You might have missed the amazing worship service we had this morning at FBCD! During the message things went from silent to applause. Then back to silence. We talked about some hard things. We talked about CHANGE! OH NO! We talked about drums, parking, sound systems, and upgrading our facility. We talked about focusing OUTWARD and FORWARD not INWARD and BACKWARD. I did not even mention "THE STATUE" which is hidden in a hallway on it's way to a dark corner where only a couple of Sunday School classes will see it. Taking a long hard look in the mirror is not always easy but it is usually good for us! Especially if it's time to comb our hair.
My heart was blessed by the senior saints who hugged me and said, "We have been waiting decades for that sermon." I want you to know you blessed my heart and fueled my spiritual tank. If the senior saints will accept the challenge to reach the next generation, no matter what the cost, it opens the doors for a spiritual blessing the likes of which you have not seen in many decades.
After worship 18 of us went to the Kirkwood Lodge for pizza, wings, salad, and planning. It was a blessing to hear our singers, band, tech, Facility Team, and Senior Board representatives speak words of freedom, vision, and encouragement. A spirit of "LET'S GO" pervaded the meeting. I kept feeling like we had taken the stopper out of a bottle of shaken up Coke. In the words of Bob Dylan, "There was revolution in the air."
The conversation ranged from song selection, to speakers, amps, tablets, in ear monitors, motorized black out curtains, instrument placement, and raising up worship leaders and instrumentalists from the congregation. The focus was simple. How do we bring our facility, technology, and worship into 2017 so we can win the lost and hurting of Downey.
We discussed bringing in a professional stage design team and letting them imagine how to bring our platform, or chancel area, from 1965 to 2017. I shared this morning that it took a $4,000,000 arson fire at NorthPoint to get the job done. I am looking for a faster and less expensive method at FBCD.
I pray the words "Leave the 99 and seek the 1" become our paradigm for transition. If the Apostle rings in our head, "I have become all things to all people that I might by some means win some" then we will have the right mindset.
I invite anyone from FBCD to call me, text me, email me, or come sit and talk with me. I am in the office Wednesday and Monday. And I am around on Sunday after church. Let's talk. Let's dream. Let's brainstorm. Let's see what God can do in Downey if we take the man made chains off His church! I understand change rocks the status quo. I understand if you like it the way it is your probably not excited about where we are going. But if we do not change we will die. Slowly, painfully, and persistently. We will die. And I do not accept that as God's will for His church!
So if you are freaking out because of the friction caused by forward motion come and see me. We will figure out a win/win solution to the questions before us. I believe God is big enough to do more than one thing at a time!
I love you all,
stay in touch,
Paul
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