A Postgame Analyis of a Preview Service

Well, she be over. The first preview service of Crew Community Church has come and gone. I've been asked a thousand times: "How did you think it went?" by people who were there and "Well, how was it?" by people who weren't. My first tendency is to give numbers. Let me tell you where you can stick numbers. Settle down, that's just a joke! But before I give you numbers let me tell you what I loved most.

I loved that our set up/break down team showed up and worked their butts off and smiled the whole time. They even had fun putting together a little Tikes picnic table and trying to fit all of our stuff into our storage space. When they were finished one of them said, "That was like playing Tetris!"

Another thing I loved was that the Sandbox (our nursery) and the Treehouse (k-5th grade) small group leaders challenged, discipled, and loved on the kiddoes. They didn't just baby sit. They called them to life change. I asked most of the kids if they liked it and they all said they did. Sarah asked Tyler, "What would you change to make it better?". Tyler said, "Nothing." He needs to tell his mom Jennifer that! Oh relax J, I'm joking. I asked Tyler's older brother Benjamin what his favorite thing about the Treehouse was. He said, "It had carpet." He didn't even care what color it was. May his tribe increase! The linoleum floors in Corbly Hall at MU apparently wasn't doing it for him though.

I loved our worship team getting it. Although they led us in a great worship experience, it wasn't about being slick and flashy, it was about being genuine and Christ centered.

I also loved that our team was nice to people. That might seem odd to write, but a lot of churches aren't nice. One fella who was from out of town said, "The people are what put you miles ahead of most church plants at this stage. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming."

I loved our front door ministry's eye for the detail. They thought through everything. And I mean everything from signs to how to keep coffee hot to plant arrangements to bulletins to connecting with people. Not just sticking a piece of paper in a person's hand, but looking them in the eye and saying, "I'm glad you're here. It's great to worship with you this morning."

I loved our media team who no joke is the best I've ever seen. I've been a part of several churches in a handful of cities and these guys knock it out of the park.

And my favorite thing of all is that THE GIFT GIVER didn't give any one of us all of the gifts. He spread them out and in His beautiful plan made us dependent on Him to pull it off. He in his desire for community makes us work as a team. Only our Father can make so many personalities work in harmony. Only Jesus can free us to celebrate diversity and variety. Only the Spirit of God can bind us in unity. Our Three in One God has been turning 40 or so folks into 1 community. It was a God's fame day.

And for those who like numbers: 63 adults, 21 kiddoes, 1 person trusted Christ, no runs, no hits, and a lot of errors. My analysis: We'll tweak and change and all of that stuff. But as for yesterday, I wouldn't change a thing.

JP

A Preview of Our Preview

It's the night before our first preview service. And I'm jacked out! Wanna know why? Because I love Jesus Christ, I love our team, and I love Huntington. For two years a few dreamers have been praying, planning, worshipping, and loving together. Now we are on the verge of lettting the city in on it. We've had some great conversations these past few weeks. First, planting a church will teach you to talk to God. Man alive, I've never been so over my head! It's a great place to be. Second, planting a church will teach you to connect with your church. I've never been so encouraged. Our team is gifted out the ears. They can create websites, develop professional media, sing like you wouldn't believe, decorate, throw their back into it, teach, disciple, encourage, and on and on. It's a great place to be. Third, planting a church will introduce you to unbelievers. I've never been so alive. We've had no less than 20 folks who do not know Christ confidently and verbally express a committment to come worship Christ with us this week. Who knows if they'll come, but the conversations have been sweet. I guess I'm saying this: There is no place other than right here, with this Crew, and at this time that I'd rather be. And that ain't bad.

JP

More Than A Day--A Lifestyle!

Well, I just put my boys to bed on Father's Day. They have two beds in their room, but they cram into one together. And unless they start pounding on each other, I let them. Allison, my daughter, beat them to bed about an hour ago. Before we left the room, my wife asked them what their favorite thing about me was. Dan, my 4 year old, loved that I wrestle with him. I do that a lot and probably too rough. No joke, one day when he was about 2, I came home from work. Instead of saying, "Hey dad, let's wrestle", he said, "Dad, punch me in the face." So I did. It was a play punch! Jack's favorite thing about me is that I play baseball with him. Playing baseball with Jack means he gives me the bat and tells me to hit the ball as far as I can into the air. Did you know I can hit it all the way over the house? Not impressed? Who cares, Jack is. I thought that was a neat conversation we had in a matter of about 5 minutes. It summed up the day.

One thing I noticed was that on this day I was intentionally affirmed. I have flaws. I say things I shouldn't. I'm bad at a lot of things. Some days I'm hard to live with. But today, Sarah and the boys went out of their way all day long to emphasize my strengths and the positive things they love about me. Another thing I noticed was that it was deliberately communicated. I got cards from my parents and my wife with long paragraphs SAYING what was on their heart. My eyes saw those words. My boys SAID they love me with their voice box. My ears heard that.

We have a handful of holidays or Hallmark days that we set aside to voice our appreciation--Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, and all of that. Add to those days a birthday, anniversary, and Christmas. That's not very many days really if that's the only time we do it. What am I saying? This: Let's cultivate an attitude of affirmation in our lives. This doesn't mean false flattery where we just lay on the syrupy compliments and cliche "atta boys". That's gross and everybody knows when it's happening. Let's do less of that. And it doesn't mean that we can't take someone aside and deal with an issue that needs taken care of. Or even get into the face of someone we care about very much. We better do that. Who else will? I simply mean that I'm going to constantly look for those qualities in the lives of people that are awesome. And I'm going to say it. I can't say it when they're dead. I want to say it now. You know, people constantly hear criticism and get beat down over all the stuff they fail at. They know what they stink at! They don't need me constantly pointing it out. Instead I want to say, "I noticed that great attitude in the middle of terrible circumstances. Most people would have gotten bitter, but not you. Great job!" I want to buy them a coffee and let them know they are the most servant hearted person I know. They do their thing in obscurity and they need to know that there is one set of eyes that notices that. I want to be that guy. Everybody else is telling them their flaws. For all I know it may change their life.

One last paragraph, I'm almost done. In our affirming, let's hug and kiss and say I love you a lot. Not luv ya, but "I love you." I didn't use to be like that. Being a dad has made me more sensitive, I think. Or maybe it was having a best friend at Dallas Seminary that was Italian. Italians don't hug you. They frisk you! Serious, there's something about a deep embrace isn't there? It's sort of the exclamation mark on what you've just said or heard. Father's Day is over, but let's make this the beginning of something much better--a lifestyle of grace, intimate relationships, irresistible influence, and lasting impact. Do you think that will remind them of someone else? Yeah, me too.

A Notebook For Writing and A Tightrope I'm Walking

One of the disciplines I began and have developed over 2 years ago is to record what I do with my time. I have two notebooks that lie open on my desk waiting for my pen. One notebook is for general notes. It has everything from phone numbers to random thoughts I want to develop later. I have a To Do Lists on that puppy as well as lists of who's on our current core team. The other notebook has two running columns. On the left side there is the date and the hours of that day. On the right side is a description of what I did with those hours. It's this second notebook that has me writing today.

This time mangagement notebook helps for two reasons. First, I'm accountable for my time. Being a church planter and a pastor means that I'm fairly independent. There is no clock to punch and no supervisor telling me what to do. It's easy to get lazy or sloppy in your lifestyle. I want to avoid this at all cost. If anyone wants to know what I did and when I did it, I can point to it and say there you are. Second, it allows me to stay balanced in my life/ministry strategy. For example, one week I saw that I spent 80% of my time building community, growing myself and others, and equipping/multiplying leadership. The other 20% was spent on administrative stuff (email, calls, paperwork, etc.). No time building relationships with unbelievers. A rebuke right there in black and white. So, my notebook shows me where I need to make adjustments.

This past week looked like a banner week for a balanced ministry strategy. On paper. Sarah and I spent a great evening with a gal who described herself as "searching for the meaning of it all, and is revisiting the possibility that Christianity is true". The next night we spent a whole afternoon and evening with our small group. Throughout the week I was able spend time writing, memorizing Scripture, and engaged in spiritual discipline, and the rest of my time was equipping ministry teams and multiplying leadership. The perfect fulfillment of my ministry strategy: JCREW. But my notebook screamed back at me a number. The number was 72. That was the number of hours I logged in ministry last week. Nothing special about 72, it's just a lot of hours. Guess how much time Sarah and I had to talk about our relationship and dream together. Guess how much wrestle, soccer, and swim time Dan and Jack had. Guess how often Alli got her face kissed off by her daddy. The answer is: not nearly enough.

The battle to remain balanced is a constant one. If I could pick 5 things that I want to be true of me, I think balanced would be right there near the top. Not given to extremes. Even now, my first instinct is to drop everything and spend all my time with my family, but that's not the answer. That's out of balance.

The more I get to know Jesus Christ and the more I read of Him, the more I see how awesome He was. Especially in this area of balance. He was never out of balance. He always had time to do ministry and rest. He never seemed rushed. He drew people to himself. He built into His men. He got enough sleep. He refreshed himself in prayer. He had everyone pulling and tugging on Him. People seeking him out and sticking babies in his face and dumping all of their needs on Him. Yet never once do I see him flustered. He spent 3 and a half years doing all that He needed to do in perfect balance. No hurry. He just did His thing. What a model! But I'm not Jesus so I need notebooks. And this weekend, I'm going out of town with my favorite disciples: Sarah, Dan, Jack, and Alli to a waterpark in Cincinnati (www.thebeachwaterpark.com). That's my modern day equivalent to a boat on the Sea of Galilee. We're going to splash, swim, kiss, talk, and laugh. Don't believe me? Come over and look at my notebook, it's already written down.

JP

Welcome to {{ r e a l }}

Welcome to {{ r e a l }} , the blog for Crew Community Church. And just as the title says come expecting "real". And when you post and respond bring "real". There is nothing more attractive and refreshing than a person or a community that's authentic. Nothing more impacting than "real". My favorite thing about God is that He's real. My favorite thing about Bible stories is that it shows us "real" people. People who got depressed, people who blew it, people who fail. But also people who God uses to do great things for Him and make an unbelievable difference. When you check out this blog you'll be reading about our excitement and successes one day and our frustrations and failures the next. That's real. Christianity is like that. Life is like that. And for sure, Crew is like that. This is a slow burn and we love it. Really!

Josh Perry

P.S. I just spellchecked this and apparently "blog" is not in blogger.com's dictionary. Ridiculous.