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Church Planting is hard work.  Period.  The “existing” church has a lot to be thankful for.  Mainly structure and support.  In church planting we are blazing new roads.  Many times without the support of mature Godly men and women around you.  The summer has been tough at Epic Church.  Attendance has been low with many on vacations at different times, plus the factor that Epic Church is a young generation church many have summer plans.

Tonight I started a series called: Identity.  Though then hoopla of summer struggles I have found it it refreshing and necessary to refocus my thoughts and energy on who I am in Jesus.  This extends out of the words of Paul the Apostle.  “Therefore the old has gone and the new has come.”

We are all creations of God but when we move from creations to children the miraculous occurs.  The old falls away and the new comes forth.

Have you been made new?  Do you celebrate this fact?  My prayer is this week we would experience the joy of our salvation though being made new.

The church is a group of transformed follower of Jesus, who perceive themselves to be the Body of Christ in their local community and to the nations, and live as such.

This is a definition of church.  Help me interact with it and let me know what you think about this.

I really like hanging around people like Allan Karr, Alan Hirsch, Sean Benesh, Michael Frost and such.  But at the same time I really hate it because they JACK UP my way of thinking.  I am an out of the box thinker but they system I am in is so IN the BOX.  So, just when I get comfortable in my box I rub shoulders with these men and they make me ask the question, “Am what I am doing and how I am doing it the most biblical and most effective way of doing it?”

I am in San Francisco for a few days taking a seminary class.  The class is called Intro to Church Planting.  Really it should be titled something like, How to Be a Missionary in Your Culture.  This isn’t a class about best practices but rather a class on theology of church and how we fit into it.  This first day we have heard from the professor and from a guest speaker who just came back from an amazing experience in Thailand and Burma.

The Western church is not getting it done here in the west and if you think you can argue this point… you cant.  I mean if we take Hirsch’s example in his book “The Forgotten Ways” we seem to do church for only 12% of the population in the US.  And even if we do church the way we know it REALLY WELL we will still only do it for 12% of the population.  So, here we are planting more church for 12% of the population.

My question is what does a church look like for the other 82% of the population.  Or for even another 12% of the population and do I have what it takes to reach them?  How can I be a part of seeing Jesus become the savior to the people I love so much, the people of Tucson Arizona?

The next three posts will focus on what Epic Church, and our lives for that matter, must focus.

Focus 1 - Our Focus Must Be On Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 12)

Epic Church must focus on Jesus Christ.  As I prepare my sermons to the church I love so much I always ask myself this question, “How will this sermon glorify Jesus and allow Him to be the focus of our time together?”  (John 17) This too is the focus of all decisions regarding all things Epic Church and all things Team Rasmussen.  To be honest, sometimes I feel like I fail, just being honest.  Without a doubt, if Jesus is not the focus of our lives and church, we will fail.  And fail BIG TIME.

It sounds kind of silly to write a post or even say out loud that Jesus must be the focus of our church.  I mean it should go without saying.  Right?  Well, one would think so.  It would be like a baseball game without a hot dog, or a church planter without a Mac, chili without beans.  You get the point, just sounds totally ridiculous.

I see all sorts of churches put their focus on something other than Jesus.  At times in my life have been focused on other things rather than Jesus.  Some churches put their focus on doing good things, giving a lot of money, building the best worship service, having the coolest artwork, having the best music and the list can go on and on.  But, we must - let me say it another way; WE MUST have Jesus as our central focus in all we do.  (Matthew 6:33)

This does not negate the need for other things to compliment our focus but they must not be the driving force behind what we do.  It must be Jesus.

The message of the Gospel and person of Jesus will permeate all we do as Epic Church.  Jesus lived a perfect life, died a gruesome death, fulfilled scripture, has given us hope, a future, a purpose, a heaven, and the list could go on and on.  (1Cor 15)  Because of Jesus we have Epic Church.  Because of Jesus we have a story.

What does it look like for a church to be focused on Jesus?  (Acts)
I have been asking this question for months.  What does Epic Church look like when it is focused entirely on Jesus Christ?

For Epic Church when we focus on Jesus we will see radical life-change and authentic community.  (Acts)

Look out for number two tomorrow.

This was a good day. Here are some thoughts about church planting and maybe another random thing or two.  I also finished reading, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.  It was a really good read.  Surprisingly the book had a lot of scriptural references.  I think I will be able to use this book as a resources as a pastor and church planter in the future.  I would recommend this to anyone who is in sales, public speaking, training or marketing.

I have been stuck in the Atlanta airport today since early this morning.  I have been reading a bunch and working on the iLife series which starts this weekend at Epic Church.  But, I came across this thought provoking equation.  Read it.  Think about it.  Wrestle with it. Pray about it. Talk about it with others. Then share your thoughts.

Building + Clergy + Program = Church.

Body + Mission + Kingdom = Church.

*from http://threadsmedia.com/index.php?/store/detail/sent-leader-kit/

It seems to me the first is a very common way of “doing” church and even starting churches here in North America, in Tucson to be specific.  We find a location to meet, we raise some money to hire staff, we structure the best program we can think of for: children, youth, adults, bible study, and so on.  Then, we feel we have a church!  And the things I hear and even at times, I confess… think, if we just get a better place, get more staff, and have better things to do then we have a more successful church.

The later has a focus on relationships.  The relationship with Jesus as its foundation.  With the “body” being those who have accepted the forgiveness from Jesus Christ and have made a decision to journey with Jesus though life.  That journey is made with others toward the common focus which we hear over and over though the pages of the New Testament which is about brining the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.  Which leads the final addition to the equation; a Kingdom focus.  Not a “my church”, “my denomination”, “my city” focus but a Kingdom focus.  One that says, “I don’t care if my name ever become great, or if my church ever becomes great.  I desire for the name of Jesus to become great and that the Kingdom of God/Heaven is multiplied here on earth.”  When those things happen we have a church being born.  A place where you can be you.  Where you can journey with others toward a common goal, and serving our cities, friends, nation, globe, family… in the name of Jesus Christ.

I have more thoughts about this but thought I would share what I have thus far with you.