Baby!!

So our friends Steve and Jane just gave birth yesterday to a 10 lbs, 1 oz. Evan. He's like a little hairy sumo wrestler, and we're very excited for them and pretty sure we got the best gifts for them too! HAHAH! Oh, excuse me, just feeling a bit competitive today :)

So Walter and i met on Monday with Mark Reynolds (no relation) the head of the Redeemer Church Planting Center (or something like that) and it was a good challenging meeting. Mark didn't pull punches, was excited about working with us, and presented us with a lot to chew on and consider. Apparently i saw him in rare form too, bc supposedly he's a pretty reserved and straight laced guy. But he actually was cracking some jokes with a straight face. I appreciated his sarcasm. 

So we are slowly moving ahead and weighing options. Unfortunately finances are among those we have to consider when looking at the future. We have the opportunity to take advantage of 2 different programs they offer there at RCPC: 1) The Incubator a 2 year once a month program you go through with other pastors that are currently planting that covers many topics and is very good. Walter did the predecessor program for over a year about 4-5 years ago and now they have only expanded and improved the previous materials, so we are excited about that. 2) The Fellows, this program is probably more only an option for myself and then to follow a year later into the Incubator possibly. The Fellows is more of an intensive internship with a current church plant to gain experience about the process for those who aren't yet fully ready to start a plant verses those in the Incubator which are starting or in process of a plant. The Fellows requires that it is the exclusive "job" of the participant, and as such receives a stipon of some sort though i didn't ask bc i didn't want that to cloud my judgement.

So we are looking at timeline and the spread of the approach we want to take for the church beginning. This may look like starting solely in one location and expanding in a year to two into a second and\ or third location, or starting in two and expanding into three. So based on our moving forward on the plan will affect our inclination for us both to go through Incubator or only Walter and for me to go through the Fellows and just be assigned to the church plant we are doing. The advantages of the second are that we then would have a full time person to address many of the time consuming issues with the plant on a daily basis, while Walter would still be free to work in another capacity to produce income for his family. And of course the theological training and practical mentoring would be beneficial to me as i received it from the Fellows leaders. However a negative could easily be that this is an exclusive program, meaning i would not be able to be involved in the HOC program teaching martial arts in the public schools, or teaching any evening classes (though as of now i am planning on ending those classes by August), and then who knows the impact on my personal training and plans for world domination. Supposedly the fellows is a 70 hr+ per week commitment. 

In addition to this currently the schools have not paid me nor has Walter been drawing a salary all this time and we both are looking at the possible necessity to seek income by other means. I suggested selling body parts on the black market, drug trafficking, or simply annexing our own country out of the US and printing our own money, but for some reason he didn't like those ideas. So then it is to the possibilities of other employment we may need to look. Tammy and i have been cutting back a lot of stuff in the hopes to reduce our bills. We canceled our cable and changed our internet provider and somehow wound up with a credit to our account for Time Warner. Thanks God!

And of course Walter and i have the Next Level commitment coming up for May-August that we have to fulfill so that impacts our capabilities to get involved in much else. Though all things work out and it's not as bad as it seems. We order Fresh Direct and still indulge our selves with organic brownies mom sent (which were amazing) and our hobbies. Life is good we are growing these are just the pains associated with the process. Like my soreness from Mondays training session that i haven't gotten over yet but will be adding to in 2 hours....

love you guys,

Jonathan

Currently listening to:

The sounds of birds, my street, and radiator....yes it's still cold enough here that the heat is on...

Monday, Monday

But it's not, it's FRIDAY!!! HOLLA! ever since i changed my teaching schedule i've come to appreciate the weekend again. something i lost long ago when i entered the world of Food & Beverage, then Retail, then Church work. I like the weekend again. So a lazy morning so far Tammy hasn't made it back from work and i'm going to be leaving to teach in about 45 minutes. just enjoying my coffee in the monster mug jeanne gave me and watching MMAWeekly on HULU. man this post has a lot of capital letters.... 

So Walter and i have finally more or less finished the executive summary for the church and will be handing it out to the elders, and others soon. i'll post it below for all to read. it's brief and not a doctrinal statement, but more of a conceptual overview with some principles listed. 

Church Plant Executive Summary

 

            As we have felt the spirit stirring in us for many years[1], we are responding to the calling to plant (make disciples - Matt. 9:35-38) in a Multi-Zone (one church that meets at multiple locations) approach to church planting. We are endeavoring to create a church composed of people who will encounter, engage, and implement Jesus Christ in the context of their daily lives. As such we feel that a multi-site, culturally and economically diverse church plant is the most realistic and beneficial model to adopt. We are thankful to move forward with the expressed blessing of Manhattan Bible Church and the elders, as they have been instrumental in us being here at this place and being able to respond to the call to plant. We humbly ask Manhattan Bible Church and the elders for their prayers as we desire to be a church that functions on the following principles:

 

• Christ –We believe it must be our first priority to convey an accurate portrait of God through Jesus Christ. (Col. 1:15-20)

 

• Cause – We believe that in our response to the God who first loved us, through that love, we are empowered to be practitioners of a great and divine love that has been changing our neighborhoods, city, nation, and world for generations. (Matt. 22:34-40; 1 John 4:19)

 

• Culture – We believe it is the Church’s responsibility to articulate the gospel in such a manner that resonates with its surrounding community and culture. (Acts 17)

 

• Community –We believe this community can only be built on genuine, time consuming, significant relationships – first with God, then with others, and finally our blocks, neighborhoods, and city. (Acts 2-3)

 

• Compassion & Justice –We believe we must always strive to practice both practical and financial care, concern, and provision for those within our church community and those without with special attention to the widows, orphans, and forgotten of this world. (Amos 5:15, Jer. 29:7, James 1:27)

 

• Creativity – We believe that worshiping our Father can take many forms of expression and as such desire to be an Acts church that allows the use of individual gifts to the glory of our Creator in our group times and privately. (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 41:20; Psalms; Acts 17)
  

 

• Continuation – We believe that church planting is one of the most effective forms of evangelism and time proven methods of impacting communities and individuals, so we seek to be a continuing organism to spawn new church plants continually as leaders rise to the call of God’s ministry. (Matt. 28:16-20; Act 1:8; New Testament Epistles; Rev. 2-3)

Reasons why Multi-Zone Church Plant:

Biblical Reasons:

• N.T. Epistles written to a network of churches in a City. See Epistles
• N.T. demonstrates leadership model that is not necessarily local. Paul writting to churches (if Paul were here today, he could of used our technology) - 1 Cor. 5:3  (Paul used methods current to his time to reach the new and growing body of early believers)
• N.T. Churches in networks not only in Cities but in Regions - 1 Pet 1 - 
• New means of ministry - 1 Cor. 9:20-23

Historical Reasons:

• Denomination, movements, associations, coalitions and networks come together to be more effective for Kingdom purposes.
• Methodism - Christian movement lead by John and Charles Wesley.
• The Church was launched in 32 AD, 1980 25 churches in america implemented the cell group model church, 2008 more than 2,000 churches in North America are using multi zone churches to reach their communities.

Logical Reasons:

• Develops new models and understandings of leadership, 
  
• Stewardship and the use of property (does not mean church owns property)
• Enabling the churches to tremendously increase their impact regardless of geographical limitations.
  
• 60%-80% of established churches are settled or declining in numbers
• 3,500 churches close each year
• 58 billion dollars are owed by churches in capital improvement projects
• Missiological churches go to where people live and play
• Technology Reach
• Communications - instant, constant, global and permanent.

Financial Reasons

• Meeting in Apartments, Houses, rented facilities provide a low cost to facilities
• Bi-Vocational leadership alleviates start up cost.

So there you have it. That's where we stand. and on that note to all of our Seacoast and like friends, we have presale tickets to U2 at giants stadium...so in yo' face! although i'm sure Jason has like 18 tickets all across the world to go and watch them. but whatever. 

Love to all

Jonathan

Currently Listening to:

lets' take this outside...

okay so i've put my request in for information from the NY Teachers Fellows. The application date is passed for this year but we'll see what comes back for next year. i have this band-aid on my finger and it's making typing strangely difficult. i never noticed before how much of typing was tactile and how much was muscle memory...anywho i don't know that this approach will work bc i don't believe they teach phys ed which would be my subject, but we'll see. plus it's super selective and i'd almost hate to take someone elses place, but i'll leave this whole thing up to God and wait. 

Otherwise we are meeting with the principle of one of the schools i teach at today to discuss next years plan. and on that note i got reprimanded yesterday by that teacher for being late. apparently i've been late all year bc i thought the class started at 9:15 and it starts at 9. That would have been a good thing to know, but considering how haphazard our beginning of this program was, and how little i knew about public schools it's not really that surprising. hopefully this meeting will help prevent that kind of thing happening next time. live and learn

So that brings up another interesting point, as i left yesterday and the principle gave the obligatory "don't be late" at the end of our conversation as we walked out the office, and i gave the obligatory "snort and smile" in an attempt at good humor, not sure as to if she was joking or not. So i immediately felt my confrontational fighter coming up in me, pride, arrogance, anger probably all that and more reared their heads. It's amusing too bc my bride tells me that i didn't used to be this way and it's an interesting development in my personality, and i'd have to agree, i used to really be uncomfortable with confrontation and try to smooth things out. now i'm sometimes more a bulldozer in a china shop. First hint of opposition and my juices start flowing and i'm ready to take it outside to the playground, strap on some gloves and do this!

(i thought the playground would be a nice imagery considering the school topic) Anyway i always find introspection amusing and i like it when most other people comment on what they observe about me bc it helps me see myself through others eyes, which sometimes really helps me refine my character. but back to my self reflection, the whole thing yesterday made me realize how long it's been since i was "Under" someone else's authority. I have been essentially self employed and on my own schedule for 2 years now. I've always been independent as my mom will likely attest to, and as a person comfortable with and wired for leadership, i find it hard without the aforementioned response to sit under another person with one exception. If i have been made aware clearly of our relationship and willingly submit myself and respect the person over me, then perfect. so the only thing that went wrong at the school was there was no clear definition of mine and the principles relationship and i did not appreciate the tail end comment as though i were her underling or incapable of doing something as simple as being on time.

But that probably connects with my conflict resolution process. All i need to do is talk it out and come to a conclusion and it's done. there's no need to continue to talk about it. Hence my frustration in earlier posts concerning issues with the local church and our church plant. Again i'm amused at myself and the ease in which i raise up and my willingness to go head-to-head comes out. As always these opportunities allow me another change to grow and learn about myself and the people that surround me and for that i'm thankful. While a lifetime of asking questions can make things difficult it also allows for opportunities to grow when some might write the instance off to life and never give it another thought. 

All this being said, and assuming you guys don't mind hearing me ramble about life, this makes me question the opportunity to take an employee status with the school even if it can happen, there are struggles that come along with how we do things now, but likewise there is another group of headaches on the other side as well. But like i told Walter, i'm not going to just shut a door that God opens, especially after it's been put before me a couple of times. i'll test my God and see what he wants, and if that means subjugating myself to the tyrannical leadership of the DOE, then i will. But there's no promises that i won't stir the peasants to rebellion and throwing over the oligarchical rulership for democracy....or communism, as long as it's on paper and not actually put into practice...

check yo on the flip side.

Jonathan

Currently listening to:

Third Eye Blind

Spring!!!

Yay! Todays spring it's official now. Sunny days, parks, longboarding in the streets, cookouts, and the beach! I'm getting my board shorts on and hitting the pool!

.....oh wait what's this?


...this would be the largest snowflakes I've seen all year. So much for spring...

-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Little by little

Well walter and I have been working on an executive summary for the church and finally accomplished something. Our working draft is complete and we are waiting for a meeting with the elders of MBC. In other news I'm waiting to hear about my possible certification for NYS teaching. We'll see over the next few weeks if that's viable and worthwhile.

I'm back to training finally this week. I've changed my schedule around and hopefully will be fighting in a submission tournament this May. Some of our guys had their first fights in our team and I'm hoping to start with a new kickboxing coach next week.

Well i started this on the train last night coming from Lost and dinner with our LES friends the Brill's and am finishing it this morning. As you can see, Gus if very instrumental in my studying...


and somehow i don't know when, i blame my dad's genetics and college...especially Dr. Kebede's classes for massive notes, but at some point my handwriting deteriorated to poo...

I'll share briefly a tidbit of my reading this morning and it also serves as evidence why i like Keller. He's a logical and rational teacher and i appreciate that especially in terms of theological issues and faith b\c it's often written of to a super spiritual experience or spoken of in a elevated spiritual language most people can't relate to. This is not to devalue these things but to say they don't always fit the circumstances or styles of communication... so without further ado, Tim Keller on the theological vision of the church and the Gospel's power ladies and gentlemen...

The Third Way - 

The gospel means "good news." It is the basic message that: "God made [Christ], who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5.21). The gospel says that we are so sinful, lost and helpless that only the life and death of the Son of God can save us. But it also says that those who trust in Christ's works instead of their own efforts are now "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (col. 1.22-23).

The gospel tells us that our root sin is not just failing in our obedience to God but relying on our obedience to save us. Therefore, the gospel is a "third way," neither religion nor irreligion. The religious person may say, "I am doing the right things that God commands" and the irreligious person may say, "I decide what is right and wrong for myself." But both ways reject Jesus Christ as Savior )though they may revere him as Example or Helper). Both ways are strategies of self-salvation - both actually keep control of their own lives. So the gospel keeps us from legalism and moralism on the one hand, and from hedonism and relativism on the other.

- Tim Keller, "Into to Redeemer" 1996-97 ed.

Now obviously there are a lot of assumptions going on here b\c this is an excerpt and not a full discussion. There is the assumption on one believing in sin and an after-life and God, etc. but the basic perspective of the gospel's value is great. Keller mentioned on Sunday that our religion is the only religion that calls for not the worshipper to sacrifice and strive to fulfill and please their deity for the possibility of salvation, but is one where the deity sacrifices itself out of love and justice and mercy for the worshipper and offers a certainty of salvation. Of course this introduces the struggle of the trinitarian concept for us to wrap our minds around, but that still doesn't change the fact of our religion. 

Now out of myself my first counter argument against this perspective is that Christianity then is a religion for lazy cowards that are to scared to face themselves and overcome their own shortcomings. Of course there are lots of different points that could be addressed in response to this thinking, but my most simple and undeniable response is the truth of myself as a person. I find much more confidence and peace in the belief (and yes it is a belief as most things are whether we accept that or not) that there is nothing i can do to rectify my spiritual situation and that there is a loving, just God who practices what he desires us to practice rather than my salvation depending on myself. And yes i believe we as people are in need of salvation due to what i see and believe to be the total depravity of humanity. (and this is where we would discuss evil as to one reason i believe this to be true) B\c based on my life record i am lazy and selfish and not very driven to be good. So i'd be in lots of trouble if my salvation depended on me meeting and living up to a set of laws and status quo...

anyway enough philosophy for one morning....many things await....hugs to all.

Jonathan

currently listening to:

-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

Dr. So-in-So, I'd be working for the DOE.

So for at least a second time I have been approached by the principle of one of the schools I teach in about getting my NYS teachers license. While the committee is still out on this one, Wallace and I met yesterday to discuss the plant and I talked with him about my schedule concerns for next year.

Long story short Tammy and I have been looking at what to do for my income and time. Right now the possibility stands that I could work for the DOE teaching martial arts for Heart of a Champion still but st paid by DOE instead of the school which makes things easier and more complicated.

My evening classes may have to be stopped though due to a separation of us from MBC and timing. As we continue to move out of the location no new possibilities are open right now for teaching in. And we've looked at a bigger apartment and teaching out of home but it doesn't look like a very viable option for a number of reasons. So now all this is in the air and I hate it bc I like resolution and to be planning.

Tammys getting ready to test for her CEN (certified emergency nurse) and is planning to start school working toward her masters this summer while I'm busy with TNL. She has to get a chemistry class out of the way. If I end up going for my certification that means I'll have to go backto school as well since all teachers have to have masters here. Unfortunately it won't he a masters in religious studies like I would prefer to get. But life goes on.

So I'm leaving shortly to go teach this morning and will hopefully be talking with the principle more about this idea today. We'll keep you posted.

Peace.

PS. We officially stuck it to the Man by canceling our cable. It's fantastic. I resommend you all do the same and get a Mac and put a free program called Boxee on it and watch your tv that way. Cable is so archaic. Untill they make a la carte cable subscriptions, the end is coming for Time Warner and others. Hahahahhah!

-- Post From A Ninja On The Move

It's another morning

Sooo...I was supposed to go train this morning but when I woke up and was doing my morning deal my rosacea starting itching like a baby with chicken pox in a swap full of Mosquitos. I didn't like it and I knew if I trained it would only aggregate it. But at least I got up so I sat down in the big green chair that Tammy swears I jeep trying to get rid of (but I don't mother and please no apologies for the genetic gift of rosacea. It's not going to kill me so it'll only make me a stronger person) and did some studying.

I'm going through Tim Keller's and Redeemer's church planting manual. Currently I'm looking at the biblical foundation for church planting and fashion of a new church. He had a great three points on basic necessities for a plant. 1) know the Gospel -thoroughly - communicate not a click to liscence and not a click to law. 2) know the culture - adapt not too much or too little. 3) love your city.

Keller spends some good time going through Acts 2:40-47 and looking at the foundation and structure of the early church. This was a really good section that I really enjoyed.
Walter and I are conferencing tonight to get our working mission statement or essay on the church format so we can present it to MBC's elder board and our advisory board for them to look over and sign off on.

Until next time.
Jonathan



-- Post From A Ninja On The Move