Now Is The Time

When I look at Helena, this is what I see.

Some of us seem desperately lonely. Some of us are heavily burdened. Some of us are extremely busy with work schedules, with kids, or both. Still others of us lament past hurts. We experience damaged lives, broken marriages, and financial hardships.

Now is the time for a change.

Then we look at some of our friends and it is even worse. We have friends whose lives are being destroyed by alcohol or even meth. We want to help, but don't know how — life is difficult enough for us.

Now is the time for a change.

When most places close down by 9pm (if not 5pm downtown), many teens and young adults in Helena can find nothing better to do than to either drink or have sex. There are no cool local hangouts for this generation. We all know that 24-hour Wal-Mart is as good as it gets.

Now is the time for a change.

On our radios, John Mayer sings these words: "now we see everything that's going wrong / with the world and those who lead it / we just feel like we don't have the means / to rise above and beat it / so we keep waiting / waiting on the world to change."

And we embrace those words as our mantra for life. We keep waiting for our worlds to change. We're dissatisfied with the status quo, with the way things are in our lives and with our friends and in our city — but not enough to stop waiting and take action.

Now is the time for a change.

These are the “early moments” of a movement within Helena to see a generation encounter a better life. Let me assure you that God IS moving. He is moving to heal broken families and hurting individuals — not just through Encounter, but through the lives of few individuals across this city.

The question is "Are you still waiting?"

Too often we wait and do nothing, but God Himself is also waiting. He's waiting for you to join Him in His vision for Helena. Will you join Him? Will you join the lone dancer who is living out what God meant us to be?

If you embrace this challenge, I guarantee that your life and the expression of God's crazy love shown through you, will awaken and revitalize your family, your friends, your coworkers and even those complete strangers that come across your path.

Now is the time for a change.



Now is the time for you to fulfill the purpose for which God created for you – you can passionately and actively be involved in something significant, that is greater than yourself.

I challenge you to take a moment to ask God what He is preparing you for. I challenge you to consider how joining the first couple of dancers at Encounter could change the face of Helena.

Specifically, I challenge you to join us this Friday for the Dream Team Introduction (Facebook here). We'll be discussing how to make a difference in Helena as part of the Encounter launch team. Join us.

Now is the time.

Encounter Tees Have Arrived!

We just received our first order of Encounter tees and they look awesome!

If you already ordered one, let's connect and we'll get you your shirt and receive your tax deductible donation.

If you want to order one for our second batch, let me know. They are available in sizes from S to 5X and are pictured here. (Click for a larger view.)

When you order one for at least $25, a significant portion gets donated directly into the Encounter Church fund to help support our "Be The Change" community impact efforts.

Click here to donate with check or money order.

Not Crazy Love, Doesn't Matter

Just finished Frank Viola's new book, From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God.

I was actually contacted by the publisher, I think because we are currently going through Francis Chan's Crazy Love in our Encounter Discussions and Viola's new book was billed as the "followup" to Crazy Love.

While I didn't quite get the connection, I was happy to review Viola's book — after all, he has recently written two other interesting books, Reimaging Church and Pagan Christianity.

IT'S NOT CRAZY LOVE
Let me just say first that I still don't get how From Eternity to Here is the followup. Perhaps it's because it is from the same publisher. Perhaps there are some similar themes in both books. But I would say when you're writing about faith in the same Jesus, you are bound to overlap some themes — or at least you should. So that's about the best connection I could make.

Viola's book focuses primarily on "God's purpose" in three areas: 1) the Bride of Christ, 2) the House of God, and 3) the Family of God and Body of Christ — whereas Chan's Crazy Love focuses on how crazy it is that God loves us, realizing that He does love us anyway, and how we're called to love others with that same kind of crazy love.

Additionally, Viola's writing style is completely different. I have to admit that beginning the book, I found myself wondering if I would make it through. Voila has more of an academic approach, where Chan's style is more conversational.

I guess I am just saying that From Eternity to Here is not Crazy Love. I think it is weird to market it that way.

YOU MUST READ IT ANYWAY
With all that said, Viola's book is definitely worth a read. Contained within the pages of From Eternity to Here, are deep forgotten truths, penetrating rebukes of the status quo, heart-touching Biblical stories and insights, and a long-needed focus on the person of Jesus Christ as the simplicity and centrality of our faith.

More than anything, I found myself weeping more than once as Viola described the character of God and His eternal plan revealed in three different aspects of faith. The message of last chapter alone would be worth the purchase of the entire book. In that chapter, Viola shares his own life experience and journey of faith. And through the process, reveals the epidemic stumbling block that I have observed first-hand in American churches – that Jesus Himself is missing.

He writes, "I strongly believe that the underlying reality of the church is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. Not as a doctrine. Not as a system of belief. Nor as a set of moral teachings. Not as a philosopher or a social activist ... A living person who dwells within our spirits and who can be known."

See the post previous post below for some of the many insights that spoke to me.

---

The following bloggers are posting a review or Q&A with Frank Viola on his bestselling book From Eternity to Here today, Tuesday, July 21.

You may order the book at a discount at www.frometernitytohere.org – it’s also on audio book. Free discussion guide, sample chapters, interviews, and a free audio of the first chapter are available on that site also.

Here are the bloggers who are participating:

Jay Becker - www.jaybecker.org
Mark D - deadmanstravelog.blogspot.com
Igniting Hearts | Kimber Britner - www.ignitinghearts.blogspot.com
Karyn - tiger-kar.blogspot.com
Barefoot Preacher - thebarefootpreacher.blogspot.com
Every Day Angels - www.weareeverydayangels.com
FaithEngineer - www.faithengineer.com
Kristen Schiffman - dancinginthemargins.typepad.com
CrossPointe: The Church at Bevo - churchatbevo.blogspot.com
Crazy Love for God - crazyloveforgod.blogspot.com
Amazima Ministries - oatsvallteam.blogspot.com
Down to Write Honest - downwritehonest.com
A Beautiful Mess - blnorth1105.blogspot.com
The Blakes on a Mission - www.theblakesthailand.blogspot.com
Words by Jud Kossum - judkossum.blogspot.com
Eric Jaffe - www.ericjaffe.org
Reconnect with God – www.reconnectwithgod.org
2nd Cup of Coffee - 2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com
Nolan Bobbitt - www.nolanbobbitt.com
Klappyanne - www.xanga.com/klappyanne
Daveingland | Dave Ingland - www.daveingland.com
Randi Jo Rooks - seedsinmyheart.blogspot.com
Ephesians Five - ephesiansonefive.blogspot.com
Michael Bayne - www.michaelbayne.net
Encounter Church Helena Blog | Eric Powell - encounterhelena.org
Thoughts B4 Conviction N2 Action - tsharrison.blogspot.com
Edevotion - e-devotion.blogspot.com
Seeking After - seekingafter.blogspot.com
Borrowed Light - fbcnewlondon.blogspot.com

Impacting Quotes: From Eternity to Here

Just finished Frank Viola's new book, From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God. I've been reading it over the last 3 weeks and discovered a number of gems to glean from. Tell me what you think. What speaks to you?

• "The next time you feel condemnation over your past, please remember this one thing: the first person to lay eyes upon the resurrected Lord was a former prostitute."
• "The call to Abram contains a profound truth: Involvement in God's building often means leaving the tradition of our forefathers."
• "The priesthood of Israel is fully active. The priests are sacrificing animals and slinging blood at the brazen altar. They are marching through the religious program, passing out the bulletin, lighting the candles, ringing the bells, preaching the sermon, and following the litergy. But there's one problem: the ark's not there. God is not there. Does that bother them? Apparently not. They continue on with the ritual."
• "The house of God is not a thing. It's not an object. It's not brick and mortar. Nor a metaphor, a doctrine, or a theology. The house of God is a person. It is the Lord Jesus Christ"
• "Scattered stones can never make a house, no matter how many of them exist...Thus lone-ranger Christians are of no use in the building of God's house."
• "God is not looking for a place to visit. He is looking for a place to dwell."
• "Jesus Christ did not die and rise again just to forgive you of your sins. He died in order that His Father could obtain a home."
• "What is Babylon? It's the human attempt to reach God by human strength, human wisdom, and human ingenuity."
• "The old men who remembered the glory of Solomon's temple were bitterly critical of the new temple... Point: The past work of God often persecutes and devalues the new work of God."
• "Jesus Christ didn't come to begin a new religion. He came to begin a new creation."
• "Leaving the wilderness may come at an obscenely high price. It is for this reason that many do not leave it."
• "We cannot receive the new until we first let go of the old. Old wineskins do not patch well... God has never been in the business of pouring new wine into old wineskins."
• "Living by 'right and wrong' is not Christianity. It's old covenant living. And it's very human."
• "To Paul's mind, when brothers and sisters in Christ divide from one another, it's like taking a butcher knife to Jesus Christ. It's like tearing off a chunk of flesh from our Lord's own body."
• "We Christians are not simply disciples of Jesus. We are not simply believers in the Savior of the world and the Lord of Creation. We are members of Christ."
• "I cannot fully know Christ on my own. Neither can you. I must know Him through His body... But in order for us to know Christ through the other members of His body, we have to get close to them."
• "It's not a metaphor. Paul never says the church is like His body. No, we are His body."
• "The Bible, also weeping, speaks out and says, 'I came to point men and women to Him. I came to testify of Him. I came to make Him known. But they have made a god out of me."
• "In so many modern churches, a set of doctrines. a certain theology, a charismatic personality, a set of special works or ministries, is the centrality rather than Christ. Mark it down: The centrality of anything other than Christ is a betrayal..."
• "You an I become fully human in community. God's intention was never for a bunch of saved individuals."
• "As the body of Christ, the church not only cares for its own, but it also cares for the world that surrounds it. Just as Jesus did while He was on earth."
• "One of the Roman emperors... publicly lamented that the pagan temples were loosing customers because 'the Christians not only take care of their own needy, but ours as well."
• "I made another discovery. Namely, that Christian doctrine can make a person downright mean... I came to the place where I was compelled to lay down my doctrinal sword, for like Peter, I had been cutting people's ears off."
• "Evangelism is an it. The power of God is an it. Eschatology is an it. Christian theology is an it. Christian doctrine is an it. Faith is an it. Apologetics is an it. I made the striking discovery that I don't need an it. I have never needed an it. And I will never need an it. Christian its, no matter how good or true, eventually wear out, run dry, and become tiresome... We do not need things. We need Jesus Christ.
• "Everything in scripture—every book, every story, every teaching, every theme, every letter, every verse, all the arrows point to Him."
• "Jesus Christ not only reveals the way... He is the Way. Jesus Christ not only reveals the truth... He is the Truth. Jesus Christ is not only the giver of life, He is the Life."

Hey You...Yeah You!

Now, we both know you've been checking out Encounter for a while.

You've been visiting the website and looking us up on Facebook. But you're still lurking in the background.

You want to find out more about this group of people called Encounter. What motivates us? How do we plan to impact this generation in Helena? Are we a safe place for hurting and imperfect people?

Maybe you've seen us at the YWCA, at the Helena Walking Mall, or Alive@Five. Maybe you've been checking the blog each day from the Montana State Government, or Albertsons, your home Bresnan Service, or even out-of-state.

Maybe you are the guy who has the "Faith is a Journey, Not a Guilt Trip" bumper sticker I saw today. You know who you are.

I'm just saying that now is the time to MAKE A CONNECTION!

Give me a call.
Send me an email.
Chat with me on Facebook.
Direct tweet me on Twitter.
Join us tomorrow for the Dream Team Gathering.

Let's talk and share our dreams for a new faith community in Helena for this generation and beyond.

The Vision Will Be Made Real

"We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on...

"God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience...

"If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you.

— Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, July 6

"Hell, Yeah!"

We recently got together and talked about ways we can continue to Engage Culture in Helena. The group had some great ideas and I am really excited about continuing to impact our community and about being a positive agent of change here where we live, work, play, and explore living a life following Jesus.

We've already been involved in Washing Windows at the Helena Walking Mall, and gathering Gift Packages for St. Peter's Hospital O.B. nurses, Broadwater School staff, and the Elkhorn Rehabilitation Center workers.

Two new project we're working on is Making Helena Greener by planting donated flowers at various organizations, and Serving Friends by hosting a rock wall, inflatable, and other booths at Memorial Park. We'll let you know more as the details come together. If you want to get involved, let us know now in our planning stages.

One of our favorite things to do is to extend Simple Acts of Kindness by handing out free Tootsie Pops and other giveaways like bottled water at various community events such as the Vigilante Parade and Alive@Five. It's such a simple way to brighten someone's day and let them know you care — no strings attached.

It's interesting that more than once as we've given free stuff and asked "would you like this free thing?" — we've gotten the response "Hell, yeah." I love that! It means that we're touching people's lives in a simple, yet relevant way.

In a culture that looks at church agendas and organized religion and says "Hell, no!" We're catching people's attention and allowing them to say "Hell, yeah" so they can eventually move forward in a faith journey with Jesus — we're freeing people to Encounter Jesus.

This is just one way to be a burning bush. It's just one way to be something out of the ordinary that captures the attention of a city so that people can hear the voice of God.

And to that I say "Hell, Yeah!"

On Boats And Safety

Since we've been talking about boats and safety recently, I found the following entry this morning in Oswald Chamber's My Utmost For His Highest. It's quite interesting. He writes...

"If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of his purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get past the harbor into the great depths of God..."

Are we spending all our time in the calm waters? In the safety of the harbor?

Don't get me wrong, Jesus died to bring us peace. He came to give us rest and comfort. But that safety is found in Him alone – not in our retirement plans, not in our job security, nor in our convenient participation of church activities. The safety we seek is granted within and despite the chaos of the raging storm.

I see this daily as I am reminded how crazy it is to launch a new church in a city that already has dozens; when I am reminded that we are in economic hard times; when I am reminded that Helena is not immune to the violence and heartbreak of tragic events like last week's shooting.

While we find peace and fulfillment in Him, may we remember that Jesus didn't die to make us safe. He died to make us dangerous – to the storms, to spiritual apathy, to the evils of this world, and to the status quo.

Perhaps God is moving you right now to sever the lines of complacent safety. Perhaps He's calling you to take an active part in being a positive agent of change in Helena. Contact us – we would love to talk to you about what Encounter is doing and how we plan to conquer these storms through Jesus.

Getting Out Of The Boat

We are in a boat. We're in the boat of our lives.

For some of us, our boat is going to church, reading our bibles, listening to the message, listening to the music, and trying to be a good person. All these things are our little boat.

They keep us safe.
They keep us afloat.
They keep us from drowning.

It's a good little boat to be in – but isn't there something more?

Our little boat does make us comfortable. It's a nice little boat to be in. We don't make anyone angry. If people ask us about Jesus, we'll tell them. We think "yeah I'm going to heaven. I'm saved. I know how to do the Christian thing." So what's wrong?

Why do we feel like there is more?
Why are we dis-satisfied with the status quo?
Why are we NOT dis-satisfied with the status quo?

A BOAT STORY

In Matthew 14, Jesus was on the shore, praying. The disciples were out in a boat when the winds began to pick up and waves began to crash on the side of the boat. The sky got dark and the storm began to pour down on the disciples. Of course, the disciples began to be afraid for their lives because they thought the boat was going to flip over and they were all going to drown.

One of the disciples looks out onto the water and he sees what he thinks is a ghost walking on the water. And then they hear a familiar voice that says "Take courage, it's me. Do not be afraid"

It was Jesus!

Jesus was walking on water out in the middle of the storm. And then Peter says "Lord if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water"

And Jesus says "Come."

So Peter steps out and he is miraculously able to walk on water and walks toward Jesus. While he soon begins to doubt and begins sinking, Peter calls out for help. Jesus grabs his hand and pulls him up.

Peter never had to leave the comfort of the boat. He could have easily hid with his life jacket on, hid from the storm, and stayed in the boat. But there was one problem.

Jesus wasn't in the boat.
Jesus was out in the middle of the storm.
Peter knew he needed to be with Jesus.

A CHOICE

We too, have a choice to make. We can continue on staying in our boat – with our family, with our friends, with our schools. We can pray to God everyday. We can read our Bibles. We can try to be nice people. But if we do, we never leave our boat. We never say Jesus is worth risking our life for. Jesus is worth drowning for.

Jesus told Peter to come.
And He's telling you to come.
Get out of your comfort zone.
Get out of your boat.

And come walk on water with Him.

NOW IS THE TIME

These are the “early moments” of a movement within Helena to lead a generation into a growing relationship with Christ. Let's get together today. We are currently gathering people who will launch Encounter Church. If you haven't already thought about it, we challenge you to seriously and prayerfully consider being part of the Launch Team.

These notes from the Encounter Informational Meeting and a video by GreaterLess Films called "Boat."

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.

The Church of Tomorrow?

When I hear people refer to this generation as "the church of tomorrow," my heart breaks. Not because there is no hope for this generation, but quite the opposite. Seeing this generation as the upcoming generation means that we are tragically clinging to the past.

Dan Kimball is correct in the assertion that those in this generation are the primary shapers and influencers in our culture. He writes in They Like Jesus, But Not The Church, "Musicians writing the songs that influence people at a national and global level are primarily in their twenties. The creativity and innovation of people in their twenties and thirties are used in the marketplace and in the music world, but are they given a place to help shape the church?"

Truth be told, this generation is "the church of today," not tomorrow! Unfortunately, the hearts and minds of many in this generation are being squelched because they don't conform to traditional structures of organized religion. The thought patterns and life experience of this generation are like no other generation in history.

From Craig Groeschel and a recent series over at the Swerve blog, let's highlight some important observations about this generation:

Our world is smaller and our perspective is broader.
Because of technology, The lines between global and local has been blurred.

We have a wider definition of "friends."
Today a friend can be someone you may not have ever met before they clicked on your Facebook page and asked to be your friend.

We're more experiential.
Instead of accumulating possessions like previous generations, our generation is into accumulating experiences.

We have been under-challenged.
Many in this generation have been given much, yet we’ve been challenged little. We have more potential than most realize.

Our world is gray.
Many of us in this generation have been told that truth is relative, but deep down we believe and are searching for absolute truths.

We’re searching for a cause.
This generation is looking for something, often anything, worthwhile to live for. When we find a cause, we'll go to extreme measures to make a difference.

We are conversational.
But before we listen to you, we want to know if you’re listening to us. This generation builds trust slowly. If you’ll get to know us, we will listen to you.

We want to be loved.
This generation craves intimacy in relationships. We want to know and be known. We are hungry for acceptance and affirmation and respond well to sincere Christian love.

If you’re quick to judge, don’t bother trying to connect.
Unfortunately, too many Christians are turned off or intimidated by the young, tech savvy, tattooed, and pierced young adults.

This generation doesn’t want to hear about what you believe.
We want to see your beliefs in actions. As strange as it may seem, we are drawn to faith that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, heals the sick, and loves the outcasts—all in the name of Christ, the King. If you’re daring enough to live like Jesus, we might join you. And then one day, we might believe what you believe.

Care to add to this list? Click on the word "comments" below...

What Messes You Up?

Recently, I've coming across some thoughts that have absolutely messed me up! Here are some I felt focused more on the vision God has given us for Encounter. I've posted more quotes over on my eSomething blog here.

CRAIG GROESCHEL [Swerve]
I believe one of the biggest ministry challenges in our day is small vision. Without intentional effort, most people tend to think small, play it safe, and avoid risks. Is God honored by the size of your vision?

To reach people that nobody else is reaching, you have to do things that nobody else is doing.

MARK BATTERSON [Evolutional]
Most people are bored with their faith. And as Soren Kierkegaard said, boredom is the root of evil. You cannot live by faith and be bored simultaneously

FRANCIS CHAN in Crazy Love
Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to other believers.

Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.

TROY KENNEDY [NewWorship]
Is my heart broken for the things that break Jesus' heart? Does my heart rejoice over the things that Jesus rejoices over?

BILL HYBELS in Axioms
Passion always leads.

PERRY NOBLE [blog]
We need to accept people where they are. Meet them where the are. And take them to a place where they can meet Jesus.

A disciple isn’t someone who knows a lot of information. It’s someone who says, ‘Jesus, I will follow you.’

People ask me how I hear the voice of God. How do you not hear the voice of the Lord? ... Where there is no expectation, there is seldom any revelation.

Share with us: What messes you up?

Engaging The Senses

I think how we express the message of life matters. Especially new life and second chances. What does it look like to be a new creation?

I love the creativity of expression in the use of lighting, sound, and color to engage the senses in this video. It speaks volumes more than simply saying "we are a new creation." What do you think?

What Do You Think?

I came across this Franciscan Prayer (repeated by Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv) . It addresses a range of concerns in relatively few words. At the same time, I found it resonates the passions of my heart. These values of authentic truth, invested relationship, compassionate love, new life, and growing faith must be the foundation of a faith community. What do you think?

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

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)