Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

Mind Dump #7

Hey everyone!  Another crowded house again this morning.  Six of our regulars didn't show and four of the guests I invited didn't show.  Not sure right now where we would have put the other ten people.  I think I'll turn my blog into a "Dumbledore's pensive" and unload a few of these memories... or we could just call it Mind Dump #7:

• Again the interactions, conversations, and feelings here on Sunday mornings are electric!  People talking, sharing, praying.  It's so much more than a church service.  People show up early and stay way late.  And I love the fact that I'm not even close to the center of attention.  People are really making close friends with others here at Church Requel!
• I really enjoyed both writing and delivering the "L.O.V.E.R. Advice" sermon this week.  I love the fact that it came out of the weekly Lectionary.  I'm quite sure I wouldn't have gone to a Song of Solomon text on August 30th.  I might have thought of this for a Valentine's type of service.  The feedback I received this morning was really enjoyable!
• I loved my Dad's comment right at the end of the service.  We were talking about being better lovers during the sermon.  Right as we were dismissing, Dad shouted out... "I sure wish my wife could have been here to hear this!"
• Things are really clicking with Nate leading our worship.  It was great having Nate two weeks in a row.  He shared with several people after the service that he really feels called to lead our worship services.  He didn't have to tell me... I could tell from his attitude and from the Spirit's presence during his leadership today.
• I loved how we sang the same song both before and after the communion experience today.  That was not something that Nate and I planned, but it was just so right.  He was feeling the same way I was.  All I had to do was just nod to him and he knew I wanted him to do it again.  I love the willingness to change up the planned service. 
• Nate and I are now on a regular "worship planning" schedule every week.  Last week we met on Friday morning.  This week we're meeting on Wednesday afternoon.  We're still feeling our way through this relationship.  But I like the process.
• The last couple of weeks I've had only one person pray during our service.  That is a big change from the days when we had only a dozen or so folks here.  I've noticed that people just don't feel as comfortable praying out loud during the service when we have more than 30 here. 
• God really does seem to be answering the prayers of the folks here at Church Requel.  I spent the first seven minutes today just catching everyone up on the good news that people had shared with me AFTER asking our church to pray for them.  Not surprising that there seems to be such a festive, victorious attitude when these Church Requel folks get together.
• People have been BOTH praying and fasting for us to find a public place to meet.  We would like to launch in October.  And we've been in serious talks the last couple weeks with the fine folks at Mid Ohio.  There are five weekends between Oct. 11th and July 4th when the facility is not available, including both Christmas week and Easter week next year.  That's a big bummer to me.  But maybe I just want the WHOLE answer.  Mary Kay this week told me that maybe I should be happy with a 90% answer and keep trusting God for the other 10%.  Great advice, Mary Kay!
• This morning was our last Sunday morning service here at the house.  Next week we'll still be here, but we're meeting at 6PM instead of 10AM.  We'll give the evening church hours a few weeks trial at the house before we go public in October.
• Speaking of going to the evening time slot, we have one lady in our church who we are really praying will still be able to join us.  She spends time with her son every Sunday night.  So this week many of us are going to give up a meal and pray for her and her son that he will come with her to church next Sunday night. 
• I loved watching Nina and Jonathan after church today.  They were both huddled in the basement after church for a good half hour.  I found out later that Nina got ahold of a MacBook but needed some help getting it going.  When I found out she got a MacBook I asked her if she got the MacBook because I loved the MacBook so much.  She said, "No... I got the MacBook because I love my pastor so much and I want to be able to watch his Bible studies, sermons and read his blog!"  Every now and then I just get knocked over with this kind of stuff.  Thanks for the reminder that this work really does matter!
• Speaking of getting knocked over, we had another fabulous offering this morning.  It was so unexpected.  Fortunately I'm not involved in the counting anymore.  But I do find out from Shaun how things are going.  He really kept his poker face on this morning.  I went into the office to talk to him and said, "I know today is the last day of the month and it's also a 5-week Sunday, so the offering is not so good."  He said, 'Yeah... not so good..." and then showed me the sheet.  It was one of the best offerings we've ever had.  Thank you Lord!  Thank you Church Requel for your obedience!
• This week I need to work out a budget for the rest of the year with our Board of Directors.  Even though we just met this past Thursday, we are meeting again (our regularly scheduled monthly meeting ) this coming Thursday evening.  Financially, it seems like we have a lot of balls up in the air right now.  We really need to get a plan together for how all this works between now and the end of the year.
• Some of those financial balls in the air:  Seminary classes begin in October... Do we want to send me for Hebrew classes for the next six months?  October 7-9 is the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, probably one of the best young leadership conferences in the country.  I've wanted to go for years.  We have already paid for the fee for the conference.  Do we go ahead and pay for airfare, hotel expenses to get me down there?  We're also looking for equipment for the public services - sound system, microphones, projector etc.  We're trying to buy used equipment to save on the money, but even so it can be expensive.  And of course we would like to advertise our services when we start.  People can't come if they don't know about it.  And here's an idea we're starting to think about... starting a small salary for the pastor!  Like I said... lots of balls in the air!
• I don't think I've ever seen such a job like this church planting job.  Each week I seem to go through the widest range of emotions and spiritual challenges.  Put another way, I don't think I've ever loved a job more than this one.  Nor do I think I've ever thought more often of giving up than I have on this job.  How can that happen within the course of a week?  At age 52 I know myself pretty well.  And I'm usually a pretty stable kind of guy.  But this job really is both the hardest job I've ever had, but also the funnest, most joyous job I've ever had.  Go figure!
• I'm really getting tired of the look of my blog.  There's so many things that I want to do to update it.  I'm really tired of the two columns on the right.  I'd like to make only one and widen the main posts a bit.  I think I want more white space too.  I just don't know if I have the energy to make it happen.  But I would LOVE to give it a try!  (This is my geekiness coming out!)
• I took Grayden to a silly kid's movie named "Shorts" yesterday.  Loved the time together with him.  Want to know how bad I have this pastor's passion?  I walked away from the movie storing away at least 3 different film clips in my mind for future sermons!  What do you say when you can't even go to a stupid, made for kids movie, without thinking about sermon illustrations?
• Only another week of preseason football for the NFL.  Browns looking better.  Not sure they're for real.  Next Saturday is first Ohio State game against Navy.  Most of my family will be here watching the game with me.  We are doing our NFL fantasy draft after the game.  Are you ready for some football?

Mind Dump #6

It's been a couple weeks since Mind Dump #5.  I'd like to get into the habit of doing this every week.  It's good to get things off my mind and gives me a reminder of what's happening and what needs doing.  More importantly it gives the church an opportunity to see what's rolling around up in that brain of mine and provides details of how to pray!

• Awesome morning here at the Pierce home this morning.  Mary Kay told me we had 34 people this morning, which is a lot for the home.  The house sure felt full this morning!
• Nate Williams did an FANTASTIC job this morning.  Good song selection and such a humble delivery.  I also loved how we're starting to get INTO worship and singing with hands raised and clapping after the songs.  Also Nate... thanks so much for the terrific song during our communion service.  Hit home!
• I almost didn't have enough communion cups!  Oh me of little faith!  Lucky for me, Mary Kay was watching and held off on taking her own cup.  Then she couldn't believe it when I went ahead and drank my own cup without sharing it with her.  I was so oblivious and in the moment.  But in the end, we had JUST EXACTLY what we needed.  God is good!  But I don't plan on cutting it so close again.  Note to self: up the communion cups for next week!
• I heard multiple stories from many of you about your fasting experiences this past week.  I can definitely tell how God is working in my life because of your own sacrifice.  I plan on fasting at least one meal again next week.  I'll be praying that God will provide the public place He wants for us to meet this fall.
• Speaking of public place to meet - I'm hoping that we will be able to make our final plans with the Mid Ohio Conference Center.  It's a great location.  Issues to be worked out - there are 4 Sundays that are not available between now and next June.  If we go with Mid Ohio, we need to find a place for those other 4 weeks.
• Children's Ministry rocked this morning.  Dave, Jessica and Jonathan worked with 11 children downstairs.  We definitely are going to need some more help in the childrens' area.  I'm thinking at the very least, we need to divide up the group between preschool and school age children.  From the looks of my basement office it looks like they all had a pretty good time this morning.  (Think I'll leave the mess to clean up until tomorrow!)
• I was blown away to see Rachael and Trisha both in our service this morning.  I had visited them both in the hospital this past week and had written down their names for prayer requests on my sheet.  When I saw them both walk in I crossed off the word "request" and replaced it with "praise"!
• The message seemed to go really well this morning.  Great passage of Scripture... how could I not knock it out of the park with the "Whole Armor of God" section of Ephesians 6?  (Didn't get a chance to hear it?  You can go here, here, here, or here.)  I learned so much myself this week about this passage.  God's Word never grows old, does it?
• Just one more week doing a Sunday morning service.  On Labor Day weekend we change to our evening schedule.  We'll be meeting here at the home at 6PM each Sunday evening in September.  Then, sometime in October (details to be worked out) we hope to go public... hopefully at Mid Ohio Conference Center.  Can't wait!
• Jessica (my daughter) learned about the Mid Ohio site for the first time this morning.  She has missed the last two weeks because of some job training that she has been taking.  Jessica was so excited to hear about Mid Ohio.  She wants me to take her this week to see it.  (The same reaction that Nate had last week!)
• Wondering what I should do about the Catalyst Conference October 7-9.  That will be right in the middle of our public launch.  I already have my ticket to the conference, but haven't made my hotel and air reservations yet.  On one hand I'm thinking I should stay here because it will be a critical week.  On the other hand I think the conference is exactly what I need for my own soul and for the great ideas I might pick up for our church.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.
• Speaking of "more than enough to do..." I begin my Hebrew language class at Ashland Theological Seminary in October.  I'm really looking forward to getting back into school... but I'm thinking my dance card is kinda full right now.
• Met another new person this morning: Dan.  Spent about an hour after the service talking to him this morning.  I really enjoyed doing that.
• Love the fact that Shaun is taking care of the finances for the church.  Speaking of which... thanks SO MUCH Church Requel for your generosity this month.  I never would have guessed that August would have been our best month financially!  God blows me away with your generosity!
• On the personal side of things... celebrated 30 years with Mary Kay this past week.  I hope we get another 30!
• Watched the Browns beat the Lions last night.  At least we know that the Browns are not the worst team in the league!
• Watched the Cowboys play on Friday night.  Can you believe those twin 160 foot screens in the middle of the field?  (Over 50 yards long! on both sides!)  I SO GOT A KICK out of the punter punting the ball into the screen.  I'm betting that's not the last time that happens this season.

That's enough for now.  Keep it real everyone!  Talk with you again real soon!  Mark

Mind Dump #5

As I sit here this August afternoon, I realize that I haven't written a "Mind Dump" post since my days at Crossroads.  So this seems way overdue.  The idea is for me to just write down my random thoughts of the weekend and progress of Church Requel.  So no literary masterpiece, just out loud thinking...

• Church was great this morning.  Average size group, but filled our home and we had several new families come and commit to being a part of Church Requel going forward.  That's always welcome news!
• Another great week giving wise.  The people who are coming are really committed to the new vision.
• Missed Nate Williams today.  He was gone for the Mexico trip and got back home at 5am this morning.  Can't wait to get caught up with him and hear about his trip.
• My dad came this morning.  It's always great to see him seated in our church when I'm preaching.
• Timothy Vincent, Jillian's boyfriend, was here this morning.  He brought his guitar and participated in our worship service.  Nice way to step in Timothy!  Good pick of boyfriends, Jillian!
• Shared our plans for the public launch this fall of Church Requel after church this morning.  This is the third week in a row that we've done vision casting.  I keep telling myself that I can't just say things once.  I keep telling myself that I can't just say things once and expect people to get it.
• I am SOOOOOO appreciative of my leadership team.  Today Rich Workman really stepped up and protected me from overcommitting myself during our vision casting time.  Thanks so much Rich!
• This week I'll be meeting with several different potential venues.  I'm hoping we can announce our next location by the end of August and begin public services sometime in October.
• We really need to find another children's teaching team.  We need to divide our kids up into two groups - preschool and elementary age.  I never would have guessed that our style of ministry would have been so attractive to the young married with kids set.  What a GREAT privilege and opportunity this is!  God is so good!
• I am so thrilled that we have a treasurer!  Shaun Jourdan has really stepped up and done a great job!  For the second week in a row, I didn't have to worry about counting the money or taking it in to make the deposit (and making sure everybody donating gets accounted for in our internal software.)  Thanks Shaun.  You are really setting a great example.
• Speaking of accounting, we need to get an accounting program going for our church.  Shaun has some good ideas.  I need to get this ALL turned over to him.  He is responsible and wants to do it.  I need to make the time to get this all done so it will free up my time in the long run. 
• Jonathan and Bethany really came through for us in the children's area.  We had seven children downstairs today, even with several families not here.  Jessica is doing her nursing clinicals this weekend and next weekend.  I know teaching children is sometimes thankless.  But let me say it:  THANK YOU!  Jennifer and Mike are coming next weekend just for the purpose of taking care of the kids.  It's great to have family help!
• I have a suspecion that we will look back with great fondness some day at these days of church in our home.  There's no doubt that God has done some work on me to prepare me for church planting.  I'm learning to appreciate things I never thought to appreciate before.
• Just two more weeks on our Ephesians series.  I really enjoyed the Benjamin Buttons approach to the sermon today.  It was neat starting the sermon and end and working it backwards.  I think people enjoyed the idea, even if they'd never seen the movie.  I love the creative aspects of putting a church service together.  That may be one of the aspects of the new church I'm most excited about.
• Speaking of what I'm excited about with the new church, I love the mix of house church with BIG church.  When we were vision casting several people really seemed to get it.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had dozens of house churches all over Mansfield and then came together for one big church.  Each has its own strength and its own place in the strategy.
• I couldn't help but get excited today about the people we've never yet even met, but who we may know for all eternity because of the commitments that are being made by those in our church.
• And I can't help but laugh at how the word "requel" is finding its way into people's vocabulary.  I heard someone say:"That would really be a "requel" thing."  I doubt that this person had ever used the word before.  Cool!
• The first NFL pre game is on later today.  I'm ready for some football!

Mind Dump #4

Hard to believe I haven't done a mind dump since September 10th.  Hard to believe I haven't written here for 3 days!  Let's see what's rolling around up between those ears of mine!

• Church growing in attendance.  Current series working.  New people are coming.  We're up about 200 people this month over last month.  FANTASTIC!
• All of the newbies are coming at the 11 AM service.  In fact about half of everyone coming on the weekend comes at 11AM.  One 11AM service equals both Saturday at 7PM and Sunday at 9:30AM.
• Sent letter to all members this week.  The good news?  Giving is still up about 6.5% year over year.  Incredible for this city and this economy.  The bad news?  Giving has definitely been falling over the last 6 weeks.  After a great summer of record giving levels, September is now down.  So while we're still ahead for the year, we're losing ground every week.  So I sent letter to members letting them know the status.
• Included in the letter the great news about the new website and the new membership connection.  Told people that we would begin taking everyone's picture each weekend in November and collecting email and current phone and address information so our database is completely up to speed.
• Deb Hammer joined the team this week.  Deb, glad to have you on board.  She has been a GREAT HELP to me.  She has a servant's heart and is willing to learn anything.  I was talking about the financial downturn with one of the directors today and she was with us.  She said, "I'd be willing to volunteer this job if you couldn't pay me."  How do we find people like Deb?
• I have resisted making any comments here about the stock market.  I came really close to writing about it last weekend because I really felt it was WAY overextended on the downside.  Markets do not either go straight up or straight down.  Having said that, markets don't ever bottom as a V but always test and retest (think W instead of V).  Also the stock market anticipates the economy's recovery by about 6 months.  Most economists are saying this will be a long recession (one to two years I hear).  If that's true, this market hasn't bottomed yet.
• I'm not a financial planner any longer.  I don't have to follow the markets.  I don't have to comment.  I don't have to hold the hand of wealthy people worried about being somewhat less wealthy.  That's great!
• I can't escape what I have learned over the last 30 years.  Times might be tough for awhile.  I see financial and number relationships easily.  It causes me to worry and is now really testing MY faith.  Why?  Because for the first time in my life I cannot control my own financial future by working harder or making more calls.  I now work for God and am in His hands.  I will trust Him to care for me.  I am learning this is much easier to write or say than to experience. 
• Jillian is home for a long weekend.  I watched Indiana Jones with her last night.  It was fun to relax for a few hours and catch up with her.  She's gone tonight.  Out on a date.
• Jessica called me today about 10:30 all upset because her dog got loose and she was really worried about him.  I left everything to go help her find her dog.  Fortunately, he was found quickly and I could get back to work.  But I think Jessica really appreciated me coming over to help her.
• Watched the Browns beat the Giants Monday night.  Wow!  It won't get any better than that.
• Still working out at the YMCA.  Started strength training in July.  Can't believe how much better I feel as a result.
• Meeting with Management Team for four hours in the morning.  We are each supposed to bring ideas we want to see on the calendar next year.  This will be a GREAT meeting.  This is maybe the BEST part of my job.  I love dreaming about what next year might be like.
• Doing performance reviews at work.  This may be the hardest thing I do at work.  I want to be an encourager, a cheerleader.  I'm doing my best to see the best in everyone.  But I'm also insisting that we set goals for this time next year for each staff member.
• Elders met with Tim Tuesday night.  He told me they really liked the blogs.  They asked if the blogs could be linked off the front page of our current website.  Is that cool or what?  Lori, Deering, Jonathan, Ron and I have been writing these blogs for three months now without much fanfare.  But I'm pretty sure that traffic will pick up considerably if people can get to us from Crossroadswired.com!
• Can't wait for the election to be over already.
• Mary Kay is worried about NAMI with all the budget cuts from the State of Ohio.  She has been "called in" for an appointment with the powers that be tomorrow afternoon.  She's hoping she still has her job.  She does such a great job and meets such an incredible need for families with a mentally ill member. I can't imagine her not being able to do that.
• Our washing machine is going on the blink after about 18 years.  I actually told Mary Kay about 3 months ago that we should start looking for a new washer and dryer.  She thought I was "all washed out" then.  She doesn't think so anymore.
• I'm bummed.  My new ESV Study Bible is backordered from Amazon.com.  I got an email today saying it won't arrive now until October 31.  So much for preordering early.

Mind Dump #3

Here are random thoughts on this evening.

• I'm frustrated that I couldn't get on to my blogging service for the last hour.
• I'm glad I'm on now!
• Can't believe all the news about Sarah Palin.  Who could have guessed that McCain and the Republicans could have gotten this much mileage from her appointment?  If I were Democrat strategist in charge, I'd put an immediate moratorium on any comments about Sarah Palin.
• I've never been more productive.  These last two days have been INCREDIBLE!
• Great day yesterday and today on CCB, our new database system.  I invited (encouraged? made? forced? coerced? begged?) the entire staff to attend a 4 1/2 hour session yesterday and a one hour session today.  I don't even want to think in terms of the number of man hours this has taken.  But I am beginning to see some results from our staff in their organization of volunteers and groups and events.
• I am so proud of our staff.  I didn't receive a single complaint or side ways criticism about the training.  They make being exec such a joy!
• Steve Caton from CCB called me today during our lunch time training.  I meant to call him back.  I was just too busy with everything.  I've got to call him back, though.  This relationship is vital to both him and me.
• I've enjoyed the preaching schedule.  With Tim out on vacation, it's been a ton of work.  But I love it!  This past weekend we had 6 people make a commitment to Christ and 4 more people indicated they were very close to making a commitment!  Is there anything that could be better than someone coming to faith during one of my talks?  What a privilege!
• Tonight's Midweek service was ABSOLUTELY one of the best I've ever seen.  The worship was genuine and contagious.  People were extravagant in their expression of joy and thanksgiving.  I wish I could figure out exactly what made tonight so special so we could do it over and over again.  Thank you Jesus!
• The ministry moments are going great.  We take about 5 minutes each Midweek service and highlight a different ministry.  Tonight we highlighted several "behind the scenes" women's ministries: Apples of Gold, Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) and Mothers of College Kids (MOCK).  Kim and Dawniel did a great job communicating the heart and passion of their ministries.  I enjoy doing the interviews every week.  But I'll be glad when Jeanette is available to do them again.
• I'm excited about this upcoming weekend teaching.  It's on "Study."  We've been getting videos of people asking questions about Bible Study.  This weekend, we'll play a video question, then I'll answer it.  Then we'll do it again.  I think I can cover 6 - 10 questions in 30 minutes.  This should make for an "interactive" sermon.
• Sheri endeared herself to Mary Kay and me this evening by bringing with her to church some vegetable soup and pear bread for us.  She said, "You probably haven't had the chance to eat yet tonight.  This way you can eat at home."  THANK YOU SHERI!  You have no idea how exactly right you were.  The food was delicious and the timing was perfect. (I feel so loved!)
• The workouts are becoming easier.  This afternoon at 5pm I did an hour on the elliptical machine at the YMCA before returning to church.  Not too long ago I could never have done that before preaching.  But tonight I was actually energized by it.  (I think I'll sleep well tonight.)
• Talked with someone after church tonight.  We were talking about spiritual gifts.  I told her that we all have things we're good at as well as things we're not so good at.  I told her my top gifts were leadership, teaching, and administration.  I then told her my greatest weakness was mercy.  She seemed surprised.  I said, "It's OK.  Mary Kay is REALLY good at mercy."  Then my friend said, "You really do love her, don't you."  ... Yeah.... I really DO! (I said "I do" 29 years ago.  Now I say, "I REALLY do!")

Mind Dump #2

Here's my weekly Mind Dump of what's going on in my life right now.

• This week is going by SO FAST!  Work life and home life have definitely overlapped last couple of days.  Tonight both Mary Kay and I are working madly on our laptops.
• Watching the McCain speech while I'm typing this.  It's hard to imagine that he could do any better than Sarah Palin last night.  Wow!  I'd like to know more about her.  Great VP pick!
• Tim has left to go hunting in Montana.  I'm still getting accustomed to being the Exec.  I've been in several meetings this week when someone has asked a question and everyone looked my way.  I usually turn around to see who everyone is looking at.  God grant me the humility to do this job well, without a big head, but with solid leadership that our church can rely upon.
• Making progress on CCB (Church Community Builder) conversion.  It seems like every available moment at work right now is focused on the new church management software.  Orientation meetings with staff went well.