A Blessed Christmas Celebration

God just keeps showing up for the Field of Grace ministry, and for whatever reason I continue to be amazed and astounded! Last night I held a Christmas celebration for all the folks who had completed a survey and indicated that they wanted to be kept informed of Field of Grace activities. I mailed out nearly 80 invitations, and by Saturday afternoon I had received confirmation for 78 persons (adults and children) who would be attending. As it turned out, there was also scheduled for last night a snow storm. A number of folks called to see if the event was still on, and the response was "yes." Despite the snow, folks started arriving prior to the 6:30 hor d'oeuvres time and continued to arrive. From a rough count I received, it looks we had approximately 30-35 people in attendance. We played ice breakers, sang songs and generally had a really good time. Many folks expressed their thanks and some indicated that it would be the only Christmas celebration that their family would have. We had fun, folks were able to get to know others who had expressed an interest in the ministry and there was a sense that a community was beginning to from. Some of the interesting stories included a man who had come with his lady friend, not knowing anything really about the church. It turns out that I had met his son when I had the table at the Farmer's Market over the summer and was asking people to complete a survey for me. This young boy came up and wanted to do one, but I told him that he would not be able to put any contact information without his parent's permission. He indicated that he would get permission and return another week. One week when I was not there, he did indeed return and completed the contact information. A number of other occasions, he would visit the table to say "hi." As a result of the information he provided, I sent a Christmas invitation to his father. At the celebration I explained to his father how it had come about for him to be invited the gathering. This man was one of those who was very thankful to have been invited and has been searching for a faith community of which he could be a part. The night was amazing and the catering by the hotel was fabulous. (If you are ever offered the option of having a "mash potato bar" at a catered event do not pass on this incredible opportunity for those who love mashed potatoes--white and sweet!) The food was great, the decorations great and the fellowship between strangers incredible. Throughout the night and into today, I could do nothing but praise God for having provided another event beyond my expectations! People were excited about the Field of Grace ministry and the upcoming opportunities and a number completed the response sheet indicating their interest to participate in the small groups that will begin in the new year. I shared the mission and vision with them and let them know that the birth date for the church is Christmas Eve 2010: This also generated a degree of excitement among the folks. I'm thankful my coach encouraged me to do a Christmas mixer rather than a the small prayer time I was going to offer on Christmas Eve and the small luncheon similar to the Thanksgiving luncheon. And thankful for his advice to have it catered at a nice place. I give praise and thanks to God for continuing to show up and shape this new ministry! This event has definitely tuaght me to think bigger and to expect more from God! Photos will be posted on Facebook by day's end. Hasta Luego.

I am posting the reflection that I placed in the Field of Grace newsletter today. "Then he told his servants, 'We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren't up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.' The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on-every place filled."

Matthew 22:9-10

This passage very aptly describes the Thanksgiving Luncheon that we had planned last week for college students and others. Flyers had been posted on the campuses and e-mails sent to staff whom I knew, asking them to share the information with students with whom they had contact. We even had the event posted in the local newspaper. We had the capacity to seat and feed 24 persons, and I would have been happy if 15 to 20 attended. The two turkeys were ready, the rolls heated, homemade cranberry sauce, the sweet potato pie awaiting the first cut (O.K., I was waiting for that pie to be cut!). And we waited. Well, nearly an hour after the posted start time no one had arrived. So, following the lead of the passage above, I invited one of the helpers to come with me to walk through downtown Wilkes-Barre to offer an invitation to whomever we met. One of the other helpers remained at the site and her task was to invite anyone who passed by to come in and enjoy a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal, free of charge. And so rather than waiting for people to come to us, we went out and took our invitation to the people. First to arrive there were two young women walking with a baby, and their male friend; then the two youths who had been skateboarding across the street; men from the transitional home next door, and a steady stream of folk continued to arrive until most of the food had been consumed, and we had run out of plates. Blessings were exchanged, prayers requested, laughter and stories shared, and new relationships formed. Was it the luncheon that this slightly OCD control freak had planned? No. Was it more than I could have expected? Most definitely, yes! I was reminded once again, that even my best best plans, or no match for the plans of God. And, that at times I will need to step outside of what I would like to happen and be willing to follow an entirely different approach that God has laid out. The day was a wonderful one and I am so thankful for the direction it took. Sure, it would have been great to have hosted the students, but those who did attend were ones who really needed a meal and company that day. One was an older woman who after over 30 years of marriage found herself "evicted" (her term) by her husband and feeling forsaken by her family. She never imagined that after so many years of marriage she would find herself in her current situation. She was so thankful for the meal that was offered and hugged me tight as she repeatedly voiced her disbelief at her situation. She firmly pressed money into my hand saying that she felt that she needed to give something to support our efforts. When I later looked at what she had given me it was a crumpled $1 bill, probably more than she could afford to give away. As I looked at the bill I was reminded of Jesus' story of the poor woman who placed all that she had into the offering plate in the temple. Another young woman who felt that God had led her to the luncheon, also felt compelled to give something to support the ministry. She herself had been homeless not too long ago and is currently trying to find employment to support herself and her daughter. As we were cleaning up, she left us only to return several minutes later. She went into the prayer room and left a couple of dollars as a love offering in the donation box. Women, men, young, old, homeless, seeking employment: each one that came in had a story, and I am thankful that God allowed me to journey with them for that short span of time. Several asked about the ministry, taking away literature and wanting to know about other gatherings and Bible studies. Some ate their meal, said "thank you" and were on their way. I may never see many of them again, but I am thankful that our ministry was able to offer a moment of refuge and community, regardless of how brief. Hasta Luego

Continued Blessings

God just continues blessing this ministry! He has provided us with a space which we are able to use rent-free. The owner only asks that we contribute something towards the cost of utilities. The space consists of two rooms: One we will use for gatherings, Bible studies, fellowship activities. In the back space we have created a prayer room which we will use for weekly Taize services. We will also open it up a couple of days a week for people who just want to come in for private prayer. Another blessing came this morning while I was at the gym. The trainer knows that I am a pastor and has allowed me to place flyers at the club and also offered to allow me to use the club for a fundraiser. Well, this morning we were talking and the conversation came around to churches. He indicated that he has been put off by other Christians at the club who have been quite aggressive in their approach to trying to get him to attend church, and that I haven't been like the others. He stated that he would like to attend gathering that our church will have because I haven't been trying to "recruit" him. He has been really turned off by the hard sell approach of others. I'm thankful to God for the opportunity we had to talk and look forward future conversations and his participation in our community. Please continue to pray for the ministry and that God will use me to reach others in this community who are looking for a place to belong. Hasta Luego

I Love this Place!

I LOVE IT HERE! I'm in love with this area: It's probably the first place that I have served in that I would consider staying for a LONG time. I was thinking about why that is. First, it's a really nice are and even with the 6% sales tax, the cost of living is pretty low (monthly rents for apartments start in the 400's). I think the other reason is that I have had the time to get to know the community and make connections with folks other than folks who will be part of the congregation. In most other communities my first and primary contacts were with the church folk. Since there is no church yet, I have been able to cultivate some other connections. I've switched gyms and am part of a smaller club where the owner really works at building a sense of community among those of us who work out there. Sunday there was a paintball outing, but I couldn't go because of other commitments. I'm also just really comfortable here and feel really at home. People have been fantastic and I'm learning my way around. It's a great area for walking and mornings when I don't go to the gym I take my bike out to ride through the park and along the dike. I really like it here! Things are going well, and next week I'll have the first group meeting of all the folks I have been meeting and telling about the church. It will be a time of informal conversation about the mission and vision of the church and a time for them to ask any question they have. The free pizza should provide an incentive for them to come! Next Friday I also hope to begin weekly Taize services for the students (and faculty) on the two college campuses downtown. I continue to be so thankful to God for calling me to plant a new church in this area, and continue t pray that I woudl be faithful and up to the task. But of course, since it was God who called me here, I need to remind myself that God will provide what I need to accomplish the task. Hasta Luego The search goes on for a music director, but I am confident that God will send the right person at the right time.

Update

I am on so many sites that it's a challenge keeping them all updated. I just finished signing up for a PayPal account for Field of Grace so that our web master can add a donation button to the website. I have also just finished creating a donation page on FirstGiving so that we can promote the ministry and request donations and financial partners. I'm going to try to put that link here on my blog page. One of the things that was emphasized a new church planter training was the importance of raising funds to help finance the ministry in the early stages. This will take some of the financial pressures off while the congregation is still small and growing. If we can have significant resources in the bank then the folks can focus on the ministry and growing in their understanding about giving and not worried about raising money to fund the ministry. I have finally finished the draft for my Ministry Action Plan and am in the process of getting a three-year budget worked out. Although planting a church is hard work and am enjoying it and loving being here in the Wilkes-Barre area. I think this is probably one of the first times in my ministry that I have lived in a town where I felt that I might like to live for a long time. We'll see what God has planned. Fr now I am enjoying being here and working with God to bring this church to birth. The planned birth date for our first public worship service is Dec. 24, 2010. I will be working really hard to make as many contacts as possible so that we can have at least 200 people at that first service. I have a contact list of about 60 people and at the end of this month will have a "Pizza with the Pastor" gathering to meet and talk with them about the ministry and answer any questions they have. I will also start Taize services at the end of this month and will offer them every Friday evening. Those will be specifically geared towards reaching the college students in town. There is a space that I can borrow for all of these gatherings, but there is also a sace that I would like to lease and eventually buy to serve as a permanent ministry site for us. It would not provide worship space but woudl be a great mission and outreach center. There are two buildings on the lot. One would serve as office and administrative space and could be used for small group meetings, Bible study, etc. There is also a room that could be finished off to serve as a prayer room and could be used for the Taize services. The building is fully furnished ad equipped and is in move in condition. The other building needs quite a bit of work, but with some "green" renovation my dream would be to place "Grace Cafe" on the upper floor and offer snacks and free internet access to the community. The lower level could be used for youth group and to provide educational enrichment programs to children and adults. So please keep this in prayer. The space meets all of our criteria for serving the downtown area. It sits on the edge of Wilkes University and is within walking distance of Kings College. It is on a busy street and has great visibility and it is on a couple of well-travelled bus routes. I love this space but need to move through United Methodist process in order to sign a lease. Church starting and leasing property is a new process for folks here so there need to be meeting and lots of discussion. Prayers, prayers, prayers, please! Well, let's see if I can get this donation link uploaded. Blessings and hasta luego, Marcelle

Love this Journey

It's been a while, but things are going well in Wilkes-Barre. Right now I am sitting in the airport in Phoenix waiting for my 10:30 pm overnight flight to Philly and then to Scranton. I have been at church planter training in Twin Peaks, CA and it has been great! It filled in a lot of gaps I have had in terms of some of the specifics I needed to know in order to proceed with the work in W-B. While in the airport, I am using the time to take the information I have learned and begin writing my new church proposal and my strategic plan.

In addition to the practical information that I received at the training, I think the most valuable take-away came in the form of the theological perspective the was presented. It has really helped me to adjust my approach to thinking about the church plant which in turn will keep me focused on the right objectives.

1. Missio dei: God's mission. A church plant is all about participating in God's loving work in a particular area, and the ministry in which a planter engages is Jesus' ministry, not the planter's. The work of the planter is to help people in their area to know that they are already loved, saved and accepted by the work of Jesus on the cross. My role is to guide them to see and accept that fact. God loves them and wants to restore a loving relationship with them, so how can I represent that radical love of Christ.

The answer is, by engaging in "Incarnational Evangelism," living out the love of Christ in the cultural context of the people. Not approaching them with all kinds of "God talk," but listening to their needs and engaging them in their context, no matter what that is. Farmer's Market, bowling alley, in the park, where ever, and then remembering that it is not my job to convert them, the Holy Spirit will do that. My job is to provide an environment where they can experience the love and presence of God.

I don't have to save them, I don't have to convert them: what a relief! My job is simply to love them in such a way that the Holy Spirit can begin to work in their heart.

As a result of the training, I have a lot of ideas on how to approach the ministry in W-B, and how I need to live out an incarnational approach to evangelism: loving them and being the representative of Christ among them.

So now, my focus will not be so much on starting a church, by looking at the ways in which I can most effectively share that love of Christ with the ethnic persons of W-B, especially those persons who are in inter-racial relationships and have bi-racial children. I know from experience (friends and relatives) how difficult it is for these children to find a place of belonging and where they feel they fit in. Field of Grace Community of Faith will be the place where they will experience the full embrace and love of the God who created them in God's own image.

I have lots of work to do, but I am excited and energized for what lies ahead. I also realize that it's going to be a lot of hard work. Part of that work will be navigating the expectations of supervisors who will be looking for numbers and wanting to know when the church is going to get started. Unfortunately, none of them have attended the trainings, so I will have to do some educating as I explain the approach that I will be following.

Pray for me that I will remain open and responsive to God's agenda and not charging ahead with my own. And pray that God would grant me the voice and the grace to engage folks in their context, stepping out beyond my own introverted nature.

Hasta Luego.

Wow, there is so much to do in starting a new church, it both almost overwhelming as well as very exciting! This week I am in Chicago attending the School of Congregational Development. I just finished m last session of my ministry track, called the Pre-Launch. It was ed by a pastor who was very successful doing a new church start and is a very resourceful fellow. The sessions wee great and provided me with a lot of information I was lacking in terms of these first few months. One of the things I will try to get started on while I am here is my ministry plan. I had started one before, but was not quite sure what were some of the activities I needed to be engaged in doing. I have a much better idea now and want to put it down on paper before my head bursts with all the information. I also learned that for the most part I am on the right track. In addition to my ministry plan I want to start working on funding sources that will help me to have the funds needed to fund the music ministry position. Although I have reviewed dozens of resumes, there have been few that would meet the needs of the Field of Grace ministry. There is one that looks very promising and I would like to offer him the position, but I have not been able to obtain any clips or videos of his work. Someone I know might also be interested in the position, but there is more conversation that would need to happen around that. Being here has also connected me with people and resources that I needed for the FoG ministry. I met one woman who is willing to edit my Spanish translations of the website and met another who might be able to connect me with someone to do any translations I need. Right now as I try to make sure everything I produce is in English and Spanish, it takes some time. There are still some translations needed on the website, but it is mostly complete. The website logo is also now done and I am very excited because it provides us with a way of branding ourselves and increasing our visibility. Check us out at www.FieldofGraceUMC.org. Well, before heading to dinner, I'm going to work a little on my ministry plan and also give the fellow a call about our music position. Hasta Luego