Something New

Blogging is a whole new concept for me.  It's not that I don't have a lot of thoughts; I have plenty!  It's that I typically don't take time to write them down, especially like this for all the world to see.  So bear with me...and if any of you bloggers out there have any advice, I'm listening!  Help me do this better, for all who may be interested.

I'm always into something new; it's the world of church planting that I live in.  In church planting we learn that new believers, new groups, new leaders and new congregations are the signs of a healthy plant.  It's always creating something new.  I guess the vibrancy and the dynamic nature of newness inevitably stretches a new church toward growth and away from the gravity of letting things settle in "as is."   Church plants that aren't doing something new will sooner or later (probably sooner!) have health problems.  In fact, this one fundamental difference may be the telltale distinction between an established, plateaued church and a growing church plant.  All the research suggests that this element of "newness" manifests itself in a variety of ways in church plant life, from worship to discipleship to evangelism, and is one of the main reasons that new churches reach lost people so well and grow so dramatically.

So what about me?  It's easy for me to talk about group dynamics and organizational structure and rally the troops to start something new.  But on a personal level?!  That's tougher.  Yet it's just as necessary for me to stay healthy, spiritually.  There needs to be a vibracy to my own relationship with the Lord that is found in new applications of timeless spiritual disciplines, new ministry opportunities, new relationships that God is affording me.  That's what discipleship is all about.

So join me as I start something new, in hopes that God will grow me, with and through you.