after the flurry

wow, the last few weeks have been a blur for me. The weekend of thanksgiving we helped  shoot a movie with Casey. I went to a couple of clubs to hear bands for the venue. Meridith, my daughter, had her baby … Tyler Wayne. Then … the venue opened last Saturday, which, I thought was a pretty good success. Three bands in Pilot Point … 50 people in the door …. mostly teens … yah.  Now … onto Christmas, New Years and our weekly schedule at “the journey”.  Keeps me hopping.

I really don’t have much else to tell you … It takes a lot to keep up with the “myspace” presence — myspace.com/thejourneypilotpoint … and our new facebook page for ‘the journey’ … yikes.

If I don’t get back here … Merry Christmas. If you take Christ out of Christmas … you just get a ‘mas’.

rock on

 

the journey :: pilot point

Ok, I probably should be flogged with a wet noodle for not keeping up the blog for the past few weeks. Lot’s of excuses, do you really care what they are? I didn’t think so … if you life is as busy as mine … you get it … if you don’t … then you probably don’t have much of a life.

I am so pumped about “the journey” … I hope you remember that … it’s the music venue for the younger set. Our first show is December 13 … a three band night … but the third band is choosing to be a challenge to nab. I really believe this is going to be my thing in this area. Church, as we know it and have done it, is just not making it for me … I would rather be the church instead of providing the classic alternative.

We are still feeding folks through Angel Food and we are so looking forward to our “Thanksgiving Jam” this Sunday night with friends and family from all over coming together for some food and tunes.

Now, what about some help? We are going to need some adult type help in the following areas for “the journey”: security (if you are a big burly guy with long hair, no hair, and/or facial hair … you are who I am looking for), concessions (like to drowned a hot dog or two … like music, but can’t take being in front of the speakers, want to be “kitchen help”) … call me, street team … want to force people to our myspace page and let them know what’s up? … (computer literate people necessary), or just load in, load out folks (roadies) … ah, my back thanks you. All of these things can be accomplished and you don’t even have to change your church membership or split your tithe check!! Yes, no guilt involved … just helping kids who love rock and roll and all the other titles they call it today.

Mind you … the journey is not a venue for “Christian Music” per se … it is a venue for good music run by Christians … catch my drift. If you were hoping for Gaither Night or a Point of Grace concert … not gonna happen. We will have all kinds of bands … playing all types of music … some will probably NOT be your taste. For me … it’s about kids having an outlet to express their music with their friends … it will be a clean venue … so parents can feel assured we will not be having groups dropping the f bomb in their lyrics, flipping off the crowd, or dissecting small animals. But it probably will necessitate ear protection if you plan on coming or helping. Especially on Heavy Metal night.

Seriously, if you want to help … call me. check out our myspace.com/thejourneypilotpoint

 

pilot point trunk or treat

Here’s pirate James, Mer and the kids serving at our first Pilot Point Trunk or Treat. Estimates were 1,000 kids plus their parents, grand parents and even some dogs. The event is held at our Sonic. Area businesses, churches, and non profits line up and serve free treats for all the kids.

We were expecting 700 kids … so I had to make a quick trip to the Dollar General for “fill-in” goodies. Our buddy Bill Chastain is also pictured here … He and Kathy held down the booth next to us … Denton County Right to Life. It was our first time to participate in the Trunk or Treat … next year … watch out. We did print about 100 tshirts but those were gone in about 15 minutes. Sorry about that. Next year we will do better. I loved the creativity of the kids who made their own costumes … they were very thought out.

wg

 

big tex and us

Ok last Friday … we took a few hours off. We went to the State Fair of Texas. Both of us have not been in many years and honestly, I think we just wanted to get away from the phone for a few hours … even though I was caught several times giving bids and handling problems via cell phone. After spending $10 to park, $28 dollars to get in, and $40 on tickets … we were set. We took in the Auto buildings … even though I was disappointed. I remember as a young lad that they always had some kind of sci fi looking prototype cars of the future at the fair … this year … not so much. Just everyone car maker telling you their cars would run off of recylced horse poop and corn. We got a corn bog at Fletchers … that took 23 tickets. We got our pic with Big Tex … that was a small miracle in itself … the sun was at high noon, our height difference itself is hard enough to take a selfie … but then trying to get the Big Guy in the shot … this pic was awesome.

Down the Midway … I kept looking for the bearded lady and the worlds smallest man … but Lori kept telling me that it was not PC to have those attractions anymore. Again, dissapointed. I have to tell you  … the Fair has really cleaned up since we remember. I looks a lot like Six Flags now. Hmmm, smart thinking on someones part. The rides still look very dangerous and the carnival workers … well, they look the same too. Thank God! Something familiar!

Back down the Midway … pausing at the Cotton Bowl entrance to take a picture only one day prior to the Texas beat down of OU … again, thank you Jesus. A stroll through the Women’s museum … a funnel cake on a shaded bench … and we were done. It was quick … but I had responsibilities backat Pilot Point. It was abbreviated fun.

>> wg

 

the journey

I know you may have been missing me … but I have been super busy and not doing a lot of blognation. I am excited to introduce our new myspace presence … not for the church per se … but for a new music venue in Pilot Point. In November we will be kicking off a weekend ministry for teens and young adults. the journey will start on a one night a weekend schedule and prayerfully will increase with popularity … right now we are in the process of booking local bands for the month of November.

the journey will have a “doorish” feel … but our focus is three fold … showcase and promote new bands, create new markets for existing bands, and provide a safe and secure environment for local teens and young adults to hang out and have a good time.

As with most of my endeavors … they are faith based and totally supported by volunteers and gracious givers. We are also in the process of securing a “worship jam” night in November with several local small churches for a fun night of jammin’ and eatin’.

our myspace address … http://myspace.com/thejourneypilotpoint …

Michael put the myspace page together for me and did a great job. Thanks.

wg

 

living in the outflow

That’s the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.” Matthew 20:28

I have to confess to you that for many, many years I was really more concerned about the overflow in my life than the outflow. Let me explain. I was one of those pastors who kept thinking and kept teaching that “there must be more than this”. My comments were focussed at, what I called, the church machine. In my mind, the church had become something of a machine that had to be maintained so that it could function … just to exist. I kept seeing most people just wanted to “go to church” so that they could say that they “went”. There was no passion, no commitment — just a machine that opened it’s doors each Sunday for education, worship, and preaching. The common thing said on the way out was … “ba bye, see you next week”. I grew tired of that and began to search for something more. I did find the power I needed with a great experience with the Holy Spirit. It was empowering and I led my church to experience that overflow in their lives. It was cool, for a while. There was passion. There was commitment. That’s where it stopped. I could not figure out for the life of me why it seemed to still bottle neck on Sunday morning. Our crowds grew. People were flocking … inward.

Fast forward 5 years. Yes, 5 years! Here I am, pastoring a new church start up … but with a new focus. It’s not all about getting your shout on. It’s not all about getting a good worship set in on Sunday AM. I am involved in a project … not a machine. My project … to learn to live in the outflow of God’s grace, kindness, and generous love to others.

The benefits … well, they are pretty cool. One, benefit … I am serving because I want to and not because I have to. Two, stories. Stories of hope and help … “they overcame … but the word of their testimony”. Three, something comes back to me when the outflow happens.  Now, some might see that 3rd benefit as a reason to serve … I will tell you that if that is your reason … you won’t get what I am trying to explain. Luke 6:38 takes over and the bumper crop that you are experiencing is overwhelming.

Where is Journey Church headed? Out not In. Giving not receiving. Opening doors. Serving.

Want to join us?

Oh, what’s the deal with the picture of the lawn mower. I read a story about a pastor who calls himself … the lawn pastor. He mows the yards of people for little or no money for the benefit of serving them. See, it’s the small things that push the gospel forward.

wg

 

dont just stand there … be something

Oh, it’s the catch phrase of the decade. Stop going to church and “be” the church. We need to preach this. We need to live this.

Yesterday Lori called me and told me that her employer, First Methodist Church in McKinney, might need to use my 16 ft. trailer. She said she volunteered it for “us”. Then she said … I volunteered you to … to pull it with your truck. I was excited … didn’t know what I was going to do with it … but it sounded adventurous. FUMC had been collecting stuff to go to Galveston Island … diapers, toilet paper, peanut butter, water … in fact 3 trailers worth. She called back and said they needed a covered trailer and alas mine is not a covered trailer. They left yesterday to distribute.

It’s true that Journey Church does not have a lot of people attending at this point. We average 10 on Sunday morning. It sort of reminds me of Steve Sjogren when he started a Vineyard church in Cincinnati. After 18 months … they had 37 people attending.

Then Sjogren returned to the Gospels and saw that Jesus served everywhere he went. Then the 37 went into their community to serve, including scouring the restrooms at local bars while disbelieving employees looked on.

That’s right … he gathered up his little band of people and they started cleaning toilets in bars. 18 years later … 7,000 people go out every Saturday for 2 hours to serve others. Serve Fest is what they call it.

You want to know why I started Journey Church … this is why. To serve, like Jesus.

wg < —

 

church is for losers

I read a very interesting blog this morning here. In Austrailia, several church leaders have come together to basically … “market” Jesus. I have my opinions about church marketing … but they are always in a state of flux, so I am open (most days). So, they hire Angus Kinnaird, a self-described “non-believing humanist.” Ok … now I am very interested. Why would they hire an atheist to help Australians get back to church?

Kinnaird says —

“I’ve had lots of clients wanting to update their image,” says the Melbourne strategy director of FutureBrand. “But I don’t think I’ve ever come across one that has quite as many problems as the church.”

So after his research … what does he come up with? Jesus! That’s right … the strategy of the campaign to get people to go to church in Australia … is Jesus! What a novel idea! Brought to you by … a non-believer.

Why Jesus? “That was the only place we had to go,” Kinnaird says. The research shows that the church is almost an insurmountable obstacle to the campaign. “The church was seen as the problem, not the solution,” he says.

The blog goes on to say that other campaigns focused on Christianity have failed.

“The problem we detected from our research was that a lot of Australians see Christianity as being for losers,” Kinnaird says. “Focusing on personal crisis as the reason for talking to the church would simply reinforce the existing perception that the Christian church is a place for people who have failed.”

The problem? Isn’t that the whole message of the gospel? We have failed and come short. We need something. We can’t get it on our own. I know we would just like to “spin” the church into something that is really cool and hip … but really, how are we going to get by of the message of Christ who says … to be first, you must be last. Jesus is the answer. The church has done a bungling job of getting that message out … but, when it’s all said and done … “those that lose their lives … will find it”.

(quotes from church marketing sucks)

<< — wg

 

toward pilot point

The misty moors toward Pilot Point. Yesterday morning gave me this picture out my back door. Everything green and the fog laying on the ground like elevated snow. Looks like you could scoop it up with a shovel.

We are so blessed to be able to live in such a pretty place. 3 miles east of the Pilot Point on a ridge that looks down on the city of Pilot Point. Actually you can’t see the city from our place … but you can see Hwy 377.

I love this place. Pastoring a church in a little town, getting to know the people, and meeting the challenges of a growing business! I have my plate full! I am sort of shocked that I have not found any other Pilot Point bloggers. (except for James and Mer)  There has to be some more out there … somewhere.

have a blessed day! < — wg

 

tex is up

It’s official, at least in my mind, fall is here. Even though temps will climb back to 90 for a few more days … fall in Texas arrives when big Tex goes up at the state fair.

Tex gets some new duds this year. Sporting new jeans and new shirt … someone said that he got a face lift in the off season … sheese … everyone is getting cosmetic surgery.

As a kid … the state fair was something I really looked forward to. Being in the marching band … we also got to march in the Cotton Bowl parade … always behind the Bud trailer with the Clydesdales. Our nice white shoes. eeeewww.

Ah, the promise of cooler weather … someday. On another note … in watching the Cowboy game last night they kept saying that it was humid on the field and that the Green Bay players had to get oxygen and take on IV’s …. BUT IT WAS 65 degrees. Our guys are used to it being 95 and humid … I guess that were just loving the temp.

Go Big Tex.

<< — wg