Blueprint: There is never going to be a better time to check out Life Church

I wanted to tell you all about some things that are happening at Life Church Woodstock. We are going to start a 3 week series on Sunday mornings called Blueprint. During the Blueprint series I'm going to discuss our vision, mission, and core values. Blueprint is designed to be an opportunity for people who are interested in learning more about Life Church. The atmosphere for the first 2 weeks of blueprint will be more of a relaxed setting where people are welcome to ask questions and process material. The 3rd week of blueprint will be a full blown worship service. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the church. This series starts August 12th. If you are not plugged into to a church, are looking for a church, or know someone that is, there is never going to be a better time to come check things out. I hope to see you there!

Small groups: The week of August 19th we are going to be launching 2 new small groups. The small groups are going to be open. You don't have to be on our launch team, or even attend the church to participate in a small group. Though we would encourage you if you like the small group to come check out what the church is all about. 

Be looking for our website to lunch in August. Our goal is to have it up and ready by the 19th! This will be an excellent place to learn about serving, getting involved in a small group, etc. etc. For now, be sure to check out our Facebook page for updates. If you see something you like or have a question about don't hesitate to comment. I'll respond as fast as I can. Blessings to you, and I hope you have a great week.

Pastor Matt

Church Plant Update

This post is for those who are interesting in knowing about what's going on with my church plant. I'm going to give you a condensed version of where were at so far.

-God made it clear to me that my time serving in Texas was to position me for to plant a Church.
-My family moved back to Georgia with nothing more than a calling to serve Him.
-I started getting scared and started questioning whether or not I should just take a staff job.
-Michele and I stepped out on faith and surrendered to this plant.
-Almost the next day People started contacting me about being apart of the plant (I hadn't even advertised it yet..total God thing).
-About a week after Jason the lead pastor of a church plant in Rome contacted me because he heard I was planting a church and wanted to see if he could help.
-We met for lunch and hit it off. God has given us the same heart for ministry, so we have decided to collaborate.
-This means were forming a network, his church will provide coaching, finances, personnel, equipment, and staff and in return we will give financially to the network once were on our feet.
-Jason and I have continued to meet weekly and he's coaching me through the tough first steps. I just met with the staff, and they are also going to help us get started.
-I'm working with a company called startchurch.com who's helping us with the legal side. Between the two were are going to have everything ready to plant with lots of wisdom guiding us.
-To begin were starting a small group. It will start on March 20th at 6:00pm at my parents house in Lake Arrowhead. (Email if you'd like to attend and need directions)

The purpose of this small group is so I can cast vision for the church, love on the people that God has drawn to this movement, and gather my launch team. The launch team is the group of people God has called to plant a new church. They are the ones who will be the very first partners of the church, and will help with various aspects of leadership and ministry in the church. Email me at pastorbeers@yahoo.com if you'd like to ask any questions. If you're interested in attending the first small group meeting contact me and I'll make sure you have directions. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and please keep us in your prayers.

Matt

Building momentum

This was a week of ups and downs. (more ups than downs) I had 3 meetings this week. The first one was very discouraging. I went to meet from someone who's been a spiritual advisor to me in the past. My intent was to find a strategic partner, and instead I received some unsolicited advise on why I shouldn't plant a church. What was worse was I spoke with another person who wanted to assure me that my spiritual advisor was correct. By the end of our conversation I felt like I just had a professional debate. This was discouraging to say the least. Not that I all the sudden was going to forfeit God's call for a couple of opinions, but coming from guys I know and trust I effected my mood more than I anticipated.

Later that week I went to meet with my pastor, and former boss. I think it was the most encouraging conversation we've ever had. He shared his heart on ministry in general. He told me about when he quit a job paying $50,000 in the early 80's to serve in full-time ministry. I shared my vision, and he was excited to hear it. He told me things I already knew, but in that moment I really needed to hear. He told me if God's called you to do something don't ever worry about the people who think you're crazy. He said people are always going to doubt you in ministry, and you can't let that effect the call. He told me he would help as much as possible. Just to have his support morally was refreshing, but to have some financial help, and some assistance with with the legal side of establishing the church is key.

Today I met with one of my key leaders. We sat at Starbucks for close to 3 hours talking vision, mission, and strategy. It was awesome. It pumped me up talking to someone else who "gets it". Even though I'm only on step 3 of about a 700 item list I actually feel like a church planter. The call to plant a church reminds me of my call to ministry. I knew what I was suppose to do long before I actually admitted it. Responding to this call is about as scary as surrendering to full-time Christian ministry. The reality is setting in. Today was another one of those day's where I said to myself this is really going to happen. I'm so excited to see what God is going to do in the next year of my life. It really feels like were starting to build momentum.

Chasing the Lion, not building a resume

I've had a unique set of circumstances contributing to my spiritual and leadership development. By age 17 I had already gotten the chance to preach for over 400 young men at Georgia Boys State. Before I turned 21 I lead worship for a church of 500's youth group. I had seen ministry, and done ministry more than most before becoming an adult. These were defining moments in validating my call to the ministry. Since my call I've earned a Bachelor's of Science In Christian Ministries from Shorter University, and I'm 9 classes away from a M.A.R in Christian Leadership. While it's been almost 10 years since I surrendered to full time ministry I still get treated as if I just started. One reocurring theme I've found since I turned my profession over to God is people are going to be negative, and they are going to try and discourage you, but in spite of all that you have to be willing to chase the lion. (or if you haven't read the book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day) In other words you need to remember that John 3 calls us to move as the wind blows. What's important is the Hewbrew word that means wind also means spirit. God's word reminds us to move when the spirit moves you, and it may be much like the wind. Here's some challenging things I've encountered since age 18:

-2001: After I made a public decision about my pursuit to full-time ministry a former youth pastor of mine at the end of the service said "you know, it's not all games and pizza parties". He then went on to tell me why this was basically a bad idea.

-2002: I'm driving an hour each way from college to my home church to lead the youth band, and I'm doing practices a couple hours before youth starts. Right when we start a dad of one of th female singers comes up to me and informs me that he'll be staying for practice because I'm not old enough to supervise people properly. He then proceeded to tell me "I don't know what you think you're going to do until you have teenagers, because you can't lead a youth group until you have teenagers of your own."

-2003: I'm still leading the same youth band, still driving an hour each way every Wednesday night (while studying Christian Ministies at college) and I'm preparing them for camp. We usually hired a professional band for camp, but this year our youth pastor felt we were ready to lead. While at camp serving as the worship leader, one of the female adult volunteer's scold's me pubically for 3-5 mins about how rowdy the boys are being in their bunk, and that I need to do something about it. I had to explain that my job that night was pool duty (making sure kids didn't sneak out to go swim), and that the leader in charge of that room at that moment was her husband...she didnt' apologize.

-2004: I'm now 21 years old and a Junior in college. I agree to serve as a chaperone for the youth trip in Gatlinburg, TN for winter extreme. My (at the time) girlfriend and I were already in Gatlinburg because we were coaches for a cheerleading gym that just had a competition. That weekend I was in charge over 80 girls all under the age of 18 (my team won first place). The next day the church arrives and the youth pastor starts telling the kids who the leaders are. Immediately after my group is assigned to me, my girlfriend, and the other college aged leader a female adult volunteer publically (in front of all the kids) makes a angry plea for how college age students aren't responsible enough to take high school students around Gatlinburg. The youth pastor crumbles under the pressure and exclaims "if you don't have a mortgage you can't lead a group"...we were in groups of 8...1/10 of the responsibility that I had just a day before.

-2005: May 28 of 2005 I married my college sweetheart, and almost like magic I suddenly was seen as an adult. I was now a youth pastor at a small church, and I did ministry without too many negatives. People were actually excited to see a young couple serving God.
-2008: At this point my wife and I had our first child, and I was serving full-time at my home church as a staff member. I had much success at this position. Under my leader we increased our baptisms from 46 to 100 the very first year I was there. I felt the call to leave that church. I missed having a flock to shepherd. When I went to resign I was told that I hadn't really accomplished that much, and that I have so much to learn before I spread my wings...I resigned anyway.
-2011: After serving a thriving church in Texas I returned to my home town to follow God's direction. During my time in Texas God allowed me to baptize 30 students, and lead over 50 to the Lord. Our student ministry went from 20 students to over a 100 in less than 2 years. I cast a vision and church bought it giving me $50,000 to update the student building. It was a great time, and I grew a lot there. Now that I'm back I firmly believe God has plans for me to plant a church. After sharing that vision with my home church ministers I feel like I've moved back to pre-marriage status. Here's what's been said:
-You're too young.
-You don't have enough experience.
-You need to learn more.
-Yeah, your degree's are great, but they don't really help.
-It's great that you read church leadership, and leadership books all the time, but that's not real life.
-There are already a bunch of church plants.
-We don't want to see you fall flat on your face.
-I believe in 1 Tim 4:12, but Steven Furtick is the exception.

All I can say is praise the Lord we serve a mighty God who's way are higher than our ways. By the credentials we put on ministers Jesus Christ couldn't pastor any of our churches; he wasn't married, he was only 30 when he started his ministry, and he didn't have enough experience.

If you're a young leader, and God has given you a vision follow it. We are freuds and liars if we challenge our people to live lives of faith, but don't don't live like it. When I moved from Texas to Georgia it wasn't because I had a job lined up, it's because God told me to. He isn't interested in our resume's as much as he's interested in our hearts. If all I ever do is honor him with my integrity then I would count my "career" in ministry a success.