One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today I sat with Mark Waltz at Starbucks on Main.

Why is that special? Well, besides getting to hang out with Waltz, the conversation of me being a campus pastor for GCC was first introduced to me. One year ago today.

That's a strong cup of coffee! Actually, I don't drink coffee - but you get the point. :)

Mark and I were preparing to teach a class on Monday nights together and were connecting about content, etc. It turned out to be a bigger conversation than I thought.

It was in that conversation that Mark told me that the Senior Management Team had been on a team retreat that week to discuss multi-site at Granger. They had been praying and seeking God for over 18 months, and felt God was launching GCC into a new chapter in the church's history. We were going to become a multi-campus church. He said my name had come up in conversation about bringing me on as a campus pastor for one of these new campuses, and he wondered what my initial reaction might be. Would I be interested? How would I respond?

I cried.

Good tears. :)

The story is too long, but Leslee and I absolutely love serving Jesus through the local church. We feel equipped to do so ("called" - if that's your language). Our journey has had it's bumps and it's pain, but God's fingerprints have been all over it. To sit there with Mark and dream about the possibility of joining the staff of this amazing church and help launch a new campus, expanding the base of influence and impact......whew. There were certainly no guarantees of where it would go, but from that conversation I drove straight home with my head in the clouds to share it with Leslee. Her response?

She cried.

Good tears. :)

That was a year ago today...

My Prayer for the Elkhart Campus...

At our RoadMap meeting a couple of weeks ago, we looked forward to the course ahead for '09. We believe that in spite of circumstances around us, God has an amazing, impacting journey ahead for our church and our Elkhart Campus.

I asked those in attendance to write out their prayer for the campus this year. Here are a few of the prayers we received:

• Help us God as we travel this road (with you) put us on a fun cruise speed…but not so fast that we can't stop & pick up others!!! We need to find others along the way who want to travel our road as we go
• That we engage in more 'random acts of kindness'
• That we would become racially diverse and available to all
• That I would be reminded to pray for our campus
• That we will serve with intentionality in this community

Do you hear it? We are a people desiring to expand the base, to intentionally serve others and reach others in a way that brings transformation to their lives and this community!

I'm praying for that! I'm committed to that.

Are you?

The Shack.

Finally.


I'm going to read The Shack.

Why? A few reasons:

• I'm the only person on the planet who hasn't read it.
  
• I've had it on my shelf for several months and have yet to crack it.
• I've had 17,000 people tell me I need to read it (Ok. That's an exaggeration. It's actually far more than that.)
• I met William Paul Young (the author - pictured below) back in October and told him I would read it (hated admitting that I hadn't yet).
• My schedule has finally settled in to where I can read it.
• I really want to!

So a reading I will go.

Ouch.

The most recent unemployment numbers have been released:

Elkhart - 17%
Goshen - 15.4%

Ouch.

Nearly one in six of our neighbors, friends, and family members who need a job don't have one. And the church isn't immune to this reality. Just this week at Granger, eight of our friends were told that their job no longer existed.

It's been a very tough week.

It's one thing when you lose a job because you aren't doing it well, or you lie or steal, or you have an idiot for a boss. But what about people who have been dedicated, hard working, they've done their job the 'right way', they've been loyal, and they still lose their job?

Huge, deep ouch.

At a Journey Class I taught last month, I shared from the teaching of Theodore Parker Ferris, a New England preacher in the 1930s and 40s. Ferris pastored during a time of great pain, great unknowns. He watched as his congregation dealt with the sever effects of the Great Depression. He watched as men and boys from his community went off to a war they would never return from, leaving behind families with no answers. As his heart broke for his people and his city, he offered these words to give them handles to hold to as they coped:

1. Remember that there is nothing that can happen to you that has not happened to millions of others.
2. Remind yourself that as a human being you run the risk of this kind of thing (it's the reality of a broken world)
3. Remember that there are people who became great facing what you must now face.
4. Say, "I don't know how I'm going to make it through this, but I will".


I have a lot of hurting friends right now. And I hurt with them. We live in a community where 1 in every 6 people are standing in the unemployment line.

Ouch.

I pray that God gives us the wisdom and compassion to know how to serve people well during this difficult season for so many. That we offer hope and life to those who feel they've lost both. That we communicate that there is no 'measuring up' at the church. That we talk of Jesus, and demonstrate Jesus. That we are known for screaming, and more importantly demonstrating that "we hurt with you. You are loved, you are wanted, you are significant, you'll find acceptance and community here! Right where you are. Just as you are."

Just as you are.

Group Life begins at the Elkhart Campus

Hey Elkhart Campus. It's time to get connected!

We're set to launch group opportunities at GCC-Elkhart. Express Groups will be starting in just two weeks and are a great opportunity to connect with others attending our Elkhart Campus.

So get signed up for one!

Here's the scoop:

• Groups will meet for eight weeks at various locations all over the area . Choose from Sunday night or Monday night, 6:30-8:00pm. We'll have a group meeting close to you.

• Groups will launch Sunday, February 8th or Monday, February 9th.

• There will be groups for couples and singles (ages 18-25, and 26 & up).

• There's no pressure, and no prep needed! Just come to connect, share life and talk about the message from our Sunday morning service (who knows - you might be encouraged and make a new friend or two).
  

These groups are for anyone who wants to get involved and grow with others at the Elkhart Campus. Sign up at Guest Services on Sunday, or go to gccwired.com - check out the map of group locations and get signed up!

Take the step. Get connected.

Rob Wegner...Drum Major Award Recipient

Yep, that's Rob Wegner. In a suit. :)

A few years ago, I got to know Rob Wegner as I was starting a church in Oregon. Rob has been a gift from God and a great encouragement to me since then. During both great days and tough days in Oregon, Rob's words of wisdom and guidance were incredibly valuable to my life and ministry. During our transition from Oregon to South Bend, Rob's words of hope and love helped carry me. Rob was also hugely instrumental in my joining the staff here at Granger and the journey we enjoy in Elkhart.

I have enormous respect for Rob. He is truly a gifted, impacting leader with passion and focus. Through his teaching, speaking at conferences, shaping local missions efforts and training pastors in India - as well as countless other channels - his influence is felt literally across the planet. And if you're able to watch him up close you"ll see his greatest roles: he's an amazing husband and father. What a privilege to share life and serve at the same church.

Yesterday, Rob was awarded the Drum Major Award. The award is given to those who embody the words of Martin Luther King: "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

Listen to the passion in Rob's words as he received the award: “Injustice can be remedied if the church is on mission. When people feel spiritually lost for lack of good news, when a child goes to bed hungry at night, when a family lives without decent shelter, when children live in ignorance because there is no one to teach them to read, when inner city teenagers turn to gangs because they don’t see any way out of the cycle of poverty, when countless people suffer from disease that could easily be prevented ... these things break God’s heart, I want them to break mine. I want to be God’s friend and carry His burdens, not just have Him carry mine.”

Rob's words are real. He lives and breathes them, and with passion invites others to do the same.

Rob blogged about the experience - you can read it here, and you can read the article in the South Bend Tribune here.

A New Presidency Begins

So the day has arrived when we install a new President.

I love history, particularly presidential history. I'm fascinated by preparation, habits, style of leadership, response to crisis, response to criticism, and ability to influence the lives of generations to follow in those who have held the highest office of leadership in our nation.

I'm also amazed by our process of transferring power. Today we'll watch as Barak Obama recites an oath and is sworn in as our new president. What's amazing to me is the process by which he has come to this moment. It wasn't a result of a military victory, or brute force, or bribery, or an assassination, or being next in line of a monarchy. It was through the process of democracy. A majority of "we the people" elected him for this office. Did you vote for him? Perhaps not. But you were able to vote for or against him. And you weren't jailed or killed for it if you didn't vote for him. What an extraordinary thing! As power is transferred to President Obama, we can observe the inauguration celebrating that we each have a voice and we're free to use it.

As someone who loves these historical moments, I enjoyed a page from MSNBC that I found where video of the past 18 inaugurations are available to view. Fan of history? Click here to watch a century's worth of America transfering power.

HELP WANTED - Starts This Weekend

I can't think of a better series for Elkhart right now.

Believe it or not, the Bible has a lot to say about surviving tough times. And right now, many of us are in very tough times.

This weekend Mark Beeson starts off the Help Wanted series with "I've Never Seen it This Bad".

Got a friend, or two, or NINE who need to be encouraged with hope in spite of current circumstances?

Thought so. Will you invite them?

The Journey Ahead - Four Key Areas in 09

When Granger Community Church launched a new campus in Elkhart last fall, we did it with a clear mission in mind.

This isn't about convenience. It's not about a shorter drive. It's not about entertainment.

It's about a gathering of people coming together on purpose and for a purpose. We launched this campus to "help people take their next steps towards Christ...together."

Sunday night, over 120 of our key stakeholders and leaders met for RoadMap. We celebrated the journey God has already taken us on, and embraced the road before us in 2009. I was thrilled by the turnout, and even more thrilled by the energy. GCC-Elkhart is serious about serving Jesus and impacting our community!

Over the next few weeks we'll unpack some of the items covered at RoadMap. Today I'm just touching on our Top Four Areas of Focus for 2009. More details ahead in future posts, but he's a quick recap:

• Leadership Development. As campus pastor, this will be my key area of focus in 2009. To be a great, impacting campus, we need strong, healthy leadership. Due to financial realities we're currently facing, we've gotten creative with campus leadership development - and it excites me to see the leaders that are surfacing! Currently we're in process of creating a much needed admin team and a campus strategy team, as well as expanding our leadership team for our volunteer teams and programs.
  

• Campus Community Life Development. The survey from December affirmed it: sharing life together is a high value on our campus. We believe it's crucial to the spiritual and numeric growth of our campus. Opportunities for developing this include Express Groups and Journey Classes being launched within weeks, and monthly Connection Point gatherings with Leslee and me kickimg off on January 25th.
  

• Community Partnerships & Exposure Events. There's no hiding that GCC is serious about serving the needs of our community (spiritual AND physical). The Elkhart Campus embraces that value with a passion! In addition to continuing to develop our relationship with Five Star, we're formulating plans for two large scale Exposure Events this summer.

• Further Enhance & Develop Children's Ministry. Our kids program is a high value for us. We have an amazing team of leaders and teachers who serve our children well every week. We want to continue to find ways to better resource them and help them have maximum impact in our kids lives' through our All Stars program.
  

The people of our Elkhart campus are embracing the journey ahead with intentionality and joy!

"greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city..."

What a Weekend...

Food Drop on Saturday? close to 300 people, 2 full semi's, 2000 boxes, over 600 families served. (oh...and there was the 9 inches of snow) Here's what The Elkhart Truth had to say about the event.

Sunday Morning Service? 370 in attendance, our highest since the week after launch in October.

RoadMap Sunday Night? Over 120 stakeholders energized by the journey so far and the year ahead.

Energy. Momentum. Expectation.

The Elkhart Campus has moved out of Launch Phase. We're ready to grow into a campus of Connection and Impact!

What a weekend.

More Than Words

How's that saying go: "People don't care what you know until they know...what?"

As Leslee and I drove away from the Food Drop on Saturday, we did so with enormous joy.

I'm so grateful that my wife and I are part of this church. More importantly, I'm so grateful that my children are part of this church.

I didn't grow up in a church where the physical needs, the real-life felt needs of the people around us were given much thought. The homeless, the abused, the hungry, the unemployed - they weren't remotely on our radar. The message of Jesus was preached, yes - but it was always preached with words and almost never with actions. And that always felt like a real 'disconnect' to me. (just for starters - maybe it was what Jesus says in Matthew 25, or the entire book of James that creates that for me)

We're thrilled that our children are part of a church where they learn and experience what being the 'hands and feet of Jesus' means. A church where we're committed to compassionately love and serve 'the least of these'. (yep, Matthew 25 again)

My eight year old daughter, Lauren, was one of the volunteers at the Food Drop. She worked hard. In the snow. Carrying boxes and bags of candy. Everything she did was for others.

And she had an absolute blast doing it.

On the way to the Food Drop I explained to her that we were passing out the same boxes we had packed together last month at Feed the Children. The very same boxes that she personally put jar after jar of peanut butter into. We were now getting to deliver these boxes to families who really need them. And we were doing this because we love Jesus, Jesus loves these families, and we love what Jesus loves (that would be....people). I told her that boys and girls were going to be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this week because she chose to love Jesus and love others.

Her response? "Really? We're going to do that? This is the best day ever!"

I'm so grateful that my children are in this church.

Are We There Yet?

It's ROAD MAP time.

Someone is guaranteed to WIN ONE MILLION DOL......well, no. But we will have a great time as we celebrate the journey of 08 and chart out the plan for 09!

I can't wait!

Sunday Night. 6:00pm. Food Court at Concord Mall.

See you there.

What Snow?! Food Drop 09

What a morning.

We had hoped for 150-200. We were way off. in spite of the weather, close to 300 people gathered in Elkhart for GCC's annual food drop this morning! We met this morning at the Encore Theater, site of our new Elkhart Campus.

It snowed. BIG time. But we soon discovered that the snow was an added blessing.

How?

Doug Anderson of the Elkhart Housing authority choked up as he addressed our crowd. He told us that as he drove to the theater this morning he was concerned and discouraged: he had told the families of Washington Gardens (low income housing) that we would be delivering boxes of food and personal care items today. With the heavy snow and messy roads, Doug was concerned he'd arrive at the theater with no one else there.

But we were there. WE WERE THERE! And because of the snow, we were able to communicate in an even stronger way to Doug and all the families that we served that they matter to God and to us. Snow wasn't going to stop us from blessing the community!

The energy this morning was white hot - our church loves coming together to serve the community like this. Over a 3 hour period we unloaded two full semi-trucks of boxes into eight trailers and flatbed trucks. We then delivered the boxes to multiple organizations that serve the most needy in the community. In addition we hand delivered boxes to over 600 homes in 3 low-income housing communities.


The Elkhart site was led by an amazing team of volunteers, with Kurt Reiners at the helm. Kurt (pictured with wife Sandy and daughter Cassie) leads all of our local mission efforts at the Elkhart Campus. He's a great leader, and a man passionate about serving the needs of our community. He led in a remarkable way today!

All told, around 3000 people showed up at three locations, unloading 8 semi-trucks, delivering over 6000 boxes of food and personal care items to 22 neighborhoods and organizations today.

Food and items we purchased with our Christmas offerings.

Food and items we boxed at last month's Second Saturday project.

Food and items that will bring hope to families and help them know that they matter to the God we serve and the God who created them.

What snow? :)

BIG Weekend Ahead

Saturday:

9:00am. Food Drop. Encore Theater. Help provide food to families in need.

Will you be there?

Sunday:

9:30am. Weekend Service. Encore Theater. Worship and Grow with new friends.

Will you be there?

6:00pm. RoadMap. Concord Mall Food Court. Celebrate where we've been, embrace where we're going.

Will you be there?


I will. And I'll be ready to serve, to grow, and to celebrate with you.

So be there!

Cool in '09

From First Wednesday two nights ago. Nice job DC.

Yep. I'm on staff at a cool church.

A True Winner

Whether you cheered for Oklahoma or Florida last night, or you didn't watch the game at all, you'd have to agree - Tim Tebow has become a real presence in college football. And for good reason. The guy is a leader, has passion, knows how to win.

And that's OFF the field.

Oh sure, there's the two national titles now, and the Heisman from last season, but it's his life off that field that's truly inspiring.

Tebow claims to be a man of faith and by all accounts lives that faith out in a big way. Like many athletes, he expresses his faith publicly (did you see the post game interview?), but more important, he LIVES out that faith both publicly and privately. You've got to check out this clip from ESPN:




During the first half of the game last night, the announcer commented: "If you've had the opportunity to spend five or 15 minutes with Tim Tebow, you've been better for it." I think the children and prisoners he served in the video would agree.

My prayer is that God will keep Tim pure, keep his faith strong. He has the potential to be a rich expression of God's goodness and grace in his career ahead.

Life is so much more than football, huh?

Food Drop This Saturday - Local Media Coverage

Our Food Drop is just TWO days away, it's this Saturday...and the buzz is out there! The Elkhart Truth and South Bend Tribune had the following to say about the event...


From the Elkhart Truth:

Help a Local Church Stock Food Pantries for the Winter

Who: Granger Community Church

What: Distributing 75 tons of food and personal care items to needy families

When: Saturday

The details: More than 2,500 volunteers will gather Saturday morning to load groceries onto trucks and semitrailers to deliver food and other goods to nine area non-profit agencies and 13 neighborhoods in St. Joseph, Elkhart, Berrien Springs and Marshall counties.

In Elkhart County, Church Community Services, Cornerstone Apartments, the Faith Mission, God's Kitchen, Holiday Mobile Village, Malcolm Drive and Washington Gardens will help coordinate food distribution to families here.

Volunteers are also expected from Bethlehem Baptist Church and Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Feed the Children, a international hunger relief organization, is also partnering in the event.

Organizers said the event is happening now to provide aid during late winter months, when donations tend to drop off, yet the need remains high.

(click here to see original Truth article)



From the South Bend Tribune:

Annual Food Drop Coming Saturday

GRANGER — More than 75 tons of food and personal care items will be distributed Saturday to area families in need through the annual Granger Community Church (GCC) food drop.

About 2,500 volunteers are expected to meet at 9 a.m. at GCC, GCC Elkhart Campus, Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in South Bend and the Encore Cinemas in Elkhart to load the groceries onto trucks for delivery to nine area nonprofit agencies and 13 neighborhoods within St. Joseph, Elkhart, Berrien and Marshall counties.

GCC once again is partnering with the international hunger relief organization Feed the Children to provide the items for the food drop. Volunteers also will participate from two other area churches, including Bethlehem Baptist Church and Mount Carmel Baptist Church.

The following organizations and neighborhood groups will help coordinate food distribution to individual families, in addition to receiving food for their own kitchens and pantries:

Elkhart — Church Community Services, Cornerstone Apartments, Faith Mission, God’s Kitchen, Holiday Mobile Village, Malcolm Drive and Washington Gardens.

Mishawaka — Barbee Creek, Oak Grove Mobile Home Park and River View 500.

Niles — Gateway Plaza Apartments and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Plymouth — Plymouth Neighborhood Center.

South Bend — Edison Gardens, Faith Baptist Church, Harbor Homes, La Casa De Amistad, Little Flower Catholic Church Food Pantry, Monroe Circle, Monroe Circle Community Center and Western Manor.

According to Mark Beeson, GCC’s senior pastor, “The annual food drop was timed this year for the tough months of January and February, when donations typically drop off and the need is greatest.”

The food drop is part of GCC’s 2008 Christmas Offering, along with supporting its Elkhart Campus and providing clean drinking water and health initiatives for an ongoing effort in rural India.

GCC is also partnering with Better World Books during the food drop. Participants who want to can bring a book or other educational item such as music CDs or software along to drop off. Items collected will be used for literacy initiatives in India and in GCC’s Monroe Circle Community Center, in downtown South Bend. Better World Books is a global bookstore that harnesses the power of capitalism to bring literacy and opportunity to people around the world.

Feed the Children is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to children and families in need in the United States and internationally. For more information, visit feedthechildren.org.

(click here to see original Tribune article)


Below is the video from last year's Food Drop. This year it's going to be even bigger, as we stage the event from BOTH campuses! If you live near Elkhart, join us at the Encore Theater - Saturday morning, at 9:00am for donuts, coffee, and a celebration rally. We'll have two semi-trucks at the theater full and ready to be loaded into trucks for delivery to families who desperately need help. Be a part of making it happen!

Got Questions? New Weekly Feature

No message. No script. Just questions.

People who attended the services at GCC last weekend were able to send in a text and ask any question they wanted. Anything. Mark Beeson then answered the questions on the spot. No notes. No prep. Just drawing from a lifetime of experience, leadership, and wisdom.

There were HUNDREDS of questions sent in, with a great response at each service. In fact, the response was so strong that Mark has decided to continue answering the questions!

Mark has asked several of the staff pastors to take a question that was submitted and write an answer for it. He then will be posting that answer on his blog, with a new answer appearing once a week.

I love it! I love the desire to resource others and help them on their journey!

So - here's my plan:

1. I'll be 'copying' Mark's blog post each week with the question submitted and the answer that the staff pastor wrote for it.

2. I'd love to know what YOUR QUESTIONS are and offer my best to answer them! You can click on 'comments' below and submit a question - even anonymously - or email me directly at jbell@gccwired.com. And really, ask about anything: family, church, faith, politics, music, toothpaste...anything.

2. We'll choose one question to write a post on each week, along with my answer to the question (I won't post who it's from - just the question and answer).

Questions are good. They aid us in learning and in providing clarity. So ask away!

Worth Repeating

"Good leaders seek out the 'troublemakers' on the fringe and listen carefully
to them. (Occasionally the troublemakers are the kind described in Proverbs
18:1, '. . . loners who care only for themselves and who spit on the common
good...' Leaders need to isolate these types.)

BUT, often troublemakers are innovative, creative thinkers who, at the risk of
their own reputation and comfort, are developing ideas and pushing for
changes that could vastly improve the organization. Good leaders cultivate
these types of 'troublemakers'.

- Jack Popjes, former CEO of Wycliffe Canada

RoadMap 2009

I'm pumped. Totally fired up. Really looking forward to connecting this Sunday night for our Elkhart Campus vision night - we're calling it RoadMap!

This is for the leaders, the workers, the volunteers, the stake holders, the hungry, the passionate, the ones who are ready to launch a year of wide-reaching impact and are energized to be part of making that happen!

Man, I'm pumped.

I'm excited to connect with you. And I'm excited to share the new initiatives we'll be implementing at our Elkhart Campus this year. We have a great plan for a great year ahead!

Be there. This Sunday night - 6:00pm, Concord Mall Food Court (it's called The Grove. Have you seen it lately!? The place is cool. I'd suggest you get there early for a cup of hot coffee and a seat near the stone fireplace)

What a weekend we have ahead. Food Drop on Saturday. Weekend Service at 9:30am on Sunday. RoadMap at 6:00pm Sunday night.

Did I mention that I'm pumped?

Food Drop this Saturday - 9:00am at Encore Theater

Ready to be a huge blessing to families all over Elkhart?

This Saturday is a HUGE day at GCC - it's our annual Food Drop! We've partnered with Feed The Children to provide seven semi-truckloads filled with over 6000 boxes of food and personal care items for families all over Michiana. Two of the trucks will be staged at the Encore Theater, site of our Elkhart Campus. Come help us load and deliver the boxes to hundreds of families!

This is for everyone! We need all the hands we can get, and you won't want to miss out.

It all starts up at 9:00am at the Encore Theater (site of our Elkhart Campus). Come out early for free donuts and coffee!

Click here to read the news release in the Elkhart Truth.

Got Questions? Text 'em in.

Happy New Year everyone!

Quick post for the Elkhart Campus. Have a question you've always wanted to ask Mark Beeson? A question about faith, life, leadership, parenting, marriage, hunting...anything?! This weekend Mark will be fielding and answering questions - and yours can be one of them.

To submit a question, simply text "ASKING + your question" to 47201.

For example, send text to 47201: ASKING who will win the Super Bowl?

Questions can be submitted until 4pm Saturday - so text away.