Why Men Hate Church

When this book came out three years ago, I saw it prominently displayed on the front table at Borders near my house. It also got some spark in both 'Christian' and regular mags, papers and even NBC news.

I'm one of those guys who reads books for free in Borders. Took about 45 minutes to get the gist.

I've been meaning to comment on its impact on me as the chief servant in my church. The research and interviews Murrow did for the book helped me clarify simple things to avoid alienating men without meaning to. I want to alienate people for the right reasons, if you know what I mean.

When you scratch plant (start with nobody in a new place) you feel this kind of desperation to keep anybody with a pulse. Any criticism causes a quick reaction. That compulsion/lack of faith led me toward making church more 'woman friendly.' A big one for me was without thinking I was using mostly 'soft' illustrations and stories that got an 'aw' rather than ones that got a grunt and a nod. Another mistake was to assume that if a woman spoke up, it represented what men think too.

A good take away is the observation that if a man doesn't feel like there is opportunity for him to make a difference, he won't stay around. Men want a piece of the action.

So I started connecting with guys directly, started asking them what they thought, talking more directly (bluntly) about life, got a guy to lead us in getting on a Habitat build and started looking for young men to hire as staff.

We aren't a 'church for men' in the sense that I don't dress in camo and ride a motorcycle in the church (like some disturbing videos I've seen), but we are applying some of this insight. And in year five now, we are seeing men very involved in leadership, training and serving. Even seeing some men show up without their wives and bringing them later.

The book is worth the read. Don't agree with all of his solutions. But he notes too many obvious mistakes to avoid.

Murrow's got a website www.churchformen.com. Some good free stuff on there. You can read some of it online at Amazon too.

If you can find it at a Borders, read it for free.

Big Toe Trouble

How important is a toe? I never really started to think about it until mine started to hurt - all the time. So I had surgery on August 1st. It's now (what day is it??) late August and I have only left the house a hand full of times. Because of a toe...

The surgeon removed a worn out knuckle in my right 'Great Toe' as podiatrists like to say. He added a titanium piece called a 'Hemi' (yeah, that's right, I got a Hemi), a $120 screw and what feels like a pound and a half of swelling. I have to keep it elevated. I can't put my right foot on the ground, can't take a shower, walk with crutches, can't get my own food, can't be out for more than an hour or so. Because of a toe...

'How can the hand say to the eye, "I don't need you, I'll get by without you."' Paraphrasing Scripture, it seems to me that the body of Christ, His Church, needs every member and every member healthy and whole.

We really need each other, even if you think you're just a toe. Why is the American church weak and ineffective? Could it be because of a toe?

Latinos: Field White for Harvest

Consider this:





The ministry at Crosspoint that is bearing the most new fruit is hidden from our view on Sunday. Two people in our 'Encuentro' (Encounter) Hispanic Ministry at 2pm each Sunday have come to faith in Christ! Pastor Hector and Cecilia and their girls have had their 3rd meeting and God is bringing in people hungry for the grace of the gospel! Two saved in 3 weeks!

Not many of us know all the ministry the Guzmans are doing:
- They continue to lead worship at our daughter church Emmanuel in Powder Springs Sunday morning 830-12noon
- They also lead worship (and Hector preaches some weeks in Espanol) at Grace Int'l, another church plant in Lawrenceville on Sunday evenings at 5pm
- Each week they volunteer at the Good Samaritan Clinic, a Christian medical/dental clinic for people without insurance.
- And Cecy volunteers in our church office two days a week bringing expertise and help in ways we need.

THE REASON I'M WRITING
The reason I'm sending this out today is that they need our prayers and/or financial support. As of today their next support check for living expenses is about 80% short for September 1. Even though their support has been fine since June, this is an urgent opportunity to help.

Their challenges are many as immigrants to the US, raising two bi-cultural girls in public schools, learning a new language in 2 years and seeking first the Kingdom of God with 3 churches and raising/living on support.

You may not realize it but they are living completely by faith that God will provide and are not permitted to work outside of ministry due to visa restrictions. They are legally only permitted to receive funds through our Hispanic Ministry and although there are under the table jobs available, they are committed to obeying our nations laws.

- If you can send or bring in a check, even a small amount each month, it will help them to pay their bills.
- Also, please email Hector and let him know if you will pray and/or give regularly to this important ministry. hectorguzmanmoreno@gmail.com. Every small regular monthly donation makes a difference for their family.
- If you want to bring a Spanish-speaking friend or could assist with picking up some folks, that would be great too. Many folks they meet don't have a car to get to church at 2pm.

Let's be bold and pray for a VERY affordable apartment in Smyrna for the Guzmans!

Arrested for Your Faith?

I'm distracted to pray for someone today and I can't tell you why, exactly. Not in the normal way we in the West ask for prayer requests. But I'm going to ask you to pray for my friend anyway. This is not a game. It is life and death. You'll have to figure it out.

Do you know what country is shaped like this? Starts with I and ends with N. You hundreds of thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ in this country in the hidden church.

I met some of these brave men and women in that country last year at a clandestine training seminar. I can't say enough how amazing it was and how deeply it struck me - turned upside down my concept of church. I felt like I was with 1st century believers. I can't tell you names because it isn't safe for them to be posted on the Internet.

Why am I distracted? This Wednesday August 20, one of the key leaders of the hidden church was ordered to report to the police. He hasn't been heard from since. He has a wife and two elementary aged children. He is the leader of a network of over 200 underground churches

It's killing me and I hope it isn't killing him. I asked him once, 'Are you prepared to be a martyr?' He looked me right in the eye and said, 'Yes. But I'm not volunteering.'

Pray for the brave men and women in the church in that country.
Then pray for us to be brave and let his chains, like Paul's persuade us to boldly speak the Word of God here (Philippians 1:12ff)

Ed. Aug 28 - News via the underground church is that R called his mother two days after his arrest and told her 'I am fine. Do not worry about me.' and was then disconnected. No word since.
The church in that country and expats are calling for prayer and fasting. I am joining with them.

Where Are All the (Reformed) Black Men?

Xavier Pickett will be joining us this Sunday (August 3rd) to preach God’s Word and stay after the service as a part of our Strategic Perspectives Q&A Luncheon series. Xavier will be commenting on “The Church, Race, and Diversity.” The Q&A time will last approximately 35 minutes. All are welcome!


Xavier Pickett is the co-founder of Reformed Blacks of America http://reformedblacksofamerica.org/, a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Pastor Jim met Xavier through our involvement with Atlanta's New Church Network that seeks to plant hundreds of churches in and around this strategic international city.

This is a great opportunity for our church - that desires to be more diverse - to wrestle with our calling to love one another as Christ loves us and to build bridges of biblical reconcilation over racial barriers.

Which is Better? Prayer for the Sick or for Missions?

Hey all
Ever wondered how praying for 'all those sick people' really mattered? We have been praying for the Caputos and Laurie and Jan Smith and all our missionaries and the new Hispanic ministry so here’s the latest:

[Ed. Note: We had prayed that God would heal Laurie Dixon. Our prayers were answered by Him taking her on home to heaven a few weeks after this posting. We are now praying for healing in the grief as the family adjusts.]

Mission
Robyn Lucas returned from ‘East Asia’ and we’ll be hearing an update from her this Sunday during our Mission Moment!
Troy and Teri Coons have finished the project in South Africa are will be making their way back over the next weeks. Pray for safe travel for them.
Héctor and Cecilia Guzmán have begun their first week of ministry here in Smyrna among Spanish speaking people. We will be hosting a Parenting Seminar with them on Sunday July 20. Pray that many folks will come and that Héctor and Cecy will be encouraged in the work of the gospel here among us!
And pray for your friends that Jesus loves and died for this week. He has come to seek and save those that are lost!

Health
Caputos are in a new place. Mostly moved in. The girls and Laurie each have a room. They have a new phone number but I don’t know it…. So they have a place for Laurie to come home now! Thanks to all 15 or 20 of you who helped move and settle them in. Keep praying for emotional strength and for patience because…
Laurie’s still at the hospital. She has an infection in her leg that they are watching. She’d due for another round of chemo soon. But more than that, she’s ready to go HOME! Pray for healing from this infection and cancer too!
Jan Smith had hip replacement surgery last week and quite an overreaction to her pain medication. I won’t spoil her telling of the story, but she did make it home this week. She’s feeling good and pain free. Pray that she can make it to church. (Also, Ron and Jan’s daughter Angel is going to have her baby any day now. Pray for a safe delivery! Pray for Angel’s salvation too)

If you are still praying or reading, here’s where mission intersects with health. People are noticing how well you are loving each other and serving each other. The stories are spreading word of mouth. Glory to God for HIS indescribable mercy and love that we can pass along to each other!

Hope to see you Sunday at 10am!

Laurie's Fight with Cancer

Hey all,
It has been a while since I blogged on. There has been a huge effort to get Mike and Julie and Laurie's girls into a new house so she can come home from the hospital. Finally they are moved in and should have everything ready tomorrow.

Laurie's condition seems to be the same. The doctors have been great, but they are still vague with her about what is going on. I don't think they have much hope. But I do.

God has reminded me over and over that He can defeat anything, including cancer in Laurie. I'm not in la-la land, but I am putting my hope in Him until He either heals her or heals her completely. Either way, she's good to go!

- So pray for Laurie's healing. Keep asking. Keep seeking, Keep KNOCKING!
- Pray too for our missionaries in North Africa (behind the Muslim Curtain) and in Durban South Africa, in London and back from East Asia.
- Pray for unity in our diverse church.
- Pray for inner-family reconciliation. Several families are just stressed. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't. We ALL need Jesus to heal us deeply and strengthen our faith in His gospel and His Kingdom!

I'm hoping Robyn L will be ready to catch us up after her trip to East Asia. She was in church on Sunday. Good to have her back!

That's it for now.
Love you all and thanks for praying!

Crosspoint Featured at Exponential 08

Hey all of you,
A couple of weeks ago, our church and I (along with Jose Mateo as our church planter) were featured in a 3-minute video about church multiplication at a national church planting conference called Exponential 08. I found out through my friend Jon that there were 2,700 people there, many of whom were young adults considering the call to church plant in the US. I hope it was an encouragement to them.

It encouraged me to rehearse God’s hand in all this over almost 10 years of preparation, calling, failing once and growth. I still need to be more humbled, but, well, it is just pretty cool to look back. We started all this planning when Jake was 8, Erica 6 and Elysia was 3 and Jake’s now 18 and in three weeks he graduates and goes off to university. Amazing.

And I hope it is an encouragement to you all too. There are over 300+ supporters and partners that gave, prayed and worked alongside me to make this exciting church a reality. You all deserve a bunch of credit – especially you Elizabeth, Jake, Erica and Elysia for sticking with me when it was hard. I want you all to know that I thank God for each of you with tears and great joy.

And I hope it clearly gives God the glory for using a knucklehead like me to start a church that will start more churches.
Please keep praying for more churches, more conversions and more ministers to this lost and dying world.
Graced
Jim

Oh, here is the link. http://www.crawfordgroup.tv/preview/exponential/trio_atlanta_V2.mov

I love you all very much….

Life or Death on the Frontlines

Lots of Action on the Front Lines

This has been a full couple of weeks.
- We've had an influx of 20 family units visit. Pray for us as we try to help them feel welcome and start growing.
- Satan is trying to kill people. Two of our youth K and D were present when their friend was shot and killed by police last week near Franklin Rd. Pray for K and D's salvation and safety and jobs!
- One father of 2 attempted to take his life last week. We are helping pick up the pieces of his family now that he has been arrested and lost his job.
- We have been working in the background for over 12 months to hire an Hispanic man to help start a Spanish service. Pray that his visa get approved and for their financial support.

There is alot going on and I appear to be doing well. Pray that I pray well and rest deeply in Christ!
Thanks for praying!

Heaven and the Drained Brain Syndrome

Yesterday I preached about Heaven and what our resurrected bodies will be like in Heaven with God. Wow, it was so good I was taking notes! 8-) (Those that know me well know I'm not really all that good...) But to study and to hear this news about being resurrected to immortality, honor and power! Wow! Check out I Corinthians 15:35-58! We have a Victory in Christ that kicks!

So why Drained Brain Syndrome today?

I don't know. Maybe I'm a wimp. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Maybe I'm fighting something. Wait! I am! And if you are a Christian, you're fighitng something too! I'm fighting sin, weakness, death, hell and the devil (may he go to hell) and it is a BATTLE!

Would you pray for me and for your three favorite people to repent from self-reliance, believe the gospel and fight well?
Now pray for a couple more who are struggling.
Now take a minute to just stop.

And think on whatever is good, whatever is excellent, worthy of praise (God Himself).

Make a plan to read some Scripture later today.
Graced
Jim

P.S. I'm stoked about the number of folks who signed up to read the Essential 100 Bible reading passages!

PMS: I am fighting it and I am not the only one

Let me clarify, it's Post-Ministry Syndrome and every pastor has it.
It usually hits on Monday after a Sunday when I preach, teach or have some leadership role in church, so yeah, it's pretty much every week. I also struggle with Pre-Ministry Syndrome on Saturday nights, but that is a different battle.

See, yesterday was a really good day from a ministry and family perspective. Our King Jesus showed His worth and fame to over 100 people in our first week of two services, people worshiped and served God. My family had a really good day together. I really have nothing to complain about, but I feel down anyway. Why? I'm fighting a 3-front battle with what the Scripture outlines as the world, the flesh and the devil.

The world puts big kudos on big churches and popular preachers. Why am I even talking about this? Because in my fleshly heart of hearts, I want to be famous and popular. And the devil knows it (EVERY preacher wants to be famous, don't kid yourself) so he hammers away with temptation after temptation. He puts thoughts in my head like, 'I'll never make a difference.' and 'Who am I kidding? This will never work.' See he wants me to think, and I want to think that ministry and family and health and everything is up to me. It's not.

If you are reading this and you go to my church, I hope you won't fall for the lie that it is up to me either. Who am I kidding? If you are reading this and you go to my church you are probably already more convinced than I am that it's not up to me. You know me!

So to hell with the devil. He is beaten and he isn't taking me with him. My King, The Lord Jesus has rescued me from this power of sin inside and outside me.
And to Christ goes my flesh and the world. He is able to change. Have mercy on me a sinner. Thanks be to God!

Trying Two Services

Two Services - 930 and 1105

It has come to the point where we have filled out 80% of our worship space and we're moving forward with two services starting this Sunday March 16th.

Please pray for us as we seek to welcome and relate well to more people.
Pray for the staff, the musicians, tech people, greeters and preachers as we work a little more, sacrifice a little more and extend a little more.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of 1000s here in Smyrna!
For His fame and glory,
Jim

Listen In: Audio Interviews about Crosspoint

People ask about Crosspoint all the time. So I asked a friend of mine who’s skeptical about churches in general to record our dialogue about four questions most people have about church. I hope this gives you some insight into Crosspoint and its mission:

• Introduction
• What is Crosspoint like?
• What can someone expect when they come to Crosspoint?
• What can Crosspoint offer me?
• What can I offer to Crosspoint?
• Closing: How did you record this?

When people look at a church, they often notice things like our growing children and youth ministries, our diverse people and music or the welcoming atmosphere. You may connect with our home groups, service teams (like Habitat for Humanity) or men's ministry during the week. But programs are only what you see people doing.

If you were to visit us or our new church plant, I hope you'll notice that really, the driving force for Crosspoint is our passion for what we call 'the gospel' - which means 'good news'. We have simply discovered the good news that God has graced us through Jesus Christ. We aren't better than anyone else. We are sinners and God granted us beautiful, strong purpose for living here and now. We want all the implications of God's grace worked deeply into our souls, and then worked out in our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our city.

The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us boldness and humility to be who we are and do what we were made to do. We realize we are, at the same time, worse than we thought and more loved than we had ever imagined.

We're One to Win Everyone. We want to be one - forgiven, reconciled, united together - so that everyone experiences the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We want people to believe that is a good summary. We want everyone to experience God's grace and freedom so everyone else experiences it too.

Strong Men Chellenge

The Mark D videos (on the bottom of the page) are strong.
If you watch them and you don't like them or get mad, good. Don't come to our church.

If you watch them and you are a young man who is stirred up and wants to know what to do next, contact me. We are all about making men. Strong broken men who will follow King Jesus into the teeth of the enemy.

If you watch the tour videos too, you'll see what I did from age 20-23 when I wouldn't go to church because I thought it was for girls.

What Will It Take

...for God's Kingdom to come 'on earth (or in Smyrna) as it is in heaven'?

JT, a friend of mine with a PhD in anthropology mentioned an interesting study to me. (Contrary to appearances, I do have an intellect and like to read nerdy things like anthropological studies and dissertations). He said that a few years ago an Eastern European anthropologist came to our beloved US of A to study our culture.

See, we can't really study our own culture too well because we are immersed in it. (Like a fish swims in water without thinking 'Oh, I'm swimming in water, let me analyze what I am doing.' They probably aren't really thinking about water, or thinking at all for that matter.) Painful truth is we can't be very objective inside the culture we live.

Anyway, the study revealed that the number one thing Americans value most is ... self-reliance. Yep, the exact opposite of humility. We are all about faith in me.

So if the Kingdom of Heaven is going to come here, the kingdom of Me and the kingdom of Self-Reliance is going to get overthrown...

I'm going to go ahead and sign up for some more brokenness and humble reliance on Jesus.

Putting Off Prayer

So many things are going on
in this young church, I find myself putting off an ask for prayer. Now we need prayer just as much or more!

Would you pray for our church retreat this weekend? We are going up to the Winshape Center at Berry College for a time to love God and each other. Pray for safety and developing deeper trust as we share life together for the weekend

Would you pray about our stretching to two services beginning on March 16th? We want to make room for another 60-70 people.

Would you pray that Jesus Kicks Satan’s ____ in Smyrna? The pastors group I pray with (sr. pastors from Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal churches) is planning another prayer walk or two for this Spring. Pray that the wind of the Strong Holy Spirit convicts of sin and that Satan wouldn’t snatch the seed of the gospel as we preach it.

And pray that I and the other pastors in the city would preach the gospel of the kingdom of Christ, not a false gospel. I am amazed at how kingdom and gospel minded these men are. It is a work of God!
Thanks for praying!

Broken Pastor Name

Broken Pastor

So I finally gave my blog a name, and some pictures and some videos (at the bottom of the page). Some of those are from my rock and roll days. The one with Mark Driscoll in the cemetery captures a lot of what I think it takes to plant a church. I hope you enjoy!

You All Would Not Believe

You all would not believe

all the opportunities and growth I am seeing and foreseeing. Well maybe you would. Some of you have more faith than I do.

As we enter 2008, I am excited. There is great potential for reaching more and more people with the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Last night after a Ministry Lab coaches meeting, I was talking with Héctor, a committed volunteer who recently moved with his family here from Mexico (he lives in Tucker and leads worship at our daughter church Emmanuel – in Powder Springs!) about the hunger for the grace of God in the Hispanic church.

He said, ‘Pastor, my people never hear about grace from other pastors and churches. There is much potential here for ministry!’ (Hector and family).

Pray for God to raise up workers for the field, resources for ministry and DO WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO! Save, Redeem and Revolutionize this city!

There are great signs that God is doing and going to do a great work here. Please pray for further spiritual work in these areas:

• In the last month Crosspoint people have planned, hosted and shared the gospel at three outreaches in the city – two parties and one car clinic at local apartment complexes. Pray for ongoing friendships and conversions for Chris, Tom and Troy.


• Our ‘Ministry Lab’ starts up it’s 2nd semester next week and we have another 5 people (Sean, Julian, Amanda, David and Jen) signed up to learn skills in evangelism, spiritual growth and Bible study. Pray for more skilled labors to enter the field.


• A couple of volunteer ministers from Crosspoint are hosting Financial Peace University on Sunday nights and there are 15-20 people from outside the church scheduled to attend. Pray for our leaders Powell and Jon as they help folks get out of debt and give more to the kingdom of God.


• Our Smyrna Sr. Pastors Prayer Circle is considering meeting twice a week so more pastors can connect. Pray against the enemy of our souls who seeks to destroy God’s church.
  
  And on a more personal note: We just printed our first ‘funny book’ or picture directory and I am overjoyed that of the 150 or so people pictured who call Crosspoint their home church, there are people of so many backgrounds, races, nationalities, generations, economic and educational diversities. There are business people, artists, internationals, singles, families, empty nesters, musicians, missionaries to the Muslim world.
  
  Diversity is normal around here and yet the thing that is most impressive is the UNITY among the diversity!
  Graced by God because you pray!

Big Thanks to God for His Awesome Courage...

these last many days. You all prayed and God worked in my heart and in our church!

After you all prayed, I was reminded that my doubts and fears are based on my view of human abilities and that the Lord is the One who keeps His promises!!!! This is going to make a Pentecostal out of me yet!

Sunday was a banner day for Crosspoint and the church in Smyrna.

We had a block party/Fall Festival at a nearby apartment complex and it was FABULOUS. Over 40 people from our church served and had a blast meeting residents and playing games. Sarah (and Anthony, but mostly Sarah) Brogan pulled together a motivated team. The result is that the management has given us an open door to ‘do whatever we want’ there – they will send letters, advertise in their monthly newsletter and offer the clubhouse. So we can offer Bible studies, kid’s programs, anything!
Wow! What an open door! Pray for laborers to enter that harvest field!

Also on Sunday a number of us peeled away from all the fun and joined together with about 100 other church folks from 9 or 10 churches and prayer walked throughout the city. Pastors Osbon, Auton, Greene, Goode and more brought out their prayer teams. It was AWESOME praying together in the Village Green before we left, in various parks, neighborhoods and apartment complexes! We heard that the people in the church of this city are hungry to see God MOVE!

So I think we are on the way to praying for revival, an outpouring of God’s Spirit in this city!
Make it so Lord Jesus!!
Graced
Jim

Time for Birth

Time for Birth
Just to clarify, my wife is NOT pregnant.
But our baby church Emmanuel is being born this week in Powder Springs. Their grand opening series will be through October. So we are in a 40-day season of prayer and fasting for the ministry as we seek to expand. There are 3 other churches starting this fall in Atlanta in our network of new churches! God is on the move!

I’m starting to get the picture drilled into my brain that the only thing that sticks in ministry is what God does. And that prayer is the way to ask Him to make it stick. So pray for Pastor José Mateo and his family and Héctor and Cecilia Guzmán and the rest of the launch team at Emmanuel as the open the doors to the public! Pray for our new neighbor church Atlanta Westside Presbyterian Church and Pastor Walter Henegar as they start out too. God IS on the move!

Pray for us as we pray too. Pray that we will be ‘diligent in prayer’ as we are commanded in Roman 13. Pray for all these exciting opportunities:
1. Pray for a special Sunday for Smyrna November 4th. We’re having Crosspoint’s Fall Festival at a neighboring apartment complex from 12-2 and then going on a Prayer Walk with 8-9 other churches in the city. It’s a big day for asking a big God to do big things for His glory!
2. Pray for us as we fast this season. Fasting for spiritual reasons is a new thing for many in our church. Ask the Lord to give us our daily bread in a new way.
3. On November 11th, we’ll have a special day of focused prayer for the Persecuted Church. Now that I actually have met some people who are in the persecuted church, my heart and mind are very focused on their cries for God!
4. Pray for all of us here to befriend people who aren’t believers. Help me pray for Christopher, David, Jerry and their wives. Three neighbors that I’m praying for opportunity to share Christ.