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Favor: Post 1 (of 5)

January 24, 2011 — 4 Comments

The Bridge is having a Grand Opening Celebration this weekend (it’s our ‘official launch’ for those of you who prefer church-planty lingo) and we are incredibly excited. It’s hard to believe the day will actually be here — especially when you stop to consider that a year ago neither the Coxes nor the Gomezes had yet become residents of Pittsburgh and our Launch Team could have been described as ‘embryonic’ at best! In preparation for and celebration of this weekend, I am making it a point to share some of the ways we have seen God’s favor in the adventure of launching The Bridge. So, I’ll be posting one example of this each day from now to Sunday. Here’s today’s:

The Park

Image: Timothy Cox

At the end of August, The Bridge was hosting a “Family Fun Day” as a way to connect with the community. More details about the day will be included in tomorrow’s post, but the biggest hurdle early on was securing a location to hold the event. The park we needed to use didn’t have any openings for the reserved areas; in fact, in the process of looking for open dates, we were told that the park needs to be booked a year in advance and someone else already had the date we needed.  We prayed for God to open a door for us to meet at the right place on the right date, thinking this meant somewhere else, maybe at some other time.

But God moved in an unexpected way: the park opened up for the last Saturday of August and we were able to step right in. Even more exciting, the favor shown to us didn’t end there; more than having one pavilion at one end of the park, we were invited to make use of a much larger recreation area including two pavilions and the land between them; we were invited to use large playing courts and given run of the place from water to electricity, from ample parking (when the offer came to have a league softball game rescheduled) to extra trash receptacles. In a moment we went from ‘impossibility’ to ‘blessed beyond measure’ as a path was made for us which we could not have cut ourselves.

As we have sought to be where God is moving, he has demonstrated his exceeding faithfulness. I can’t wait to share more with you in the days ahead!

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The Rest of January

January 15, 2011 — 1 Comment

The rest of this month is going to be pretty busy as we prepare for our official launch/”Grand Opening” of The Bridge and spend time serving our community.  We will be hosting preview services, topping-off washer fluid for motorists at local gas stations, hosting a blanket giveaway, and, of course, launching!  In between we’ll be canvassing neighborhoods, inviting friends and neighbors, sending out postcards, and doing whatever else we can to get the word out to the community.

We have seen the Holy Spirit go before us in amazing ways, and in the next post, I’ll share some of the highlights of how he’s shown us his favor (it’s probably going to leave you speechless). In the meantime, we are asking you to keep the following events as points of serious prayer throughout the month:

  • Saturday, January 15 — Washer Fluid Top-Off (Exxon @ 7409 Saltsburg Rd, Penn Hills — click for map) from 10 am – 1 pm
  • Sunday, January 16 — 10:30 am preview service in our new meeting location (Grand Ballroom of 3 Lakes Golf Course)
  • Saturday, January 22 — Washer Fluid Top-Off (Sunoco @ 280 Hulton Rd, Verona — click for map) from 10 am-1 pm
  • Sunday, January 23
    – Final preview service (10:30am @ 3 Lakes Golf Course)
    – “Commissioning service” at Sandy Lake Wesleyan Church
  • Saturday, January 29
    – Washer FluidTop-Off (Sunoco @ 6500 Saltsburg Rd, Penn Hills — click for map) from 10 am-1 pm
    –  Blanket, Scarf, Glove & Hat Giveaway (@ Penn Hills YMCA — click for map) from 10 am – 1pm
  • Sunday, January 30th — LAUNCH SUNDAY! (1o:3o am @ 3 Lakes Golf Course Grand Ballroom, 6700 Saltsburg Rd, Penn Hills (click for map)).

Thanks for praying.  And thanks to to our committed launch team members who are taking an active role in seeing Greater Things coming to Pittsburgh.  This wouldn’t be happening without you!

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Why I Love The Wesleyan Church: Apprenticeship

October 10, 2010 — Leave a comment

“He says he’s a pastor, but he hasn’t got any kind of education.”

image: adamsofen/flickr

I was amazed at the disgust in my friend’s voice, himself an ordained Wesleyan pastor.  It was clear not just by what he said but how he said it that a ‘real’ minister is defined by the organized schooling he or she has endured.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy learning and am indebted to the kind of education I’ve received in organized environments in the pursuits of diplomas and degrees.  I’m looking forward to continuing my education and hold institutions of higher learning in high regard–especially those operating out of a passion to equip men and women for ministry.  But the attitude that our value or function as ministers is directly related to our (organized) education stands in stark contrast to the way Jesus developed his own followers and the history of The Wesleyan Church.  Jesus utilized an apprenticeship* process whereby he allowed his followers to get to know him & his ways, so they could then be sent out to operate with his authority; this was the definition of ‘discipleship.’

These same disciples were told to make disciples–to raise people up and send them out operating in the authority of Christ.

The heritage of The Wesleyan Church echoes this history–bishops and leaders ordaining others for ministry and sending them out regardless of formal education because there was an ‘apprenticeship’ mindset (and this apprenticeship mindset resulted in fricton with the religious establishment).

Education is important–most of the New Testament was penned by a very educated man.  But had it not been for the transforming power of Jesus, being prepared and sent out, the most effective missionary in history would have died a relatively unknown, but well educated, persecutor of those who were sent.

I love The Wesleyan Church and her heart for holiness, equality, and freedom.  I love our current passion to see our ministry training grounds be effective in academics and praxis — but let us be wary of thinking education makes an apprentice; we just might be surprised at what God does, and who he uses, when we remove the prerequisite of ‘appropriate education’ from effective ministry.

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*For more on ‘apprenticeship’ take a look at the Dave and Jon Ferguson‘s Exponential

This post is part of a series.  Check out the introduction here, as well as parts 1, 2, and 3.

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Why I Love The Wesleyan Church: Freedom

October 4, 2010 — Leave a comment

There is something about the notion of “freedom” which, for those of us brought up in America, brings with it the idea of Founding Fathers breaking away from the tyranny of British rule; “freedom” is an ideal—a philosophical concept which crescendos in our national anthem as we sing of “The Land of the Free/and the home of the brave.”  But, for me, it is easy for ‘freedom’ to remain a mere concept because I have never known the cruelty of actual slavery.

For what would become The Wesleyan Church, the concept of freedom meant something much more than fireworks on the Fourth of July; it meant bringing people out  of the very real, very harsh, very evil clutches of physical slavery—where men, women, and children are bought, sold, traded, and handled as things owned by another person.  The Wesleyan Church’s history in North America is intimately intertwined with the abolitionist movement; the fight for freedom is a very identifiable part of who we are—which is one reason, I believe, we still hold that oft-discussed stance on alcohol: we desire to see individuals, families, and communities free from the bondage of alcoholism (if you don’t believe alcohol is a slave master, you have not endured the abuse, hunger, or darkness brought by the disease).

I love The Wesleyan Church and our history as freedom fighters.  But the fight for freedom cannot simply be a proud chapter in our heritage.  It must remain an outflow of the great work of Jesus Christ and an organic part of our activity as those who preach holiness and equality.  Today, more than ever, the world needs individuals, local churches, and the Church to offer freedom to those who are powerless to find it on their own: from the very real horror of modern physical slavery and human trafficking to those who are enslaved by poverty, addiction, and captive minds, we must recognize slavery as alive and well.

As the Body of the One who came to set captives free, living as Christ means we offer the freedom only Jesus brings, living as modern-day abolitionists at every possible level.

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Note: this post is the third part of a series.
You can read the introduction here, the first post here, and the second in the series here.

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Why I Love The Wesleyan Church: Equality

September 23, 2010 — Leave a comment

As we get ready to welcome our daughter, Jubilee, into the world, I love being part of a church that won’t disqualify her from ministry leadership just because she will be a girl.   I’ve often told my wife that I love the fact she would not be denied the chance to lead in a local church just because God gave her two X instead of an XY chromosonaI combination.  I won’t use this post to defend the Wesleyan stance on women in ministry—there are enough resources dealing with the issue and I don’t really have anything to add that might change your mind if you disagree with the idea.

The Wesleyan Church’s history of being deeply involved in the women’s suffrage movement (even hosting the Seneca Falls Convention) is awesome.  Our push for equality in the era of Jim Crow is something to be proud of.  It seems we really hold to the idea that in the Jesus Kingdom there truly is no male/female, slave/free distinction. We have held high the banner of equality for generations and I hope this continues.

I love that anyone is seen to have the potential for ministry leadership & participation–that women aren’t relegated only to ‘hospitality’ and children’s ministries but have the same potential to take leadership in other areas, be involved in preaching, and pursue ordination in the same manner that a man does.  Again, I know we’re not perfect but we act on the belief Jesus can use anyone he chooses… and more important than gender or background is the condition of a person’s heart.

Still, I hope we aren’t found resting on what our forebears stood for but that we continue to recognize the need to pursue equality today, and recognize this goes further than the issue of women in ministry.  We continue to hold that all persons are understood to have the right to life, whether aged, not-yet-born or somewhere in between; but there are other issues we must lend our voices to, as well.  This will cost us because what is right and what is popular are not always the same, but in doing so, I believe we continue living out the heart of God.

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This post is part 2 of a series.  Read the introduction here and the first post here.

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