I Love the Church

Man, what a night last night at CAML. The people there are the most amazing folks on this planet. What a privilege to do life together with this bunch. As I progressed from the parking lot to the platform and back to the parking lot, I was continually impressed by the real servanthood I was experiencing. Each person, each team member, was figuratively washing our feet. How could you not feel refreshed and revived? There is an old song "How Beautiful is the Body of Christ" that was displayed in person at CAML last night as each team member did their part. This Sunday night we will officially celebrate them with our annual Dream Team Banquet, but I am determined to make a habit of celebrating them every day. I am part of the greatest church on the planet. I have found my place there and if you have not--What are waiting for? Rich and satisying life are waiting for you in the Servanthood.

06/09/09 - Rooting Out the "3 C's" - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore discusses "Rooting Out the 3 C's" in this Tuesday evening service.

Rooting Out the "3 C's"
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

www.churchatmirrorlake.com

06/07/09 - Sell Sugar Water or Change the World - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore recasts the vision of the Church At Mirror Lake in "Sell Sugar Water or Change the World".

Sell Sugar Water or Change the World
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, June 7, 2009

www.churchatmirrorlake.com

06/02/09 - Fired Up About Servanthood - Joe Keith

Joe Keith discusses being "Fired Up About Servanthood" in this Tuesday evening service.

Fired Up About Servanthood
Joe Keith
Tuesday, June 2, 2009

www.churchatmirrorlake.com

05/31/09 - Putting On Your Socks - Navy Blue or Black - Everett Spencer

Everett Spencer continues the Dressed For Success series this week, discussing "Navy Blue or Black" in this Sunday service.

Navy Blue or Black
Everett Spencer
Sunday, May 31, 2009

www.churchatmirrorlake.com

Slovakia Update

Wednesday in Kosice:
We arrived here yesterday afternoon by plane—a nice 35 minute flight on Sky Europe from Bratislava. As we waited to pick up our luggage Lukas informed me that the guy standing next to me what the most famous rock star in Slovakia. In fact, the whole band was standing there. So, it looks like we were on the right flight since the big celebrities chose it too. Kosice is in a beautiful area of the country with mountains all around.

We were picked up by Pastor Jon, pastor of the largest church in the country where we will be holding the training sessions. The church is about 800 people and the city gave them the property to build as an apology for the way they were treated during the Communist era. They have built a beautiful 900 seat auditorium which is nearly full.

We spent the night in a nice little inn at the city center called the Horse Inn, named after a sculpture in the courtyard out front that was given to the city by one of the universities. We went out for pizza with Pastor Jon and Miro, his worship leader and son-in-law. Miro is my translator for the sessions in Kosice. Afterwards we had a nice walk through this beautiful city.

After sleeping soundly, I woke up at 5:30 and enjoyed some time in the Word and a Slovakian breakfast of yogurt mixed with cereal. Then, we were picked up by Lupo and Dasha and headed off for a day of Equip leadership training.

And what a day it was…these people are so hungry for encouragement and training. It was amazing. They don’t want to stop for breaks, they fill the air with great questions, they connect with you quickly and want to find out everything you know, which doesn’t take long when dealing with me. I met so many wonderful new friends and look forward to developing relationships by internet and over the next few years in person. Miro took me out for a latte during one of Lukas' sessions and we seemed to really connect. I believe we will be friends and the Kingdom will be stronger because of it. Lukas has done something truly remarkable in pulling these training sessions together. The more I know him, the more impressed I am with him.

It still amazes me that God would give us the opportunity to do life together with these leaders. I truly am expecting great reports, not because of the great wisdom we shared today, but because we obeyed God in this divine appointment. He will change this city through these folks and I am honored to know them. I hope to be called their friend. I am reminded of the day Sheryll and I sought the friendship of Billy Hornsby. Our life and our church is richer because of it. I hope these connections with these leaders will prove half as fruitful.

Slovakia Day 2

What a day. I can't believe the honor God has given us as a church to partner with these folks. It was a room full of people from all different church backgrounds, different ages, and different stages of leadership. I asked them what they wanted from today and their response was encouragement, new ideas that would help them be more successful and skills that would make them better leaders this week.

We are training this week based on the Maxwell book, Winning With People. I used this book in 2006 as a tool in the series I taught at CAML all year, Winning with Others. I brought all those notes with me and they were of great use. I was also able to give each attendant copies of all those note sheets. Lukas and I alternate teaching sessions. I can't understand any of what he is saying, but I can tell that he is a gifted commuicator. I am trying to use a few Slovak phrases and I will hear something in his teaching every now and then that I can understand. He seems to have great influence with these people and I also found out he has published several books on leadership. His materials were very popular today. I am glad for this connection. He gave me some tips on how to communicate with these folks and they were right on.

I shared some of our successes at CAML, and some of the road it took to get there--the stuff that you will find in The Villa Rica Sky chapters that I have posted. It was those stories that seemed to connect with them. Instead of hearing about all of our American church successes, they also heard about some of the hard lessons learned. This generated lots of questions and enabled us to get past that awkwardness that happens when no one knows each other. We found some common ground and launched from there.

I shared lunch with a neat group of young leaders from a Charismatic Catholic church. Great interaction, lots of fun, and new friends made. Also enjoyed a nice latte, some cranberry juice, sausage and grilled cheese. Then back to the center for the rest of the training. Imet Jan Lacho (pronounced John in English). John started a church here during the Communist era. He told me stories of praying for freedom, of harassment and persecution by the Secret Service, of friends and members being arrested, and moving meetings to avoid attention. I was blown away that here was a hero of our faith sitting in training sessions I was leading. How could God trust me with such a task? What an honor that CAML is allowed to partner with this country in bringing the Kingdom to a new generation. I asked Jon to pray for me and it was a beautiful thing as he placed his hand on my shoulder and prayed for God to use me and our church.

Pasho did a marvelous job translating. He was able to handle the Southern Drawl without a glitch. In fact, he informed me that I didn't sound very Southern. How about that all you folks who make fun of my drawl! At the end of the day I could have stayed on for hours to talk and answer questions with these wonderful people. I asked if they got what they came for and they said yes. I met David who works with children and teenagers. His English is just as good as my Slovak. But he and I are going to communicate by email and he is looking forward to seeing me again in September, as I am him. Thank you CAML for the giving and prayers that make this possible. I hope to bring some of you along with me on future trips. Thank you Billy Hornsby for connecting us to Lukas. Thank you Lukas for your vision. Thank you God for the privilege. Thank your Sheryll for the confidence and encouragement.

Well, off to bed. Woke up at 2 AM this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Guess it was a combination of jet lag and excitement. Hope sleep comes easily tonite.

05/24/09 - Putting on Your Socks - Humility - Tony Sherrill

Tony Sherrill continues the Dressed For Success series this week, discussing "Humility" in this Sunday service.

Humility
Tony Sherrill
Sunday, May 24, 2009

www.churchatmirrorlake.com

Day 1 in Bratislava

Lukas, my teaching partner, and Pasho, my new pastor friend and soon-to-be translator, picked me up in Vienna this afternoon and we drove to Bratislava, a city of 500,000 that is the captial of Slovakia. Pasho pastors Bratislava City Church which was started during the Communist regime by his parents and others. Some of his older members were imprisoned because of their faith. The unchurched rate in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia is around 95%. The average church size is 60. Pasho's church is about 400, making it one of the largest in the nation--a megachurch. He says the 3 biggest obstacles to growing churches are 1) apathy due to the success of captialism resulting in a measure of comfort, 2) religion--people consider themselves Christian because their grandparents were practicing Catholics. But less than 5% of the population actually attend church. Even Christmas or Easter fail to draw them, and 3) a failure by the church to present relevant, life-giving solutions.

Tomorrow, about 45 leaders from Catholic, Baptist, AG, and other denominational and non-denominational churches will come together, hoping God will give them some tools to change this city and their nation. According to Lukas, many of them are discouraged and feeling like the situation is hopeless. But his encouragement to them is the church is not a sinking ship and we didn't sign on to spend our lives in a fruitless cause. Pray that the Holy Spirit will use us to bring at least one fresh idea, or maybe nothing new, just some encouragement. I am believing that each leader will leave refreshed and equipped to further the Kingdom this year in Slovakia. Thanks for your prayers, your financial partnership, and your friendship. Even though you are not here with me, your giving or your time, talent and resources are part of you and those parts are here with me. Heaven will be richer, and the Kingdom of God in Slovakia and the Czech Republic stronger because of you.

Running for the train

Getting off the train at Concourse E at Atlanta Airport, I met a fellow running wide open with a frantic look on his face. He was shoving by everyone leaving the train desperately trying to reach the doors of the train before they closed. Probably trying to make a connection and cutting it very close. I watched his face as he neared the doors. There was a change of expression from frantic to confident as he began to realize he would make it onto the train. As we pushed past me and another passenger to enter the doors, his face broke into a big smile as he celebrated his victorious march. I had to move on toward my gate and was unable to stay and see his reaction as he realized the train he had so valiantly overtaken was now out of service as it was at the end of the line! Instead of a successful beginning or continuation of his journey toward his destination, he had hit a dead end, mistaking it for his desired goal.

That’s a place I have been before in my spiritual life, and we can probably all identify with his dilemma. How many times have we chosen a path, worked hard to get there and found out we were at a dead end or heading in the wrong direction. It’s like deciding to pursue God with all your heart and then finding out you were chasing after religion. You had jumped through the hoops, met the demands, kept the rules, but were no closer to God than when you started. Anytime we base our relationship with God on our performance, on what we can do, instead of on what Jesus had done, we are getting on the wrong train and will end up disappointed and disillusioned. That’s why it’s called “dis-illusioned”—because we were chasing an illusion. I think it was Bill Hybels who said you spell religion “D_O” and Christianity “D_O_N_E”. Pursue a relationship with God by celebrating and living in what Jesus has done and, even when you jump on the wrong train, you’ll find God with you, smiling and ready to lead you to the right one.