Our Brand New Soul City Snapshot
We just shipped out our Monthly Soul City Snapshot today and we think you might dig it. It’s full of all kinds of Insider Information that you can’t get through our Site or our Blog.
So, if you’re not yet a Subscriber, you can do so by clicking HERE. Once you do, you’ll become a member of an elite society of insiders who’s inbox’s shutter with shear delight at the start of every month. We promise.
Your Church is more complicated than LOST
Tonight marks the Beginning of the End of LOST. I can’t even begin to tell you how DEEP I am into this show and it’s endless mythology and storytelling. (If I told you that I owned not 1 but 2 Lost T-Shirts…would you still love me?)
However, I’ve noticed that for every 1 FAN of Lost there are 784,593 people who are not into it. Several friends this week have told me that they would love to watch, but it’s just too complicated, too confusing, or they missed too many episodes. They reiterate the fact that there is no such thing as a Casual Lost Fan.
I think the same could be said of our Churches. Without even realizing it, we’ve created Churches that are more complicated than Lost. There’s too much Insider Language. Too many Complicated and Confusing Linear Strategies. Too many Detours that make it difficult if not impossible for an “outsider” to get it. While there is no such thing as a Casual Lost Fan, there are 100,000’s Causal Church Goers in your community.
The question is – How are you making it SIMPLE for people to Get It, Get Started, and actually Grow.
Here’s Four Ideas for how you can make your church Simpler
1) Change Your Language. Listen to what you’re saying. Listen for what you’re not saying. From Worship Leaders, to Teachers, to Printed Materials. Think first of the First Time Person who hasn’t been here as long as you and don’t have a clue what things like Connexxus or Axiom are or even mean.
2) Change Your Website. This is your Virtual Front Door and if someone has to walk around the house two or three times before they can find the front door, they’re not coming back. I love the simplicity of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. Clear and to the point.
3) Have a SIMPLE Strategy and stick to it. I know that you’re a Linchpin and you love changing, tweaking, and tinkering, but you have to remember – They Are Not. They weren’t here when you used to call it Area Home Groups. They weren’t here when you used to do it Tuesday Nights. They don’t care. They need to be able to get within the first 2 minutes WHAT you about and WHERE they can START.
4) Go to another Church. Learn from their simplicity. Learn from their complexity. Listen to their Language. Better yet, go to the Apple Store (which you probably have in the last 7 days). Within 60 seconds you can find what you need and figure out what to do with it. And in the case that you can’t – there’s always an Apple Cult Member Employee within 5 feet to help.
Following Jesus is hard. Finding him shouldn’t be. Let’s fight for Simplicity!
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(btw – if you know what the picture is at the top of this post…than you truly are as much of a nerd as me. I’m praying for us now.)
- This post was written by Jarrett Stevens
- Co-Leader of Soul City Church,
- who believes that Nikki and Paulo are the key to it all!
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The Thank You Economy
If you’re familiar with Gary Vaynerchuk either through Winelibrary.com or his new book – Crush It, than you know that he is an insane entrepreneur who has a tendency to get a little excited.
While listening to an over-excited Vaynerchuk on a recent podcast, he passionately pontificated on the new “THANK YOU ECONOMY” that we are now a part of. In his words, we are living in a day when it’s no longer ok to push your “product” on people, tell them to buy it, and be done with them. We are here to SERVE those who are somehow engaged and connected to us, and when we do that well, we won’t have to push or sell anything to them.
He’s right. But this is not one of Gary’s crazy ideas, or even a new idea. This has been / should be the posture of the Church from day one. We are created and called to Love and Serve in and especially Outside our walls. It is precisely our forgetfulness and neglectfulness of this posture that has led to Overt Evangelism Campaigns and Strategies, and Bring A Friend Weekends.
When we love and serve, first and foremost, we position ourselves to be heard, respected, and followed. In other words, “…let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT)
So, HOW are you “Thanking” the community that your church serves? Do they even know you exist other than the traffic hassle you cause on Sundays? What do they “get” from your church that is above and beyond Attending one of your services?
AND
WHO do you personally need to “Thank” this week? Who and How can you extend the Gospel in your neighborhood with no expectation in return?
4 things that mattered to our parents…
Innovation has always and is currently moving at a breakneck speed. There is of course, those things that continue to be true and great that remain and weather the gail force winds of change. There is a reason these things remain. And there is a reason that many former “innovations” fall by the wayside. They need to. It’s time. They are not bad, they just aren’t as good anymore.
And yet there are those who are not willing to let go of the past. They are deeply rooted in the meaning that these things once held. They are stuck in the systems that these former “innovations” have created, unable to embrace what is now. Here are FOUR examples (of many) from our Culutre and ONE Question that each of us must wrestle with.
The Encyclopedia.
A brilliant breakthrough of the Modern Era. Knowledge for the masses! Everyone can own…26 Giant Books with Tiny Print. We had a set in our house growing up – grossly outdated and too expensive and complicated to update, they became fantastic door stoppers and forts for my G.I. Joes.
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The Phonebook.
Eclipsing the wisdom of a centralized Operator, now anyone could find a litany of phone numbers for 24 hour plumbers. They represent a centralized collection of localized limitedness that had to be updated every year with a new 18 pound 1384 page waste of paper. Not sustainable.
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The Home Phone.
The Cordless Phone simply was not enough to save the icon of a bygone era of simplicity and boundaries. ”Call me sometime…when I’m home…not on another call…and am willing to stand still long enough for our conversation.”
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The Newspaper.
An inky papery connection to the world around you…that the editors saw fit to represent. The world continues to move too fast, too far, and too wide for this iconic connection to the Greatest Generation. While the Newspaper may not die, it most certainly will not thrive in it’s current atomic state.
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Right or Wrong. Good or Bad. These are FOUR things that matter(ed) to our parents. But they simply DON’T to us anymore. They have been replaced by innovation that itself will be replaced in a matter of time.
The Question is – WHAT IS YOUR CHURCH STILL DOING THAT MATTERED TO OUR PARENTS, BUT SIMPLY DOES NOT MATTER TO THE WORLD WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN?
What are we still holding on to because of it’s unorthodox and uncritical “history” and meaning to us? What is it that we are still doing because we are too entrenched in the systems we’ve created around it? AND…WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
When 6.4% just isn’t enough…
Here are some fascinating numbers regarding Soul City’s Four Targeted Neighborhoods. It’s amazing to consider that in a city as LARGE as Chicago (2.9 million people downtown!) there is such a Surprising LACK of Vibrant, Growing, Transformational Churches. To be honest…we’re not even scraping the surface of our potential of reaching people in the City of Chicago with the transformational love of God. There is such a HUGE opportunity here.
Check out this video to see what we mean.
So how does a church (or churches) move from reaching 6.4% to reaching more and more people with the Transformational love of Jesus Christ?
How is YOUR church doing this…or not doing this?
Headline: People Start a Church for just $25!
We have been so amazed at how people are rallying around the Vision for Soul City Church. From people who are praying for Chicago and Soul City from quite litterally all over the world. To people who have encouraged us through tweets, emails, and comments on this blog. To people all over the country who are leaving good paying jobs and really warm weather to come be a Soul City Starter. To people who are Financially Investing in this vision. We are so indescriably grateful.
And we want to make sure that YOU have a chance to be a part of it as well. We would love for you to consider investing $25 towards our Year End Start Campaign. Your One Time Tax Deductible Gift goes straight towards our Start Up costs and makes it possible for the Vision of Soul City to become a Reality.
You can hear more about how you can BE a part of Soul City Church in the following video.
We are so excited for all the God is doing and is going to do in this new year. We are so grateful to have you BE a part of it all with us!
Please visit YEARENDSTART.COM to make a $25 investment
in what God is doing through Soul City Church.
Anyone can do ANYTHING with Money…
Overheard a great quote from Mike Michalowicz today that is so true for life and SOOOO true for the Start Up phase that Soul City is in right now.
“Anyone can do anything with money. What can YOU do without?
What a brilliant reminder for us personally and for whatever Business or Church Endeavor you find yourself in. The comforting deception is that “If we just had more (or some) money we could…”
- …Reach more people in our city.
- …Hire more people to do more work.
- …Get out of all this debt.
- …Be able to give more as a family.
- …No longer worry about NOT having money.
You fill in the blank.
But the naging question remains – “What can you do without?” What can you do without money that people with money can’t do? What kinda faith and creativity and ingenuity might God be trying to squeeze out of you in the absence of having all that you think you need?
Money is nothing to God. He could give you all that you need and then some. So money is not the point. Faithfulness. Obedience. Dependence. Sacrifice. Creativity. That stuff that is priceless. And all the money in the world can’t get you that. But not having it…that may be the only thing in this season that affords you the things that God desires most.
So – What is one thing you have done or are doing that is GREAT in your family, business, or church without the supposed luxury of money? We’d love to hear your stories…
Pete Wilson Hearts Soul City Church
Our Friend Pete Wilson from Crosspoint Church in Nashville offers up great support for what God is doing through Soul City Church. This is from a blog post he wrote earlier today from his blog Without Wax.
Most of you know that I”m a huge fan of church planting. God has allowed me to be a part of two church plants. Both Morgantown Community Church and Cross Point church were launched because a group of people believed in the importance of launching a church with a unique vision to reach it’s community.
And while every church plant excites me every once in a while I hear about one that I’ve just got to jump in and help. Soul City Church is starting in the City of Chicago in 2010 and they are committed to helping people become all of who God created them to be. I believe in Jarrett & Jeanne Stevens– they spent 12 years at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL and 3 ½ years at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA. They are two of the most incredible leaders I’ve ever been around! I’m so excited to see the vision of this church reach many people in the city of Chicago and beyond and I have decided that I want to be a part of the story of seeing this Church start.
God is going to use this movement to make a significant impact on the city of Chicago!
Let’s help Soul City Church Start. Click below and give a one-time gift!
Promise ponders if there’s such a thing as “a new kind of church”?
Here’s a piece that our friend Promise Tangeman (Wurzell) put up on her blog today. Love her thoughts and love the opportunity to BE a part of Starting Soul City Church.
So… I want to ask…. What comes to mind when you think of church? Come on, you are all artists and creators in some way… therefore I KNOW you have opinions and have probably had an encounter with a church or church person at some point in your life. Here is a list that I came up with. Haha. Choir robes, sheet music, bad breath, sweat, stale air, no energy, the same thing all the time, hypocrites, judgement, know-it-alls, no creativity, cheesy, over produced services, bad acting/drama, weird, boring, annoying, to long, nagging, inward focused, no place for art, cliques and not accepting. That is a terrible list.
Not all churches are like that… but haven’t we all experienced that at some point or another? And it’s sad… but that experience was probably embedded in our minds giving us OUR definition of church. Ha. YUCK!
I grew up in church. In fact I think I was born in the pews. All of my life my dad has been a Pastor in the Seattle area and my husband is a worship leader at a large church in Arizona. Let’s just say that I have seen my fair share of churches through conferences, visiting other churches, and being connected in the world of church. There is one thing that I have seen to be consistent in most churches. There is not very much room for artists, out-of-the-box thinkers, dreamers, culture shapers, perfectionists, or creators. For many people… art as seen a luxury; meaning: not practical and not needed.
This has been an issue that I have thought about a lot when it comes to art and the church. You see… I have to be honest and say that it’s hard for me to connect and volunteer in the church when I am not gifted at hospitality, holding babies, making people feel welcome, singing, playing instruments, counseling, coaching, speaking, or cleaning. But I can make stuff… Hmm… Well, I guess that could be a tough fit. What could the church do with those people who are willing to contribute to the church and society with their art?
The church used to be the only place that would PAY for art. If you wanted to see art in the 1500s you would go to the CHURCH to see it. Instead of church trying desperately to keep up with society, wonder if the church took back the arts and society tried desperately to keep up with the church?!?! What can we do to help develop a place for art and creative thinking within the church?
There is a particular movement that I want to tell you about for a minute. This movement has a passion for artists, liberal/outside of the box thinkers, leaders in our culture, politicians, designers, creators, people with ambition. This movement is passionate about serving others before ourselves, serving our community, being apart of the gay and lesbian community, neighboring our neighbors, and seeing transformation in people’s lives. It’s a movment that reaches out to the community instead of focusing inward. Please check out this RAD video.
God is revealing the new type of church to our friends Jeanne and Jarrett Stevens. This is a church that is really inspiring to me. We are really excited to see what God does through them in the city of Chicago in spring 2010. Check out this video about how this idea has been brewing in their hearts. It gives me the chills thinking about how a church like this will influence the city for the good.
If you are like me and you want churches like this to populate the city. The first thing we need to do IS HELP churches like this get started. One practical way we can do that is to give financially. I am no sales girl and I don’t ever intend to be. haha…because I am terrible at it. All I ask is that you give $1, $5 or $100 to help the Soul City movement get started.
John mayer wrote a song that plays in my head alot:
“one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep waiting, waiting on the world to change
we keep waiting, waiting for the world to change..
we keep waiting”
Soul City is asking US to take a step in changing the world and give towards their “first impressions” category, so that they have the necessary funds for Soul City Church to have a strong and sustainable start in the spring of 2010. They are trying to raise $15,000 toward start up expenses for First Impressions. You can learn more HERE.
Of course, every dollar you give is tax deductible, but more than that, every dollar you give will be used to literally make the vision of Soul City Church a reality. You may never actually go to Soul City Church, but your generosity will make it possible for multiple people in the city of Chicago to experience the transformational love of Jesus. Your gift is a significant expression of your thanks to God.
First impressions are usually lasting impressions — and they always want to make great ones (even if it’s silly like avoiding bad breath, bad acting, sheet music, over produced services.. You get the idea). You can ensure this happens by supporting a variety of projects — from marketing initiatives to online and print materials, all the way to Sunday hospitality and signage. Your gift can supply all the essential start-up items needed to help people have a great 1st experience that will ultimately lead them to calling Soul City Church their “home.”
To help make a GREAT First Impression, to YEARENDSTART.COM to make a one time year end gift toward helping the Soul City Movement in Chicago.
Thanks Promise. Your Friendship. And your Support of Soul City means a ton to us.
Carlos Whittaker wants this Year End to be a Great Start…
Our Friend Carlos Whittaker wrote an awesome piece on his blog about WHY Team Whittaker is moving to Chicago to BE a part of Soul City and how WE can all invest in and BE a part of the Vision of Soul City Church. Here’s what Carlos wrote:
I am moving to Chicago to BE a part of a movement.
Of’ course the movement is initially a selfish one.
I want more transformation in my life.
I feel like this is the community where the next stage of growth in my family’s life will happen.
Some people think I’m crazy.
But I’m just following the story that God has placed in my heart to lead my family with.
So with that, I feel confident in asking you guys to pray about contributing in some way to Soul City Church.
Not it’s not an orphanage.
No it’s not a women’s shelter.
No it’s not a teen crisis center.
But I think it will be ALL these things one day.
I believe in my pastors, Jarrett & Jeanne Stevens – they spent 12 years at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL and 3 ½ years at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA.I can only imagine that guy. Let’s call him Carlitos.
In the HUSTLE that is the city life of Chicago.
Hustle, sleep, play, hustle, sleep, play.
He puts his head down every night wanting that other thing.
But he can’t put his finger on it.
I can.
Meaning.
Transformation.
Community.
I think this community could be the one he’s been dreaming about and we aren’t even there yet.There are lots of things that the church needs to get rolling…one would be to create a gathering space where we can communicate the transformational message of Jesus Christ.
You know I’m all about environments.
It’s what I do.Here is my ask.
If you have resources at the end of the year that you are looking to give away for any reason…
I simply ask that you pray about providing for the Start of a new church at the End of your year.Your gift today will help install sound, lighting and video systems that will be used to create authentic weekend experiences that speak right to the heart of that hustler I was talking about earlier. Carlitos
Let’s help Soul City Church Start. Click HERE to give a one-time gift!PRODUCTION – $50,000
Thanks again for your partnership in this adventure. You are playing a huge role in the Kingdom of God extending in the city of Chicago.
Late,
Carlos
We love that Heather and Carlos are a part of the Vision of Soul City Church. We love the idea that ANYONE can BE a part of that vision. One of the easiest ways to BE Soul City is through a small but significant financial sacrifice. You may be thinking, “Man, the most I could give is $10.” You’d be amazed what God can do with just $10. And you’d be amazed at what God can do in our hearts when, together, we move the kingdom of God forward like this.
To find out how you can Give / BE a part of Soul City Church, check out YEAREND START.COM
WWYD if YOU Started a Church Tomorrow?
There seems to be no lack of opinion when it comes to what the Church Is / what is Should be / what it Could be / what it must Never be. Everyone’s got an opinion, conviction, dream, or idea. This is your chance to share yours!
What THREE things (and only three) would make your Imaginary Church a truly Remarkable Church?
- ______________________________
- ______________________________
- ______________________________
We’d love to get as many different and diverse thoughts, opinions, and convictions as possible. So share your thoughts, and dreams. Invite your friends to share theirs. Who knows, you may just learn something about yourself, about others, and about God’s heart and dream for the church.
The Rules:
- Keep it brief.
- Keep it kind.
- Keep it inspired.
- Keep it inspiring.
- Keep it to yourself, and you may end up keeping someone from hearing the thunderous whisper of God.
We’re serious. We’d love to hear from you…like all of you…including you.
3 Easy Ways To Start A Church From The Comforts Of Your Own Home!
Let’s face it – building a brand new Church from scratch takes a divine sort of insanity. It is a faith filled, knee knocking, miracle requiring endeavor. You’d be crazy to want to do it. Trust us…we know.
That’s why we would like to offer you the opportunity of Starting a Church without ever having to leave the comforts of your own Home…or stable paycheck! Here are THREE EASY WAYS for you do to just that.
- 1) Commit to PRAYING once a day through the month of December for Soul City Church and for the City of Chicago. Seriously. We’re asking you to pray BIG PRAYERS to a BIG GOD who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. If you would like to explore how to be a part of our Prayer Advocacy Group you can click HERE
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- 2) Direct a portion of your TITHE or YEAR END GIVING towards the Start of Soul City Church. This is one of those Unique opportunities that your financial faithfulness and generosity can quite literally make a HUGE and tangible difference. You can make a COURAGEOUS One Time Investment by clicking HERE. Or you can make a CONSISTENT Investment by going HERE.
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- 3) Invite Jarrett & Jeanne to SPEAK at your Church, Weekend Service or Retreat. Inviting them to speak at your Church can meet a very real need for Their Family as well as meeting a very real need for Your Church. I believe they call this a Win Win. To inquire about a potential speaking opportunity for Jarrett or Jeanne click HERE.
There you have it. THREE EASY WAYS that you can be a part of the Start of Soul City Church. We would absolutely love to have you join with us in whatever capacity you can. We are grateful for anyone and everyone that comes alongside of this unique and powerful vision.
thanks.
Sabbath Saturday
Today the Stevens Family and the Soul City Family choose to Sabbath.
- We choose to Rest instead of Work.
- We choose to Trust instead of Hustle.
- We choose to Sip coffee instead of Pound it.
- We choose to Talk instead of Tweet.
- We choose to Refill instead of Pour out.
- We choose to stay in Jammies for as long as possible instead of getting Dressed.
- We choose to Sabbath instead of just taking a Day Off.
It’s Sabbath Saturday. See ya Sunday.
We are not starting a Church…
…we’re EXTENDING it.
The language of Church Planting / Church Starting is ubiquitous. I use it all the time. You’ve probably used it or heard someone else use it as well. It’s the language that has settled on top of a movement that is 2000 years in making and has been part of the Blueprint of our Existence on this planet throughout all of Eternity.
We are not STARTING a Church…
- We’re Continuing God’s original idea. HIS idea…not ours.
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- We’re acting out of OBEDIENCE. I wish this was just some cool idea we had, but the truth is, this is what God has asked us to do for HIM in this season.
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- We’re JOINING up with God and Others. We’re not the FIRST PEOPLE to bring this revolutionary idea to our city. Many have gone before us, are working alongside us, and will continue on long after we’re gone. (thanks Steven Furtick for this reminder)
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- We’re a part of a RADICAL MOVEMENT of God. Not just building buildings. Not just managing programs. Not just doing a job.
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- We’re LIVING out the way of Jesus in our city and inviting others to do the same. The Church is the MEANS to life with Jesus, not the POINT.
I need to be reminded of this everyday. Perhaps you needed to be reminded of that today as well.
Bow Down to Nothing But God (pt. 4 of Idol Week)
So this week we have looked at a few ministry idols.
BUSYNESS, COMPARISON, & SUCCESS being the idol you worship.
If you did not have one moment where you related to any of these idols then I invite you to please call me so that you can tell me what it’s like to walk on water! There could be many more idols that I have not mentioned and the ones that I have mentioned have lots of different forms and faces, but these are some of the ones that I have most recognized in the world of ministry because they are some of the ones that I have most recognized in myself. Many of us in ministry have invisible altars that define who and what we truly worship. The things that exist on our disguised platforms of preference are the forces that drive our intentions, decisions, and actions. We are called to a life of having no other god’s but the one true God, yet we continue to bow down to a wide variety of golden cows.
You don’t have to turn to far into the pages of scripture to see idol worship all over of the place. The very first sin of the Bible was a form of Idol worship. Adam and Eve were not content with who they were and with all that God had given to them. They selfishly wanted to be like God so they put themselves ahead of their maker and took the apple. The second they yanked that Granny Smith from the tree they made their desires more important than God and therefore they made themselves an idol. Any time we put someone or something ahead of God we worship an idol.
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God
- Exodus 20:1 – 5
God made it explicitly clear, He has an issue with Jealousy. Not the kind of immature jealousy where a guy won’t let his girl-friend talk to another guy. It’s the kind of healthy jealousy that the maker of the universe is entitled too in not wanting to share His alter with our self made idols. Even though God clarified his desire for the human race you can span from Genesis to Revelation and the universal tendency to place value on something or someone in a way that rivals the love and affection that only belongs to God is stained throughout the story of humanity. From Baal to Buddha people have been bowing down to man-made gods for centuries. So who are we to think that we aren’t capable of being idol worshipers ourselves? And if we are… what do we do?
“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
Colossians 3:1 – 2
Maybe today is a day to come clean with the idol(s) in your life. Maybe today is the day to start to pursue the things of Jesus – pick your eyes up, be released from the things that are absorbing you right in front of your face, confess your need for grace and bask in the freedom and truth and hope that you are free in Christ and you need to start living like it.
So if you want – leave a comment and let us know the idol that you are renouncing in your life and how you are going to live a life that only worships the one true God.
Bowing Down to Comparison (pt. 2 of Idol Week)
The idol of COMPARISON is a trap that quickly entangles way too many of us. I know I have found myself smack dab in the middle of the ugly snarls of wishing something was different about my life as I look at the life of someone else. Comparison never puts us in a better place – in fact it always puts us in a losing posture. When you find yourself in the middle of comparison it either causes you to think too highly of yourself or too lowly of yourself.
Comparisons seem to happen all the time – especially in ministry. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with another person and the whole time you’re talking you are internally comparing what you see or hear to your own life? You judge the intentions of their heart. You wonder if their life or ministry is really deep and helpful, or if its just good easy entertainment that keeps people coming back. You judge what you don’t really know to make yourself feel better about what you are doing. Could it be that your insecurity and fear of failure have become more important than the God who uniquely created you and called you to a unique purpose. Could it be that COMPARISON is your idol.
Think about if there is a person that you keep wishing you were more like or a person that you continue to judge –
Now, what might God be saying to you about the idol of comparison in your life? Maybe you need to deny the power of comparison in your life. Instead of feeding the idol, maybe you should instead bless the person that you continue to compare yourself to.
Bowing Down to Busyness (pt. 1 of Idol Week)
I think many of us would say that as we look around culture we easily recognize a society that is obsessed with all sorts of idols. The idol of money and material possessions. The idol of relationships. The idol of power and control. The idol of food, alcohol, and drugs. The idol of narcissism – wanting to do life according to your desires on your clock. I think you get the point.
Idol worship is not just an Old Testament problem. It is very much a problem of today, but I think those of us that work in full time ministry or volunteer at the church we try to escape with a free pass on this one, but I (Jeanne) believe that Idol worship is running rampant throughout our lives and throughout the church and over the next few days I am going to talk about some of the most popular idols in the church today.
The first idol is BUSYNESS – and yes I will begin by saying I am guilty of bowing down to this idol far too often.
- Have you ever had weeks where it seems like every moment is a moment of hurry? Off to the next meeting, always 5 minutes behind, trying to juggle a bunch of tasks that you know you should have said no too, disappointing people that are important to you, and consistently injecting your self with caffeine just so you have enough energy to make it through the day.
- Have you ever had those moments when you leave your cell phone or calendar at home and you feel as though you don’t know how to function.
- Do people regularly start their conversations with you by saying, “I know that you’re so busy…”
Could it be that you have made busyness more important than the actual ministry you have been called to do?
Maybe BUSYNESS has become your idol.
What if today you denied the power that BUSYNESS has taken in your life? What would it look like for you to slow down and choose to Worship the One True God that is never too BUSY for you?
Every Person of Faith deserves a Great Faith Adventure
Last night we had our first Soul City Launch Party in the Beautiful City of Chicago. We met at the fabulous WIT Hotel on State and Lake, which in and of it self is a God Story! We walked into the evening with so many hopes and so many ridiculous God sized dreams. We had butterflies in our stomach – the kind you get when you are about to do something that will drum up feelings of wondering if you are completely crazy! I jokingly said this morning – I think I have a Soul City Hangover. I woke up with an overflowing heart filled with joy and hope over what God is doing and how he is stirring in this city. We gathered together with about 90 friends to share the story of Soul City Church and invite them to join the story.
We laughed, told stories with old and new friends, we shared the vision of Soul City Church, we worshiped and prayed for God to do even greater things than we could imagine.
I am invigorated – because more than ever in my life I can with deep conviction and confidence say – “I am living the life I was intended to live.” I don’t think there is a human being on the planet that doesn’t want to be a part of something significant and something bigger than themselves. I believe we are designed for adventure because life with Jesus is just that “ADVENTURE” and yet so many of us have tucked ourselves into our safe and secure spiritual journeys and we have forgotten what it feels like to live on the edge of following God. We believe that every person of faith deserves a great faith adventure – and that is what the journey of Soul City Church has been for us and we are praying that for many it will become the same journey.
We will be posting up some more pictures from the night over the next few days – but to those of you that are on this great faith adventure with us – Thank You – Thank You – Thank You! We pray that your will BE all of who God created you to be and that your soul will be radically transformed by the love of Jesus!
Jarrett & Jeanne
From Soil to Soul
A ton of people have been asking about the significance of our name “SOUL CITY CHURCH” – So today a little bit about the “SOUL” part of the name.
Our collective human story begins with some dirt… complete nothingness. Dusty brown soil that God took into his hands and blew on – that is what formed who we are – our soul.
- God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!
- Genesis 2:7 (Message translation)
As God’s breath reached our soil of nothingness the soul was birthed and the most beautiful relationship between God and humanity was formed. The bond of dependence between the creator and His creation began, a bond that was never meant to be broken – but sin brought separation and humanity has been trying to breath on its own ever since. We want to help people recognize and return to what they were created for – DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
Soul City Church is committed to helping people live from their Soul. We believe that as we dig in the soil of our lives we discover who God created us to be and we learn to live the life God originally intended for us. To do that we know that Soul City Church needs to help people in the journey of identifying their basic soul needs and then walking with them on the road of transformation. There are more reasons why we choose the word “SOUL” to be in our name – but this is the primary vision for us – Helping people LIVE & LOVE & LEAD from their Soul.
So here are just a few of our basic soul needs….
The Soul needs
- The soul needs breath
- The soul needs intimacy
- The soul needs healing
- The soul needs truth
- The soul needs forgiveness
- The soul needs Encouragement
- The soul needs love
- The soul needs inspiration
- The soul needs creativity
- The soul needs beauty
- The soul needs relationship
- The soul needs comfort
- The soul needs hope
- The soul needs affection
- The soul needs affirmation
- The soul needs commitment
- The soul needs security
- The soul needs safety
- The soul needs acceptance
- The soul needs correction
- The soul needs council
- The soul needs perspective
- The soul needs vision
- The soul needs reminders
- The soul needs understanding
- The soul needs sleep
- The soul needs food
- The soul needs laughter
These are just a few. There is much more.
The real question is – What does your “Soul” need today?
Skateboards and Ocean Liners
Churches and Organizations tend to fall into one of two camps – they’re either SKATEBOARDS or OCEAN LINERS.
Skateboards are Small, Fast, can make Turns on a dime, and are incredibly risky. A few small pushes and you’re off! They also tend to have only 1 rider at a time (I’ve tried to fit more, it never ended well). When ridden well they are exhilarating to watch. When they are not, they can be quite painful.
Ocean Liners on the other had are Big, Slow, and follow carefully plotted Courses. They are methodical because they have to be. They demand MANY people doing precise jobs, giving lots of small pushes (often unseen) to make everything work. When it works it is amazing though not as exhilerating. When they don’t…well I think Kate and Leo taught us a thing or two about that.
I have had the privilege of working for Two Very Large and Wonderful Churches (Willow Creek and North Point). They are Ocean Liners. While no one there would like to think of themselves as a deck mate, the truth is, in many ways they are. They are a small but significant part of a massive thing that makes tremedous impact on the Kingdom of God. While the impact is undeniably huge, it doesn’t always feel that way from the cargo deck.
I now ride a Skateboard. Soul City Church is a New, Young, Fast Moving, Nimble Church. We can make Big Decisions in a Short Time because there’s only a few of us making those decisions. It is wonderfully terrifying faith filled ride. It’s just us at this point. It all falls on us. If we don’t know or we can’t do, we run the risk of getting stuck or falling flat on our face. But, while the Impact is not as massive yet. We see it all. We experience it all. Firsthand.
- So, what are you riding on right now?
- A Skateboard or (at the risk of evoking T-Pain) an Ocean Liner?
- What’s One Benefit?
- What’s One Drawback?
- How can you, whatever you’re riding, do what only you can do, to make a difference in the direction you’re heading?
When is a Blog more than a Blog?
We get that many of the people that come to the Soul City Blog aren’t Blog Nerds. Neither are we….BUT…There are ways to get the most out of this Blog without having to call the IT Department. Here’s a few ideas.
Subscribe
Instead of having to constantly keep coming back here to see if there’s a new post, have it automatically inform you through a Feed Reader. You can do that by going HERE
Or, if you’d rather have each post delivered to your Inbox, simply Click HERE and paste this – http://soulcityblog , add your email, and Voila! Instant Inbox Love!
Comment
We are so much more interested in Connection and Conversation as opposed to one way rants.. The best way to do that is to chime in with your thoughts and comments. We use Intense Debate on our blog, you can sign up and login HERE and let the comments roll.
Sign Up For Our Monthly Soul City Snapshot
Look to your right. See that little box that says Receive Monthly Soul City Snapshots? You should do that. You’ll receive a monthly email with all that you need to know about Soul City Church from a glance. It’s quick and easy and we promise not to sell your email address…unless of course they offer us LOTS OF MONEY! You can grab October’s Snapshot HERE.
Support Soul City Church
The BE Campaign is one of THE best ways for you to be a part of Soul City Church. You can be a part of Building and Extending the Kingdom of God by coming alongside what God is doing at Soul City Church. You can click the Box to your right to get started. It’s SAFE and SIMPLE and makes a HUGE Difference. You can Support Soul City by
BEing Creative (Non Monetary Gifts in Kind)
BEing Contagious (Give $100 invite friends in your network to give $100)
BEing Consistent (Monthly commitment of 2 years – $50, $100, etc.)
BEing Courageous (One Time Substantial Monetary Gifts)
We are so grateful for those who have already Lovingly and Sacrificially Given to be a part of Soul City. You may never be able to attend, but you can always be a part!
Take a Look, it’s In a Book.
Did you know that Soul City has it’s own Book Store? That’s right, we don’t even have a building yet and we already have a Book Store. It’s filled with Great Resources that have shaped the DNA of Soul City. Check it out. Every purchase you make through our Store automatically gives 10% back to Soul City Church. So go ahead, buy those 10,000 books you’ve had your eye on. And if there are any books you would recommend, leave them in a comment below.
So there you go. We hope this helps and we are so excited to be a part of this Divine Adventure with you. We honestly believe that
EVERY FOLLOWER OF JESUS DESERVES THE RIGHT TO BE A PART OF STARTING A CHURCH AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE.
Soul City may just be that church for you.
Mystery Moment Movement
This past week at Soul (simpli)City Sunday we talked about the process that God uses to actually cause a person to begin to THINK differently with their mind. We talked about three components to the process of Mental Transformation.
The first is the MYSTERY – that experience we have all had when the Holy Spirit begins to whisper – “I have created you for so much more.”
The second is the MOMENT when a person responds to the Mystery with two very important internal questions –“I think I am created for more… but Is it worth it & and Is it possible?”
Then the third part of the experience dawns with the MOVEMENT that occurs in a person’s life through the work of the Holy Sprit and the help of the people of God – the Church.
We spent time talking, dreaming, hoping, and praying about what SOUL CITY CHURCH can do in the process of movement. We are passionate about helping people take the moments when their hearts are tender towards God, or when the bottom falls out in life, or when they experience a renewed desire to become more dependent on Jesus, or when they look at their life and desire for more…
So many of us have those moments – those holy discontents – but we don’t know how to respond to the mystery of the Sprit and take movement – To actually step onto the path of Spiritual Transformation. This is one of the primary values and passions of Soul City Church – helping people take the moments when the Spirit of God whispers and actually experience movement.
What does the process look like for you when you experience Mystery, Moment, & Movement? What do you dream about when it comes to a church that is dedicated to doing whatever they can to help people take movement in becoming all of who God created them to be?
Sabbath Saturday
It’s that time of the week. Sabbath Saturday. A time for our family and our church to rest. A time to Replenish. A time to Receive from God the gift that He gave himself after six full days of Creation – Rest.
We won’t be Blogging, Texting, Tweeting, Emailing, or Updating our Status. Our Status is Sabbath. We choose to Turn Off. We choose to Unplug. And somehow…all that stuff seems to get along fine without US for one day. And somehow…we seem to get along fine with IT for one day.
How are you Choosing to Sabbath this week?
Soul (simpli)City Sundays – The Art of Searching Your Heart
Soul City Sundays have been a rich time of community, worship, prayer, and spiritual development. We have decided to focus for the next four weeks on the journey of Transformation and what it means for us to love God with all of our HEART, SOUL MIND, & STRENGTH. This past week we kicked things off with focusing on our hearts.
God deeply cares about the state of our heart because He knows that it is the heart that houses LOVE… and LOVE is the acid test of our real relationship with Jesus. So searching the condition of our heart is essential to our transformational journey. Yet we tend to shy away from it. If we are physically sick we try and figure out what’s wrong – we go to a Dr., we take Medicine; we change a behavior so that we can remedy the problem. But for so many when there is a heart problem, they simply don’t know what to what to do or where to turn. The Bible says that the way to assess the heart is by searching it….
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23 – 24
“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”
Proverbs 27:19
The state of our heart is a reflection of the state of our life and is often that very reflection that shows up in our emotional and relational lives. One of the very best books I have read on this topic is by Pete Scezzaro - “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” He says quite plainly
It is impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.
:: You have probably seen many times – the man that can quote the entire book of Romans by heart and yet has remained emotionally dead to his family most of his life.
:: The woman who gets up every morning to spend time with Jesus and then goes and gets ready and progresses through her day with a spirit of duty and obligation to others and has never truly felt alive.
This is not what God intended – he intended that our Heart never stops growing and reflecting His love. But over time – many of us learn to PROJECT that which we actually REJECT in our lives and it has a direct impact in our emotional & relational life.
:: We don’t know how to express healthy emotion so we reject that about ourselves – push it down – bury it in our hearts and project a reflection of “Everything is OK”
:: We don’t know how to deal with the anger that we have towards an experience in our childhood so we reject the healthy processing and we push it down – but it ends up projecting in our life through a short fuse, or an impatient spirit.
:: We have a person that we know we need to forgive and instead of moving towards them we hold on and bury our contempt in our hearts and reject the work that God might be doing and therefore we project a judgmental spirit.
So what might it be in your life? Do you…
:: Reject healthy Sorrow and Loss therefore you are unable to Project Brokenness and Repentance?
:: Reject Humility and therefore it is causing you to Project Pride?
:: Reject Joy and Excitement about life therefore it is causing you to Project a Bored and Complacent spirit.
:: Reject Peace and it is causing me to Project Impatience & Fear.
:: Reject Discipline and it is causing you to lack focus and purpose.
