We made it!!

The days waned, school work was wrapped up, good byes were said, trucks were loaded, help was given...

And we made it. We arrived at our new home (which we all love!) tonight before 5:00pm. We have unloaded some, have more unloading to do tomorrow at 1:00, and are settling in.

A significant question has occurred to me. It's in the form of a multiple choice that I will also pose to you...

Are you:

A. Living the dream

B. Living a dream

C. Both A. and B.

We chose option C. Think about it with me. We moved here for a non-existing church and a job that has no income for people we don't yet know.

Are we crazy? Crazy like a fox, who counts his risk and makes his move.

Mark 10:29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

We are significantly rolling the dice here. But we are rolling the dice on God.

So, welcome to the next chapter of the greatest story ever told- not the Riecke family story, but the story of the most important organization on the face of the planet- the Church of Jesus Christ.

Introducing...

Welcome to Triple Pointe Church! We have debated over our name for some time, but have settled on this name, suggested by a good friend. Some of the reasons we have selected it are:

• It reflects the triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)


• It reflects our discipleship process (Love God, Grow Together, Serve Others)


• It's unique, but not off the wall


• It's easy to discuss in conversation; "We'd love to have you join us at Triple Pointe this weekend."


• There are some good web domains available that integrate this name

I would say I hope you like it. However, my hope is that it works. That it is one more tool that helps us reach people who don't go to church anywhere right now. That's a whole lot more important than if I like it or not.

On the practical side, it doesn't change anything quite yet (Checks can still be made out to "The Development" and mailed to the address that is in a previous post). And the address of this blog will remain the same. I am in conversation with a group about an actual church website and that may be up and running in the near future.

If you like the name, I welcome your comments. If you don't- too late! Haha.

LOVE CONQUERS ALL,

Patrick

200 Days and Counting!

Out of the mouths of babes

Apparently, our kids are listening... all the time.

Sometimes that is not a good thing, but recently it was a very good thing.

I have been wanting to post about this for some time, but also wanted to let it all play out first.

Our oldest came to us last week sometime. He had been pretending with his brothers in their room. They had set up a fort, which is not uncommon for boys in general, or our boys in specific. This fort was a little different, though. In the fort they brought all their 'Jesus books'. Bible stories, Bibles, kids devotional books, etc.

DP therefore decided the fort was the 'Jesus Club'. He made a sign that read, "Jesus Club For Everyone". We didn't notice it at first, but his wheels were turning. Eventually, he came up to Kristen and I downstairs.

"I want to have a Jesus party and invite all my friends in our neighborhood over."

We were a little surprised, but knowing our oldest, it wasn't a huge shock.

"We'll have food and talk about Jesus." He says.

"Why do you want to do that?" I ask, just to see what's behind the surface.

"I don't know if they all go to church, so I want to tell them about God so they will be sure to know about him and Jesus."

Enter tears from mom and dad.

Actually, we held it together and starting talking about details and why it might not be the best approach to go immediately to their houses right that minute and ask them to come over. So, he started planning.

The next few days it was all we heard about. The "Jesus Party". He made signs, cleaned up the downstairs (only to see his brothers destroy it many times over). He talked about who to invite and wanted to make flyers, a menu, the whole nine yards.

We convinced him it was fine to just talk with people instead of doing a mass mailing and that we could just love them with the love of Jesus while they were over. I didn't necessarily want to see my 6 year old giving his first sermon yet, though I am sure that will come.

So, after many trips out to finally catch all our neighbors with kids, last night was the night. Total of 6 neighbors kids from baby to middle school and some parents. We had desserts, ice cream, cookies, etc.

And even though we didn't read the entire Bible to them like he might have wanted, the love of Christ was present.

Thank you, Daniel, for understanding the world better than most Christian adults (me included).

Crossway Church

At 5:45 this morning I left the house. I pulled up in front of a friend's place. He pastors a church plant in Independence, KY. His neighbor drives the truck. Yeah, the truck.

The truck that picks up and hauls one of the trailors they use to set up their stuff for service every Sunday morning. Yes, one of their trailers. They haul two each week.

So, we got the place where they store the trailers it was snowy and cold. That presented some interesting issues. Frozen pad locks, slick hills, iced trucks.

But we still got both of them to the high school they rent by 7:00 am. We unloaded all the goods for the main worship area, children's area and hospitality center.

It was all set up by about 8:00 in the main room, about 9:00 in the children's area. I got to help a lot.

It was at about 8:00 am, when I was using a lighter trying to defrost some padlocks that things started to get real.

Without getting into all the wonderful (and gritty details) I will highlight the three main things I learned today:

1. Kids can help. There were kids everywhere (young kids) helping with everything from setting up tents, projectors, fences and playpens in the children's area to coffee supplies and communion in the adult areas.


2. Things you move every week wear out fast. You've heard the phrase "7 moves equals a housefire"? Yeah, similar with a portable church. Only thing- you move seven times in just seven weeks. My takeaway- get a great trailer, get organized, and get high quality storage items.


3. "It's a lot of work, but it's also very gratifying." This comment, or something similar, seems to be the most repeated comment I hear from people who are involved in this kind of thing. They understand the work load, but they also see that it makes a unique impact in people's lives. Strap in, it's going to be a fun ride!

Thank you Crossway, for letting me come with you today.

P.S.- One other takeaway. I drove past the church we have been a part of while we have lived here on my way to my firend's house at 5:45- uh, no one was there yet. My guess is it's because there aren't any trailers to haul there.

Colossians 4

3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Church Planter/Door Greeter

Tonight we went to First Church. They had a movie night for adults- FIREPROOF. And a Christian juggler (?) for the kids (which our oldest loved).

But we got there about 45 minutes early (just Kristen and DP and me, the others were home with Aunt MiMi).

Kristen was working a table and DP and I jumped in to be door greeters. He took the one side and I took the other. He was pumped about it and did a great job (until it was time for kids stuff to start).

It was great. I am a church planter now and I got to open the door and say "Welcome to First Church- do you know where you're going?" Because there were a lot new people- including a family we invited.

Welcome to the church- can I help you find your way around?

Hmm. Sounds like a good role, man. Welcome to the church. Come on in, let me help you out.

Sorry if this is incoherent, I'm pretty tired. There something signifcant here, I hope you see it.

Love to all!
Patrick

Opportunities

So, spent about 3 1/2 hours with the local fire chief this morning. And no, my kids did not set anything on fire. He and his wife are a part of our class at church. He was the fire chief in Bloomington, IN at age 30. He had a few things to say about being a leader when you are still young.

Wonderful opportunity for me to learn from a godly man.

So, if last year at this time you would have told me that I would have the opportunity to have personal connections with a bunch of church planters from Fort Wayne, Northern KY and inner city Cinci, have breakfast several times with one of the founders of Promise Keepers and personal counsel from one of the world's leading authorities on the gospel of John, with a fire chief thrown in for good measure...

I'd have said, "only if God wills."

He did.

Thanks, God.

Watershed Moment

As Kristen and I lay in bed last night before finally falling asleep, I told her something she already knew.

You see, yesterday morning was a our last morning at our church here before we move in 12 days.

"I don't quite know how to say this, but I realized something today." I said. "We like, left the institutional/traditional church today."

"Yeah, I know." She says (and she does, because she always knows things before I do).

"I mean, not like "Hey, we are outta here" kind of leaving. It's just that the road ahead does not look like the road behind."

There are no more kid's choirs or already staffed children's ministries in our future.

There are no padded pews or established budgets.

There are no people in this new ministry who have 'been there for years'.

There is no building, no money (very little, anyway), no staff (yet), no history to build on.

It's like the first day of school. Do you remember that? You've been so ready for it. You've prepared, built up for it. You've got your school supplies, your spiderman lunch box, your new 'school clothes'.

And then the day comes. And you are on the bus, or in the classroom, and you realize that mom's not there.

That's a little like what this feels like.

Warning- If you are thinking about joining with this ministry, you must be ready for this experience. You don't have to turn your back on 'normal' churches. But you do have to realize that our immediate future with this new ministry will not look like anything you have experienced so far. If you think you need the comfort of what normal churches offer, you need to stay there! This not a judgment, just a heads up before you make any decision.

That said, I am reminded of Jesus' words to Peter.

Matthew 19:28-30 (English Standard Version)
28Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

What we are about to enter into is going to be a wild ride marked distinctly by God's love and faithfulness. We will need God more than we have ever needed him. We will see God move in more dynamic ways than ever. We will see people in a new way and love them more intensely.

Just as I would not go back in time and refuse to go to school, just like the natural steps of progression in our lives from babyhood to boyhood to adolescence to teenage years to college to adulthood to marriage to children are all marked by harrowing passages that we would never think of refusing to cross, so too this. There's no turning back now.

Meeting New Brothers

So, how did I end up in the gracious home of a pastor who has planted a church in inner city Cincinnati yesterday?

It’s all about the Kingdom of God, baby.

You see, it went like this…

Years ago (I won’t say how many) my sisters were in school with a man who now lives in Cincinnati. He is working at this church in the inner city working with some kids who have it pretty tough- just go ahead and picture all the things the words ‘inner city’ brings up in your mind.

I never met him (except one time when I was about 5 years old). Until one of my wonderful sisters (I have quite a lot of wonderful sisters) wrote me and told me he was in the area.

So, naturally, I found him on facebook.

We finally connected yesterday and went out for lunch. As we talked about church planting and ministry and the ups and downs, it was like talking with someone I had known for a long time.

Afterwards, we went over to the man’s house who is the pastor of the church where he volunteers. As we entered Pat’s house (yeah, his name is Patrick, by the way), we were welcomed warmly. He’s got three crazy boys (just like me). He’s got his masters and wants to do his doctorate someday (again, two Patricks alike). And when I asked Pat and Galen both what the highs and lows were of their ministry, they answered the same.

People.

This deal is all about people.

You live with them, you laugh with them, you cry with them, you pray with them, you teach them, you do their weddings and funerals.

We are so ready to get back into the swing like this.

I don’t mean to belittle anything that happens within the traditional church. After all, it’s where I came to know Jesus and where I served for nearly a decade. But there needs to be a subtle change. Wise senior ministers are making those changes. I’m happy to see some of those changes at my home church. The traditional church emphasizes church attendance, programs and the offering totals.

God emphasizes love, relationships and service.

The two emphases are not mutually exclusive, but I believe it is time in the US for a revamping, a retooling, of how we ‘do church’.

“What kind of effect has doing this sort of ministry had on your boys?” I asked Pat.

“It’s been great.” He said, “They’re growing up thinking that this is what church is all about- the people and the relationships. It’s not about coming in, sitting down and being quiet in a pew for 60 minutes.”

And to my new brother, I say amen.

You?

I can talk inside my brain

So, the other day I am driving back from a friend's house. We had stopped over and picked up some boxes from them. The boys had played pretty hard and it was close to bedtime, so they were uncharacteristically quiet as we drove along the dark back Kentucky road through the paths of snow.

Until my middle son spoke up.

"Hey guys, guess what?" (Read with the 4 year old lisp in place)

"What?" say my 6 year old and 3 year old.

"I can talk inside my bwain."

"What?" I ask.

Quiet.

Then, laughing, "I was just doin it. I can talk inside my bwain."

Me- "You can talk inside your brain?"

Him, laughing, "Yeah!"

Everyone starts giggling.

Me- "Did you just notice that?"

More giggling.

Me- "Isn't it amazing how God made us so that we can talk inside our brains? I have to be honest, guys, these days Daddy does a lot of talking inside his brain."

To me, what we are doing right now is getting our "inside the bwain" talking out into group talking. I talked for some time on the phone the other night to a good friend who had a great idea about a name for the new minsitry. Whether or not we adopt this particular name, it was a refining conversation about why we are doing what we are doing.

More, please.

"Patrick is doing a lot of talking inside his own brain." But I need more talking outside my brain. I know that many of you are talking inside your brain about some of these concepts and actions.

Would you please let that brain talk out? You don't have to be right, just thoughtful.

Hit me up. Call me. Email me. Make a comment on here.

Let's turn some of our brain talking into group talk. It's what separates us from the mental patients (and not much else).

Maybe this is why I am doing this

I am thirty.
To some of you that sounds old.
To many, that sounds young.
To me, it's in between.

Thirteen years ago I was walking along the River Greenway in Fort Wayne. I was lonely, angry, and feeling like I hated the world. As I sat on a bench at the one mile mark out from the parking lot on Lake Ave, a figure approached in the distance. I am thinking, "I hope they don't talk to me."
As he gets closer, I realize he's an old man. To me, he's really really old. I am seventeen, he's probably 70.

"Hello!" he says with cheeriness that is like nails on a chalkboard to me."Hello." I reply. He ensues to make conversation with me. Even though I don't want to talk with him in the least, he seems to care. He asks what brings me to Greenway. I tell them I just came out there to think (a surprisingly honest answer). He asks me what I come out there to think about. And I mutter something about my job, school, my family and girlfriend. At this point, his chipperness hasn't been slowed by my gloom.

He says, "Do you know what I think about when I come out here?" I'm thinking, "No, and I don't care."But I say, "No, what?"

"I think about the Lord Jesus Christ."

Now, understand that lots of other people had invested in my spiritually. My parents always took me to church. They talked with me about God all the time. We prayed regularly. I served at church. And just before all this, there had been even more people talking with me about God. For some reason, though, I had not let it click yet.

I say that to preface what I say next.

In that moment, I was face to face with Jesus for the first time.

This man, though a stranger, loved me. And he loved Jesus Christ.

Sounds remarkably like he was fulfilling the greatest two commandments.

In that moment, I was converted. If my life was a mountain range, this was the watershed.

Why? Because of love, caring, and words spoken about Jesus.

His name is Bill Dunn.

Maybe one reason I am doing this is because I would like to lead a church full of Bill Dunns. I'd like to be a servant leader to a group who is taking the love of Christ to the streets- in the lives of family, friends, co-workers, strangers, the poor, the needy globally.

I think that's why Jesus came. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, by loving us so much we would want to spill that over into the lives of others so that they might come to know him as well.

It's a mission marked with love. Wanna join me?

Plans

I'm not an architect. And I would be terrible at that job if I ever tried it. But, I do think I understand the importance of a good plan.

To reach young families for Christ in Fort Wayne we cannot simply show up, hang a shingle and hope people who are lost without the love of Christ will find us and ask us about Jesus.

So…

Schedule of Outreach

Monthly Services- June 14, July 12, August 9

Launch- September 13

April 6-10 Service Evangelism team from Johnson Bible College?
Bake Cookies- That will be frozen and delivered to first time guests
Door to door- Asking if there is anything we can do to serve them
Service for the hospital
Prayer walks

June- Backyard parties; Neighborhood emphasis- We will host family-friendly backyard parties to promote relationships within the neighborhoods. Moonwalk for kids, goodie bags with candy and church info
Direct mail to the three to six neighborhoods
Sunday Brunch- Since we aren't holding weekly services yet, we will invite people in our neighborhoods over for a brunch at 10:00 on Sunday morning- a way to target those who aren't going to church at that time.

July- Backyard parties; Neighborhood emphasis
Gas buy-down before July 4^th – We will connect with a local gas station to buy down the cost of gas for a two hour time. We won't hard sell the church, but will likely wear shirts that contain the church name and web address.
Direct mail to the neighborhoods
Sunday Brunch

August- Backyard parties; Neighborhood emphasis
Direct mail to the three Neighborhoods
Sunday Brunch

Before Labor Day- Gas buy-down

September
13- Launch service
Direct mail to the three Neighborhoods
Connect Cards in the hands of the Launch Team

September 20- Week 2; special draw, TBA

October 31- Halloween Outreach- We will encourage our Launch Team and other people catching on at the church to be at home for at least part of the night (Halloween is on a Saturday) and give out full sized candy bars with information about the church services.

November 1- Special Service for outsiders- This is the Sunday morning just after Halloween.

December- Special Christmas service with an emphasis on inviting new people

2010
January- Special topical sermon series targeting on bringing in new people
Direct mail to the neighborhoods the week in between Christmas and New Year's
Consider partnering with the YMCA to help people get in shape in the area

March- Service evangelism team from Johnson Bible College

April- Begin to put into place semi-permanent outreach efforts (like occupational counseling, hospital service, budget coaching, partnering with a local service group like InAsMuch, pregnancy care center or Red Cross)

May- Teacher Appreciation Sunday
Invite area teachers to RSVP to our Sunday morning service, where they will receive a gift card for Wal-Mart and special recognition for their efforts.

Summer 2010-Backyard parties
Other activities TBA