. Over the years, he officiated some of our weddings. He baptized some of our children, and in some cases, he did both. He was there during some of our greatest victories and celebrations. But perhaps more importantly, he was there for us during our times of struggle, defeat and mourning. Many know him as the man who spent a few hours in your squad car so that you could get some things off your chest. For others, he was there when you needed help coping with certain things burdening your mind. But for all of us, he was there to guide and replace whatever we laid on him, with faith, prayers, and comfort in our hearts. And now, as Pastor Al would say, God Bless.”

My buddy, Al, helped first responders experience God’s love which to them was the evidence of God’s love for them. This is what Al left his community.

And you can do it, too.  For, you see, like Al, you have the love of God in you.  You also have people around you who do not. They have not yet experienced God’s love and therefore are left unsure of God’s love.  But you can be the way they experience it and become the evidence for it.  Just show up, get in with them, spend some time, listen, care.

That was Al’s secret.  He kept showing up where love was needed. He kept investing the hours that it takes to slowly break down the unique and stubborn walls that people unintentionally build around themselves.  It’s pretty simple if we simply do it.

Al showed us what can happen when we go to be with a person who needs someone to care.  A first responder.  A next door neighbor.  An at-risk kid.  An elderly person who has been forgotten.  Who has God already placed nearby to you? How can you show up?

You don’t have to sell anything or convince anybody or control the conversation.

The people who need the evidence of God’s love need the people who have God’s love to bring them God’s love.

It’s not how Al left this world but what Al left this world that I hope we remember and emulate.

A Prayer for Joining Jesus Each Morning

There are many prayers to be prayed each morning. But here is a new one I really like. I learned about it from my new friend in central Texas, Ric Landvatter. Ric is slowly dying of cancer but actively living with Jesus. His eye is not only on eternity but on the moments and people before him. This is Ric’s prayer… and now it is mine:

Lord, I don’t know what You want me to do today, but You are with me, so let’s go do it.

Lord, I probably don’t know how to do what You want me to do today, but You are with me, so let’s go do it.

Lord, I probably don’t want to do what You want me to do today, but You are with me, so let’s go do it.

When we finish what You want me to do today, it won’t be because of me but because You were with me.

Let’s go do it. Amen!

"Where is God Moving the Finke’s? The Story"

“I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

Well… God’s been doing it again. He’s been messing with the Finke’s. And Dwelling 1:14. Big time.

Let me tell you the story.

A Little Background

Believe it or not, Dwelling 1:14 has been offering training in mission and discipleship for eight years now.  As a result, a fairly substantial pool of experienced practitioners has developed. Over the last few years, Susan and I have had a vague but persistent idea that “someday” we would enjoy reconnecting with these experienced leaders to help them see their next-steps for multiplying mission and discipleship throughout their congregations and out into the community.  We had noted that even the most effective leaders eventually come to the edge of their vision and experience, and need a little help to see what God is already showing them next.

We also thought that instead of trying to fit such an opportunity into our crazy weekend travel schedule, we could have leaders come to us for a few days during the week.  We would invite them into our home where they could get out of the noise and busyness of their day to day ministry. They could have space to reflect with other leaders, laugh, eat, tell stories, pray, gain important clarity and then leave with a simple plan for taking their next-steps with Jesus.

We thought this would not only be effective but a lot of fun too.

But when would we start this?  In a few years?  After we retired?

And where would we start this?  In Houston?  In a new location?

It was all pretty vague in our minds.  Someday.  Somewhere. If the Lord wills.

The Place is Here and the Time is Now

This past December, we were minding our own business in St. Paul, Minnesota.  

(Yes, I know.  But God didn’t consult us on this matter.)

We were in St. Paul to lead a local congregation through Dwelling 1:14’s Discovery Training Weekend. The congregation graciously put us up in a B&B which straddled the beautiful neighborhoods of Cathedral Hill and Summit Hill.  It is a beautiful setting.  But Dwelling 1:14 is often in beautiful settings as we help congregations around the country.

The difference this time?  God was up to something new.

On the first night we were there, Susan and I decided to take a walk.  It was cold and snowy.  Susan thought it was beautiful. I thought it was… cold and snowy.  We were minding our own business (frankly, I was focused on monitoring my extremities for frost bite), when we began to experience an unusual but distinct sense that God wanted us to come live in this neighborhood. 

What??  St. Paul, Minnesota??  I am a Texan.  I freeze easily.  I visit snow; I don’t live in it.

Nevertheless, Susan and I both got the distinct sense that God was saying something like, “You know that vague dream you have?  The place is here and the time is now.” 

Hmm…

At first, we tried to shake it off, explain it away, reframe it into something else.  After all, we love Houston and we love our neighbors even more.  But God kept pressing His point.  Bible verses, devotions, “coincidences” kept reiterating that God was up to something and that we needed to trust Him as He brought it to pass.  Great. 

Throughout the rest of December and January, we kept expecting the doors to St. Paul to close. Perhaps this was just God’s way of getting our attention and a more logical destination would soon become apparent. However, instead of doors closing, the Lord caused a plan to emerge and even a specific property in that neighborhood to be identified. By early February, our board of directors had joined the adventure and voted unanimously to begin the process of raising investments in order to acquire the identified property.

Amazingly, the funds were raised in just a matter of weeks. (That’s another whole God-story in itself.)  By early March the board felt enough investments had been raised to make an offer on the property. Because the property had been on the market for over 300 days, the board felt a bargain could be had. The offer was made on Monday, March 11.  Then we waited to hear back… but we heard… nothing.  We didn’t hear back from the seller the rest of Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday morning.  No counter-offer, no communication whatsoever. Nothing.  

So, at noon on Wednesday, our realtor left a message for their realtor seeking a response.  Four hours later, their realtor called and simply said, “We got another offer,” and hung up on our realtor!  What?  Our board had prayed for a definitive answer. And this was certainly definitive.  But it was also confusing.  It had seemed so clear that God had led us to this home in this neighborhood in St. Paul.  So, what was He up to?

The board decided to wait and pray through the weekend and see what the Lord might do.  If nothing had happened by Monday, we would meet again via phone and reassess our situation.

 In the meantime, on that Saturday morning, I got a phone call out of the blue.  It was one of our investors.  They just “happened” to live in the same neighborhood as the property we had tried to acquire.  They also just “happened” to already have their home on the market.  The investor said, “Greg, this might sound a little unusual, but we’ve been praying about it and we think God wants us to offer you our house.”

(Did you hear that thump just now?  That was my jaw hitting the floor.)

I stammered.  I stuttered.  I’m quite sure I made no sense as I tried to respond.  I couldn’t believe the timing and the generosity of their offer!  Eventually, though, I managed to thank them and said I needed to talk with the board.   

The board, too, was astounded by all this.  But, wisely, they wanted to take some time to pray, do their board work, and make sure due diligence was taken.  They agreed to meet face-to-face in St. Paul the week after Easter.  They toured the home, met the owners, and then met most of the next day to assess various risks, and, with the Lord’s help, to make a decision. By the end of the meeting, they had identified several risks to keep in mind, but they couldn’t ignore the amazing work God had done to bring us to this point.  They voted.  The decision was unanimous.  It was time for us to step out of the boat and join Jesus on the water.

 Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

So, the decision was made. Dwelling 1:14 would accept the offer and move its H.Q. (as well as the Finke’s residence) to St. Paul. 

In the meantime, Susan and I had to go back home to Houston and prepare to move. That meant two painful things had to happen: 1) we needed to put our home of twelve years up for sale; and 2) we had to break the news of our move to our best friends in Houston… our neighbors.  Susan and I decided to go to each of them and personally share this story.  We are so proud of their spiritual growth over the years!  Each said essentially the same thing: “We are sad to see you go, but we can see God is doing this. You better follow Him.”

Regarding selling our home, time was of the essence for a number of reasons.  But, suffice it to say, we needed to be able to sell our home and take occupancy of the home in St. Paul no later than June 30.  A very tight turn around in the world of real estate.

We prepared our home and put it on the market wondering what would happen. The housing market in Houston had cooled considerably in the first months of this year; because of oil prices, people were unsure of what the local economy would do; and the stock market was wonky.  The bottom-line question: would we be able to sell the home quickly enough to make all the financing questions work?

Evidently God had it all covered.

It took all of 29 hours for us to receive an offer. 29 hours. We close on June 20.  Wow…

A New Season of Adventure and Mission in St. Paul

After our move later this month, Susan and I will continue to travel on the weekends to bring mission and discipleship training to new congregations coast-to-coast. (Hello Knoxville, Seguin and Charlotte! See you soon!)

However, we are also excited for what God will do in and through this new setting. First things first – we look forward to getting to know and starting to love our new neighbors. What are their names? What are their stories? What’s Jesus already up to?  What good has He prepared in advance for us to do?  (We’re attending a wine tasting party at a neighbor’s home the first night we are in St. Paul.)

We still do not understand all the reasons God chose to move us from Texas to St. Paul.  But, at the very least, it is stunningly clear that St. Paul is His choice.  And the home He has provided is truly an amazing place.  A 9500-square-feet urban retreat which will now be dedicated to helping leaders like you see, plan and take your next steps in mission, discipleship and multiplication.  Once we settle in, we will announce selected weekdays starting in 2020 to offer this new arm of ministry to experienced leaders and practitioners like you. 

Collaboration for multiplication!  Here. We. Go!  Woohoo!

(We will have pictures for you in the weeks ahead as we move in and get settled.)

“See Your Next Step, Plan Your Next Step, Take Your Next Step”

Are you ready to finally see Mission-Multiplication happen in your community?”

The Challenge & Opportunity

Leaders in U.S. churches have been dreaming of mission-multiplication movements for decades. We, of course, see such a movement in the book of Acts and we see such movements in other parts of the world even today. However, in the U.S., while we have made various attempts at igniting such a movement (see “mega-church,” “meta-church,” “multi-site,” “new-starts for new-believers”), we have yet to actually see it in our midst.  We read books about it, go to conferences about it and listen to podcasts about it.

But are you ready to actually do something about it? Like, no fooling?

A Simple Calculus

U.S. churches are perfectly calibrated for the results we are currently getting. It’s a simple calculus: our way for our results.  But what if we took all we have learned over the last few decades:

• What worked and what didn’t?

• What did we inadvertently build into our tactics that limited the results?

• What were our blind spots because of inherited paradigms?

What if we took all that and went back to the gospels with clearer vision in order to re-calibrate our ways to Jesus’ way?  The calculus would shift: from “our way for our results” to “Jesus’ way for Jesus’ results.”  

Are you ready for this?

“Next-Step: Collaborate to Multiply”

Imagine small groups of experienced practitioners like you coming together with Greg and Susan Finke in a picturesque, urban-retreat setting to collaborate around identifying Next-Steps for mission, discipleship and multiplication. With a little help from your friends, you would be able to see your next step, plan your next step and take your next step.  By God’s Grace, Dwelling 1:14 is launching a new arm of ministry to accomplish just that beginning in 2020.  While the Finke’s will continue to travel on the weekends to bring mission and discipleship training to new congregations coast-to-coast, they will also use selected weekdays to offer this new arm of ministry to experienced congregations.

Contact Greg Finke at finkeonthemove@gmail.com or 281-844-7644 to learn more.

Next week, we will share the story of where God will have the Finke’s launch this new arm of ministry and the story of how He brought it to pass.

A Pretty Big Announcement from Dwelling 1:14

An Exciting Announcement for All Dwelling 1:14 Practitioners

Are you one of the many congregations who have already been working with Dwelling 1:14? You have seen the transformation in your people. There is a new mission-mindset in play. There are new lifestyle and congregational practices in play.  The culture of the congregation has shifted so that they are not only believing in Jesus and worshiping Jesus but also getting up off their pews and joining Jesus on His mission in their daily lives.

What’s Your Next Step? See it. Plan it. Do it.

Are you about ready for your Next-Step?  After an effective season of mission and discipleship, congregations and leaders often come to the edge of their vision and experience.  Unless they can see what their next step is, they are in danger of plateauing or getting stuck. They want to see mission and discipleship continue to multiply throughout their congregation and out into the community, but aren’t sure how to get there. 

Collaborate to Multiply

Imagine small groups of experienced practitioners like you coming together with Greg and Susan Finke in an urban-retreat setting to collaborate around identifying next-steps for mission, discipleship and multiplication. With a little help from your friends, you will be able to see your next step, plan your next step and take your next step.

By God’s Grace, Dwelling 1:14 is Launching a New Arm of Ministry in 2020 to Accomplish Just That

While the Finke’s will continue to travel on the weekends to bring mission and discipleship training to new congregations coast-to-coast, they will use selected weekdays to offer this new arm of ministry to experienced congregations, as well. In the coming weeks, more information will be announced.  Or better yet, contact Greg Finke directly at finkeonthemove@gmail.com or 281-844-7644 with your questions.

What are We Looking for When We are "Seeking the Kingdom?"

Jesus wants us to see what the Father is showing us.

“Open your eyes and look,” John 4:35.

“Seek and you will find,” Matthew 7:7.

“Seek first His Kingdom,” Matthew 6:33.

Likewise, Jesus warns us against missing what the Father is showing us.

“You will be ever seeing but never perceiving,” Matthew 13:14.

So, when we are looking for what the Father is showing us, what are we looking for?

Last fall, I blogged about this, offering a biblical framework for it (click link to take you to it): https://dwelling114.org/blog/2018/9/30/not-seeing-what-were-looking-at

Today, let’s get a little more specific. Think “indicator lights.” Like you have in your car.

In most cars, the manufacturers have included a variety of indicator lights that pop on in our dashboards when we need to pay attention to something.

An indicator light pops on when we are getting low on gas, or when we need to have a mechanic check the engine, or when a door is accidentally left ajar.

Indicator lights are important because they draw our attention to situations we may overlook otherwise.  We don’t always know what to do when we see an indicator light pop on, but at least we know we better pay attention.

The same is true for “seeking the Kingdom of God.”  In the context of worship, we are used to seeing and responding to God’s indicator lights.  When we see the Word of God being read, when we see a baptism or people approaching the Lord’s Supper, we know God is already up to something.  We are well trained to see and recognize these things as indications of God’s presence and activity.   When we see the fellowship of the saints whether in worship or sipping coffee in the fellowship hall afterwards, we are seeing indications of God’s presence and activity in the fruit of the Spirit being exhibited.

That’s Sunday and that’s easy.  But what about on Monday?  We may not be as experienced at seeking and finding the presence and activity of God in the crazy, work-a-day world of the weekday. However, God also gives us indicator lights we can watch for and even anticipate seeing there.

What are some of those indicator lights?  What are some indications that we should sit up and pay attention because God is showing us something He wants us to notice and respond to? (Ephesians 2:10)

Today let’s focus on three indicator lights:

Interruptions

Jesus is our model for seeing and recognizing interruptions as indicator lights from the Father.  As we read the gospels, the poor guy cannot walk ten steps without someone coming up and interrupting Him. (Among my favorites are Mark 7:21-43 and Mark 10:46-52.) But Jesus knows what He is really looking at (see John 5:17).  For Him interruptions are not simply someone screwing up His schedule.  For Jesus interruptions ARE the schedule.  Jesus recognizes that while interruptions may not have been on His schedule for the day, they were on His Father’s.  And Jesus is good with that.  So, we can be good with that, too.

The next time you are interrupted by someone, ask yourself, “What are You up to here, Father?” Take a breath. Take an extra second to look around, to look at the person, to look beyond your need to get to your next appointment so you can see what this appointment from the Father may be about.  This interruption is not simply an interruption. It is an opportunity. The only question is, how will you respond?

Irritations

This just keeps getting better and better, right?  First interruptions are supposedly indicator lights from Jesus and now irritations??  Yep.  They are opportunities for us to look up and pay attention to what else may be going on right in front of us.

Think of it this way, when you feel irritation flaring up in you, consider it a pop quiz from Jesus.  When you “feel” irritation for a person, you can “see” that it is also an indicator light popping on.  How will I handle this? Like the same old me? Or like the one being slowly trained by Jesus in the ways of Jesus?  Will my irritation trigger me into adding fuel to a growing mess or will I see that my irritation is actually a perfect opportunity to respond like my Rabbi and be a way something good is introduced to a bad situation?

When irritations flare up in you, they are indications that Jesus is giving you a pop quiz… and He has gifted you and enabled you to ace it.  So be ready.  The next pop quiz will probably be any minute now.

Human Pain

If human pain is obvious to us, it is easy to recognize it as an indicator light.  If we see someone in obvious pain, we are more likely to slow down, have compassion and see how we can help.  (Although Luke 10:25-37 reminds us that while it may be easy to recognize, it doesn’t mean we won’t walk around it anyway.)

However, we also know that there is a lot more pain around us than is being revealed.  In our culture, these days, we have all become very skilled at hiding our pain.  So how do we see the indicator lights of human pain in our neighbors and co-workers if they are skillfully hiding it from our view?  There is only one solution.  We have to actually care about our neighbors and co-workers.

Rats.

Truth be told, we are actually okay with not “seeing” their pain.  We would rather not bother with it anyway. But if we want to participate in the Kingdom coming and the will of the Father being done right here on earth as it is in Heaven, all we really have to do is get to know our neighbors, care about them as people and stay in touch with them. When they are in pain, it may not be obvious to the casual observer, but because we know them, care about them and are paying attention to them, we see their pain rippling out around their masks.

If we look, we are more likely to see.  If we care, we are more likely to ask.  And if we are Jesus-followers, we will stop what we are doing because we know we are looking at a big bright indicator light directly from the Father.

 Jesus wants us to see what the Father is showing us.

“Open your eyes and look,” John 4:35.

“Seek and you will find,” Matthew 7:7.

“Seek first His Kingdom,” Matthew 6:33.

So, let’s head into this wild and crazy day with Jesus, anticipating that an indicator light or two will pop on along the way.  Amen?

Do You Know Why Jesus Said, "Love Your Neighbor"?

If you want to make engaging mission much simpler for you (and more fun), try doing something Jesus told you to do:

Love your neighbor.

Do you know why Jesus said to love your neighbor?  Because it works.

There is no more effective way to engage real mission than by being with, eating with, and talking with real people who really need the grace and truth of Jesus. By creating this simple context of friendship, we are in a place where we can offer a little grace, a little good news, a little truth when our neighbor needs a cool cup of Jesus’ water.

We make mission so much harder and more awkward when we neglect the simplest ingredient: getting to know our neighbors.  What’s their name? What’s their story? What’s Jesus already been up to in their life?

If you say you’re “all-in” for joining Jesus on His mission, it starts with actually loving your neighbor which means hanging out with them. If joining Jesus on His mission seems to be stalled for you or taking a really long time to gain traction, the diagnosis is simple: you probably haven’t gotten around to loving your neighbor yet and hanging out with them regularly.

When Jesus says, “Love your neighbor,” He doesn’t want you to just memorize the words, or discuss it’s meaning in church, or recite it in the original Greek. He wants you to go home and do it.

Again, the reason Jesus says to love your neighbor is because it works.  You know why mission isn’t working in many of our communities?  Christians are disobeying Jesus.  We are not getting to know our neighbor, eating with our neighbor, laughing with our neighbor, mourning with our neighbor, talking about meaningful things with our neighbor.  We are not loving our neighbor.

So, let’s cut it out.  Let’s repent, believe the good news and go with Jesus to love our neighbor.

How do we get started?  Follow the K.I.S.S. method:

• Share some food

• Share some laughs

• Share some stories

• Add grace

• Repeat regularly

And the Kingdom comes and the will of the Father is done.

Now go have some fun! (Your neighbor needs it.)

"Making Jesus Real" | An Advent Tale

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ.”

It’s a very Advent-y thought: God becoming flesh. But more than being an Advent thought, God intends it to be an ongoing reality for His material creation.

How? Through His people.

Here’s what I mean: God became flesh in Jesus. Jesus died and rose to take away our sins. His Spirit is breathed back into us through Baptism. We now literally have Jesus inside of us. We now are the material body of Christ in the material world of creation.

And what do we now do?  Sit on the bench and run out the clock until we die and go to Heaven?  Or is there something more in the meantime?

This past fall, I met Melanie and her husband, Don.  They live in the northeast where I was leading a mission training at their church. Melanie shared with me how she had become a Christian as an adult. She said that as she looks back on her years growing up, she now sees that Jesus was already introducing Himself to her by the way people interacted with her.

I pointed out that her story is a revealing example of what the Bible means when it calls Christians “the body of Christ.”  In other words, being the body of Christ is not a theological thought but a material reality for the people around us.  Jesus is always present. But His presence, love and activity become real… become experiential… become tangible through His people.

When we, as the body of Jesus, live out the love of Jesus, we make the person of Jesus real to the people around us who need Him so badly. That is, indeed, very Advent-y.

I asked Melanie to tell us her story.  And she graciously complied below.  Enjoy!  And Merry Advent!

Melanie’s Story

Years ago, I stopped in at a church to make an emergency phone call, on my way home from work. The pastor spent some time talking with me, gave me a Bible (my first one) and invited me to a service. Not long after that, Pastor Bill baptized me into the Christian faith.

I’m so thankful that he took the time to care.

As I read God’s Word and listened to Pastor Bill’s sermons, I remembered people who had been a part of my life earlier on and, with amazement, recognized the love of Jesus in them.

…Cynthia!

She was a senior and I was a freshman in high school, when I joined the silks squad. I remember being so excited and eager to learn how to twirl my flag while marching with the school band. To join meant to practice twirling in sync with the other squad members, of course, and this was hard for me because I was shy and I felt intimidated by the older girls.

Cynthia picked up on my discomfort and came to my rescue. She was warm and friendly, and she went out of her way to talk with me and to help me feel welcome. She even gave me rides home from practice, a real honor being that I was a lowly freshman.

There was something noticeably different about Cynthia. For one thing, she listened to Amy Grant on her car radio. I’d never heard of her before, so Cynthia explained that she sang Christian music. Cynthia went to church, and I’d never heard any other teenagers talk about that before either. However, she didn’t talk too much about it. She seemed more interested in hearing what I had to say.

Cynthia was different in a lot of ways, but most importantly she treated me in a way that I knew I didn’t deserve to be treated. That was the key. That was the real Jesus connection for me. Family loves you because you are family, but this girl - why did she genuinely care for me?

When the squad came together for a weekend in the Poconos, Cynthia’s support enabled me to overcome my shyness and join in the fun. I didn’t even mind too much when the girls toothpasted and feathered me, my ‘initiation’ into the group, because I knew that Cynthia and I would laugh about it after. It meant so, so much to know that this trusted friend was right there with me.

Remembering Cynthia’s care made everything I was reading in my Bible and hearing in church services wonderfully real for me. She had made the love of Jesus real for me. I can’t remember the names of the other girls in my silks squad, but I will never forget Cynthia.

After a few years I moved on to a new job and a new church, and I lost touch with Pastor Bill. I hadn’t kept up with Cynthia either. I wonder if they have any idea what an impact their little acts of kindness have had in my life?

They were just living out their faith in Jesus each day, actively and intentionally loving the people that our Lord brought into their lives, according to His Master Plan. They couldn’t see that plan, and they didn’t need to. Their trust in it, and in Him, made it real for them.

And, some years later, for me.

"Grandparenting in the Neighborhood This Fall"

I was talking with a retired couple from Denver.  They have lived in the same home in the same neighborhood for thirty years.  Back in the day, several families moved in around the same time and raised their kids together.  They said “neighboring” was easy then.

Now?

Those neighbors have all moved on.  The kids grew up and started lives of their own.  Now, the parents have moved on, as well.  Some retired.  Some downsized.  Some moved to be closer to their kids who are having kids.  No mater the cause, the result is the same.  My friends find themselves on the same block but nothing is the same at all.  They are the only ones left.  The neighborhood has completely turned over.  New young families move in almost monthly.  They know almost no one.

Their question: what should we do?

Sound familiar?  Many people in the congregations we work with have similar stories.  “Back in the day, neighboring was easy.”  Kids played.  Parents talked.  “We really lived the way you are describing. We really loved each other.”  Life and love and laughter and conversation flowed.  It seemed so natural. 

It can be again.

Many mourn the loss of community in their neighborhoods.  “It didn’t used to be this way.”  But, frankly, it didn’t used to be this way because we used to do things differently.  We didn’t think about it then, we didn’t plan it out, but it was happening: we were with our neighbors so we got to know our neighbors.  And, over time, as we got to know our neighbors, we started to love our neighbors.

The good news?  What used to happen naturally can happen again intentionally.

Think about it.  Your neighborhood still has several common denominators that are in play from “back in the day.” 1) new young families are moving in and living near each other (you may not be new to the neighborhood, but you are new to your new neighbors); 2) everyone has a need for community (they may not expect to fill that need with neighbors, but everyone still has that need); 3) the children in the neighborhood (you are not the parents, but you can thoroughly empathize with parents who are parenting); 4) Jesus is on the loose in your neighborhood (and He still wants families to have the peace and joy of living in His grace and truth).

The only thing missing?  Someone being intentional about neighboring… like you.

Back in the day, it used to happen naturally.  But Susan and I have found over and over again, from coast to coast, from urban settings to rural, that if someone becomes intentional about neighboring, neighborhoods come alive and neighbors start to love each other again. And the “Neighborhood Grandparents” can lead the way.

Are you the only “old” people left in the neighborhood?  Perfect!  You can become every family’s surrogate grandpa or grandma!

And that brings us back to my friends’ question, “What should we do.”

Be intentional about “neighboring.”

• Bake some cookies and head out to start welcoming new families to the neighborhood. (Everyone loves fresh baked goodies. Even if families can’t accept them for dietary reasons, they will love that you offered.)

• Start a closed Facebook page for the neighborhood and invite new neighbors to join it. This helps everyone stay in touch and can increase safety in the neighborhood.

• Halloween is a great time to start connecting with neighbors.  Instead of hiding behind closed doors with the lights off, be out on the front lawn with the best candy on the block.  (Don’t go cheap! Now is not the time to be stingy.)  Some have asked about putting “Jesus-stickers” on bags or handing out pamphlets.  I would advise against this.  The information you want to share is awesome, but the context for the sharing is not.  Work on building friendship over time so you eventually have a natural context for sharing values and beliefs back and forth.  If you really believe now is the time for Jesus-stickers, etc., then be sure to give the absolute BEST candy.

• The Thanksgiving season offers a unique opportunity to interact with new neighbors and their kids.  Right after Halloween, go door to door, re-introduce yourself and say something like, “Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to show our thanks and share with others.  Wouldn’t it be cool to find someone in our own neighborhood who could use a little help or a little hope?  Do you know of anyone we can love-on and bless over the upcoming holiday season?”  Maybe it’s a single parent, or a widow(er), or someone who is battling an illness… you get the idea.  Invite neighbors to help figure it out.  Then work together to organize how everyone can be a part of whatever is decided.

• Advent, believe it or not, is a prime time for getting to know young families better.  Invite families over to make Advent Wreaths together.  (We have found this to be very popular with young families longing to find more substance for their Christmas celebrations.)  Invite families into your home for this.  Ask parents ahead of time if there are any dietary restrictions.  (Hot chocolate and cookies are favorites if they are permissible.)  Provide foam rings from the craft store, four thinner candles, one thicker candle that can stand on its own, and some artificial greenery.  Let them decorate their own wreath.  You can share with them where Christmas came from, “Christians believe that God loves each of us so much that He sent His Son Jesus into our world to save us from our sin. They believe Jesus was born on Christmas. That’s why we have all the Christmas fun!  To celebrate His birth!  The Advent Wreath helps people remember this and count down the days to Jesus’ birthday!”

• In connection with the Advent Wreath, or as a Christmas gift later, you can give each family the gift of a children’s Christmas book.  We have found Arch Books from Concordia Publishing House to be really, really good for this.  Right now Arch Books are on sale for only $1.99 each.  Here’s a link https://www.cph.org/c-246-arch-books.aspx?REName=Books%20%26%20Bibles&plk=240.

 What not to do:

• Don’t be weird and clingy.  Don’t be presumptuous and don’t make this about you.  Instead, be friendly.  Be yourself.  Be helpful.  Be welcoming.  Read the signals they are sending you.

• Don’t have an agenda.  And don’t make this simply about “getting them to church.”  If you are offering friendship as bait for church membership, they will see right through your deception.  And be disappointed.  What they need, especially in the beginning, is not your congregation but you.  In other words, before you invite them to church, BE the church.  Be the person they are glad to see.  Be the person with a smile and a word of encouragement.  Be the person who always seems to have a little love, joy and peace to spare.  Be the person they want to invite to their kid’s birthday party.  Simply love them and see what Jesus does from there.

Happy Grandparenting!

"Not Seeing What We're Looking At"

“You will be ever seeing, but not perceiving…” Matthew 13:14

 A few months ago, it was time to replace our car. We live in League City, Texas (outside Houston).  So I was thinking pickup truck or big SUV. You know, something “Texan.”

Susan was thinking of something a little different. She was thinking “Subaru.”

Subaru?!

I tried to set her straight. I told her, “Texans don’t drive Subarus. Texans drive F-150s and Tahoes and vehicles like that. People in Vermont drive Subarus. People in Seattle drive Subarus. But not Texans!” (O.K., maybe some people in Austin drive Subarus. But they moved here from California.) I concluded my argument with, “I NEVER see people driving Subarus around here.”

Well, we talked it over. But you already know how this decision-making process ended up.

We got the Subaru. A Forester.

And then the strangest thing happened. Evidently on the very same day we picked up our Subaru, thousands of other Houstonians did the same. I mean, one day NO ONE is driving Subarus around and the next day there are THOUSANDS driving around! Subarus suddenly seemed to be everywhere!

What could account for this sudden influx of so many Subarus??

The answer, of course, is that the Subarus had always been there. I had looked straight at them every day driving up and down our roads. I just hadn’t SEEN them. I saw pickup trucks and SUVs and Camaros (nope, I didn’t get to have one of those either). But once I bought a Subaru myself, all of a sudden my eyes were finally seeing what they had been looking at all along. Turns out a lot of Houstonians drive Subarus. And now that I was looking for them, I was seeing them, too.

Not seeing what we are looking at. It’s really pretty common for us humans. Something is visible. It’s there. But we don’t “see” it.

…maybe it’s because we don’t have a framework for understanding what we are looking at… or we undervalue what we are looking at and, so, look right through it… or we are misinformed or misled about what we are looking at… or we weren’t expecting to see what we are looking at in the first place and so we do not see it now.

Whatever the cause, the outcome is the same: we don’t see what we’re looking at.

And for those of us who are aspiring to “seek the Kingdom of God” every day so we can join Jesus on His mission, that can be a problem. We end up being like the guy Jesus warns about in Matthew 13 who is ever seeing the Kingdom but not recognizing what he is looking at.

…maybe it’s because the guy doesn’t have a framework for understanding what he’s looking at… or he undervalues what he’s looking at and, so, looks right through it… or he’s misinformed or misled about what he’s looking at… or he wasn’t expecting to see what he is looking at in the first place and so he doesn’t see it now.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It doesn’t mean it isn’t visible. And it doesn’t mean Jesus intends for him to overlook it.

I don’t want to be that guy. Do you?

So, how do we start to see what we are looking at? It starts with knowing what we are looking FOR. In the story earlier, when I knew what I was looking FOR – a Subaru – I started to see what I had already been looking AT. Turns out, Subarus were already all around me. Likewise, what Jesus tells us to look FOR in the gospels will help us to recognize what we have been looking AT all along… the Kingdom of God breaking in.

Want to see the Kingdom of God all around you? Jesus says to look for the little people – the least of these, the overlooked, the undervalued, the judged, the rejected, the young, the old, the neighbor, the coworker, the friend, the family member – and look for the little opportunities to love them, bless them, and treat them better than they deserve. This is the “good” the Father is preparing in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). This is the Kingdom breaking into the realm of the visible.

Do you see it now?

Jesus says if you look for the Kingdom you will see it. Because it is all around you. It is already prepared. It is already in motion. It is already visible. It is already seeking to get your attention.

Perceiving the Kingdom happens when you see the people nearby who need someone like you to notice.

Turns out, there’s a lot to see. And the more you look, the more you’ll see. And the more you see, the more He will be able to show you.

Today could be a very exciting day for you… and the people around you… because the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Then Jesus said, “Open your eyes and look. Seek and you will find. Do you see anything now?” (John 4:35, Matthew 7:7, Mark 8:23)

"The Source of Your True Value"

There are two kinds of love in the world:

1) The kind of love that seeks value in its object; and,

2) The kind of love that creates value in its object.

The first kind of love is the most familiar to us. It drives our everyday preferences. For instance, when I say that I love a good book or a good movie or good TexMex, that is the first kind of love in play. When I want the best employee for the hire I need to make, when I am not satisfied until the room is picked up, when I keep skipping songs on my play list until I find just the right one, that is the first kind of love in play.

There’s nothing wrong with such a love. It is what it is. It’s part of everyday life. It’s focused on what I want, what I prefer, what I need. It is a love that is felt when the object of the love is valuable enough, lovely enough or useful enough. The primary question is this: has this thing or person earned my love?

But there is another kind of love in the world. It is more rare.

It does not seek value and take it. It creates value and gives it. Perhaps I can best illustrate this kind of love with a story.

In 1987, my wife was already carrying our first child when we were sent to Missoula, Montana for a year of pastoral internship (our denomination calls it “vicarage”).  When Amanda was born later that year, the congregation was thrilled to have a newborn in their midst. She received gifts from many people, and among them was a small gift from a beautiful, elderly woman named Wilma.  Wilma was widowed and on a very limited fixed-income. She didn’t have much to spend on the Vicar’s newborn baby girl. But she wanted to give something.

So, Wilma bought Amanda a little plastic baby doll. The baby doll was cheap and only about 8 inches long but it quickly became known as the Wilma Doll. Now, the thing you need to understand about the Wilma Doll right off the bat is that… well… there is no delicate way to put it… it was ugly.  And the longer Amanda loved on her Wilma Doll, the uglier it got. Wilma’s facial features began to fade. In time, some mysterious spots formed on it. (My wife boiled Wilma a variety of times trying to get the spots off.) The cheap little dress it came with eventually fell apart and fell away.

You might wonder, why not just get rid of such a doll?  It was cheap, plastic, ugly and naked.

Well, here’s the thing. It may have been a cheap, plastic, ugly baby doll. But it just happened to be Amanda’s FAVORITE baby doll. And that made all the difference.

You see, there are two kinds of love in the world. One seeks value. The other creates value. And that’s what Amanda’s love did for the Wilma Doll. The Wilma Doll was not valuable or lovely on its own. But it became so because Amanda loved it so. Here’s the bottom line: the Wilma Doll was of great value in our home because it was AMANDA’S beloved Wilma Doll.

What does this have to do with you?

Everything.

No doubt, you are like many who doubt you have true value or worth on your own. You think of yourself as nothing but an ugly Wilma Doll.  And you may even be right.

But here’s the thing… even if you are nothing more than a Wilma Doll, you just happen to be GOD’S beloved Wilma Doll.

Your deep value does not come from being lovey. Your deep value comes from being loved.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God… and that is what we are.” 1 John 3:1

"Before You Craft a Plan of Reform"

Your congregation is perfectly calibrated for the results you are currently getting in mission and discipleship. You agree that a plan of reform is needed. However, before you attempt to craft such a plan, experience shows it is wise to answer the following questions:

1. What is the mission of God, according to God?
2. How does God intend for us to participate in His mission?
3. In the gospels, what is Jesus’ goal for those He is discipling?
4. According to Jesus, what is a disciple and what does a disciple do?
5. In the gospels, what process does Jesus use to train His disciples?
6. How can we optimize our congregational groups and gatherings to accomplish Jesus’ discipling goals?

With those questions answered, we can then see two things more clearly: (1) how to join Jesus on His mission as part of our everyday lives and (2) how to disciple our family, friends and congregation to do the same.

Dwelling 1:14 helps congregations clearly answer the above questions. Once that is accomplished, crafting a mission and discipleship plan is fairly simple. After all, why make up a new plan when we can follow Jesus’ plan?

Our congregation can then be well on its way to becoming a mission outpost and discipleship training center. We will see thousands of people redeemed and restored with the grace and truth of Jesus and then trained to reach thousands more. Sound crazy? Nope. This is called normal when we follow Jesus’ plan. 12 become dozens, dozens become hundreds, and hundreds become thousands. It happened in the gospels and continued in the book of Acts; and it is still happening today in places like Africa and China.

And it can happen here in Iowa, too. Or California. Or Oregon. Or Illinois. Or Texas. Or New York. Or Virginia. (You get the idea.)

But not if we keep trying to do it our way. Our way gets our results. Remember, we are perfectly calibrated for the results we are already getting. If we want Jesus’ results, we will need to reform our way to His way. Jesus’ way for Jesus’ results.

Can you guess what won’t work? “Let’s reform Jesus’ way to our way.” Or, “Let’s tweak Jesus’ way to better fit what we’re already doing.” Or, “Let’s introduce new language and logos but follow our same old strategy and call it good.”

Nope. If you want to see your results continue, continue to follow your way. But if you want to see Jesus’ results, reform your way to His way.

It’s a simple strategy. But because of our ingrained habits, congregational preferences and misplaced priorities, we make it hard. So let us help.

Helping congregations discover Jesus’ way and then stay on course is what Dwelling 1:14 does.

Give us a call at 281-844-7644 or drop us an email at finkeonthemove@aol.com. Let's have a conversation about what that can look like for you.

"99 Isn't Enough" (A Reminder for Holy Week)

As we journey through these holy days between Palm Sunday and Easter, it is smart to remember exactly why God ordained these events to happen. Why was Jesus given over to this suffering and death? Why was this the Father’s will? What’s the point to the empty tomb?

These events – the suffering and dying and rising of Jesus – are means to God’s greater end. You see, God has a mission and the death and resurrection of His Son for the forgiveness of your sins are key means to His end. So, what’s the point of the cross? What’s the point of the empty tomb? What’s the point of your being forgiven and freed from sin?

The point is the mission of God.

You see, simply put, God wants His world back.  All of it.

Not some of it. Not most of it. The WHOLE thing. That’s the mission, that’s the goal, that’s the point.

Jesus leaves no ambiguity when He says in John 3:16 that God so loved the WORLD that He gave His one and only Son. Paul leaves no ambiguity when he says in Colossians 1:20 that through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, the Father was reconciling ALL THINGS to Himself. There is no ambiguity in the words spoken by the One seated on the throne in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I am making EVERYTHING new!”

No fooling. That’s the point! And you get to help.

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus says to you.  “Join Me on My Father’s mission to get His WHOLE world back.  Not just you, not just your church, the WHOLE THING! For God so loved the WORLD. I got you back. I got your church back. But I want all your neighbors, too. I want everyone you work with, too. I want everyone in your classroom, too.”

So, now you know what you get to do this week.  Walk with Jesus through Holy Week, yes.  Worship Jesus for who He is and what He has done for you, yes.  But don’t forget why He did these things. It is so that you could be freed from your sin and join Him on His Father’s redemptive mission as part of everyday life.

Remember the story Jesus told about a shepherd with 100 sheep? It seems that one of the 100 wandered off and got lost (see Luke 15). What’s the big deal, right?  The shepherd still had 99 left.  Isn’t 99 out of 100 enough?

Nope.

Not for this Shepherd. Not for Jesus.  He essentially says, “I started with 100 and I want all 100 back. Every one of them. Every. One. Of. Them. So, who will join Me as I head back out to seek and save what is lost?” (See Luke 19:10).

Will you head out with Jesus this week? There’s a lost sheep in your neighborhood, at your workplace or in your school. Jesus already got you back.  Now He wants them back, too.  All of them. 99 isn't enough.

Your sins are forgiven, the tomb is empty, and His invitation stands. “Come, follow Me.”

Where should we look first?

"Easter in the Neighborhood: Here's How"

Each year, the Finke family teams with our neighbors to host an Easter Sunrise Gathering in our neighborhood. It is a simple undertaking that has had powerful long-term results. For instance:

• Neighbors who are not yet ready for church, willingly hear the good news of Jesus.
• Neighbors have a common spiritual experience that changes the status quo of relationships in the neighborhood. (Grace does that.)
• We have seen de-churched neighbors re-engage local churches.
• We have seen neighbors baptized in Jesus’ name.

None of this is even remotely surprising since Jesus is already on the loose in our neighborhood. And here’s the thing: He’s already on the loose in your neighborhood, too.

If you are ready to see what Jesus can do with an Easter gathering in your neighborhood, here is a simple plan for getting started. Easter is April 1 this year, so it’s not too late to plan yours. (No fooling!)

As You Begin...

1. Keep it simple. Don’t approach this as you would a big church event with lots of moving parts. Instead, approach it as a low-key neighborhood gathering. The focus is fostering relationships… with Jesus and each other.
2. Start small. Don’t shoot for LOTS of people coming from all over. Start with your immediate block. Give yourself the grace to start small and learn as you go.
3. Check your motive. Is your real motive to get neighbors to eventually come to your church? (Been there done that.) Or is it for them to meet Jesus in the neighborhood? Remember, neighbors can smell your bait-and-switch tactics from a mile away, no matter how good your intentions may be. Instead, focus on simply introducing neighbors to what Jesus has done for them. Let Jesus be in charge of where they go from there.  We will get much further if our neighbors know us as joyful Jesus-followers rather than church-sales representatives.
4. Pray. Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to prepare the way in the lives of your neighbors.  In fact, take a moment to start now… Invite many others to pray the same intercession. “Come, Holy Spirit, come.”

Some decisions that need to be made soon: (Note: Before you make final decisions, ask your immediate neighbors for their input. If you don’t yet know your immediate neighbors, honestly, it is probably best to postpone an Easter observation and instead plan a gathering where neighbors can get to know each other first.)

1. Where will it be?  Will you have the gathering outside or inside? In a home or in a public venue? In many parts of the U.S., being outside is a great option and capacity isn’t an issue. However, if you are where Easter weather is not so pleasant, gathering in a home or neighborhood club house makes sense. Plan to invite just enough people to fill the space, whether that be a small group or larger. If hosting is not your gift, ask someone who enjoys hosting to open up their home.
2. What time will it be?  The Finke’s stick with sunrise, which is usually around 7:00 a.m. in our area. (This year sunrise is 7:10 a.m.) Why have the gathering so early? Because the excitement of the original Easter kicked off at sunrise! But sunrise also works well because the gathering happens well before people have other activities. You might think early is not the best choice. But it works!  We have gone from a few dozen people gathering the first year to well over 100 today. And most of the participants are not church-goers.
3. What’s the win? In other words, what will success look like for you?  Again, this is “motive-checking time.” Decide now that the win isn’t wrapped up in the quantity of people who come but in the quality of the time you have together.

Here’s how we do our Easter Gathering:

1. Invite immediate neighbors to help. Something good happens when neighbors are invited to give of themselves for the good of others.  You might think it is easier to do everything yourself. Don’t do it. When the gathering is something “we” (the neighbors) do together, the impact is deeper. Invite neighbors to help with things like the following:

• Bring chairs and tables
• Provide coffee, juice, donuts, paper products (etc.)
• Come a little early so they can welcome other neighbors as they arrive.
• Help with the devotional part of the gathering (see below).

2. Get information about Easter out to the neighborhood approximately 10 days early. The Finke’s use social media, printed fliers, word of mouth among neighbors and a yard sign to invite people to participate. We work hard not to use churchy words. Remember, this is a neighborhood gathering not a Festival Worship Service.

Here is a sample of what we include:

• “Join Your Neighbors on Easter Morning!”
• When: Sunrise, April 1, 7:10 a.m.
• How Long: 30 minutes-ish (plus coffee and conversation time)
• Where: In the green space at the end of Wickford Court
• What to Expect: a reminder of what Easter is about, a message for the kids, some simple music and a great time with neighbors.
• Bring a lawn chair if you can
• Don’t know much about Easter? This is a good time and a safe place to find out more.
• Hosted by your neighbors on Wickford Court

3. Keep the devotional portion short.  25-30 minutes tops. For your neighbors “less is probably more.” So here is a sample of how we lay out the devotional part of the gathering:

• To start: we start with some simple guitar music to help alert people that we are gathering together (we have a simple altar area set up with a cross to help provide a focus for the space).
• Greeting: welcome them as neighbors. Remind them why we are gathered. Explain why sunrise.
• Song: with the music, be realistic.  We may love big music on Easter - bands, orchestras, organs, bells, lots of hymns, etc. However, we are talking about a neighborhood gathering here not Festival Worship at church. Regarding group singing: less is also more. Our experience is that people are generally not comfortable with singing along. So, invite them to sing, but be ready for them to choose simply to listen. Keep the length of songs brief.
• Prayer: give thanks to God for the death and resurrection of Jesus to take away our sins (see sample below)
• Scripture Reading: read one of the Easter Gospels
• Kids' Moment: use Google to find one you like
• Devotion: Keep it brief and simple. 10 minutes or less. Invite everyone to receive Jesus’ love and forgiveness – after all it’s why He did all the work of suffering, dying and rising again. And then invite them to freely offer that love and forgiveness to their family, neighbors, coworkers and classmates every day. It’s what everyone needs.
• Prayer: pray for neighbors and the neighborhood (see sample below)
• A blessing: choose a blessing from Scripture to speak over everyone (see sample below)
• A final song verse

We have found great value in asking neighbors to help with the devotion:

• Someone can read the Easter Gospel
• Help with a kid’s moment
• Help with music
• Lead a prayer. Here’s a couple samples:

*Dear Jesus, thank you for dying and rising in order to take away our sins and make us right with the Father. Help us to believe that you love us that much. Help us to receive the love and forgiveness you freely offer each of us. And then help us to share that love with our neighbors who need it so badly. In your name we pray.

*Dear Father, we know you so loved this world and this neighborhood that you sent your only Son to die on the cross and rise again so that we would not perish but have abundant and eternal life. As we head back to our homes and into this new week, help us to freely receive your love and life and to freely give it away to others. In Jesus’ name we pray.

• Announce a closing blessing on the neighbors and neighborhood. Here’s a sample:

*The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us. The Lord look upon us and this neighborhood with his favor. And give us his peace. Amen.

*From Luke 24, Why do you look for the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” Remember his words. Believe his words. And now let’s go with him back into our neighborhood, our workplaces and schools so that we can be a blessing to the people there. Amen.

While we as Christians will place the highest importance on the devotional time of the gathering, the things that happen before and after the devotional time may be just as important for the non-Christian this Easter! Especially when you consider the long term. Remember, the friendly conversations and connections that happen before and after the devotional time set up ongoing conversations and connections over time. The good news of Jesus is the seed and the friendly conversation and connections are like the cultivation of soil so the seed has a better place to land.

Enjoy your Easter adventure with Jesus!

A final note for nervous congregational leaders:

In my 25+ years of pastoring, I have rarely seen 100 Lutherans gather for an Easter Sunrise Service in my congregations. And yet more than 100 people gather every Easter sunrise in my neighborhood. So here’s an idea: what if we stopped emphasizing coming to an Easter Sunrise Service at the church building and started preparing members to have Easter Sunrise Gatherings in their neighborhoods instead? Members can still come together for congregational worship later in the morning.  Could this be a win-win, both-and opportunity?

Think of it this way: we can struggle to get a few dozen of our members to our congregational sunrise services, or we can send out a few dozen of our congregational members into their neighborhoods to do Easter Sunrise Gatherings.  A few dozen becomes hundreds hearing the good news of Easter.  If three dozen members have just 10 people each at a neighborhood gathering, that adds up to 360! Something to think and pray about…

Fun Stats and Fast Stories from 2017

Some Fast Stories

In 2017, I heard so many stories about lives impacted and changed because people were trained to join Jesus on His mission as an everyday lifestyle. Here is just a sampling:

1. A pastor in northern Illinois: “My people are reporting having conversations with friends and neighbors they would have never had just a few months ago.”
2. A thirtysomething man in New Jersey: “I have been looking for something like this [the mindset and practices of D114] all my Christian life. This makes so much sense!”
3. An outreach leader in the San Francisco Bay Area: “Our elder chair and his wife wholeheartedly embrace joining Jesus on His mission. The latest was [the wife] telling me of her conversation with a couple she met in a local Starbucks. It ended with them praying together. She said to me, ‘This is so easy – even for an introvert like I am!’”
4. A pastor in north-central Texas: “I have a dear friend serving in Africa as a medical missionary. When he was here for a few months last spring, he went through your book with us in a small group. He has incorporated much of it in Uganda [where he is now serving] with his patients and medical colleagues.”
5. A fortysomething businessman in Iowa: “I am a follower of Jesus now because [my friend] joined Jesus and was willing to walk with me even though at first my heart was hard and uninterested.” (Go, Jesus!)
6. A man in his 80's in Washington state shared with his neighbor that he was unbaptized and not sure what to do. The neighbor did! The man was recently baptized into the grace and peace of Jesus! (Go, Jesus, again!)
7. A seventysomething woman in Arkansas: “I am so excited! Each day is now a wonderful adventure with Jesus. This has changed my life!” 
8. A man on the move from Colorado to Washington state: “A friend in Grand Junction, CO loaned me a copy of ‘Joining Jesus’ last summer. It changed my life in many ways - my view of current events and my attitude toward pretty much everything. I have recently moved to Washington state and am interested in introducing Dwelling 1:14 to my new church.”

Some Fun Stats

Total number of “Joining Jesus” books and video curricula distributed since their release:

• 42,191
• The seating capacity of Minute Maid Park - where the Houston Astros play baseball - is 41,676.
• Minute Maid Park could be filled to capacity with everyday missionaries!

Dwelling 1:14 celebrated its 6th birthday in 2017! If we added up all the people over the years stirred to join Jesus through D114’s books, trainings and presentations, how many would there be?

• It is estimated that the people could more than fill the 107,601 seats of the Big House at the University of Michigan, the nation’s largest football stadium.

Number of People Trained in Dwelling 1:14’s Missional Lifestyle Training Process in 2017:

• 37 congregations
• with combined average worship attendance of 9652 people
• from California to New York, from Texas to Wisconsin

Other Opportunities in 2017:

• Greg presented at 11 conferences nation wide
• 352 congregations were present
• from the Pacific Northwest to Florida, from Arizona to New York state and in places like Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois and Michigan in between

Greg was also invited to present to

• Concordia Seminary students in St. Louis
• Concordia University students in Austin
• Native Americans at the annual LIM retreat

It is awesome to be invited to influence the future leaders of our congregations and mission efforts!

And 2018 is Starting FAST!

2018 is already off to a fast start! In January alone, we will have been in New Jersey, Iowa, California and Florida. (Training weekends are filled through early May. Fall dates are now available.)

Two BIG Initiatives for 2018

1. Two new couples to help as Trainers: For the sake of increasing the reach of D114 beyond what Susan and I can accomplish, we have recruited two new pastoral couples to the D114 team.  Both will be “keeping their day jobs” with their current churches and will not be employees of D114 per se. Rather, they will be mentored by us in how to lead congregations through the Missional Lifestyle Training Process so they can then go out and connect with congregations in their respective regions. Think of them as independent contractors who are under our supervision. Please keep the Borgs and Schauers in your prayers as they begin their training processes with us.
2. A new video curriculum supporting the new discipling book: As soon as the second book was published – “Joining Jesus: Show Me How” – leaders started asking if a new video curriculum would be created to support it. The answer is now, “Yes!”  We still need to raise a portion of the $25,000 to $35,000 the project will cost, but we have started laying out the script and design and hope to begin filming in late spring. Can you help us? Make a donation via our D114 Donation Page. Thank you!

To our small army of prayer warriors and financial supporters, thank you for all you have done in 2017! As I hope you can see, the Lord has greatly blessed your investment - so many real people really joining Jesus on His mission! We invite you to join us on the adventure of 2018, as well!   – Greg and Susan

What's Jesus Up To? Merry Neighboring!

The upcoming holiday season will provide many opportunities for us to join Jesus on His mission via Christmas parties, neighborhood open houses, cookie exchanges, New Year’s Eve celebrations, invitations to watch football games, and more. 'Tis the season!

Through events like these we have the opportunity to get to know the people God has placed in our lives. What’s their name? What’s their story? What’s Jesus already up to in their life?

The tool below will help you take your first-step or next-step on your mission adventure:

Step 1: Getting Started

“I don’t really know my neighbors yet.”

• Many of us have successfully ignored our neighbors. So, how can we get started?

Goal: Meet your neighbors, learn their names, and get acquainted. (Share some time, share some laughs, share some stories and see what Jesus does.)

What’s your next step?

• You can accept invitations you would have previously declined
• Take holiday treats around to neighbors
• Invite neighbors to an open house
• Invite co-workers to watch a game
• What’s your idea?

Step 2: Becoming Friends

“I am friendly with my neighbors, but I don’t feel like I have had many important conversations yet.”

• Some of us have already started neighboring. We have had a neighborhood gathering or two. We are acquainted with several neighbors and are on friendly terms with them. We have shared some stories about who we are. But the conversations remain generally at a small-talk level.

Goal: Spend unhurried time with a few specific neighbors, usually around a meal. (By creating this kind of opportunity, you provide the space and time for more stories to be shared and for conversations to drift deeper. You will see the relationship move from “friendly” to “friendship.”)

What’s your next step?

• Now that you have met your neighbors, it is time to focus on the ones who seem open to becoming better friends.
• Invite a few households to a small holiday gathering: a white elephant gift exchange, a meal, dessert and coffee or a New Year’s Eve game night.
• What’s your idea?

Step 3: Investing in Friendship

“I am becoming friends with people who are living without the grace and truth of Jesus.”

• In the process of sharing stories and conversations with some of your neighbors, you have found that one (or a few) of them is living without the grace and truth of Jesus. While loving each neighbor is important, investing in friendships with the neighbors who are living without the grace and truth of Jesus becomes the priority. Why? It is Jesus’ priority. See Luke 19:10, Luke 15:1-32, 1 Timothy 1:15.

Goal: Become consistent at investing in your friendship with the one who is living without the grace and truth of Jesus.

What’s your next step?

• Pray for your friend daily.
• Go out of your way to check in with your friend weekly. “How’s your week going?”
• Once a month, invite your friend to a meal. Even if you fall short of this goal, you will be together more often.
• Invite them to join you in making a difference for other neighbors or people in the community. Working together for the good of others will open your conversations to the things of the Kingdom.
• What’s your idea?

(For more information about “neighboring” see Greg Finke’s book, “Joining Jesus on His Mission” chapters 17-18.)

Merry Neighboring!

Let's Give Thanks for One More Thing

In less than 10 days we will celebrate Thanksgiving.

We are, of course, thankful for things like our faith, family, health and country. But I would like to suggest that we give thanks for one more thing: a simple but important opportunity which is within our reach every day.

The opportunity I am suggesting - if each Christian would engage it - would literally transform each of our communities. What is it?

Our country is going mad. Mass shootings are commonplace. Racial tensions are boiling over. Young men and women are being radicalized by ISIS. Domestic violence, opioid abuse, sex trafficking, bullying, loneliness, isolation, and depression are all dramatically on the rise.

Governments and national organizations are trying to figure out policies and programs that will solve these problems for us. But there is a radical idea already out there that just might prevent future terror attacks, and reverse the other trends almost completely.

What is it?

“Love your neighbor,” (Jesus in Matthew 22:39).

More from Jesus, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” “Freely you have received, freely give.” “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (John 13:34, Matthew 10:8, Matthew 25:40, Luke 6:46)

Any questions?

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. And what the world needs now is for Christians who have received abundant love from the Father to then love our neighbors who need it so badly.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). And now, having received that abundant love, we can go love the people the Father has placed nearby. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another,” (1 John 4:11).

I know it’s tempting to ask, “But am I my brother’s keeper?”

The answer of Jesus? “Yes.”

By the way, “Love your neighbor,” doesn’t mean simply to be “nice” to your neighbor, or politely “tolerate” your neighbor. It means to offer “grace” to your neighbor. Grace is the gritty kind of love that is not deserved or earned but is desperately needed. Grace – simply put – means treating people better than they deserve… like the Father has already treated you and me.

“Christians-who-actually-love-their-neighbors” is the radical idea that will transform and save every community. Because that’s what grace does when it is shared… it transforms and saves people. Enemies become friends. Strangers become family. And those who would have been left alone with their festering thoughts come into the light of care, grace and truth because a Christian regularly invites them over for a meal and conversation.

All we have to do is do it.

What if we didn’t wait for governmental policies to be written and implemented? What if we didn’t delegate to national organizations what Jesus gave us to do? What if all the Christians in worship on Sunday went home and did the one thing Jesus gave us to do – love our neighbors?

And that’s the opportunity I am suggesting we give thanks for on Thanksgiving. The opportunity to notice and care about the people God has placed nearby each day. What’s their name? What’s their story?  How are things going for them this week?

What if we hung out with our neighbor so we could find out from our neighbor? What if Sayfullo Saipov, the man who drove a rental truck onto a Manhattan bike path on October 30, had had a Christian neighbor who regularly invited him over for meals? What if Devin Patrick Kelley, the man who shot dead 26 worshippers in Sutherland Springs on November 5, had had a Christian co-worker who noticed his increasing anger and agitation and had walked with him rather than avoided him?

In those cases, we will never know.

But there’s the opportunity. Yes, what’s done is done. But starting today we can be that Christian neighbor or co-worker who understands the real reason our Lord placed us where he did: to be a way through which His love, care and redemption would get to the people nearby who need it so badly. From Him, through us, to them.

In nine days we will celebrate Thanksgiving.

With thanksgiving in our hearts, let’s go do what Jesus gave us to do.

While Celebrating the HOW, Don't Forget the WHY

We are finally arriving at the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Back on October 31, 1517, Dr. Martin Luther nailed 95 theses for debate to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

And what was at stake with the Reformation? The answer to that is as simple as it is critical: Getting the “HOW” right of our salvation. How are we saved? Is it by works of the law or by grace through faith alone?

Of the many portions of Scripture which answer this basic question, the one that is most prominently held up on Reformation Sunday is Romans 3:19-28. It is one of the assigned readings for the day. This familiar passage culminates with, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe,” (verses 21-22).

That’s HOW we are saved. By God’s grace through faith alone. And that’s worth celebrating.

However, while we are celebrating the HOW of our salvation, let’s not lose sight of the WHY of our salvation. Because the Lutheran Church was born out of a grave concern for getting the HOW right, we can sometimes forget the importance of the WHY. However, the HOW and the WHY are two parts of the same whole. They belong together. Together they form the COMPLETE message of God’s Word.

So, HOW are we saved? By grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, of course. And WHY are we saved?

Umm…

See what I mean? We Lutherans are wonderfully clear and articulate about confessing HOW we are saved. And it is a gift to the world. But we are a little less clear about WHY we are saved. And because of that, our response to being saved by grace through faith can devolve into a vague passiveness as we live out our daily lives. In other words, because we are clear on the HOW but not so clear on the WHY, we settle back quietly to sit on the bench and run out the clock until we die and go to Heaven.

But can such a passive response to salvation by grace through faith be what God intended? Of course not. But what IS our response then?

The good news is that the same Bible which clearly answers the question of HOW we are saved also answers the question of WHY we are saved. (We just haven’t asked the question as consistently.) And it turns out there is a very important PURPOSE behind God going to all the work of saving us.

Paul puts it succinctly in Ephesians 2:8-10. First Paul gives us HOW we are saved, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Nice and clear. Then he gives us WHY we are saved, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In other words, WHY did God do all that work of grace-ing us and faith-ing us and saving us? Simple. So that we could be freed to do the good the Father has prepared in advance for us to do each day. Again, nice and clear.

Going back to his letter to the Romans, Paul is a little less succinct, but he is unpacking the same message. In chapter 3 he begins unpacking the HOW of our salvation and continues to unpack it all the way through chapter 6. But when he finally gets to the end of explaining the HOW, he then points us directly to the WHY: “Therefore, do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather [wait for it] offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness,” (Romans 6:12-13). In other words, we get to offer ourselves to God so he can use us as tools for making something right happen in the lives of people around us.

Paul delivers both the HOW and the WHY.

Of course, he does. They belong together. And together they form the complete message of God's Word.

According to God, now that we are saved by his grace through faith alone, we have things to do each day. God does not save us so that we can passively sit on the bench and run out the clock until we die and go to Heaven. He saves us so that we can again be the way by which his goodness gets loose in the lives of people around us who need it so badly (Ephesians 2:10). He brings us from death to life so that we can be the reason something right happens in the lives of people around us who need it so badly (Romans 6:13).

So, as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, let’s keep the WHY of our salvation as clear as the HOW of our salvation. God’s Word instructs us to and our neighbors need us to.

By grace through faith... for a purpose. Here we stand.

Because You Just Never Know...

Fellow Neighborhood Missionaries, this is why we do what we do. This is why we cast the seed of attention, conversation and interaction with our neighbors - because you just never know what Jesus may be up to.

Mark and Malinda had lived in their neighborhood for 20 years. And for 15 of those years they had diligently tried to avoid a certain couple that were... well, shall we say "rough around the edges." They drank, smoked and had tattoos. They were a little too loud for everyone else in the neighborhood.  You know the type.

Then Jesus decided to intrude on Mark and Malinda's tidy little attitude and routine. (Yep, this is what we refer to as "Jesus messing with us.") You see, their congregation had gone through a book called, "Joining Jesus on His Mission" and, in a word, Mark and Malinda knew it was time to repent of their attitude. They knew it was well past time for them to go down and re-introduce themselves to their neighbors of 15 years.

And, wouldn't you know it, just as they decided to do this, a "For Sale" sign went up in the neighbors yard! They couldn't believe it. They felt terrible. Here they had successfully avoided their neighbors for 15 years and now that they were finally ready to get over themselves and join Jesus, their neighbors were going to move. Wow.

However, instead of giving up in defeat, Mark and Malinda immediately headed down the block to do something they knew they should have done long ago: knock on the door, say hi, and ask how their neighbors were doing.

And when they did, well, like we said, you just never know what Jesus may already be up to. Turns out Mark and Malinda were warmly received and had a great conversation with their neighbors. They found out their neighbors were worried about the sale of their home.  They needed to get a certain price in order to be able to do what they wanted to do in their next season of life. Their realtor, unfortunately, was not optimistic.

When it came time for Mark and Malinda to go, Mark took a bit of a chance and asked, "Before we go, would you mind if I prayed for the sale of your house?" Surprisingly, the couple quickly agreed and even wanted to hold hands for the prayer!  Afterwards, Mark and Malinda headed back to their house truly amazed at how Jesus had set everything up. But it was only the beginning. They hadn't been back in their home for 15 minutes before the phone rang.  It was their neighbor. She was breathless. "You're not going to believe it!" she said. "We just got off the phone with our realtor. We got an offer on the house and they offered ABOVE THE ASKING PRICE!"

Fellow Missionaries, this is why we do what we do. You just never know what Jesus may be up to! Don't judge your neighbor or ignore your neighbor. Have fun casting the seed of attention, conversation and interaction with your neighbors.

Because you just never know.