Entertaining Church

This past Sunday during our welcome I felt led to read from Psalm 150.

Afterwards Stephanie came to me and wanted to let me know about a conversation between her and her neighbor (she had brought her neighbor to Capstone the week before and came back this week).

Someone from another church had stopped by for a visit with Stephanie’s friend. Stephanie’s neighbor had mentioned that she came to Capstone the week before and liked it a lot. This visitor informed her that churches like Capstone don’t really worship God. They said that Capstone is purely using guitars, drums, and keyboards for entertainment only.

Stephanie said her neighbor came to her very confused after her visitor left. Stephanie asked if she felt like she was worshipping while she was a Capstone. And she said yes. But she was still confused.

Well when I read Psalm 150 Stephanie said her friend looked over and said “looks like I got my answer.” It is funny how people critize differences so quickly. Even if the Bible says something different, people so often hold onto to tradition tighter than the Bible.

Here is what God’s Word says about Instruments of Worship (note it isn’t just pianos – wait they aren’t even listed!)

“Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.”

So I guess in Fountain Inn we will have the reputation of the entertaining church. That’s OK by me. Worship has NOTHING to do with instruments. Jesus says – My Father seeks those who worship in Spirit and Truth. Not worship with guitar or drums. Not worship with piano and choirs. Not worship with bagpipes and kilts (that would be cool). Worship is about our hearts.

I am sure this won’t be the last time someone says we are more about entertaining a crowd than worship God. And my response will continue to be that the only instruments that matter in worship is our heart.

Capstone Video

If you might be wondering what our first Sunday was like at Capstone – here is a “highlight” video for you. Shout out to Wes who came up from North Augusta to help out on launch Sunday. He is a former youth, staff member, and a great supporter of Capstone. Hopefully we will have more videos to show on how God is moving at Capstone.

Capstone Launch from Capstone on Vimeo.

Double Alley Oop Slam

For real – this is SICK! A double Alley Oop. Watch #1 sitting on the bench he knows that just happened. I think you used to could do that on the old school NBA JAMS – “He’s on Fire!!!” This move will soon be coming to an NBA team near you.

Mr. Mom

This week I have been playing Mr. Mom while Betsy has been at doctor appointments (having outpatient surgery Thursday) and heading into court. The SC Bar requires that lawyers in the state go to several different types of court room cases before they are allowed to practice. So this week Luke has been my number one priority. And let me say it ain’t no easy job.

First off Betsy is the Best Mom Ever! I know I may not be the best judege, but she really does a great job with Luke everyday. So I have a lot to live up to while she is gone. And yes I have messed things up already. I have already gotten in trouble. But hey that is what dads do – especially ones that have NO IDEA what they are doing. 

There is one thing I am good at – ironing.  And I just ironed my wife’s shirt so she could go be a lawyer.  Yes, I am man enough to admit.
This week’s posts might be a little thin – but the 10 folks who read it will not miss too much

Mind Dump

Here are the things floating around in my head coming off Capstone’s launch this past Sunday:

* where did all those people come from?
* our plant team was amazing. you would of thought this group had been together years, not just a few months. God put together a great group to start a church with.
* we have to do this EVERY SUNDAY!
* will my throat ever stop hurting
* is anyone going to come back next week?
* many people say that NEW churches is small towns won’t work.  I am starting to think they might be a little hasty on that judgement
* pipe and drape can change a room very quickly.
* God can do a lot when you let Him work.
* when the Man has a plan – just jump on board and let him go! 
* who knew putting yard signs on the corner during the weekend in Fountain Inn was illegal.
*  to quote Field of Dreams: “if you build it – they will come.”

Picture from Sunday

TJ Barton snapped this picture Sunday with his COOL BLACKBERRY.  TJ and few other folks from TrueNorth came up from North Augusta to support Capstone’s Launch.  They actually gave us their seats so that people from Fountain Inn could have a spot to sit down.  We will be working on a highlight video to give you a good look on Capstone’s first Sunday

Capstone Launches

January 11th was put on a calendar 9 months ago as the date we would publicly launch Capstone Church. It is hard to believe that it just happened. It has been a journey that can only be summed in WOW! God has had His finger prints all over this thing from the beginning. Even today – His Spirit wowed all of us.

Since had a good crowd at Christmas we only set out 100 chairs – thinking that our most of our well wishers had come to that service and it would be a little less. Cool with us, we would be happy if a hand full of people stumbled into the door. Well we ran out of chairs and it was standing room only at Capstone’s launch this morning. Our best estimates are at the 225 mark.

New faces where everywhere, and an atmosphere of awe filled what normally is a basketball gym now transformed into a church. Our core plant did an amazing job of pulling this whole thing off – setting up, greeting, making coffee, inviting others and being real. I am still allowing today to soak in… throughout this week I will be posting some more thoughts on our Capstone’s launch

Solution

Our first series at Capstone is called “Re Solution”.  This is a series from my good friend Matt McMeans at Seventh Day Media. Any church planter or pastor who can’t afford a graphic artist, Seventh Day exists for high quality series at afforable prices.  Check em out.

I will talk more about Re Solution next week.  The idea is to play off Resolutions of the new year, and God being the Solution when our problems are bigger than our own solutions.  When I saw that Matt had created this series, Hillsong’s “Solution” popped into my mind.  This song has been my JAM for a while.  Here is a video of “Solution.”  And yes you will be going ” O O O” all day long after you listen to this.

We will be playing this song Sunday at Capstone – come ready to sing.

What is your jam right now?

Powerful Prayer

Do we really believe in prayer?  

We talk about prayer.  We teach about prayer.  We even pray about prayer.  But do we really believe in prayer?  Over this past year I have realized that a majority of Christ followers don’t really grasp the power of prayer.  I being the first one to admit that my prayer life has never been one someone would write about.  For me that was one of the reason I jumped on this assignment of risk.

Dependence on God has FORCED my prayer life to spike.  From the selling of our house to finding people to help start this church – God has revealed Himself in so many ways.  I believe that one of the reasons we don’t pray is our lack of dependence.  We might pray with our mouth, but our faith doubts so many times.  Often we are like the folks who were praying for Peter after he was arrested (Acts 12:12-16).  

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

The prayer had been answered, yet they didn’t believe when Peter was knocking at the door.  Last night Capstone spent time in prayer for our church, community, and the lost.  Our prayer is that the Lord would bring those who need to experience His love, grace, and forgiveness to Capstone.  I pray that we have prayed with faith, and when the answers walk through the door we would know prayer is powerful!

Who Cares What You’re Not!

Below is a rant from Craig Groeschel at LifeChurch.tv. I agree 100% with what Craig is trying to say here. We think our latest and greatest way we do church is the best… it’s not. It takes all kinds of styles, buildings, and music to reach every man, woman, and child with gospel of Jesus Christ. The body of Christ is made up of MANY PARTS – we need to respect and get along with all the parts to reach the church’s full potential of saving the lost and changing our world. Because a lone ranger can’t do it alone.

Who Cares What You’re Not!
by Craig Groeschel
“While traveling, I listened to podcasts from three of the most well respected pastors in the U.S. All three started by explaining what their church was not. I’ll paraphrase what they said.

Pastor One: “We never water down our message. We don’t preach a seeker sensitive message.”

Pastor Two: “How many of you have been to boring, dead, traditional churches? Churches like that shouldn’t even exist! I’ve got some news for you! We’re not your grandma’s church!”

Pastor Three: “We don’t preach topical-feel-good, entertainment sermons at this church. Most churches are into tickling ears and making people feel good about themselves, but that’s not us!”

My Rant: I’m thrilled you are passionate about your style of teaching and church! It is very likely a true reflection of your gifts and calling. I pray God blesses your church in every way.

But don’t build your church on what you’re not!

If you do, you’re training the people at your church to believe your way is best and everyone else’s is inferior. Who cares what you’re not?! Be who you are without making others look like they are less.”