Graphic Design, Cynical Church Members And A Fun Ride

It's time for a new thing.  It's almost here.

Hello Church,

Graphic design is not in my wheelhouse.  However, as a pastor, one will find themselves doing all sorts of odd things that don't always align with given gifts and talents.  It's been 18 years, but I once again find myself tinkering with programs like Microsoft's 3d paint.  I am sure many of you have advice on which program would be easier.  I typically choose what is already on my computer... and free.

The launch of a new vision at Emmanuel is right ahead.  I am reinventing myself.  Emmanuel is reinventing itself.  The result?  A Vision that is informed by the church and organized by church leadership.  This time around, instead of me doing the visioning, the church is listening and speaking into it.  I like it.

In this blog over the next few weeks I will be explaining this new church in more detail.  I hope you will read up and explore your potential role.

So I am excited.  The first draft of the new Vision is being presented Monday, Feb. 18th.  I suspect there will be a shift in perspective in how we plan, implement and evaluate ministry.  I also suspect it will narrow our focus as a church.  A narrower focus will cause us to do less ministry that has more impact instead of more ministry that has less or no impact.  Stay tuned.

And if you are still on the sidelines wondering if all of this is real, know that there will be plenty of opportunity for you to jump in with both feet.  No matter how cynical you might be, you will always be welcomed at Emmanuel.  When you buy in, we will be ready for you.

However, with every reinvention of an organization, there is a catch.... there is always a catch.  You, the church, will have to participate.  It will be your obedience to the preferred future that will make this go or not.  Visions don't work on dry erase boards or on 3d paint.  Visions work because the minds and hearts and hands and feet of God's people go to work and do things and say things that bring about God's Kingdom.

This gives me relief.  What it means is that my 3d paint skills don't really matter at the end of the day.  What matters is the active faith that is in the heart of the church.  I trust you are ready to do what you say is important.  It will be a fun ride if you are.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Pastor Joe Is Full of It

It is time for a new thing!  Do you perceive it yet? - Isaiah 43:19

Hello Church,

What a Saturday!  The Relive Retreat went very well (I got 8,000 steps in with all my nervous energy).  We have the beginnings of a fresh start.  I want you to be a part of it (yes, you).  The ball is now rolling and it will be gaining momentum.  You don't want to miss out on this.

But some will.

While enthusiasm was created on Saturday, not everyone was there to capture it for various reasons.  That's okay.  There will be plenty of opportunity to get on board.  Monday, Feb. 18th is the next opportunity.  7:30.  A new vision and direction is in the makings.  You are invited.  Many will be there.

But some won't.

I want to be clear and concise with the church.  I am not the same pastor.  I am more determined.  I am more stubborn.  I am better focused.  I am more spiritually alive.  I am less concerned about appeasing you.  I am more concerned about appeasing Jesus.  The ministries I lead will reflect this.  Some of you will get with the new program and be on a new, more exciting journey than before.  There will still be bumps... but there will also be victories. 

But some will remain skeptical.

I get it.  It makes sense.  Most of you have known me for as long as 9.5 years.  Some of you have known Emmanuel since its birth.  You have become accustomed to what has been (especially the last 3 years).  The status quo has woven around your expectations.  However, don't expect me to spend time winning over the skeptics.  I used to spend a lot of energy doing that.  I am done with that.  I will take those who want to move into something bigger and better and we will move forward.  I am focusing on the path ahead.  Those who walk with me will walk with me.  Those who don't will miss out.  

If I sound smug, I don't intend to.  I intend to sound determined.  I don't like losing.  We have been losing.  Jesus isn't a loser.  We shouldn't be losing.  We should be winning.  We proclaim Good News, not bad news.  We should walk forward expecting to win... to be a magnet for people who want things like faith and hope and especially love.  I am going to do so.

So get on board.   It's time for a new thing.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Emmanuel Will No Longer Be.....

...who we think we are.... or have been........

It is time for a new thing!  Do you perceive it yet?

Hello Church,

I am treating Relive Church 2019 like a new church start.  Spiritually, I want us to capture the enthusiasm of serving a gracious God.  Physically, I want us to find renewed energy.  Emotionally, I want us to rediscover the joy of following Jesus.  It's time for a new thing.

Come prepared to throw away assumptions.  Don't anticipate what you think you will be doing.  Throw away labels for yourself and others.  There will be no trustees people, finance people, worship people; no lay leaders or Sunday School teachers or coffee makers or missions team.  Ministry teams will not exist at 9:00 on Saturday morning.  We come as people who are simply ready and willing to become a new church that wants to make God happy.

Come prepared to witness determination and authenticity; faithfulness and commitment.  What we will become, we will become very good at becoming.  What we will not be good at becoming will be the result of a stronger focus on what we will become.  It is time to narrow in on divine purpose and leave the rest behind.  It is time to proclaim God's mission for us loudly and leave no time to proclaim anything else.

We are on the home stretch toward a first step to a new thing.  This Saturday is Relive Church 2019 for Emmanuel UMC.  Loveland UMC has been so kind to host us.  They are being so great!

There are 65 people registered as of this writing!  Wow!  If you want to be a part of this, feel free to email me (pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com) or text/call me (513-463-7378).  Lunch is provided.  Child care is provided.

The Holy Spirit is provided.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

Have You Bought In Yet?

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
- Isaiah 43:19

Hello Emmanuel,

In recent years one of the ministries that the United Methodist Church has pushed for are 'new church starts'.  Locations, leaders and resources have been offered from the Conference level to create new church communities, sometimes in unlikely places.  These churches are started from scratch.  On one hand it is difficult to build momentum from nothing.  On the other hand one isn't tied to any building or set of traditions or historical baggage.

Technically, Emmanuel is in a different setting that is considered 'church renewal'.  This is when an existing church looks at its existing structure and ministries and overhauls it in an attempt to be more effective and relevant for the surrounding community.  On one hand it is difficult to change what a church has been used to doing for years.  On the other hand momentum can be easily gained if the leader and congregation is willing to buy into a renewal process.

Have you bought in?

Many already have.  There are 54 people committed to gathering at the Relive Church Retreat on February 9th at Loveland UMC.  9:00-4:00.  It is an Emmanuel retreat only.  Lunch and child care will be provided.  All content and discussion will revolve specifically around what Emmanuel can do in the future to be more effective and relevant to the community in which we exist.

As your pastor, I am committed to push forward and not look back.  We need to recapture the passion of the Good News of Jesus.  To do so, we need to let God get us excited about what can be (and, with God, all things are possible).  This means we must not spend time looking back.  We need to spend time:

- daydreaming about new ministries that bring new possibilities; think outside the norm
- committing to working together so dreams can be brought to fruition
- be serious about evaluating what works and what doesn't work
- let go of what we think we own and grab onto what God wants us to live into
- stop thinking about what we want and start thinking about what God wants us to do
- connect the needs of others to what God has to provide

Have you bought in?

Those who haven't are in danger of being left out of something new and exciting.  Those who have will be on a new kind of ride that will have ups and downs, but a ride that will lead us into a kind of church that God is asking that we strive to be.

I hope you have bought in.  I also hope you will part of the process.  You are invited to come to the retreat on Feb. 9th.  Let me know.  You can sign up at the church building, on facebook, or call/text me (463-7378), or email me at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com.

Some People Are Speaking Up....

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 

- Isaiah 43:19

Hello Church,

It is time to speak up!

This Sunday several people are going to do so.  On Feb. 3rd, the District Superintendent is going to do so.  On Feb. 9th, many people are going to do so.  A new thing is coming.  You will not want to miss out on it.

I am revving my engine and getting ready to dive into something brand new in my 22 years of Pastoral ministry.  While I have helped churches renew, I have never done so with a church that I have already been a part of for 9 years!  I am excited/nervous/anxious/restless/stressed/super enthused!

It won't be easy work, but, WOW, could it be exciting work.  I am ready to think outside the box; encourage a new way to think; push people to a different way to do things; expand horizons; take calculated (and maybe uncalculated) risks; and be a kind of pastor that truly empowers and does little to maintain the status quo.

Have I scared any of you yet?  Are you suddenly sweating at the prospect of being a church that runs from stagnation into something unknown? 

A huge step in this process is on Saturday, Feb. 9th.  The Relive Church Retreat for Emmanuel will be at Loveland UMC, 9:00 - 4:00.  Lunch will be provided.  We want you there.  It doesn't matter how new or old you are to Emmanuel.  We want you to have an opportunity to be a part of a new church.

Get on board!  Speak Up!  God is going to do a new thing and it will be Good!

Pastor Joe

What The Pastor Is Excited About....

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 

- Isaiah 43:19

Hello Church,

As I and the church leadership prepare for the Relive Church Retreat on February 9th, I wanted to jot down some thoughts that I am especially excited about:

New Ideas - these aren't always easy to come by.  However, I am glad to have a good mix of people who come with various perspectives on what it means to be a church.  There are different ages, philosophies, traditions (or lack thereof) and theologies that can create a pool of new thoughts.

Pulling Together - I love watching people work well together.  When we get on the same page, I truly believe good stuff can be created.  Excitement ramps up exponentially as people connect with each other under a common cause.  

Work of the Holy Spirit - 'and where 2 or 3 are gathered, so I am there with them'.  God doesn't forsake us.  Indeed, God empowers us especially when we work together.  God makes a habit of surprising me.  I can I not be excited at that!

Positive Change - while the retreat is just a first step, it is a first step toward making Emmanuel a better, more effective, more viable and vital church.  No one likes to be stuck in the quagmire of same-thing-different-day living.  I look forward to being better... personally and corporately.  

A Strong Direction - Over the past few years I have felt a lack of direction, as a Pastor and as a church.  The circle chart has run its course and now it is time for something new.  Most anyone appreciates having a renewed purpose to work into.  I am excited to find out what that might be.

A Dramatic Change At Emmanuel

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
- Isaiah 43:19

Hello Church,

If you missed worship on Sunday, you missed a dramatic mess! (and you may want to watch the podcast... it is sort of unbelievable).

Circle Chart ripped up

The Circle Chart is gone.  Not just gone, but destroyed; ripped up; thrown away.  The Pathway that led us through the last 9 years is history.  At this very moment, tiny pieces of paper are littering the sanctuary.   It was dramatic, at least for me.  I have spent the last 18 years letting the Circle Chart (officially known as the Discipleship Pathway) keep me focused on that which God wants me to be focused.  Emmanuel has spent more than half of its existence making decisions as guided by the Pathway.  It is no more.  So what now?

Emmanuel is now a blank slate.  You are invited to help fill in the blanks.  Relive Church 2019 is a retreat for Emmanuel only... to be held at Loveland UMC on Saturday, Feb. 9th, 9:00-4:00.  Lunch will be provided.  Let me know if you want to be a part of this new thing (pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com)

As for me,  I am going to implement what I've learned about myself and about the church over the past year.  I am changing how I do my job.  Here are some guidelines that I will be using, in no particular order:

1.  God's Good News is good enough.  We don't have to embellish it.  We just have to live it.... which can be difficult enough.

2.  I am not the church.  I am the leader of the church.  Therefore, I will do my job and the church will do its job.  This is healthier for me and healthier for the church.

3.  A lot of what the church has done the past 3 years doesn't work.  Therefore, I will discourage the church from doing a lot of what it has been doing the last 3 years (but I will not make decisions for the church.... see #2).

4.  I will lean on those who have passion for God's desires; love the church; has energy to do work; and are not afraid to take risks.  I will engage them and spend more energy empowering them.  I will spend less energy on those who want the status quo.  Why?  Because the status quo doesn't work. (see #3).

I suspect these guidelines will be more difficult for the church to get used to than for me to live out.  Mentally, I have already begun.  But I believe, in the long run, the church will be a better place.  People will be a part of the church instead of being observers of the church.  I will live closer to my Call and feel more fulfilled.  The church will live closer to its Call and feel more fulfilled.  It's a win-win for everyone, but especially for God.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe