Get Off Your Ask

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

I read a post yesterday from Perry Noble, who is Pastor at New Spring Church in South Carolina. Perry regularly post about his church, leadership, and ministry- and many of his post are list, which I appreciate.

His particular post was about evangelism- specifically about inviting people to church. Especially as Hope Church moves closer to our relaunch- it’s important to consider why it’s important to ask people to attend church- with the hope providing the space and environment where they can connect to Jesus. You can read the original post here.

#1 – Because EVERYONE spends ETERNITY somewhere (Hebrews 9:27 is REAL talk!)

#2 – Because it is IMPOSSIBLE to be connected to Christ and not care about the people that He cared about (Luke 19:10).

#3 – Because found people find people (John 1:40-42 & John 1:43-45).

#4 – Because God is patient with people (II Peter 3:9)…and because He is we should be as well, NEVER giving up on them because God never gave up on us!

#5 – Because there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven by which mankind must be saved (Acts 4:12, John 14:6 & I Timothy 2:3-5).

#6 – Because Jesus WILL HONOR our faith when we go all out and do whatever it takes to bring people to a place where they can meet Him (read Mark 2:1-12).

#7 – Because being a follower of Christ is about following His commands rather than merely viewing Scripture as a suggestion (see Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:45-48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14-17.)

#8 – Because apart from Jesus the world is separated from God (Romans 3:23) and the main calling on our lives as followers of Christ is to be agents of reconciliation (read II Corinthians 5:11-21!)

#9 – Because people do not need to “clean up their act” and change their behavior…but rather they need to meet Christ and allow Him to change them from the inside out!!! THAT is the change that WILL CHANGE the world! (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

#10 – Because God is GREATER than anyone’s skepticism, atheism or any antagonistic attitude toward’s Him (I John 4:4).

As we turn the page on Summer and head into Fall, many churches including Hope Church are making a push to encourage our members/attenders to invite friends. It’s not really about just filling the pews, but about something bigger than ourselves- about eternity and the opportunity to live life with God now. Do we really believe that people (and the world) need to have a redemptive encounter with God through Jesus Christ?

What motivates you to invite people to church or to share your faith?

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A Church In The Marketplace

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

Wordle: Acts 17:16-33 

This Sunday, I will be preaching on Acts 17:15-33. It’s the passage of Paul encountering the philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens and telling them about Jesus. I think it’s pretty applicable to where we are as a local church and as the Church.

I was recently at the Congregational School of Development in St. Louis where I heard that the fastest growing religious affiliation is “non-affiliated.” It’s growing faster than the Christians, Muslim, or Jewish faiths.  These are people that likely consider themselves spiritual, but do not affiliate with any of the major religions exclusively. Many will go on Google, or read a few books, and much like going to Golden Corral (mmm…I’m getting hungry) people pick and choose what looks appetizing and fulfilling to them in their “spiritual journey.” This is the world that we live in.

Paul- goes into the marketplace (he does not shy away from it) and shares Christ resurrected. He does not point out the areas where the Athenians are wrong (something we Christians are quite good at), but tries to establish some rapport or point of reference by quoting a poet and citing an altar in the city.

The result? Some laughed at what Paul offered them. There were others who wanted to hear more. Finally, some of the people became followers- by name we know of Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus and a woman named Damaris.

When we take the Good News of the Resurrection out into the marketplace, and establish a dialogue about our faith and our beliefs, it gives people an opportunity to make a choice to follow Jesus or their own path. But we must offer the choice.

What’s this mean for Hope Church? For that, you’ll have to be in worship on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.!

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5 Reasons Why You Should Be Excited for Hope’s Kick-Off

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

1.  Hotdogs– no one does hotdogs quite like Hope. We’ve got it down to a science! Hotdogs, chips, cookies, and more!

2. Inflatable Games– They are actually for the kids, but we know adults would love to jump in the bounce house if they had the chance! Along with the inflatable games, there will be balloons, music, and more!

3. Great Worship– join us at 9:30 a.m. in the Wesley College Chapel for passionate, contemporary worship with relevant Bible teachings. Worship is band-led and the attire is casual! Come as you are!

4. Life Group Sign Ups- We’re excited about Life Groups coming to Hope Church! Want to know more? Click here!

5. Sharing Jesus With Our Community- Our mission as a church is to share Jesus and invite people to become disciples of Jesus. At our Kick-Off, we’ll have the opportunity to share God’s love with our community!

We invite you to join us on Sunday, September 9th at 9:30 (worship) and 10:45 (kick-off party). You can find more information about Hope Church here!

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Life Groups Coming to Hope

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

I wanted to take a moment to share about the vision for Life Groups at Hope Church.  We’ve streamlined our Disciple-making process to three steps where anyone can know how to begin the discipleship journey at Hope.  First, we want every believer/seeker/member to be committed to be in worship on a weekly basis. Worship is our time to celebrate and worship God for the ministry that has taken place during the week- and the ways in which God is teaching us. Second, we want every person to be in a Life Group. Our Life Groups will become our most important part of our church as we grow and mature in our faith.  Thirdly, we want everyone to serve (both in and outside the church).

Again, what is a Life Group?

While there are similarities to a Bible Study, small group, or cell group- the emphasis in a Life Group is that it is a group of people doing life together (not life in prison though!).  In a Life Group at Hope Church- our vision is to have groups of people who will gather for prayer, Bible Study, and service- but also are intentional about building relationships with each other through meals, recreational outings, etc.  Our hope is that this will become more than just a midweek Bible study- but the group of people that you turn to when a parent passes away, or your child is giving you a hard time and you’re out of ideas how to handle it, or when you need prayer.  It’s a group that you look forward to going to because you sharpen each others faith and challenge each other to follow wherever Jesus leads.

In September/October when our Life Groups begin, we will all be experiencing the same study as a congregation- but then each Life Group Leader (and group) will choose what to study next. Periodically, we’ll engage in other church-wide studies to grow our faith. That said, Life Groups at Hope Church will be our primary building block of fellowship, service, and pastoral care as groups of people live life together.

Sign ups for Life Groups begin on Sunday, September 2nd and groups will begin meeting during the first week of October.  Get plugged in!

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Even More

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

In Sunday’s message- we looked at Acts 3:1-10 where Peter and John heal a man in 40’s who was born lame through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our focus was on expectations because this man expected to receive silver or gold. Take a look:

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  http://bible.us/acts3.2-5.niv

The man’s greatest perceived need or desire was to receive money- but if you continue to read the chapter, God had great plans.  The lame man was healed through the power of the Holy Spirit-even though he never asked to be healed and maybe (after 40 years) never imagined that he could be healed.

What is your greatest perceived need right now? Likely, it’s money because who couldn’t use some more money to put in savings or to pay off some bills.  Maybe its something related to your health. Maybe it’s a job. We can get caught up in our own perceived needs without asking/praying/dreaming what God wants to do in and through us.  This comes in God’s timing and not ours (remember the man was lame for 40 years!) Could it be possible that God wants to do something greater in our life? Could it be possible that the our perceived need is insignificant compared to what God desires to do in our lives?

I end with one of my favorite passages in the Bible:

 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Galatians 3:20

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Why I’m Excited for Kick-Off

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

The first pre-season football games is in the books- and in a few short weeks, many of us will be spending a large chunk of time watching football on Sunday afternoons.  I love football season (well, because I like football) because it also means a change of seasons.  I love the transition from summer to fall- and I love gearing up for a new season of ministry.

I’ve been honored to work with Hope’s Vision Team, Church Council, and Relaunch Team who have brought us where we are today- ready for a kick-off on Sunday, September 9th at 9:30 a.m.  Ready to start a new season off with a bang at Hope.  I wanted to take some time to answer a few questions as to why we’re having a kick-off.

Why are we having a kick-off?  The answer is multi-faceted. First and foremost, we want to build momentum for our church. We want people (in the congregation) to be excited about what we are doing as a church- and in turn, share that with our community to come and join what God is doing in our midst.  A kick-off gives us a chance to be noticed by the community.

But it is also more than a marketing campaign. We are redesigned our Discipleship Process, are developing Life Groups, and enhancing our Sunday morning worship experience so that all people- those in the church and those who will come to the church- will encounter the life-changing love and grace of Jesus Christ- and become disciples of Jesus.

What’s the Kick-Off Gonna Look Like? Again- two-fold. First, we’ll have kick-off Sunday where you are invited to wear your favorite teams jersey and wear we’ll begin a new series called “Core Fitness” as we talk about our calling and vision as a church. Then we’ll head outside for family activities, food, and fellowship with our church and the community (about 10:45 a.m.).  You’ll also be invited to sign up for a Life Group at the Kick-Off event.

But more than a one day affair, the kick-off begins a new season for the life of Hope Church.  The Kick-Off will also feature some changes in how we invite people to participate in Life Groups (bible studies) and service opportunities while developing a worship experience that helps all of us become passionate worshippers of our Creator.

In a way, we will always be “kicking off” or “re-launching” or “launching” new ministries and opportunities for our members and the community to encounter God. Our mindset is that we want to create as many opportunities and open doors for people to experience God’s redeeming love.

Why Is This Important? We are called to go into all the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19). We are called to go out into the community, to call people to follow Jesus. Many of the changes we have already made and are making is to help us fulfill our vision to be a “diverse community impacting thousands through passionate worship, intentional discipleship, and Christ-like service.”

What can I do? There are several ways you can prepare for our Kick-Off on September 9th.

  • Pray for our Kick-Off that we can build momentum and reach new people
  • Grab flyers from the church on Sundays and spread them around town
  • Use Facebook and other Social media to talk about Hope Church
  • Invite a friend to church! Tell them how excited you are to be part of Hope Church
  • Plan on joining a Life Group. Our goal is to have every adult in a Life Group
  • Invite a friend to join a Life Group with you
  • Pray and expect that God will do great things in our lives and through Hope Church as we seek to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ!
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The Pittsburgh Pirates and The Second Coming

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

MVP Candidate Andrew McCutchen

I’m a Pirates fan. Recently, that has become easier to say in public, but it doesn’t take a good memory to recall that the Pirates have not had a winning season since 1992 (20 years total).  In terms of baseball curses, this would be The Curse of Barry Bonds (skinny Barry Bonds). During that time- they’ve become the poster child for “how not to run a professional organization.” Thankfully, our new leadership has our Buccos headed in the right direction- and currently 12 games over .500.

The Pirates have been losing for 19 years. They last had a winning team when I was 13 years old (I’m now 33). When the losing began, we just thought it was a down season- never did we think that it would turn into two whole decades- a generation lost as Pirate Fans.

In my own odd way, it led me to think about Jesus’ disciples when Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1:9. As Jesus left, two men dressed in white told the disciples that Jesus would return as they had seen him return to heaven (Acts 1:11). The Kingdom of God would be fully realized.

Did the disciples think that would happen immediately? Certainly this could be a possibility when they witnessed Jesus raise from the dead.  But days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years, years have turned into 2,000 years.  I doubt that the earliest disciples would imagine that Jesus’ returned would be delayed this long- but through it- we continue to have hope that God’s Kingdom will be fully established on earth.

Andrea and I had the chance to go see the Pirates play while on vacation. We saw them play the Marlins and was part of the 5th largest crowd in PNC Park history (even if you’re not a Pirates fan- you should go see PNC Park!). During the game- I began to think about how excited I would be to see the Pirates have a winning season and get back into post-season baseball. I have to admit, I continually reload my twitter feed during Pirates games (and after being back in PA, I’ve come to the conclusion that Twitter is better commentary than radio announcer Greg Brown)- and that would only intensify as the Pirates close in on a winning season and maybe a playoff spot. I’d watch the games, buy the T-shirts, and rejoicing about it wherever I went.

If I’m this excited- if I am “on watch” this intently for a Pirates winning season- how much more should I be watching, hoping, believing, and living as if the return of Christ is just around the corner?  Is my life, my heart prepared for Jesus’ return? Am I calling others to follow Jesus- to participate in the Kingdom now as we prepare for the fullness of the Kingdom when Jesus returns. (And not in some “Left Behind” sense- but in calling people to reconciliation, redemption, and restoration of all things)

The question is this:  Do we live our lives as if we believe? Do we live our lives as people of HOPE?

In Revelation 22:20, Jesus says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

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Back From Vacation

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

If you’ve checked in here recently- you may have wondered where the new post are. Well, I just got back from a two week family vacation.  In week one, we visited my parents and sister in Western Pennsylvania.  My sister was kind enough to go into labor while we were there so we could meet our new nephew, Anderson Jace.

Andrea and I also attended a Pirates game while on vacation.  I’ll post later this week about the Pirates- but they are in the midst of 19 straight losing seasons and are pushing to make the playoffs this year- so attending a game in Pittsburgh was a lot of fun!

Week two was spend with our girls at Massanutten in Virginia.  We swam, ate, swam, went caving, ate some more, and did a little reading on the side (and swam some more).  During our trip, I read “The Blue Parakeet” by Scot McKnight and “Calico Joe” by John Grisham.  It was a nice, relaxing week.

Now that we’re back in town and into the swing of  a normal week, I hope to post a few times this week.  If I don’t- it’s because I will still be uncluttering my email inbox!

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Sunday Follow-Up: Living as Peacemakers

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

This Sunday, at Hope Church, we are in our next-to-last week of our series on the Seven Deadly Sins.  As we’ve looked at each deadly sin- we’ve examined one of the Beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew 5 that show us an attitude/lifestyle to follow to help us rise above the deadly sins.  This past Sunday- we talked about wrath and becoming a peacemaker.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:9,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Rather than rehash the sermon in this space, I want to look at some practical ways that we can become peacemakers- and encourages others to be peacemakers.

1. Being a peacemakers begins with our everyday life. We need to be peacemakers in the ways that we relate to our friends, our spouse, our children, and our co-workers.  We need to avoid an “us vs. them” mentality that pulls people apart- but find ways that bring people together through reconciliation.  We need to find solutions that honor and affirm each party as God’s sacred creation.

2. We need to be peacemakers in our digital life. I’m looking at you Facebook and Twitter! Too often, we can impulsively write a status update or tweet that is pointed towards someone without thinking of the consequences (or worse, thinking of the consequences and still doing it).  Many times, we do this in a passive aggressive way- not naming who we are talking about, but writing it in such a way that our friends or those involved know who we are talking about. Jesus says in Matthew 5:22 that we will be subject to judgement for having anger in our heart towards another person.  James writes that the tongue can be restlessly evil and full of poison. The words we say can kill- even those said on Facebook (BTW, putting J/K or a smiley emoticon does not make the hurtful comment ok!).  As peacemakers, we need to be encouragers whose words give life rather than take life away.

3. We need to provide our children and emerging generations with a new narrative and role models on how to be peacemakers. We should obviously look at the life of Jesus in this mold- but also to Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.- who used non-violent resistance as a means to resist evil and oppression.  We can teach our children to be peacemakers rather than to add to the violence.

Being a peacemaker should not be seen as an optional endeavor as Christians- Jesus says that peacemakers will be called “children of God.” Let us pray that our actions and our lives might lead to peace with God and with our neighbor.

 

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Chloe Illustrates Life

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Steve LaMotte

In my last post, I shared an illustration from our youngest daughter, Chloe- about Greed. It seems that Chloe has come through again with another good illustration about life- this one observed by my beautiful wife, Andrea (so she gets the credit!).

Neither of our girls have a real security blanket.  No stuffed animal, no blanket that they cannot live without.  But recently, Chloe likes to walk around with her water bottle (our girls love water!)- and sometimes she also carriers her sippy cup.

Andrea was watching Chloe the other day, carrying both her water bottle and her sippy cup- and trying to climb up on the slide on our playset.  There was one problem- she couldn’t climb without letting go of one of her water bottles- which she was unwilling to do. Unable to get where she wanted, she settled for sitting at the bottom of the playset.

How often in life do we carry around sin, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, and/or shame that prevents us from going where God is calling us to go? We want to develop an amazing relationship with God, or be used in powerful ways in ministry- but like Chloe, what we are holding onto prevents us from getting to God’s destination.

Paul writes,

But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

In the times that I’m double clutching my past, my sin, my anger, or my insecurities- I’m reminded that God’s grace is sufficient for whatever shortcomings I have. I’m reminded to let go and let God (to use a Chrysallis/Emmaus phrase). I’m reminded to “cast my cares upon the Lord; and He will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22).

Chloe reminds us that we often have to let go of something in order to get to where God is calling us to go.

Where is God calling you? Are you going there? What prevents you from following Jesus? Are there things you need to let go of (anger, sin, shame, etc.?)?

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