Fall Festival at the BGC

Last week Northwest Community Church had the privilege of serving at the Bella Vista Boys and Girls Club's Family Fall Festival. It was a great time to meet new families and practice the principles we have been learning from our Just Walk Across the Room series. We were also able to help each child decorate a pumpkin which made for a ton of fun. Kids are hilarious, creative, and provide so much energy to any event.

Click Here to see some of the pictures from the Fall Festival.

Wild Ride

It's so funny to me whenever people ask, "Hey, how's the church going?" I literally have no idea how to answer that question. Part of me wants to spill my guts and tell them 100 stories about how God is amazing and is changing my life through the church planting experience. On the other hand, almost everyone who asks that question is just trying to be nice and make conversation so I simply say "It's going well" and nod my head.

This past month at Northwest has been exciting. God is working in the life of our new church, people are growing in Christ, and some spiritual light bulbs are clicking on for the very first time. At the same time, this whole process is messy and unpredictable. For every exciting story that has taken place at Northwest, I could share stories about 10 other loose ends or things that I have no foreseeable solution for. But that is what makes this whole journey so exciting. Almost on a weekly basis I have to remind myself that Christ did not come to this earth so that we could have safe, predictable, nicely packaged lives. Rather Christ came to bring redemption, radical transformation and change in a world that desperately needs Him. When we choose to follow Christ, we sign up to be involved in that same process. And the bottom line...I would not have it any other way. So the next time you ask me how's the church going, just be ready for an ear full.

This week I have enjoyed reading in Colossians and ask that you pray a similar prayer for Northwest this week: "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ...Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should." Colossians 4:2-4

Oklahoma Sports and Fitness Magazine

In order to recharge my batteries and tackle the challenges of church planting with renewed energy, I need a steady diet of outdoor adventures. This year, one of my goals is to trail run the entire 165 mile Ozark Highlands Trail which basically runs across the western third of Arkansas. Typically I will knock out a 15-20 mile section on a Saturday morning once a month. It usually takes several hours to set the runs up due to the fact that the trailheads are in remote areas and require leaving one vehicle at the start and one vehicle at the finish. Besides the thrill of adventure, my favorite part about trail running is being able to share the experience with a group of friends and the conversations we have about life along the way. This month I was able to document some of my experiences on the OHT in the October/September issue of Oklahoma Sports and Fitness magazine which is tying to broaden its readership into parts of TX, MO, and AR. Here is a direct link to the article:

http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=45391

The Way It Should Be

Last week I had the privilege of having breakfast with Robert Cupp and Chip Jackson of Fellowship Bible Church in Rogers. Our topic of conversation was focused on how effective, healthy churches are able to stay focused on the mission and vision of the church. As I went home to process our conversation, I began to write down a few takeaway points on a whiteboard in my office. Here are some lessons I learned:

1. The mission/vision of the church should be the focus of everything we do. They are the reason we exist as a church.
2. There are two main "drivers" or growth agents in a church: organic, life-change, God stuff and the organizational, systems, processes stuff. Both are important and should walk hand-in- hand towards fulfilling the mission/vision of the church.
3. The entire organization/structure of the church must enhance the mission and vision of the church. Do not ever allow the organization of the church to hinder the mission and vision of the church.

This past Sunday evening, the Leadership Team of NCC (Kevin, Greg, Rob, and Will) along with our wives met to evaluate our first six months as a church. It was one of the most refreshing, encouraging, and Christ-honoring meetings/conversations I have ever had. We started the meeting off with a conversation about our vision of leading people to experience a new life in Christ. We asked ourselves, How well are we achieving our vision? For the remainder of the meeting we allowed this question to filter our decisions concerning structure, budgeting, and planning. I only wish that every pastor, leadership team, and church could have conversations about the "business and organization of the church" as it relates to what God has called them to do. I truly feel blessed to serve alongside a group of people who are committed to allowing God's leadership and calling to determine how we operate as a church...this is the way it should be.