To state the obvious, being at the big game is different from watching it at home on TV. But even more different than I thought.
For one thing, being at the game live keeps you in the moment from start to finish. We don't see the Super Bowl ads that can distract us for a few minutes from the excitement/tension of the game. We're watching the field waiting anxiously for the game to get going again. My oh my those commercial breaks were long and often agonizing!
Second, we never got to see the replays of controversial calls. Many of the times we couldn't hear the referee so we had no idea what was called and why. Thankfully some of Mike's friends kept texting him with updates.
Third, I was asked the other day if we stood the whole time. I expected to. But here's the weird thing about the Super Bowl. Even though the number of Steelers Fans made it a Steelers home game, in reality, at the Super Bowl, both teams are home teams so to speak. At a home game, you stand and cheer when your team is on defense to try to disrupt the opponents offense. When your team is on offense you sit and try to keep quiet so your team can hear the plays being called. So do you stand or sit at at Super Bowl? In our section, anyway, we all tried to sit when appropriate and stand when appropriate. Though grossly outnumbered by those Steeler fans, we all got along pretty good in our section--though I hear that was not the case everywhere.
So it's a very different experience being at that game--one I wouldn't have missed for anything. It was awesome.
We were on the Cardinals End Zone so we saw the intercepted Warner pass that was run the opposite way for a Steelers touch down. Talk about taking the wind out of the sails. Mike and I were so despondent we decided to skip the Bruce Springsteen concert and head down for some ice cream and walk off some nervous energy. Good plan. Normally half-time is crowded in the food lines and bathrooms. But because of the big show inside the stadium, the bathrooms and food lines were empty.
Even though the interception seemed to be a game breaker for the Cards, they were still in the game. With the odds against them--the half-ending interception/touchdown, the Steelers crowd, the many legit and questionable penalties called against them in the 3rd quarter, they went ahead with 2 1/2 minutes left. What a moment! To be there on the cusp of a Super Bowl victory. We didn't know what to do with ourselves. The D had been playing so well we were sure they could hold the Steelers and win the game. But in the end, we lost. Heartbreaking doesn't begin to describe it. And with all of those obnoxious Steelers fans celebrating! :)
To be honest, in the early moments of the loss I wondered if it had been worth it. As my son and I climbed into our car at Sky Harbor after flying home I asked Mike if he felt it was worth it because he was really, really devastated by the loss. He said, "If they had won, we would have been sick not being there. Those few seconds, when we thought we were going to win--that was worth it!"
The further I get from the game the more meaningful the whole experience is!
After the game we didn't get the Cards take on things like most in AZ got after the game. We didn't see the Monday AZ Republic until Tuesday so we had no idea how the team was doing. Our first flight home was mostly Steeler fans. When we got to our Phoenix flight in Atlanta, we finally had some fellow Cards fans to talk with.
One of the guys said his seats were in section 305. I said that that's where we sat. He looked at Mike and Mike's bright limegreen stocking cap and said, "You guys were sitting right in front of me. I have a picture of Mike on my phone!" So he sent the pic to Mike. Pretty cool. When I looked at my pics I actually have that guy in one of my photos!
It was a game for the ages. One of the best Super Bowls ever (outcome excepted!). And we were there. It was a day filled with every emotion you can imagine and worth every second of it. Our team, as someone said, lost like winners.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
View from the Super Bowl--2
It's Tuesday afternoon. I arrived home about 1 am this morning. The emotions are still raw after being so close to winning the game.
I've never attended a Super Bowl before. May never get the opportunity again. This was such an historic one--the Cards first, that it was hard to pass up.
We were able to arrive a couple hours earlier than planned due to getting an earlier flight. I'm so glad we could do that. It gave us plenty of time to take it all in.
We took a cab from the airport to the stadium, or as near to it as we could get. We took a long walk over to pick up our tickets and then headed to the stadium. Though it was about 3-4 hours before kickoff we decided we had nothing better to do so we headed in. The crowds at that point were small so we got in quickly. We entered just as the AZ Cards cheerleaders were entering.
As we began to head into the stadium we heard cheering from some Cards fans. The team bus had just pulled up. So we were able to cheer for the team as they headed to the locker room. Though we couldn't get real close, it was pretty cool to be there at that moment. My son Mike was able to catch Kurt Warner's attention for a brief second! A highlight he'll remember for the rest of his life.
We ate some really expensive stadium food and then walked the stadium and took some pictures. Then we headed to our seats and watched the day unfold over the next few hours from early warm ups by the team to the stadium filling to the teams coming back out to warm up again.
It didn't take long to figure out it was a Steelers home game! Probably 25 Steeler Fans for every 1 Cards fan.
We sat up in the Cards endzone side, way up in the nosebleed section. But at least we were in the building.
What struck us was how much of an event the Super Bowl is on TV. But all the glitz aside, it really felt like a football game being there live. Perhaps that's because we weren't watching all the pre-game stuff. We didn't see any of the commercials. It was all about the game.
The other thing that struck me was how we all think the Super Bowl is a "rich man's" event--that only the elite attend. But most of the people in our area, in fact most of the fans I saw, were every day people who decided to make a great financial sacrifice to be a part of that game and to support their team. I'm sure the rich and famous were there, but not up where we were. This was really a game filled with every day fans.
Faith Hill was very good. Jennifer Hudson was amazing. The flyover was so close to us that I could reach up my hand and almost touch the Jets!
Finally the game began. To be honest, I was so thrilled to be there and to see the Cards there that I wasn't all that nervous about winning or losing...until it looked like we could win it.
More on that in the next post.
I've never attended a Super Bowl before. May never get the opportunity again. This was such an historic one--the Cards first, that it was hard to pass up.
We were able to arrive a couple hours earlier than planned due to getting an earlier flight. I'm so glad we could do that. It gave us plenty of time to take it all in.
We took a cab from the airport to the stadium, or as near to it as we could get. We took a long walk over to pick up our tickets and then headed to the stadium. Though it was about 3-4 hours before kickoff we decided we had nothing better to do so we headed in. The crowds at that point were small so we got in quickly. We entered just as the AZ Cards cheerleaders were entering.
As we began to head into the stadium we heard cheering from some Cards fans. The team bus had just pulled up. So we were able to cheer for the team as they headed to the locker room. Though we couldn't get real close, it was pretty cool to be there at that moment. My son Mike was able to catch Kurt Warner's attention for a brief second! A highlight he'll remember for the rest of his life.
We ate some really expensive stadium food and then walked the stadium and took some pictures. Then we headed to our seats and watched the day unfold over the next few hours from early warm ups by the team to the stadium filling to the teams coming back out to warm up again.
It didn't take long to figure out it was a Steelers home game! Probably 25 Steeler Fans for every 1 Cards fan.
We sat up in the Cards endzone side, way up in the nosebleed section. But at least we were in the building.
What struck us was how much of an event the Super Bowl is on TV. But all the glitz aside, it really felt like a football game being there live. Perhaps that's because we weren't watching all the pre-game stuff. We didn't see any of the commercials. It was all about the game.
The other thing that struck me was how we all think the Super Bowl is a "rich man's" event--that only the elite attend. But most of the people in our area, in fact most of the fans I saw, were every day people who decided to make a great financial sacrifice to be a part of that game and to support their team. I'm sure the rich and famous were there, but not up where we were. This was really a game filled with every day fans.
Faith Hill was very good. Jennifer Hudson was amazing. The flyover was so close to us that I could reach up my hand and almost touch the Jets!
Finally the game began. To be honest, I was so thrilled to be there and to see the Cards there that I wasn't all that nervous about winning or losing...until it looked like we could win it.
More on that in the next post.
Monday, February 2, 2009
View from the Super Bowl--1
The morning after. The emotions are too raw to talk about the game itself at this point. So a quick post on how I ended up at the Big Game.
My son, Mike, told me, before the Cards/Eagles game for the NFC Championship game that if the Cards won, we were going to the Super Bowl. The Cards won! So, we headed home from the game and threw a trip together. We got the tickets. We figured out the flights. Two challenges: 1) Jan and I were flying in from Hawaii on Saturday night at 11:59 pm--the night before the game. So...We got into Phoenix around 12:20. I headed home. Slept an hour. Then back to the airport for a 6 am flight. Our connection was such that we were able to take an earlier flight from Atlanta allowing us to meet my daughter and son-in-law in Tampa and head to the game. That gave us plenty of time to drink in the experience (without a lot of sleep!)
Second challenge--we had everything booked. I assumed I could use my hotel points to get a room near the game. Wrong! I had tickets, flights, and no place to stay. All the surrounding hotels were booked. Finally found a Holiday Inn Express about an hour from the site.
That lead to a 3rd challenge. What to do with our backpacks. We couldn't bring them into the game. So with the hotel an hour a way we needed a place to store them during the game. No storage at the airport. No hotel would hold our stuff. So we ended up renting the car early, parking it in the terminal and dumping the bags.
I spent most of a week putting this quick trip together. And, the Cards loss excepted, it all worked out perfectly.
By the way--I spent Saturday night sleeping on the plane from Hawaii. One hour in my bed before the flight to Tampa. A few hours on the flight. And finally, around 1 am Tampa time, fell asleep on the floor as we had two small double beds for 4 of us. I won the floor! But boy, did I sleep.
Next up: The sights, sounds, and impressions from the biggest game of the year.
My son, Mike, told me, before the Cards/Eagles game for the NFC Championship game that if the Cards won, we were going to the Super Bowl. The Cards won! So, we headed home from the game and threw a trip together. We got the tickets. We figured out the flights. Two challenges: 1) Jan and I were flying in from Hawaii on Saturday night at 11:59 pm--the night before the game. So...We got into Phoenix around 12:20. I headed home. Slept an hour. Then back to the airport for a 6 am flight. Our connection was such that we were able to take an earlier flight from Atlanta allowing us to meet my daughter and son-in-law in Tampa and head to the game. That gave us plenty of time to drink in the experience (without a lot of sleep!)
Second challenge--we had everything booked. I assumed I could use my hotel points to get a room near the game. Wrong! I had tickets, flights, and no place to stay. All the surrounding hotels were booked. Finally found a Holiday Inn Express about an hour from the site.
That lead to a 3rd challenge. What to do with our backpacks. We couldn't bring them into the game. So with the hotel an hour a way we needed a place to store them during the game. No storage at the airport. No hotel would hold our stuff. So we ended up renting the car early, parking it in the terminal and dumping the bags.
I spent most of a week putting this quick trip together. And, the Cards loss excepted, it all worked out perfectly.
By the way--I spent Saturday night sleeping on the plane from Hawaii. One hour in my bed before the flight to Tampa. A few hours on the flight. And finally, around 1 am Tampa time, fell asleep on the floor as we had two small double beds for 4 of us. I won the floor! But boy, did I sleep.
Next up: The sights, sounds, and impressions from the biggest game of the year.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Musings on the Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl
It's been ages since I've written--so why not start up again with the miracle of the AZ Cardinals!
I was born and raised in Minnesota so I've always been a Vikings fan. But from the day the Cards moved to Arizona back in 1988 I have been a die-hard Cards fan. And like all Cards fans, I died hard week in and week out for years. And while most AZ Cards game memories are not good ones, I do have some great Cards memories of my own.
The first game in Arizona Cardinals history (then they were the Phoenix Cardinals) was a Monday night game. The Sunday before the game I had the opportunity to interview Cardinal Ron Wolfley (now the color commentator for the AZ Cardinals broadcasts). He was as fun and engaging as he is on radio! I asked him why he was a follower of Jesus. He said in one simple sentence, quoting Jesus: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose his soul?" Good stuff.
Over the years I had the chance to interview other Cardinals players including Linebacker Garth Jax and quarterback Chris Chandler. On March 1 I will be interviewing former Card quarterback Neil Lomax at our Sunday services. (A Grace'r is trying to line up Kurt Warner! We'll see!)
A couple of years after the Cardinals arrived my son and I had the chance to spend a day at Cards training camp. Larry Wilson, the hall of fame Card from days of old, took us around. We ate in the mess hall with the players and had a chance to talk with a few of them. We then watched them practice before we headed home.
I attended the first game where Jake Plummer was the starter. And my daughter and I were at the game against San Diego (the final game of the season) when the Cards beat the Chargers by 3 to send them as a wild card to their first playoff appearance as the AZ Cardinals--10 years after arriving in Phoenix. They beat the Cowboys (huge game) but ended up losing to the Vikings in the second round of the playoffs--and while I was glad the Vikes went on to the NFC Championship game (but lost to the Eagles) I was rooting for the Cards.
My kids and I were at the final game of the season at Sun Devil Stadium against the Vikes. The Vikes needed a win to go to the playoffs. The Cards needed to lose to get the first round draft pick. On a last second hail Mary pass from Josh McCowen, the Cards beat the Vikes, knocking the Vikes out of the playoffs while the Cards lost the first round draft pick.
I endured 5 miserable seasons as a season ticket holder at Sun Devil stadium--miserable because the Cards were awful and the first several games of each season were in 100+ degree weather.
I moved with the team to the new stadium. The stadium was great. The team not so much. I gave up my tickets in disgust (besides, the home games were now finally on TV).
And then this magical season. By chance I purchased the last 3 games of the season so was at the Rams game when the Cards won the NFC for the first time since God created the heavens and the earth. I was at the playoff game against the Eagles--the wonder-filled, surreal, unbelievable game that sent the Cards to their first ever Super Bowl. I went through every emotion imaginable from elation to despair to fear to a near heart attack to delirium. I still can't get my brain around it. The Arizona Cardinals are playing in the Super Bowl.
I'm in Hawaii this week for some R and R. It's our favorite time of year as it's whale season. The whales, however, have been a big disappointment so far. But...to my amazement, I saw a Cardinal, twice!, right out our window. Jan has the pics to prove it.
Gotta be a good sign! :)
And remember, God always has a soft spot for the David's of this world. Not so much for the Goliaths.
Go Cards! (I still can't believe it!)
I was born and raised in Minnesota so I've always been a Vikings fan. But from the day the Cards moved to Arizona back in 1988 I have been a die-hard Cards fan. And like all Cards fans, I died hard week in and week out for years. And while most AZ Cards game memories are not good ones, I do have some great Cards memories of my own.
The first game in Arizona Cardinals history (then they were the Phoenix Cardinals) was a Monday night game. The Sunday before the game I had the opportunity to interview Cardinal Ron Wolfley (now the color commentator for the AZ Cardinals broadcasts). He was as fun and engaging as he is on radio! I asked him why he was a follower of Jesus. He said in one simple sentence, quoting Jesus: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose his soul?" Good stuff.
Over the years I had the chance to interview other Cardinals players including Linebacker Garth Jax and quarterback Chris Chandler. On March 1 I will be interviewing former Card quarterback Neil Lomax at our Sunday services. (A Grace'r is trying to line up Kurt Warner! We'll see!)
A couple of years after the Cardinals arrived my son and I had the chance to spend a day at Cards training camp. Larry Wilson, the hall of fame Card from days of old, took us around. We ate in the mess hall with the players and had a chance to talk with a few of them. We then watched them practice before we headed home.
I attended the first game where Jake Plummer was the starter. And my daughter and I were at the game against San Diego (the final game of the season) when the Cards beat the Chargers by 3 to send them as a wild card to their first playoff appearance as the AZ Cardinals--10 years after arriving in Phoenix. They beat the Cowboys (huge game) but ended up losing to the Vikings in the second round of the playoffs--and while I was glad the Vikes went on to the NFC Championship game (but lost to the Eagles) I was rooting for the Cards.
My kids and I were at the final game of the season at Sun Devil Stadium against the Vikes. The Vikes needed a win to go to the playoffs. The Cards needed to lose to get the first round draft pick. On a last second hail Mary pass from Josh McCowen, the Cards beat the Vikes, knocking the Vikes out of the playoffs while the Cards lost the first round draft pick.
I endured 5 miserable seasons as a season ticket holder at Sun Devil stadium--miserable because the Cards were awful and the first several games of each season were in 100+ degree weather.
I moved with the team to the new stadium. The stadium was great. The team not so much. I gave up my tickets in disgust (besides, the home games were now finally on TV).
And then this magical season. By chance I purchased the last 3 games of the season so was at the Rams game when the Cards won the NFC for the first time since God created the heavens and the earth. I was at the playoff game against the Eagles--the wonder-filled, surreal, unbelievable game that sent the Cards to their first ever Super Bowl. I went through every emotion imaginable from elation to despair to fear to a near heart attack to delirium. I still can't get my brain around it. The Arizona Cardinals are playing in the Super Bowl.
I'm in Hawaii this week for some R and R. It's our favorite time of year as it's whale season. The whales, however, have been a big disappointment so far. But...to my amazement, I saw a Cardinal, twice!, right out our window. Jan has the pics to prove it.
Gotta be a good sign! :)
And remember, God always has a soft spot for the David's of this world. Not so much for the Goliaths.
Go Cards! (I still can't believe it!)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
More from Boise
While this doesn't come directly from our conference, this was passed along to me in response to what I wrote yesterday--it's a way in which we can participate in some small way in protecting our children from sexual predators.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Musings from Boise
My daughter, Alycia, and I met up here in Boise at about 1 am Boise time this morning. We are here to attend a very unique 3-day conference sponsored by the Vineyard Church of Boise. The focus is on global issues. Today we looked at Sex Trafficking.
The day opened with a powerful presentation by Rob Morris of Love146.The organization seeks to provide safe homes for victims of sexual trafficking.
The naming of the organization comes from a troubling, yet moving experience Rob had. He, along with a few others, joined an undercover operation in Asia, seeking to infiltrate a sex trafficking organization. They were trained to act like "customers," men interested in the children being offered. They walked into a room and stood before a glass window looking at children who in turn were watching cartoons. Each of the kids wore only a number. The "pimp" walked around telling the customers what each of the kids specialized in. Rob noticed #146. It was apparent that she was fairly new to being a sexual slave as, where the other victims had lifeless eyes, 146 still had the fire of anger in hers.
Jesus came to set the captives free, the predators, perps, and the victims. As the Senior pastor of the Boise Vineyard asked, Are we as a church doing what Jesus calls us to do?
The day opened with a powerful presentation by Rob Morris of Love146.The organization seeks to provide safe homes for victims of sexual trafficking.
The naming of the organization comes from a troubling, yet moving experience Rob had. He, along with a few others, joined an undercover operation in Asia, seeking to infiltrate a sex trafficking organization. They were trained to act like "customers," men interested in the children being offered. They walked into a room and stood before a glass window looking at children who in turn were watching cartoons. Each of the kids wore only a number. The "pimp" walked around telling the customers what each of the kids specialized in. Rob noticed #146. It was apparent that she was fairly new to being a sexual slave as, where the other victims had lifeless eyes, 146 still had the fire of anger in hers.
Jesus came to set the captives free, the predators, perps, and the victims. As the Senior pastor of the Boise Vineyard asked, Are we as a church doing what Jesus calls us to do?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Building a Community of Grace
Our congregation is in the heart of a building campaign/campus design. We were given 9.5 acres of land a few years ago and have the commitments and the financial banking to go for it starting this spring.
Everything is in place. But the question is, what is the best use of our resources in serving the Kingdom of God? In serving the city we're in? In serving people who need Jesus?
I talked about our mission on Sunday (You either listen to the podcast or hit the listen link. Look for A Year of Living Christ-ianly, part 2.)
Here is a summary of what we are thinking and praying through which I sent to our congregation today:
Hey, Gracer's,
The following, in bullet points, is a quick update on the building project:
The planning process continues to be energizing and exciting. We are moving through the city for approvals and the planning is now moving to detailed drawings.
At this point, it looks like the budget will allow for the building of the worship center which includes 4 classrooms and a 1000 square foot lobby area. It will be the same size as what we have in Zuni, only better.
The schedule is getting clearer. It looks like we can pencil in a ground-breaking date of Palm Sunday, April 5, 2009. That will be our 4-year anniversary and the 25th anniversary of my ordination into vocational ministry.
If all goes as planned we could be in the new worship space for Easter of 2010.
If we can find a way, we will also build an office complex but that remains a money issue.
The cost is $6.4 million-including infrastructure, landscaping, the building and full furnishings. That would mean a loan of about $6 million as we will pay about $500,000 in cash. That comes to about $43,000 per month!
How will we pay for it?
Thrivent Financial Services has agreed to be our lending institution. They have provided us an extraordinary rate.
We are currently 48% of the way through our first 3-year building fund commitments and have received 51% of the commitments! If that trend continues we will be able to handle the monthly payments.
By the time we move in, we will have a large cushion from the first campaign. We will have launched and completed the second 3-year campaign that we would hope would raise another $1.5 million ensuring we continue to make our payments.
With the free land, the Thrivent loan, and the fantastic giving to the campaign, this is doable!
As I said in worship a few weeks ago, even though all the pieces are in place to make it happen, before we put a shovel in the ground we will have a "come to Jesus" meeting to make sure we really want to commit to this. Once you commit to a $6 million loan there is no turning back.
So I'd like us to begin the process now. We began Sunday by reviewing our mission, our call to move from a Come and See Church to a Go and Show Church. For a come and see church the building is crucial. For a go and show church, investing resources in getting out and demonstrating God's love is crucial. Which leads congregations like ours, who are passionate about doing mission, to ask tough questions about the best use of resources.
Now that we have all the facts-we know exactly what it takes to be a church in Zuni and what it would take to build a facility-now is the time to ask the resource questions; questions about what is the best use of the resources we have, not for building a church, but for serving the city.
In terms of building, I offer the following questions with an assignment at the end (and remember, all the resources are in place to build. So this is not a financial issue. This is a mission issue. Is building the best way we can serve the city?)
Questions:
Is building this new campus the best use of our resources for serving the city?
What will the new campus allow us to do in serving the city at an investment of $10,000 per week plus upkeep, etc
Vs. $600 per week in this place?
Will a permanent facility better enable us to serve the city?
On Saturdays, when we're setting up, and dragging 350 chairs across a hot parking lot, setting up communion tables, nursery, Sunday School, sound systems, I can't wait for the building to be done. On Sunday after worship, when we're tearing down everything we set up on Saturday, and mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms, I can't wait until the new building is done
But... when I sit in worship and experience the power of our worship together
And I see the people gathering in clusters
And I see our youth on retreat
And I see us out on Make a Difference Days
And it's only costing us $600 a weekend for the building vs $10,000 plus if we build
I wonder what advantage at $6.5 million dollar building gives us in serving the city?
What if, rather than having to raise $500,000 per year to pay a mortgage
We raise money for special missions projects?
$100,000 in a year to start a new church?
$100,000 in a year to build a medical clinic in Rwanda?
$100,000 to help build some new homes for the homeless?
$100,000 a year to support missions locally and around the world?
Are there other options that enable us to do the same thing
But with less financial resources?
Lease a mall?
Land swap for something with lower infrastructure costs?
Work with Zuni and upgrade this place/get some better classrooms for kids?
What if we wait a few years?
While the costs will go up, what if we wait until we can grow into our identity for awhile?
We're still making the shift from come and see to go and show
Still sifting: Some of us are still trying to figure out if this will be the congregation we commit to
Do we need more time to grow into our identity as a congregation before we build?
Is God calling us to build right now?
After all, he's provided the land free and clear.
We have a company willing to make us the loan at fantastic rates..
We have the commitments to make the payments
Is God saying that this sacrificial investment will help us best serve the city for generations to come?
Will this new facility give us a stability, a base of operation out of which to send disciples back into the world to bring God's grace for years and years to come?
When I sit in the building meetings and imagine the kind of equipping and worship that can take place there
I can hardly wait to get into it
What is the best use of our resources?
What is the best use of them in terms of letting our lights shine?
What sacrifice are we being called to make?
A financial one of raising $1,500,000 or more every three years?
A comfort one of being nomads in Zuni for awhile longer or an extended period of time?
Between now and December let's pray about this together.
Let's set aside some time on Friday to pray through these questions; to ask God what he wants.
Fast something-a meal, a dessert, a cup of coffee and use that as a reminder to pray.
Let's Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledging him, and he will direct our paths.
In January we'll begin to talk about what we're hearing from God
And by the end of that month
We'll either go for it and build
Put the project on hold
Or look at other alternatives.
During that time we'll continue to pursue the project and make sure everything is in place to build so that we stay on schedule. So it will be important to keep on giving to the project. If we decide to wait or do something else we can decide how to deal with the money we have given.
God has provided the land. God has provided the financing. God has provided the commitments to cover the financing. The assumption is that we should build-and perhaps that's exactly what God has in mind. But let's spend some serious time in prayer to make sure we're going where Jesus is leading and that we're willing to follow him wherever he might lead us.
Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father in Heaven!
Thanks for your willingness to be a missional congregation-willing to lay aside our own needs for the sake of bringing grace to the world, whatever that might mean. I believe this process is one of the ways that God is going to use to shape us to live Christ-ianly as a congregation.
Tim
Everything is in place. But the question is, what is the best use of our resources in serving the Kingdom of God? In serving the city we're in? In serving people who need Jesus?
I talked about our mission on Sunday (You either listen to the podcast or hit the listen link. Look for A Year of Living Christ-ianly, part 2.)
Here is a summary of what we are thinking and praying through which I sent to our congregation today:
Hey, Gracer's,
The following, in bullet points, is a quick update on the building project:
The planning process continues to be energizing and exciting. We are moving through the city for approvals and the planning is now moving to detailed drawings.
At this point, it looks like the budget will allow for the building of the worship center which includes 4 classrooms and a 1000 square foot lobby area. It will be the same size as what we have in Zuni, only better.
The schedule is getting clearer. It looks like we can pencil in a ground-breaking date of Palm Sunday, April 5, 2009. That will be our 4-year anniversary and the 25th anniversary of my ordination into vocational ministry.
If all goes as planned we could be in the new worship space for Easter of 2010.
If we can find a way, we will also build an office complex but that remains a money issue.
The cost is $6.4 million-including infrastructure, landscaping, the building and full furnishings. That would mean a loan of about $6 million as we will pay about $500,000 in cash. That comes to about $43,000 per month!
How will we pay for it?
Thrivent Financial Services has agreed to be our lending institution. They have provided us an extraordinary rate.
We are currently 48% of the way through our first 3-year building fund commitments and have received 51% of the commitments! If that trend continues we will be able to handle the monthly payments.
By the time we move in, we will have a large cushion from the first campaign. We will have launched and completed the second 3-year campaign that we would hope would raise another $1.5 million ensuring we continue to make our payments.
With the free land, the Thrivent loan, and the fantastic giving to the campaign, this is doable!
As I said in worship a few weeks ago, even though all the pieces are in place to make it happen, before we put a shovel in the ground we will have a "come to Jesus" meeting to make sure we really want to commit to this. Once you commit to a $6 million loan there is no turning back.
So I'd like us to begin the process now. We began Sunday by reviewing our mission, our call to move from a Come and See Church to a Go and Show Church. For a come and see church the building is crucial. For a go and show church, investing resources in getting out and demonstrating God's love is crucial. Which leads congregations like ours, who are passionate about doing mission, to ask tough questions about the best use of resources.
Now that we have all the facts-we know exactly what it takes to be a church in Zuni and what it would take to build a facility-now is the time to ask the resource questions; questions about what is the best use of the resources we have, not for building a church, but for serving the city.
In terms of building, I offer the following questions with an assignment at the end (and remember, all the resources are in place to build. So this is not a financial issue. This is a mission issue. Is building the best way we can serve the city?)
Questions:
Is building this new campus the best use of our resources for serving the city?
What will the new campus allow us to do in serving the city at an investment of $10,000 per week plus upkeep, etc
Vs. $600 per week in this place?
Will a permanent facility better enable us to serve the city?
On Saturdays, when we're setting up, and dragging 350 chairs across a hot parking lot, setting up communion tables, nursery, Sunday School, sound systems, I can't wait for the building to be done. On Sunday after worship, when we're tearing down everything we set up on Saturday, and mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms, I can't wait until the new building is done
But... when I sit in worship and experience the power of our worship together
And I see the people gathering in clusters
And I see our youth on retreat
And I see us out on Make a Difference Days
And it's only costing us $600 a weekend for the building vs $10,000 plus if we build
I wonder what advantage at $6.5 million dollar building gives us in serving the city?
What if, rather than having to raise $500,000 per year to pay a mortgage
We raise money for special missions projects?
$100,000 in a year to start a new church?
$100,000 in a year to build a medical clinic in Rwanda?
$100,000 to help build some new homes for the homeless?
$100,000 a year to support missions locally and around the world?
Are there other options that enable us to do the same thing
But with less financial resources?
Lease a mall?
Land swap for something with lower infrastructure costs?
Work with Zuni and upgrade this place/get some better classrooms for kids?
What if we wait a few years?
While the costs will go up, what if we wait until we can grow into our identity for awhile?
We're still making the shift from come and see to go and show
Still sifting: Some of us are still trying to figure out if this will be the congregation we commit to
Do we need more time to grow into our identity as a congregation before we build?
Is God calling us to build right now?
After all, he's provided the land free and clear.
We have a company willing to make us the loan at fantastic rates..
We have the commitments to make the payments
Is God saying that this sacrificial investment will help us best serve the city for generations to come?
Will this new facility give us a stability, a base of operation out of which to send disciples back into the world to bring God's grace for years and years to come?
When I sit in the building meetings and imagine the kind of equipping and worship that can take place there
I can hardly wait to get into it
What is the best use of our resources?
What is the best use of them in terms of letting our lights shine?
What sacrifice are we being called to make?
A financial one of raising $1,500,000 or more every three years?
A comfort one of being nomads in Zuni for awhile longer or an extended period of time?
Between now and December let's pray about this together.
Let's set aside some time on Friday to pray through these questions; to ask God what he wants.
Fast something-a meal, a dessert, a cup of coffee and use that as a reminder to pray.
Let's Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledging him, and he will direct our paths.
In January we'll begin to talk about what we're hearing from God
And by the end of that month
We'll either go for it and build
Put the project on hold
Or look at other alternatives.
During that time we'll continue to pursue the project and make sure everything is in place to build so that we stay on schedule. So it will be important to keep on giving to the project. If we decide to wait or do something else we can decide how to deal with the money we have given.
God has provided the land. God has provided the financing. God has provided the commitments to cover the financing. The assumption is that we should build-and perhaps that's exactly what God has in mind. But let's spend some serious time in prayer to make sure we're going where Jesus is leading and that we're willing to follow him wherever he might lead us.
Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father in Heaven!
Thanks for your willingness to be a missional congregation-willing to lay aside our own needs for the sake of bringing grace to the world, whatever that might mean. I believe this process is one of the ways that God is going to use to shape us to live Christ-ianly as a congregation.
Tim
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