The Week In Brief(s) (9/20/09)
Every Sunday I’m sharing a recap on some of what happened that week. It will be quick (in brief) and I’ll write in my underwear (in briefs). Here ya go:
1. Last weekend I was in town, and my wife was out of town, so I was a single dad. Went to a new church that meets in my kid’s grammar school.
2. At our Launch Team meeting last Sunday evening we had three new people! I think it may have been the third week in a row with three new people. And our plan was to not add any new people until our first block party, which we haven’t had yet. Crazy!
3. At our meeting we talked about our utter reliance on God for us to have any impact as individuals or a church, which therefore means that prayer is the most important thing we can do. We looked at examples in the Bible and in modern times of God responding to prayer.
4. On Monday, I met with Bart, who works with Church Solutions and has been helping me since we moved to Vegas. We talked through the dizzying amount of factors involved with this whole leasing space deal.
5. I’m continuing working on our Discipleship System – kind of the “way Verve does discipleship.” Specifically I’ve been finishing up the plan for God Stalker University.
6. I’m doing a discipleship/accountability group every Tuesday with a couple guys. Right now we’re reading through Prodigal God together. It is great.
7. On Wednesday we interviewed three contractors. We have not signed the lease yet, and it’s not a sure thing yet, but we are continuing to walk in that direction.
8. The two things we need are: (1) To make sure about the expenses to get in the space, which is why we’re asking contractors for bids, and (2) To raise more money.
9. We have a really fun, different thing we’re going to do, and you get to be a part of it, and you can find out about it this Wednesday!!
10. There has been tons of work by lots of people on our amazing Launch Team towards the Block Parties we’re doing this weekend. There have also been packages showing up at my house everyday – Verve balloons, snow cone syrup, Verve water bottles…..
11. Thursday I met with a couple staff members from Central Christian, who have been overseeing the construction at their new “Northeast” campus, and who have offered to help us figure out how to the build out we’ll need in an effective and inexpensive way, through using volunteers, donated materials, etc. I am SO grateful for them.
12. Thursday night a bunch of us went out and put fliers on hundreds of doors, inviting people to our block parties.
13. Saturday morning we got together to make sure everything is working for the parties, and to load everything up.
TO PRAY ABOUT THIS WEEK:
1. Depending on when you’re reading this, we’re either in the middle of the Block Parties, or have already had them. Please pray that they go great. Vegas has a severe lack of community, and we’re hoping that these Block Parties will help people to get to know their neighbors. (A church should make their city a better place to live.) We also hope that some people who recognize a need for God, but have been turned off by organized religion, will be excited about the vision for a church like Verve.
2. Please continue praying that we’ll be able to get the leasing space, so we can have a great place to have our services, do seminars, run a food co-op, etc., etc. There are a lot of details that need to be worked out, and we need to raise some more money…