Preparing to Launch - One Week to Go (Part 2)

(Read Part 1 Here)

This post will address the question: "what should you expect at the re:Generation pre-launch gathering?"

I think there are a few things to be aware of, and a few things to look forward to.

First, before you walk through the doors, open your eyes. One of the main purposes of this pre-launch gathering is to be critical and analytical of the happenings at this gathering. We, as a launch team, as a leadership team, must approach this night eager to find ways to make things better, easier, and more effective. The point people for the evening and the teams are as follows: Anna Carlson/Hospitality; Kevin Dickey/Prayer; Taylor Reavely/Music; Grant Blomdahl/Sound and Tech. Please direct comments or thoughts or helpful hints to these people. (We will try to have comment cards available by the doors to help facilitate this...) Use this evening to help enable re:Generation to be a place where Christ is evident and where people are loved.

Second, prepare yourself to "linger in the presence of God." We will spend our time in worship and prayer while glancing again at the bigger picture of the Kingdom of God and the role of re:Generation in that picture. As you come with your eyes open to critique and analyze the evening, also come with your eyes open ready to picture Jesus and see His beauty. Don't lose sight (in all the excitement) of the fact that Christ is the center. Come ready to see and delight in Him.

Third, 30 minutes after the gathering is over, if you're a part of the launch team and have attended the previous launch team training evenings, plan on meeting in the chapel (down the hallway past the bathrooms on the right) to debrief the evening and plan ahead for the "official" launch on the 7th of March.

I think that is all. Work hard these next couple weeks at developing relationships and being intentional about bringing up re:Gen in normal, everyday conversation. And be pumped and in prayer. Exciting things are happening! God is at work!

Preparing to Launch - One Week to Go (Part 1)

Well, it’s almost here. We’re just one week away from re:Generātion’s preview service—Sunday, February 28th @ 7pm—and only two weeks away from full launch—Sunday, March 7th @ 7pm.

With things about to officially get underway, we wanted to focus on answering two very pressing questions: (1) “What should you be doing to prepare for the launch?” and (2) “What should you expect at the preview service?” We’ll spend today’s post examining the first question and jump into the second tomorrow.

What should you be doing to prepare?

1. Pray. As simple as this sounds, we really can’t stress it enough. Pray. Pray. Pray. To help you be a bit more intentional and informed in this area, here are two of the prayers we used during December’s 5(hundred) Hours of Prayer on the gospel and mission/outreach. We’d also love for you to be praying for the leadership team and the ministry leaders.
2. Get connected to a Life Group. I know we say this in almost every communication (whether e-mail, phone-call, blog-post or training event) but again, as simple as this is we can’t stress it enough. Community is absolutely essential to every area the Christian life: discipleship, personal transformation and even mission. If you haven’t yet connected to a Life Group plan to come Sunday night we have at least three to choose from: the CCC Life Group (led by Taylor and Aaron), a service-project Life Group (led by John McKay) and a group reaching out to recovering addicts and prisoners in transition (led by James Calkins). Also, both Allie (Starbucks) and Donna (McDonalds) have volunteered their work places as “connecting points” with lost people that we could use as intentional stomping grounds. E-mail, make a phone call or come Sunday night ready to plug in.
3. Invite. If you’ve been putting off inviting someone to re:Generātion—whether they’re unchurched or churched—now’s the time to act. Three steps: (1) Know who you want to invite and pray for them. (2) Do whatever you can to build and develop that relationship in an authentic and caring way. (3) Plan how you’ll invite them and then do it. At CCC I’ve begun inviting people from class to our new Life Group by simply saying, “A few friends of mine and I are starting a new club to dialogue about spiritual and cultural issues. It’d should be a lot of fun and really interesting. It’d be great if you could make it.” However you go about actually saying it, even if you aren’t that slick or cool, the important things are to be real, be yourself and to just go for it.
   

Tim Keller @ Google Headquarters

The following video was recorded March 5, 2008 during the promotional tour for Tim Keller’s profoundly helpful book The Reason for God. The CCC Life Group is using The Reason for God as the sort-of content background for our on-campus discussion group. The presentation, which is basically a one-hour overview of the book itself, is incredibly engaging. But the Q&A time at the end (especially given the setting and audience) is really amazing.

Authors@Google: Tim Keller - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

More Screen Shots from the Upcoming Promo Video

(Direction/Leadership)

(Song/Worship)

(Work/Mission)

Simplified Missional Living

(from The Resurgence by Jonathan Dobson)

Eat with Non-Christians

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

Be a Regular

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits

Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City [Local] Events

Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

The Role of Suffering in Sanctification

Eric Mason @ the 2010 Desiring God Pastor’s Conference

Getting Ready to Launch . . . T-Minus One Month

With the third and final pre-Launch meeting now behind us (again, thanks to everyone who’s been able to attend and participate) and the core team formed (we’re looking at about 30 people all told), the launch of re:Generātion is now officially within the month. Here’s what the February schedule looks like:

February 7th
Super Bowl; Promote re:Generātion (No Meeting)

February 14th
Valentine’s Day (No Meeting)

February 21st
(No Meeting)

February 28th
Preview Launch Service @ 7pm

March 7th
re:Generātion Launch
6pm - Life Groups
7pm - Word and Worship

Keeping those dates in mind, what should we be focusing on over the next couple of weeks?

1. Developing missional Life Groups. By February 21st, our goal is to have three to five small groups organized around being an intentional, regular and corporate presence for blessing in the lives of a particular people-group (i.e., CCC, recovering addicts, a local Starbucks, yard-work in a neighborhood, etc.). If that sounds confusing or daunting, don’t stress, we’ll be posting more about what that means and connecting with most of you one-on-one in the coming weeks.
2. Implementing your Discipleship Model. This is basic, but it doesn’t go without saying. Most everyone checked-in their completed discipleship model last night (great work!). Now that the goals have been set, it’s time to execute: devotional plan, accountability plan and missional plan.
3. Getting to know “their story.” As Grant said last night: spend some intentional time in the next couple of weeks being present, being caring and being sacrificial in the lives of the lost people around you.
4. Inviting. Inviting. Inviting. Whether it’s an un-discipled “church” friend who’s just floating through life or a lost friend who’s completely “un-churched,” know who you want to invite, connect with them and start getting the word out.