With and For Our City - Bragg Jammin'

While all of the numbers are still being counted from this year's Bragg Jam Music and Arts Festival, from all indications this year was a BIG success! This was Bragg Jam's 10th Annual festival and included 8 different venues all over the city. The crowds at the 567, Capitol Theater, Rookery, and up and down Cherry Street looked great and I have heard nothing but positive things about the music.

Bragg Jam is good for our city for a number of reasons, including:

The great celebration of Macon musicians (not just ancient, but current)

A great exposure to the positives of downtown Macon (restaurants, cafes, theaters...)

A great boost economically for downtown businesses (not just venues but all businesses)

A growing interest in participation from those outside of Macon (tourism)

For those reasons and more, New City Church is proud to be a Bragg Jam venue (already signed up for 2010) and we are proud to support our city and the festival by volunteering. This year's festival had a total of 116 volunteers. New City supplied 38 volunteers for the festival who served in 8 different locations. David Wilson, a Volunteer Coordinator for Bragg Jam said in an e-mail to me:

Keith,

Thanks again for all of your help. It was instrumental to making this happen and we could not have done it without New City.....no doubt!

And in a second e-mail David wrote:

Thanks again for all your help Keith.

Those numbers demonstrate that over one third of our volunteers came from New City Church!?!?!?! All I can say is Wow and Thanks Again so much!!

One day I will get to write about all of the opportunities that came our way because we loved our city in tangible ways, and I can't wait! Thanks New City for loving Macon! I think this is yet another step toward our vision as we dream of being a church that celebrates the arts and looks for creative ways to engage our culture, a church willing to cross traditional lines and take significant risks to bring Jesus into the public square!

Chris Horne said...

I was tagged in a note that Chris wrote about Bragg Jam. Chris actually spent a pretty good bit of time hanging out with us at the 567 (this years only non-alcoholic venue - we didn't serve alcohol but I am pretty sure we had some alcoholics). Here's a portion of Chris' note:

But then, it was 9pm. Oh Dorian was delayed because Heather Kemp had been playing with Coyote Bones (who I'm upset I missed... likewise, I'm upset I missed Good Country People and St. Francis at the Shamrock, Red Fish Blu Fish and Deadstring Bros at Rivalrys). So king of the downtown gypsy blues, Nam Bui, and his misanthropic jazz players, locked it down for a capacity crowd in the suddenly tiny 567 Cafe.

Everyone stayed for Oh Dorian and though she rambled and joked for about a half hour before playing, the room was absolutely transfixed by the music. Folks, I'm telling you right now: you haven't heard the half of it. And when you do, when November rolls around and that full-length comes out, you're going to be stunned. It was just Heather and her keyboard and guitar on Saturday, but these songs she's been recording, holy cow. Big. Full. Amazing. Just you wait and see.

My effort to get out of town for an hour or so was thwarted but alright as I caught up with folks and milled around the outside of places with music pouring out of them. Before I knew it, I was back inside the 567 (who'd have thought I'd have spent so much time inside a lil' Christian coffee shop on the biggest drinking night of the year?) for The Red Swill, who provoked Mr. Floco Torres to "dance".

Though he may have said this to every venue - Chris told me the 567 might have been the sweetest spot to be in all night. We had a great night serving our city - thanks to all of our volunteers - and we had great music all night long! I can't wait to hear the Bragg Jam #s from this year and I look forward to being a part of next years festival.

What Possesses a 42 Year Old Man to Get Baptized

The following was posted on Facebook by Daryl McKinney on the eve of his baptism:

All my life it has been drilled in to my head that you must be baptized. You meet people at church and it eventually will come up. I was 13 the first time a pastor came to me to explain the gospel. What a great age to have this brought to you. Here I am my body is changing, hormones are hopping, and my voice is cracking and here is this man I respect telling me I need to pray this prayer then go down an aisle(did I mention the clumsy part of 13?) and confess to about 200-300 people mostly strangers that Jesus is in my heart. Not to mention that it had only been a year since I lost the only role model I had at that age which was my Dad. So you can imagine what was going through my head. Any thing but the gospel! To me the chance of possible public embarrassment seemed to be Hell. How was this going to keep me out of it? So I dug my heals in, went to church when it was required( Christmas, Easter, and a few other times just for good measure) and eliminated any chance that I might have to "walk that aisle". Bottom line was I didn't receive the gospel when I "recited" this prayer. Far from it.

Twenty years go by and I am still searching for the right time to get baptized. We are attending a large church here in Macon and I am really beginning to become interested in the gospel when the Pastor I am learning from admits to committing a sin and I see a church divide. I began to think " Is this really what the gospel is about? I thought we were suppose to support and forgive not divide and conquer." Anyway, I did learn that everyone is human and no one leads a sin free life(there was only one). I did question if I wanted to become a part of an "assembly" that was so shallow that they were that easily divided. What was this teaching and where was this leading in spreading the gospel? So there again I was not about to be associated with a group of " Bible thumping, blame shifting, hypocrites". Don't get me wrong there was and still is a lot of godly people that attend this church and I have the utmost respect for them but to see a congregation divide like that left a mark.

So here we are ten years later and I have finally decided to be baptized. I started attending a church basically for the wrong reasons( to see my grandson) and all of a sudden it clicked! The lord began to move me in ways I couldn't begin to imagine. I began to really understand the gospel and what it was really about " Jesus is the son of God and Savior, He died for our sins and he was resurrected on the third day and ascended into heaven" . WOW, It really is that simple. Jesus started using trials outside my own life to bring me even closer to him. I was actually able to give Godly advice and back it up with scripture now. Then one afternoon talking with my Pastor it just came out. I said I want to get Baptized and his reply was simply "Cool, we can make that happen." I thank God for putting this Pastor into my life and for his ability to really deliver the gospel and make it real! this feeling of transformation is awesome. I know now that WHEN I sin ( notice the when is not an "IF") I am forgiven by the blood of Christ that was shed for me on the cross. So in the morning I am going to get "dunked" and I can't wait. Thank God for a new life and New City!

Daryl McKinney

Downtown Destinations (sort of)

Maybe some of you have noticed a new little guy at the Capitol Theatre the past few Sundays. He's pretty quiet and hasn't been introduced to very many people, so you have probably wondered why he's there. Or maybe you haven't noticed him at all.

Well, please allow me to introduce you to the newest member of our business card team: The Tip Card


What's a tip card and why do we have one? The whole reason I am blogging is to help you become familiar with downtown Macon so that you will eat, visit, hang out, etc. (spend money downtown, in other words) as a means of bringing restoration.

The purpose of the tip card is for you to take it when you eat downtown and leave it with your tip so that servers and business owners will KNOW we are supporting them.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to live this card WITH a tip! Why am I emphasizing this? If you look at the church in Acts, Christians were not only sharing Christ with others, but they were consistently working to meet practical, physical needs as well. James 2:15-16 says, "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" So, in my opinion, leaving this card without a tip (even if you write a nice little note on the back like, "Money won't satisfy; try JESUS.") is the quickest way to get it in the TRASH CAN.

The Tip Cards can be found on the table when you first walk into the theatre on Sunday. Take some with you, but please use them, and use them well! Here's a tip card at work in Market City Cafe!

Hello New Friend

April 7, 2007 was a hard day. It is always hard saying good bye to a friend - one that you know you will never see again... but I did it. For the sake of the church plant I sold the best dirt bike I had ever owned - a 2005 Yamaha YZ 250.

Last Friday I said Hello to a new friend! A Yamaha YZ250F. I rode it for the first time Friday. Nice. It was the first time I was able to ride the track following behind Elijah - He LOVED it,,,and so did I. It was also the first time I was UNable to follow along behind Robby - He has gotten waaaaayyyy too fast! (give me a little time). My 7 days a week of work as the norm have officially ended. If you can't find me and I'm not answering the phone - I may just be on the track with the boys!

What is the Gospel? Good News part 3

The Gospel (the Good News that Jesus died for our sins) as NEWS is something that we hear and accept, not something that we DO. the Gospel is news about what God has done FOR US in Jesus, NOT what we must do for Him. We have turned the NEWS into RELIGION - and RELIGION is not about what God has done for us in Jesus, but what we must do for Him - what we must do to be heard, to be loved, to be accepted... News, Not a list of works.

Tim Keller compared Religion and the Gospel this way:

Religion: “I obey-therefore I’m accepted.”

Gospel: “I’m accepted-therefore I obey.”

R: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

G: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

R: I obey God in order to get things from God

G: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

R: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

G: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

R: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

G: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism. That’s how I became a Christian.

R: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

G: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

R: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel humble, but not confident- I feel like a failure.

G: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am simultaneously sinful and lost yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling

R: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

G: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

R: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

G: I have many good things in my life—family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

What is the Gospel? Good News part 2

The Gospel is NOT first and foremost a call to higher moral standards and adherence to a strict list of do's and don'ts. It is news to be heard and believed...

The word "Gospel" meant in the original Greek language - Good News. The Gospel is the Good news that Jesus died for our sins and was buried and raised from the dead. That the Gospel is NEWS is very important. Webster's online dictionary defines news as: 1 a: a report of recent events b: previously unknown information . This is not a new definition, the first century Greek reader of the Bible would have understood 'news' in the same way. 'News' is a report of an event that has taken place. It is information that was previously unknown. The Gospel then is NEWS - it is a report of an event that has already taken place. It is information that was not known. The event of the Gospel is that Jesus came - He lived - He died for our sins - He was buried - He was raised from death. The event gives us the information - Jesus died for our sins.

In the study, Gospel Christianity, Tim Keller wrote:

* the Gospel is news of what God has done to accomplish salvation through Jesus Christ in history. It is not advice about what we must do to reach God.

* We do not achieve this salvation. We only accept it.

So, I say again, the Gospel is NOT first and foremost a call to higher moral standards and adherence to a strict list of do's and don'ts. It is news to be heard and believed.

This is the 2nd part of a multi-post series answering the question, What is the Gospel? (Part 1)

Downtown Destinations

This restaurant has a whole lot of diversity.

In the Limelight: Greek Corner Deli

Where it's at: the corner of Cherry and Second

What to do: Eat (sorry I don't have anything clever to go here)

It's been a few days since I made a DD post, because I thought I hadn't experienced anything new downtown to share with all of you. Clearly, I was wrong. Here I am, and I am posting about the Greek Corner Deli. It seems to me like one of those obvious places, but if China Wok gets a post, then GCD definitely should. I'm just saying.

GCD (that's a heck of a lot easier than typing out the whole name) doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it feels like Greece in a way- plain white walls with scenic pictures of the beautiful Greek coastline. Every time I have been there, they have been pretty hopping. It's a popular place.

If you haven't visited GCD, maybe it's because you're a little alarmed by the Greek-ness of it. You're just not sure if you like Greek food. Well, have no fear, they mix in a little France, Italy, Cuba and America, so you're bound to find something you like. The menu includes salads, hot sandwiches, cold subs, and personal pita pizzas. If you're worried about the kids, they have a grilled cheese sandwich and a hot dog (the American representatives on the menu).

My first time, I had the Cuban, which is ham, pork, salami, pickles, spicy mustard and Swiss Cheese. (See, that is a lot of diversity in just one sandwich!) It's a hot sandwich, so they press it in a little grill thing and the cheese is all melty and delicious. My second time, I had the French dip (still more diversity), which is roast beef and provolone cheese with au jus. It was very good, but I could have stood for it to have a bit more kick to it. I have also heard from reliable sources that the Steak and Cheese hoagie and the Gyro are very good.

So don't be intimidated by the fact that is Greek. Come to the Cox for church, then head to the corner for lunch!

What is the Gospel? Good News

The question, at first seems simple enough - What is the Gospel? But ask 10 people and you may get 10 different answers! You may even get a few blank stares.

New City Church uses the word 'gospel' very frequently - perhaps too frequently. The problem is not the word itself, but the reality that each hearer of the word - particularly in the deep south - has his/her own definition of the word. We often use the same words in church settings, but not in the same way. So, I want to begin a series of posts on defining the gospel with the hope of bringing some clarity to our New City folks - for Sunday morning teachings as well as MC discussions and hopefully in understanding what it means to live in light of the Gospel. So here we go.

The word itself - Gospel - means Good News. The Gospel is Good News.

What Good News? Paul wrote it this way: 1 Corinthians 15: 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,²and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. ³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures...

In its simplest form then, the Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and raised to life on the third day.

Acts 29 and the GBC

Recently, Jason Martin, lead pastor at the Journey Church in Atlanta shared with me that the local Baptist association is discussing steps to remove the Journey from their association of churches - the West Metro Baptist Association. The concern from the Baptist association is the Journey's affiliation with the Acts 29 network and their position concerning the consumption of alcoholic beverages (that the Bible teaches moderation not abstinence).

As a result of the conversation with the local association leader, Jason scheduled a time to talk with the Georgia Baptist Convention's (GBC) New Church Development leader, Butch Butcher. Jason's discussion with Mr. Butcher was described by Jason as gracious, but not good as far as the Journey's future with the GBC. According to Jason he was informed that the GBC will no longer support new churches that plan to affiliate with the Georgia Baptist Association and the Acts 29 Network. Current church plants receiving funding from the GBC who are affiliated with Acts 29 will continue to receive any promised funding, but no new churches will be added with dual affiliation. (New City does NOT receive funding from the GBC). Neither will they (the GBC) partner in events with Acts 29 churches.

The statements made seem to possibly flow from controversy in the Missouri Baptist Convention as well as fundamentalists rumblings in the Southern Baptist Convention. Some of those rumblings were voiced as proposed resolutions at the SBC's recent annual meeting in Louisville, KY. Those resolutions were:

that “all SBC entities should monitor” funds spent in “activities related to or cooperative efforts with Mark Driscoll and/or the Acts 29 organization” and entity heads should submit a report of expenditures to appear in the 2010 Book of Reports, submitted by Kent Cochran, a messenger from Calvary Baptist Church in Republic, Mo.

that SBC entities avoid “inviting event speakers” who “are known for publicly exhibiting unregenerate behavior ... such as cursing and sexual vulgarity, immorality, or who publicly state their support for the consumption or production of alcohol,” submitted by Ida South, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Mathiston, Miss

that author Mark Driscoll’s books be removed from LifeWay Christian Bookstores because of his “reputation for abusive and ungodly language and ... promotions of sex toys on his church web site,” submitted by Jim Wilson, pastor, First Baptist Church in Seneca, Mo.

While the resolutions did not pass, they do demonstrate the conflict within the denomination. New City is affiliated with the Macon Baptist Association, which also affiliates us with the Georgia Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention and we are 100% Acts 29.