I was in Manhattan last week for my first gathering with the senior pastors that have committed to be part of the Future Traveler (FT) effort. FT is a peer-to-peer coaching and learning environment led by Alan Hirsch and facilitated by Todd Wilson, Ed Bahler and me. The purpose is to launch missional movements that expand the church exponentially. Instead of seeing attractional and incarnational as either/or, we are using the both/and to understand how to leverage the prevailing model of the US church to launch new faith communities. Ten of the twelve pastors were there representing over 50,000 in weekly attendance. They have done mega and multi now they are looking at how to do micro.

I was extremely impressed with the FT pastors. I knew some of them from before but several of them I was meeting for the first time. They exemplify what Jim Collins describes as Level V Leaders – a blend of humility and strength. They are willing to risk the status quo to do what needs to be done to reach the people God has called them to reach. Late Wednesday afternoon there was a palpable sense of a collective connection with the vision. I am excited and encouraged about where we are headed.

I heard that Vice President Biden, commenting on the Health Care Bill, told President Obama, “This is a big _______ deal.” No matter what you think of the legislation, it is a big deal because it marks a significant departure from a 30 year philosophical approach to government. But, honestly, what happened in Manhattan may have given birth that will have a much greater eternal impact. This is a big deal!

“A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new
horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its
calling…[We must] play down our longing for certainty, accept what is
risky, and live by improvisation and experiment.”
- Hans Kung, The Church as the People of God

The ChurchPlanters.com 2010 Velocity Conference appeared to be a huge success. The conference, with their most powerful lineup of speakers yet, was sold out ahead of time. We consider it a privilege to support events that pour great value into the lives of pastors and church planters. It also affords us the opportunity to engage pastors and church leaders in conversations about how best to make facility decisions. And it’s a chance to renew friendships and make new friends with people that are making a big difference for Christ. I was able to reconnect with friends Dave Travis. Todd Wilson, Will Mancini, Casey Graham, Mark Clement and Alan Hirsch, among others. I also got to establish some new friendships with Mark DeYmaz and Hugh Halter. Many of us spent Monday evening talking late into the night about where God was leading the church.

My most poignant memory, though, came later that evening. Alan and I returned to the hotel about midnight to find 22 or 23 people sitting and talking in the breakfast area. They recognized Alan and called us over to talk more about what it means to be missional/incarnational. Now, this group had heard a number of powerful speakers and workshops throughout the day - some of the best the Christian world has to offer. Yet, what kept them up to midnight was trying to figure out how to become incarnational to reach the people that would never be “attracted” to their church facilities. They were from an attractional-model church that was doing great work. But they realized that, no matter how good they get at doing church, there was probably 60% of the unchurched that they would never be able to reach with that model alone.

If this were a single, solitary experience it wouldn’t be so notable. But I see this taking place across the country. Something is happening. God is speaking to people in new ways – or, more likely, we are finally listening. What’s God saying to you? Do you sense a new twinge in your heart as you think of the things of God?