For some of you who read this blog regularly, thanks for your patience as I’ve had to reflect and navigate some challenges over the last few weeks. Here’s our latest:
Care Net: Unexpectedly, last month, I found it necessary to resign as Executive Director of Church Outreach and Engagement. Although I’ve been honored to work alongside some amazing people over the last six and a half years, it became clear in recent months that I was significantly out-of-sync with new leadership priorities for the area I was responsible for. Further, the practical changes to my job description (as well as the expectations of how I would need to carry them out) were not only incompatible with my relational style of leadership, but also my call to this position as a pastor licensed by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
Mantua Creek: As my part-time church planting efforts have primarily depended on a tent-making model, I’ve had to immediately line up some building and remodeling work. Amazingly, God has already provided almost three months of great work for trusted people. This has provided both stability and the opportunity to recalibrate vision. Here is what I plan to do with our core group over the summer:
- Lean into and give greater priority to the sacraments. Recently, I saw this statement and it fits our current focus well: “We believe that God speaks to us through the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s word. He confirms what is spoken through baptism and the Lord’s supper.”
- Do a series on giving the Psalms back to the church. We will focus especially on the full range of human emotion and honesty in the Psalms, as well as how they draw us back consistently to the steadfast love of God and our need for repentance.
- Delay the decision to rent a facility until we have better clarity on what is next for a few of us vocationally. Right now, 20% of our current core group are in transition job-wise and we are seeking counsel and greater support from our Presbytery and parent church, Ashland in Voorhees, NJ.
- Trust God to lead in the coming months. It’s His church plant—not mine or anyone else’s. And it is Christ who promised to build His Church in a way that the gates of Hell won’t overcome it. In synch with this, earlier this year I finished Bono’s memoir called Surrender and in listening afresh to a lot of U2’s music, I resonated strongly with this lyric: “Stop helping God like He’s a little old lady across the street.”
Writing: With Father’s Day fast approaching, there’s truly no better time to pick up a copy of Irreplaceable for yourself, a friend, or loved one. As an incentive and to aid in your consideration, here’s a recent review on Amazon:
“Irreplaceable challenged me (as a dad of four) to focus on God’s design for intentional heart-level connection with my children.
The book is raw and honest. There are no picture-perfect paintings, but rather honest wrestling with how to apply fathering for all of us, regardless of situation.
Irreplaceable is for everyone. This book has great value to the fatherless, to those with good dads, to those with imperfect dads, and to those with dads that hurt them.
To those with children, this book is an insight into who God is, and the opportunity He has given us as fathers and mothers.
My favorite part of the book is chapter 9, which focuses on hero dads. It connects with the heroic DNA God has put in fathers.
I like the clear application. This book helps with the ‘how’ to be a great dad.
I like that Greg’s son Timothy was a valuable contributor to the book.
In terms of tone, Irreplaceable is scholarly, practical, and well-researched. It is very up-to-date and deals with modern social issues. Greg has a valuable perspective due to the roles he has played with national fatherhood-based organizations.
My personal statistics:
* Total reading time: <16 hours
* Amount I highlighted: ~5% (a lot)
* Recommending to: everyone, especially those who appreciate deep writing”
-Scott the Adventurer