Prep for Saturday

As we prepare for tomorrow, I want to invite you to come ready to abandon yourself to the discovery of "what's next" for us at the Journey. To aid us in moving forward in an accelerated fashion, I've asked Greg Russinger to join us and take on the role as our "Journey Guide."

What does "Journey Guide" mean?

Well I guess I could have used the more pedestrian term "consultant" or even one of my favorites, "coach", but I thought guide served better in that I'm looking for someone who has been down this kind of path before with other emerging leaders and who's creativity and commitment to Christ would be invaluable in our efforts.

So, come prayed up and ready to throw ourselves into the mix of what God is calling us towards.

Pastor D.

June 11th Meeting

We have a ton of people out of town for the meeting scheduled for June 11th. Since we will be spending the whole day meeting on June 20th we are going to cancel June 11th.

Thanks,
Andrea

Journey Meeting May 14, 2009

Summer Theme

Deliberate Simplicity: Less is More, so that more is better…

1. You can do more of certain things
2. You can do less of certain things.
3. You can start to do things that your not doing at all today
4. You can stop doing some things all together.

It’s not about how much more can be added, but have we gotten away from things we don’t need…

June 20th our day long planning day meeting event for leadership.
Adding some additional voices- Greg and Michele and possibly Jamie and Sarah Lenhart.
Location will be determined ASAP

Events we will promote for participation through the church along with the addition of city events different Journey leaders could take the lead on organizing and attending.

Dates of Buckman kids camp- June 29 – July 2nd promo for those who would want to help?

Buckman service day Mid- August

Bunco Game night/Mexican Common Meal- July 17th 6:30pm

River Day – August 8th Josh taking primary lead

Alpenrose picnic august 30th

June 1st- BBQ night, in Gym- brief worship, brief devo from Dennis

If you have a city event you would like to add to the list please post the basic time, date, location details on here and we will add it to the print pieces for the summer.

Thanks again to Monica and Jodi for the AMAZING meal!!

Andrea

Reminder!!

Here is the reminder for our meeting on Thursday night. It will be at Monica and Jodi's house. Dinner at 6:30pm. We will be focusing on our plan for the summer- mapping out what it will look like.

Also, this is the week our reflections are due to Dennis. You can email it directly to him!!

Thanks, and see you Thursday... Andrea

Summer Event Ideas

Hi there, just wanted to post something to add to our summer events discussion.

I was thinking that we could do more informal 'Journey Summers at the Park' (or something like that) at a park near the church. We could offer sports (for those that are interested in that), board games and food...perhaps once a month during the summer months.

These get togethers would not be dissimilar to our indoor summer events when we offered Wii, Bunko, etc., just outside.

What do you think? Or are we even starting to talk about summer events yet?

May 4, 2009 Meeting

Here are the notes from our meeting last night!!

June 20th- daylong event: we will meet at a local location. Plan to book out the whole day. We will be talking through concepts of vision and direction for the year to come.

Teaching direction for the summer….

Read through the Psalms and if you desire to participate in teaching along with Dennis connect with him and he can work to help make space for team teaching….however if you feel a pull towards one in particular Psalm or have an heart for one particular concept please let Dennis know ASAP- kind of a first come first serve situation.

Soft goal for the summer is to allow others into the mix of participation and service. Need to seek creative methods to engage those on the outside…expand our core group and expand the list of those who are serving.

May meeting will be at Monica/Jodi’s house. The agenda will be direction next 3 months….through labor day. How do we be intentional about connecting?

A discussion was had regarding pre service prayer. After some feed back it was decided that we would step back from doing fixed prayer during that time. For now we will be focusing more towards intercession and caring for current prayer requests.

Spring Meeting Dates

Here is an electronic copy of the meeting times for the next few months along with the date we are working to plan a retreat. Please notice the 4/30 meet will be at Dennis and Patsy's house and let me know ASAP about which retreat option works better for you. Thx.

No meeting Sunday April 26th

April 30th- Thursday 6:30 pm- Location: Easters Home

May 14th- Thursday 6:30 pm- location TBD

May 24th- Sunday after Journey- brief meeting if needed at church after service.

June 11th- Thursday 6:30 pm- location TBD

June 19-21- Proposed Leadership Retreat in Sunriver*
option 1- Friday night, Saturday, Sunday AM
option 2- Thursday night, Friday all day, Saturday all day


* Let Andrea know which retreat option would be better for your schedule via email i This weekend in July is the only available option until September- so we are going to do everything we can to make it work. Let me know ASAP if you are available.

The Transfer of a Treasure

I would like for everyone to take time to read 2Timothy 2 before our meeting this Thursday. Starting this month I want to work through this passage over the next several months. I'm particularly interested in how we might address Paul's directive, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men (and women), who will also be qualified to teach others" (2Tim. 2:2).

As you read the chapter look for the six metaphors that Paul's uses to describe what other translations call, "faithful" (NIV "reliable) men and women. That's what we are going for...how God can shape us to be faithful & reliable.

In addition we will be addressing

• Connection Groups (yes...we are looking at a new descriptive name)
• Journey visioning retreat
• Summer schedule

Don't forget to send me your reflection paper by email if possible (deaster@pdx4.org)

Pastor D.

We have seen some great ideas for names posted on the blog...but it may help to identify what we feel the purpose of our small groups should be...or what we hope it will fulfill in the life of our journey?

I know some great conversations have been happening amongst group members so give us your thoughts and ideas....

Monk Retreat Follow-Up

Here are some links and books to follow through on our retreat.

http://scdfa.org/les-freres-de-st-francis-de-la-sissies-hallelujah
You should start off by watching this and laughing until you are bent over.

http://www.annarborvineyard.org/tdh/tdh.cfm
This is a link to the "Divine Hours" by Phyllis Tickle. You can set it up to your time zone.

http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/PraytheOffice/index.html
This is the Northumbria Community in the UK. Their prayers are taken more from the Celtic tradition. The website requires a bit more navigation but it is worth it.

iTunes Podcast: Pray as you Go
This is 10-12 minute podcast that is offered everyday and includes music, scripture and guided reflection. It is run by the Jesuits in Ireland.

Books:
Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton. I would suggest this as the best overall read for contemplative practices in our modern day.

Praying with the Church: Following Jesus Daily, Hourly, Today by Scot McKnight
If you want a good biblical basis and "how to" on Fixed Hour praying, this is the read.

Enjoy.

thinking...

Life group, water well (a theme that Josh was thinking on), cord, what do you visualize when you think of a small group (or whatever), what would you want others to visualize? What do we want them to be? Just some thoughts... still thinking...

Names

So, here are so names, in no particular order. I have no agenda, other than to inspire conversation: 1) mini flocks; 2) connection groups; 3) fellowships; 4) cells; 5) cohorts; 6) POCs (places of collaboration); 7) rest stops; 8) mile posts; 9) oasis; 10) watering holes; 11) study groups; 12) monastic orders; 13) tiny units; 14) labs; 15) pit stops; 16) rings.

Small Groups

Well...here begins a piece of our conversation about "small groups". And the first question I would like to pose is : Is there a name for the idea of what we are trying accomplish through small groups that better communicates to our demographic and captures the cry of our hearts for unity, growth, and discipleship?

Journey Leadership

What an amazing weekend! Not only did we experience God's grace as we walked through the retreat and then our Sunday gathering, but both David Nixon and Katharine are going to be utilizing our model weekend as well. Just think...kingdom impact that is spread to the East Coast and Scotland as we were letting Jesus draw us near to him.

Looking forward to our time together and I promise that Patsy will do something other than soup and salad for our Thursday meal:)

The Journey continues...

Missing Journey

started out concerned that the weather (it snowed at the beach) may cause problems in driving over the coastal range towards Portland. But as I’ve been working my doctoral work today, it is painfully clear to me that I cannot return tonight and have my work done for my doctoral class on Monday. I’m going to check to see how Tim is doing (he was sick this morning) to see if he can make it in tonight.

The truth is that the Journey team is mature and capable enough to work together to cover the night. Abe will still be bringing the teaching, but someone will need to intro him to the entire group. Below I’m posting what I sent to Tim to use for the morning...perhaps one of the team might feel more comfortable because of historic relationship to do this...I’ll let you decide.

Josh...you will need to come up after Abe (work this out ahead of time with him) to close off the Journey with a song. Andrea/Jeff/Josh...make sure you touch base with Abe prior to the evening to make sure he is aware of our current culture so he can feel comfortable with what he’ll be doing. It is important that we stay as consistent as possible when we have guest.

Of course this is the last week to sign up and push for the retreat...let’s get some money out of those registering if possible, otherwise we may have people registered but then not showing up. Let them know that if they register they will be OBLIGATED to pay whether they come or not...and we will bill them:)

I was suppose to have dinner with Abe tonight, but I’ll call and talk with him...I’m sure he’ll be fine hanging out with his family some more.

***below is intro material that can be used for Abe...same as Tim used this morning***

(You can speak this in the first person)
Abe of course is no stranger to most of you at PDX4 but for those who may not know him, let me briefly set the stage for his ministry to us this morning.

Abe Pfeiffer was a member of the pastoral team here at PDX4 and served alongside both Pastor Dennis and previously with Larry Spousta. He was commissioned and sent from our church to take the Lead Pastor role of the Grand Junction Foursquare Church in Colorado. It was just last year in Houston, Texas that Abe along with two other emerging leaders joined with Pastor Dennis in presenting a workshop to leaders on bringing renewal to the local church...something that he has been doing with obvious fruitfulness in Grand Junction.

(This is where you can let them know that I’ve asked you to include the following)
Pastor Dennis, who is not with us today because he is away for two weeks of doctoral studies, invited Abe to bring the ministry of the Word this morning because:

1 We want to regularly reconnect with those who have been sent out from PDX4 that we might celebrate the story of how God is using them and be reminded to pray for their ongoing fruitfulness.

2. Because he loves our church our city and comes with a commitment to minister a Word that will serve to advance God’s work among us. In fact, I originally was intending to have Abe minister from a passage of Acts and partner with us in our current series. But after talking with him and hearing what God had placed on his heart about releasing an emerging generation, I thought it was a word that he needed to bring and we needed to receive.

I want you to welcome Abe as a trusted brother in Christ, a faithful shepherd of God’s people and one that is assigned by the Lord today to bring a message to speak to your heart. Please join with me in welcoming Abe (and Stacey, who also is with us) as he comes to minister the Word.

Retreat Sign-ups

Alrighty.... the is the list of names

Registered and Paid
Monica Lauritsen
Josh/Camilla Storlie
Andrea O'Dell
Jeff/Erin Lowe
Elise Pfeifer
Dan Kyle
Shelby Jones

Registered- need to pay
Matthis Gehring
Katy Goodheart
Luke Walker
Carlos Cruz
Chelsea Mandeville
Ty/Danielle Jorgensen
Christina McLain
David Mossholder
Stephen/Liz Gomez (one or both may attend- they are unsure)
Tom Tillman
Brandon Sears
Samuel Spotted Elk (can not pay- but would really like to participate)
Reina O'Beck

So- 24 signed up to come, 9 paid to come.

Let us know who you will be talking to this week.... I think we should hit 30 at least with a few more weeks still to go before the retreat.

Andrea

a question.

hey all. What does it look like for the journey to be a vibrant, healthy, motivated by grace and love church? Shoot me some thoughts.

Proverbs 3:5-6

So, after our meeting on Thursday and what we have been learning from the teachings we have had recently, I wanted to re-share this verse that Tim touched on last night. I especially love the way the message words it.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.

I hope you are all having a great day.

Is anyone reading this blog

Hey, just checking if anyone is reading the blog. I know I forget to and I haven't figured out if there is a way to get an e-mail when a blog is posted. Need to figure that one out.
Anyway... just wanted to say that I think we made a great decision by sticking with service. Yes, other things might have been good as well but we had new faces and that is always a reason to keep things going. Would have hated for them to show up to locked doors. Anyway, thanks to everybody and love you all!

Potluck Dinner?

As we are needing to finalize plans and preparations for the 1st Sunday meal, I am wondering if we have decided on whether or not we were going to do it Potluck style. If so, we need to get the word out next Sunday. If not, I need to get a team together to prepare the meal.

Let me know what you all think and maybe what we had decided.

Also keep in mind that day is SuperBowl Sunday. Are people going to be coming from parties, going to parties during the service or after service? What are your thoughts?

Much Love,

katy

Sticky Church reading?

Hey Everybody! Josh and I hope you all have had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We are back around and ready to get back into the swing of things. We have started reading the "Sticky Church" but weren't sure of how much we were needing to get done before our next meeting. Anyone have the answer to that? Thanks! Can't wait to see you all!