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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Things are moving pretty fast for the Jeffords family as we get moved to Kathleen, GA (South Houston County) and manage all of the great things happening around Longleaf Church. We are excited that God has directed us to this community. Our family can definitely attest that home is where the heart is. Thanks to the Easy Crane guy, we were able to move about half of our stuff before Christmas. We bought a Charlie Brown style Christmas Tree for $4 on Christmas Eve and celebrated Christmas in our new home. Family, friends and just being together to celebrate Christmas trumped the controlled chaos of moving. I wanted to give everyone a brief update on things and ask that you pray for our church this week as we prepare for some important next steps.

• Space - We are still working to nail down the best space for us to gather in throughout 2010. It could be that we meet at the Galleria Conf. Center or The Board of Realtors Conf. Center in January in order to maintain some familiarity while finalize the best long term plan. Stay tuned! Our first service is set for January 10! I'll communicate the plan by this Sunday, January 3.

• FP2 - I'm working on a two-part message series for 1/10 and 1/24 called FP2. I can't wait to share the First Person Plural narration of the origins and direction of Longleaf Church with you. FP2 will be a great series to invite friends and neighbors to. Each of the two messages will include multiple stories from our people as we weave together the story of Longleaf and the remarkable biblical reflections of our movement. Your story is our story, we are Longleaf Church....
  

• Year-End-Giving - It's not too late to give to Longleaf Church in '09! Generous giving really fueled our movement over the past year. Our church is 100% funded by people like you. The easiest and most flexible way to give is electronically through our eGive partnership. Simply click HERE or the eGive logo on this page, quickly establish an account from their site and select Longleaf Church from their list of churches. You can make a one-time gift or set up your 2010 monthly giving plan. Thanks for your generosity!
  

• Community Groups - We are excited about the new Community Groups launching in January. In order to connect everyone to community, we have two "open groups" for people to attend and get plugged in to. Please email me (jeffreyjeffords@gmail.com) for details.

• New Website - I am really excited about our new website that's under development. It will be rolled out in January. It's going to be more interactive and include more localized and relevant content.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on January 10 and to the next chapter in our church planting journey! Happy New Year and God Bless.

You will get a sentimental feeling....

It's awesome to enter the Christmas Season as a part of a community of people planting a church together! We are so excited about the momentum generated from our first Longleaf LIVE series. It was a big step. We're praying for the continued growth of the community of people that represent the foundation of our church plant. We can't wait for The Christmas Experience on December 20th! It's going to be a fun and engaging event and we're celebrating family style! No matter your age, you're going to love The Christmas Experience. Do not miss this! The event is set for 6PM on the 20th at the Galleria Mall Conference Center in Warner Robins. The event is posted on our facebook page. Also, watch for an eVite that you can forward along and invite your friends.

The Christmas Season is such a special time. We celebrate the remarkable moment in history when "the word became flesh". Our savior was born into humanity and made a way for us! As I contemplate this incredible truth and what it means for us, I am overflowing with energy and excitement. As I think about how to direct and sustain the energy of Christmas into 2010, three things come to mind that I want to carry forward into the new year:

• The Heart of a Child: During Christmas, families circle up tight and life slows down. That alone is such a blessing. Beyond that, families get to celebrate the hearts of children. The hearts of children are purer than most adults and they approach this season with such fullness and joy. The truth is, we become more like children during Christmas. I want to carry this mentality forward into 2010.

• A Why Worry Approach: If you were not a part of our first Longleaf LIVE series, this might seem out of place. I DON'T MEAN losing all focus and just hanging out at Starbucks all the time. I mean more focus on what I can do, and less worry about what only God can do. Christmas creates a healthy pause and allows us the emotional and mental margin that we crave all year long. Jesus is the first born of many sons and daughters. At Christmas, we pause to bask in the grace and truth of a Heavenly Father that knows our needs, our hopes and our dreams. I want to trust in Him more and more in 2010 and remember that today has enough trouble of it's own, tomorrow will take care of itself.

• A Generous Spirit: Generous spirits are renewed around Christmas and we seek outlets to give. When we seek, we find. Please take a moment to read the blog post just below this one about Project Intersect at Longleaf Church. In particular, please bring canned foods to The Christmas Experience. At the epicenter of God's unfolding plan is the local church. Generosity helps fuel our mission and vision at Longleaf Church so Amy and I are committed to giving more to Longleaf in 2010. We hope and pray for more and more people to come along us and give intentionally towards the compelling mission and vision of Longleaf Church.
  

I hope these thoughts are helpful AND hope to see you on December 20th for The Christmas Experience!

INTERSECT! This Christmas

It is truly better to give than to receive! As Longleaf gears up for the Christmas season, it is our vision to support those in need, here locally and across the globe. As a community, Longleaf will partner with several organizations and share in the joys of blessing others this Christmas season.

Here are three opportunities for you and your family to get involved:

Longleaf's Canned Food Drive

Throughout the month of December, Longleaf will be collecting canned goods. All canned goods collected will be donated to Perry Volunteer Outreach in support of their ministry to the needy and their new homeless shelter, opening in January 2010. Clean out your pantry, pick up a few extra canned goods on your next trip to the grocery store and bring them to the next Longleaf LIVE service on December 6. Canned goods will be collected through December 22, 2009.

Bite Back Campaign

The Bite Back Campaign is a project where our UpStreet kids (pictured below) are partnering with Compassion International and students around the world to raise money to purchase mosquito nets to protect African children from malaria. Bring your spare change and help our Longleaf students as they work hard to help provide for these children in need.

Buy a net. Save a life. Bite back.

• Adopt-A-Family

Lastly, Longleaf church encourages those of you who are able to support local outreaches in their adopt-a-family ministries. There are many families right here in the Middle Georgia area who are in need and YOU could be the one to bring smiles to their faces this Christmas. Click HERE for the link to a local organization seeking families to adopt those in need!

At the next Longleaf LIVE (Sunday, December 6) we will have an INTERSECT table set up for your donations and to answer any questions. Bring a few canned goods to church, grab a few dimes from your spare change drawer and pull together a few friends to adopt-a-family. Lets work together this season to spread the love of Jesus through Longleaf, right here in Middle Georgia!!

Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

My friend Skip emailed me an interesting link this week. He found the exact iteration of the Thanksgiving Day Proclamation issued by George Washington in 1789. Many of us may not be aware that President Washington officially proclaimed the Thanksgiving Holiday "to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God". Here's an excerpt from George Washington's Proclamation on this date, 220 years ago........

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be;

George Washington

WHY WORRY Part 1

If you been around me very much, you've probably heard me pose the question "what does that look like?" when discussing concepts or principles. In other words, I want to understand the practical realities of turning concepts or principles into action. At Longleaf LIVE last Sunday, Andy discussed a healthy tension for us to wrestle with in Part 1 of the Why Worry series. That healthy tension is; Our worry points to what we are devoted to in our hearts.....so, what are we devoted to? Jesus teaches that we can't serve our stuff while also serving him (Matthew 6:24). Furthermore, Jesus reminds us that anxiety and worry will not add a single hour to our lives and instructs us that perhaps we simply need to reorder our priorities (Matthew 6:27 - 6:34)

I have read through Matthew 6:24 - 6:34 this week and processed how this tension plays out in my life. On issues or challenges where I have shifted my focus to the things that I can do and trusted God to do only what he can do, some good things have happened. Those good things often seem to be people that enter my life at particular times or particular moments and answer my prayers in profound and encouraging ways. So, "what this looks like" for me are catalyst relationships. I shouldn't be surprised by this because God has always worked this way. I can't wait for Longleaf LIVE on 11/22 and Why Worry Part 2!!

WOW!

The journey of planting Longleaf Church took a big step this past Sunday as we entered a new and exciting chapter! We launched an environment called Longleaf LIVE. Longleaf LIVE includes a worship service and family ministry environments. Over 100 Adults and 40 kids were in attendance at the first Longleaf LIVE. The message, the culture and our vision seemed to resonate with all who attended. You could feel the energy! I'm grateful for His grace and for good friends on this journey together. I'm excited about the direction of our church and I can't wait 'til November 22! A "full-launch" is on our horizon....

As always, I ask that our committed people engage in 4 Things:

1. Serve Strategically (Host Team is a great first step)
2. Connect with a Small Group
3. Invest and Invite (email, eVite, facebook, CD's)
4. Give Intentionally (I've unpacked this a little bit below)
   

To fulfill our mission and vision, we have sought to raise start-up capital AND generate an average monthly giving pattern of $15,000 before launching. Our North Point partners have coached us towards these financial benchmarks. They will provide us with a healthy foundation and will afford us the opportunity to create the compelling AND sustainable ministry environments that will change lives across Central Georgia. We are quickly closing in on a $15,000 average monthly giving pattern as the Longleaf community continues to grow. We are hoping and praying for more people to give intentionally, the amount that's right for them, to Longleaf Church. Additionally, we are prayerfully seeking visionary support for our capital needs. Here is a current breakdown of our capital needs:

Remaining Capital Needs

• Audio Equipment = $18,500 (ATTAINED $2500)
  
• Video Equipment =$12,000
• Lighting and Staging = $4000
  
• UpStreet Environment (K5 - 5th Grade) = $5000 (ATTAINED $2000)
  
• Waumba Land Environment (Birth - 4k) = $4000 (ATTAINED $2000)
  
• Office Equipment = $1500 (ATTAINED $2500)
  
• Production Trailer = $1400
  
• Reserve Funds = $20,000 ($10,000 ATTAINED)
  
• AMENDED GOAL = $49, 900

Giving is easy....

1. Give at Longleaf Live.
   
2. The easiest and most flexible way to give is through eGive (see below).

One-time gifts and monthly tithing can be made via eGive. Simply click the eGive logo from this page, set up an account through their service and establish your giving to Longleaf Church.

Thanks for the part that you are playing to plant and become Longleaf Church!

Video Blog/Longleaf Church Origins

A little bit of our story so far.....

Spacious

I've been reading about the life of Joshua over the past couple of weeks. We learn about Joshua from the sixth book of the Old Testament that bears his name. Joshua was the chosen leader of God's people following the death of Moses. It was the end of a period in history known as the bronze age (1550 - 1200 B.C) when Joshua led the Israelites on an amazing season of conquest into the "Promised Land". Joshua was courageous and he trusted God like crazy. In the famous conquest of Jericho (Joshua 5:13 - 6:27), Joshua executed God's unusual plan and the mighty wall that fortified the city collapsed before him. It wasn't that God fought their battle for them, it was that God chose them to fight his battle. If you've never read the book of Joshua, the violent warfare will surprise you. The life of Joshua not only foreshadows the ultimate conquest of Jesus Christ, it symbolizes the the type of life we are called to lead.

Today, we too are called to be courageous, to trust God no matter what and to execute his plans. Our battles are different than Joshua's and most of them are actually internal battles of the heart. The advancement of the gospel of Jesus will always involve struggles. The cool part is that it also involves many small victories along the way that point to the ultimate victory of Jesus. God knocks down walls for us at opportune moments if we trust in him and live courageously. I'm very encouraged by a recent small victory for Longleaf Church. We have found an exciting space to meet and grow into over the next phase of our church planting journey! It's the Galleria Conference Center located in the Galleria Mall (formerly Goody's). We're going to give it a trial run this weekend with UpStreet and Waumba Land!!

Family Ministry Awesomeness!!

AmyJ and JulieJ are doing such a great job with UpStreet and Waumba Land! BTW, they don't get paid. They just serve alongside our other amazing volunteers. Our Family Ministry Small Group Leaders at Longleaf Church are new to their roles but they're amazing. What an impact!

Renewal

We often find ourselves reflecting on the larger issues and priorities of our own lives within those moments that we are allowed to celebrate life's milestone events with others. The birth of a child, a graduation ceremony, buying a first home and certainly a marriage ceremony are great examples of life's milestone events. Marriage is so much more than a ceremony or a rite of passage. The marriage covenant reveals who we are, unique children of a loving heavenly Father designed for relationship and purpose. It's a mystery, The Apostle Paul said, but marriage reflects Jesus Christ and his relationship with His church.

As I prepare to celebrate the marriage of Andrew and Julie this weekend, I am thankful for my wife and my children. The family unit is so special and it's the foundation of communities, of cultures, of nations.

During this challenging and rewarding season of church planting (alongside a providential and swelling community of people) this wedding gives me pause. Am I leaving a mark? Am I living by faith or is culture dictating my life? I am inspired to reflect, forget the status quo and renew my life around who God is and who He empowers us to become. I don't want to have regrets. I want to leave a mark and I'll bet you do too.

We Love Those Kids!

There are some exciting things happening next month in Family Ministry at Longleaf Church! Our Children's Leadership Team (Amy and Julie) are working towards building our first Family Ministry environments!

On Sunday, September 13 we are launching Waumba Land (Birth -K4) and UpStreet (K5 - 5th). In preparation for this monumental day in the life of Longleaf Church, we are taking a Strategic Service Road Trip for Family Ministry Volunteers on Sunday, August 30. We will travel to Southside Church in Peachtree City to see Waumba Land and UpStreet in action. Southside was one of the first North Point Strategic Partner Churches and they have tremendous momentum in Family Ministry. Details to follow on this trip! Contact Amy or Julie with any questions.

Check out these updates from our Children's Leadership Team:

Our approach to Family Ministry for preschoolers begins by keeping the end in mind. We start by asking ourselves what we want our High School kids to know when they leave our student ministry. What are the truths that we want impressed upon their hearts? With this in mind, we simply work backwards through our middle school, children, and preschool environments to align each of those ministry areas with our end goal. This mindset helps us stay focused on what we want preschoolers to learn about their Heavenly Father in those early years of wonder and discovery.

Waumba Land is designed to teach preschoolers God’s Word so that it sticks with them, to apply the Truths of His Word in their lives, to worship their Creator, and to connect with others and learn early in life the value of relationships. While we work hard to make these things happen in our fun and creative environments, equipping families is at the top of our to-do list!

Julie Jarrard
Waumba Land Director

juliejarrard@cox.net

Down on UpStreet, kids are challenged and equipped to; MAKE THE WISE CHOICE, to TRUST GOD NO MATTER WHAT and to TREAT OTHERS THEY WAY THEY WANT TO BE TREATED.

This is such a pivotal time of life for kids (K5 - 5th Grade) as they really begin to understand who their Savior is. They also start asking great questions about applying biblical truth to their lives. We are super excited about the UpStreet environment but we know that what happens at home is more important than what happens at church. That's our philosophy about Family Ministry at Longleaf Church. We will seek to partner with parents and empower families through three main ingredients:

• Intentional Relationships (Small Groups!)
  
• Memorable Experiences
  
• Relevant Teaching
  

Please contact me anytime with questions about UpStreet.

Amy Jeffords

UpStreet Director

amyjeffords@gmail.com

RATCHETING things up a notch....

Church Planting is more about unleashing a movement than simply launching church programs. It's about developing a healthy culture of people who rally around a shared mission and vision. It's not about constructing a building. Our Heavenly Father directs our steps. He inspires our hearts. He grants us strength and leads us on a journey of purpose. This journey is not a solo flight. Each one of us have been designed and called to do amazing things TOGETHER. A growing relationship with Jesus Christ propels individuals along an inevitable collision course with a community of people pursuing this same vital relationship. We call this relationship movement the Church. I am thankful for God's Providence upon Longleaf Church and I am flat out fired up that we are ready to ratchet things up a notch!

It's our vision to create relevant environments which move people into community and empower families. Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
There is much on the horizon this fall including Longleaf Live (a preview service) on Friday, October 9. We're launching Family Ministry environments on Sunday mornings beginning September 13th. More immediately, the next Community Experience is set for Friday, August 28. For up-to-date details, we have published a Longleaf Church calendar that's linked in the newsletter and posted on our blog. You can also click HERE to access it. As always, let's continue focusing on our pivotal FOUR THINGS:

1. Small Groups (Connect to a Community Group)
2. Intentional Giving (Give online through our site)
3. Invest & Invite (Community Experience August 28th)
4. Serve Strategically (Family Ministry Volunteer Training August 30th)
   

Rock and Roll!!!

surRGING!

Last night's Community Experience was a great event! More people are connecting with our vision to create relevant environments that move people into community and empower families. The mission and vision of Longleaf Church is compelling and our plans are taking shape! Let's leverage our momentum and challenge one another to invest and invite more people to our next event! Let's SURGE forward! Let's pray for 100 people to take part in our next Community Experience on August 28th!

Additionally, we need to surge forward financially. We need more individuals and families to GIVE INTENTIONALLY to our vision. INTENTIONAL GIVING is such a pivotal ingredient for Longleaf Church to maintain traction and to realize our vision. From a financial perspective, here is our goal before we host the next Community Experience on August 28th:

• To add $4500 to our average monthly giving.
  
• To generate $10,000 in one-time giving.

If you are committed to the mission and vision of Longleaf Church, we ask that you engage with us through PRAYER and by GIVING INTENTIONALLY to our shared vision. We encourage everyone to give electronically through our website. We partner with an organization called eGive for electronic giving. It's a simple, secure and flexible option for giving. Click HERE to start giving to Longleaf Church through eGive. There are three easy steps; 1) establish an account with them, 2) select Longleaf Church from the list of churches and 3) set up your giving plan. Email Jeffrey for instructions on writing a check to Longleaf Church.

An inspiring group of people are emerging to plant a revolutionary church in Houston County! These are the days when people have the opportunity to fuel a movement that's a larger than any of us and to dream of the day when our church launches and lives are changed as people are led into growing relationships with Jesus Christ......

the energy of GRACE and the power of TRUTH

The people who followed Jesus when he walked the earth as man created a remarkably magnetic culture. Something about following Jesus was irresistible to those who opened their hearts and minds to His Grace and Truth. This magnetic Jesus culture was a supernatural force that invaded hearts and dramatically changed thinking. People have always searched for greater truth and higher purpose in their lives. Quite simply, Jesus was AND is the answer to this age old quest of truth and purpose and church culture should reflect that.

All things were made through Jesus, his life is light (John 1:3-4). Jesus came from the Father full of Grace and Truth (John 1:14). After his resurrection, Jesus granted power and authority to his followers (the church) to carry the gospel message through the ages. The greatest movement in history is fueled by the grace and truth of Jesus. What if outsiders walked into a church environment today and could feel the energy of GRACE and the power of TRUTH? What if church was simply irresistible?

The Vision of Longleaf Church is; to create relevant environments that move people into community and empower families. Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We are looking forward to the Community Experience on Friday, July 24 in Warner Robins. We are re-branding the 2/42 as the Longleaf Community Experience. The Community Experience is a monthly environment with three objectives:

1. To move people into community by connecting them to a small group.
   
2. To share detail and practical realities around our vision.
   
3. To celebrate the providential energy of our movement.
   

The Community Experience begins at 7PM and it will be held at the Central Georgia Board of Realtors office located on Osigian Blvd in Warner Robins. Click HERE for directions. Bring your peeps and join us!

Soaring

That's some serious air! John Harmon defied gravity with a little help from his friend Benjammin. What a great time we had at Paul & Jill's this past weekend for the 2/42! We will continue to host monthly 2/42 events (large group gatherings for fellowship and fun) as we incubate and pray for the Longleaf Church movement. We are building a great foundation for Longleaf Church! One of our foundational 4 Things and a long-term core value of Longleaf Church is Strategic Service. Our spiritual gifts have maximum impact when exercised in support of our strategy.

You and I have been fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and we are uniquely gifted to do great things (John 14:12). We will soar to new heights when we serve strategically as a key member of His church. We are fortunate in these early days at Longleaf Church to have a wealth of leaders. We have identified our first Community Group Leaders and Family Ministry Leaders. There are some great volunteer opportunities on the horizon at Longleaf Church for everyone.

Amy and I have carved out Tuesday and Thursday evenings to meet with individuals and couples in part to talk about Strategic Service. We will use this time to simply build relationships, discuss growth in the three vital relationships and discuss our 4 Things. I am calling these dinner meetings NEXT meetings. I would love to hear from you on available dates to connect!

VESTED!

The value that we call Invest and Invite is currently and will forever be the primary engine of growth for Longleaf Church. Our lives are intertwined with family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. We have a vested interest in lots of people. Christians are called to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). We are called to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19) and we have been granted power to do so (Acts 1:8). Longleaf Church will be about the business of creating a culture of authentic biblical community and building relevant environments to invite our unchurched friends to. We are preparing to launch a church that fulfills the Great Commission to make disciples. Yet in these pre-launch days, visionaries are investing and inviting people to join our movement to plant a revolutionary church. It's passionate. It's viral....and it's spreading.

This picture is of some of the college kids that have connected to Longleaf Church. These kids have engaged with Longleaf Church in large part because one kid INVESTED AND INVITED her friends to our pre-launch ministry environments. Wow! In 2009, people want to understand what we are selling and why we are selling it. Relational influence is nothing new but the power of advocates (well-informed friends that simply want what's best for you) is really starting to trump advertising. Social media (facebook, blogs, twitter, etc.) is reshaping the flow of communication. This new technology only reinforces what we know, the church is not a building, it's a passionate and viral movement of people....

Good Soil

The parables of Jesus are amazing. It seems that the more life experience we gain the more profound and richer his teachings become. This is especially true when we earnestly seek first his kingdom. Jesus often used parables as a relevant and effective way to clarify his teachings. His parables also included hidden meanings intended for the hearts of sincere followers. The Parable of The Sower is one such parable.

This brilliant parable is recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:3-20 & Luke 8:5-15). In this parable, Jesus illustrates the response of four types of people to the word of God. The word of God is illustrated as seed scattered along the path, on the rock, among the thorns and lastly on good soil. Only the seed planted in good soil produces a crop. This parable sheds light on our hearts. Christ Followers with "good and noble hearts" will grow in truth, persevere and produce a crop.

In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan says this "I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions or commitments are piled on top of it."

We are planting Longleaf Church in good soil. I am so encouraged by the hearts of the people that OWN our vision. Planting a church is journey for people that understand the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a building or a bunch of church programs, it's a passionate movement of people. Church is not something that we do but rather it's something that we are. Change is coming. Hearts will turn. Families will be strengthened and people will be led into a growing a relationship with Jesus Christ across Central Georgia because his word is being planted on good soil......

Circles

Life is about relationships. As driven as we all are to make things happen and get things done it's the depth of our relationships that will ultimately define us. It doesn't matter how much we achieve or don't achieve if we fail to invest-in and empower the key relationships of this life. The relationship principle (that's right, principle) transcends everything. It's probably not difficult for you to agree with me on this, but we must charge ourselves to become more intentional about it.

At Longleaf Church, our vision for spiritual growth can be rolled up into three vital relationships; Intimacy With God, Community With Insiders and Influence With Outsiders. Jesus modeled for us that Life Change is best sustained in the context of Community. Practically speaking, we want to move people into life changing small groups. For Adults, we call these powerful circles of people Community Groups. Each time I see the Longleaf Church logo, I am reminded that circles will always be at our core.

In Community Groups, people find accountability, belonging and care. In Community Groups, people study God's Word, pray and discuss issues that matter. Community Groups are authentic environments where people can simply do life together. During the pre-launch days of Longleaf Church we are connecting Adults into Community Groups and we're diligently preparing to create small group environments for our kids on the very first Sunday that we have services.

Longleaf Church is becoming a church of small groups before we actually launch our church! That's pretty amazing. What a great foundation to build a church upon, Authentic Community. In fact, it looks and feels a lot like the fellowship of the early church (Acts 2:42-47). Our vision is to launch a church for Everybody that Engages Families and moves people into Small Groups. Be sure to check out the new Why Another Church? video on the Longleaf Church Homepage.

These ARE the days

Why do we call it Family Ministry? Well, we operate from the conviction that parents and churches should seek a partnership. This partnership should challenge and equip families to engage their faith together rather than abdicating it to a program-driven philosophy. Sometimes, an unintentional consequence of a program-driven philosophy at church is the disengagement of the parents role. In other words, it doesn't matter if our kids spend 1 hour or 5 hours in weekly church programming because what happens at home is more important than what happens at church.

We will direct our Family Ministry programming with a LESS IS MORE approach. We will produce one anchor Family Ministry environment per week for every age range. Our expectation for these environments is excellence and they will include; Memorable Experiences, Relevant Teaching and Intentional Relationships between small group leaders and every kid. We will hang our hats on environments that Engage the Family Unit and leverage Small Group Leaders. Parents will be equipped with weekly resources to drill down on the biblical truths that their kids are learning about at church. We think it's all about the family so that's why we call it Family Ministry!!

Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our vision is to launch a Culturally Relevant Church that unchurched people love to attend, that moves people into Small Groups and that Engages Families. During these days, the people of Longleaf Church are hanging on to this vision as we build a solid foundation to launch a revolutionary church like this. It's not easy and it's not fast but it sure is worth it.

Our Road Trip to Southside Church today was inspiring. It occurred to me that while Southside represents where we want to be, these are actually the days of Longleaf Church that we will most remember. These are the days when people will rise up and pour themselves out to be a part of something larger than themselves. These are the days when people are praying for God to do God sized things. These are the days when people will launch a church of small groups that will grow exponentially beyond what we can imagine. These are the days that we are building the church where our neighbors and our children will come to know the love of Jesus. These are the days when we are living on the edge and choosing to pioneer because the gospel of Jesus Christ is not about a program or a building, it's about a passionate movement of people. Sign me up for that!

Drive

Seven leaders from Longleaf Church just returned from a great conference at North Point Community Church called Drive. North Point's vision is to create a church that unchurched people love to attend. That vision has expanded to include unleashing other churches to pursue this compelling vision. It was energizing for us to be immersed in a church culture where people have poured their hearts and their gifts into this vision and to see first hand how God has been glorified in a BIG BIG way through North Point.

Longleaf Church is Strategic Partner of North Point and we share this vision. Our vision is to LAUNCH a church that unchurched people LOVE to attend. Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We are convicted by the urgency to connect with FUTURE GENERATIONS, the urgency for people to do life together in SMALL GROUPS, and the urgency of churches to be CULTURALLY RELEVANT. We are excited about our shared vision with North Point and about the community of people in Central Georgia that are emerging to join us in launching Longleaf Church.

This is going to be hard work, we are going to make mistakes along the way and the leader definitely doesn't have all the answers. That's OK. This endeavor is the real deal. It's about joining God's unfolding story where we live. We know that it's worth it and we know that we can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13). Man, this going to be fun.....

What's Next?

The central truth of the bible is expressed and personified as Jesus Christ. The ancient prophecy of hope and salvation was realized when Jesus became a man, was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. Four books of the bible provide a historical account of the life and ministry of Jesus. These four books are called the Gospels and they introduce the New Testament. The authors of these four books either personally witnessed the miraculous life of Jesus or interviewed the people who did. The Gospels tell us that Jesus called people to follow, believe and ultimately obey him. Those closest to him were called disciples. When Jesus called his first disciples he issued an unusual statement of purpose to them;

Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. - Matthew 4:19

Jesus taught his disciples that He was the way, the truth and the life. He was the very Word in the flesh full of grace and truth. He is the atoning sacrifice for all. Whoever believes in Him is granted eternal life. Following the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate on Easter Sunday, Jesus remained on earth for 40 days. At the end of this time, he brought full context to his charge recorded in Matthew 4:19 when he issued the Great Commission to his disciples just before ascending into heaven;

Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:18-20

The “what’s next” for disciples of Jesus in 2009 is to become his church. It seems that we are prone to get stuck in religious activity and we forget that our focus and purpose is to share the truth of Jesus. A surrendered heart and Christ-like character serves as the foundation of our influence. At Longleaf Church, it’s our vision to create relevant and strategic environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue Intimacy with God, Community with Insiders and Influence with Outsiders. Our dream is to launch a church movement that’s actively fulfilling this Great Commission as "church people" are empowered to invite their un-churched friends to church. We call this Relational Evangelism. The power of Easter reflects our newness of life through Christ and it provides purpose and strength for our lives. Wow! That’s exciting!

Hiking

Have you ever climbed a mountain? I don't necessarily mean ascending Everest. I just mean hiking along a trail that ascends a mountain through a series of switchbacks. Maybe you have simply blazed your own trail through the forest chasing wild game. I sure have. I have also hiked many trails throughout the Appalachians and even a few out West. Sometimes these trails involved 3000 or more foot ascents that led to incredible vistas of the great outdoors. On other occasions, the trails that I was hiking were not clearly marked and I lost my way. Even worse, on a few occasions I have found myself deep in the forest long after sunset with stormy weather brewing. The main thing about all of my hiking experiences, good or bad, is that they were shared. Camping, hiking and hunting with my family and friends comprise some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Yet these experiences would not have been quite the same, had they not been shared.

When close friends embark on the same journey, they are able to spur one another on to greater heights. Depth of relationship matters. In other words, as we hike along a trail with a peer towards the same destination our lives begin to overlap. We are able to celebrate wins with one another and we are able encourage one another through the struggles that the journey will inevitably bring. God made us in his image and our Heavenly Father is intensely relational. We are all relational beings who need Authentic Community. At Longleaf Church, we leverage the principle of Authentic Community through Small Groups. Adult Small Groups (Community Groups) are where people discover accountability, belonging and care on a journey of simply doing life together.

Small Group Leaders at Longleaf will always be encouraged to consider how they are creating a culture wherein people spur their peers on towards love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). Addtionally, we have a system to better equip men called SYSTEM 163. Man I love Small Group! Are you in one?

Energy

It's hard to be still. I am talking about those rare moments of stillness when we just let go and allow our souls to rejuvenate. It's hard to muster the emotional and mental fortitude to stop for a while. Our minds simply can't seem to stop racing with the responsibilities of today and tomorrow. I'm the world's worst about this. Amy reminds me that I have to "turn it off" sometimes and that's hard for me. Yet it's so important for us to press pause sometimes on our hyped up schedules and big responsibilities to renew our hearts and minds. I am so thankful for those uncommon moments, even brief ones, when God reminds me of His greatness and He grants rest for my soul.

Blue skies on the first day of Spring inspired a moment of quiet reflection for me. I was reminded of the quietness of the forest that I love contrasted with the loudness of creation during this season. A shadow cast by a mighty Longleaf Pine tree has caught my attention and it gives me pause. The tree cannot escape it's shadow. The shadow follows it as the sun rises and sets from horizon to horizon. The brighter the sun shines the more pronounced the shadow cast by the tree. My tree and the entire world are totally dependent on sunlight. Sunlight doesn't just illuminate, it's the ultimate catalyst for the cycles of nature including the photosynthesis within my Longleaf Pine. This unseen transfer of solar energy is amazing. It sustains life.

The Apostle John (a guy that witnessed the life of Jesus first hand) has to be one of the most amazing writers that has ever written anything down. Clearly, his inspiration was fueled by the Spirit of God. The Apostle John wrote five books of the bible. In a letter called 1 John, the Apostle articulates a profound and succinct statement about our Heavenly Father:

• This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5 NIV).

The power of Jesus illuminates our lives from the inside out. When light comes from within, our shadow is lost. He sustains us more powerfully than the sun sustains a tree. He wants us to live well and live purposefully and that means that we must often pause to refuel ourselves with our ulitmate source of energy.

The Fringes

Have you ever felt as if your heart was drawing you out to the fringes of your life? Have you ever felt as if you were suppressing your hopes, dreams and passions because the path of conformity is so much easier than the path of the extraordinary? We all know or at least know of extraordinary people who refuse to compromise or conform their principles or their dreams to cultural boundaries. These passionate pioneers are driven by some intangible force within their souls that pushes them to dream big and defy the odds. These pioneers consider complacency the enemy of this life so they relentlessly pursue purposeful living.

Check out this picture of John Harmon. My sister-in-law's wedding ceremony by the sea had concluded only moments before he hit the waves in his little ring-bearer tux. He could barely wait out the ceremony. The allure of the waves on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean were overwhelming to his little heart. To him, it made perfect sense to dance in the waves and his formal attire was no obstacle. It would have been silly for the rest of us, sensible as we are, to join him. Right? I mean it's foolish and just not socially acceptable. Hmmm. Maybe swimming in formal attire is a bit radical for us but I believe that each one of us are called to live on the fringes of life in some way. Unique passions well up within our souls throughout life and complacency (sometimes disguised as sensibility) assaults them.

Jesus came to grant us life to the fullest (John 10:10, Colossians 2:10). A life committed to following Jesus is not about conformity, it's about passionate living. Jesus spent his life on earth on the fringes of culture challenging religious leaders with truth and reflecting his Father's love through character. The bible tells us of a pivotal interaction between Jesus and Peter where Jesus teaches Peter about walking by BIG FAITH. Jesus literally walks on water and Peter musters the courage to follow him. As the wind and waves picked up, Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started to sink. Jesus reached out for him and caught him then challenged him to live by BIG FAITH (Matthew 14:25-32) Jesus still calls us to follow him with BIG FAITH out to the fringes of life to places where we are meant to live life to the fullest and glorify God.

everybody

So, it begins. Tonight we hosted the first Informational Event of Longleaf Church. It turned out to be a great environment! The BRB rocked an awesome acoustic set and we watched an Andy Stanley message called everybody is included. It's so encouraging to know that we are aligned with North Point and that Andy's teaching will be a strategic part of Longleaf Church. The everybody message series speaks to the DNA of Longleaf Church. Jesus came for everybody because everybody needs redemption (Romans 3:22-23). It's our role to create a church culture where everybody can connect with us through relevant environments and then decipher clear next steps. In other words, it's our desire to plant a church that doesn't seem threatening or confusing for unchurched people. Our simple and profound focus is leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are about six months away from launching our church (wow). In these early days, we are seeking people that share our mission and vision for this revolutionary church. We are excited about the core team that has emerged to plant Longleaf Church and we look forward to connecting with the other families that will join us in this remarkable endeavor. We know the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37) but we are ASKING BIG and we are living by BIG FAITH. There are exciting days on the horizon! We plan to channel our energy and momentum to our next Informational Event on Sunday, 3/22. Join us!

Monopoly

When we think about the achievements of our lives they can be expressed as an overflow of the trust we have placed in something or someone. Conversely, we have all placed our trust in people and things that let have let us down. Think about it. Trust establishes the foundation of our lives. Relationships are built on trust. Healthy organizations are built upon a foundation of trust (internally and with customers). Trust grants a mandate to our nation's elected leaders. Trust is a big deal and we all need trusting relationships to thrive in this life. The problem is, the people we trust sometimes let us down. As a result, the more cynical and less trusting we become. Understandably, there's a lot of distrust and skepticism directed at the economic conditions in our country right now. I get it, there are a lot of broken people who have trusted and gotten burned. Imagine if a greater truth existed that we can trust no matter what. Truth that transcends everything and establishes a lasting foundation for life.......

I have been playing Monopoly Junior with my kids today. Like in the game of Monopoly, we are prone to misplace our trust in money rather than trusting God. Sometimes we approach life like it's just a game of acquisition. The rewards of hard work are forthright as long as we glorify Him who provides us with our potential and our opportunities. Money and God are often at odds within our hearts. More specifically, the provisions of money as opposed to the provisions of God. The bible has a lot to say about money. In his famous Sermon on The Mount address Jesus tells His followers not to worry about the basic provisions of life but rather to seek first the kingdom of God and the provisions will be added. He tells His followers to live by BIG FAITH (Matthew 6:25 -34). He said just TRUST ME. It's tough not to worry sometimes but I would rather place my trust in Jesus than anything else.

Church planting takes people on a journey of BIG FAITH. Particularly during these days. We are calling on our Heavenly Father to provide the resources and the partners necessary to launch a unique church focused on leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We are earnestly SEEKING FIRST the kingdom and ASKING BIG from the ultimate source of provision. The cool thing is that the core people of Longleaf Church have the unique opportunity to be an integral part of something so much BIGGER than any of us. We are SEEKING FIRST and ASKING BIG. It's going to be quite a ride!

Compassion

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Cultural Relevance

The trends in our culture change and evolve so fast. Relevance can be a moving target. Successful organizations want to remain relevant to this generation and become relevant to the next. For something to be relevant to a person it must effectively connect with a desire or need. We could all name a product or an organization that has really hit the mark with relevant products in recent years. A really great product should deliver exceptional value and some products can even inspire passion. The packaging and marketing should be engaging and the product must deliver on it's promises. Great products often inspire loyal customers that relationally "evangelize" their products.

Churches have the best product in the universe and it's free to everybody who believes. This righteousness from God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ is offered to all who believe, everybody has sinned and everybody has a path for redemption (Romans 3:21-24). We (the church) have been commissioned to share this amazing product, the gospel of Jesus Christ with everybody.

It seems that we (the church) should be markedly relevant to our culture. It seems that a church of "inspired customers" should be influential with outsiders. I don't mean crazy Christians with bullhorns (have you seen the guy outside the GT games? Not cool.). I mean an irresistible culture of people where the grace of God is expressed through relevant environments. A litmus test for relevance would be whether or not we can effectively invite our friends to church short of "guilt tripping" them into going.

I feel that churches should creatively leverage technology, media, music and art to create relevant environments. Another critical component of relevant church environments are discernible next steps for visitors. Ultimately, a relevant church culture moves people to environments that empower accountability, belonging and care. At Longleaf Church, we believe the best environment for these ABC's are small groups. The defining trait of a small group is something we call Authentic Community. Authentic Community is more than relevant.....it's irresistible.

Longleaf Church is hosting a series of informational events in March and April to share our vision for creating a simply irresistible church culture. Visit our website or click HERE to contact us for more information.

Lego People

My family loves Lego's. We are a creative bunch and Lego's are such a great outlet for our creative energy. I love that the kids can simply imagine something then set out to build it. Lego's don't just come in your basic brick shapes. There are endless shapes and colors designed to build a huge variety of things. We just visited Lego Land in Orlando and there are some larger than life examples of what people can build with Lego's. The pictures above are of my two youngest kids (Em and Harmon) designing and building Lego people. The cool thing about Lego's is that they take our creativity out-of-the-box and allow us to dream. It seems that so many people feel very constrained and boxed-in by life. We should never completely lose the wonder and imagination of childhood. We are all wired to wonder, to dream, to discover and to create....

There are so many times in life when you and I surrender our passions and our dreams because someone or some part of our culture tells us that we are incapable of realizing our dreams and we settle for something less than our God given potential. Cultural currents tend to propel us away from our dreams and we eventually lose sight of whatever it was we dreamed that we could do. Passions give way to complacency. It's interesting that culture seems to position wisdom and courage as being at odds with following our passions and our dreams. Can dreamers be wise and courageous? I suppose that it depends on the heart of the dreamer....

How about Christians? Aren't we suppose to be boring, status-quo type people? We're not suppose to dream big and tell God what we wish for, or are we? Jesus compared himself to a vine and he represented his followers as the branches of this vine. He further explained that those who remain in him will bear much fruit, but apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5). If we are following Jesus with our hearts, we can trust our dreams. He wants us to blossom and bring glory to our Heavenly Father. The wisdom of the Word will guide us to boldly pursue our potential and our dreams. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15: 7-8 NIV).

Is there something in your life that you feel like you are suppressing? Do you feel called to do something that you can't seem to find the courage to do? If you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life then commit your dreams and passions to him by asking big. Then wait for an opening and go for it. Though we will stumble, we are offered great strength to lead fruitful lives that bring fulfillment and reflect glory to God. Our unique gift-sets are like a set of Lego's waiting to create an inspiring work of art that makes an eternal difference!

Unleashed

I am looking forward to our 2/42 gathering tonight. It's so cool that a relational culture already exists at the core of our faith movement (Longleaf Church). It's awesome to consider our future, a church of Small Groups where disconnected people move from rows to circles and "do life together." Small Groups are environments where people experience accountability, belonging and care. Community Groups (Small Groups for adults) at Longleaf Church will encourage growth in three vital relationships; Intimacy with God, Community with Insiders and Influence with Outsiders. Our stories of faith in Jesus will be encapsulated in the "Authentic Community" of Community Groups.

During our early days, the 2/42 will serve as a hybrid environment that will bridge us to a time when we fully organize our small groups and have our first worship service. We are also working to equip our families and invest in the children of Longleaf while we "incubate" our faith movement. I am thankful that two families, the Jarrards and the Greens are really taking initiative on the Family Ministry front. All of this feels somewhat daunting and I haven't even mentioned funding! We are on a journey of faith. When we read about the origins of the early church in the book of Acts we learn that the faith of the Apostles and the early believers was stretched again and again. As the gospel spread and the church became organized, there were several instances when followers had to exercise extraordinary faith.

The first church meeting (oh boy!) is recorded in the 15th chapter of Acts. All of the heavy-hitter leaders of the early church were there. Some of the people were challenging the preaching of the gospel to the gentiles (anybody that was not a Jew). The converts who had been Jewish Pharisees wanted the Gentiles to get circumcised and follow their laws as conditions. They were building boundaries to outsiders and underestimating the power of the gospel. In response, Peter said "He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). Peter's point was expounded upon by James (brother of Jesus) then Paul and Barnabas told of how the gospel had been spreading among Gentiles through them. Since this first "church meeting" and in spite of great obstacles, the spread of the gospel was unleashed around the world to generation after generation. The growth of the church has been miraculous.

The penetrating power of faith in Jesus tears down all boundaries and removes all obstacles. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone so it's our job as the church to make ourselves accessible to outsiders. Like some of the early believers, we sometimes underestimate the power of our faith and try to box God in. When we focus on the ultimate mission of the church (reaching people) we can unleash our faith and inspire a movement. We (I) must remain strong in the faith as we endeavor to plant a church. Two thousand years ago, unfiltered faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ unleashed a passionate movement of people. This movement continues....

Speed

It seems like my oldest daughter, Anna, should be about 7 years old. She turns 12 this Monday and it makes me want to cry. Life is silly fast. Anna is a gifted kid with a tender heart. I'm not just saying that. She is a special kid. Like all parents, I want all the best for her and my other two great kids (Em and Harmon).

Tonight, my family had dinner with an awesome group of college students. It occurred to me that Anna is closer in age to the college students than I am. Wow! How can this be?? Didn't I just graduate from college? There is no other measurement of time so profound as the age of your children. As children move from elementary age to college age, their life becomes so much more autonomous. This is an intuitive truth but the speed of life just takes me aback. Children are provided with lots of structure as they grow up (hopefully) and college instantly grants them great freedom. I want to ensure that our parental influence will sustain itself as my kids discover life, make mistakes, learn and eventually leave home (if I let them).

As I contemplate how fast my kids are growing up, I feel the significance of impressing God's truth upon their hearts (Deuteronomy 6:7). I pray that I am modeling Jesus for my children and that they are all growing in wisdom and truth. Do my kids see my faith? Do my kids see me make wise decisions and trust God no matter what? Does Anna see the passion and wonder of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ reflected within my heart? Here's two important question for parents;

1. Am I consistently making relationship deposits into the lives of my kids? Am I leaning into the uniqueness of each one of my kids and making them feel loved?
2. Am I consistently discussing God's truth with my kids?

I better be able to say yes to these questions. I can't abdicate this stuff. It's up to me and Amy. What happens at home is more important than what happens at church for the spiritual growth of my kids. However, imagine a church culture that doesn't just promote this "Family Ministry" lifestyle to me but comes alongside me through intentional relationships. Imagine another adult and/or an older kid investing themselves into the lives of my children and reinforcing biblical truth to them. I want those relationships for my kids and I believe that relevant ministry environments which are anchored with relational small groups can represent that for them. This passion for Family Ministry is a part of the DNA of Longleaf Church and I am excited to know that these relationships will be a part of the lives of my kids. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking that church is something that you're just suppose to do. I want them to experience the church.

An interesting film clip of the forest...

Sunrise

This past weekend, I spent some quality time in the outdoors with some guys who seem to have successfully blended their unique passions with their unique talents. Each one of us are driven to pursue this unique convergence of our gifts and our passions. When we start getting close to this ideal or this dream of what our lives could represent, an uncommon energy fuels our souls and purpose is discovered.

My friends John and Michael are cinematographers. These guys create art through film. They will rise at 4AM or climb 65 feet up in a tree to capture a certain angle or shot that they envision. Trust me on this, they took me along for the ride. As I watched the splendor of sunrise in the forest with John and Michael I felt like I was a part of something larger than myself. It occurred to me that the remarkable beauty of creation is not just a monument to God's majesty, it serves to remind us that our lives can reflect the remarkable nature of His truth. When we accept the covenant of salvation and follow Jesus we discover that He will guide us on a journey of passion and purpose. Following Jesus is no mundane deal. It's the opposite. You can trust me on that too.

In Isaiah Chapter 55, the prophet Isaiah poetically expresses the salvation covenant and he personifies the redeemed life through nature. He personifies redeemed lives as mountains bursting into song and trees clapping their hands. As nature flourishes and buds through rain and snow, our lives can flourish and bud through the living water of the Word (Isaiah 55:10-11). He has endowed us with splendor (Isaiah 55:5). Sunrise brings light to the forest and reflects the splendor of nature. In the same way, redeemed lives reflect the light of the world. This light emanates from within our very souls. Hang on to that thought for a moment. It doesn't seem like my life should be quite so significant to the God of creation.

I am fired up to know that some people in Middle Georgia believe that church is not simply the transfer of a body of knowledge but a movement fueled by passion and purpose. Longleaf Church is about creating environments where people can do life together, grow in truth, serve strategically and birth a movement. We want to create a church culture that reflects the splendor of Jesus and attracts un-churched people. I am looking forward to our next gathering this Sunday evening!