EnterMission - Rob Wegner

Headed to California

I'm headed to Saddleback this week with Mark, Sheila, and Michelle.  Ron Vandergriend and his wife Lou are already out there enjoying themselves.  Ron's a smart man. 

Rick Warren is hosting the 2008 PD Network Summit and invited 25 influential pastors to join him in present.  Our very own Senior Pastor got the invite!  Here's the rest of the list:

Mark Batterson, National Community	AR Bernard, Christian Cultural Center
Bil Cornelius, Bay Area Fellowship	Bryan Crute, Destiny Metro Worship
Jimmie Davidson, Highlands Fellowship	Mark Driscoll, Marks Hill
Jonathan Falwell, Thomas Road Baptist	Dave Ferguson, Community Christian
Floyd Flake, Greater Allen AME	Ken Foreman, Cathedral of Faith
Jentezen Franklin, Free Chapel	Dave Gibbons, NewSong Church
Troy Gramling, Flamingo Road	Dave Holden, Lake Gregory Community
Joel Hunter, A Church Distributed	Ray Johnston, Bayside Church
Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian	Daniel Kim, Sa-Rang Community
Tommy Kyllonen, Crossover Community	Lee McFarland, Radiant Church
Miles McPherson, The Rock	James Meeks, Salem Baptist Church
Perry Noble, NewSpring Church	Bob Roberts, Northwood Church
Nelson Searcy, The Journey Church	Jud Wilhite, Central Christian Church

Rick's taking a very collaborative approach this time around, which I'm pretty excited about.  He'll present at two sessions and the other six sessions are panel discussions built around around the following topics:

• Worship
• Discipleship
• Fellowship
• Evangelism
• Ministry
• PEACE (The Missional Church at Work in the World)

Mark is going to present what GCC has been doing outside of the four walls of the church in the last session.   We're looking forward to sharing the model we've been working on for the last seven years. I can't wait to hear what these other progressive churches are doing.

This month has been been unbelievable. First the door to lead the One Prayer International Initiative opened and we found ourselves with the unbelievable privilege of facilitating the planting of 500 churches in four nations.  The website is live. Check it out here.

Then, my buddy from Saddleback, Mike Constantz, Pastor of PEACE, called about a HUGE PD initiative in India.  Mike is one of the most experienced and wise missional leaders I know.  Anytime he calls and asks for anything, it's an automatic, "I'm in."

So, we're headed out a day early to gather with a few dozen churches that will be training hundreds of thousands of pastors and church leaders in India.  Mike  is heading up the project and has asked GCC to provide leadership in Southern India.   We'll provide a coaching track to complement the conference track that Saddleback has developed.  Combine the those two and you have a left/right combination that will be a knockout.  We're looking for PD churches that want in on this, so if you're church leader who is interested in getting involved, let me know.

Pray for Mark this week as he opens up the hood on the what and the why of our work in India.  Rick sent us a heads up on what he is looking for.  He wants a bullet list of "what we've learned" and one example of something we did that "failed."

Mark, Jack and I have been working on that list.  So, I'll be sharing that here over the next couple posts.

Wall Painted Animation

This is the most interesting work of art I've seen in a while.  I would love to see a "behind the scenes" feature on this one.  Is this crazy or what?  I would call it "The Wages of Sin."

 

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Boot Lake and Frogs on a Pier

The weather today is perfect, so we headed out to one of our little getaways, Boot Lake Nature Preserve.  At the end of one of the trails, is a pier we like to hang out on.  Today, we discovered that the frogs like to perch on top of the legs that hold up the pier and soak in the sun.   Their camouflage is amazing!When these guys curl up and tuck in their legs, they look like little pieces of granite.  Unless you get right up next to them, it looks like someone dropped a series of stones on top of the ledge.

Whit was looking at one up close, it jumped at her, and stuck on her face!   Unlike most gals, Whit loved it!   Another jumped on Maddie and stuck to her stomach.   I only had my phone with me, but I got a few pics.  We also found a beaver's den.  Belle said,"Dad, this is the first time I got to go to a real beaver's house!" Good times.

 

Forget the Irish Spring

One of the micro-enterprises were are firing up right now involves a soap product.  Some of these pastors who have been faithfully serving their churches have been trying to make it one meal a day.  This is common among many of the members of the church, as well.  Think about that for a minute.   What would it be like living on one meal a day?

So, we've been brainstorming strategies.  The best answer came from one of the Indian pastor who had already established a small soap making business in his village with great success.  He was thrilled to share the product and create a training module for others.  

We'll be launching this initiative with around 50 of our friends.  Raj is pulling together the initiative, networking the soap-makers, and branding product.  Read about the marketing strategy here.   Raj is my hero!  You looking at the product design.  I think it's sweet! 

Watch out Irish Spring! We're got your number and we're coming after you.

Mission Leaders Forum Today

The next couple days I get the privilege of hanging out with some of the brightest missional leaders in the local church here in America.   We're hosting a laid back forum here at GCC to share learning, swap notes, tell stories, and look for points of collaboration.  I learn more from one roundtable than I do from five conferences combined.   I love it!  Here's the crew:

• College Church
• Eagle Brook Church
• Elmbrook Church
• Ginghamsburg Church
• Grace Community Church
• Granger Community Church
• McLean Bible Church
• Saddleback Community Church
• Seacoast Church
• Southeast Christian Church
• Southland Christian
• Templo Calvario
• University Park Baptist
• Willow Creek
• Wooddale Church

Things kick off in 20 minutes.  Gotta go!

How Can I Ever Thank God Enough?

She's the love of my life.  Today's her birthday.  Birthdays are a big deal around our house.  Celebration was one of the practices Yahweh taught His people via the festivals He instituted.  God sanctioned playing hooky. Resting and party and celebrating are holy and spiritual work. Partying was a part of the Jesus Way, as well.  We follow a Savior who loves to party. 

So, we clear the schedule and pull out all the stops on birthdays. 

The girls and I have got some serious fun planned today.  It's time to celebrate the life of my favorite person in the world.  The goal today is for her to fall into bed tonight exhausted from sheer, unadulterated joy.

After phase one of the birthday gameplan was complete this morning, Belle ran up to me, squeezed me has hard as she could, and yelled, "We have the greatest family in the world!"  Life is good. 

Phase two is a "Go!"  A special "girls only" Mom party at Ponderosa, the home of our great friends Bruce and Jennifer Williams. 

ONE Prayer 911

Recently, the team at LifeChurch.tv asked our Life Mission team here at GCC, to run point on the international project for the ONE Prayer campaign.  We are thrilled...but more on that later.

We're launching a movement of 500 new churches in 4 locations:

• China
• Sudan
• India
• Cambodia.

I received an update this morning about Vibol, the leader of the church planter training in Cambodia, and his wife, Sok.  Vidol's wife was brutally attacked with acid yesterday.  This report is from Bob Craft, Director of SE Asia for New Generations, our ministry partner in Cambodia:

Vibol, the CP director in Cambodia wrote yesterday to ask for prayers because his wife had been attacked with acid.

Bob Craft wrote the following update last night:

They will probably head to Vietnam for further treatment tomorrow.  A doctor here told them that there are specialists there on burns. They got their Visas today.  They have a great travel agent friend who does these kind of favors for them.

Vibol arranged for some guys from a senator's guard staff to come over and protect the hospital room. I saw pictures of the Acid on the truck...they must have tossed an ice cream bucket full of it toward her.  It appears to have hit the rear window on the drivers side first, just as she was opening the truck's front  door.  There was acid all over the drivers seat, inside the door, on the hood and even some of the leaves on the tree above the vehicle had died already. 

Molten plastic and paint tells me that it was probably meant to kill her. She is blessed indeed to have received only the injuries that I saw.  She was wearing socks, a hat and double layers as a blouse or she would certainly had life threatening injuries from what actually did hit on her. It took her a few seconds to realize that it wasn't water that had hit her and she was near a clinic were they eventually washed her down in a bath room.

The hospital is pitiful with patients in the halls and even outside under walkways.  And it is the main hospital here!  I suppose its not much better in India in many places.  But I was shocked. Thanks for praying.

My stomach turned and my heart broke when I heard this report.  This brave man and woman are on the front line, let's hold the line for them in prayer.  Help is on the way.

NC Last Night

We started the campaign last night, I have only one thing to say, "YES, WE CAN!!!"   If you want to get this, you'll have to watch the service (Salvation Means Transformation).

On a personal note:  It's funny.  When I walked off the stage last night, my first though was, "I went too long again.  Bummer." 

By the time I got home and hit the couch, I had been buried with kind words, text messages, voicemail, and one of the most meaningful hand-written notes I've ever received.  (Thanks, Mr. Bible!  How did you have the time to write that note after the service and get it to me before I left?) 

Mark has taught us to be an encouraging people and the people of GCC always are.   But, I think something unusual happened last night.  I've got the "best sermon you've ever delivered" comment numerous times. That's not something I hear very often. 

I know many of you prayed.  Thank you.  I could feel the lift of your prayers in a palpable way.  Seriously.  Amazing. 

Hey, if you were there, remember to get out on the ropes! 

If you're willing, I'd love to hear what the Jesus Way looks like for you this week. 

• What is the specific spiritual workout you'll engage to train your body what it looks like to respond in Christ? 
• What were the Scriptures that flushed out the false beliefs?
• What was it like getting out on the ropes?  Your thoughts?  Feelings? Experiences?

(Hey, I just was listening to the message and realized I said VIM was from Dallas ORTBERG!  Hilarious!  I guess John Ortberg and Dallas Willard are like one person in my mind.  From now on, know that DALLAS ORTBERG is shaping my mind and messages!)

Scroll to the Bottom

THIS IS INDIA.  THIS IS WHERE YOU CALL WHEN YOU HAVE A TECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH YOUR COMPUTER. 

My friend, Mike Constantz, Pastor of Missions at Saddleback, sent me these pictures, and I couldn't help but smile.

I've always been shocked by the "extremes" in India.  India is a place where past and present, ancient and future collide head on. 

On the same street, you see the robe-clad man whose donkey is pulling his beat-up old wooden cart and a wealthy, business man in a snappy suit driving his brand, new, shiny BMW.  Then you notice, the guy with the donkey is talking on his cell phone!

Along the road, you notice goat herders, who live as goat herders have for thousands of years.  They live with their goats under the sun by day.  At night, they make a campfire to sit by and sleep under the stars. Yet, on that same stretch of road are four Internet cafes.

I love it!  If you haven't stopped by Raj's blog recently, you've got to check the updates on our work there:

• Water Project in Kalavai
• A Cry of a Bonded Laborer
• Help a Poor Family Start a Business
• Church Planters are Trained at Salem

Up there is breaking through down here!

Defending Scripture

Here's another quote on Scripture that I return to often, especially when studying for a message.

Somebody asked Charles Spurgeon one time -- I love this -- they asked Spurgeon, "How do you defend Scripture?" His response was, "The same way you defend a lion. You just let it loose."

Prayer Request: The pace since Spring Break has been relentless and I hit a wall today.  I'm feeling more like a tired street cat tonight. I'm doing final prep tomorrow on a message for our New Community.  This message comes from the core of my life message.  Pray that Lion is unleashed through my weakness.  Thanks. 

Speaking of Lion's unleashed, Pastor Mark was on fire today while filming his message for ONE prayer.  Check out DC's notes.   Download papa_b_one_prayer_message_may_7_2008.docx