Archive for January, 2010
Day 19: Praying from Canada
My friend Carey Nieuwhof is the lead pastor of Connexus Church in Barre, Ontario. Carey and his team are doing an incredible job. He was kind enough to take a few minutes to encourage us in these final days of our 21 day journey. You’ll benefit from hearing what Carey has to say.
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FREE SONG-PREPARING FOR OUR NIGHT OF WORSHIP
I believe Thursday night will be a significant step in our journey together as a church. We are gathering to worship, pray, celebrate communion and complete our 21-day journey of fasting and prayer.
To prepare us for the evening, we are sending you this free song from the group “Unhindered.” They will be leading worship Thursday and this is one of the songs we will sing together. You can prepare for the night by listening and learning the words to this song. It is our prayer for Thursday evening.
Glory. Honor. Power. All belong to our Great God.
Jeff
Day 18: What are your dreams?
Today is a day that recognizes Martin Luther King, Jr.
He was a man with a dream.
Take two minutes right now and relive part of that dream by watching the video below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/Y4AItMg70kg 440 330]
Now, here is the cool part.
Forty-six years later, much of that dream has come true. Dr. King had a dream that “that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” This year, my son will start elementary school, on a red hill in Georgia, and will sit down next to boys of all skin colors to share an equal education and become friends. Those boys will be living, breathing, tangible testaments to a dream that was spoken and then unrelentingly worked out over many, many years. These boys’ lives are dramatically different because someone had a dream, shared it with others, created a movement, and then worked incredibly hard to make it come true.
Over these twenty-one days of fasting, we’ve been praying and thinking about our collective dreams as both individuals and as a church family. We’ve considered the movement that we want to create in Buckhead and beyond. We’ve dared each other to dream so big that it would be destined for failure if God wasn’t leading it. It is scary, exciting, daunting, and invigorating all at the same time.
In this process, I’ve become even more in touch that I have dreams, too… for both of us.
I have a dream that some day, many years from now, many people will look back and remember the day that someone invited them to Buckhead Church in 2010 for the very first time…and how that changed everything.
I have a dream that thousands and thousands of adults will one day walk this planet with a healthy, inspiring view of a God (and a church) that loves them because they grew up in our family ministry environments.
I have a dream that, many years from now, analysts and sociologists that study the demographics of Atlanta will be puzzled by what caused a dramatic upward trend in charitable giving, job satisfaction, faith, and volunteerism while simultaneously reducing poverty, depression, and divorce in our city. I have a dream that the reason will be Buckhead Church.
I have a dream that, this year, people date differently, serve each other more, find joy in trials, remain humble in success, refuse to quit, take ownership for their spiritual growth, and invite anyone and everyone that they know to do the same. I have a dream that they will find the community, teaching, and support at Buckhead Church to do all that.
I have a dream that countless numbers of people will fill heaven because our church (the people, not the place) reached them, loved them, led them, invited them, and walked beside them as they made decisions to place their faith in a God that loves them enough to die for them.
Those are a few of my dreams for you, Buckhead Church, and me.
What are your dreams?
Billy Phenix
Day 17: Walking in Fear . . . I mean, Faith
Sometimes, God puts something in your heart that scares you to death. It’s that “thing” you think about and then go, Yeah, right! I would never really do that. I can’t do that! Before you know it, you have built a pretty strong case for the reasons this “thing” is unattainable, not a big deal, and eventually, just an afterthought.
My boyfriend, Jamey, and I had one of those thoughts over the break. Sitting by a warm fire, reading, most likely, an inspirational Christian book about how to live better and pursue the life God has called you to, we had the “thing” conversation. We decided that since we both work for the church, we don’t have obvious opportunities to “invest and invite.” So we wanted to be intentional about meeting “the Buckhead community.” For us, that was a general term . . . the people who work in the high-rises; the stay-at-home moms; the young, workaholic dads; the singles that jump the bar scene . . . you know, the community. But all that changed over some burned cookies and a front door.
On Tuesday night, Jamey and I decided to meet his neighbors. Since it’s not exactly pool weather to hang in the sun and greet people as they walk up in flip-flops, we went to plan B. For us, that meant knocking on doors. After work, we met at his apartment and baked some cookies. (Don’t worry, only one batch was burned.) We put some hot chocolate mix in a container and wrapped it with silver ribbon for an added bonus. Then, we prayed together asking God for courage and an opportunity and then we stepped out into the frozen tundra. That night, we knocked on 21 doors and met 12 new friends. Our line: “We made a New Year’s resolution to meet Jamey’s neighbors. So, we just wanted to say hey! Oh, and here are some warm cookies!”
Although Jamey and I are far from shy, this was not natural. We were anxious and paranoid that people would think we were nuts! We wrestled with what to say, what to give them or not give them, and most importantly, how to knock without sounding like we were coming to arrest them. This experience for us started out pretty scary. But God took our fear and replaced it with a strengthened faith. Now, during this 21-day journey, we don’t just pray for “the Buckhead community.” We pray for Abby, Bryan, Tommy, Heather, and Wade. We can pray for Sylvia and her daughter. Our community turned into real people and we are praying those people will turn into relationships.
Sara Manny
Day 16: One question
ONE question has been in the front of my mind and penetrating my heart.
HOW?
The question is HOW? Because the truth is, WE CAN’T!
We can’t reach the 300,000 people in our community that don’t know Jesus.
Not me. Not You. Not Buckhead Church.
It’s not physically possible to fit 300,000 people in our building. We just don’t have the room. The easy thing for us to do is to look at the empty seats and try to fill them with our friends, families, and co-workers.
Let’s be honest. Buckhead Church is an amazing church with incredible volunteers, environments, and resources. Inviting someone to church should be easy. That’s why we work so hard to make the environments irresistible. We want our community to come to know God and embrace his truths.
But . . .
I dare you to let the reality of 300,000 people separated from God break your heart.
That number is staggering. We have a problem. A problem that’s too big for me, too big for you, and too big for Buckhead Church.
It’s a GOD-sized problem.
HOW isn’t the question we ask ourselves. It must be something we ask GOD.
So, this is my challenge to you . . .
LET IT BURDEN YOU. LET IT DISTURB YOU.
Let the reality weigh heavy on your heart. And then . . .
ASK GOD, HOW?
Ask him to show you what HOW means for YOU. Because the answer will be different for each of us. God DOES HAVE a plan to redeem this community and this world and he just might be calling you to join him. Will you accept?
josh peters I media director
buckhead church I service programming division
