This has been an exciting month

The past couple days have been very productive for our church plant. I can actually say "our" because I have started to assemble our launch team. It's small right now, but those who are called are both eager, and have already started to help with the finances. We've found a company who helps churches get started on the business side. They have a payment schedule worked out that we can handle, and they will take care of everything it takes for us to get legal. I have to admit, that aspect of church planting is the scariest to me. I can do the pastor stuff, but outside of balancing my family budget I have no experience with business administration. I get nervous at the thought of payroll, social security, housing, salaries, taxes, w2's etc. There are some great resources available, but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm a preacher, not an accountant. One of my very first needs is going to be either a company who assists churches with their administrative needs, or I'm going to need to hire a business administrator. I'd love to hear what other church planters do for this hurdle.

On a positive note, we have secured a location for our pre-launch meetings. A church I served at when I was 22 agreed to let us use their worship center on the weekend. They have very limited resources available for audio and visual needs, but it's a space with lights and seats. It's beats meeting in the park during February. My brother who will eventually become our creative arts director is working on our promotional material for our vision night. Once he finishes i'll start getting the word out to everyone I can think of. At the very least we hope to make some prayer partners. Our hopes are to inform potential launch team members about our vision, and challenge them to commit to joining the launch team.

So, these are exciting times. Only God knows where our journey will take us, we are just clinging to this vision with reckless abandonment, and believing God will do mighty things.

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.

Well it's been a while

So the Dave Ramsey plan worked great for anyone wondering. I still have student loans I'm dealing with, but my consumer debt was eliminated. I'll give a much more in depth post soon, on recent events in my life, and what God is doing with it.

Newest Update on the Dave Ramsey plan

In my last post I told everyone about what the Lord did with our taxes. Well this entry will further encourage you. God's timing is perfect...every time. When we first moved to Lufkin for me to take the student pastor position, I met with our business administrator and he helped us set up our Federal with holdings. He suggested the standard which most minister's use, and we told him to hold by airing on the side of caution. Well, God knew that we were holding the perfect amount. It was just enough to: get our emergency fund, pay Georgia State tax, save for upcoming expenses (Car tags, vet bill, exterminator etc), and to pay off our credit card. In fact it was only $200 more than what were going to need to do everything. Now we have adjusted our with holdings (as to not give the IRS an interest free loan every year). Since we still want to be cautious and don't want to with hold too little I chose a conservative amount that will guarantee a refund next year, but will still allow us to get back a good deal of income every month. This will really help us accelerate how fast we roll that "snowball". It was so cool that we "accidentally" took way to much money out, because it was the perfect amount of time for us to learn what God wanted us to learn, and in His timing it was like he started to release the flood gates so that we could be good stewards with His money.

On the struggle side; this month will be tough. We only have $25 a piece for personal expenses (eating out, renting a movie etc), and our grocery budget will be very tight. It's teaching us to really only buy what we can afford, and to set a limit. It was however exciting to pay bills this month because we have a plan, and are eager to follow it. It's one of the first times I have enjoyed paying bills! lol. I can't wait for the day that we can scream "were debt free!" but, until then it's going to be a lot of hard work, and I'm sure God will use it to glorify him along the way. God God!

God is so Big!

So I know God's word. I've experienced it in my life, and I preach it others, but God is so big! So often times I find myself much like the Israelites did while they were making the Golden calf. Here they were totally delivered out of slavery, witnesses to some of the coolest miracles that God ever did in the Old Testament, and then they seem to forget everything God had done for them.

Well I'm not saying I've recently participated in any idol worship, but I often forget how awesome God is, and just how big he is. Today I filed my taxes completely expecting about the same return as last year (approx. $2800). Michele and I didn't have much change from last year. I was a student last year, our income hasn't differed much, and we had Caroline when we filed last year, so there was no reason to expect more or less money. Before I tell you how much the tax return is for, I want to remind you about the commitment Michele and I just made...

It was but about a week ago that I read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I was so hooked that I couldn't put the book down, I read it in 2 days. I was totally convicted about the way that I had been spending the money God had entrusted me to be a good steward of. So I "that's enough". Michele and I decided to get debt free, and actually manage our money biblically. We have plans to sell almost everything we own that has value, we had already planned to take our entire tax return and put it into the snowball effect. So a couple of days later (March 5, 2010) after we had made this commitment we go to get our taxes done, and it was the biggest return we have ever had in our life. $6,700!!!!!! That's over double what we were expecting! This will really accelerate our snowball effect. We are so excited, and so blown away from God. It was like was say "don't you dare limit me, and what I can do." I am humbled just to be a servant, and feel totally blessed that he is allowing me to do his work. I hope all you that read this are encouraged by our little story. We have a long way to go, but this was just a nice reminder He is on the throne, and is able to do anything he wants.

Matt

Were going to be debt free!!!!

It's been a while since I've written here because I have been writing in my physical journal, and have really just forgotten about this blog. But my family has something new to talk about, so I wanted to write about it here. Were going to be debt free!!! Now, it's going to take a while, and it's going to be really, really hard! But, I'm so excited to get started...Here's the tipping point.

Last week I was rejected for a home loan for the second time in my life. An FHA home loan at that. I was really really bummed for about a 1/2 a day then I decided to stop having a pity party and pick up Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover book that had been sitting on my shelf gathering dust. I read through it in 2 days. I couldn't put it down, it was awesome! He's an incredible leader. His logic isn't genius, it's simple, biblical, and practical, but the way he leads people through it is where his true genius lies. We don't have an exact figure just yet on what our total debt is (because we don't have the most current student loan bills for this month) but, we have approximately $84,650 in debt. This includes a joint Visa card, a True line of credit, a car payment, 2 private school loans, 1 seminary loan. Our number is so high mainly because of our student debt. Unfortunately state schools don't offer the degree's that minister's need to get their education, so I took on a lot of debt for my education's sake. However, I have chosen no longer to be a slave to my debt. We are about to attack it with gazelle intensity! Were are going to file our taxes tomorrow which (if it's like last year) should give us approx $2,500 and were going to put that all on our visa card, almost paying it off. The next thing I'm doing is selling tons of stuff. I'm going to sell my: Glock 27 9mm pistol, baseball card collection (which is valuable), utility lawn trailer, my Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, our family surround sound stereo, my old college car stereo, and anything else I can find worth any money. It will be painful, but I'm actually excited about seeing those things go because it just means I'm one step closer to being debt free. I already have a buyer for the gun and the trailer, but the rest of those things are still up for grabs if anyone's interested.

I feel like God is so excited about me setting the example, and being the leader he wants me to be. I can't wait to get to a point where we are able to do even more with what God has blessed us with. I will be doing a video log and posting it to youtube to track our trials, and successes. Stay tuned as I will keep this blog updated as well.

Were going to be debt free!!!! Join me, pick up a copy of Total Money Makeover today