Christmas Eve at Whipplecreek Church @ 5:00pm

The final message in our Advent Conspiracy Series
A Conspiracy of Receiving Love


[Worship Fully]
A Special Christmas Eve Service

It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift up a song to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a King is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest. We will have creative message, children’s choir, candles, & yes we’ll have Christmas carols!

Sunday, December 20th at Whipple Creek Church

The Third Week of the Advent Conspiracy is all about:
A Conspiracy of Knowing Love
Special Guest: John Sowers (The Mentoring Project)


[Know Completely]
Knowledge is power. God knows us perfectly. God knows what somebody has been angry about all week. God knows all those little digs in conversation that sound a little funny but we really meant seriously. God knows about the commitments we made, that we left undone and that left somebody in a lurch. God knows about people who drink too much, and kid themselves into saying they don’t.  God knows all about our masks and our disguises. God knows us perfectly. God knows us completely.


Join us as we get to hear from Dr. John Sowers, of The Mentoring Project, and how his unique story of "knowing love" connects in with The Conspiracy of Knowing Love, the Story of Christmas. You'll also have the opportunity to show love by way of the "The Mentoring Project Christmas Campaign" to help mentor the fatherless.


The Mentoring Project Introduction from The Mentoring Project on Vimeo.

OR Check this OUT:

Sunday, December 13th at Whipple Creek Church

The Advent Conspiracy Continues with:
A Conspiracy of Living Love
Special Guest: Dan Merchant (Lord Save Us From Your Followers)

[Love All]
When Jesus loved, He loved in ways never imagined. Though rich, he became poor to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and the sick. He played to the margins. By spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join Him in giving resources to those who need help the most. When Advent Conspiracy first began, four churches challenged this simple concept to their congregations. The result raised more than a half million dollars to aid those in need. One less gift. One unbelievable present in the name of Christ. 


Dan, through his book and movie, Lord Save Us From Your Followers, and his lifestyle, embodies what it means to Love All. He is a genuine guy who desires to show Jesus love by how he lives his life and treats others. I can't wait for you to meet this new friend. In the meantime, you can check out his website by clicking HERE. Join us this Sunday at 10:30 am.


Here is the trailer for the movie, in case you haven't seen it yet!




or Check out this one

Sunday, December 6th at Whipple Creek Church

A Conspiracy of Giving Love
Special Guest: Greg Russinger (Founder of Just4One.org)

[Give More]
God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?

Check out Greg's organization here: JustOne

During the month of December, we are collecting quarters for the Laundry Love Project.

What is a Laundry Love Project?

Laundry Love Projects (LLPs) are regular opportunities to help people who are struggling financially by assisting them with doing their laundry. Relationships are built, and LLPs become small communities of common concern in which participants often find that they receive assistance and benefit with other areas of their lives.

Check out their video & then join us this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

My Interview with Dan Merchant of Lord Save Us From Your Followers

OR to see original interview: Click HERE

What Does The Bible Say About Effective Leadership (part 2)?

Sorry this post has been so long in coming, I guess you could say I got sidetracked by life a little bit. It's all been apart of me being a more effective leader. I lead a group of emerging leaders through a real cool process this past year (my 5th year doing it). I'm proud to say, leaders have emerged from that process who are now leading another 15 leaders through the same process (duplication, I love it!)

One of the things we always address is "What does the Bible say about leadership?" So, here is the 2nd thing (out of 10) the Bible says about effective leadership (that is a leaders who leads Christianly) that comes from what we are studying and reading (thanks VantagePoint3).

Do you agree?

The effective Christian leaders sees the way to go.

An effective leader is said the sort of person who inspires and motivates others toward a Godly vision. Look what Jesus in John 10:3-4,

"The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."

Jesus was speaking about himself in this passage, but the responsibilities of a Christian leader are no different in that all Godly leaders are called to "know the sheep" in order to communicate a vision (a preferred view of the future), which in turn inspires follower-ship.

People are hungry for leadership, and because of this we are easily manipulated. Many worldly leaders take advantage of this susceptibility for their own profit, but Godly leaders always call their followers to a vision that glorifies God. They see God's way to go.

NEXT: Effective Christian leader proclaims truth.

Why Christian didn't drive a motorcycle while in the U.S.

This is Christian Jung. He is our missionary to Africa (right now in Mozambique). These are the roads they drive while getting the Word out about Jesus. Jesse Gellatly (one of our other missionaries to Mozambique) is filming him.

Sunday October 11, 2009 YouVersion Live Link

The Skinny on Idea Camp PNW

Dates: November 20-21, 2009

Times:

Friday (Nov 20) 11:00a – 5:00p and
Saturday (Nov 21) 8:30 – 5:00p
Location: Portland Foursquare Church

1302 SE Ankeny St., Portland, OR 97214

Cost: Absolutely Free!

RSVP: Eventbrite

For Lastest updates and Speaker List:

Idea Camp Website and

Idea Camp Community

Become a FAN on Facebook

Here's the Skinny:

Each Idea Camp has had it's own flavor or focus according to the area where the conference was taking place. So, it is only fitting that the Idea Camp Pacific Northwest Focus: Being Present With the City

This particular Idea Camp will focus on the topics of seeing our cities through the eyes of God and expressing love by being present in practical ways. The umbrella of being present encompasses themes of walking with and serving our neighbors as opposed to doing ministry to them.

As primarily a faith-based conference, there will be an on-going focus on the importance of respectfully listening to the communities we live in, collaborating across faith traditions to pray and serve, and embracing our communities’ issues as our own.

Using an interactive platform and collective of leading thinkers and practitioners from the field, participants will be able to learn from leading experts as well as one another, share best practices, and work toward collaborative efforts.

In addition, those following online will be able to experience the conference via the latest tools in social media. All of the general sessions and a handful of workshops will be streamed live and recorded to be used as future resources online.

The Idea Camp is rooted in relationships. This deep sense of ownership is nurtured through user-generated content, viral efforts in blogging and social networking, and regular meet-ups by community members (see www.theideacamp.ning.com).

The Idea Camp has strong sponsorships - It is through the generosity of our sponsors and community members that the Idea Camp is able to offer these FREE conferences. The brief history has shown that people who believe in the importance of nurturing and implementing ideas will invest resources to support effective efforts. The Idea Camp has a growing track record of people who have actually implemented ideas through the help of the Idea Camp tribe.

The Idea Camp generates creative use of resources - Whether it’s through technology, relational equity, or the creative use of social media, the Idea Camp prides itself in making the most out of the resources available. The return on investment for people’s time, talent, or treasure is exponential.

So, there you have the skinny, now will you join us in November?

Donald Miller: Million Miles Tour

What If.....

What if we were ordinary people with ordinary jobs who went to work, came home and were ordinary
members of the community but we were deeply committed to Jesus and His Mission, both at work & in
the neighborhood?

Twitter Kills

I love David Crowder. This has got to be one of the funniest things I've seen:

faithbook

We started a new series last week at Whipple entitled "faithbook." Yea, it's kind of facebook with a lisp. After reading some of Barna's research and talking to some of our people and then talking to other Christ-followers, it quickly become apparent to me how Biblically iliterate we are as a Christian society.

So, we started as series to get people to stop neglecting God's Word and to start engaging in it. This Sunday we are talking about how accurate is the Bible, inspiration and all those things we are taught in cementary, I mean seminary. I ran across this video clip at Worship House Media. I kind of like and though I would share it on my blog. Enjoy.

In His Word & Grip

Brett

E-Baby

I love the E-Trade babies. As I always say, "Nothing is funnier than talking babies." Check this video out.

Is Your Heart Ready?

Can I say, I'm frustrated? This is Easter week, Holy week-there should be a sense of contentment, quietness, peacefulness but it's not. It seems every where I turn, there are problems. Personal, staff, friendships, and "things" happening in the church. I get frustrated because we make plans as a church to "change the world" (or at least our part of it), and when it comes time for the execution of it, it all falls apart. I think the "church" gets it, but then I see they don't. I'm frustrated. Isn't this supposed to be easier? Isn't this suppose to be the greatest week of the year for a Christian? Isn't this supposed to be a time of celebration, and telling others, and showing others what Christ did for us? Shouldn't the Church get it, especially the staff or those that are the forerunners in the church at least, shouldn't they at least get it?

I have to think, "how frustrated was Jesus?" Now, I'm not comparing myself to Him by any means. I'm far from that. But here is the Son of Man, God in the flesh, the Savior of the world who spent three years living on this earth ministering, investing into people, doing many miraculous things, and about getting ready to die a horrible death & the people He invested in the most, the people He spent most of his time with in those three years, the guys He lived with, didn't get it.

They fought over who should be first; they had doubts; they had wrong motives; they fell asleep when He asked them to pray for Him - one even betrayed Him. If that happened to Jesus, why shouldn't I expect the same. Heck, I don't live with people I do ministry with (although sometimes I feel like it).

For me, and maybe for you, it comes down to this: we have a real enemy who wants to frustrate us and make us feel defeated. Yes, I'm frustrated, but I'm frustrated because I don't understand Jesus enough. Why would He still go to the cross when it seemed, to me, that people didn't get it? Simple--Jesus came into this world because He loved us so much that He was willing to die for us to save us from the evil one.

My question for you is: Is Your Heart Ready for Easter? We may not get it all, but we do need to get Him!

If you're in the Vancouver area and don't have a church home, join us for Easter & baptisms this Sunday at 8:30 & 10:30. I love our baptisms. We usually know of one or two people being baptized, but by the time we're done, many, many more come forward in their clothes and all to be baptized! It's exciting!

Wherever you attend this weekend, my prayer is that your heart is prepared for the One who didn't let frustration keep Him from doing what He needed to do.

In His Grip,

Brett

We are all beggars!

What an incredible, painful, joyful, tearful and heartfelt last couple of Sunday's we've had at Whipple. I've been talking about what it means to be dangerous (a good dangerous) as a Church and that it takes people to become dangerous disciples to make it happen. (After all isn't the Church really just people and not the building? Remember "here's the church, here's the steeple, open the door, see all the people"?)

One of the things I've been trying to drive home is how important our stories are in touching people and how they become a gateway to the bigger story. (God's epic story through time of His love reconciling people to Him.) I've said it like this, we are all beggars telling another beggar where to get food (think I got that from Andy Stanley or Ed Young). Each week I shared a simple story, a beggars story, a "cardboard testimony" of how God has changed someone's life.

I talked about "Story" and how the human condition, how the marginalized, the outcast, the forgotten, the one's we chose to ignore, all have stories, too. I said that when our story (which is God's story) intersects with their story, God shows up, lives are changed, relationships get restored, and lives get healed.

People were invited to come forward and to write their cardboard testimony, their story, and place them at the front of church as an offering to God. I saw people come forward who I knew their story and how God had worked in & through their lives-I rejoiced & celebrated with them.

I saw people come forward that are in the middle of their story, and they are still unsure of the way the story looks-I cried with them.

I saw people come forward who want or need God to be a part of their story. Their story is one of pain, abandonment & grief-I prayed & grieved with them.

Throughout it all, God is working to restore & rebuild people back to Him. And it's not only happening at Whipple, it's happening all across the world. What's your Story. Please leave a comment as we can encourage one another.

Don't Do It!

What more do I need to say than what this video says to husbands everywhere?

God of the City

This song has become an anthem of our church. We have video loops we play on the screen during the song that we got from Willow Creek, but I just found this one on YouTube and it's really cool. I hope you know that God has a plan for you city, do you?

A Dangerous Church Parties

We are excited that on April 12, Easter, we will be concluding our Dangerous Church series with a big party, because a Dangerous Church knows how to party! We will be having two, yes two services on that Sunday. One at 8:30 and one at 10:30. Each service will include full children's programs, worship and baptisms. We're excited about what is going on here, God is moving. If you don't have a church home, we invite you to join us on Easter. If you are a regular part of Whipple Creek, get ready to party!

A Dangerous Church

When we understand that we are Called, we are Shown, we are Identified, we are Related, we are Trained/Equipped and we are Called Out, it changes everything: how we live, how we talk, how we spend our time, how we spend our money, and it even changes our relationships. And that is dangerous.

At our church, we are on mission to lead people into a growing, handholding relationship with Jesus Christ. We want Real People to experience the Real Church so they can have Real Hope in living out their Real Life. It takes a church that dares to be different and goes against the norms--a dangerous Church.

The Church has to be willing to go where no one else is willing to go (sometimes dangerous places) and attempt what no one else is willing to attempt (sometimes dangerous feats) to reach people that no one else is reaching., that's what Jesus did and it was dangerous.

A movement of God is afoot in Vancouver, in Clark County, in this Country and in the world. Can you feel it? Can you see it? Can you sense it? Do you believe it? Are you praying for it? When we get to that point when all of us who are a part of the Church do, when the Church embraces it, watch out, it will rock the world.

That is a Dangerous Church.

Life Comes at You Fast

While in Dallas, I meet a new friend, kinda. I've followed him on twitter, but have never meet him, you will here more about him this week. But anyway Rick (click to go to his site) hooked me up with this video. It boggles the mind. What does this mean for the Church?

Back From Innovation3 & Shout Out

We just got back from Dallas for Innovation3 Conference. It was mind blowing to say the least, more later, but in meantime, we got a shot out during their "live" sessions. Check out what Greg Atkinson has to say about Whipple Creek Church and it's SkateChurch:

Free TV Show from Ustream

Update On the Jung's Arrival in Poland

For those of you following the Jung's, Christian was our Worship Pastor & his wife Christy was our Children's Worship Arts Director, they arrived safely in Poland. They will be serving along side our sister church there for at least hopefully one year. Here is the letter I received from Pastor Daniel:

Dear Brett,

This is just a short note to let you know Christian, Christy and the kids have arrived safely in Piotrkow. WOW! We are so thrilled, man!
We left them in the church now to have some rest but tomorrow we will start introducing them to some new challenges of daily living in Poland :). First, they will have to cope with some Polish food they will be having with us in the afternoon :). More challenges are to come soon.

I am so very much looking forward to what God is going to do through them and through us working together among the people of Piotrkow. We do count on your prayers! We need them, brother! Thank you for standing with us in this battle for the souls of Polish people. Man, we live in such spiritual darkness over here, despite the label of a Christian country we have but "the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world"!

I am planning to stretch Christian out :) by involving him in different type of ministry and I am hoping he is going to do the same to me when we work together. I do pray this challenge will be of mutual benefit and blessing to both of us, which does not necessarily mean it is going to be easy! :). Please, be a part of it through your prayers! I will value your support deeply!

Give our love to everybody in the church but especially to those we know and do stay in touch, pal!
In Him
Daniel

Please be praying for the Jung's (Christian, Christy, Jonas, Jordan, Justin) as they adjust to a new life, new food, and a new culture. They hit the ground running as they start a Winter Vacation Bible School Next week. For updates on the Jung's, visit their blog Here. We will miss them, but for now, they are needed to reach one person, one country, one nation at a time.

National Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery Awareness Day Sucks

Apathetic.
Shocked.
Embarrassed.
Angered.
Heartbroken.

These are the emotions I went through, over time, as I’ve discovered over the last 5-6 years that human trafficking is a wider spread problem than I realized. I really liked hiding in my protective, Christian, hole-in-the-sand world. I had heard it was happening in “other” places, but what could I do? I thought, “it’s that countries problem.” Boy, was I wrong.

About 6 years ago, one of my youth pastors, who had done some missionary work in Nepal, had a woman from Nepal come and talk about the condition of human trafficking in that country. She told a story of how a family sold their daughter, because they needed the money. Thinking it was going to get her a better life, they then found out she was to be a prostitute. The woman who was from Nepal was talking about how they were trying to raise money so that these families could start cottage industries to be able to support themselves without having to go to these drastic steps.

My thought was, “Gee, I'm glad I don’t live there.” And “Gosh, that’s a good idea. I hope THEY can do it.” You see, I thought it was a problem THERE. Besides what could I do, I’m HERE.

In recent years and months, my eyes have been opened really wide. My worship pastor’s cousin, Justin Dillion, has made a hugely successful documentary that has brought a lot of attention to trafficking. It’s called Call and Response. (You can be apart of of this group by clicking This.

I have to admit, I have not seen the movie yet, but have seen the clips, read all the articles, and have since, done a lot of research. I am shocked at how it is happening HERE in the U.S.A. If you haven’t see the trailer for the film, you need to see it.

Fast forward the clock a couple of months. A friend of mine (one who has become a great friend-check out Greg's Blog) who I meet through Twitter came to Vancouver/Portland to lead a conference. As we sat in a coffee shop and talked about life, Church and social justice, we talked about this movie. He then made a comment I totally blew off. He said, “Brett, it’s happening in your city. If you don’t think so, you’re not looking.” 

I thought “Yea, right Greg, maybe in Dallas or even Portland, but Vancouver? Come on!” A couple of week later, I became very embarrassed when I read THIS in our local paper. It was happening HERE!

Later that week, I received a newspaper article from my mother-in-law in South Dakota. You know what the headlines were about? Human trafficking in South Dakota! WHAT? South Dakota? It’s supposed to be a part of the Bible belt–how could this be happening?

Now, I’m angry & heartbroken over THIS. This shouldn't be happening on "our watch." And by "our watch" I mean I don’t care if you are a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic, Hindu, Buddhist or whatever. It’s not about a religion, it’s about a human condition.

In this day and age, we, as conscientious, aware people should rise against such things. There should not have to be a day that brings awareness to it. This day needs to be abolished, and the only way it can happen is by all of us uniting together, doing what each of us can, and abolishing human trafficking.

Here are some great resources to check out:

Dian Scimone: a modern abolitionist

The Somaly Mam Foundation

Facebook Groups You Can Join
Call and Response
End Sex Slave Trade and Human Trafficking
International Justice Mission
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day - January 11th
Stop Human Trafficking

Statistical Stuff
Human Trafficking
The State Government
Human Trafficking.Org
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Doug Nichols

Yes, it sucks that we have to have a day to make us aware of this problem. But we must do something. We can’t just think it’s happening everywhere but in the good ol’ U.S.A. We need to respond. Pray, give, write, do whatever you feel you can do to help abolish this travesty in our lifetime. Let us be the generation who wipes out slavery.

What Does The Bible Say About Effective Leadership?

I have been leading a group of emerging leaders through a real cool process this past year (my 4th or 5th year doing it) and one of the things we always address is "What does the Bible say about leadership?" So, here are 10 things the Bible says about effective leadership (that is a leaders who leads Christianly) that comes from what we are studying and reading. Do you agree?

1. They model a Christ-like lifestyle.
What this means is that the they seek to serve out of an intimate relationship with God, and in doing so, invites others into the same sort of relationship. The most important thing is to understand is that "who you are" and "whose you are" are infinitely more important than "what you do."

The world says, "lead because you've got what it takes. You've got the skills, the charisma and you've got the drive. You go out there and make it happen, because it's all about you and then you'll get what you have coming to you."

Paul says in Galatians 2:20 "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Paul knew that the "Christian" leader follows Jesus first, dies to self, and lets Jesus have control in order that others might find the same path. 

If we are to lead effectively and faithfully, we must pay attention to how our modeling influences. For ultimately who you are is what others will receive and respect and follow, not simply what you say or command.

Next: They See the Way to Go