The Burden of Leadership

We have a problem at FPC.  It's a great problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.  What can we do to make room for more people in worship, more room for ministry, and how can we better use the terrific facility we already enjoy?  A group of people began to formulate answers to these questions several years ago, creating a long-range strategy for our facility and our mission together. 

The umbrella under which our decisions rest in any setting comes from our mission statement: to follow Christ and share his Word.  Even though many different opinions exist about whether expanding our facilities is a good idea at this time, the litmus test we all need to appreciate is provided by our mission statement.  Can we faithfully and responsibly expand our facility while being aligned with our mission statement?  This is the kind of scenario our leaders have faced for several years. 

Expanding our facility has been a long-term conversation.  I came into this conversation almost 2 years ago, and since that time, I've been astonished at the level of intentional dialogue, prayer, and focus given to this important challenge we face together.  Churches falter when decisions about facilities are ignored, rushed into, or delayed for so long that the problem (more people coming to our church) disappears.  Thankfully, a great team of people spent a long time working on this very issue way before I arrived in leadership here.  And it has been my pleasure to watch our elders, building team, stewardship & finance team, and capital campaign team work together to pursue our mission through the lens of our facility.

Our session came to an important decision last Thursday night: we are moving forward with our building plan.  Under the grace of God, we plan to follow the Spirit's leading and make room for more people, more mission, and more ministry.  We still have a lot of work to do, so I would covet your prayers for our elders and teams as they make decisions about: financing, design, timing, and other important details.  In the near term, you'll see some important changes around our facility as we prepare to expand and as we do our best to serve the needs of both the elderly and the youngest among us.  Come to the forums we'll be having in May (go to firstpresgj.org and click on "Calendar") to find out more.

Also, please be praying for our staff, pastors, and session members as we travel to the front range this weekend to meet with 7 other churches in the Fellowship of Presbyterians.  It should be a great time of connecting, worship, and growing together in Christ for the sake of his mission.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

New Sermon Series starting May 5

One of the phrases I used to introduce myself to the staff and session nearly two years ago was: "I'm not here to maintain the status quo."  In hindsight, those words could have brought me a bit of trouble in another setting.  At FPC, we speak regularly about raising the bar, reaching those who have not yet heard the gospel in our community, and doing risky things like expanding our facilities - and I'm grateful to be a part of many of those decisions.  As a church, we're not content with the status quo.

I also appreciate that our preaching is not about maintaining the status quo.  You'll always heard God's Word preached here, but the form of our messages will change and hopefully become more and more accessible to those who aren't quite sure what to make of Jesus - while being attentive to those who already love Jesus and want to grow in their love for him.

Eugene Peterson says that it takes about 100 sermons to "find your voice."  I agree.  I'm not anywhere close to 100 sermons just yet, but I do feel a movement toward finding my voice and submitting that voice to God's service.  Starting in May, I'll get to do something I've never done before: start and end a sermon series.  Actually, our worship team has given me a lot of freedom to design this series from the ground up, and I'll be preaching the majority of the sermons throughout May and June.  It might be a good time to schedule your vacation. :)  I'm really excited to see what God is going to do in our worship during this series and truly humbled by the task ahead.

What's it about?  Good of you to ask. :)  If you follow this blog regularly, you've already seen one component of the series.  All of the sermons will be focused on Scripture and it's witness about how the gospel makes us whole.  In addition to Scripture, we'll hear pieces of Brene Brown's wonderful 2010 TED talk on vulnerability (http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html) in a few of the sermons.  I really do think Dr. Brown has a lot of insight to offer our congregation on what it means to be a community of people who are devoted to and pursuing transparency and vulnerability for the sake of Christ.  By the way - the apple image above is a teaser for the logo for the series.  Stay tuned. 

By no means do I think I'm the first preacher to integrate a TED Talk into a sermon.  And who knows - maybe this will be a risk that doesn't pan out very well.  I'm happy to take a risk with our church and see what the Lord does as we study His Word together.  Take a moment and watch Dr. Brown's talk and join me in praying for our worship this summer and always.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis
 

What are you reading?

A few good books I'd suggest from my shelves:

Change or Die, by Alan Deutschman
Although the title is a bit harsh-sounding, the book is absolutely fascinating.  Deutschman, who writes for Fast Company and Wired magazines, outlines the key elements for creating lasting change in individuals and institutions.  He presents case studies involving heart patients, auto workers, and criminals.  It's in my top-5 books for 2013.

Deep and Wide, by Andy Stanley
Also included in my top-5 books for the year so far is Stanley's latest book, which focuses on creating church cultures which welcome and include the unchurched.  Stanley's church in Atlanta certainly knows a thing or two about reaching people for Christ, and his practical teaching has been both challenging and refreshing to read.  I'm reading Deep and Wide with a group of folks from FPC who want to see us grow in our outreach to the unchurched.

Sanctorum Communio, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer is one of my heroes - he stood up against the Nazi regime in Germany and lost his life in a concentration camp days before VE-Day.  His theology covers a huge variety of topics, and Sanctorum Communio ("the community of the saints") is his doctoral thesis on the nature of the church.  I've been told that the key to understanding Bonhoeffer's later works is reading this early work.  So far, it's been a lot of theological heavy lifting, but well worth it.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Guest Blogger: Karen Davis

(This week's post comes from Karen Davis, one of our youth team leaders.  Karen is a regular blogger at cantsparethechange.com)

I hate waste and the older I get the more it drives me crazy.  Waste of any kind frustrates me, but nothing irks me more than wasting time. 

It’s been a lifelong battle and yet when I say this people are surprised.  I am one of the most productive time wasters you could meet.  Yes, I accomplish a lot but the trouble is I only have two speeds—overdrive or stalled.  There’s no middle ground and both exhaust me.  On one end of the spectrum it takes a lot more momentum to get going and on the other there’s no time to catch your breath. 

It’s a vicious cycle to say the least and one I’ve never had a great deal of success breaking free from.  Project after project I promise to give myself more time to clear the gate and make it to the finish line only to find I’m behind.  It’s de-moralizing, but recently I’ve made some unexpected progress in my lifelong pursuit of “more time.”    

In February I traveled to San Diego with a group of folks from church to attend Donald Miller’s Storyline Conference.  I didn’t expect the conference would talk about time management so I was surprised when the subject came up.  It made sense though.  Finding your subplot in God’s story and pursuing it takes time.  In fact, it requires time more than money.   Most people think of it the other way around but Miller de-bunks that myth.  

He talked about his own struggles and I could relate to everything he said.  It felt like he was living my life so I was dying to know what helped him?  Was it a new planning system, a re-ordering of priorities or just sheer willpower?  The answer was a little bit of all of those things but from a more strategic perspective. This involved understanding why you procrastinate in the first place.    A concept so simple it never occurred to me. 

To help with that discovery Miller recommended a book called, “The Now Habit,” by Neil Fiore.  The name of the book resonated with me so deeply I downloaded it on my iPad that night.  I couldn’t put it down because for the first time I was engaged in a conversation about why I waste time rather than why that’s bad. 

It was liberating.  Where I blamed what I assumed was some deep-seeded laziness or lack of organization on my part I came to see that’s not the case.  It’s neither of those.  I’m just normal. Procrastinating isn’t about being a slug it’s about pain relief.  People procrastinate because it relieves the stress associated with getting done what needs doing.  Which begs the question why is the “To Do” list so stressful? 

For everyone the answer is different but for me it’s about boredom.  On a daily basis I have a long list of things that need to be done that I consider very tedious and boring. Since that work is unpleasant, I put it off as long as possible.  They aren’t difficult tasks but they offer little gratification making it hard to get motivated.  So, I wait until the last possible minute and then I grit it out which only makes the problem worse.

What’s the remedy?  Turn things around.  Start with the work that excites me (ministry) for thirty minutes a day no matter what and use that as the momentum to tackle the things that don’t.  A simple idea but one I’ve always felt too guilty to embrace.  My Puritan work ethic has led me to believe that I don’t get to make that choice.  I always have to start with what’s the most pressing even if it’s something I hate. 

Changing my tact took a leap of faith but since giving it a try I’ve become exponentially more productive. I’m happier too because I know I’ve accomplished something I think may benefit God’s Kingdom.  My friends and family might not notice a difference but only because I’ve had them fooled.  But, God knows and my spirit knows there’s less waste and that feels good. 

So, what’s at the root of your battle with procrastination?  Do you know?  If God’s work here on earth could benefit from you finding out would you?  I hope so. 

Vulnerability, TED, and the Leadership Summit

I've only been following TED Talks for the past year or so.  TED is a global organization that brings together scholars, leaders, businesspeople, politicians, and others to share their thoughts and become a global forum for ideas.  It's not a specifically Christian venture, and it's fascinating almost every time I listen.

About 3 years ago, a talk was posted by a professor and researcher from the University of Houston (my mom's alma matter) about vulnerability.  The talk went viral and has now been viewed over 8 million times!  Here's the link to the talk by Dr. Brene Brown:

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

Here's her follow-up talk from last year:

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html

I'll just warn you: in both talks, she does use a few choice words.  The content of her talk in both cases is outstanding, particularly in her initial message on vulnerability.  As a social researcher, much of her work focuses on how people navigate modern life, how we interact with each other, and what motivates us.  These are topics that Jesus knows intimately and cared about in every aspect of his ministry.

As the church, we have a lot to learn about being a more vulnerable group of people, especially in our willingness to accept others (as Christ does of us) exactly where they are.  We can welcome men and women of any background without compromising our integrity as people of the Word; one of the keys to this task is the kind of vulnerability Dr. Brown describes in her talk.

I hope you'll take a few minutes and listen to what Dr. Brown has to say.  Each talk is only 20 minutes long, and well worth your time.  Also, Dr. Brown will be one of the faculty members at this year's Leadership Summit, which will be on August 8-9 at the Avalon Theater.

May God bless us as we listen to the wisdom of others and seek to be a more vulnerable and caring community for the sake of Christ.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Parenting "Turns"

It's 1:48am this morning.  Our little guy is awake, screaming right into my ear as I carry him while I walk through our house.  My wife is trying to rest upstairs, exhausted from another full day of motherhood.  He screams and cries, his hot tears running down his cheeks, then pressed into my face and neck as I try to calm him down.  Thankfully, there's just enough light in the house that I'm able to circumnavigate hazards like baby toys, blankets, pillows, and any other deadly objects.  He's still hollering with all the might of his little lungs.

Finally, he goes quiet as I lay him down in his crib.  He's still snuffling a little bit, and I leave a pacifier within his reach as I close the door, go back upstairs, and try to make sense of how I'm feeling.

The next day, he and I look like this:

Sorry, I can't get the picture to rotate properly.  Shows what a savvy blogger I am... :)

I'm so grateful for my son, even at 1:48am.  I'm even more amazed now at God's miracle of sending His Son to be with us.  I know it's a cliche to share that statement, but it's true.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis Fletcher

A Full Season

One of my mentors taught me to replace the word “busy” with “full” when describing the pace of ministry.  He liked to avoid “busy” because its often used in the negative sense of the word, and it implies a level of disconnect – as in, “Don’t bother me, I’m busy.”  The past 2 weeks have undoubtedly been the most “full” of my time so far at FPC, but that’s not a bad thing.

I had the privilege of getting to know the Beers family (Warren and his late wife, Mardell) through the memorial service we hosted for Mardell last week.  Like much of what we do around here, I didn’t plan on getting to know them or serve their family in such a specific way, but it was a joy to do so.  When I first came to FPC, Tom taught me how to sit down with a grieving family, interview them, and listen to their memories of their loved one.  It was an honor to do that with the Beers, who were a part of Covenant Pres. for a long time and moved over to FPC in the last few years.  Wonderful people, wonderful celebration of Mardell’s life, and a wonderful experience in ministry – leading a funeral – which I hadn’t done before now.  I co-led the service with Chuck Gerome, the pastor from Covenant, which was also a joy.

The Beers’ memorial service came at the tail-end of a very full season around here.  As someone said recently in our staff meeting, the alternative to having a lot going on at FPC is to be a dead/dying church, which I’m sure none of us would prefer.  I should also say that the other events and duties which made this season especially full – preaching, the leadership retreat, Bible studies, small group, and the community worship service at Fellowship Church – are all good and excellent examples of God’s great love and mercy in our midst.

At the end of a full season, I can say confidently that I’m glad not every season is like this.  At the same time (especially after taking time to rest and recover with my family), I’m grateful that we do have seasons like this in our ministry at FPC.  God is good to us, and Christ leads us into his mission in ways we don’t anticipate.  I’m glad for that.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis Fletcher