Rob Wegner: Blog Archive

What Does Missional Living Look Like? Part 3

So far, we’ve heard Ted and Dan’s story. In our Cow Tipping series, we’ve been looking at a growing amount of research that says 60% of the US population will not be reached by the current forms of organized church.  They will not come to “the box.” We’ll need to reboot our lives around the mission of Jesus and go to them in loving, organic, and creative ways.  It’s this growing understanding that was the foundation for the conversation we amplified at the AND Conference (by the way, you can check out full session on line).

So, we’re looking together at new ways (that are really old ways) of being the church outside the box.

Let me introduce you to Mike Schafer.

Real life for me began when I accepted Jesus into my heart at age 42 after a six month search for meaning in life, after my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I took the suggestion made by my nephews many years prior to that and started attending Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois every week, while living in Michiana. Under the inspired teaching of Bill Hybels and others, I accepted Jesus as my savior. Then I looked at my gas bill and decided to look for a similar church somewhere in Michiana. I walked into GCC on a Sunday morning at the General Cinema theatre about 20 years ago. It felt very comfortable and a place where I could fit in and learn more about Jesus. I started working on the Sunday morning set-up crew, where I met people who worked to convert the movie theatre into a church every Sunday morning by unloading everything from a truck at an insanely early hour and then setting up and running the technical support for the service and then loading everything back into a truck when the service was over. We would finish loading and walk out the door just as they started making the popcorn for the noon movies. These were radically committed Christians and I wanted to be a part of whatever drove them to get out in all kinds of weather to do this for other people.

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I noticed that I began to actually care about other people and also lost my desire to fill the void in my heart with alcohol. My very patient wife was happy to see these changes in my behavior. I noticed a young man who was also interested in setting up church at the theatre, and he was telling the adults how to run a computer and how to set up and run the sound system. He was only 11 years old, a pit precocious and lacking in what you could call people skills. So I took pity on him and decided he needed someone to protect him. This was my first introduction to the role of a mentor. That young man and I did things together in church and on school projects and in situations he was having with his home life. My wife also became involved with him and his family, and he began to invite his friends to come to church at GCC and experience the love he found there. I didn’t think much about the impact of building such a relationship until one day, while driving him home, he said: “I think God sent you to me”. What he meant was; here are people who walk the talk and actually put the words of Jesus into action. No great heroics, just doing things that seemed the right things to do based on continually asking ourselves, “what would Jesus do” in this situation. When a kid’s toes were peeking out of his shoes, we would just go buy a pair of shoes for him. When he needed to borrow a video camera for a school project, we would just loan him ours. That kind of simple demonstration of unconditional love was what prompted his, “I think God sent you to me” comment.

Kids notice everything, and eventually work up the courage to ask why you do things. When the kids ask why I do these things, I just say it is because I have the love of Jesus in my heart. Then they also want that kind of love in their hearts and soon they are asking to learn more about Jesus and eventually they ask to be baptized at GCC. I don’t cram Jesus down their throats. I wait for them to notice what Jesus has done in my life, and then they want to find that kind of love for themselves. I have the privilege of getting in the water of baptism every year at GCC with kids my wife and I work with. We have now worked with dozens of young people in the 18 years we have been doing this and we still see many of them around the area, now that they have grown up. Just about every day my wife and I drive our two cars somewhere to help some kids who needs the love of Jesus for something. Finding new kids to work with is no problem, because the kids we work with invite their friends to experience what they have found in discovering the love of Jesus in their lives. Jesus has an irresistible attraction and the Jesus many of them first experience is the one they see in us.  We never have to look for a new kid to mentor, they always find us.

Our span of care is 8-10 kids at any given time. I am now 64 and have decided it is time to retire from my day job, so I can spend more time with these kids and those whom God brings our way in the future, so we can show the love of Jesus to as many kids as possible, in the time God has left for us on this planet.

We have done whatever is necessary to help the kids we mentor, including providing them shoes, clothing, food, shelter, encouragement, school supplies, tutoring, dental care, counseling, helped them when they run out of gas, are involved in car accidents, appeared in court with them, sent kids to Camp Adventure and SpringHill Camps and taken them to Europe with us, etc. We let them know that we are there for them 24/7. I keep my cell phone by me at all hours, in order to respond whenever life events happen. We believe that investing in them has greater returns than accumulating money in the bank. I remember the advice given to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ every day, and when you have to, use words.

We have received many comments from the kids over the years, which we cherish. Some of the comments kids have made over the years are listed below.

• I think God sent you to me.
• Can I call you dad?
• You are great!
• Will you come to have lunch with me at my school? My friends don’t think you exist, because I tell them all the things we do together and they think I am just making it all up.
• [From a grade school teacher.] You have made a World of difference in that young man’s life.
• I can talk to you about anything, because I know you will listen and not pass judgment on me.
• I don’t know where I would be without you.
• I used to do drugs and was depressed. Now I have found Jesus and he has turned my life around.
• I have made a life plan to work at McDonalds, then get a job at Walmart and then start mentoring kids like you do.
• You will never die, because you will live forever through us.

I read a comment on a motivational poster which said, “100 years from now nobody will remember what kind of car you drove or how much money you had in the bank, but they will remember that you were important in the life of a child”. Some people search their entire lives for a way to make an impact on the World. We have found a way to make an impact on the World for Jesus Christ.

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What is the move of God inside of you waiting to come out?

Who is it that God has already placed in your path and sphere of influence that he are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to?

God still has a physical body today – it’s you and me – the church. Let him move, live, and love through you.

What does Missional Living Look Like? Part 2

What does missional living look like? 

The mission of God is not something that can be compartmentalized.  When we see the Missio Dei, either it drops to the center of our being and defines all we are or we become posers. I’ve spent too many days posing.  We all know what that dance.  More than ever, I’m searching for buried treasure, the smallest seed, and the finest pearl.  More than ever,I’m sure that if I find them, they are worth my whole life.

Life Mission is

….living in the flow of God’s life

   …in every area of life

     ….an an expression of the Mission of Jesus in the world. 

What does missional living look like? We’ve been asking that question in our Cow Tipping series and telling stories.   Last weekend, I had the chance to tell the cliff note version of some amazing stories.  So, I want to give space on my blog to let these stories breathe a bit more in us. 

What does missional living look like?   Meet Dan. These are his words.

Granger Community Church was not the beginning point or has it been the ending point in my pursuit on God’s purpose for my life. With that said it has been a place, a time in my life that has been extremely pivotal that equipped me to not only better hear God’s voice but to understand how to take my next steps.

Last spring I was fortunate to tag along with a group of guys that followed the exodus route from Egypt to Mt. Sinai and ending looking into the Promise Land. For several months we studied the life of Moses and read through Exodus several times.

On the last night in Jordan as we stood on Mt. Nebo overlooking Israel, we read through Deuteronomy 34. My prayer became to have my life end not worn out but purpose fulfilled.

34:7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

When you read about Moses’ life it really is about connecting the learning points in his life that enabled him to fulfill his life’s mission given by God. I think to often we either don’t think about connecting the dots or they are embarrassing to our egos. But I truly believe God pushes, pulls and carries us though all of our days.

For Moses;

1 He was dumped in the river at a very young age to probably die. His mom had faith for a different outcome.

2. Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him and he was raised, educated and had all of the benefits of living in the king’s house. No worries. Pretty good gig if you can get it.

3. At forty he messed up big time and fled for his life.

4. From forty to eighty he chased sheep from Midian to Mt. Sinai a couple of times each year. Hot, cold, hungry and most days in need of a bath! From the world’s perspective and maybe from his own he had lost it all - the good life. But he did have time to talk and hear from God and learn the backcountry and how to survive in it.

5. After spending 40 years out in the wilderness Moses kept trying to excuse himself from God’s call because he now believed he had no skills and little value.

6. He finally agreed and lead over a million people (same path that he lead a bunch of sheep) though so of the most brutal and hostile land on earth. Moses would not have had the skills, abilities or knowledge how to navigate this trip if he had not lived in the desert for nearly 40 years.

For Me;

1. I grew up camping, hiking, canoeing the backwaters on northern Canada and learning how live off the land. My dad and Lyle Loomis (retired youth pastor) lead the way.

2. In high school and college we traveled to Oklahoma and Haiti trying to learn what it meant to be missional. Lived for a year in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji on less than a dollar a day. A kind Indian family living in Fiji gave us room and board when we thought we were going to die from drinking bad water after a hurricane hit the island.

3. Coming home. We build a business. Blew up a business. Lost our pride. Raised our kids. Felt lost. Found GCC. Started another business.

4. Started to take steps that moved our thought that church was just on Sunday from 9 to 10:15.

We arrived at GCC in 1989 when the church was meeting in a movie theatre. Mark and Sheila inspired us to believe the church could be so much more. They dragged us to listen to Maxwell, Hybels and countless others to learn about leadership. We watched the church grow and helped along the way.

In the mid to late 1990’s I was invited to start help start formulating how GCC would become as missional outside the walls of GCC as it was within the walls of GCC on the weekends. Rob was convincing enough to believe it might be possible.

On a late Sunday afternoon, I lead a group of leaders from SonCity Kids across the street to pray on the back wall of an abandoned building that someday he might use this building for his light and glory to this community. We forgot to ask the staff if that was okay but less than a year later hundreds of volunteers were transforming that same building into MC3.

It was a Field of Dreams moment of “build it and they will come!” Wasn’t really the longterm plan but it was time for me to leave the business world and lead MC3 for a short season as a member of the GCC staff.

Began leading teams to India after the Christmas Day tsunami and on July 27, 2008 my life purpose was confronted with God’s purpose for my life. We stopped at a small town called Dharmapuri. Getting out of the car an Indian family was coming up from the river after having just drown their baby daughter. I knew about female infanticide but my brain never allowed me to truly believe it still occurred.

Over the next 3 months I was torn between wanting to learn the magnitude of this issue and asking why God expected a white boy from Indiana to know how let alone do anything about a holocaust that took the lives of nearly 10 million girls each year in South Asia. I was on cruise control - doing good stuff for His kingdom but not really pressed.

A good friend sent me Proverbs 24:11-12 in Message translation;

“11 Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help. 12 If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know - Someone not impressed with your weak excuses.”

Thanks a lot! Three months later I returned to India and Raj agreed to introduce me to people who knew more about workable solutions as well as visit villages where female infanticide was occurring. I needed to find answers. To find out if there was a solution.

In a small Hindu village of 120 families where every family killed every daughter with the exception of the first born it happened. We were playing with the kids, talking to the village elders and I saw a young mother of 17 or 18 holding a newborn sitting on her front porch.

I simply asked Raj if it was a girl or boy baby. Finding out that it was a girl baby we learned that most times her life will hang in balance until she receives a name. So being the only white boy from Indian that for some reason was viewed as a celebrity almost a small deity in their eyes Raj created an opportunity that I could give her a name and celebrate her birth with a small financial gift.

We threw out three names. The kids choose Rhema. I held her. Said a quick prayer. Tucked a couple of bucks in her diaper and handed a couple more to her young mother and we shocked the system by demonstrating a baby girl’s life had value and worth. We simply gave her a chance at life. That’s it.

Coming home God had given me my answer and equipped me with just enough knowledge and life experiences to change the fate of one little girl. That night we launched The Rhema Project.

Over the next few months it became apparent that I could not remain in my comfortable environment and obey God’s call. So, on December 1st I left the only full time job I had ever held that provide a stable paycheck and chased after God to help him rescue millions of girl babies and change a culture 9,000 miles away from my comfort zone called home.

This would have never of happened if I had packed away the hurt and embarrassment of failure, applying the knowledge of business experiences or follow Godly leaders at GCC so that I could hear and understand God’s voice for His purpose on my life.

To have a front row seat in God’s story is humbling. Less than 2 years ago 35 to 40 girl babies were killed shortly after their birth each year just because they were female. Today, after just a few small initiatives with the help of friends no baby girls have been murdered in the last 3 months.

We know how to save one. We have a few ideas on how to change the fate of a few. We are learning how to change the culture of a village. How to change an entire culture that finds little to no value of 10 million lives each year I have no clue but I have no doubt God already has a plan. When that happens, my Deuteronomy 34:7 prayer will be complete.

Not to boast but to highlight how God moves way beyond anything you could ever expect, here has what has happened in just the last 12 months.  The Rhema Project has…

1.  provided fresh cleaning drinking water to over 1400 families in 5 villages by digging 3 borewells and installing reverse osmosis filtration systems.
2.  funded a teacher compensation program that improved the education of over 535 children from the poorest of the poor.
3.  gave 25 women the chance to improve their families' future by funding scholarships for a nursing training program.
4.  established an infant rescue fund that covers the cost of newborn care
5.  launched an Indian foster care program that now cares for 7 girls that had been abandoned by their parents
6.  funding the construction of a school that will reach over 400 children from the poorest of the poor
7.  funding the renovation of a girls' hostel so they can complete their 11th and 12th standard increasing their chance to be accepted to university (and it decreases the chance they will become child brides and the number of children they will conceive from 6.3 to 3.3)
8.  renovated a school and build a school kitchen in Kethuvarpatti for 80 kids
9.  started a prenatal and newborn program that not only teaches women the importance of childcare but provides them with milk, vitamins and baby care items
10. connected over 100 Indian children with kids from the states through a Penpal program
11. hired an Indian staff to launch a community development initiative so that village could lift its own financial need
12. launched a mirco development project that will hire, train and equip village women to repurpose discarded 50 rice bags and turn them into trendy handbags and backpacks for Americans

Again, I share this simply to reveal how abundant God's provisions are when someone listens and obeys God's voice for His purpose of their life.

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Learn more about the Rhema Project here.

Dan didn’t start out by saying, “I’m going to start a new organization!”  He took a step, than another, and another.  He asked his friends to join him.

What is the move of God inside of you waiting to come out?   Take a step. Move forward in missio dei. 

What Does Missional Living Look Like?

What does missional living look like?  How do we include and invite the 60% who will never darken the door of any kind of institutional church?

Here’s one snapshot:  Greenlockers

GreenLockersWeb from Ben Sanders on Vimeo.

After doubling in size every year, Greenlockers is bracing this year for a burst into over 100 schools in at least 5 states!   But, they have maxed out their collection containers. After a three-year search, they have designed the perfect container to be manufactured, but have almost no funds to do so. The manufacturer is willing to provide them at wholesale for 1/3 of the retail cost = $8 a piece, and they would last for at least 8-10 years. In order to be in 100 schools we need 4000 containers. . . . $32,000 . . . but, this one time investment, over the course of the next 10 years, will provide an opportunity for over 500,000 students to help their own community, with a collection projection of over 450,000lbs or 235 tons of supplies – not wasted.

If you want to help this grassroots movement, take a step here at the Greenlockers website.

This Christmas we’re looking forward to joining the flow of generosity here and here. 

Post-AND Reading List

Every great change in the world started as a conversation that became a catalyst. I believe we had that kind of conversation last week at the AND conference.  (Eventually all sessions will be available online here.) As the missional conversation has reached a tipping point here in the West, the tone has primarily been one of EITHER/OR. Are you attractional? Are you missional? Pick a side.  Last week, the dividing line was pulled down and now we’re dreaming of how these two can dance together for the Kingdom. The genius of AND.

At the GCC Q&A session (which was AMAZING!), people were wondering, “What should we be reading? What books will move this conversation forward here at GCC? Rob, do you have a reading list?”  My team burst out laughing because I read 1-2 books a week.  I’m a bookworm.

I’ll start with a short list.  There are so many more that could be included, but these are the ones that I think are immediately most helpful to our context.

So, people of GCC, get cracking. I would love to here your thoughts and comments as you read.  Welcome to the nerdery!

• Forgotten Ways
• Forgotten Ways Handbook
• The Tangible Kingdom
• The Tangible Kingdom Primer
• AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church
• Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church
• Launching Missional Communities: A Field Guide (I have yet to read this, Mike Breen is sending me a copy. Based on everything else I’ve read of Mike’s, I guarantee this is going to be good)
• Movements That Changed the World

By the way, I apologize for getting this up a day late. I told you it would be here Monday and it wasn’t.  The preacher was in study mode for the weekend message yesterday and lost track of everything else.