Surprised by...Hope?... Joy?... Jim's last-minute idea.

Guess what I was asked to do yesterday during the 11:10 service?!

Help with BAPTISMS!

I never baptized anyone before yesterday. But I was able to declare to two sisters in Christ that they now bear the "name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" and "dunk" them into a big pool of water while wearing a white robe. I love baptism for so many reasons, so it was beautiful to administer that sacrament. 

Beforehand, Robert Gelinas ran into Jim's office, made the sign of the cross on my forehead with his fingers and said "I ordain you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." It was a funny, odd, and deep moment. Funny because Robert apparently deemed it appropriate to sum up the whole of ordination into ten seconds, as if to play an immense practical joke on my UMC tendencies. Odd because the moment seemed a mixture of loving humor and deep pastoral concern. Deep because I've never thought much about what ordination means and wonder if in that odd moment God opened up a new way for me to channel his grace, even if just for a morning. 

So THAT was something new and awesome and nerve-wracking and blessed.

There and Back Again...

I love the GREEN. I love the small towns. I love the community. I love the shore. 

I love New Jersey. And I got to go back last week. 

This was a special week in New Jersey: I saw Gregory graduate high school, which was fun because it's his next big step and weird because this was the last class that I was in high school with. Nannie and Papa made the trip up from Florida. Anne, Kayla, and Bethany (my favorite, but I'm a bit biased) made the trip over from IWU. Kayla is an east-coast-er and Anne is fresh from the midwest, but neither have seen Jersey the way Rachel and I see Jersey, so it was great to give them a very personal and meaningful stay. 

All in all it was a short but fun week. For me, it was A LOT of familiarity (home, Jersey-friends, IWU-friends, Bethany, extended family, dogs) in not a lot of time. In response to that, I'm feeling a little homesick and a little isolated this week back in Colorado. The feelings will pass;  it's healthy that my heart is attached to certain places and groups of people. Keeps me grateful and rooted.

I am learning so much here at CCC. For example, the weekly staff meeting lasted for three and a half hours today, and I got to be a part of very meaningful conversations. The meeting started with Pastor Doug asking who from the staff attended the "You Lost Me" conference at the church two weeks ago. (Back up. David Kinnaman is the president of the Barna Research Group. He recently wrote a phenomenal book called "You Lost Me," which paints a statistical, historical, and personal picture of why twenty-something's leave the church. He is touring with the Barna Group to present his research, and they came to CCC.) Okay. So I, along with Pastor Richard and Pastor Will, had attended. We started giving our feedback on the conference and the whole staff launched into a discussion about the problems that my generation faces, which morphed into a discussion of racism in evangelicalism and racial injustice in America, which morphed into a discussion about how the church should address issues of interracial worship, which ended with Pastor Robert thanking us for having one of the most American/biblical conversations we could possibly have (since America invented race and the Bible takes culture seriously). 

THEN, one of the leaders confessed to the group a leadership mistake that had been made unintentionally which caused a lot of hurt among some of this leader's volunteers. This director asked for the staff's advice on how to deal with the situation, and, for the next hour, I got to witness a very encouraging and loving and wise discussion on leadership. Pastor Keita floored me with a quote when he told this person, "The road to humility will yield far more than you think it's costing you." How's that for wisdom! 

THEN, I got to hear all of the leaders present their strategic plans for the next fiscal year. This includes the goals they are setting, why they are setting them, and how they plan to address them. Again, this was a great opportunity to see 1) what it looks like for different departments to align with a vision in their own unique ways, 2) how a church thinks about money and "achievements," and 3) why planning and vision are so important for successful ministry. 

And all that was just one staff meeting! 

Another highlight for me was a conversation I had with Pastor Keita two weeks ago about counseling. He told me that every time someone comes to him with a need--whether emotional, basic human, or spiritual--that he believers one of two things is happening: either God has 1) set this meeting up so someone can get saved, or 2) set this meeting up so someone can grow deeper in faith. So that's his mentality for counseling. He enters into it believing that God is already there and at work. Then, he told me that he always tries to use scripture when he counsels. Not only use it, but have it so memorized and embodied that he can just proclaim truth without having to clumsily look things up. He takes Jesus' words seriously: the truth will set you free. And if the truth is what frees you, then a lie is what binds you. And if a lie is what binds you, then only God and his truth can really set someone free. So, again, two big takeaways for me. First, pastoral counseling looks for what God is up to in a person's life. Second, pastoral counseling must be enlivened by the proclamation of biblical truth.

I could write a lot more. I could write about how Pastor Jim brought a fart machine to staff meeting and put it under Annie's chair. I could write about the tons of stuff I'm reading. I could write about my growing visions for small group and Honors College chaplain work in the Fall. But I'm getting tired. Please comment, it helps me stay encouraged. Thanks for being a great community even though I'm not physically near you. Rachel blogged about that concept. Did y'all know Rachel blogs?! I found out tonight. Stoked. 

Week 2 at CCC

After living and studying at IWU for three years, I am used to filling every moment of every day with something to do: classes, meals, homework and homework and homework, small group, being with Bethany, church, playing super smash bros, getting coffee with people, etc. Even if some of these things are "leisurely," the sheer amount of stuff and lack of rest and sleep is exhausting. But, because of the constant supply of coffee and the people around me stuck in the same rhythm, I often don't feel that exhausted until it all comes to a screeching halt after finals week. 

I say all of this because my schedule out here in Colorado is much less busy. And, honestly, it's a little weird. I go into the church and work for about six hours each day from Monday through Friday, experience two or three things a day, and then, well, rest. A small part of me feels like I'm missing out on so much activity, but a bigger part of me is really excited about this slower pace of life. For these few months I get to read a lot, I get to pray more, I get to get back in shape and run, I get to explore Colorado a bit, I get to hang out with this family.

With that said, here is what I was up to this past week at the church:

Tuesday:

• I attended the pastor/director meeting. This is an interesting few weeks for the staff because the budget year is coming to an end, which means that everyone is developing strategic plans for the following year and working through budgeting. I appreciated being able to see this happen within the team because I picked up on how these pastors view money, how they collaborate as a team, how they strategically plan to pursue a like mission in their diverse fields. Also, they just have a lot of fun together. They act like family.
• THEN I hung out with Lead Pastor Robert Gelinas for almost three hours. We hopped in his SUV and drove all over Aurora and Denver. He grew up in this town, went to seminary in this town, and does ministry in this town. This means that the most significant moments of his life happened here. So, he drove and told stories, shared his deeply personal and private self with me. I got to see the church where he was saved, the park where he learned how to do ministry outside the walls of the church, the many places where he led CCC to face urban poverty and systemic injustice head, and many other moments. We talked about how he met his wife, how and what we love to read, and the dreams he has for the city. He is an inspiration to me and a great man of God.

Wednesday:

• MoreLife Center: This will be a regular ministry. I spend 9am - 1pm at the MoreLife Center and give out food, sit in on life champion meetings, and spend time with Pastor Keita. 
• After working at the MoreLife Center I did not have anythings else planned, so I went to a really cool part of town and discovered the Tattered Cover bookstore and City Park. 
• Then I went to a Snarky Puppy concert in the Five Points neighborhood, which, I learned from Robert, used to be the "Harlem of the West" and the African American section of town when cities were legally segregated. Snarky Puppy killed it. So good.

Thursday:

• I spent time with Pastor Richard. We drove to Denver Seminary and went on a quick tour. Then, we went out to lunch with a recent grad from the seminary. She has her masters in Spiritual Formation. Richard wanted to run his strategic plan by her to brainstorm and refine ideas and see where she would like to get involved.  Again, it is cool to see how Richard approaches a ministry of spiritual formation and tries to de-centralize leadership by plugging volunteers in. 
• Pastor Richard and I then went on a hospital visit. We visited a wonderful old black lady who recently had knee replacement surgery and is in pain. We took her flowers, prayed with her, and assured her that the church is thinking of her and there to support her.
• In the evening I went to choir practice with Shauna. I figured it woud be fun and informative to see the behind-the-scenes preparation of a church choir. I didn't figure that I'd end up singing with them during the practice. But I did. I sang and got to be immersed in gospel-y goodness for two hours surrounded by people of all different races and ages.

Friday:

• Friday was a slow day. I hung with Pastor Jim at the church for a bit and put a few things on my calendar for the following week. That was really it. I went back downtown to the Bookstore and Park and ate Chipotle and processed my week. 
• For dinner me and the Hans's ordered pizza and went to a park right down the road. We ate pizza, played soccer and croquet--which I won ;) -- and enjoyed a lovely Colorado evening.
• Then I skyped Bethany :)

So that has was my week, a good mixture of work and leisure. Thanks for reading along. Feel free to comment and ask any questions if you have them. Peace!

Reading!!!

I am going to spend much of this summer reading. I am a bit burnt out from academic reading- cramming complex information into my brain in order to write papers, take tests, and get A's. It has been a while since I've truly read and given words the respect and honor they deserve. True reading means receptivity, the willingness to be available to the voice behind the words, "a voice to be believed and loved and adored in workplace and playground, on the streets and in the kitchen" (Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book 62). True reading means imagination, not the storing of information but the entering into the world of the author and his words, seeing the familiar as unfamiliar and finding new depths of humanity and life in it. True reading means participation, asking for my own part in stories and responding appropriately, letting words form my life and my life yearn for words. 

1. The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander: This children's series of five books--The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King-- follows the character Taran, Assistant-Pig-Keeper, on his journey into manhood. Accompanied by the saucy and proverbial Princess Eilonwy, the exuberant Fflewddur Fflam, and the loyal Gurgi--among others-- Taran's adventures and journey have welcomed me back to the world of fiction after a long vacation in the world of academia. I am in Colorado to learn more about my vocational calling and grow in maturity; Taran's growth in a way helps me understand my own. I am in the first few chapters of book five.
2. The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson: The best book on pastoral ministry I have ever read--not that I've read many. I was captivated by every page. His words convey such truth and wisdom. He is a thinking-Pastor, a poet-Pastor, a praying-Pastor, a joyful-Pastor. His words make me excited and confident again about my calling.
3. Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson: Ironically, as a student of the Bible I often forget to read the Bible with receptivity, imagination, and participation. I am trained to ask "What does this mean?" rather than "What should I obey?" I forget that the Bible is God's self-revelation to us humans, that his voice can be heard in its words, that the Bible should be prayed. Peterson, again, delivers. I don't want to neglect my Bible this summer; in fact, I want this summer to be shaped and guided by the Bible. 
4. Evangelical Theology by Karl Barth: One of the best introductory texts on theology I've ever read. I am trying to take it slow and digest it. I'm thankful for Zach Aument, my best-friend-roommate-and-fellow-pastor-theologian, who got interested in Barth under John Drury and then led me to the richness of Barth's theology. This book rocks. 
5. Einstein by Walter Isaacson: I listened to this biography of Albert Einstein as an audiobook during my drive to Colorado. Okay, Einstein is a freaking genius! And I have so many questions about physics, and so many hunches that physics has a lot to offer to the mysteries of the Christian faith. I have a good friend back home, Jasen Scaramazza. Jasen is going to get his PhD in Physics; how cool is that! I get giddy when he talks about physics and have to try and appear composed when he talks about what he is learning. 

Up on deck: Watership Down, Church Dogmatics III/1, the Fabric of the Cosmos, Working the Angles.

Want a good book? These are some of my lifetime favorites:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.

Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies

1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp

The Externally Focused Church

The book I am reading as a part of my internship, The Externally Focused Church, is intended to orient me to the mission, values, and leadership/ministry philosophies of CCC. I have enjoyed the book so far, because it discusses a way of doing ministry that is quite foreign to my experience. To draw from my own experience, if the leadership quality and programming genius of Sharptown merged with the passions for community transformation of Exit Downtown, we would have an externally focused church. The authors define these churches as follows:

 "Externally focused churches are internally strong, but they are oriented externally. Their external focus is reflected in those things for which they staff and budget. Because they engage their communities with the good works and good news of Jesus Christ, their communities are better places in which to live. These churches look for ways to be useful to their communities, to be a part of their hopes and dreams. They build bridges to their communities instead of walls around themselves. They don't shout at the dirty streams; they gen in the water and begin cleaning it up. They determine their effectiveness not only by internal measures--such as attendance, worship, teaching, and small groups--but also by external measures: the spiritual and societal effects they are having on the communities around them. Externally focused churches measure not only what can be counted but also what matters most--the impact they are having outside the four walls of the church. They ask, "Whose lives are different because of this church?" Nearly everything that is done inside the church should prepare and equip people not only for personal growth, but also for personal impact" (17-18).

The authors also list some characteristics and strategies of these types of churches:

Four Characteristics:

1. Externally focused churches are convinced that good deeds and good news can't and shouldn't be separated.
2. Second, they see themselves as vital to the health and well-being of their communities.
3. They believe that ministering and serving are the normal expressions of Christian living.
4. Fourth, externally focused churches are evangelistically effective.

Two Strategies

1. Identify needs of their communities and start ministries or programs to meet those needs.
2. Partner with existing ministries or human-service agencies that are already accomplishing a shared mission in the community.

Within my first five days at CCC, I have already experienced this external focus. On Tuesday, the entire church staff (including me) went to the largest Food Bank in the area and boxed 600-ish boxes of food on an assembly line to be distributed to those in need around the community. This was not only a team-building activity, but an act of service; and not only was it an act of service, but it was strengthening
 CCC's partnership with the Food Bank for reasons that became clear the next day.

On the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month, the Food Bank sends an 18-wheeler full of high-quality food (fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh baked breads and pastries, etc.) to CCC for an afternoon of food distribution. Yesterday was one of those Wednesdays. A few dozen volunteers from CCC showed up to set up tables, pass out food, play with young children who came with their moms, breakdown cardboard, carry heavy boxes of food to peoples' cars---and do it all in the rain! Hundreds and hundreds of people in need from the community lined up to receive a blessing of food from the church. In the midst of the chaos, I helped by carrying the full boxes of food for those who needed the help.

Next, yesterday morning I spent a few hours at the CCC's MoreLife Center with Pastor Keita. The MoreLife Center is only 3 months young with a BIG vision. In response to the problems of toxic charity, the MoreLife Center is designed to provide instant food needs once for a person in need unless that person is willing to enter into a process of recovery with a designated "Life Champion." If they enter into this process, they can receive food every 30 days up to 3 times. The "Life Champion," partnering with a host of human-service agencies in the community, can guide the person toward help for legal needs, medical needs, unemployment, housing, family issues, etc.

I got to observe a meeting between the MoreLife Center leadership, which is especially interesting to observe for a ministry in its infant stages. I also was able to observe Pastor Keita act as a Life Champion for a new recipient of the More Life Center's services.

So I have already participated in 3 service-oriented ministries! I think that is a record for me, and it is exciting to learn how an externally focused church functions.

Getting to Know CCC

Colorado Community Church is awesome.

I knew as soon as walked through the doors of CCC that I was somewhere special. Around me were people of all different races and ages worshipping God to some gospel/jazzy choruses--and I LOVE multicultural culture and gospel/jazzy choruses! Pastor Doug Carlsen preached a great sermon on the parable of the tenants, the one where Jesus describes a farmer who plants a vineyard and leases it to some tenants. Then, at harvest time, he sends a servant to gather some fruit from the tenants, but they beat up the servant. After sending many servants with similar results, the farmer sends his only son who is also killed and dishonored. The tenants thought that if they killed the son, then the vineyard would become theirs. Why? Because they thought the farmer was dead. Doug made a very interesting point that God was very trusting yet the tenants treated him as if he was dead. I don't often think of God as trusting, as one who gives us great liberty to use what he gives responsibly. It is a very liberating thought. And I often treat God like he is dead, and I definitely don't want to do that this summer! So it was great music and good preaching. 

I then got to meet the staff from CCC! They are amazing and act like family. They are quick to laugh and eager to encourage. I love analyzing team dynamics and getting to know people who are talented at what they do. Want to meet them?? Check this out: STAFF I will provide some more personal thoughts about these wonderful people in later posts.

I am going to learn a lot this summer about ministry. CCC has a very specific focus; they are an "Externally Focused" church. I have been asked to read "The Externally Focused Church" by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson as an entree into their ministry focus and philosophy. They feel like their calling is as follows: "Transforming our city and beyond by connecting people to Christ, Community, and Calling."They seek to move people from living a L.I.E. to fullness of life in Christ.

Lost : Connect to Christ

Isolated: Connect to Community

Empty: Connect to Calling

Their convictions make them who they are and can be found here: DNA. Again, I will reflect throughout the summer on these convictions and how they are shaping my thinking and dreaming about ministry.

My job description as an intern: For these first two weeks I will be doing two things. First, I will attend many of the events and ministries happening at CCC to get a sense of what goes on in the church and what things I might be most interested in getting involved in. Second, I will meet one-on-one with most of the pastors/directors to plan on ways to work with each of them throughout the summer and get to know their area of ministry and leadership style. For example, yesterday I met with Pastor Ray, Director of Congregational Life and discussed doing visitations and classes with him throughout the summer; on Wednesday mornings I will be working with Pastor Keita at the MoreLife Center; and today I served with the whole staff at the Food Bank of the Rockies--we packaged 650 boxes of food. And that is only the beginning! 

I am also staying with a great family--the Hans's. They took me out to dinner for my birthday today and have been very supportive and helpful with the transition! 

Stay tuned for more stories and thoughts! Love you all.