Jeff Jackson Live

My friend Michael from Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, GA recently wrote a post about submitting to someone else vision before promoting your vision.  I have never thought about this concept but it make lots of since.  He talked about youth pastors venturing out and planting churches because they don’t want a boss telling them what do to.  He suggest to his readers that they should submit to someone else vision first.

This shows lots of wisdom because when we submit to someone’s vision we learn first hand how to lead the people that will follow the vision that God has given us.  If your thinking about planting a church, attach yourself to a church plant a sell out to the vision and learn.  If you are looking for a team to join hit me up and we can learn how to plant churches together.

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1.  Heart – Church planting is shaping up to be the most difficult thing I have ever done.  There are things in life that aren’t for the average person and church planting is one of them.  A church planter has to be able to lead when others can’t see the path, paint a picture that has never been painted, inspire believers to do the ministry and not just be satisfied as spectators.  Heart as been the only thing that has brought be through when I felt like quitting.  Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

2.  Incredible Wife – Church Planter…if you don’t have a wife that is on board with your vision…DON’T PLANT!!!  I can’t stress this enough…your wife will make or break your ministry.  Thank God, I have a wife that will put up with my crazy ideas and emotional roller coaster.  I love you, babe!

3.  Sacrificial lead team – Your lead team, elders, etc are a vital part to the success of your plant.  Be slow to recruit and don’t be afraid to expect COMPLETE buy in from your team.  Your team members, if recruited right, want the reins and opportunity to lead.  Hold loosely what God has given you.  I have been blessed with a team you loves God and our people.  I never ask for a favor because we are equals in the equations.  FYI if you’re a micro-manger, your not a church planter.

4.  Melatonin – This isn’t a joke.  I have not been sleeping through the night for a few years now and it started to directly affect my family and ministry.  My mom introduced me to this dietary supplement and I feel like a new person.  If you don’t have problems sleeping through the night you still need rest.  Rest is essential for battle – Psalm 3:5, 6

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Darrin Patrick from the Acts 29 networks gives us some great inspiration. If you are a church planter or want to plant this video is a must watch. If you are interested in planting we have tons of opportunities in the State of Indiana. Hit me up if you want more information. Also here are some great questions to ask if you are praying about planting a church.

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I believe we need to plant churches like it is going out of style not only because its biblical but because its our only hope.  Here my top 5 reason why we need to plant churches.

1. Hands down most effective evangelism tool - in major denominations around 80% of the recorded salivations came from churches that where younger than two years old.  What does this tell us…? Church plants are more effective.  This doesn’t mean that established churches don’t have there place, they DO and they can have a big impact on the culture of church planting.  Lots of larger and more established churches can fund church planting.
2. We are commanded too! -  the results of the great commission ministry is discipleship and discipleship leads to congregationalism aka church.  So, if we are making disciples we are planting churches.  Right?  Its a natural progression.
3. Lots of lost people - the last stat I read was that there were over 120 million unchurched people in the United States.  This make us the largest mission field in the Western Hemisphere and the fifth largest field in the world.  Hmm, think we should be starting new churches?  Especially since we close somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500 churches each year.
4. Church plants reach younger people – A key characteristic of church plants is that their attenders tend to be younger than churches generally, with more than two-thirds (69%) of adult attenders being aged 15-49 years, compared with only 48% at churches generally.
5. It is the most exciting thing to do on the face of this planet (yeah I’m partial) – need I say more!!!

The fact is we need a reality check.  If we don’t plant more churches than close each year our children won’t have a church to attend.  Actually we need a GUT check.  If you feel like God is leading you to plant then I encourage you to begin the process of becoming a planter.  Here are some good questions to ask yourself before planting.

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So…we started a new series called Foundation and Sunday we talked about the foundation of Journey Church.  To sum it all up…its Jesus!  But here are my thoughts anyway.

• Church in America is in decline and we are going to do something about it
• We have TONS of children (man it would be good if we had a Student and Family Pastor)
• Journey Church exists to share Jesus with people and to see them baptized and become disciples
• You exist to….well, tell people about Jesus and help them to become disciples
• It’s time to roll up our sleeves
• Yes, I said I would eat wood (sometimes my mouth moves but my brain does not)
• Some of you need to call Bart and tell him you want to LEAD a journey group
• Some of you need to call Bart and tell him you want to HOST a journey group
• American spoiled version of the Great Commission (need I say more?)
• Don’t know why but God is up to something huge in our church!! (stand by because its going to be awesome)
• Last day at Silver Creek
• The CROSS is real and we have a REAL command to tell people about Jesus

Next week we continue the Foundation series and we are going to talk about who we are going to reach as a church.  I have a strong suspicion it will be people who do not know Jesus but come and hear what our Biblical Foundation is for reaching people.

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That’s right Journey Church is moving!  We’re Moving!  It is exciting to be a part of Journey Church and to play a small part in what God is doing.  I can’t tell you enough how privileged I am to serve as your pastor.  I wanted to take a moment and remind you that we are MOVING!  God has really provided an incredible facility for our church to use.  Here are some things this building will help us accomplish:

• The ability to focus on PEOPLE and not facilities (because the association is allowing us to stay rent free, this is a privilege!)
• Allow our core team (which is you) to grow in strength and numbers before taking our church public (launch – September 12th)
• Provides more stability as we grow

Once again, God is at work doing so much through our church.  The best thing we could do is get out of the way and let God do what He desires (this doesn’t get you off the hook from serving).

IMPORTANT DATES:
April 14th – Work day at our new building
April 18th – First Sunday in our new building

NEW ADDRESS:
615 Park East Blvd.
New Albany, IN 47150

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We all influence other people, sometimes it’s for the worse. I was sitting in Sam’s Club today picking up some tables for our Children’s ministry when I realized our circles of influence could be greater. Let me explain, I was in Sam’s Club for one hour and didn’t see one person that I knew. There is so much potential in our community to meet new people we just have to get of our spiritual couches and be intentional about meeting new people. Be intentional.

Jeff

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Thanks to google analytics here is a list of the 10 most viewed and talked about blog posts on my site in 2009:

10.  Interview with Dave Ferguson

9.  Its Time to Start Thinking Different

8.  Signs of a Dying Church

7.  Porn Again Christian

6.  25 Random Things About Me

5.  21 Questions to Ask Before Planting

4.  What I’ve Learned About Church Growth

3.  10 Rules for a Healthy Church Planter’s Marriage

2.  God, Religion and Porn!

1.  Is Being Gay Wrong

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Everyone likes a good new year’s resolution but have your ever made one for you church?  This is a great way to recast vision especially if you started to experience vision slippage at the end of 2009 (watch for a post soon about vision slippage).  The first objection to this resolution is that most resolution don’t stick or people don’t stick to the resolutions.  How can we make our church’s new year’s resolution stick in the hearts and minds of our people.

1. Make your resolution Reasonable – Don’t expect your members to automatically start bringing all their friends to church.  Lets start with a small obtainable resolution something that can be measured and celebrated.
2. Make your resolution Realistic – Lets not program God out of the equation but lets keep the resolution realistic.  Much like the first point we need to cast an expectation that your people can see.  Don’t give them a 30 thousand foot view but rather give them practical, daily resolutions.  A good way to accomplish this is to remove any will power that your people might need to exert in order to keep the Church’s resolution.
3. Make your resolution Rewarding – As stated before always make sure your resolution is measurable so you can reward your people when you stick to the resolution.  For example and I’m not against numbers but maybe you should have a goal of baptizing more people this year rather than saying we want to baptize 100 people this year.

Make 2010 be the best year the Kingdom of God has ever seen!

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There is nothing more important to a church planter than his wife.  So keeping that in mind how do you sustain your marriage through the church planting years.  Hear are the ten rules you must live and die by to protect your most important asset.

1. Set the bar low, but set it somewhere – It is difficult to make time to spend with your wife, much less take a planned vacation.  No matter what stage your church plant is in, it will require 110% of your efforts.  Spending time with your spouse can be as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee together, without the kids, a short walk together, a date to the dollar movies.  Spending time together can light that refocus your passion and will also remind both of you why this church plant is worthwhile.
2. Turn off the iPhone (or Blackberry) – You have to make sure you wife knows that she is more important than your phone.  When I say turn your phone off, I MEAN OFF.  Even if your phone just beeps or flashes when a message comes in it can become the big pink elephant in the room.
3. When there is a critical decision in your church plant make room at the table for your wife - These big decisions can change the way of life for your wife and I believe she deserve the right to be heard.  Man, if someone had told me this during the first 5 years of marriage I would have made different decisions.  God speaks through our wifes, are we listening.
4. Engage your wife in her space -  This is one of most difficult things to do but I guarantee if you do this it will increase intimacy, communication and your wife’s passion for the church plant.  When you take interest in your wife’s passions the spotlight is taken from the church plant, because we all know that is what we talk about night and day, and onto your wife.
5. Answer the phone when your wife calls - Your wife knows that you are busy and that you field 100s of messages everyday so when she calls you it is important.  Stop what you are doing, pick up the phone and give her your full attention.
6. Don’t squeeze her in - She knows if you are just calling her to call her.  The drowning sound of a busy Panera Bread at lunch time or calling her 5 minutes before the meeting will communicate that she is not important.  When you call home make sure you are not rushed and that you have time to talk.
7. Treat your wife like she is more important than the first time guests at your church - don’t you ever let your wife feel that you pay more attention to complete strangers than you do her.
8. Share the spotlight - As church planters you will get lots of attention from your members and prospective visitors.  Set your wife up for success and bring her into the light.  Your wife is the volunteer of the year. She pulls more behind the stage stunts to keep your circus act a float than you give her credit for.  Publicly acknowledged her contributions.  This will help build her creditability with your people and will ultimately show her your dedication and love.  Some things go without saying…but not this!
9. Celebrate your wins - Spend time remembering all that you went through and where God has brought you.  You might have not always been in tune but your still playing together.
10. Make her feel special in front of her friends at church - must I say more??!!!

Take if for what it is worth…just don’t forget that you can’t do it without her for lots of reason but mostly because no one else will but up with you (all us church planters are crazy)!  For more church plant inspiration check out my interview with Dave Ferguson.

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