"keep on keepin on"

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This is the latest installment for those of you who want to keep up with what is going on up here. We will be keeping up with a twitter account, the link for it is in the left corner of this page.

Thanks friends and family and please feel free to comment and ask questions about things you see.

Ode to a Mentor

There are those rare people in your life that you can say you would follow them into a burning building.

When I started at WKU it took no time at all to hear about Living Hope Baptist Church, a prominent local church. Living Hope was doing some major ministry on the campus and you could see the Lord at work through them.

At the time, the College Pastor was Jeff Carlisle. Jeff had started as an intern, became Children's and Youth minister, the Junior High and College pastor, then Jr High, College and Missions, then College and Missions and now he is the Missions pastor. Quite the job description for one person. All that to say, he has experienced a lot in church ministry and brings a wealth of wisdom to his current role.

When I was a sophomore, I became acquainted with Jeff via a ministry I was co-leading called Alive. Jeff became a great source of counsel for the ministry, and began a strong relationship with me. Soon after, during my junior year, I started to intern at Living Hope. Jeff and I would have times where I was laughing so hard my belly hurt, and 3 hour conversations where we are nose to nose disagreeing on all matters of subject, where I was usually wrong but isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

He would confront my sin but would also be the biggest encourager in my life. He and his precious family, including wife Mary Beth, daughter Annye and Maddie(I probably mispelled please forgive me), would invite me over weekly for meals, movies, and always great conversations. He helped me buy my first suit, used mentoring meeting as times for us to labor beside one another physically and ministerially,called me when I was on my first date with Abby just to see how it was going, presided over our wedding ceremony, took me on my first hospital visit, and taught me how to study the Bible. Through his mentoring, I have mentored others and they have mentored others and they have mentored others. The legacy trickles down and through his influence (and more so the Holy Spirit's prompting) we are here in Fargo and Living Hope is supporting us every step of the way.

He continues to mentor me even today. While time and distance changes some things, he doesn't hesitate to call me out on issues, but is always the first to call to see how we are doing and to encourage us. Even today, he and I corresponded via email on different issues.

What are the Church planting implications of this?

Through the obedient work of a mentor, the Lord worked to have Abby and I come to Fargo. We need mentors and we need to mentor. You don't have to go through some class to do this, you don't have to go through a 3 week training. Love God, love people, hold tightly to the scripture, and seek out those that you can raise up in the faith. This can be done by sharing the Gospel with non-Christians, seeing the Lord draw them unto himself, and calling you to be pivotal in raising them up. It could be a new Christian, an immature Christian, or someone who wants mentorship for you to mentor.

Check out www.livinghopewired.com ,specifically the missions page.

"out there is the shadow of the modern machine, walks St robinson and his cadillac dream"

In case you were wondering, I try to find song lyrics that go along with what I am writing about. This one is a stretch, so don't even try to figure it out.

So I got my hair cut yesterday, and had a fantastic experience. Rebekah at Great Clips did it, and she was an absolute delight. First off she was chatty (not like not cutting hair chatty but appropriate chatty), so that was a blast to talk with her. We talked about groceries, babies, tatoos, bars, beauty school, her sister, her history. It was pretty much fabulous, and to top it off, her sister came over, her sister is pregnant as well, and it was a blast getting to know her. She was telling me about these places where we can get discounted baby things, things like that. What a helpful resource. Something telling happened.

While her sister was telling me about a cheap/free clinic she said this.

"The clinic is run by a church (with an under her breath laugh). I mean, they're nice and all, but in order to go through the procedures you have to listen to them about your church and they will tell you to get married, but you don't have to do it, that's just their opinion"

Please excuse the brevity, but that's how it went down. I listened intently and studied both of them, and am just waiting for that God ordained time. We really hit it off and we have added into the strategy biweekly haircut with Rebekah and he sister Rachel.

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On another note, I wanted to encourage all of you missionaries (Matthew 28:19, it hits us all).

Take notes, when you are out and about, running errands, drinking coffee, shopping, going to the park, movies, restaurants, or just in general hanging out, take notes of the people around, how busy is it, what time of day is it, what the people are like, how many, etc etc. Start coming up with a running portfolio and use it in your own quest to impact the culture you are in for Christ.

For instance:

I am at Babbs coffee shop at the corner of Main and Broadway. I have been here since 2 and there have been about 20 people in and out so somewhat steady but nothing huge. About 40% have been 50+ about 10% have been 18- and 40% have been in the 20-30 range. People come either to chat or to work so it has proven a little more difficult to get to chat with them. The workers are kind but the counter is so high and bulky that it makes it difficult to chat.

This is just an instance to try it out, and what would be really cool is if you would share on here what you discovered..

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Finally, I am going to start putting up some Fargo-Moorhead specific web links for you guys to peruse. I would love for you to also get to know Fargo and the vast expanse of ministry oppurtunities that are here. Consider the Babbs one it for now.

"it's 4:30, 4:30 in the morning trying to get back to sleep"

So working from 8 P.M. to 4 A.M. is something special. I think I am going to make this a weekly fixture on the blog. Fri night/Sat Morn reflection.





Tonight/this morning I:


Met the boy friend of a gal that makes my coffee for me at Atomic


Was proposed to by a dude


Told I was "the man" (or other variations of that) not 1, 2, but 8X's


Cleaned the store from top to bottom


Had a fight picked with me 3X's


Got to know my asst manager a lot better

All in all it was a grand evening/morning. It is hard working the shift there is a lot of diet coke involved and if I am totally wiped a rockstar roasted (I am encouraging no one to partake of this beverage). Sometimes I think I could take over the world after I drink it.

The strategy still stands we are looking to make inroads with the culture through community involvement and job placement. Thus far we have seen a lot of good in this, we have met mucho people and these relationships are beginning to flourish. We realize that there is a certain amount of slowness that goes along with what we are doing. Thank you all for your prayers and I am off to bed, for it is 5 in the A.M. and my thoughts aren't making sense to me much less those of you reading this.

It's hard to get to know an entire generation, but The Arda has done a fabulous job with a research project they did on "Generation Next". I know I blogged on the Arda earlier this summer but I found this study while I was reading Ed Stetzer's blog. It is very telling and very interesting. PBS also has an interesting resource, while the terms Generation Next, Gen X Y Z, Postmodern, and Emerging last about as long as it takes to say them. The ages are somewhat similar.



Abby and I are particularly interested in this because of the people group(s) in which the Lord has placed us. I'll write more about this later but suffice to say we have been surprised in what we have found from some of our culture study.

"lend them a helping hand"

Connecting with other like minded passionate persons is something I take very seriously. The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia for many reasons have my utmost respect. Today a group of men from this convention came to Fargo to talk about potential partnerships. We got to eat lunch together, talk about life and genuinely encourage and spur one another on. We then drove around the community and shared with them our passion for seeing this community churched. I spent a lot of time on the North End/downtown area of Fargo. And was it ever fantstic! They were so encouraging and convicting. Thanks to Jeff, Mark, Mark, Bill and Carl for taking the last few days off and coming out here to share life with one another and spur each other on to love and good deeds.

One of the pastors that came with them, Carl, drove the point so clearly and timely. Conventions don't plant churches, associations don't plant churches. Churches plant Churches. This is so true. There is a huge need for churches to set their desires and plans aside and sponser a church plant. Sponsoring new churches is a huge need here in the Dakotas. And you don't have to be here physically with us. You can help sponsor a new church through your financial donations, prayer support or time in coming to Fargo. Please wherever you are think about your church, whether you are on staff or in the pews. Speak to your church leadership about sponsoring a church plant.

Big news

BTW you need to read Abby's blog post as we have some big news.

(Who am I kidding? All of you already read my bride's blog, hehe.)

"time keeps on tickin tickin"

There's something scary about church planting but altogether exciting.

Many church planters live and die by the term "model". All throughout my training and schooling it was driven home that you have to have a model from which to work off of. If I haven't already, than I must mention Dr. J.D. Payne. While he gave me a fair share of C's, he became a great friend and even greater mentor. I was taking one of his classes when something huge slammed me. The class was all about methods and models but he so strongly sent the message home to not be presumptuous.

For so long it has been commonplace to go somewhere with rigid, exhaustive play by plays. We advocate something a little different and then let the culture, the people, the barriers, norms, and idiosyncrasies impact and, to some degree, dictate how we do it. "all kinds of Churches for all kinds of people", and I add, "that are biblically faithful."

Now something we are not doing, and I stress the NOT, is place the method after the Biblical principles and mandates. If we meet in a coffee shop it won't be to meet in a coffee shop, it will be because we see the strategic aspect and unreached persons there. If we decide to meet on Sat or Sun night then it won't be to just do so, it will be grounded in study, prayer and reflection.

So what are our methods? Abby and I are renting an apartment on the South side of NDSU. We are situated around a lot of singles, young marrieds, college kids and lower income families. We are both working jobs, I at the Pita Pit, and Abby at Bath & Body Works and the YMCA. We are asking a lot of questions, listening long and hard to answers, and trying to uncover the way people think, act, socialize, etc...

Please pray for us in this model writing; we know this is going to be a challenge but a blessing. We know that what we uncover won't speak for every individual person and people group here. This will be one of many more methods while we seek to expand the kingdom of Christ by church planting in Fargo.

BTW: Tonight at work a black jack dealer at the local strip club came in and I got to chat with him and another dude named Tony who comes in all the time and is totally open to talking. Later on a group of teens/young adults who have taken a liking to me came in.

I am in awe of the people the Lord is bringing into our lives. Please pray for the friendships to grow.

"like it love it want some more of it"

10 things I love about being a bi-vocational church planter.

1. working till 4 A.M

2. working the bar rush

3. meeting a bunch of drunk young adults

4. Getting to chat with the DD's

5. seeing the familiar faces

6. Stopping by Atomic coffee on my way to work and chattin it up with the workers

7. listening and observing my co-workers and buying them their favorite treats on my way in, to show them I care about them and appreciate them

8. getting to know the manager at the local porn shop who loves to come in and buy pitas ( I accidentally messed his up tonight, whoops)

9. working with Adara, Rick, and Sonda tonight

10. becoming apart of the downtown community simply by working at the pita pit

Yes it is 4 in the A.M. and I am still awake and yes I love being a bi-vocational Church planter

"shot to the heart"

The Lord is continuing to remind us of how great and sovereign he is. Ya know I was starting to really be bummed about working so many nights (4 this week) but then something happened last night. I have started remembering peoples faces and at night I have time to talk to them. Eric, Tony, Jay, Katie, and some others I got the face but not the name yet. While I am not republican or democrat I have thoroughly enjoyed having the people from OBAMA campaign office dine with us. They have so so fun to get to know and many of them are in similar situations as we are. They came here believing in something so much that they would curb other facets of life to be transplanted in an unknown area fighting for the cause they believe in.

Now, not tooting my own horn the Lord works in and with people wherever they are and they are just as faithful to the the Great Commission as those who leave. They love it that I am not from Fargo, I'm a non-party conservative, I have my masters, and I am planting a Church. I love their zeal, tenacity, dedication, and interest in the people. They have all asked to come to the Bible study/dinner, we will soon start hosting, as a way of getting to know the community better and Abby and I welcome that.



What the living like a missionary truth we can gleam, be aware. Be aware of the worker at your favorite coffee shop, sandwich place. Be aware of the gas station attendant or waiter who service you. Be aware of the mail carrier, paper person, post office worker, kiosk attendant, and grocery store clerk. Ask their name get little snipits of their story. Go home write it down and continue to interact with that/those people. Get the bigger picture of who they are, over your time of talking to them, and look for the God ordained moments to share the hope you have. I'll be talking about this a lot over the course of blogging but I wanted to share some real happenings from Fargo. Tonight is my 10 P.M.-4 A.M. shift with the bar rush so pray for me and the late night.



On another note we are still raising support we still have some miles to go and could use any and all the help we can. We are both getting our jobs going but the ministry aspect cost a little more, so if the Lord leads you. Thanks for the support