walking alongside

“You are the only older, wiser people, who have stuck it out as long as you have with me. Everyone else, who has expressed the desire to walk alongside and mentor me in my vision for church planting, has abandoned me along the way.”

These words were spoken to Daleen and me at a recent staff gathering by our teammate, Tony. Although these were encouraging words for us to hear at one level, they were bittersweet because they carry a deep level of pain for Tony. As a matter of fact, it’s due to similar stories that we’ve heard over the past ten years that our commitment to younger leaders has grown. 

As you may remember, a few years ago, Tony gathered several friends and moved into one of the “roughest” neighborhoods in St. Paul. For two years, this group of young men pursued an intentional life of discipleship together, and a life of mission in their neighborhood. Not only were they a light in a dark neighborhood, but they were also a new lens for many of their friends to see their city with fresh eyes. And, after a hiatus to finish seminary, Tony is once again re-forming this intentional community, known as Ekklesia, and moving back into the neighborhood.

Although young leaders like Tony are full of passion and vision, they often lack the resources or encouragement to see their vision become a reality. These leaders are trying to reach their generation with the Good News of Jesus, and, therefore, think outside the box of familiar forms of church. They are experimenting with forms of church that have meaning in the world in which they live where authenticity, social justice, and downward mobility are important values. They pursue the ways of Jesus in everyday life that run counter to our prevailing American culture, and often times, counter to our prevailing church culture.

Our teammates, Tony and Tiffany.

Unfortunately, young leaders are often left to their own devices. The support of pastors, churches and denominations that began with enthusiasm can often wane and slowly disappear as the church plant begins to blossom and take shape. The passion and vision that was once so exciting, can now feel threatening. The church plant that was once highly anticipated (and celebrated) is now left to find its own way.

Daleen and I long to see healthy, vibrant churches being led by healthy, vibrant people. That’s why we walk alongside these young men and women as they break new ground and plant churches. And, not only will we continue to work with the leaders of future generations, but Tony will do the same. We are working hard to cultivate a group of young men and women, who will not only be practitioners and leaders in their own neighborhoods, but will have the vision to share what they are learning by walking alongside and encouraging other young leaders. We invite you to join us in prayer and partnership as we move forward.

Please pray for:

• ·        Tony and his new wife, Tiffany, who were married on September 21^st, and will be moving into Dayton’s Bluff in early October. Pray for them, and the leadership team of Ekklesia, as they re-launch into Dayton’s Bluff this month. Pray for Daleen and me as we walk this road with them. 

• ·         Young leaders full of passion and vision to join our team here in the Twin Cities. We are praying for at least two more people to join our CRM team, Launch, in the upcoming year. We would love to eventually have a whole network of young church planters learning from one another and expanding God’s kingdom throughout the neighborhoods of the Twin Cities and beyond.

Daleen

I write the following because Daleen never would. As a matter of fact, she doesn’t know that I am writing this newsletter about her. It all started at a recent leadership retreat for Thirdway Church, where I was struck by the affirmation my wife was receiving for the role she has played over the past couple of years. It was then that I knew I had to share what Daleen has been doing to strengthen and extend the Body of Christ.

Thirdway Church began three years ago after several families moved into the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of St. Paul. The original vision for Thirdway centered around the University Avenue Corridor, a 10-mile stretch that links the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis. University Avenue is built along the historic path that people took to get from the docks of the Mississippi River in St. Paul to the flour mills in Minneapolis. It has become one of the most diverse areas of the Twin Cities.

                                                                                                        

I recently sat down with the founding leader of Thirdway, Seth, to hear his thoughts on Daleen’s role and impact. As we started talking, he immediately mentioned that, although Thirdway had dreams and vision for the University Avenue Corridor, it had become stuck in how to move forward as a church. He saw Daleen as a person who came alongside him, and the community, to implement some foundational building blocks for a strong missional community. He saw her contribution in the following ways:

·        Covenant groups – Thirdway is a covenanted community, which means we have committed ourselves to pursuing God, one another and our neighborhood in a very intentional way. Daleen was the driving force in establishing covenant groups, where small groups of people gather to create more sustainable rhythms of life together. It is also through these groups that new people are assimilated into our community over a one-year process.

·        Mentoring – Daleen has poured herself over the past two years into a group of young women within Thirdway. She has also played a significant role helping individuals, couples and groups navigate difficult life decisions. According to Seth, she has become a motherly figure, who has brought care and stability that has lowered the sense of anxiety within Thirdway.

·        Creative space for spiritual formation – whether it be creative worship through dance, helping others to understand how they connect deeply with God, or by leading a Passover Seder meal, Daleen has brought a fresh perspective to spiritual formation. From what I have seen, she has been the most intentional force in helping members of Thirdway grow more deeply in their relationship with God.

·        Heart Team – for the past 15 months, Daleen has been one of four part-time staff people at Thirdway. She gives leadership to the Heart Team, which facilitates pastoral care, hospitality, and spiritual formation. When Thirdway started seeking someone for this role, I recommended Daleen because I knew she was a great fit for the job. As I have watched her lead this team, I realize that I was spot on in my assessment.

Our team’s mission is to walk alongside churches, leadership teams, and individuals, helping them to live out their calling. These churches are missionally-minded, intentional about creating sustainable rhythms of life together, and are embedded in local neighborhoods that are often antagonistic towards church. They are filled with young people in their 20’s and 30’s, and many times lack the financial and human resources of larger churches. In light of this, I’m realizing how invaluable it is to have people like Daleen on our team because I believe that the greatest asset our team has to offer is our staff themselves.

tilling the soil one step at a time

It’s a Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. It’s January, and the weather is a brisk 25 degrees. I’m bundled up from head to toe as I walk a two-mile loop down my street and back again. The snow crunches under my shoes with each step I take, and my eyes are attentive, my mind engaged, and I am listening. Something shifts in my spirit and I find myself praying for a family as I pass by their house. What, Lord, are you busy doing in this home, on our street, and in this neighborhood? Who are the people, Father, whose hearts are ready to receive your good news?

For some time now, God has been speaking to me about the importance of prayer in the spiritual receptivity of a neighborhood, city, region and country. Most of us wouldn’t argue about the importance of prayer, yet I find that I don’t always give the time and energy to prayer that would demonstrate its importance.

I have started to dedicate several hours a week to the practice of walking the streets in prayer. And, as I prayer-walk, the picture that I keeps coming to mind is one of tilling the ground, preparing the soil for the harvest that is to come. I am also praying for specific people of peace, who are seeking God and are ready to receive the Gospel, and who will connect us into their sphere of influence and relationship.

Essentially, there are four places/people groups I feel lead to pray for at this time:

·        Hamline-Midway neighborhood – I’ve had a strong sense that I am to start right here where I live, work and play; therefore, I am specifically praying along a one-mile stretch of Van Buren Ave. I have also been praying at Groundswell coffee, which is located in the center of our immediate neighborhood and serves as a hub for this community.

·        Many Somali families work and shop at the Walmart, which is located just a half mile from our house. In 2009, there were 103,000 Somali in the U.S. with more than ¼ (28,000) living in the Twin Cities. As I prayer-walk the aisles of Walmart and engage people in conversation, I am praying/looking for people of peace in the expanding Somali community.

Dayton’s Bluff is the area just outside of downtown St. Paul where our teammate, Tony, will be planting a church later this year. The area has a reputation for being low-income and rough, but God has been/and is doing great things in that neighborhood. Again, we are tilling the ground, exploring what God is already busy doing, and considering the specific neighborhood where the church will be located.

·        There is a substantial American Indian population in Minnesota.  My interest in Native Americans began when I was young, and has resurfaced since moving to the Twin Cities. The two major tribes in Minnesota are the Ojibwe (Chippewa) and Dakota (Sioux). I know there are strong Christians within the American Indian population, but I am praying for fresh expressions of church that will capture the hearts and imaginations of the younger generations.

As I learn and move forward with prayer-walking, I am inviting others to join me. I would also like to invite you to join me as well in praying for fertile soil in the Twin Cities. From a vibrant Arts community to a large immigrant and refugee population, and from dying neighborhoods to young, urban hipsters, the untapped opportunities abound. Our call is to identify and walk alongside leaders and churches as they move into these neighborhoods and networks of people with fresh expressions of God’s timeless Church.