Picnic in the Park

New City Church, Picnic in the Park
Sunday, October 14th
4:00 PM
Central City Park
(near the playground)
Bring your family's picnic and drinks and bring a dessert to share with everyone else. Bring a frisbee or outdoor game, invite a friend - especially a friend/neighbor/co-worker... who doesn't have a church home - and let's enjoy a fall afternoon together before our next service.

A few needs for our kids...

It will not be long before our next service - I can't wait! We have a few more needs for the kids areas...
Wooden Puzzles
Magna Doodle or 2 or 3
Big Blocks - Duplo or Lego
Post here if you can help out or e-mail me pastorkeith@newcitydowntown.org.

Acts 29 Next Steps

We received our official letter from the Acts 29 Church Planting Network last night - we have officially moved from the "assessment" phase to the "candidate" phase. We have about five more tasks to complete.
Part of the reason I am up at 3 something in this morning is because I woke up with my mind spinning about the next steps and where we are as a church plant. I am greatly encouraged! We were told that we needed to:
1) Plug in with an A29 Coach as soon as possible - I was ready to do that months ago! Point me to the coach.
2) Successfully break away from our current church - We are working on transition issues at our current church with that end in mind and in sight!
3) Work on raising support that will provide for our family - some foundation work has already begun in this area - In fact I met with one potential partner this past week and I am meeting with others next week! I have outlined our expected needs for the next year as a church and as a pastor.
The encouraging part of this is that we were already working hard in these areas and I see them coming together in a great way. As I look ahead to the other tasks, I feel the same way.
Jesus is building His church - how great it is to watch, and to be in the midst of!

Shots by MeAgan

Some first service shots by a good friend - Meagan. Thanks MeAgan!

Community

I believe very strongly that we were created for community. We see it throughout Scripture - Adam was incomplete without Eve, families became the center of community, Israel was not simply a nation but a community - within that community there were smaller communities and tribes. They were God's PEOPLE, plural.
Salvation is not individualistic, though it involves individuals - it is much more than that. The New Testament images of the church show us that the same is true of us as individuals - or as a community. When we come to place our faith and trust in Christ we are brought into the family of God, we are formed into the temple of God, we are many parts who make up one body of Christ.
We were created for community. It is one of those longings that we all share. It is a need that exists and that God has indeed provided for in the family of believers. I was reminded of that last night when someone told me that they learned that a number of people from New City had gone to the Off Broadway deli for lunch after church. They expressed in all kindness that they wished they had known, because they would love to have joined us. It was one of those things after church that just happened - it wasn't planned - I had no idea who was going to be there. We joined some of my out of town family there. Still, the words pierced my heart - not because I had done something wrong, but because I had not done something right! I had not encouraged our people to ask a stranger to join them for lunch - to open their sphere of friends and relationships and be conscious of who was around them. It is the desire of my heart that New City Church be a community of believers - that will take intentional effort. Effort on my part to teach it, to model it, to teach it some more and some more and to model it again and again. It will take an intentional effort on everyone's part - but that is what living the gospel in community means! It means being intentional. It means opening our hearts, and our eyes, and our friendships, just like Jesus did.
So, my promise is that I will seek to lead in the area of community. My plea, join me in being a community. Invite someone you don't know to join you for lunch - or maybe someone you do know, but haven't spent much time with.

Total Church by Chester and Timmis

I am just about to finish up Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. The book is not yet available in the US but you can still get it at the link above. Great read - especially as you consider how the gospel is to be a central part of who the church is and what the church does. I thought I would share a quote from a section that contrasts the view that we often have of "spirituality" as quiet times and withdrawal from the world and materialism with a "passionate engagement" spirituality - the section is entitled Gospel and Community in Practice, Spirituality and the gospel mission:

In John 15 Jesus calls on his disciples to 'remain in me' (v. 4). But this is not a passive pursuit conducted in silence. This is active faith in our union with Christ, a faith that produces fruit in the world (v. 8). We are to remain in Christ's love (v.9). But remaining in Christ's love is synonymous with obedience to Christ's commands (v. 10). Christ does not take us out of the world, but sends us into the world to 'go and bear fruit' (15:16; 17:15-18). His command is 'to love each other as I have loved you' (vv. 12, 17). Biblical spirituality does not take place in silence; it takes place bearing a cross. It is not a spirituality of withdrawal, but a spirituality of engagement. You do not practice it on retreat in a secluded house; you practice it on the streets in the midst of broken lives.

Yes, there were times when Jesus withdrew for prayer and if you want to call that a "quiet time" OK - probably not the same as we think of as "quiet time". BUT, there is obvious truth to the paragraph above - spirituality is much more than withdrawal - it is engagement - engagement with a broken world who needs the gospel - not simply the gospel of heaven and hell, but the real gospel of redemption, of empowerment, of comfort and strength, and all that God is for us in Jesus Christ. So - if you want go and get all spiritual (and I pray you do) - get off the couch and into the world and engage with the gospel!

I have offended a brother...

The following post has offended a brother. That was never my intention. Officially, unofficially, on the record and off the record - I love Mabel White (the people are terrific - they have loved me, encouraged me, and been very good to me).

If you like roller coasters, you might like church planting! I'm not sure I have ever experienced so many ups and downs in a single day.
Here's the run down:
down - terrible night of not much sleeping, a lot of thinking about church stuff
down - tuesday is staff meeting day at mabel white
For everyone to know - I think I work with some of the most fun people around - this was no dig at the staff, they are great! I am not real big on meetings.
UP - STAFF MEETING ONLY LASTED 35 MINUTES see above
down - i spent an hour and a half talking with my pastor about how much my pay was about to be cut (that was like the biggest down hill of the biggest roller coaster in the world - i think i might have even screamed!)
The screaming was to carry out the roller coaster picture only. I admit that I was thrown for a LOOP (pun intended) when I was told by my pastor that my pay was about to be cut by 40% - it was not what I expected. The idea was that pay would be adjusted based on a sliding scale from 40% to 60% between now and December while my insurance benefits for the family would remain unchanged. The elders allowed me some time at their next meeting to talk about the decrease in pay. The adjustment was made that my salary would be adjusted as follows - 90% pay for the remainder of Sept, then 80% for Oct., 70% for Nov., and 60% for December while medical benefits for me and the family remain the same. I am thankful for that provision. Very. It has been a gift from God.

I repented the same day that my pastor and I had the conversation (had to go back to my pastor and tell him i submit to his authority and the elders authority - God will take care of me and the fam.) I repent again for offending.
I apologized to the brother who was offended and I asked for forgiveness for being offensive. I say the same now to anyone who may have felt that I was trying to hurt my church. I love Mabel White - I love my elders (who have a really tough job) - I love my pastor and pray for him and his family. I in no way meant to offend a brother or throw rocks at my church and staff.
The rest of the previous post is HERE.

the Gospel Speaks to the Death of a Baby

While we were in Raleigh for the Acts 29 Boot camp I received a dreaded call from a good friend. Kristie had recently (about a month ago) given birth to a daughter - Kendall. Kendall came at only 6months and weighed less than 2 pounds. We prayed for Kendall. Every time my phone would ring and I would see it was Chad calling, I would be momentarily gripped by fear - afraid that Kendall had taken a bad turn. That's what the Thursday night call was about. I awoke several times during the night and begged God on behalf of Chad and Kristie - I pleaded that little Kendall be strengthened and that she hold on - I prayed that she would live and grow. She didn't. Chad called Friday morning to let us know that during the night Kendall lost her fight.
I don't know why - though I ask.
Why would this family have to endure such a loss?
Why would such a hard conception, carrying, and birth be followed by this?
Why would YOU allow THIS?
Nothing.
I do not know why.
Today I will do the grave side service for 2 good friends who have lost a precious and beautiful gift. The truth is I have no idea what to say - but this...
The Gospel speaks to this day. The story of redemption includes this day - it includes Thursday night. THIS is not what we were created for. This is not what the garden originally looked like. This is the result of sin's curse, passed on from one generation to the next. I thank God that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has intervened and offers us hope - even in a day like today. I praise God that today is not the end for Kendall - or for Chad and Kristie. I praise Him, that in Christ, for all who believe today is only a sad and horrible pause in what will be forevermore. I do believe that Kendall is now enjoying fellowship with her heavenly Father - the fellowship that as believers Chad and Kristie will one day enjoy as well. I long, especially on days like today for that final day - the day when our redemption is ultimately consummated - and in it there will be no more suffering, no more pain, no more death - and we will live in the glory of our Savior. I pray for Chad and Kristie, even now, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would speak to their heart - that they would not only know the hope of their future in Christ, but that they would know - fully, completely, experientially know that Jesus Christ is their rock, he is their strength, he is their comfort, their joy, their delight. I pray that they would know that he will never leave them and never forsake them. I pray that they would have the confidence in him today to know that he loves them and cares for them - even now.
The Gospel has much to say today.

We're Back!

What a great trip. Let me share with you the rest of our sessions:
Session 4 - Daniel Montgomery - Gospel Centered Theology
Session 5 - Mark Driscoll - Qualifications for the Lead Planter Dude
Session 6 - Ed Stetzer - Understanding Missional Theology
Session 7 - Q and A with Stetzer and Driscoll

Once more everything was related to the Gospel of Jesus Christ - great stuff.

We ended yesterday with a 2 hour assessment with a couple of Acts 29 church planters. Our assessment was primarily conversation - about theology, about the Gospel (imagine that), about home life - how do I treat my wife and kids... We will hear back in the next week on whether we will be received into the Acts 29 network of churches. The Acts 29 network offers resources, coaching, great relationships, potential church partnerships, and possible funding.

One of the questions asked during Q and A with Driscoll and Stetzer - and perhaps being asked by some of you - was, Why do you focus so much on the Gospel when Hebrews tells us we should move past the basics of the death and resurrection - from milk to meat?
I knew the answer but sure enjoyed hearing it!
We believe that Gospel is both the milk AND the meat of the Christian life and the teaching of Scripture. Driscoll and Stetzer went to explain that a little.
Here's my take on that question:
Many, if not most "Christians" have come to see the Gospel (the birth, life, death, resurrection of Christ) as little more than our way to get to heaven - you know, If you died tonight, do you know where you would be tomorrow? That is certainly part of the Gospel. But the Gospel is SOOOOOOOOO much more than a ticket to heaven - this gets MEATY!
I'll use Ephesians as an example of the far-reaching, meaty implications of the Gospel:
In the first chapters Paul unpacks what the Gospel is - How we were chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world, how we are forgiven in Christ, How we are sealed in the Spirit. He then talks about the power of the Gospel - it raised Christ from the dead and (Chapter 2) raised us from the dead as well. Paul talks about the mystery of the Gospel and its power to unite Jew and Gentile, black and white into 1 body... Then in Chapter 4:1 he says, Therefore - in light of the Work of the Gospel, In light of the Power of the Gospel, in light of who you are in the Gospel - Walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel! Paul then explains how the Gospel should be reflected in our relationships - with one another, with our spouse, with our children, with our employer... Go back and read Ephesians thinking this way and see how deep, meaty, and difficult the implications of the Gospel can be. The Gospel is everything to us. The Gospel reaches, touches, and should transform EVERY area of our life.
I get it - I may not live it all the time (thank God for the Gospel that forgives me every day - over and over) - but I get it. That is the transforming Gospel that is the heart of this church plant - I pray that it truly become the heart of New City Church downtown... to see the Gospel transform everything within our reach - our selves, our church, our city, and the world.

For more on the week and a wife's perspective, check out Amy's take.

Why I Love Acts 29...

Today has been long and full! It hasn't been a day of learning a lot of new stuff, but rather a day that affirms some things I already knew and that confirms the reasons for planting New City and the direction we are headed.
A few months back I went to the Ga. Bapt Conventions church planter orientation. We talked about a lot of stuff at the orientation, but not a lot about Jesus, as I remember. With Acts 29 the focus is Jesus Christ and the Gospel - EVERYTHING flows out of that. That's why I love Acts 29! In our first session Scott Thomas, the Director of Acts 29, talked about the MISSION. The MISSION flows out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - our mission is His mission and His mission was the Gospel. In Session 2 Chan Kilgore talked about a pastor's desperate need of the Gospel in his own life. Session 3 by Tyler Jones (of Vintage 21-the host church) was entitle Preaching Jesus. Dang Good stuff! Looking forward to tomorrow.

BOOT CAMP

OK, so its not that kind of boot camp! Amy and I are headed to Raleigh, NC for the Acts 29 network's church plant training and assessment. What is it? Here is a little bit from their site...

It is very humbling to see how God is significantly using our network to influence and shape the church planting culture. Acts 29 Network exists to start churches that plant churches. Next week in Raleigh, North Carolina, over 250 individuals will be joining us at the new location of Vintage21 for a two day boot camp. Our boot camps are simple but
profound: emphasize solid theology and contextualizing the gospel. We will not waver on either of these commitments. We won't water down our theology to reach more people and we won't attack the culture in the name of Christianity. We are planting churches that are missionaries in their respective communities sent by Christ with the gospel (John 20:21).

On Friday we'll sit down with a couple of Acts 29 assessors who will interview us. We are trying to become affiliated with the Acts 29 network where we hope we will receive some accountability, further training, coaching, and possibly funding.

I can't wait to get there. It will be great to hear Mark Driscol, Ed Stetzer, and a host of guys who share a common passion for the gospel and for transformation and to meet face to face some guys that I have only had e-mail and phone conversations with - guys who are out there doing what we are trying to do with New City Church downtown.

I also can't wait to have a few days away with my beautiful bride (of almost 16 years). Pray for us - pray for our safety, our recharging, our learning - AND for our assessment that will take place on Friday.

Some Shots from Sunday

I am still waiting on Glenn Grossman to send over some shots from Sunday - he took a ton of pictures for us to use for the web site, advertising, and future mail outs. Here's a preview...

I'll post a slide show when I get the pics - OK, I'll get Amy to post a slideshow when we get the pics!

For Our City

I have written a couple of times in the past on one of the practical ways New City can impact our city (With and For Our City). If we are truly with and for our city, making a healthy economic impact is a "no brainer". After our tear down today, we headed next door to the Capitol Theater for lunch at the Off Broadway Deli. There were 9 families from New City either eating or waiting to order! New City was the talk of the deli. The workers were really excited to be full on Sunday at lunch and they worked feverishly to serve us. They were really hoping for some good tips - I am hoping they got some good tips! I really cannot describe the impact made as we chose to eat where we did. I talked a pretty good bit with the ladies as they made sandwiches and drinks - they were really happy to have us. There is no doubt, they know who New City Church is and if we keep it up, they will know that we are not only with them, but we are also for their good.

What A Day!

OK, so a lot of this is still surreal - I lived it, I enjoyed, but it almost doesn't seem real. What a great day! Here's a little recap:
6:00 am - up alone for a couple of cups of coffee, shower, hook up the trailer, load a few last things
7:30 am - head to Mabel White for ice an a couple of other things
8:00 am - to Greg and Wendy's house to pick up the movable wall/door whatever they are things - (Thanks Greg, they are great!)
8:30 am - Arrive at the Capitol Theater - the band was already getting there final touches done and there were people ready to help unload. More and more people began showing up and setting up... tables to move, chairs to move, room dividers to go up, mat flooring to lay down, coffee to make...
9:15 am - meet with Greeters, pray with greeters
9:45 am - Everything is pretty much set up, our worst disaster of the day - one of our brewers isn't working (that really was the worst problem)

Time became a blur after that! I can only tell you that at 10:30 the band started. They sounded incredible! We had a great crowd - and really diverse. The worship was better than I ever anticipated.
I preached - I had a ball - it was fun. And I got to tell the redemption story!
And it was over!
The set up and tear down crew went to work and the theater was set back up and trailer completely loaded in 45 minuets or less.
I must give a huge shout out to all of the New City volunteers - you guys ROCK! I also have to give H U G E thanks the the crew from Christ Chapel - you were awesome. The kids were incredibly well taken care of and everyone was enthusiastic.
I really don't know what else to say - What a day! Smoother than I could ever have dreamed.
God was incredibly good to us today.

Amazing

I feel like I need to post something - yet I don't know what to post!
I cannot believe that the day is almost here.
I am overwhelmed with what God is doing.
If someone were to ask me how this all came to be, I am really not sure that I could even answer.
Yet here we are - 2 days and 10 hours away from the start of a new church.
I am excited, and humbled, and overwhelmed all at once.
Wow

Missional Dating...

I got a great e-mail today from Greg Wood. Greg and Wendy (along with their 2 boys) are helping kick off New City Church. Greg and Wendy have really come to understand that part of being Christ followers means being about his mission - redeeming people. They understand that the mission of NCCd (to see the Gospel transform everything within our reach - ourselves, our church, our city, and the world) is more than words on paper and it is their own mission. Here's a part of that e-mail:

Yesterday was Wendy’s birthday, and I offered to either bring in some food for us to have a romantic supper at the house or take the boys with us to Carrabba’s. I thought she’d choose to eat at the house. Here’s what she told me: “I definitely don’t want to eat at the house, I want to eat there and have the opportunity to minister [to the waitresses].”

Isn’t that cool!?! I was so proud of her. And we were so blessed to get to continue a relationship with a waitress there. We met her a few months back. She’s not going to church, and knows we give big tips. She asked to wait our table last night, and swapped out with the waiter we were assigned.

Praise God for a missional wife!

Praise God for a missional family! Thanks for sharing that Greg and Wendy and for letting us see a glimpse of God's story of redemption lived out in and through you.

Growing Excitement!

I got a call from Chuck this morning who was downtown on business - he called to let me know that the Capitol Marquee is now announcing New City Church! It is almost surreal. It seems like just last week I mentioned planting a church to Amy - now this Sunday we have our first service. There is no way to describe the growing excitement for what is going to take place this Sunday. Are we ready? Pretty much. Will things be perfect? No way! But what here IS perfect? I hope that it will be genuine - not perfect. What will I preach? I think that I will spend some time in the coming services under the title - Finding Your Place in the Story. I am glad to be a part of God's unfolding redemption story - I am glad to have an opportunity to be a part of a church who has been written into that great redemption story. I think Sunday that will be the story of the day - God's redemption story - in the end New City Church will come and go, but the story remains - eternally. That's what this is all really about.

Counting Down

Wow. At this time next week, our first gathering will be behind us. We spent the day doing some shopping - picking up some stuff that hadn't come in yet - like: a new tv for our 4-6 year olds (they will be using Kidmo's Lil K Video driven curriculum), coffee and lots of flavors to juice it up, water for the non-coffee drinkers, and more than a few odds and ends for our New City Kids. Tonight is a little like Christmas - we've been opening boxes and putting together the new toys, baby swings, and making sure the new flat panel is working. This coming week will be

CRAZY as we try to wrap up all the loose ends.

Just For Fun...

check it out:
Right now -- right this very minute -- some podunk town in New York (sorry if any of y'all are from Rochester) holds the Guinness World Record for Largest Kazoo Ensemble. Folks, the kazoo was invented in Macon, GA, by Alabama Vest and Thaddeus Von Clegg. It was unveiled at the GA State Fair here in 1852.
The Guinness World Book Record belongs in Macon!!!!
So, September 27th, we're going to get together at Luther Williams Field in Central City Park, pass out thousands of free kazoos and at 7:30pm, we're going to kazoo the whistle part from Dock of the Bay to honor Otis Redding. Start showing up at 6pm and stay until we've captured the title. We need 3000 people so SPREAD THE WORD!!!
The good folks at the Georgia State Fair are going to be giving away free admission to the fair if you attend this recording breaking event. And you get to keep your commemorative kazoo.
Send this out to everyone you know and help get the buzz going! This is a chance for Macon to shine!
Tell your church, your employers and whatever organizations you're in. Let us know if you can pledge more than ten people. (Send your eMails to macon@11thHourOnline.com). Let's do this!
Hosted By: the 11th Hour Macon
When: 27 Sep 2007, 05:00 PM
Where: Luther Williams Field
Central City Park
Macon, GA 31201

Sounds Like Fun!!

WOW, AGAIN

Just thought I'd share a picture with you. Every day we receive a few more items. What you will not see in the picture are the other items stored in our garage! We have received abundantly for our New City Kids. Thanks to all who have donated! I am keeping the post on our needs updated. If you can help with one of the remaining items, great!
Hope to see you at First Friday tonight!

First Friday this Friday

Calling all New City folks, and those who want to help out! Head downtown this Friday night, have dinner, then meet up at the Capitol Theater at 7:00PM. We'll take advantage of the First Friday crowds and get the word out about our September 16th service. First Friday is a great night to walk downtown and get a feel for the city. If you and your family eat out this Friday, make sure you invite your waiter or waitress to our first service!
Hope to see you Friday.

If You Like Roller Coasters...

If you like roller coasters, you might like church planting!
I'm not sure I have ever experienced so many ups and downs in a single day.
Here's the run down:
down - terrible night of not much sleeping, a lot of thinking about church stuff
down - tuesday is staff meeting day at mabel white
UP - STAFF MEETING ONLY LASTED 35 MINUTES
down - i spent an hour and a half talking with my pastor about how much my pay was about to be cut (that was like the biggest down hill of the biggest roller coaster in the world - i think i might have even screamed!)
down - i wasn't sure how to react to what i was told
UP - GOOD TO HAVE A FRIEND YOU CAN TALK TO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. GOT SOME GOOD LOOK LIKE JESUS ADVICE.
down - had to go back to my pastor and tell him i submit to his authority and the elders authority - God will take care of me and the fam.
down - did i mention i have this really bad, feverish spider bite? going to see a doc tomorrow - i think the poison is flesh eating - really hurts
UP - GOT A CALL FROM A FRIEND, A $400 CHECK CAME IN FOR NEW CITY.
UP - CHECKED MY MAIL AT THE OFFICE - $500 CHECK FROM SOMEONE ELSE (THAT'S $900)
UP - $282 OF ALL SORTS OF GOODIES THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF OUR NURSERY AND KIDS NEEDS FOR NOW
UP - THE BAND SOUNDED UNREAL TONIGHT - BEST NIGHT YET

Whew! What a day. And it isn't quite over - but I hope the ride for tonight is!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

With a battle like this going on, you know its fixin to get good! (Cletus)

Holiday Rummage and a baby gift

Thanks goes out again to Christ Chapel , Dave and his wife Beth met me today - on their day off - for a little rummage. I got a tour of their facilities and some creative ideas for our own facilities. Dave opened the storage areas up for me to dig around in. I was treated like one of the family! I left with several needs met. God is amazing as he unites us with other individuals and churches who desire to see the gospel go forward and lives transformed.

My little sis had baby #4 yesterday morning - Keegan McGinnis, 9lbs 1 oz - congrats Kelli and Todd. I didn't go to the hospital because I was running a little fever. Amy and Ivey went. Kelli and Todd's pastor, Larry Williams, and his wife were at the hospital - they have been praying for New City. Amy talked with everyone about what was going on with us and mentioned that we were shopping for a tv Saturday. Before Amy left, My Father's House pledged to purchase the tv we were looking for! Amy went to the hospital without a baby gift - she came home with one!