Turn "Me" into "We"

ReaLife Communities

 It’s about:

         Community

         Neighborhoods

         Resources

         Training

         Mentoring

         Restoration

         Redistribution

The Story:

In my neighborhood, I learned over the last two years there are homeless families. I learned there are families that are hungry & don't have money for food. I learned that middle school girls are subjected into forced prostitution by teenage boys.

Were do I live? Not LA, not New York not Chicago or the Philippines or some third world country. I live in Vancouver, Washington. Yes, it's happening in my neighborhood, but I can't do anything about it. I need “you” to help “me” become

‘WE.”

We can end homelessness in our Community. We can end hunger in our Community. We can end sexual trafficking, yes, in OUR Community. We are better together than We are alone.

These issues are a reality in Vancouver and in particular in our own Hazel Dell Community. But we can do something about it.

A two-year dream is about to become reality. Many organizations, non-profits, and churches are coming together to unite as one to make a difference in Clark County: Real Life in Hazel Dell.

Here’s how you can help:

We can do this! Pass this link on to others and share it in your network! Be apart of making a difference .

Mondering Pondering

As I'm in my office pondering the future for us, several questions flood through my mind about the kind of church we are and we want to be and who God is leading us to be--and more importantly how do we reach people? I guess you could ask it like this, how do we continue to be an engaging church that is embedded our community?

Who are the seekers and spectators and that we're hoping to engage? The 1st generation of the 21st Century is far different than any before. It's a group that has made more personal lifestyle changes than any other--due almost entireley to the advances in technology. And it's a group that has options.

We're calling to a culuture that devours makeover shows and to people who know "pimp my ride" means to make their vehicle as cool as possible. We're asking adults to give up time they could be spending in front of their 60" plasma screens, and we're asking their kids to lay down their video games, iPods, and iPhones, Xboxs, their technology to connect with us, and we with them.

But what do we offer? Remarkable experiences and initiatives that keep up and surpass those of our culture? How do we meet the needs of people with ever-shortening attention spans and ever-increasing expectations? How do we do all that and still keep our ministry focus and avoid feeding a "church mall" mindset? What is the best ways for us to meet the needs of our community? Can we do it alone? How is the model of the church need to change to meet those needs? Will other churches partner with us to make it happen?

Just some things I'm pondering as I seek God to take us where He bodly will in 2010 and 2011. 

What I'm Doing Over the Next 12 (11) Months.

All About Dream Year

Dream Year is a 12-month process that's designed to help you bring your God-given dream to life.

You bring the dream.

I'll be your dream coach.

As a community of just 20 participants...

We'll make it happen.

We won't meet in person (so no travel required), but we'll collaborate on-line through video chats, practical lessons each week, monthly phone calls, and Google Wave. You'll occasionally get free resources in the mail and private conversations with notable leaders.

So that's...

1. One exclusive lesson from me each week.
2. One 40 minute phone call with me each month.
3. On-line collaboration with a rotating team of 4.
4. Occasional on-line video chats.
5. Occasional free books.
6. Free admission to my 2010 events.
7. A personalized plan for executing your dream.

While you go about executing your project, we'll walk through a 12-month curriculum that looks something like this...

January - Authenticating your dream (tracing its history, assessing your readiness, testing the idea, defining a clear project, raising your faith level, preparing for risk)

February - Building your platform (moving from beggar to influencer, finding your audience, trading value for information, becoming an expert in your field)

March - Defining your values (determining what you won't do, then determining what you will do, on the subject of excellence, building a team to bring your idea to life)

April - Funding your dream (great ideas are spreadsheets with skin on, identifying revenue sources, shaping your strategy, cash flow is everything, the art of making the ask)

May - Branding your project (developing a total user experience, a field guide to designers, developing a creative class around you, design as the foundation for what you do) 

June - Creating milestones (working backward from the goal, productivity tools, the sacrificial substitution principle, how faith changes the order of action, )

July - Leveraging influence (if you don't have influence you borrow it, if you already have influence you still borrow it, creating social movements around your idea, networking with leaders who matter)

August - Partnerships (creating win-wins, the art of negotiation, rooting out great partnerships, angles of benefit, value exchanges, approaching partners)

September - Rainmaking (sales for people who hate sales, how to put yourself out there without losing dignity, systems that produce revenue, closing deals, invoicing, merchant gateways) 

October - Shaping an organization (organizational systems, proprietary versus outsourced, contractors versus employees, legal issues, how to make your idea your living, etc.)

November - Positioning yourself (navigating the world of media, agents, publishers, and conference makers, marketing in an over-saturated field, differentiation)

December - Last-month epiphanies, unresolved issues, feedback and last minute-ideas, charting the future connectivity of the class of 2010

There will be monthly assignments that will help you work toward your dream. But you'll benefit from the influence, connections, resources, talents, and ideas of all of the participants. Each year will produce its own class of graduates... a fraternity if you will. A skull and bones of the Christian world. =)

Here are some of the advantages of Dream Year.

- You'll get a personal dream coach in me.
- You'll get practical guidance on executing your idea.
- You'll get encouraging but constructive feedback.
- You'll help shape and fulfill the dreams of others.
- You'll get caring accountability.
- You'll get private sessions with notable thought-leaders.
- You'll get occasional free books from publishers.
- You'll end up with stronger network of culture-makers across the country.
- You'll get the connections, resources and talents of an amazing group of leaders.
- Free admission to STORY and The Whiteboard Sessions during 2010.
- Membership to the exclusive Dream Year class of 2010.
- Oh... and how about YOUR DREAM COMING TO LIFE?! =)