life questions

This morning we took our "little girl" to Zurich to catch a plane for the states. She is spending her spring break this year visiting a couple of the schools that she has been accepted to and also trying to find a job for the summer. I cannot believe she is now 18.

As my wife and I watched her go through passport control it made me think of some questions:

• Am I really old enough to have a 18 year girl?

• Is she really going to graduate high school in June?

• Did the stock market really have to go down so much this year? Not a good year for it.

• Have I been a good steward of these 18 years that we have had with her?

Not to sound like a country song or even "cat's in the cradle" - it does not seem that long ago when we taught her to ride a bike and how to ride the metro in Madrid all by herself. Thankfully there is a Starbucks at the airport in Zurich. It is located next to the passport control and I was to ease my pain with a cafe au lait as she went to board the plane.

and to my girl.... Good luck this week. We will be praying for you.

think and act globally from day one

In the 90s I was involved in church planting in the states. I had some awesome experiences and I think God used what we did in some terrific ways.

Since being overseas from 2001 I have often wondered what would be my "do -overs" or "mulligans". I like this term in golf for it means when you hit a bad shot (for me that is quite often) then you ask for a mulligan. Some people simply take the mulligan. This is where it is good to play with someone else who is a believer (in mulligans that is).

The big "do-over" for me in church planting would be this. I would engage
our new church in missions internationally from day one. In fact this has
been our theme so far this year as we have been involved in some conferences
for church planting.

Here is where I need your help if you are willing. We are working with Lifeway Research on a
survey (it only takes 5 minutes) where we ask a series of questions for
people involved in church planting. We want to learn from church planters
about their past, current and potential involvement in global missions. We think we
can get some good information that will help us help new churches in the
future regarding missions.

If this is you, would you take a few minutes to help us with this research?
You can find the survey at www.theupstreamcollective.org

Let it Snow!

Kandern. Basel. Marsielle. Zurich. Adelboden (Switzerland). Prague . Atlanta. Birmingham. Richmond. All of these places have two things in common for me. I have been there in 2009 and it has snowed in each place while I have been there. I am sitting in Richmond Virginia this morning in mid March and it is snowing. I cannot believe it. I have always asked for a winter of snow. I think I have finally received my wish. I do not know if I will ask for it again in 2010. I may ask for beaches and sun.

I have been a real slacker in my writing lately and I am sorry. I hit the busy season of events and conferences that we have put on or spoken at. Not to mention 100’s of meetings in between. I am excited (can’t believe I am saying this) to get back into my study of German. I am also excited about some opportunities I see locally for ministry. Pray for me as some of these things unfold.

ALSO - I am very excited to be back with my wife and children.

I want to tell you about a dinner that is coming up in April that if you are attending the Exponential Church Planting Conference that I would love for you to attend. We are hosting along with Christian Associates International a dinner with Alan Hirsch and Ed Stetzer. The two guys are a couple of good friends and great speakers / authors and influencers of all things missional. I have asked them to come together to talk about the idea of planting a church together. What would it look like? What considerations would they make if they were planting a church together? What conversations would they have? If you are going to be in the Orlando area on Monday night April 20th at 6:30 pm and you want to attend this dinner please sign up at www.theupstreamcollective.org . The cost is 10.00 and that is to cover the cost of the meal.