Great Lakes Church
Dave Nelson
DaveNelsonsBlog.com
Behind the Scenes in Starting a Church
This is a longer than usual blog post... but one of my pals, Wayne Northup, is launching a church in New Orleans next Sunday and I CAN'T WAIT!!!
I don't think I'll ever forget the weeks leading up to the official launch of Great Lakes Church. It was a surreal experience. All of the planning, praying, stressing, mobilizing people and freakin' hard work FINALLY began paying off.
It still does.
It pays off with stories of how God brings hope, healing and forgiveness to those who need it most.
This will be the story of Saints Community Church (launching October 2nd).
I talked with Wayne this morning and asked him to give me some bullet point answers to specific questions. His answers will give you a behind the scenes look into what it takes to launch a church.
Why New Orleans?
- 15 years ago I visited the city of New Orleans and somehow the city got inside of me. I can't escape the gut feeling that this is what I'm supposed to do. I'm convinced if we can raise the level of hope in this city, it will raise the level of hope in the entire region.
What best prepared you for launching a church?
- Reading almost 50 books on church planting (one of the top books was Nelson Searcy's, "Launch").
- Surrounding myself with "coaches" who can speak into my life.
What have been your biggest challenges?
- Finding a facility to meet in. It was a nightmare trying to find a place with the right location, the right amount of seating, good parking, etc.
- Mobilizing the launch team to PERSONALLY invite people and not just hope people show up because of advertising.
What personal investments did you make to launch the church?
- Moved to New Orleans and immediately took a $1500 a month pay cut (forcing my family and I to live on a very tight budget).
- Incredibly long and challenging work hours.
- Leaving a city and environment where I was known and loved... to a city where I'm completely unknown.
There you have it. It's not a detailed look, but it's a quick look at the early days of a church. Let's be praying for Wayne, his wife Kristi, and their entire launch team (45 people!) as they begin watching the dream unfold.
If you want a detailed look of their journey, you can download Wayne & Kristi's book by clicking here.
Dating Jesus
When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to be part of one of the most amazing youth groups on the planet.
I'm not exaggerating.
Hundreds of us students would gather together every Wednesday night to focus all of the energy and passion in our bodies onto one thing: GOD! It was a rush. Every time we got together it was the same agenda: pray, sing, and talk about Jesus. To add fuel to a fire that was already going, we would have retreats, youth conventions and spontaneous worship gatherings.
It was like we were dating Jesus. Everything was new and emotional. We couldn't wait 'til the next time we were in His presence.
Fast forward 20 years. I'm reminded that the hype and passion and emotions and feeling doesn't last forever. At some point it's going to fade. Then it will come back. Then it will fade again.
In many ways it's like a marriage. At some point, commitment needs to take over in order to prepare us for the highs and lows of our spiritual journey.
So when I don't feel like it, I still pray... I still worship... I still serve... I still study the Bible... I still keep moving forward. Because following Jesus is a long-term commitment that cannot be based on short-term emotions.
I'm not sorry.
On rare occasion, someone will stop me in the hallway on a Sunday morning or send me an email outlining an issue that offended them.
Years ago, my knee-jerk reaction was to say a quick, "I'm sorry" and be done with it. The truth is, I was never really done with it. I would spend days wondering how I could have phrased something differently or communicated the issue that offended them more gently.
Things are different now.
I've come to learn that whenever you talk to a crowd of people, someone is going to be offended. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a crowd of people. The fact is, there are way too many personalities in the world to avoid making everyone happy.
For this reason, I've stopped apologizing for things I'm not sorry for. I don't mind clarifying my words or actions, but if I'm not sorry... I'm not going to pretend that I am.
Here's the deal: All of us hate watching people (especially politicians) apologize for things we know they aren't really sorry for. We'd rather them say, "I realize people were offended by my words or actions, but looking back... my motives and heart were in the right place and I stand by what I said or did."
Those words are not arrogant or the result of some charade. They are refreshing and true.
I'm not going anywhere.
This month begins a huge milestone for my family and I.
It is the longest we've ever served continuously at one local church.
To be fair, the fact that I transition my life every couple of years is definitely more of a reflection on me than it is any one local church. I'm actually kind of embarrassed to see how much I've moved in the past 16 years.
Student Ministries Pastor at...
1995-1996 Buffalo Assembly of God (Buffalo, MN)
1996-1999 Oak Brook Community Church (Oak Brook, IL)
1999-2000 Concord First Assembly (Concord, NC)
2000-2003 Oak Brook Community Church (Oak Brook, IL)
2003-2006 EastLake Community Church (Chula Vista, CA)
Associate Pastor at...
2006-2008 EastLake Community Church (Bothell, WA)
Lead Pastor at...
2008-Present Great Lakes Church (Kenosha, WI)*
I guess I shouldn't be shocked when people ask, "Are you going to stay at Great Lakes for awhile?" But the answer is... ABSOLUTELY! I am convinced that our journey as a church has just started.
In early 2012 we will be starting a Saturday night service. In the fall of 2012 we will be launching another campus (location to be determined). Get ready... our best days are ahead!
*By the way, in case you're wondering, we are a non-denominational Christian church.
Thank You Blog Subscribers.
Thanks to all of you who read this blog regularly. I'm giving you a heads up that this summer I'm going to be very hit and miss.
Once fall kicks in, I'll probably start blogging regularly again. But right now, I need a serious mind break.
We've got a lot of transitions taking place on staff and I'm focusing my time and energy on ensuring we are ready to rock for the fall.
This summer, please be praying for...
1) An affordable renting or leasing option to open up on a building for the fall. WE NEED MORE SPACE!
2) For our new staff members (Justin Mathews, Tony Corso and Devonee Harburger) to quickly acclimate to their new responsibilities.
3) For renewed passion and endurance among the hundreds of volunteers who serve each week.
4) For everyone who signed up for a Growth Group to grow in their faith and become more connected to our faith community.
On another note, if you missed Sunday's talk on Heaven and Hell, you can listen to it here.
Also, if you missed our last Growth Group promo video... here it is:
Staff Culture
At the end of June, we're going to have a couple of staff transitions at Great Lakes Church (some joining the team and some leaving the team).
Our Staff Policy Manual (yep, it's a very official name) is pretty much a cram course for new employees on what to expect when working at GLC. If you're interested, you can download the section on "Staff Culture" by clicking here. It will give you a quick idea of what's expected of staff members.
Our Staff Policy Manual (yep, it's a very official name) is pretty much a cram course for new employees on what to expect when working at GLC. If you're interested, you can download the section on "Staff Culture" by clicking here. It will give you a quick idea of what's expected of staff members.
If that doesn't interest you, here are our latest Growth Group promo videos that you might enjoy.
By the way, I'm leading "Christianity 101" with my sister-in-law. If the only thing you know about the Bible is that Adam and Eve were naked... join my group!
I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE!
In the next 90 days, we're going to lose some seriously good people at Great Lakes Church.
These are people who've been with us from the beginning.
Tony & Michelle moved here from Seattle in September 2008 and have been key players from day one.
Hoover & Mary joined us during our very first series and have served selflessly ever since.
Gabe & Katie moved from Seattle in the summer of 2009 and have been a huge part of our church.
By the end of the summer, they'll all be gone.
I HATE THIS! I wish we never lost people. I wish nobody ever moved. I wish that we could be one big happy family forever.
But the reality is... life happens. People move. Jobs transfer people. Not everybody stays for eternity.
But it's not all bad news. Almost 100% of the time, the gap that is left by someone's absence is filled by somebody else. There are capable volunteers in almost every church, but sometimes the perception of "they don't need me" overshadows reality and so they stay on the sidelines for too long.
If you're a part of GLC, now is the time to step up. Now is the time to volunteer. Don't put it off. Join us for the next chapter in the history of our church!
If you're a part of GLC, now is the time to step up. Now is the time to volunteer. Don't put it off. Join us for the next chapter in the history of our church!
Las Vegas
*I'm in Las Vegas to officiate a wedding! If you're dating and decide to get married in Vegas, San Diego, Palm Springs, or Hawaii... I will do my best to be there for you in this big moment of your life.
*Rindy and I are staying at the Paris Hotel on the strip.
*No, I've not won any money... YET, but I have eaten at one of the buffets!
*Yes, I'm going to a 2 hour timeshare presentation in exchange for some pretty groovy gifts (ie - Lion King tickets).
*I read a pretty amazing book on the plane. It's called, "QBQ" and deals 100% with taking personal responsibility in life. Also, it may be the only book on our planet that costs more for the electronic version than the hardcover!
*Here's one of the thoughts in the introduction...
What has happened to personal responsibility? Why does it seem the only thing people know how to do anymore is point the finger elsewhere, blaming something or someone else for their problems, their actions, their feelings?
Later on, the author writes this...
It's a sad fact that when most of us are faced with a frustration or challenge of some kind, our first reaction tends to be negative and defensive.
...More on this later!
What Happens Now?
The rapture never took place on Saturday... Oops! Harold Camping, and his followers, wasted a whole lot time and money on NOTHING!
So here's what's going to happen next... we'll keep making fun of wackjobs that insist on predicting the unpredictable and Camping's followers will more than likely come up with 101 reasons why the rapture never took place.
So let me ask a question: What happens to the people who sold their homes, left jobs, used their life-savings to pay for end-of-the-world billboards and more?! Answer: Disappointment and disillusionment.
I ask this, because I see this kind of nonsense in Christianity all the time.
I've seen people told by Christian leaders that God has to bless them financially for tithing and it doesn't happen... or told that God was has to heal them and they only get more sick... or told that if they just pray and read their Bible more God would set them free from the ongoing struggles in their life.
That's just garbage. It's not true.
I'm not saying those things can never happen, but when it does... it's a MIRACLE. I definitely believe God has the ability to do those things... and does. BUT IT'S NOT A COMMON OCCURRENCE.
I don't know why God heal's some, but not others. I don't know why He provides a financial miracle for some, but not everybody. The fact is, God is God and He can do whatever He wants to do. He is not obligated to heal, provide, or release anyone from anything.
I don't know why God heal's some, but not others. I don't know why He provides a financial miracle for some, but not everybody. The fact is, God is God and He can do whatever He wants to do. He is not obligated to heal, provide, or release anyone from anything.
By the way, if you disagree just read the book of Job and see how God respond's to Job's thinking that God owed him a certain kind of life (Job 38-41).
How to Turn People Off to Christianity...
I read an interesting article this morning about how some celebrities that grew up in Christian homes got turned off to faith as adults.
Apathy: People who don't know what to think or believe 'cause their entire childhood was spent having religious people think for them and tell them what to do.
I totally get this.
The article really boils down to just a couple of issues that many children face while growing up in religious settings:
1) Overly simplistic answers to complicated questions about God or life.
2) An attitude of superiority over anyone who believes or thinks differently.
3) A complete avoidance of anything considered "secular" or non-religious.
A childhood that includes these elements often breeds one of three things: Arrogance, Cynicism or Apathy.
Arrogance: People who end up believing they are special to God because of their behavior.
Cynicism: People who struggle with anything supernatural 'cause of all the goofiness and "stuff you can't do" they encountered growing up.
Apathy: People who don't know what to think or believe 'cause their entire childhood was spent having religious people think for them and tell them what to do.
If you fall into any of these categories, you can only blame your parents or pastors for so long... then at some point you need to overlook their humanity and realize they did their best. Next - take the time and go through the work to figure out for yourself what God is really like.
