Check out the site: http://gccwired.com
What kind of questions are you asking?
For years, many of the questions have seemed to orient around “product” questions. Church leaders scrambled to find the latest and greatest product that was working for someone somewhere and then figure out how we could “plug and play” that product in our environment…as quickly as possible.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-product. By all means, there’s no need to recreate the wheel. However, in the rush to find the product and plug it in, too often we’ve been shortcutting something this absolutely critical to becoming the people of God.
More and more I hear a different category of question being asked by church leaders. I’m excited about it. This question is a dangerous question, one that could lead to revolutionary change. The question is usually framed something like this, “Instead of just showing us the ‘finished product,’ let us seek the work in progress. What is the process?”
We focus is moving from product to process.
More and more leaders have given up on standardized solutions, realizing that embedded into the mission of the church is the necessity of contextualization. No longer are we looking for a standardized model we can simple replicate. The truth is a unique model must be developed and contextualized for every setting. As we begin to dream about unleashing missional movements together, the most important thing to share is not ultimately “the model” we’ve developed, but the process of how we got there.
If it’s a good process, it will continue to recreate our model.
It’s this thinking that is fueling a new approach to the AND conference this fall. In 2011, we’re going to share the process—what we’ve done over the past year. How does a team bend the AND – missional and attractional – around the facility, systems, staffing, philosophy and programs they’ve built over the past 25 years? We’re going to go there on September 22-23. And, here’s how.
Choose your own adventure. The schedule will be customizable to your own interests, needs, and questions.
Content-rich learning environment. We’re only offering a couple keynotes, so we can offer a load of specific and practical electives for you to choose from…over 70 are scheduled already with more to come.
The elective will come in all shapes and sizes: lectures, practical workshops, leader panels, peer discussion, and amazing keynote sessions.* Experience an amazing mix of thought-leaders, visionaries, and practitioners. The line- up includes
Alan Hirsh, Mike Breen, Dave Ferguson, Hugh Halter, and the entire Granger Team.
We can’t wait to engage the process with you. Let me know if you’re coming, I’d love to meet you in person.
Get all the details and register while the early bird rate still lasts.
Want to understand the New Normal? Want to understand the genius of the AND?
Block out 14 minutes and watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiYwMRYpuyI
We’ve got another team headed to India today at 2:30pm. We've sent hundreds of people to India over the years. Our teams are all laser focused in terms of adding value to the churches and communities on the ground in India. We don’t do exposure trips where Americans come to simply see the work and have the illusion of impact. We train our teams to build capacity and skills in the members of the Indian churches and the members of the community the churches are in. We don't just do "for" them. We focus on working “with” them, equipping them so they can do for themselves.
The team will be focusing on Conversational English and Micro-enterprise.
Conversational English Team
While Hindi is the official language of India, English is the preferred language for trade, commerce, business and education. In India, children who cannot speak English with a reasonably high level of proficiency are relegated to jobs that earn less than a livable wage, and are unable to achieve a higher standard of living for their families, thus perpetuating cycles of poverty and hopelessness. The goal of our Conversational English Team is to change that.
Micro-Enterprise/Small Business Team
In order to ensure that Indian families have not only a relationship with Jesus, decent housing, clean water and education for their children, GCC families work in conjunction with Life Mission, the organization GCC started in India, and local churches we’ve planted to provide start-up capital and education for small businesses. These small businesses often quite literally mean the difference between starvation and life for many families, and GCC’s success thus far in helping widows and families to improve their income generating potential has literally changed the face of the communities in which they have been involved.
Please join them for the journey at www.gccindiateams.blogspot.com and pray for the team.
Dig into the bigger story here and pick up a copy of Share the Well.
Here are the revolutionaries who comprise this team:
Jerry Blanchard Jr
Kyle Chezem
Jessica Ekema
Phillip Gadsen
Rachel Gadson
Amanda Harris
Todd Hollingsworth
Julie LaFleur
Matthew LaFleur
Nate Stem
Jessica Stem
Benjamin Thompson
Nancy Tucker
Anna Turner
Denise Walsh
Joel Wolfgang
Shari Wolfgang
Lent is 40 days to remember our dependence on Jesus.
“Christianity promises to make men free; it never promises to make them independent.” William Ralph Inge
This is something which has been handed on to us by some of the oldest of the fathers and it is something which we hand on to only a very small number of the souls eager to know it: To keep the thought of God always in your mind you must cling totally to this formula for piety: 'Come to my help, O God; Lord, hurry to my rescue.’ [Psalm 70:1]
It is not without good reason that this verse has been chosen from the whole of scripture as a device. It carries within it all the feelings of which human nature is capable. It can be adapted to every condition and can be usefully deployed against every temptation. It carries within it a cry of help to God in the face of every danger. It expresses the humility of a pious confession. It conveys a sense of our frailty, the assurance of being heard, the confidence in help that is always and everywhere present. Someone forever calling out to his protector is indeed very sure of having him close by. This is the voice filled with ardor of love and of clarity.
…This little verse, I am saying proves to be necessary and useful to each one of us and in all circumstances. For someone who needs help in all things is making clear that he requires the help of God not simply in hard and sad situations but equally and amid fortunate and joyful conditions. He knows that God saves us from adversity and makes our joy linger that in neither situation can human frailty survive without his help.
John Cassian (365-435)
40 from Granger Community on Vimeo.
This coming Second Saturday we’re going to bomb Monroe Circle with 5000lbs of chicken!
Along with the usual distribution of the PCI (Personal Care Items) boxes, each family will receive 2 5lb bags of chicken.
The chicken is donated by Galen Miller who is the owner of Miller’s Amish Country Poultry in Goshen. What an amazing gift! We would also like to thank Elton Keifer, the member of GCC who arranged this amazing donation. Martins have also donated 600 grocery plastic bags for us to distribute the chicken. I love it when the community works together like this. Whatever is left over will be given to our good friends at the Center for the Homeless.
The truck that is bringing the chicken is scheduled to arrive at MC3 between 8am and 8:30am.
So, all hands on deck! Show up with your friends and family as we bring the goodness of God to some of the must vulnerable folks in our community.
I dare you to be there…or are you a chicken (bawk, bawk, bawk)?
One word: unbelievable.
Backstory: The people of this village are Irula. Irula is a scheduled tribe in India. Let me explain. You have the castes, then actually BELOW the castes are the scheduled tribes. The high caste, Brahmans, are taught they are the people spawned from the tops of the heads of the gods. The Irula are taught that they are the people spawned from the bottom of the feet of the gods. They are literally "dirt" underneath the feet of the gods.
This same elder who you just watched be baptized said to our team last December, "Irula literally means 'people of the darkness.' That is who we have been for centuries. But no longer are we the 'people of darkness,' now we are 'THE PEOPLE OF LIGHT!'"
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
Have you seen my office lately? I’ve got duffle bags piled up almost to the ceiling! “Why?” you might ask.
Was there a sale at the army navy surplus store?
Left over supplies from my Y2K bunker?
Tomorrow at noon 30 folks from GCC will hand-carry 1500lbs of supplies into Tamil Nadu, India. What’s in these bags?
* 798 pairs of Crocs. Every single person in Kalavai will be sporting a new pair of Crocs. This will have a dramatic impact on reducing injuries and sickness caused by cuts, scrapes, parasites and pathogens.
* 54 backpacks crammed with school supplies. This past Christmas the kids in All Stars collected school supply for the children of Kalavai. For the kids in Kalavai, this will be their first ever backpack as they are the FIRST GENERATION of kids in the village to go to school.
* Clothing. The people of GCC have been collecting “gently used” clothing items. Many of the families we are serving in India literally have one pair of clothes.
* Team Gear. We’ll have six teams functioning simultaneously over the next couples weeks.
Creative Arts: Our artists will be leading a cultural exchange with local artists, performing multiple concerts, and raising the profile of the local church
Mirco-Enterprise & Recon: The team will assess and help enhance the small business already started (goat-herding, tailor shop, etc). In addition, ground work for two new business will be laid, Grocery Shop and Brick Production
Conversational English: The team will be working with the both the children of Kalavai and at a local school in the area. English is a key component to academic and vocational success in India.
Construction: The team will span a community latrine, 2 homes, 14 bath areas, and the next phase of the Kalavai Colony Community Center.
Health and Hygiene: The team will be providing basic training in community health, as well as family life training focused on strengthening parenting and marriages.
Be praying for the team. I’ve listed their names below.
In addition, follow the action blow by blow at the team blog.
Creative Arts Team
Shelley Arrendondo Team Leader
Dan Vukmirovich Team Leader
Jason Aquila
Stephanie Lancione
Tim Burkey
Dale Shafer
Brian Warrell
David Glass
Construction Team
Greg Schermier Team Leader
Jeff Inman
David Leist
Nancy Leist
Conversational English
Jessica Stemm Team Leader
Amanda Harris
Jeanna Miller
Nancy Tucker
Kelly VonGunten
Health & Wellness
Jim & Barb Blechl Team Leaders
Judy Reynolds
Rachele Whitlow
Joel Wolfgang
Kevin Yoder
Mirco-Enterprise & Recon
Nate Stemm Team Leader
Sarah Way Team Leader
Denise Walsh
Erin Schwabauer
Media
Ben Sanders
Dustin Maust
Captain America: Jack Magruder
GCC, The Center for the Homeless, Millers Vet’s and volunteers all over Michiana are working together to win the battle for homeless vets in Michiana.
You can be a part of it! We’re planning on putting on the roof April 10th and 17th. So, make plans on attending Second Saturday in April.
We just begun a two your journey with Alan Hirsch called Future Travelers.
In his book Forgotten Ways, Alan describes the living systems underneath the church expressing herself as a movement, instead of freezing into institution.
One such system he calls Communitas.
“Victor Turner is a cultural anthropologist that studied the rituals and rites of passage for young African boys into manhood. The ordeal the boys would endure through their rite of passage created a bond deeper that community. It created communitas.
In the Bible, when David was in the cave with his band of warriors, communitas was created. When Moses and the Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years, communitas was created. The exile formed communitas. Jesus and the 12 disciples were a journey of communitas, so was the group of 70.”
Communitas is not formed in safety and comfort. Communitas is formed as the community takes risks and steps out on mission. In that place of uncertainty and challenge, we find the deepest and richest level of community.
That’s why we took our girls to India last June.
That’s why we serve together in Monroe Circle on a regular basis.
If you are reading this and your family is apart of the Jesus movement through Granger Community Church, you have an amazing opportunity this summer to take your family into Communitas.
June 5 to June 11, 2010 could be a week that changes the essence of your life together as a family. Families from GCC will join together to serve the street orphans of Mexico.
Every wonder, “Why isn’t my kid more grateful?”
Every ask, “How can I help my kid be more focused on helping their siblings, instead of always “me first?”
This is the kind of experience that will reshape your kid’s worldview.
We have an information meeting this coming Wednesday, February 24th. You can also find out more at the GCC Family Mission blog. This team will be lead by Bruno and Lisa De Jesus, two AMAZING followers of Jesus who are leading their family on mission on a daily basis.
God has created a deep place of community that your family will only experience as you step out on mission together, serving the poor and oppressed.
Go for it!