Reignition

My lovely bride and I attended the Truth Conference this past weekend. If I said that it was incredible I would be understating it. There was a large amount of information in a short period of time and some fantastic resources. For us, the key moment came in Josh McDowell's opening address.

Josh talked about the barriers to the Gospel we face in this modern age. The first is the information glut that is the internet. There is a lot in great stuff out there but there's even more garbage. His point on this one is that we all need to do our homework before we teach or speak publicly. The Science of apologetics is more important than ever. On this point, I can't really disagree. I've debated too many atheists, agnostics, and other non-Christians over the years. I'm very grateful for my background in science and history fanaticism. Even with that, I still need to know more to be effective. However, the need to study more was not the key moment.

The key came from the second barrier, the vast increase in pornography especially online. If you've listened to my podcast, Jesus' Outsider, you know I do a lot of work in this area as does my lovely bride. That sexual and pornographic addictions are increasing wasn't a surprise neither was the shift in cultural attitudes created by the growing acceptance of its use. The thing I had forgotten was how few of us are talking about it. Living in this world with all of the resources we use, sometimes it looks like the conversation about sexuality in the church is in full tilt. Unfortunately, it isn't. No one, outside of the ministries we get our resources from, is really talking about just how bad it really is in the church. Porn, sexual addictions, and all sorts of other "unique" sexual lifestyles are deeply embedded in the Body of Christ.

Why do we talk about it? Because we get it. We both have very interesting backgrounds, to put it mildly. We have fought this junk continuously for years. We have to take extra precautions to prevent falling back into it. If, as people who have served Christ for many years, we need to work extra hard to keep our sexual purity, then how many others do as well. Worse, how many don't bother to work to stay pure and just give in to the lure of sexual sin?

The need to do something real was driven home. We have had a conference in mind for a long time dealing with this issue directly and honestly. In fact, we started to work on it but a series of circumstances forced us to put in on the back burner. That has now changed. It's time to do the work to make this happen.

I already have a good format in mind with a shortlist of possible speakers beyond Kim and me. One of the most important segments will be Kim giving her story for the first time in public. It's more than a little scary and heart wrenching but it highlights the results of living a lifestyle that millions of women have been introduced to through Fifty Shades of Grey. The truth behind this supposed romance is very dark. For my part, I'll be sharing statistics and the technical side of porn including apps, filters, and other helps for breaking the addiction. We have other speakers in mind but until we have them confirmed, we're not going to share.

Now, for the challenging part. To pull this off, we need a lot more money than we have at our disposal. We're going to need at least $3000-3500 to cover all of the expenses of putting on the conference. We are going to charge admission with the proceeds going toward the launch of Freedom Church but we would like to have the resources to put it on before the first ticket is sold. Once we hit the first $1500, we will set the date.

To raise the funds, we're seeking individual donations on the support button on the Freedom Church page until a separate page is set up. We are also seeking ministry and business sponsorships including setting up tables in the resource area, banners, and other recognition. If you're interested or know someone we need to talk to, please get in touch with us at contact@freedompia.org.

We will be sharing more information as it develops and can be made public. We will also throw out some hints on the content as we approach the day to wet your whistle.

Pray for us as this is going to be a difficult to do for a host of reasons.

Pastor Mike

Signs of Change

A recent conversation on a ministry group I'm a part of sparked some thoughts far too detailed to post in a short comment on Facebook. The group is aimed at those of us who find ourselves classified as subculture ministries which merely means that we reach out to people who are considered to be outside to cultural norms, whatever those are.

The post, by a good friend and big part of the start of Freedom Church, posted the following:

"God is not looking at your forearms to determine whether you can share His Gospel with others. He’s not looking to see if you have too much makeup on or are wearing pants instead of a skirt. It’s ridiculous to think that God is so shallow that He would stop you from coming to Him because of something external. No, God is concerned with your heart and your mind. When you allow Him, not people's ideas, to transform the way you think, it will always be a positive thing."

This started a short series of posts about transformation. One commenter asked that if people do not leave their culture, how will the world know that they are changed? He did state that outward appearance wasn't necessary for salvation but did wonder about evidence speaking to the change. It was answered in brief and quite well by the moderator for the group, but there is still more to be said.

I had to set back and really consider where to go with my thinking and how best to express it. The question boils down to this: When you accept Christ, do you have to leave your particular subculture as evidence to the transformation Jesus brings?

It's a loaded question that needs to be broken down a little further. There are some cultures built around that which is sinful, usually around some type of sexual immorality. If this is the culture you're in, then yes, leave and be free from the sin. This is a much broader group than many people realize and includes a lot more than the first one that pops into most Christian's heads. These groups are ones that Christians do not become part of to reach but stand and show them the door to His freedom through love and relationship without participating in the sin.

Most subcultures do not fall into these categories. Most are just outside of what is considered to be normal society but aren't in and of themselves sinful. There's nothing wrong with being Goth, a biker, metalhead, punk, nerd, or any other group that you can think of that fits the outsider label. If they are not sinful, then why do we expect them to adopt cultural normative dress and lifestyles?

This is the same mistake that Christian missionaries from Western countries have made when preaching the Gospel in nations with different cultures. As much as preaching Christ, many also tried to Westernize the people in the name of Christ and civilizing the people. This resulted in a lot of failure in reaching people who truly need Jesus. Fortunately, most modern foreign missionaries have learned the lessons of the past and embrace local customs and attire as part of reaching the culture.

I do not mean to say that we need to alter the word to fit a culture nor that Christ needs to change a culture. But, that doesn't mean changing clothes, removing a tattoo (unless the tattoo is pornographic or directly blasphemous), or musical style preferences. It does mean abandoning sin and changing from a follower of the flesh to a disciple of Jesus. That is a change of the heart and mind and will be evident in the life of the person through behaviors, both leaving some behind and developing new ones.

Who better to see the change that the people you identify with, the group you are most comfortable? They will see the change first before anyone else could. They know the person best as they were before Jesus and are most likely to notice when that transformation begins. This is one of the most effective tools in Jesus' toolbox when it comes to reaching sinners in need of grace, the word of our testimony.

Instead of expecting people to adopt to church normative culture so they can fit in with us, why not let people be who they are yet transformed by the renewing of their minds? It's not the job of the church to make everyone look and think exactly the same but to preach the Gospel of Christ where it is needed. Last time I checked, that was to everyone for we are all in need of Jesus and His freedom through salvation.

-Pastor Mike

Resets and Adjustments

Never let it be said that times of intense prayer aren't productive. The last several weeks have given a lot of answers on questions that need to be answered.

I have to admit, I was starting to get very discouraged. We're making progress, but at an excruciatingly slow rate almost to the point of appearing to be stationary. It's very frustrating for me, especially since I'm very much a results oriented person. If I'm working toward something, I have a hard time with delays, stalls, and setbacks. Nowhere is this more true for me than when it comes to Kingdom work. I came very close to giving up more than once in the last couple of months. Discouragement and despair are always at the elbow of anyone called to leadership in the Body and I am no exception.

Before I could give up, I hit my knees in prayer and for the last several weeks have engaged in a period of intensely seeking the face of God and sessions of fasting. I sought answers for a lot of questions that have been plaguing my thoughts. There are a few left I need answers and a couple I need further understanding but the primary queries have been answered.

I have been asking the Lord why Freedom Church is going so slow. Instead of one answer, I got three. One of them, I've already addressed in my personal blog and dealt with a sin issue that had been tolerated far too long. Yes, pastors can have sin issues in their lives just like everyone else. We can even have a modicum of effectiveness while allowing sin to have a hold on areas of our lives. However, the time is coming when the Lord isn't going to allow us to remain in bondage to the flesh and still serve effectively in His Kingdom. He was pretty clear that he wouldn't allow these seeds of destruction to remain and proceed with Freedom Church's launch. Now that this has been dealt with, placed under the Blood, and vigilance against it is in place (including accountability), the other answers have been given to us.

The next is that we are no longer going to be limited to a specific geographic location. When we decided to focus on Sunnyland, it was in the aftermath of the Washington Tornado. I was privileged to be used of God to minister to a number of people who were dealing with the loss of their homes, shock, and grief. In retrospect, I believe we were caught up in the emotion of the grief and pain of a community we belonged to and loved. The call to the Washington area (of which Sunnyland is a part) was for a specific time and season and that has passed. For many people, not being specific about a location is gong to sound a little nuts because it goes against the grain for many church plants. However, the fullness of the Lord's vision for FC makes more sense when we are no longer tied to a location.

The real truth is that we are called to a people rather than to a location and even that has been reshuffled a little. Our calling to the outcast, the people who don't feel like they belong anywhere else. That may not seem to be of a change since that's always been a part of the vision but the truth is we had a lot of the right people on the list but not in the right order. There are a lot of people who feel like they can't be themselves in a church because they feel condemned or judged because of who they are or what they enjoy. They need a place to belong.

There are a lot of people out there who need the Gospel. No one church can reach them all. The truth is, there are a lot of people out there who don't fit the mold of the "typical churchgoer." Many of them also feel rejected by larger society and need a place to belong. There are a lot of names people use for these people including freaks, geeks, nerds, losers, and flakes. However, these are among the most intelligent, creative and sensitive people out there. Lots of them are into metal, hard rock, punk and dress that way. They could be Goth, Cosplayers, or a whole host of so-called subcultures that feel out of place in traditional and contemporary churches. That is our calling. These are our people.

Does that mean that bikers and others are off the list? Absolutely not. Freedom Church is open to anyone who feels disenfranchised or cast off and needs to find the real freedom offered in Christ Jesus. This particular change appears to be minor but the focus shift is very real. We were close to the mark but not quite on the bullseye. It's the same list we've had from the beginning but the order has been shuffled a little bit. It's going to be a more difficult road to travel, but we must go down it.

When we were aiming at the wrong part of the target, the Lord slowed our progress to keep us from going too far down the road. It's so much easier to correct a course when you're starting out than it is when you're well underway. There are a few more things we need to clear up but they're relatively minor. With His help, things should start to accelerate very soon.

Pastor Mike

Updates Long Past Due

To say that 2015 has had a rough start would be stating things mildly. Health issues and the financial challenges they brought about have set back our time table a lot. By this point, the first of the small groups was to have started, a new promotional video release, and a location for the seminar set. Unfortunately, none of that has happened. There are a lot of people we need to meet with to get the ball rolling again that we have not been able to make happen.

First and foremost, to reassure all of you, the fire has in no way diminished. Our passion for glorifying God and preaching His Gospel to those not currently being reached still burns with a bright flame. The trials of the last few weeks have done nothing to deter the vision the Lord has given us. Freedom Church is still coming.

The seminar we've been planning is still the plan. The more research we do, the more people we ask, the more convinced we are that we need to move forward. The need is tremendous. However, for obvious reasons we are moving the date back until May. The final date will be set once we have a location. We need help finding one. To keep consistent with the planned location, Washington or East Peoria would be ideal however, locations in Peoria are not out of the question. The preference is for a host church that we can partner with that sees the need but, failing that, other locations are options that will need to be considered.

Thanks to an overly busy holiday season and the trials of the last several weeks, most of the needs have not changed. The list (copied here from a previous post) hasn't changed.

1. Final legal filings for incorporation as a religious corp. We have most of the funds for this but need the rest. This is the smallest part of the need.
2. Promotional expenses. In addition to press releases, we are going to produce radio spots to run on both Christian and secular radio stations. We can produce the spots in-house using Deep Mystery Studio, the facility used to record Jesus' Outsider. The cost will be to air the spots.
3. Mailers to churches with information about the conference and fliers that can they can post.
4. Participant hand-outs
5. Speaker fees for outside speakers
6. Fees for the host church or facility.

However, we are no longer promoting the GoFundMe campaign. They charge too much. I would rather have the normal charges of credit card processing through PayPal than the additional cost of a crowd-sourcing service. I have been less than impressed with the service. They haven't done anything to warrant the fees they impose. Contributions can be made through PayPal either on this page or on the FC site.

Work continues. I hope to have my voice back soon so that I will start recording soon and be able to create the promotional videos for the church and for the seminar. The storyboards for the seminar video are almost complete.

Prayer support is greatly appreciated. The trials that have slowed our progress are not finished yet. The vision continues, the fire burns as bright. Trials cannot stop the plans of the Lord.

Stalling and Restarts

If you're wondering, yes we've stalled out at Freedom Church. Any momentum we've had has been lost over the last several weeks. Unfortunately, all of my personal time has been spent trying to make enough money to pay the bills and purchase groceries. In addition to FC, I'm working three jobs, two for other people plus Deep Mystery Studio. As you can imagine, that leaves nothing for FC. There are videos to produce, people to meet with, and a huge list of other tasks that aren't happening right now. If you're reading this and I owe you a coffee meeting, I truly apologize. I am trying to stabilize things so I can make those happen.

Some things are going to hold off until some decisions are made and actions taken. Until I have more control of my time, the small group/Bible study will have to wait. It needs to happen, but as long as I work most weekends at one job or another and can't predict what time I get home at night, we can't schedule it. At the moment, I don't feel like I have the room to breathe much less get anything important done.

However, if we are to meet a goal, something has to happen. We are planning to hold a seminar as both a fundraiser and introduction to the larger church. There are areas of knowledge that many people in the church are lacking that are putting our kids and ourselves are risk. Essentially, it's about what the world is throwing at us in the realm of sexuality and how to remain pure in the midst of it. We'll be teaching about social media, especially apps that parents aren't familiar with that are used for all sorts of activities that we don't want anyone to engage in. The changing face of porn is also an essential topic. We need to know where it's coming from and how it's getting into our homes. It will be more than just a presentation of facts, we'll talk about how lives are destroyed on multiple levels, including the lifestyle romanticized by Fifty Shades of Grey by someone who lived it.

The plan is to hold the event the first Saturday in February, just before the Fifty Shades movie hits theaters. All we need is a host church, preferably in Washington or East Peoria. We will provide snacks and all materials, handle ticket sales, and everything else involved. Whoever hosts is encouraged to participate and to have a table of their own. The purpose of the seminar is to help people in the Body of Christ understand what we are up against and how to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to bear to bring freedom to those who need that bound in the world's chains. Yes, funds above the costs of the event go to starting FC, but our aim is to equip the Body to protect itself and serve the hurting.

We would also like other related ministries and organizations to be represented. Any ministry is welcome, but we would especially like to have Christian counselling services on hand. Youth ministries are encouraged to set up as well. We want as many resources as possible for the attendees to be able to make use of the information and stories they'll hear. We're praying about whether or not to charge for tables or ask for a voluntary donation.

Until then, we need to raise $1000 for some expenses we have yet to cover including finishing the incorporation and other needs we have to get started. There's a PayPal link on this page and our homepage. If you prefer, we have a GoFundMe campaign that you can use to make a contribution.

Freedom Church has slowed, but we are not out. The Lord is still in this work and we need your support and prayers to accomplish His mission.