• We did not come out here to start “services” but our previews are a way to add people to our launch teams and invite people into community. Just wanted to clarify that. “Church” is more than corporate worship…now the hard work on the “back-side” part of discipleship, building community, house churches, and our launch team.
• Are you kidding me? We had 4 weeks to go from literally NOTHING to a full “service”. Our team literally worked round the clock to see it happen [and our family moved in the midst of this.] ONLY GOD! Think about that: 4 weeks from 0 to full throttle. If you are an experienced planter, you know our inexperienced team had a miracle from God to do that.
• We borrowed everything almost. Our 10×20 foot screen we do own  made of paper [remember, I am the "how to do a lot with a little guy"...you just have to make it happen...no excuses]…well, it fell apart so we stretched painters cloth across the brass frame, and it worked well enough to get us going! Thanks to the other churches who let us borrow their gear and people!!! [K2, South Mountain, The Journey, New Hope West Valley and Early Light Academy for their gym!]
• It’s still true…there are 25+ cities in our immediate areas  [maybe 200 or so in the entire state] without 1 church. Imagine that? We have a lot of work to do. And still need 150 partners at $25 a month minimum to launch full time this fall or early winter. Go HERE, and make it happen: We are listed under MISSION WEST.
• For a first service: I have NO IDEA how we borrowed gear from a church that packed up their gear at 3ish and we somehow got our last trailer moved into place at 5:30 and still pulled off a 6pm service? Again, only God. No one really knew what we were doing, we just did it. Planters…just make it happen, no matter what!
• Practice services were EASY this week…all our gear was ready to roll. When we have our own gear, we will set-up on Saturday AM and walk in on Sunday AM ready to roll [nice perk of being in our school who also lets us store gear there and only charger $13 an hour!!], but until then, we had maybe 1 hour and 45 minutes to set-up someone else’s gear? Thank you Jesus is all I can say.
• I have NEVER worked harder in my life than I have the last 4 weeks. And I am a pretty hard worker. With a small team, we all had to do some very heavy lifting. I found myself creating logo’s, doing graphics work and a website…all of which I really have never done or barely did 9 years ago when New Hope started. [Our graphics person puked out on me at the last minute] Really miss a full staff at this point, but wouldn’t trade the experience for the world! Thanks Aaron Floyd for filling some of the gap for us this past week!
• Our team was simply brilliant! Many of them have NEVER experienced anything like this…and our tech/worship/set-up bro [Mike Stake] just got an e-mail address a couple years back…yeah, that’s what we are rolling with, and we love it!
• Our team deserves so much credit. We needed every single hand, and the hands of a few churches who came from all over the valley to help us. Thanks guys for working long nights and long weeks to make this happen. YOU made this happen in HIS power. THANK YOU!
• So, the deets of the night?
• 110-125+ [not sure...didn't even get a real count yet...our operations person will fill me in I am sure] were with us. We had many well-wishers of course from the campus we serve at K2, so we will see who shows back up next week. That will be the true test. It was also a holiday weekend [don't try this at home]. Pioneer day [July 24th, when the Mormon Pioneers entered the valley is bigger than the 4th of July holiday here]. Still had people show up!
• Here is the kicker: when I gave the challenge to trust Christ, I was so unsure of what would happen [we were just happy people showed up]…I couldn’t believe what I saw: at least 15 people or more responded to trust Christ. [Thanks to Pastor Josh Gonzales, my good friend for tracking that one.] Hands went up everywhere.
• Now stop…you are thinking: wow, that is amazing, and I have seen that before. No, seriously. When 7 or 8 out your 10 neighbors are of a different faith background that is dominating this area and you are lucky to have 1 person show up to anything you do…this was a TRUE MIRACLE! I am not usually blown away by things, but I was blown away at the response. [Side note: The air was broken in our brand new building...it was 83 degrees after the 1 hour and 50 minute service, and people stayed and were so gracious...they loved it!]
• Best part of the night: the stories.
• I baptized my 9year-old, little girl Grace. No better way to kick off ministry in our new home. Doctor’s told us she might have downs syndrome and abortion was a possibility. Are your freaking kidding me? We wanted her however God gave her to us. She was born healthy…and her name is Grace. What a night!
• Mike and I baptized his Wife, Kym. They are true brothers and sisters to us. What an honor to see her make her decision public to trust Jesus.
• In this perfect slice of the world [it really is a leave it to beaver place]… tattoos and piercing’s were in abundance. And that is what we were hoping for. A church for people that no one else wants! No Perfect People Allowed! Our mailers said: “THIS IS NOT YOUR MOTHER’S CHURCH.” And it wasn’t! [Still not sure if or how many mailers went out...another story.]
• One lady told me afterwards that she is in “limbo” with this Christianity thing and wants to go deeper. Her husband had tears in his eyes as she was talking. Found out they live right around the corner on our street!
• Follow-up/Community? We are offering ALPHA, HOUSE CHURCHES [which meet right now as our launch team], and DINNER WITH THE TEAM [dinner with some of out launch team to get to know people better.] Again, we didn’t just come out here to launch public worship services, but to build disciples. [The GATHERED AND SCATTERED CHURCH!]
• Love this one: A younger girl had tears in her eyes as she said: “I was looking for churches on-line last week knowing I need to connect with God, but couldn’t find anything [yep, that is why we are here...]. The next day I got a door hanger from you guys. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She trusted Christ last night. Thanks to David Bradford and Celebration Church for hanging almost 4,000 door hangers and coming all the way from Alabama to help us out! They are warriors!
• Well…time to chill out. My Mom is in from China [not planned, just happened, ONLY GOD!]. My little sis comes in today to visit from Ohio, and we are planning a very relaxed week…well, until next weekend rolls around again. One more preview to go. PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO JUMP ON BOARD WITH WHAT GOD IS DOING OUT HERE! Thanks for your prayers and support…we could not have done this without you!
• In the midst of pure chaos, I went alone on the mountain-side to pray HERE. Then I ran a quick 5K to clear my mind. It’s not about DOING, but BEING, right?
• I am a health nut now you know, but what they heck? I celebrated with a 20 piece Mcnugget at Midnight with my bride and my Mom watching Sports Center rejoicing at all that God had done!
• Will be blogging for you church planters and leaders who are wondering how in the world this could have happened. Let me start here: ONLY GOD!

We have been through one of the darkest years of our lives. So glad God knows what he is doing. [Not that my faith always believes that fully, but I try my best!]

We had 4 weeks to: move and also start preview services from scratch. We didn’t have a logo, a pro-presenter, a light, a mic. We only had Jesus. So since Jesus would have used pro-presenter and sent out a mailer:)…we have been furiously working to let people know about Jesus.

We started with a cooler, a box of pens and a guitar. COME ON STICKS PEEPS! We are in this together! No staff, no money, no momentum, set-back after set-back…I am there with you right now!

We are still pushing as hard as ever to not only be IN the community to show them the LOVE of Jesus [Sunday morning outreaches have happened and are planned. When else are you going to reach unsaved and non-LDS people?] We desire to be in the community FIRST, but also to draw a launch team through our preview gatherings on July 25th and August 1st. So we are pushing hard on that end this past month.

There is some momentum, but dang it has been a long year and a half! THANK YOU for those who support us in PRAYER and FINANCIALLY. We would be sunk without you. You encourage us and keep us pushing on!

Oh yeah, the CURE FOR DISCOURAGEMENT I promised:

The Lord sent me these 2 words this morning. It is 2 words that will truly burn a fire in your soul, so here they are:

HEBREWS 11

Read it. And may you be encouraged wherever you find yourself at this very minute! I promise these 2 little words [that lead to a few more words] will cure whatever GIANT you are facing right now.

Some people have asked what was meant by some previous twitter comments on PERCEPTION vs. REALITY in regards to leadership.

Perception trumps reality every time.

Jesus was PERCEIVED as: Lord and lunatic when He walked the earth. He went from triumphal entry to crucifixion.

PC used to trump MAC for most people until the REALITY of Apple set it. The tide seems to be now turning that PC’s PERCEPTION is outdated, clunky, buggy, etc. PERCEPTION of Apple is that it is edgy, cool, innovate and easy.

The REALITY of my children and a hot stove was totally wrapped up in their PERCEPTION. When they finally touched a hot stove for the first time [despite our casting vision and warning], their REALITY changed forever. It’s not always this easy though.

The REALITY is what YOU experience. And that REALITY is based on your PERCEPTION.

PERCEPTION of your ministry, your leadership style, your logo, your spiritual development process, your influence, etc. is what you must work to maintain and change in order for REALITY to set in.

I have been PERCEIVED as a micro-manager in the past. REALITY was that at times it was true. So I changed REALITY.

Years later I was then called an absent leader due to the PERCEPTION that I had walked to far away from day-to-day relationships in the office in my past ministry. Maybe true, maybe not. [BTW: You will never win leaders, so just get used to the whining and complaining. It goes with the territory and many of you need to get over it and stop worrying about what others think of you. It used to destroy me. I now chuckle as some of them are leading from the top and probably understand this a little LOT more now:]

It has been PERCEIVED that my former church was great on OUTREACH, but low on DISCIPLESHIP. [Despite the fact that we worked very hard to implement methods both strategic and organic, and people have been progressing quite well since day 1.] The REALITY was that we were working hard on both and rarely did a meeting go by with Elder’s where we didn’t talk about it. But PERCEPTION wins every time.

Statistics don’t mean anything in the world of sports [is Kobe better than Magic or Michael], the church [are you seeker-driven or discipleship oriented], the stock market [let's not even dwell here]. Statistics are known to most as REALITY, but who cares how strong the stock market is rebounding when the REALITY is that you are without a job. Your PERCEPTION of everything becomes your REALITY, despite the REALITY of the situation.

So, here is a start on how to change that:

Emphasize the FUTURE REALITY. Politicians do this all the time. They understand that public PERCEPTION wins over REALITY. When President Obama was criticized for not talking hard on the oil spill, they stepped up the talk of FUTURE REALITY, and all of the sudden, he went from not caring, to infringing on public rights due to making them set aside 20B in funds. [Another debate].

Want to change the REALITY of your ministry or organization? Change PERCEPTION first. Want to change REALITY in the way you are perceived as a leader, change PERCEPTION first. It doesn’t matter what the REALITY is, PERCEPTION always dictates REALITY.

And by the way, PERCEPTION is also more than just plans, talk and strategy. It also must show action or REALITY will never become actualized. PERCEPTION is also messed up by sin, economy, schedule, personal preference, etc. Yep, it’s messy.

The vision God has given you will be greatly impacted by PERCEPTION and working this angle will help produce God-sized REALITY as we deal with fallen people in efforts of seeing the great REALITY of redemption and God’s glory shared with the world.

Make sense?

I find it amazing that in our era of “post-modern” thoughts, preaching and leadership that the concept of “team” which is of utmost importance has trumped the concept of “leader.” If you did not understand this yet, leadership is a gift given by God [Romans 12]. It is to be exercised rightly.

In this era where many leaders do not exercise this gift rightly, we have formed teams, committees and boards. So glad Jesus didn’t operate that way. He led. He appointed leaders. The leaders appointed other leaders, and the gospel spread. Or look at the structure that Moses and Jethro crafted.

For those who are on staff or lay leaders at local churches, you will never know the burden that senior leaders carry. You can throw stones such as: Our leader is not under accountability [not true if there are a board of overseers, elders, denomination, external board, etc. over them.] Even if you have a rogue leader, that leader is still under authority from God who can take him or her out in a heartbeat.

“Well, the board and staff do whatever he or she wants.” Then that board/staff needs to grow some stones and learn to not be dysfunctional. If you don’t speak up, then you won’t be heard, so shut your mouth unless you are behind closed doors.

You can throw stones behind closed doors, but you better walk out in unity or you are destined to fail as a church. This is satan’s favorite tactic.

The leader also has responsibility to understand that he is not the end all. He is not always right. He is not the best at everything. But he does receive the vision, which should then be refined and owned in true, loving, biblical community.

Moses was not always right. But if the people had their way, they would have turned around and gone back to captivity. People grumbled at Moses. They thought he was nuts. They probably thought they could do a better job, so they set out to be church planters [tongue in cheek.]

Until you have sat in the senior chair, you better support your leader with all of your heart or grow a pair and leave. Stop milking the system and taking a paycheck for it until your dream job and dream leader comes along. Won’t happen.

If you are a senior leader who is not under the proper accountability and leading a bit rogue, come off your high horse and exercise your gift rightly.

Team is team. Leadership is leadership. They are 2 different concepts that must operate at times independently, and other times in community. What do you think?

McFadden Moise volunteered to fly a plane for his buddy whose wife was having a baby in Chicago and needed a replacement so that he could go be with his wife as she gave birth. He was a Navy test pilot and was working toward being an astronaut. The jet blew up on take-off when my Mom was only 6 months-old.

My dear Mama will never know her first Daddy who died when she was 6 months-old. I look forward to the day when they will meet in Heaven for the first time. I can’t wait until she can wrap her arms around her earthly father and her heavenly father, 2 men she loves deeply with all of her heart.

That’s Memorial Day. Not beer, brats, and racing.

In Loudonville, Ohio, something I will miss greatly is that all of the youth baseball teams started their season on Memorial Day. But first we all marched to the cemetery through downtown to hear vets with voices that cracked as they remembered those who gave it all so that we might play ball and worship in freedom.

That’s Memorial Day.

Thank you to those who will honor my Grandfather and others you will never know whose Memorial Day’s won’t be filled with as much laughter this year because someone volunteered to give up their life if duty called so that we might have the right to march through downtown, play baseball, cook-out and worship without fear.

But we take it a bit too far at times. When it was vogue to be seeker, many went seeker. When it was vogue to small group, every went small group. When it was vogue to be missional, everyone drank a beer and talked about the evils of mega churches. When it was time to be compassionate, we drilled wells, et al. LOVE IT! So did we!

Now it seems it is vogue to focus on poor, inner-city areas. I applaud that! Yes! Amen! Praise Jesus! Pastors are leaving mega churches and going to the inner-city. Leaders are encouraging us to leave the “rich” and move to the “poor.” Yes! Amen, etc.

This recent article was too much for me to handle. While I agree 100% that we need to be Jesus to people, isn’t our specific calling more important? I am afraid many pastors will jump on this bandwagon and jump hard. If we are called to jump…then JUMP! But let’s not do it because it is the cool, hip thing to do.

I have sat in messages at conferences and read blog posts and they make me feel guilty for my calling and I start re-thinking the area I am in. More on my area later. If that is happening to me, I bet it is happening to you!

I read last night of a pastor at a growing church that read “The Forgotten Ways” a book I LOVE by the way. He then quit his growing church to go be “missional.” I don’t think that is what Alan Hirsch had in mind when he wrote the book. That church is now in a tail spin.

What ever happened to just being obedient to our calling? We were called to RURAL AMERICA, and not that we are special, but we obeyed. Leaders wanted us to go to the 13th fastest-growing county in the country in Ohio and plant. But we had a higher calling.

Then we were ripped from there and God has called us to the fringes of Salt Lake County, Utah. We are 35-40 minutes from downtown in an area that has NO OUTWARD suffering. Everything is perfect. It’s leave it to Beaver city.

But talking with a police officer the other day…we have a HUGE domestic violence problem with this very high LDS [Mormon] population. We are near tops in the country for teen/young adult suicide. in Utah. We are #1 in plastic surgery per capita. We are # 1 for internet pornography! Our perfect LDS neighbor husband just left his wife.

But we also live in nice houses, with manicured lawns that sprinkle at 6am every morning. Our kids are in charter schools, we work out regularly, our kids play on nice ball fields, on and on. No outward suffering, but we are dying from the inside out!

There is also not 1 church in one of the towns we are reaching into. What is wrong with reaching people we are called by God too? NOTHING!

Many people feel “guilty” about their calling as if “suffering” as Shane puts it [I love Shane by the way] is only found by the poor, outcast, drug infused segments of society. We have just as much suffering in suburbia, but it is a very different kind. Young people will head to the inner-cities by the droves to reach a post-modern, suffering generation. GREAT! It’s needed!

But what about the small towns. The rural areas. The so-called “rich” places. The other places that are not getting any press these days? Because trust me…our family has suffered a ton this year and we are living in a nice, quaint little area.

Stop feeling guilty about your calling. Stop trying to be all things to all people.

Be obedient!

If you are called to the inner-city to “suffer” than so be it. If you are called to journey with those who are “suffering silently”…then live it to the fullest and hold your head high. Don’t jump on the latest trends or bandwagon. Jump on obedience.

Be obedient! There is a lot of world to go around that needs Jesus.

I’ve said my peace.

Many people SAY they love what we are doing, and they will pray for us [a nice way to say that they won't be giving, but that they like our mission, and I do hope they PRAY!!!]

I could go on and on…but I won’t cry. I just won’t. I will state some facts, but we won’t cry. Sorry. No excuses.

Our team WILL host preview services in 8 weeks. Not sure how it will all happen. But one thing I know is that it WILL HAPPEN, because we are here for a reason. We are answering the call of obedience. We will WAIT and PUSH and SIT and allow HIM to do the rest.

One thing we do have is Jesus, and that is all we need. We are not crying. We are not waiting on a bunch of people to drop some cash on us. We aren’t waiting on the perfect set-up or perfect team, or for someone to make it happen for us. We have learned that won’t happen. Most people don’t care about what you or I are doing.

I am so glad that Jesus does. Rest in that. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will meet all of your needs. Stop waiting for people to make it happen, and ask HIM to make it happen! Rest in that. Truly rest in that.

By the way, we did not move across America to launch services…we moved out here to help transform this community and heaven, 1 person at a time. Preview services will help us extract the few that are running around that are curious and seeking after Jesus who are not yet connected to our small network.

We have nothing except Jesus, each other and some marching orders just like the early church. Jesus called us to follow HIM and it wasn’t a pretty path. Why do we expect more? “In this world you WILL have trouble…” [John 16.33a]

If 11 scared dudes can change the world with nothing except Jesus…then how ’bout it? Who cares about the 10% of churches who seem to have it all [I was once one of those pastors]? It was not the “church” of Jesus day that did jack…it was the humble, willing 11 who lived out the marching orders come hell or high water, come no finances, no staff, no moving lights or smoke machines.

No books on “incarnational” ministry to be “missional” in their contexts. No conferences, no coaching, no buildings, or strategy. They just did what the Spirit said to do and they made NO EXCUSES for getting it done.

So…what’s your excuse? Let’s get it done in Jesus name. [And yes, it is much easier to write this than to live it, so know we are on the same journey.]

________________________________

*Want to learn more about how to find a place where relevance meets revival? Want to network with those who do a lot with a little? Join us in November. www.thesticks.tv

Maybe what we mean to say is this 1 short sentence that WRECKED me to the core from my journal:

“When you are praying for what YOU REALLY WANT you will not be distracted.”  –Herbert McCabe

Ouch. Do I really desire what GOD wants? Am I praying according to HIS will? Am I really begging HIM to SHOW UP?

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”   [James 5.16]

People have been asking me: “What are you going to do after losing your support?” If you don’t know why we did, check out the story here. So what to do? It’s simple: We are going to pray and trust God and keep doing what we were called to do. We believe it was a GIFT from God, and He always gives perfect gifts.

God has placed this challenge on my heart…can I share it with you?

1. We are 8 weeks away from launching our preview services, and we have very little to show for it financially as we prepare to launch.

2. There are 25+ cities without 1 church in them just in our area! We believe there are 100+ maybe double that state-wide. We seek to start by impacting the 25 cities and areas around us. Finances or not!

3. We are actively recruiting planters and staff to spend time with our team and then go out and launch in this rocky soil that has such major potential. Today we meet with our first recruit who flew in to check out the area and see what God will do. It is beginning to happen even without funding! Only God!!

4. Simple: We are asking people to personally consider donating $1 for each city to help change eternity. $25 a month [minimum] for 25 cities. We need 200 people to jump on this train. Now that is an amazing deal that doesn’t put something in our houses or into our lives to make it cooler or better, but an investment that will truly change people’s eternities!

5. Many people have asked about other ways to help. Here are a few suggestions: Join our prayer team, sending a missions team for a week this summer, send some equipment, this is all needed badly.

Please don’t think that others will jump on board. Someone else WON’T do it.

If you believe in what God is doing here, would you be a part of changing eternity? Don’t wait. Don’t put it off if God is leading you. We are the body of Christ, and I am making a bold ask. I wish it were free to plant churches. It would make our jobs so much easier!

Go to www.missionwest.tv and click on E-GIVE to join us. Or if you prefer to send a physical check to our treasurer:

Mission West
5575 W Roe Deer Lane #5-101
c/o: Kym Stake/Treasurer
Herriman, UT. 84096

Words cannot express our gratitude for the partnerships that will form as we all step up and make this happen in Jesus name. Thank you! 200 and counting down to change lives for eternity!