Archive for the 'Church Planting' Category

Let the Wild Rumpus Start

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 2 November 2009
in Church Planting and My Life
. 0 Comments

A few years ago my church planting career started with a trip to South Florida to “check out” a potential area named Weston, FL.  Well, three years later it is another trip to Weston, FL that shakes things up a little. This last weekend we went and visited InDependence Church in Weston, FL.

The music rocked as it has for a long time and the venue at Sagemont has greatly improved since we have been there with some permanent installs. There were many other changes but in the end I was impacted mostly by people. Some of the people live in Virginia, Singapore, Texas, Boston, South Florida and soon San Diego. There are people that have come and gone and others that have remained but they are lives that God impacted through what He allowed us to start there.

In the 3.5hr trip there and back Harmony and I had a lot of time to reflect on our successes and failures. We were able to remember the good times and the bad, the victories and the defeats but in the end it always came back to the people.

I often told our congregation that we started the church for a sea of blank faces. Over time some of those blank faces were replaced with real people with real issues. We were privileged to be able to introduce them to a real Jesus and inspire them to share what they found.

The family in Virginia had to go to a church meeting in a school because the kids didn’t think church could happen anyplace else. My own son gets mad when there isn’t anything to tear down when we visit a church in a permanent building. There are stories of reunited marriages after two years apart. There are men taking steps of faith after operating in their own fears.  There are others who came for one reason but found their callings and how they are to live out the Great Commission. There are those continuing to stand and fight for the people of Weston, FL.

So with all of that said we are making a conscious decision to go after more people. What that means today I am not really sure. Will it mean planting another church? I am sure at some point it will but for now we are going to live out the Great Commission in the manner that God has equipped and called us to. We have spent a lot of time in the last few weeks discussing this and I have come back to the Great Commission every time. If God leads us to plant a church out of ministering to some people… so be it.

I believe that everybody is called to live out the Great Commission but the way that it looks for you may be different then it is for me. Inside of me God has planted a seed that to be honest festers and burns inside me every day.  I was reminded this weekend of what it looks like when you let it out and I am tired of the heartburn.

So this time around this thing is probably going to look very different for us. At this point we don’t have a location or really any ideas were God will send us. We don’t have any money (see previous posts as where all of that went). We don’t have any denominational support. What we have is the Great Commission, a calling, a passion, some experience, some knowledge (not near enough), new ideas as to how Harmony, Owen and I can work as a team, and that is enough.

So let the wild rumpus start… This is the intro prayer to a new unwritten chapter to the story that is my life.  God may you bless our endeavors as we set out to broaden Your Kingdom in whatever manner You allow and direct us to. Thank You in advance for Your grace, mercy, love, wisdom, knowledge and power. I pray that You will release these things to me, and my family’s life. We love You and want nothing more than to make You proud. Amen.

The autopsy of a church planter

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 30 April 2009
in Church Planting, Church of God, City of Weston Florida, Health, InDependence Church, My Life, My Wife, Parenting, Random Ramblings and The Word
. 7 Comments

Somebody asked me yesterday what it was like to not have to prepare for Sunday. Well I wrote this blog a while back titled 6 days till Sunday which has been the story of my life for the past 16 months straight. Even though I recently have switched over to Facebook to spout off random thoughts, this blog still remains the behind the scenes look at the life of a husband, father, and church planter. I just have been busy with the stuff below and haven’t had time to blog much. (And outsourcing my blog didn’t work)

 

So I wanted to journal my thoughts as I close the chapter of my life at InDependence Church. As many of you know this past Sunday was my last official Sunday at InDependence. Over the next week or so I will be working on transferring over all of the other “stuff” that goes along with this job like, banking, taxes, facilities, marketing, leadership, staff info, etc. etc. etc.

 

Many of my pastoral friends have called to check up on me to see how I am doing. My wife asked me yesterday if it feels to me like we are offering our kid up for adoption after you have brought it into this world and raised it for two years… In a sense yes but God has given me incredible peace and confidence that I am doing what is best for me, my family and InDependence.

 

To not so quickly recap:

Continue reading ‘The autopsy of a church planter’

Quitting Church

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 2 April 2009
in Church Planting, City of Weston Florida, InDependence Church and Random Ramblings
. 1 Comment

I am half way through a book titled “Quitting Church” by Julia Duin and it has made me sad. I can recognize so many of the things that she describes the church to be and not be. She talks about the types of people that once experienced Jesus but were driven away by the “church”. This is not a book about people who wer never reached by “church” but were reached and rejected or reached and turned off by what it has become. Check out this blog article with some Q&A with the author.

I am encouraged to think that InDependence Church is doing something with its’ Jeopardy Series to combat her concern of the “church” being disconnected with the questions and needs of its’ community. So far our church has reached more disgruntled than lost. In the past I have found that discouraging but today I have a little different perspective. Whether it was the world or the church that turned people away from God is irrelevant. We were still called to reach so “God give us the wisdom and the knowledge to reach those that once knew you but were driven away by the methods man used to represent you.”

New Jeopardy Series at InDependence

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 25 March 2009
in Church Planting, City of Weston Florida and InDependence Church
. 3 Comments
What's the one question you would ask in church?

What is the one question you would ask in church?

Text your questions to 954.707.2493

Text your questions to 954.707.2493

Tales from Ireland

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 10 March 2009
in Church Planting, My Life and My Wife
. 0 Comments

Today my wife and son visited the ruins of a church in Ireland that dated mid 600AD. From what my wife could remember from her years of Latin she believes that a tombstone at the site was that of the Pastor and his wife.

 

Seeing that she began to question what it was like for them. What challenges did they face? I guess she feels a connection with them given our current positions as pastor and wife.

 

Now she has me thinking. Will we do this until we die or until Jesus comes back? Can we be obedient enough for Him to desire to use us for that amount of time? Can we keep the passion to serve and the compassion for the lost? Can we make it through the periods of physical, mental and emotional tiredness? Will we be able to maintain enough faith to stair in the face of adversity and still declare all things are possible? Can we overcome temptation (lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life)?

 

The part that I found very cool was that they are presumably buried at the church where they pastored. For us I don’t think the school would be to keen on that but this says some things to me. Maybe it was nothing like this but to me I see a couple who were able to say yes to the above questions.

 

Even though it would be neat to hear their story I don’t have to because most all stories that I hear from pastors include struggles, temptations, trials, victories, grace and deliverance. I know that ours does and now more than ever I want to be able to say yes to the above questions. I don’t care about being buried at a church but I do want to stand before God someday and as He looks over my record for Him to see these things.

 

So today I pray God lead me where you want me. Plant me, grow me, and prune me as necessary, so that I may produce good fruit for your kingdom all the days of my life.

Daylight Savings Time is of the Devil

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 8 March 2009
in Church Planting
. 2 Comments

Note to self: Next year mention the time change for at least 3 weeks and bring it up in the newsletter.

Bi-Vo

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 3 February 2009
in Church Planting, City of Weston Florida, InDependence Church, My Life, My Wife and Random Ramblings
. 0 Comments

No this isn’t some new term to describe someone’s sexual persuasion, but is short for Bi-Vocational. In my case, and in the case of the writer of this great blog entry, this refers to Bi-Vocational Pastor. I have been doing this for a little over a year now and have encountered a majority of the things listed. So I thought I would share it for my pastor friends out there or for those who are considering planting a church.

 

Reagarding the gaining weight issue… I would suggest an extended fast because that is why many people think you do them anyway.

Happy Birthday InDependence

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 20 January 2009
in Church Planting, City of Weston Florida and InDependence Church
. 0 Comments

For many January 20, 2009 will be a significant day in history for a multitude of different reasons. Due to the events transpiring in Washington D.C. today many will view this day as a turning point in American history. As the first African American President is sworn in many people will lock their location in their mind and will remember it along with the Challenger or 9-11.

 

Even though this day will be remembered by me for some of those reasons, this day will also have significance for another reason. Today, InDependence Church officially celebrates its 1 year birthday. There are many different percentages that describe the survivability of church plants through the first year. Regardless of what any of that says by the grace of God we have made it!

 

Not only have we made it, but we have made it and maintained the passion to have a closer relationship with Jesus. We have made it, and maintained the passion to reach the community of Weston and the surrounding areas with the gospel. We have made it, and maintained the passion to develop relationships with each other. We have made it, and maintained passionate about trying new creative ways of doing ministry. We have made it, and are continuing to develop new passions in people. We have made it, and maintained the passion and desire to see God do even bigger things in year two.

 

So I want to thank all of you that have said a prayer, lent a hand or given a dollar. I want to thank all of you who continue to support this ministry in one way or another. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes… “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Never underestimate “skrappy”

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 14 January 2009
in Church Planting, My Life, My Wife and Random Ramblings
. 0 Comments

No real post here but this is the type of random thought that I will post on my future Facebook page. I know that is probably so “yesterday”. But now that my wife is on there and there are men who are requesting to be her “friend” I figured it is time to make my presence known. Weighing in at a whoping 144lbs I just want to say “never underestimate skrappy”. Because if there is anything that I have learned in the last couple of years as a church planter is how to keep fighting…

Highlights from 2008

Published
by
Nathan Griffis
on 5 January 2009
in Church Planting, City of Weston Florida and InDependence Church
. 5 Comments

In just 15 days InDependence will be 1 year old. In reading this post I was inspired to layout some of the highlights from this past year. These are in no particular order, accept for number 1.

 

  1. We have led people to Christ.
  2. We have survived 1 year as a church plant.
  3. We have hired an amazing Worship Leader and God threw in an awesome band as a bonus.
  4. We have some incredibly dedicated people and I believe it is becoming contagious.
  5. We had somebody threaten to call the cops on us while we were giving away FREE food.
  6. I had the cops called on me for being too nice.
  7. Every week there are people serving at our church that I honestly believe wouldn’t even be in church if it wasn’t for InDependence.
  8. We are seeing the benefits of 40 days of corporate prayer and fasting.
  9. We have created an environment that has birthed some wonderful relationships.
  10. Finally a great thing that happened in 2008 is that it ended. The reason I am so excited about this is because I (and quite a few other people) believe that 2009 is going to be an amazing year for InDependence. I am already beginning to see new people, new ministries and even some new ministers. I can’t wait to see how God gets some glory out of us reaching out to Weston and the surrounding areas.