Introducing EncounterHelena 2.0

It's been over a year now since we first introduced the Encounter Helena blog. We are excited to unveil the new EncounterHelena 2.0 — a new look and feel over at encounterhelena.org.

WHY THE CHANGE?

With all the momentum Encounter Church has been gaining lately, the amount of news updates and information on the blog has increased two-fold. It's been getting more difficult to find the information you needed.

WHAT'S NEW?

The front page of encounterhelena.org now highlights some of our featured news with a revolving image gallery, our new introduction video, a number of key article teasers, and a series of great pull-down menus to find out everything you need to know about Encounter.

You can still find the blog under the "Latest News" menu link at the top. All the old articles from the very beginning are still there, but now they have the brand new look.

TELL US, TELL THE WORLD

We would love to hear how you like the new site. Just make a comment to on the new site, or on tell the world on Facebook and Twitter (there are new fancy links at the bottom of every article to make this easier). Also, we are still taking the plastic wrap off this thing so if you find any glitches, please let us know.

Oh yeah, if you've been going to this old legacy site at encounterhelena.blogspot.com, please switch over to the new URL at encounterhelena.org today! There will be no new posts at this old blog!

Dream Team Introduction - July 31

We're having an Encounter Dream Team Introduction on Friday, July 31 at 7pm and you are invited...

ABOUT THIS GATHERING
We want to learn, discuss, and dream about how Encounter will impact this generation and beyond in Helena. If you have heard about Encounter or seen us online and want to know more about our vision and strategy to impact this generation in Helena, then you should attend.

We will further explore the vision and three essential focuses of Encounter. We will discuss specifically: How can we see lives changed positively in Helena? What are the next steps for Encounter? How can you make a difference on the Launch Team?

ABOUT THE DREAM
We are a people who are passionate about and understand God's vision and strategy for Encounter.

We are not just volunteers, but actively involved in something significant for God - looking to BE the church in Helena, not just attend a church.

We are excited about what God is already doing in our city and eager to celebrate successes and learn from mistakes. We want to tell everyone about this new faith community that exists for this generation and beyond - and we desire for them to encounter Jesus through us.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
If you have been coming to some of the Encounter Discussions or been involved in our Community Service Projects and want to know more about Encounter Church, this is a great opportunity to ask specific questions about what God is doing and the great things He has in store.

If you are already part of the launch team, this will be a great opportunity to put specifics to the dream and vision God has already placed within in us. How we can passionately and actively be involved in something significant, that is greater than ourselves.

If you are tired of a dried out "version of Christianity," if you share a desire to see the people far from God encounter Jesus in a real life-giving way, if you want to explore a creative, innovative, and fresh way of experiencing authentic relationships with others on your same journey of faith, please join us.

Finally, this will be a great opportunity to find out more about Encounter in a less formal and conversational venue. Don't miss out.

UPDATE: Arrive at 6:30pm for free pizza and pop.

WHAT: Encounter Dream Team Introduction
WHO: Those who dare to dream
WHEN: Friday, July 31 @ 7pm
WHERE: Powell Home [map/directions]

If possible, RSVP on Facebook here or contact us here – it's not required, but it helps us plan. Kids are welcome, but there will be no childcare or babysitter.

Dream Team Gathering...What Is It?

We're having an Encounter Dream Team Gathering this Friday at 7pm and you are invited...

WHAT IS THE DREAM?
We are a people who are passionate about and understand God's vision and strategy for Encounter.

We are not just workers or volunteers, but actively involved in something significant for God - looking to BE the church in Helena, not just attend a church.

We are excited about what God is already doing in our midst and eager to celebrate successes and learn from mistakes. We want to tell everyone about this new faith community that exists for this generation and beyond - and we desire for them to encounter Jesus through us.

WHAT IS A DREAM TEAM GATHERING?
As we begin to form the team of people who will actively launch Encounter Church, we'll to need to gather together to learn, discuss, and work out the vision and DNA of Encounter. Primarily because a church is not an institution as much as it is a people, we as a people will to passionately pursue the same vision, and dream the same dream.

WHO CAN COME?
If you are already part of the launch team, it is important for you to come this Friday - you are the core of this gathering.

If you have been coming to some of our Encounter Discussions or been involved in our Community Service Projects and want to know more about Encounter Church, this is a great opportunity to ask specific questions about what God is doing and the great things He has in store.

Finally, if you have heard about Encounter or seen us online and want to know more about our vision and strategy to impact this generation in Helena, then you too should come.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
At the Dream Team Gathering we will begin with some music and prayer. We will further explain the vision, mission, values, and three essential environments of Encounter. Finally, we will discuss specifically what it means to be part of the Encounter Launch Team, what criteria we are looking for, and where we need to go from here. We will dream about what God has in store for Helena through Encounter Church.

SHOULD I COME?
If you are tired of a dried out "version of Christianity," if you share a desire to see the people far from God encounter Jesus in a real life-giving way, if you want to explore a creative, innovative, and fresh way of experiencing authentic relationships with others on your same journey of faith, please join us.

Finally, if you missed the Encounter Informational Meeting about a month ago, this will be a great opportunity to find out more about Encounter in a less formal and conversational venue.

WHAT: Encounter Dream Team Gathering
WHO: Launch Team and anyone
WHEN: Friday, June 17 @ 7pm
WHERE: Powell Home [map/directions]

If possible, RSVP on Facebook here or contact us here – it's not required, but it helps us plan. Kids are welcome, but there will be no childcare or babysitter.

Listen to the Vision!

At Encounter, our vision is to free people to encounter Jesus.

Connected to the image of Moses' burning bush experience, we want to be something out of the ordinary that catches people's attention so they can hear the voice of God.

We want to remove as many obstacles, distractions, and barriers as we can so that this generation and beyond can have an authentic, life-changing encounter with Jesus.

More specifically, we have found that people tend to like Jesus but not the church. They have been turned off by traditional models of "doing church." Their view of what the Church and what following Jesus is supposed to be has been skewed by many things — but primarily by a lifeless, passionless, empty representation of faith that is judgmental, self-righteous, and downright boring.

In a broad sense, we envision a dangerous church, an assembly, a gathering, a faith community, a group of people, who are drawn together to pursue what it means to boldly follow Jesus beyond Sunday, and in the missional context of real life.

HAVE YOU FELT IT?
And this vision is not just mine or Andrea's, but one planted there by God in each one of us drawn to Encounter. Each of us has sensed the vision, we have then seen it articulated, and now we have begun the process of growth that will see the vision come to life. Like a seed that has been planted, it must now be watered and cared for as it matures into reality.

Have you sensed the vision? Have you felt it gnawing at your soul? Have you been discouraged in the valley as God has been molding you into the shape of the vision? We have too, but we are not satisfied with anything else but an authentic and bold following after Jesus and His vision planted within us!

LISTEN TO THE VISION!
I am going to be bold here and just say it. If you are not connected with a church here in Helena — if you are not living out your faith in a passionate and life-filled way with others in a faith community — you are missing out on something incredible!

You REALLY should come be a part Encounter. If you don't live here in Helena, you should move here. Seriously, we will help you! Seriously, the next six months at Encounter are going to be AMAZING! You should listen to the vision that is stirring in your soul and come be a part of what God is doing in Helena!

So let's get together and talk more over coffee.
Give me a call today!

Wanna Start A New Church in Helena?

Last week, we held our first-ever Encounter Informational Meeting at the Placer Center, downtown in the Helena Walking Mall. The May 28 event was an opportunity to share our strategy to impact this generation and beyond – to invite others to "step out of the boat" and join in with what Jesus is doing in Helena.

A lot of our friends meeting for the Encounter Discussions at the Staggering Ox really stepped up and helped make the Informational Meeting a success – Thank you guys!

Highlights of the evening for me were hearing from others what a church like Encounter in Helena means to them. It was fun to answer Encounter questions from text messages sent during the meeting for Q&A. And finally the door prizes were just plain cool – powerful little red LED flashlights (think burning bush).

THE CHALLENGE
We challenged the nearly 30 people that attended to:

PRAY regularly
SHARE financially
JOIN the launch team
TELL others.

I will be posting what these mean and adding links over the next week. For now, I suggest you check out the "Hot Topics" and "Encounter Links" in the sidebar to the right.

FROM THE MEETING
Our worship is edgy and engaging, our culture is relational and outward focused, and our theology is grounded in the Scriptures. We seek to be a burning bush that captures the attention of a city – something out of the ordinary that draws people in, so that they can hear the voice of God.

FIND OUT MORE
We are following up with people right now. If you missed the meeting and want to know more about Encounter Church and how you can help launch a new church here in Helena, send us an email. We'd love to get together with you and just talk.

View some pre-event photos here.

How to Avoid Social Encounters With Church People

We've been getting some search engine hits at encounterhelena.org from people trying to find out "How to Avoid Social Encounters With Church People."

I typed it into Google myself and the Encounter Helena blog came up second. Who would have thought?

I'm not surprised, really. One major obstacle to people encountering Jesus is Christians themselves (see They Like Jesus, But Not The Church).

At Encounter, we want to free people to encounter Jesus instead of building walls and creating obstacles. We want to be a "burning bush" — something extraordinary that catches peoples' attention and draws them in — so that they can hear the voice of God.

We believe that in order to reach people that no one is reaching, you have to do something that no one is doing. Yes, it's dangerous. But Jesus didn't die to make us safe, He died to make us dangerous!

So just as we seek to engage our culture by developing real, authentic, and trusting friendships with others — I am pleased that when people are trying to "avoid social encounters with church people" they might find us.

Who Will Launch Encounter Church?

This last week, myself, Andrea, and other church planters here in Montana had a strategic round table to discuss some steps of the church planting journey. It got me thinking about about our current phase as we seek to develop the Encounter Church Planting Team.

Originally we were calling this the "Core Group," but as we've discussed this term with individuals and fellow church planters, I begun to see this term as counter-productive to the healthy establishment of a faith community. That's why I've gone back and changed the terminology in a couple of our recent posts here and here.

Here is a clearer explanation of who will launch Encounter Church and how these teams overlap and fit together.

THE CHURCH PLANTING TEAM
The Church Planting Team are those people that will form, serve in, and launch a new church plant. They will gather for Planting Team Meetings to explore, discuss, and determine foundational systems of Encounter Church in the context of our vision, mission, and core values. Involvement in the Encounter Planting Team involves four essential expectations.

• To serve strategically in Planting Team meetings to publicly launch the Encounter worship gatherings

• To participate in an Encounter LifeGroup (small group) or discussion

• To invest your life into those far from God, both personally and through Encounter community impact and awareness events

• To give financially during your commitment with Encounter

THE LAUNCH TEAM
Individuals from the Church Planting Team and others will then move forward as a Launch Team with specific strategies toward the public launch of the worship gatherings, small groups, and outward focus environments. The primary purpose of the Launch Team is to strategically serve in at least one ministry team for worship & technical, setup & breakdown, kids & students, groups, or community impact.

THE EXTENDED CHURCH PLANTING TEAM
Our Extended Church Planting Team are those other friends and family here in Helena, throughout the country, and around the world who are helping to launch Encounter Church. They include the following...

• Individuals, sponsor churches, and coaches from our church planting network.

• Our growing intercessory prayer team. Those people who have become prayer partners and are praying regularly when they receive our regular email prayer updates. To sign up, click here.

• Individual financial partners who have chosen to support us and the Encounter launch through one-time or monthly gifts. To find out how to help us financially, click here.

• Other individuals who are telling everyone they know of these crazy people they know who are starting a church for this generation in Helena. Let people know about Encounter by sending them to the website here at encounterhelena.org or passing them our email or cell phone number. If you contact us, we'll even get you some of our new Encounter Church awareness cards.

YOU CAN BE PART OF THE TEAM
These are the “early moments” of a movement within Helena to lead a generation into a growing relationship with Christ. If you haven't already thought about it, we challenge you to seriously consider being part of our team.

You may feel led to join one of our teams on an ongoing basis or you can choose a specific time frame like 12 or 24 months. If you resonate with our vision and feel that God is calling you to getting involved with Encounter Church, please let us know by contacting us today.

5 Most Asked Questions

As we've been sharing with people our heart for this generation and how we're planting Encounter here in Helena, we get a number of different questions. Here are some of the most common ones.

#1 WHEN DO YOU GUYS MEET FOR WORSHIP?
It takes a lot of planning, preparation, and work to plant a church. We are currently looking at two public launch dates - the earliest is October 2009. But for us, the weekly worship event is only a part of who we are. Before we launch our public worship events, we have even more important work developing our Church Planting Team and meeting the needs of our community.

In the months leading to our public launch, we will be holding regular small groups for spiritual growth, planting team meetings to cast vision and develop leadership, informational meetings for those who want to find out more, and community impact events to serve our community and create awareness.

In fact, if you want to see what we're all about, we want to invite you to a great small group study study in March. Click here to find out more.

#2 DO YOU HAVE A BUILDING? / WHERE ARE YOU MEETING?
Looking forward to our public launch, we will begin looking for meeting locations in April and May 2009. But we plan on being portable from the beginning so that we can focus our efforts on people and relationships.

But just because we do not have a building does not mean we will not meet together. Our small group and planting team meetings are already being held in various locations throughout Helena. Some meeting will be in homes, but we also want to meet in some public spaces like the library. We feel that it is important to have a presence out in the community we serve.

#3 IS ENCOUNTER ONLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE?
We are creating a faith-community that is welcome to young and old, believers and nonbelievers alike. Our intentional strategy, though, is to design our gatherings and events for a younger audience. That's because we believe that experiential, relevant, and technologically-enabled gatherings are more likely to reach a younger generation AND also reach older adults. But the reverse is not true. When we design our services for an older audience, the younger crowd will not show up.

#4 WHAT IS THE CHURCH PLANTING TEAM?
Instead of forming what some call a Core Group, we have chosen to plant and launch Encounter with a Church Planting Team. The Church Planting Team are those people that form, serve in, and launch a new church plant. While involvement in the Planting Team can be defined for a short-term or long-term commitment, it involves four essential expectations.

1. To serve strategically within the church plant (including Planting Team meetings)
2. To participate in a small group or discussion
3. To invest your life into others both personally and through community impact events
4. To give financially during your commitment with Encounter.

Contact us to talk more about getting involved in the Church Planting Team.

#5 HOW CAN I HELP ENCOUNTER?
There are many ways you can help us reach this generation in Helena. In a recent post, we outline five key ways you can actively help us in planting and supporting Encounter.

1. You can become a prayer partner.
2. Your church can sponsor Encounter in various capacities.
3. You can financially help us with a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support.
4. You can join us as a member of the Church Planting Team. (Yep. Maybe even move here!)
5. You can spread the word about Encounter.

These are just a few of the most common ways, if you've thought of another be sure to contact us and let us know.

Are You Ready To Be Dangerous?

Preparing one of my last weeks of worship at Hannaford, I am looking over Matthew 21:12-17.

In the passage, Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves for sacrifice. He said to them, "My temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."

Basically, Jesus was dangerous.

It was only after the distractions and obstacles were removed that Jesus could begin healing people. It is only then that they could encounter the fullness of the divine Christ. It was as if the temple had finally been freed to be what God meant for it to be.

I believe Jesus has called His church to be dangerous.

A dangerous church will take an uncivilized approach. A dangerous church will possesses a divine boldness. A dangerous church will demonstrate a risk-taking faith — and without faith it is impossible to please God.

Encounter will be a dangerous church.

Our goals are reconciliation, strength, and life — there is safety and comfort for those who are broken. But those who are religious, those who worship tradition at the expense of worshiping God, those who are frozen in their cautiousness — they will be disturbed.

When was the last time you had an uncivilized experience with God? When was the last time you took a faith-risk? When was the last time you took a bold stand for Christ? Isn't it time to become dangerous?

Jesus didn't save us make us comfortable, He died and resurrected to make us dangerous!

Won't you join us? Our vision is to free people to encounter Jesus — to remove the distractions and barriers in the way of people moving forward in their faith. And we're not afraid to overturn tables and upset the status quo.

Are you ready to be dangerous?

If you are, let us know. Leave a comment. Become a partner in prayer for Encounter Church. Answer that small voice that's nudging you to become a part of what we're doing to impact this generation in Helena.

Where Does Our Vision Come From?

The vision of Encounter is to "free people to encounter Jesus."

It is derived from Moses’ encounter with God through the burning bush in Exodus 3. Those far from God are living their lives apart from His will and purpose.

In the Exodus account, Moses was tending his sheep when the Lord "appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.'"

Much like Moses, we are presented with potential "encounters" with God that will lead to a transformed life through a growing relationship with Jesus. But we are often too burdened and distracted to recognize and respond. Part of what Encounter Church is about is freeing people from those burdens and distractions and allowing them to take that next step.

No matter where someone is spiritually - skeptic, new believer, returning to the faith, growing believer - we want them to be moving forward in their faith relationship with Jesus Christ. That's because we see discipleship not as a goal to achieve, but as a process of becoming more and more intimate with Jesus Christ.

Read more about our vision and values here.

Vision and Values Revisited

Andrea and I just spent a few days this weekend with other church planters doing some basic training. We used the opportunity to revisit our vision, mission and core values. We also examined our timeline and the important mileposts we need to achieve as we work toward launch.

As we discussed various aspects of what it takes to develop a vibrant and transformative community of believers, we were reminded that there is a lot of work before us. In fact, we're both overwhelmed and excited!

At the same time, we recognize that it's been a long time since we've first strategized with North Point Ministries. This is a great time to develop a vision and express our mission in our own words - to personalize the same mission and strategy we've been communicating but in a way that directly reflects our hearts.

ENCOUNTER'S VISION:
Freeing people to Encounter Jesus Christ

ENCOUNTER'S MISSION:
Leading people intro a growing relationship with Jesus

ENCOUNTER'S STRATEGY:
By creating environments where people are encouraged and equipped to:

• Encounter God - Growing faith through intimacy with Jesus
• Experience Community - Developing authentic relationships by doing life together
• Engage Culture - Transforming people by investing in trust relationships

ENCOUNTER'S CORE VALUES:

• Authentic — We will be real and transparent in our life struggles and successes in order to remove barriers in our personal relationships with Jesus and others.
• Relational — We believe life transformation happens best in the context of personal relationships.
• Relevant — We will speak into people’s lives with the true relevance of Christ in ways that they can experience God through "touchstones" in their life experience and culture.
• Creative — We know there is life in the creative actions of our God and want people to experience that life as a result of all we creatively do through Jesus.
• Intentional — We believe that when we are purposeful and focused in our actions, we stand a much better chance of being able to accomplish significant things.
• Excellent — We will do the very best that we can with what God has given us because excellence honors God and inspires people.

We would love to hear your comments. Leave one by clicking on the word "comments" below.

2009 Is Here - Are You Ready?

As another year comes to a close, we can't help but look back. For some of us, 2008 was a difficult and challenging year. Some of us experienced setbacks and even life-changing tragedies.

For others of us, 2008 was a stellar year. Some of our dreams came true - those we hoped for and some that we didn't even expect. Most likely, however, 2008 was a mixture of blessings and challenges.

HOW 2008 BEGAN FOR US
For us, we started 2008 in an atmosphere of uncertainty and burden. God had laid on our heart a passion which we had not seen pursued. A passion for the disconnected and un-churched of our generation. I saw young adults in their 20s and 30s that were disengaged in the life Christ had for them - and I began the year with a burden on my heart to do something about it.

AN UNCOMFORTABLE JOURNEY
I've said before that God places within us the ability to see “broken things” in areas that we are passionate about. God is not calling us to complain or fret over these “broken things,” but to let them serve as fuel for action based on His leading.

We acknowledged this burden and earnestly sought God's desire in prayer for many months. I can honestly say that it was an uncomfortable journey. After all, we were at a pretty comfortable place in life. We had been greatly blessed serving in worship ministry at a growing church in Helena. We had made many friends and really just begun to build this ministry.

Through all of this, God was speaking a deeper passion into our lives - the vision and desire to connect people with Jesus. Specifically what we call “this generation” and “those who are far from God.” We desperately resonate with those who are not familiar with or who do not connect with traditional church models - who see traditional church as lacking or irrelevant at best, and repelling at worst. And we want to be able to help the true, authentic Jesus become real in their lives.

As I said before, God was calling us to an uncomfortable place. We asked why He had thrown us this "curve ball" asking us to embrace a journey seemingly full of risk. Rick Warren says that “neither past nor future generations can serve God’s purpose in this generation.” What we’ve realized is that God has been preparing us for such a time as this. He's given us not a new vision, but a broader one encouraging others to worship God not just with song, but with their whole lives.

DISAPPOINTMENT AND ENCOURAGEMENT
Our catalyst for planting a new church in Helena developed out of talks to form a strategic partnership with North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. While talks looked encouraging, we eventually came to an impassible wall - our leading to reach young adults in Helena, Montana. Had we been led to plant in a larger metro area somewhere else, we very well may be planting as a strategic partner with North Point.

But the need for a high-impact, relevant, and missional faith community in Helena overshadowed the ease of partnering with North Point. Our burden was clear and so as one door closed, we began to look for other open doors of partnership to plant Encounter Church, Helena.

While investigating church planting networks, we also presented our heart to our home church in hopes of partnering with them to reach an overlooked and un-reached group in a way that Hannaford has never attempted. We are still hopeful Hannaford will choose to act upon their spoken to desire to reach all of Helena in and effective and relevant way.

We also attended the ARC Church Planter Round Table to find our more about our compatibility with their initiative to plant 2000 churches. We were then invited to their select ARC Church Planter Assessment - resulting in ARC's recommendation of Andrea and I as church planters with their respected organization - a great encouragement.

Finally, we began talks with another church planting 'network' - one with experience and ties here in Montana. I can say that Andrea and I have discerned God's Spirit moving in this relationship bringing their vision to plant high-impact churches in Montana together with our vision to build a relevant, missional faith community in Helena.

THIS IS THE YEAR
This new year brings in a whole new emphasis for Encounter Church. These first months will solidify our partnering relationships and we will begin to communicate God's vision for Encounter specifically with individuals. We will begin to build our Church Planting and Launch Teams. And by the end of the year, God will have prepared us to launch out into our community to touch lives like Helena has never seen.

We know that God has already begun to work in the hearts of those who also desire to see this generation grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. There are those who will be taking their first steps in exploring faith, those who will be finding out who Jesus is, and also those who will be making a deeper commitment.

Our challenge to you is this. Imagine what God will do in 2009. Imagine how He will move and change you. He may even make you uncomfortable this year and ask you to step out of your comfort zone. And I am challenging you to be ready...to recognize that going out on a limb with Jesus is really the best place to be.

As Mark Batterson says, "Jesus didn't die to make us safe. He died to make us dangerous." Are you ready?

Let us know if you want to get together and find out more about Encounter Church will impact Helena and how you can be involved as a prayer partner or a part of our Church Planting Team.

What Does It Mean to be Missional?

I've mentioned a few times that part of the core DNA of Encounter is being missional. But sometimes there is some confusion about what "missional" means. To be missional is much more than just to evangelize.

I came across the following in Dan Kimball's book, They Like Jesus But Not The Church. As I think of being missional as a church community, I feel these characteristics best describe our desire and approach to impact Helena.

• Being missional means that the church sees itself as being missionaries, rather than having a missions department, and that we see ourselves as missionaries right where we live.
• Being missional means that we see ourselves as representatives of Jesus "sent" into our community, and that the church aligns everything it does with the mission of God.
• Being missional means we see the church not as a place we go only on Sunday, but as something we are throughout the week.
• Being missional means that we understand we don't "bring Jesus" to people but that we realize that Jesus is active in culture and we join Him in what He is doing.
• Being missional means that we are very much in the world and engaged in culture but are not conforming to the world.
• Being missional means we serve our community, and that we build relationships with the people in them, rather than seeing them as evangelistic targets.
• Being missional means being all the more dependent on Jesus and the Spirit through prayer, the Scriptures, and each other in community.

I'd love to hear which of these resonate with you and why. Please enter your responses by clicking on the "comments" below this post.

Our Heart For This Generation

Andrea and I feel called to launch a new community of believers, specifically focused on reaching the unconnected of this generation. That especially refers to those unchurched and dechurched in their 20's and 30's who haven't found church to be relevant and essential to their lives.

So while we are creating a faith-community that is welcome to young and old, believers and nonbelievers alike, we will design our gatherings and events for a younger audience. Experiential, relevant, and technologically-enabled gatherings are more likely to reach a younger generation AND also reach older adults. But the reverse is not true. When we design our services for an older audience, the younger crowd will not show up.


These are environments where people can be excited about bringing their friends; where people will experience something so different, unique, and life-giving that they want to come back, whether they believe the teaching or not.

These will be environments where people can experience God through "touchstones" in their life experience and culture; environments where things are done with excellence and where people will encounter a creative God as a result of everything we do. This is our passion and the embodiment of both our vision and strategy for Encounter.

A great example of our approach is embodied here at Ridge Church in Charlotte, NC.

Steps, Not Programs

Another important aspect of the way Encounter approaches things is through steps, not programs.

No matter where someone is spiritually - skeptic, new believer, returning to the faith, growing believer - we want them to be moving forward in their faith relationship with Jesus Christ. That's because we see discipleship not as a goal to achieve, not as list of items to check off until we have reached a certain point - but discipleship is a process of becoming more and more intimate in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Seeing spiritual maturity as a process to pursue rather than as a goal to achieve allows us, then, to see everything we do as another step in helping someone move further along in their faith relationship with Jesus. Whether they need to investigate faith for the first time, whether they need to address issues in their marriage, whether they need to make some financial decisions in their life - each is an important "step" in the process of following Jesus.

The problem with programs is this. There is the assumption that a program helps you "arrive" somewhere. You are complete. The program is the end in and of itself. In contrast, when we approach growth through "steps," we simply see it as part of the process of leading people in a growing relationship with Jesus.

Relationships: Our Strategy...Unpacked

At Encounter, we want people to become followers of Jesus who are in a growing relationship with Him. Then it begs the question "How are we going to do this?" Or perhaps "What do we want people to do?"

That, in a nutshell, is the essence of strategy and we've stated ours as "creating irresistible environments where people are encouraged and equipped in three vital relationships: to Encounter God, Experience Community, and Engage Culture."

We can ask ourselves, what demonstrates a growing relationship with Jesus Christ? At Encounter, we believe the answer to that question is found in Jesus' words in Matthew 22 when He was asked "What is the greatest commandment?"

Jesus replied, "‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

It sounds simple, but Jesus is basically saying that loving God and loving your neighbor is what everything comes down to. Everything that has been written in the scriptures is summed up in these two statements. "Loving God" and "loving others" is evidence of a growing relationship with Jesus.

We've defined "loving God" as developing an intimacy with Him. We divided "loving our neighbor" into those inside the faith and those outside the faith. So part of what we want to do at encounter is to create environments where people can pursue these three vital relationships.

Read more about our vision and values here.

Growing Faith: Our Mission...Unpacked

The mission of Encounter is "to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ."

It helps answer the question, "What do we want people to become?" It sounds simple, but is it? Well, yes and no.

It IS simple in that it is easy to say, it's easy to remember. But it is not so easy to live. That is because, if you've heard Andy Stanley, a great vision is easy and simple to remember - but it is really incomplete. There is more to understand than simply "leading people in growing relationships with Jesus." So let me unpack a part of what it means.

IT'S NOT ABOUT US
We must first admit that it is not through our effort alone that others enter into or grow in their relationship with Christ. One cannot ignore or underestimate the power and work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we serve a role, but it is ultimately an extension of God's work through us that bears fruit.

If you look at 1 Corinthians 6:19, we understand that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means that our bodies (as believers) are the place of God's presence on earth. More importantly, God relates to people through us. When people ask "Where is God in the midst of this crisis, in the midst of my journey?" The answer is that God is here, through us (as believers).

All this to say that we play an important role in the work that God has in this world. When we are wholly abandoned and submitted to Him, we are able to carry out His purpose for our life and to help lead another in a growing relationship with Jesus.

MOVING FORWARD
I've had a couple comments about how often we use this phrase when we describe what we're about. The questions that come sound something like this... Is this just about discipleship? What about evangelism? What about sharing the gospel? What about repentance, what about the power of the the shed blood of Christ?

First, leading people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ involves all those things. It involves what we want people to become. No matter where someone is spiritually - skeptic, new believer, returning to the faith, growing believer - we want them to be moving forward in their faith relationship with Jesus Christ. That's because we see discipleship not as a goal to achieve, not as list of items to check off until we have reached a certain point - but discipleship is a process of becoming more and more intimate with Jesus Christ.

WHAT ABOUT THE GOSPEL?
Our mission really comes from Jesus' parting words from Matthew 28, "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Basically, as we go through life, we are to relationally connect with people in such a way that it encourages them to follow Jesus.

And don't miss that key point ... we are to "relationally connect" with people. That's part of what we call invest and invite. In order to lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus, we need to "invest" our lives in theirs. As we invest and develop trust relationships with others, we demonstrate our true concern for them. And this ultimately gives us the opportunity to effectively "speak" into their lives.

Whether it involves a discussion about the gospel, about repentance, about the blood of Christ, or about simply inviting them to a worship service, when we develop trust relationship with someone, it gives us the opportunity to help lead them in a growing relationship of Jesus Christ.

Read more about our vision and values here.

What It's All About

Sometimes when your friends or family don't understand why you go to church, or why you're into Jesus, don't you wish you could clearly explain this? ...at Encounter we'll never stop trying.



Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17 - NLT)

Essential Number 4: Strategic Service

As we look forward to what Encounter will be like, I can identify at least four things that will be essential to making our mission a reality. If we really want to lead people into growing relationships with Christ, everyone must be focused and committed to our Entry Environments, Life Groups, an Invest & Invite Culture, and Strategic Service. Let's discuss essential number 4, an Strategic Service.

INTENTIONAL STRATEGIC SERVICE
Strategic service occurs when we intentionally serve in a place that moves the church closer to fulfilling its mission.

Our strategy is very specific: to create environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue growing faith through intimacy with Jesus (Encounter God), authentic relationships by doing life together (Experience Community), and trust relationships that lead to transformation (Engage Culture).

One of the best ways to connect and grow is to serve others, but it's not enough to simply serve. Our impact relies upon a coordinated, strategic effort of service with other gifted members of the body of Christ. That is why we need every person to serve in at least one of our ministry environments.

At first, you may be asked to serve in areas of need. It is important to understand that as Encounter grows and as God adds new gifted individuals to our community, we will eventually find a place that best fits our individual mix of gifts.

Essential Number 3: Invest & Invite Culture

As we look forward to what Encounter will be like, I can identify at least four things that will be essential to making our mission a reality. If we really want to lead people into growing relationships with Christ, everyone must be focused and committed to our Entry Environments, LifeGroups, an Invest & Invite Culture, and Strategic Service. Let's discuss essential number 3, an Invest & Invite Culture.

INVEST & INVITE CULTURE
Everyone at Encounter must be committed to investing in relationships with people who are far from God. It is only in this way that we can Engage Culture resulting in transformed lives. As Jesus invested His life into those around Him, we must invest our lives into those around us. We must serve them, befriend them, accept them, and when we speak of our faith, we'll speak from the overflow of our heart. One thing about investments is that there is rarely an immediate pay-off. Investing takes time. It took Jesus three years to convince the twelve.

After such an investment, it is much easier and effective to invite people to an Encounter environment. Then it is more natural to resurface the subject later providing opportunities to share your journey with Jesus. Being with other believers at the right kind of event has a way of opening people up or pricking their interest in spiritual things. We all know people whose picture of Christianity is so distorted that they need to see the real thing before they can hear you.

Invest & Invite is a both a community culture and a personal strategy. It means genuinely caring for people outside the church and then being bold enough to risk the relationship by inviting them to go deeper. It takes energy and effort to build and invest in a relationship. It takes equal compassion and courage to leverage that relationship for the sake of eternity.