Mark Flood

Leaders and the Early Church

Tonight I will begin teaching a course entitle "Leaders and the Early Church" through the Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development (Check it out).  The stated purpose of the course is "...to bring leadership back to the center of the local church in a way that will empower churches to participate in the expansion of the gospel with the same vision and effectiveness as the first church at Antioch." Yeesh! Feels like a tall order.  At the end of the day my intent is to look more closely at the early church and evaluate what forms of leadership were exercised and how those forms served the expansion of the Gospel.  Our contemporary expression of church leadership is often culturally bound rather than scripturally based.  We build hierarchies and job descriptions with a ear tuned to corporate structures and efficiency when the church is more closely associated with a family.  We've lost sight of apostles, prophets, and evangelists for the one size fits all pastor who is expected to do it all.  I think there is a better way. 

Tonight we are going to explore the roles and functions of New Testament leadership, wrestle with the relationship of church and mission in Paul, and use big words like "Sodality" and "Modality."  To top it all off we have a great group of people taking the class!  Should be tons of fun.

"Planting"

  

Growing up in Indiana on what some may call a hobby farm next to my grandfather, who was a farmer, has given me a unique appreciation for the agricultural world.  As a result the analogy of “planting” a church has special significance for me.  While we are in the earliest stages of church planting our energies tend to focus on raising funds, building a team, networking, and moving to the area.  This season of our lives reminds me of the hard work that goes into preparing a field for planting.  The faithful hard-working farmer spends hours working the soil with his plow and disk in order to soften and loosen the dirt.  His watchful eye is careful to spot stones and debris that would hinder his crop or damage his equipment.  He carefully applies that which is needed to enrich his soil with essential nutrients to produce a healthy and vibrant crop.  This work is a dirty, smelly, and time-consuming task that at first glance has little to do with the crop as the seed is yet to be sown, yet faithful work in preparing the soil drastically impacts the potential yield.

It is our sincere and prayerful hope that as we are diligent to make faithful preparations for this new church that God will continue to open doors, provide for our needs, and lead us in the establishment of a fruitful church.  Below is a brief update regarding some of our activity this month!

• The Overbys have joined our Core Team, and we are in conversation with several other families who are prayerfully considering this opportunity.  
• Mark recently began a bible study with a local business owner in Collegeville who is seeking answers regarding spiritual questions. Please pray for favor with other locals as we begin to network in the region. (Perhaps our first disciple!?)
•   We will host a Vision Gathering Sunday, April 25 @ Wegmans (Collegeville) to help solidify our team and move into the Core Team phase of our plant.
•   We’ve initiated a positive relationship with a strategic church in the region who has enthusiastically welcomed us to the area.
•   Dawn and Mark will attend Exponential, a church planter’s training conference in Orlando April 19-22.
•   Mark continues to engage in the Dream Year coaching network which has served as a catalyst in refining and strengthening our strategy and plans for planting.
•   We are thankful for early financial partnerships and are hoping to assemble the remaining funding necessary to transition to the region as soon as possible.

Meet the Overbys

 

Our first Penn Valley Church 422 Campus Church Planting Team members!

I am excited to introduce our first planting teammates, the Overbys. Devon and Ashley served with me in Student Ministry at Penn Valley’s Telford Campus and I had the privilege of officiating their wedding on May 27, 2007.  They are good friends and have already proven to be a great source of encouragement in this time of transition.  I sat down with them recently to talk about church planting and their story: here are a few excerpts of our conversation.

Refresh my memory regarding how you first met.

Ashley: “We met during my freshman year at Cedarville University.  My roommate and I had devised a strategy for meeting new people.  At Cedarville students typically saved seats with friends in the cafeteria by leaving their student ID cards at a table before getting their food.  We would simply place our cards next to a random cluster of cards at a table and enjoyed meeting the new people we would find upon our return.  We met Devon and some of his friends a couple times this way and learned that they didn’t receive much mail, so we took it upon ourselves to send them some.  Devon replied to my note and shortly there after we began talking and spending more time together.  The rest is history.”

How did you end up at Penn Valley Church?

Devon:“My family first came to Penn Valley as I was finishing high school.  My parents wanted to find a healthy student ministry for my brother and I.  When Ashley and I came back to the area after college we wanted to be intentional about our involvement in church. We ultimately choose Penn Valley because of the scope of ministry we observed taking place that was outward in its focus.  We were also attracted to the emphasis on church planting.” 

Do you have a favorite memory from your time in Student Ministry?

Ashley: “Choosing one is tough.  We really enjoyed the time we spent in Student Ministry.  The Yearly Welcome Retreats were always a highlight and provided a host of great memories!”

What made you decide to be a part of this Church Plant?

Devon: “We took a break from student ministry and spent some time praying, wondering where God might be leading us.  It was during that time that we first heard about the possibility of joining the 422 planting team.  We discovered that we both had a passion for planting and a sense that the church is about developing people who then share the ministry of developing others.  We have received a ton and want to begin sharing what we have received with others.  This opportunity seemed to be what God was leading us towards.

Devon and Ashley are expecting their first child this summer and are excited about moving to the area and engaging the community we seek to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for the blessing of such incredible partners!  Please continue to pray for the development of our Team.

422 Corridor Church Planting Vision

 

Download 422 Corridor Church Planting Vision

Click the link above to launch a slideshow presentation of our Vision for Church Planting along the 422 Corridor.  Click the screen to scroll through the presentation. Would love to hear feedback in the comments section.

(my apologies for the resolution we are working on a better version)

Dream Year

I am one fortunate participant in a small coaching network called "Dream Year."  As a participant I enjoy coaching advice from Ben Arment and connectivity to a network of church planters and dreamers investing 2010 in the pursuit of a dream.

My Dream?  

To Plant a Church.

It is a dream that to be honest has been a lifetime in the making.  A couple of weeks ago I sketched a "Church Planting Timeline" in my moleskine (which by the way is an excellent journal and not an unfortunate skin condition).  As I traced the heritage of this dream back to my early childhood I ran out of room on the page.  From my earliest church experiences, to significant Pastors and Mentors in my life, across denominations and fellowships of churches right down to the Leaders I respect from a distance, all have the common thread of church planting.  

I am thankful for the opportunity to pursue a dream and so blessed to do so alongside others who have taken a leap of faith to follow a dream.  My hat's off to my fellow Dream Year participants and those who have been cheerleaders and encouragers along the way.  

I am looking forward to sharing this journey with you. 

 

When should my prayers be answered?

I had the opportunity to preach at Elk Creek Church last sunday, (check them out @ elkcreekonline.com) and was struck by this thought in my preparations. 

"When should my prayers be answered?"

This isn't a question I typically ask, because most of my prayers are prayed with urgency wanting the answer yesterday.  The reality is of course that while I may be asking for a good thing that is right in line with God's will, direction, and purpose for my life... it might not be time yet.  It might be that the difficulty of my circumstance is the very tool God is using to prune and refine me. Or maybe, just maybe, my stewardship of this difficult or painful situation is an opportunity for God to be glorified and the Gospel to be adorned.  

Is there room in my worldview to be patient rather than accuse God of slowness.  Isn't that what Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In other words... my perception of God's slowness may well be an expression of his patience with me!  For the express purpose of extending his grace in salvation to others.

Lord sorry for my impatience.

A new standard of measure

I think it is all to easy to believe that I should measure up to my idealized standard for a man, a dad, a husband, or a pastor.  I lead myself to believe that I should be this, do that, or excel in this or that area, often comparing myself to an idealized version of those I admire most.  Most of the time I fall short of the lofty standard I create and wonder if God will ever be anything but disappointed with me and my efforts to please him.

Truth is I think i'm harder on myself than he is... why you may ask? One word "perspective."  He remembers where I came from.  Check out this verse a good friend of mine shared with me years ago that has been a great source of life and encouragement over the years.

Psalm 103:13-14

 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; ¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

I think maybe I can measure up to that standard... Maybe. :)

Go enjoy his compassion.

Love this explanation of the Missional Church

I stumbled upon this video via a good friends blog the other day and absolutely loved it.  It is a concise and simple explanation of the missional church.  For those who have used the word with ambiguity or who have just never heard the term Missional explained... here you go.  Just don't thank me, I only wish I had made it.

Enjoy!

Vision Gathering

For those of you following this blog to find out more about our church planting efforts, I would like to let you know that we are planning a Vision Gathering.  The intent of this time will be to share detailed updates regarding our 422 Corridor Church Planting Plan.  This Meeting will be geared towards sharing the vision with potential team members, unfolding a timeline for launch, and answering questions related to partnership.  If you are interested in participating please let me know soon as we hope to send invitations in the very near future.

Sick Kids

I have hands down some of the best and cutest kids on the planet.  I can't imagine anything I wouldn't do for them.  Lately they have been battling a cold complete with low grade fever and crazy nasal ooze.  My daughter, Arianna, has been hit especially hard this time around and as I watch her struggle with this cold I can't help but think... "if only I could do something more for her."  There is no doubt, if I could I would gladly take their fever, congestion, and all their other symptom on myself and bear the burden for them.  I would love the opportunity to suffer on their behalf... but I'm powerless to do so.    

As I pondered this situation the other day I was blessed to think... This isn't far from my predicament with sin in this world.  What I was powerless to overcome, my heavenly father saw, had compassion, and did not just wish to take on himself.... he did.  So thankful for God's Gracious Fatherly provision in Christ.