206 Days

That is right. Two hundred and six days until we open our doors to our first public worship service. We have much to do between now and then but God is slowly putting all the pieces together. Although it seems like 29 weeks is a long way off, this step by step process has been exciting, breathtaking, and dare I say...extremely fun! September will be here before we know it.

This past Sunday we had 28 members of our prayer team get together to begin to pray for specific areas of need. It was an incredible time of prayer. It was an honor and a privilege to have so many friends and fellow Christ followers there praying with us and for us. Our next gathering will be March 15 as we begin to prayer walk various streets throughout Fishers.

We were also able to hear the testimony of Kelvyn and Tami Thompson, owners of Genesis Art Instruction, on how God has blessed them as they have been obedient to God’s leading and direction. As we continue to press forward with this partnership, pray that God would allow us to work together in a way that honors Him and draws thousands to here the simplistic message of Jesus. Pray that God would continue to bring artists into their facility to take classes and sharpen their craft. The arts and ministry go hand in hand…God is the Creator!

Another area of prayer is for a worship leader. I have had a couple of discussions with a potential leader over the last couple of months. “Steve” is a friend of mine who I have had the privilege of working with for many years. God has blessed him with an authentic ability to lead in worship. “Steve” is also a gifted leader when not on the stage. He has served in several capacities in ministry over the years and would be a tremendous asset to Hamilton Village. Pray that God would give “Steve” a clear direction for ministry and that “Steve” and I both would be obedient to His calling and leading.

Lastly, this weekend we will begin to assemble our core group that will serve as the leadership foundation of Hamilton Village. Pray for discernment as we begin to approach those whom God has placed on our hearts. My prayer is that those who are asked to remain at Northside will see the need for their ministry and leadership at the sending church. The fact is, God’s invitation to join Him at His work at Hamilton Village or Northside are equally important and both have eternal impact. May we all understand that the field is ripe for the harvest, regardless of the location.

31

Thrity one is just a number, however, in the development process of a baby, there are some significant things taking place. For instance, the baby weighs in at one gram, yet is very active and moving around. All the major organs, muscles, and nerves are in place and beginning to function at their young capacity. Fingers, eyelids, and the tonuge are visible and taking shape for their future functions that will assist in the new babies senses. There is a lot of activity that cannot be seen, however, the developmental process is taking place.

Likewise, there have been some developmental steps taken in the past week as Hamilton Village takes shape. The biggest news has been identifying the location for us to begin to meet. I have not been actively seeking a location yet due to my timeline and making sure our foundation is secure and set. However, when God is ready to move, you just get up and move. Genesis Art Instruction is an art studio in Fishers. Kelvyn and Tami are believers who have faithfully and obediently followed God's direction and vision for this studio. God has blessed them with art students and a space to use their facilities for the community. We have met with them a couple of times regarding the use of their facilities. God has not closed this door so we are walking by faith that this will be the future home of Hamilton Village. Genesis Art Instruction is located down the street from HSE High School and near 116th Street. Thousands of people drive by this location daily and we feel this will be a great location for us to anchor down for what God is wanting to do in Hamilton County. In fact, we are going to host our first prayer summit there on Sunday at 4 PM.

I am continually amazed at how God works out all of these details. I am humbled by the fact that He has chosen me to be part of something so extrodinary. I am giddy and excited about the potential impact God can have in lives of those around us if we would just be still long enough to hear His invitation to join Him in what He is doing around us. Good is good!

XXXII

I recently subscribed to a weekly maternity newsletter to continue to draw comparisons between the birth of a child and the birth of Hamilton Village. (Believe me, I felt a little wierd doing it) First, this will be a 40 week process. I know that there is Biblical significance for the number forty, but I’m really not shooting for that angle. Pregnancy is measured by the 40 week process from conception to delivery. During those 40 weeks, the development and preparation of this new person is taking place. It is not like one day you announce the upcoming birth of your child and the next day he or she is here. There are 280 days of development. There are 6,720 hours of preparation. And then one glorious day, the life that was growing on the inside, makes a special appearance to the outside world. Likewise, since the day we began talking specifics with the leadership of Northside, we knew it was going to be a 40 week process. We would have 280 days to get all of our training, funding, and partnerships lined up. We would have 6,720 hours to spiritually prepare for the birth of a new church.

Second, the relationship between the child and mother is essential. The child is dependent for nourishment, protection, and transportation. The mother feels a connection, devotion, and a duty to provide and protect this new living being. I am also convinced that there needs to be a strong bond between the new plant and the mother church. A healthy relationship that encourages interaction, cooperation, and celebration as God continues to work in the lives of both congregations. As we transparently walk through this process the relationship between Hamilton Village and Northside will be evident. There will be a healthy reliance on the mother church as we pray, plan, and implement this church planting strategy. This will be a healthy process that honors the relationship between the mother church and church plant. This will be a process that glorifies the Creator who conceived our church planting vision.

With that being said, as we sit here thirty-two weeks out we have made some progress in our development. We have incorporated and are officially recognized as Hamilton Village by the state of Indiana. The federal government recognizes us now as we have registered for our EIN which allowed us to set up our own business account. Logistically we are moving in the right direction.

We also received overwhelming support from our prayer team invitations. We are in the process of following up with those who have not yet responded as we look forward to hosting our prayer summit on February 22nd. Continue to pray for this team’s ministry and connectedness.

My next area of attention is to begin to prayerfully discern with our staff the families that God is going to set aside as our core team. I want to be very sensitive to the needs of both churches. I also want to make sure that we are surrounding ourselves with leadership that is gifted in areas of necessity for the new plant. This team will have to be cohesive and in tune with the Spirit of God as they begin to implement the strategies necessary to grow a healthy church. Please pray with us that God would enlighten us on who this core team should be and for those who are asked to continue serving at Northside. This is a Kingdom sized vision. We need everyone to play their part. Thank you for playing your part in praying for us and the process God is leading us through.

Thirty Three Weeks

I remember the ultra sound when we found out the gender of our first born. I remember being nervous yet excited. I also remember my reaction when the technician told us "it" was going to be a boy. I stood straight up and gave the touchdown signal! Not only did we know we were going to have a baby, but now we knew the sex, and the name that we would roll off our tongues forever. I also recall the websites that Kelly would frequent that would show us the size and give us insight on how our son was growing and developing. Things like, this week your child is the size of a ping pong ball and his skeletal system has developed.

On January 25, we announced that God was leading us to plant a church in Hamilton County as a continued effort to be active in one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. Forbes Magazine actually has listed Hamilton County as one of the best places in America to raise a family. Northside continues to be a missions minded church with a Kingdom mentality. With this new partership, I thought it would be a great idea to keep our friends, family, and Northside family updated with insights on how things are progressing, prayer requests, and cool stories how God is fitting all the pieces together.

With that in mind, I will be the first to tell you that I do not have all the answers. This is going to be a transparent process that will be revealed as God reveals them to me and others around me. So here is what we know thus far. God has called us to plant a church in Hamilton County. The launch date for this service is September 20, 2009. The name of this new church is Hamilton Village.

Our next step is to assemble a prayer team that is comprised of friends, family, and associates that have been involved in our lives, ministries, and churches. This team is vitally important as we begin this spiritual journey. This team will participate in prayer walks and daily intercession for very specific requests and details. This is the base of what God is wanting to build upon at Hamilton Village. We are 32 weeks away from opening our doors to a community that is growing numerically and dying spiritually.