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Trip to Generation Church

Some of the folks of The Mission went to Generation Church in Jupiter, FL this past Sunday to spy out what they do that we can learn from. They served up plenty to think about.

I can say without reservation, if you live anywhere near northern Palm Beach county you should check them out.

Pastors Ben and Melissa Pierce could not have been more hospitable to us.

After service I tried to shut up as long as possible and listen to Pastor Ben talk about his vision for ministry and some of the values that guides his decisions. This guy is a real Kingdom man with a pretty clear vision regarding where the Church at large is going.

Some of the things that really impressed me about the church:

• The number of volunteers. The parking lot had a bunch of cars in it when we showed up 45 minutes before service.  Fully staffed children’s areas (they had 3), lots of sound and video folks.
• The worship team was really good.
• The bass player was playing a 6 string bass and yet she did not treat every song as a solo.
• An active sound man.  The snare was a little bright at the beginning of the worship set but that did not last long.  Set it and forget it does not work with live sound.
• Teaching on the gifts.  Pastor Ben started the prayer time before service letting folks know that they should feel free to pray in the Holy Ghost but don’t get loud and goofy, and at the same time, if you don’t pray that way or don’t feel like praying that way, don’t feel condemned.  Nice and balanced.
• Pastor Melissa might be the nicest person I have ever met in a church anywhere.
• These guys don’t know us from Adam yet they answered at least a 100 question from the introspective tot he mundane and they answered every one.
• Friendly.  During the greet part of service lots of folks came to meet us.  And they were still friendly when they found out we were not perspective members.
• Pastor Ben is a walking concordance.
• I got a new word, “FunkyDunk”
• I doubt I will ever use it.
• One of my guys went forward at the ministry time.  Pastor Ben spoke a word of encouragement that was spot on.
• Did I mention “Spirit-Filled”?

I was really impress with the churh and the leadership.  I really had the sense that Generation Church is rock solid and poised for great growth.

If you are reading this by RSS feed you need to visit the site to see the pics.

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Tags: church planting, Generation Church

Church Planting Road Trip

Tomorrow the folks of The Mission are going to be visiting Generation Church in Jupiter Fl.

If you want to travel with us, we are going to be meeting at the Panera Bread on Yamato and I95 and traveling north at 9 a.m.  If you are going to meet us there we plan to get there by 9:45.  They are going to give us a tour of their setup so we can get some ideas about our own move to Sunday mornings.

If you have any questions you can hit me at the office number 561.450.8555.

Here is a link to their website and here are directions to their church.

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Tags: church planting

Finding a Meeting Location in Delray Beach

I announced at the beginning of the year that this year The Mission is going to move its meetings from Friday night to Sunday mornings.  Of course you know that means we have to find a new meeting place. Most new churches meet in public meeting places like schools, community centers or hotel banquet halls.

For us, this is a little more difficult.

Virtually every school in Delray Beach has an ethnic church meetin in it.  Some have multiple churches meeting there.

There are only a few hotels in Delray Beach that have banquet halls.  None are suitable for what we want to do.

We really want to be able to have mid week services and be able to host conferences.

We don’t have big ching (we hardly have any ching at all).

There is a school I am in contact with about beginning our Sunday services there but I am still looking other places.

When I tell most people we are looking for a place to house a church they have no ablility to think outside the box of a traditional church with a steeple and such.  I am now looking at industrial spaces, showroom/warehouses, office buildings with large conference rooms, etc.  I think we could convert a large room with cubicles rather easily.  The main concern for us is parking, restrooms and the ability to set up a nursery and childcare during the service.

We are a radically different church and hope to have a different kind of meeting space.

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Tags: church planting, Commercial Real Estate, Delray Beach, The Mission

The Top Five Reasons Churches Don’t Grow

Bill Tenny Brittian put out his list of the top five reasons churches don’t grow.

This nails so much of what we are doing and the changes we are making at The Mission.  Some of these areas we excel in.  Others, not so much.  Word of note.  If you are someone who touches a microphone or has any influence at The Mission I expect you to read and understand the original post.  Find it here.

Here is his list.  But go to his site and read the entire article.

5.  Ineffective Attendance Tracking

4.  Lack of Guest Follow-up

3.  Lack of Hospitality

3.  Ineffective Assimilation/Discipleship

1.  Worship Services that aren’t Worth Shouting About

I want every person who visits The Mission to get touched by God and come into their purpose. If we have to go out of our way to keep them coming to church then so be it. That is what we are supposed to do.

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Tags: church growth, church planting

Saturday Morning Musings

• Got a call @ 8:30 this morning to help build PineGrove Elemtery’s Christmas Parade float
• How did I become president of the PTA?
• Just a great service last night
• My favorite pic from the night –>  full altar
• Saw God calling people back to the Church
• There is a lie out there that there is no such thing as the local church in the Bible
• I declared some things God has been challenging me to walk in
• There is nothing better than watching people converted.
• That’s right, I said converted
• Not everyone who followed Jesus was converted.  We need less “Christ Followers” and more “Converts”
• Had a minister talk to me with goose bumps up and down his arm thanking me for preaching the uncompromised Gospel
• Some people are going to hell.  Its important to let folks know that
• Favorite Scripture from last night Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
• The disciples lived their lives knowing there would be a reckoning
• I love the people of The Mission
• Had a testimony of some guys who went to the mall yesterday praying for the sick.  They saw a bus driver healed of a back ailment.
• Signs and wonders in the streets baby!
• Who is going to start a church planters coaching group with signs and wonders as a part of the curriculum?
• Thats how the early church grew
• Great days ahead for The Mission

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Tags: church planting, salvation, The Gospel, The Misssion