follow the yellow brick road
We're off to San Antonio in the morning to have our big 5+ hour meeting with the Missionary Church. Yay!
We've been preparing for this for the last month, in what has seemed to be a non-stop frenzy of questions, surveys, assesments, reading, research, and gathering documents. It should be well worh it. Even if we don't partner with them, the past few weeks had us answering questions we had never thought of, and put us on a much better path.
I've been reading a book on Church planting that Brian from Paradox recommended. Though most of the book is very traditional minded (as I'm sure he felt as well), it caused me to notice a few things about our last two years with The Inner Sanctum. We were given the pastorate and sent out into the dark. We may know how to pastor, how to help people, how to lead a group, or even have the theological resources we need, as well as asking all the right questions, but we were never trained or helped in building a team, growing an organism like this, or in how to make it happen financially or anything concerning growth beyond just casually making friends. MCUSA will help us formulate a plan to reach our goals, a budget, a network, and a growing, healthy organism. We're excited about that. Though we don't fit the traditional model in the least, some wouldn't even call us a "church" or "Christian" for that matter, any training that will help us know how to not just "fly by the seat of our pants" is very welcome. I could care less about "numbers", but having well experienced people help us with plans and resources to see our vision happen, and the light turned on instead of wondering around alone in the dark, is exciting.
Not to mention, the stress of the last month has been catching up to us. Finally relaxing from the frenzy will be nice. I'll be abe to create and record music in peace again, and Nadine will get to focus on her designs. Creativity is an awesomely therapudic thing, and may be profitable as well.
This weekend, recording Dead Somber, writing more beats, meeting with another group we're helping get started, and watching the wind blow through my books. Next week, booking more bands in the studio, preparing for two concerts, selling beats, making money, learning more about the early misdirections of Christianity, and experiencing freedom. Next month, figuring out how not to celebrate Christmas even though the rest of our family does. Chanukkah will be fun this year.
We've been preparing for this for the last month, in what has seemed to be a non-stop frenzy of questions, surveys, assesments, reading, research, and gathering documents. It should be well worh it. Even if we don't partner with them, the past few weeks had us answering questions we had never thought of, and put us on a much better path.
I've been reading a book on Church planting that Brian from Paradox recommended. Though most of the book is very traditional minded (as I'm sure he felt as well), it caused me to notice a few things about our last two years with The Inner Sanctum. We were given the pastorate and sent out into the dark. We may know how to pastor, how to help people, how to lead a group, or even have the theological resources we need, as well as asking all the right questions, but we were never trained or helped in building a team, growing an organism like this, or in how to make it happen financially or anything concerning growth beyond just casually making friends. MCUSA will help us formulate a plan to reach our goals, a budget, a network, and a growing, healthy organism. We're excited about that. Though we don't fit the traditional model in the least, some wouldn't even call us a "church" or "Christian" for that matter, any training that will help us know how to not just "fly by the seat of our pants" is very welcome. I could care less about "numbers", but having well experienced people help us with plans and resources to see our vision happen, and the light turned on instead of wondering around alone in the dark, is exciting.
Not to mention, the stress of the last month has been catching up to us. Finally relaxing from the frenzy will be nice. I'll be abe to create and record music in peace again, and Nadine will get to focus on her designs. Creativity is an awesomely therapudic thing, and may be profitable as well.
This weekend, recording Dead Somber, writing more beats, meeting with another group we're helping get started, and watching the wind blow through my books. Next week, booking more bands in the studio, preparing for two concerts, selling beats, making money, learning more about the early misdirections of Christianity, and experiencing freedom. Next month, figuring out how not to celebrate Christmas even though the rest of our family does. Chanukkah will be fun this year.