Yeah. Some of you would just like God to fund you. I feel you. I am potentially bringing on our first major partner in November, but I have a gap of $0 income from October 1 to November 15th. [Pray for this partner and for our gap...many of you know where we are, and I know where you are.]

It’s for this reason that I remind you of today’s thought: GOD CAN AND WILL FUND YOU IN WAYS YOU COULD NEVER PLAN.

I need some major partners like YOU do. I am working hard like YOU are. I am praying hard like YOU pray. I am pushing on every door, like YOU are. I am trying to work outside bi-vocationally to help out like many of YOU are…on and on.

But it is those smaller, “unplanned” off the wall phone calls and e-mails that make me smile from ear to ear. It is that I share with you today from an e-mail I received this morning:

“Dear Charles: …When we began Destination Church in January we agreed to put 5% of all money brought in for the purpose of future church plants we will do or to help others.  I feel led to help you guys.  It’s not much but it’s being faithful on our part.”

WOW. Only God and a humble leader could pull this off.

Destination Church just launched this past SUNDAY. You read right. This past Sunday with little funding themselves.

Thank you JESUS for the way you fund your church in ways that I could never ask, dream or imagine. Hold on friends…God shows up like he does in the Bible in ways that only He could know and plan! Keep your eyes on the prize!

And thank you Lee and Destination Church for your heart and passion for the kingdom!

Stay focused leaders…stay on track…keep pressing on! [And remember, this is coming from a guy who is also out of funds just like many of you!] Keep fighting the fight to build the kingdom! Don’t give in. The kingdom is counting on you.

I thought I would start writing a bit more on planting since that is what I am engaged in right now. Especially you planters in THE STICKS where resources, staff, people and vision is at a premium! So…we will see how long these short posts will run.

And todays is NOT a shameless plug for our coaching network…it is just the truth.

TODAY’S THOUGHT: If you are not planting with a team above you, with you and below you…you are destined to fail.

ABOVE YOU: Who are you accountable to? Are you a rogue, lone-ranger? Do you have a “false” board or accountability team…you know, one who you never really report to and when you do…it does not go deep? Who is coaching you and helping you on the journey that has been there, done that? **You need at least an external team of experienced planter/pastor/leaders who actually AGREE with your vision [not fight it!] And yes…I coach 5 guys and have coaches who work with me coaching others, and yes…I have a coach myself! Always will…[and a project manager, and an external board, and a ton of friends I can call on anytime.]

WITH YOU: Who is serving beside you on your team? Who has your back in the battle? If it is just your wife and kids and maybe a friend or 2…you are in deep doo doo. **You need at least 3-5 other “staff” type leaders at your side.

BELOW YOU: Yes, people might not like this term, but you are leading a team of people who are not above you, and are not beside you, but they are who you are leading. On the org chart, they are below you. They are the warriors who are the foundation of what you are doing. **If you don’t have at least 50-75 of these warriors, without God’s help, you are destined to a very tough road ahead.

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Where no council is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety! [Proverbs 11.14]

**If you want some information on our Coaching Network [for planters, transitioners, worship, bi-vocational, youth and kids, multi-site or any other position in the STICKS...hit me: [charles@onecommunity.tv] We have someone who has been there, done that!

When people ask about how New Hope grew in an Ohio cornfield to 3 regional and 1 international campus and now: How has your launch team grown from 1 to over 50 overnight?

The past 2 posts we talked about the HOW. It’s the same HOW as HOW to grow SPIRITUALLY. It applies to your numerical growth as well: You LISTEN to God and then OBEY ALL HE SAYS TO DO. [sorry for so many CAPS]. But you get the point.

I grow weary of people who say they listen to God but are afraid to carry out what HE says to do because a staff member, Elder, charter member, fill in the black, is holding them back. Grow a set and be obedient to the one who really counts. When you say a partial yes to God, it is a complete NO to Him.

Here is the SECRET PRAYER that is not so secret that I pray [I love all the SECRET titles out there].

When we have HEARD from GOD and OBEYED what He said to do…and I mean fully obeyed. When we have sought wise counsel [that's another post...yes, I coach 5 people and run a coaching network, and guess what: I have a coach myself! And I have an external leadership board I am accountable to]…When you have done all you can, there is NOTHING left for YOU to do. So here is my prayer [usually with my team, out loud and with all my heart]:

Lord, we have PLANNED, PRACTICED, PREPARED and PRAYED…now we PLACE it in your hands. Do what you need to do.

When and if you can pray that prayer with TRUTH and you have given it 110% and you have done your BEST to listen and obey…it’s out of your hands. Let it go. And if 1 person or 1,000 show up, remember…it’s was never up to you after that prayer.

“Pray like it depends on God, but push like it depends on you.” [not sure who is credited with this one].

Yesterday we learned: STOP.LISTEN.OBEY FULLY= BLESSING!

I like the saying: “PRAY as if it depends on GOD and PUSH like it DEPENDS on YOU!” Well, if we believe this little mantra that puts us in the mysterious middle of God’s sovereignty and our humanity and request from our leader to GO and to BE and to ACCOMPLISH, then we will stop at nothing to make this happen.

Here is a practical example. If God is asking you to do something audacious [let’s talk macro level here]…and you are led to do a capital campaign that encompasses:

1) A building project to house a 7 day a week facility where on Monday through Saturday you are using it as a sports outreach facility and on Sunday as a church gathering spot.  [EXTERNAL FOCUS]

2) Raising money to hire additional staff. [INTERNAL FOCUS]

3) Putting clean drinking water in Africa and rescuing those caught in the sex trade industry. [WORLD FOCUS]

OK, that is big vision. But if God says to do this, don’t shortchange it by saying, “Well if we get enough for the first 2, we will do all 3.” CRAP! STOP! WUSS!

If God says it, don’t short-change HIS vision or none of it will happen! [please re-read the previous sentence.]

So, if you do EVERYTHING that HE has asked you to do, and you have done it with prayer and reckless abandon, then you can REJOICE that you did everything you could and left the results up to HIM. Nothing more…nothing less.

When people ask HOW did New Hope do what it did? How did you launch team grow to 50+ overnight? It might sound trite, but this is why. When you grab God’s vision and do it without excuses, the results are up to Him, and they are usually way beyond our wildest dreams.

Are you hearing from Him? Are you too busy to hear from Him? Are you afraid of casting His audacious vision? Do you need some help to accomplish the vision and have too much ego to ask outside of yourself?

One more post on this tomorrow. How have you seen this work in your life or ministry? Help us all out here…

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Come learn more from other smaller community leaders and warriors! THE STICKS conference is just around the corner! Win a free Ipad in the process! Yes…the Ipad has made its way to the STICKS!

How do you go from 1 person to 50 people overnight?

Well…the Spirit of God does that. I just wanted to get that out of the way before someone commented and wondered if I thought more highly of myself than I ought! Without the power and Spirit of God, we are NOTHING!

But I am crazy enough to believe that God still speaks to us today. And when He speaks, it is easy…just obey! Sometimes the things that help one leader can help another, so I thought I would continue to share.

What is it like to have ONE person show up, and what does it take to be truly excited about that and not just say that we are excited about it? [See this post for the foundation of what we are talking about].

Well, it takes a lot, trust me. I can’t wait to explain how God sent us forward from 8 on our launch team [and the ONE from Utah that we added] to 50+ overnight, but let’s start with this fundamental question:

How can we truly be excited about ONE person?

Again, I believe this with all of my heart: When you listen for Jesus and He tells you to do something…you HAVE TO DO IT WITH RECKLESS ABANDON!

One error I have watched our staff and teams make over the years is short-changing God’s vision. If God says to do these 5 or 6 things, then don’t you dare do 4 of them and expect a full measure of blessing! Why do I believe we grew our launch team to over 50+ overnight? We did what we were asked. All of it. Plain and simple. NO EXCUSES.

STOP.LISTEN.OBEY FULLY= BLESSING! [Jesus always did the FULL will of His Father.]

And when you do all you can…if ONE person shows up…then that should make your day. The results are not up to you. Obedience is.

More to come…stay tuned. How has this played out for you in the past?

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THE STICKS is giving away a free Ipad for leaders in Smaller Communities: Check it out HERE.