A Good Day is a Thing to Celebrate

When God brings good things your way, you should celebrate them. Let me give you five from these past few days.

1. We had a new family join the Catalyst team today.

2. We had a great intensive coaching session last Friday and Saturday with Jim Griffith, a highly regarded church planting coach and consultant. His suggestions will take Catalyst to the next level and work out some details which we've needed to clarify for some time.

3. Found out we're going to be able to work on our setup for October 4th on the evening before. This will actually be a huge help to get us prepped for our first weekend gathering.

4. We found out today also that the school is going to allow us to put our outdoor signs out at the school on Friday evenings. Maple Ridge hosts all the little league soccer or a basketball league at least 30 weekends a year? So every Saturday morning they drive into the school for little league, they will drive by our sign inviting them to Catalyst. THIS IS HUGE!

5. Working through some great material for life together groups over the next couple of months. Taking a look at walking with Jesus in a real-life, down to earth way!

Just a sampling of some great stuff going on with Catalyst.

My partner

I'm going to say right now that there would be no Catalyst without the work of God in our lives. That goes without saying. In line after God's work in us is Carlotta.

When we were offered this opportunity to plant a church, I had no idea really how much it would cost Carlotta to be part of Catalyst. I guess I had no idea what it would cost all of us, but especially some of the tradeoffs she would have to make. She lives with me when the stress is exceptionally high. She rides the emotional roller coaster with me, often in the background, hearing my deepest frustrations and celebrating the moments of triumph. But while I get to be the point person who hears the way to go's from our peers, she just continues to quietly serve and share her life with people, often far from the spotlight.

There would be no Catalyst without Carlotta. It's not just the hosting in our home and fixing meals that we never did before. It's not just the late nights that I work or the late nights that we are spending with our team, or with friends inviting them to be part of Catalyst. It's not even just that she wants Catalyst to succeed and grow and be an important part of our community. It's that she wants desperately to see people's lives changed by connecting with Jesus. She loves Jesus and knows that people's lives will be radically changed by meeting and following and serving Him. I know this experience has stretched and grown her in her faith and practice more than anything we've ever done, and she's not complained. Not complained about no family vacation this summer. Not complained about hospital visits at 10pm downtown. Not complained about our garage being taken over by Catalyst stuff. Not complained about scrambling to find childcare at the last minute. Even though she doesn't get nearly the accolades she so richly deserves, and stands outside the spotlight a lot of the time, she is my partner in this in every conceivable way. And without her, there'd be no Catalyst. I'm so blessed to be married to her, and that we can partner on this endeavor of life change for people all over this community.

Let me say a little bit about Camden. You may ask, "okay how does an 18mth old have a role in this?" Camden has been a great kid in busy circumstances all through her life. She has missed a few naps this summer. She's been to lots of lunch meetings with me. She's been to a lot of different church nurseries. She's met hundreds of people this past 12 months. And she's been cool through it all. She hasn't ever gotten sick. She's friendly and pretty easy to take care of (although she's super busy right now as you might imagine) I guess what I'm saying is that I've been blessed that God has used her to help us start conversations with people, and she's had a part in the Catalyst story from the beginning too. I look forward to the days when I can tell her the stories of how God used us, used her, to start this little ministry called Catalyst that has had such an impact on our neighborhood and community and on places around the world. That she had a part of it even before she could talk or remember! That's good stuff.

Thanks for engaging my two part ramble today. I think when people are gifted by God and have made an impact on your life, you should tell them. I know people aren't angling for public acknowledgement, but I am glad to express that I see Jesus in these people I am blessed to get to work with, and I ask you to thank them and to pray for God's continued work in and blessing on their lives.

Grace and Peace.

The Catalyst Team

Okay so we're less than 6 weeks away from our first preview. It's such a great feeling to have a great team in place, who are passionate about their areas of ministry, especially since for most of us, we've never done this before at this level of leadership. This might be a good time to introduce you to our team, as most of you read from places several miles away from Pendleton.

In no particular order...

Brad Brickley, our worship arts director. He's the best worship leader you've probably never heard of....yet. There will come a day when I will get to tell people (actually that day is right now) yeah, I get to work with that guy from the beginning of his worship leader career! Major vocal range, skilled musician at the guitar, bass, piano (and I'll bet he could play several other things if the need arose). Major servant's heart and deflective personality. When he leads, people focus on Jesus. That's the definition of a great worship leader!

Ryan Webster, our facilities/hospitality director. You can't meet Ryan and not want to be his friend. He's also a get the job done kinda guy as well, thinking of details (yeah, a guy who thinks of details) who's always willing to say what needs to be said in a loving/encouraging way to keep me thinking. Passionate about good facilities and making people feel welcome!

Heather Webster, CatalystKidz co-director. Heather has the heart of a servant like no other. She loves kids and loves Catalyst loves Jesus and has been one of our biggest champions from the very beginning. She has a creative mind and high expectations for our children's ministry to be the best it can be...no excuses that we're a 6 month old church. She believes every kid has the potential to grow in their connection with Christ no matter how old they are, from birth on up! That's what I love most about her!

Lauren Brickley, Catalyst Kidz co-director. Lauren is a fun and creative champion of Children's ministry. Her attention to detail and creative flair will add a dynamic to CatalystKidz that will be the envy of church's all around us. She really wants to see kids know more about Christ and to grow with Him and works hard to see that happen in exciting fun ways!

Brian Souders, Community Connections director. Brian is the best brainstormer I've met in a long time. Dude has an infinite supply of really good ideas and thoughts that engage people and will make Catalyst a better church. He also shares my heart for making a difference in the community. He's already partnered us with a local 5k run that promotes heart health, and is engaging a partnership with Outfitters, a local clothing and school supply "store" that provides new items to under-resourced families at little or no cost. In the spare time he has (somehow) he's also taking outreach to the streets by serving as an assistant high school football coach in Fortville. His wife Sarah serves so many imporant roles; a couple are as head over our women's ministry (they have a unique name. Talk to me or email me and I'll tell you the story, but probably can't post it here!) She also has become a great question asker for me. Some of her questions honestly have helped form directions for the teaching schedule and reminded me that being a place where people take their next step in journey with God means you better be a safe place to explore and ask questions! I'm so thankful for her hunger to learn!

Brad Justus, Operations director. Brad is the guy on our team that everyone needs. He knows how to gently ask the hard questions that move a church forward. He is laser focused on mission/vision, how that's communicated and the systems that will help our mission/vision be accomplished. He's also hungry to grow to be more like Jesus, both in his leadership style and in his family/church life.

Joe/Lisa Davis, administration. Joe and Lisa bring to the table more than a paragraph can possibly contain. It's more than just the administrative support (which is huge and will continue to grow). It's the brilliant "have you thought about...." questions they ask. It's the "hey we could do this" idea that take a very good plan to the best possible plan. And it's the "hey, we believe in you and what you're doing" at several of just the right times over the past few months that have put the wind back in my sails and prompted us in the next step forward.

In short, this team is not all Catalyst is. They are lending strong support to a growing group of team members. But this leadership team has laid the groundwork for a great, healthy growing church in our community. The teams that work with them are excellent in their support and passion for their ministry areas and for Catalyst.

Many of the things they've been praying for and working on, like seeds in the ground, are beginning to come to life on the surface these days. Do we have things to work through and improve on? Sure. But as we continue to gel as a leadership team, I believe the potential that God has wired into this team is virtually limitless. And there's one more person I want to add to this conversation, but she gets her own post. (One she'll never write for herself, so I'm going to)

Pray for our team. Pray for our preview. And pray that as we move forward, an increasing number of people in our community will experience life transformation through the work of Jesus in us.

Dog Days

This time of year in the baseball season is often called the Dog Days of August. It's that time of the season when many teams are out of the race for the playoffs but the season still has quite a bit of time before reaching it's completion. It's like 2nd semester of sophomore year of college. The experience is not new anymore, but you're not exactly close to the finish line either. Another way I think about dog days is kinda like the emotional drain that comes after a huge experience of success/joy. You see the big win, you feel it, and then...it's like, "what's next?" Not what event, what responsibility is next. More like, "so how soon am I gonna get to feel the 'big win' feeling again?"

We're 7 weeks from our first preview service. There's a lot to do in terms of preparation in that next 7 weeks. And there's a few other big things going on during that 7 weeks, too. The big wins are great. But they can be dangerous when you only live for the highs. Ministry life I've realized over and again is in the journey. You celebrate the highs and you keep moving forward. I'm also feeling a bit of the drain of no break for a while. This is no one's fault, it's just a result of the pace of church planting. I've done this summer what I never recommend for people...no vacation! I do have a plan. Get through the preview, and get a little break after that before preview 2 rolls around November 8th.

So we'll push through the dog days and the excitement will build (along with the pure anxiety) because...7 weeks will go by extremely quick!

Concert in the Park update

Didn't want to wait til Monday. Concert was a huge success. Band was awesome. Weather was hot. It's finally August in Indiana and couldn't come at a later date, but....lots of guests, lots of fun. We'll post more pictures and video in the days ahead, but here's a link to check out a few photos. If you're on facebook, check out the Catalyst fan page (link here) to see about 30 additional photos. Oh, and coming in a few days, we'll give you an audio sampling of the band, or at least as much as we can get away with without violating copyright law!

Preview 1 is 8 weeks away. We're asking you to start praying now for this event. I'll post more details about the plans for this ground breaking event, including series information and how you can be part of October 4th.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers for today. We had no major glitches, found a good preview partner for our a/v needs (thanks to the guys at axibus.) And now it's time to go to bed, because Camden doesn't know how hard daddy worked today and will probably not sleep in the morning.

Remember, you can always catch the most up to date information about Catalyst by checking iamcatalyst.org or on Twitter when you follow CatalystPndltn.

Grace and Peace

In the Middle of the 440

Ever feel like life has thrust you into an Olympic hurdle race? You're up against the most challenging competitors in the world, and as if running fast is not enough, there's these tall barriers that keep coming up at regular intervals. Such is the Catalyst life right now.

In the 400 meter hurdles, it's a full lap around the track. For most of the race, you can't see the finish line, but you have to be focused both on it and the hurdles in between. You make the last turn however, and you can see the tape in the distance. While we are not yet at the finish line, and behind pace a bit, we're still in the race...and we're closing!

This weekend is an exciting next step in the young life of Catalyst Church. Our band is debuting at a concert at Falls Park in Pendleton Sunday at 4:30pm. If you're in the area, it's going to be a great time. If you're not in the area, please pray for this event. This will be the first that many many people in our community will hear of Catalyst (and they'll probably hear it pretty loudly) This first impression will really give a lot of people who we are and how we're different from traditional church. We want to honor God and use this gathering to draw people to Him, not just to us.

We're 8 weeks from our first preview service. There's a ton of stuff that needs to be prepped by October 4th. I know that for most of you the impression was that our launch weekend was to be October 4th, but we're not ready yet for full fledged, every weekend, worship. We just don't have the team in place yet. But we are going to be doing some 1x per months in Oct-Dec. Sooo, if you'd planned on coming down for launch weekend, and it's still on your calendar, why not plan on joining us? Same location, and I believe God will use this first gathering to be the next kickstart to the Catalyst story.

One final note. Some of you know how serious things have been with the Catalyst launch, and there's been some question as to whether we were going to be able to get off the ground. I recall several things. First, the scriptures remind us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. The enemy fights any territory reclaimed for the Kingdom of God. We have felt your prayers on our behalf these past days. Honestly, we are here because of God's divine work on our behalf. And I know that there will be a day when we get to tell the whole story of Catalyst, of the times we thought we might be dead on the table, and then we look around at the hundreds of people whose lives have been changed by God's work through this new church, and we will celebrate with all of Heaven because we see with our own eyes the truths of the verse that says, "For we will reap a harvest if we don't give up!"

More hurdles ahead. More track to put behind us. More challenges to overcome. God is faithful. We'll get to the finish line and on to the marathon ahead!