http://blainebartel.com/index.php/site/index/ en pastorblaine@northstarchurch.cc Copyright 2009 2009-11-23T16:52:24+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/tribute_to_pastor_billy_joe_daugherty/ http://blainebartel.com/site/tribute_to_pastor_billy_joe_daugherty/#When:16:52:24Z Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, founding pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, passed away quietly early Sunday morning after a battle with lymphoma, surrounded by his family and close friends. I wish I had the opportunity to become a closer friend of Pastor Billy Joe. For the better part of our ministry lives, Cathy and I admired he and his wonderful wife Sharon from a distance. It was only recently that… Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, founding pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, passed away quietly early Sunday morning after a battle with lymphoma, surrounded by his family and close friends. I wish I had the opportunity to become a closer friend of Pastor Billy Joe. For the better part of our ministry lives, Cathy and I admired he and his wonderful wife Sharon from a distance. It was only recently that we had an chance to become friends with the Daugherty family. I was invited to preach at some of Victory’s midweek gatherings a few months ago. We spent time with the Daugherty children that week, who all serve faithfully in their father’s church. Each of them are humble, respectful and passionate about their relationship with God and simply love the people of their church. They reflect their father’s grace. While I was there, Pastor Billy Joe called me. He thanked me for coming and offered me inspiration and encouragement in our church planting mission at Northstar Church. He spoke to me as a peer with nary a tone of superiority or self-importance. I took mental notes of everything he said, all coming from a man that had given 3 decades to building one of the truly great soulwinning churches in America. Before moving to Dallas, Cathy and I served at a church on the other side of the city from Victory. In more than 15 years of ministry in Tulsa, I can say this about Pastor Billy Joe and Victory… there was never a time that I ever encountered a person or family coming from his church that had been hurt or mistreated. Billy Joe defined the love of God and anyone who had the privilege of being around him left a better, stronger, happier person. I sent Billy Joe a text a few weeks after visiting his church, not knowing he had already been admitted to the hospital. I asked if he would meet for lunch to help me with some ministry decisions at our church. From a hospital bed, he asked his son-in-law Adam to let me know that he would gladly meet with me just as soon as he was out of the hospital. That lunch would never come. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy of love lives on through his family, his church and each of us he has touched across the world. Thinking back to my request for lunch that day, all I really wanted to do was sit across from this good man and thank him. So if you are listening Pastor Billy Joe… thank you. Church, General, Personal, Thoughts 2009-11-23T16:52:24+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/things_that_make_you_go_wow/ http://blainebartel.com/site/things_that_make_you_go_wow/#When:21:28:31Z For the last few days, my thoughts have been full of all the blessings and opportunities God has placed in our midst at Northstar Church.  Each of these are things that make you go WOW… what a God we serve! So I’ve tried to gather some of these thoughts and share them with you. For the last few days, my thoughts have been full of all the blessings and opportunities God has placed in our midst at Northstar Church.  Each of these are things that make you go WOW… what a God we serve! So I’ve tried to gather some of these thoughts and share them with you. We are just weeks away from moving into our own facility… did a prayer walk through it last night and everything about it is beyond my wildest dreams. Our harvesting potential with this incredible tool will be multiplied ten fold—just watch! I met with our bank the other day and as we walked through the resourcing of our building, we realized that our church has now given $1 million dollars to the construction of our new facility. This is over and above our regular tithes and giving! For a church our size that is incredible. Thank you! We were recently able to enable our missionary friends Duane and Melonie Erickson to go to Thailand to provide clothing to an orphanage and minister the Gospel with a Christian organization that saves young girls out of the human trafficking for the sex trade. 40 people gave their lives to Christ in a village that had NEVER heard the gospel! Our church just welcomed two newcomers into our fold this past week. Yes… Northstar Church is taking God’s command to be fruitful and multiply seriously. Jason and Toni Lowrie were blessed to have little Jackson and John and Jenn Goebel just had baby Rachel. Our children our a gift from God! Speaking of kids… we are so thankful to have Josh and Sarah Blount join our staff team this month. They are now directing our Northstar Kids ministry and already hitting it out of the park. Josh has a great heritage in children’s ministry… his father is Ken Blount or fondly known as Nicodemus from the Gospel Bill Show on Christian television.  We are helping to build the largest church facility in all of Zambia with our missionary friends, Walker and Haley Schurz. They have a church of 2800 people representing more than 25 nations. Northstar has committed a $25,000.00 seed offering to help them complete their building. We believe when we help to make someone else’s vision possible, the Lord will make ours possible! I have heard so many people comment on how God spoke to them through last week’s message on Nehemiah. New vision was ignited… dormant dreams were rekindled and the Lord is equipping each us of to rebuild the walls in our families, our careers, our ministries and our future. You don’t want to miss this Sunday’s message - it is going to be so good. By now, you may have heard that Northstar Church is officially a movement! Our hearts our filled with joy at the opportunity we have to help plant Northstar Church of Pryor, Oklahoma. No… Cathy and I are NOT moving or leaving… we are strategically partnering with my close friend of 20 years, Roy Evans. Roy recently spoke at Northstar and I know he is going to be an amazing Pastor to the people of this rural community. For the whole exciting story, click here and check it out! Finally, here is my prayer for you today: “Lord… give these your servants boldness to speak truthfully, grace to love courageously and vision to lead passionately. Amen.” Cathy and I love you… can’t wait to see you Sunday. Navigating life together, Blaine General, News, Personal, Thoughts 2009-10-15T21:28:31+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/could_jesus_say_go_to_pryor_ok/ http://blainebartel.com/site/could_jesus_say_go_to_pryor_ok/#When:03:43:31Z This is the question Cathy and I, our staff and some very close friends have been praying about for the last several months. Three years ago, when we opened the doors to Northstar Church, we determined to be a “going and reaching” church rather than a “clutching and grabbing” church. We all have seen too many churches who are more focused on keeping “the found” rather than reaching the lost. Really, I believe the more we focus on the lost in our communities, the more we will fire up the found to engage their gifts for God. The final words of Jesus were “Go!” He told us to continually look for new places, new people and new cultures to take the Gospel to. This is the question Cathy and I, our staff and some very close friends have been praying about for the last several months. Three years ago, when we opened the doors to Northstar Church, we determined to be a “going and reaching” church rather than a “clutching and grabbing” church. We all have seen too many churches who are more focused on keeping “the found” rather than reaching the lost. Really, I believe the more we focus on the lost in our communities, the more we will fire up the found to engage their gifts for God. The final words of Jesus were “Go!” He told us to continually look for new places, new people and new cultures to take the Gospel to. That said, up until a few months ago, I never thought for one second that the Lord would ever call us to help plant a life-giving church in Pryor, Oklahoma. I’ve been through Pryor more than a hundred times. I’ve eaten at KFC in Pryor at dozen times, gassed up at Conoco more than that… and I might add that I have contributed to the city budget by paying a few speeding tickets over the past 20 years. But Pryor, Oklahoma is exactly what God has given us as our next “Go” assignment. Now let me introduce you to one of my close friends over the past 20 years. His name is Roy Evans. For many years, Roy and I served alongside one another as colleagues in ministry. He was the director of one of the largest Christian camps in America. When I was a youth pastor, one of the highlights of our summer camp experience every year was the final night when I would have Roy preach. It seemed like God gave him an ability to break through to the hardest hearts and toughest young men… big, strong football players would be in tears at the altar every year after Roy’s message. Roy has an extraordinary gift with people and he and I have always had a special connection. Five months ago, Roy asked several of his closest friends to join he and his wife Candy in praying about what exactly God had next for them in ministry. After praying for his future, I told Roy that I felt he had a gift to Pastor. Many other friends told him the same thing. We wondered if he might be used to come and help us in north Dallas in some capacity. I asked him to preach on a weekend at Northstar and when he and Candy came… we talked, prayed and shared the vision of Northstar Church. At the end of that weekend, we both knew God was up to something even greater than what we had dreamed. Roy told me about his heart for the people of Pryor and the surrounding communities. A couple weeks later, I found myself driving around Pryor in Roy’s big white truck, praying over the community and asking the Lord to give us His heart for this work. Every place we stopped people knew Roy Evans… as a friend and a man of integrity. I asked Roy what kind of church he thought the Lord was going to raise up in Pryor. First he told me, “Blaine, I just want to love hurting people and bring them to closer to Jesus.” Then he looked at me and said, “God put three numbers in my heart. 500… 1000… and 2500.” As we talked, we knew these numbers were benchmark stages of growth that God had given us in going after the unchurched people of this area. It is clear that God has plans for this church to be a regional rural work that He is raising up. I believe Northstar Church in Pryor will become a model for other rural churches. We see in our hearts hundreds and hundreds of people coming from all over northeast Oklahoma to help build a church that will change the world. At the end of that day in Pryor, Roy pulled his truck into the parking lot of an insurance company. He told me the man that owned this is one of his nation’s top producers every year. As we sat down in this man’s office, he looked our way and said, “Roy, you don’t have a choice about this church… you have to do it.” This man went on the describe how he had grown weary of all the infighting in the denominational churches that he and his wife had been raised in. They had finally stopped attending church four years ago and have been waiting for a church like Northstar… full of love and life… heartfelt worship… that speaks the language of the common man… and reaches out to a lost community. At the end of our long conversation about the Lord, he looked at us and said, “I will be your first member and one of your greatest supporters… and I have a dozen friends just like me that I know will come too.” Today, I feel like Esther. This is a “such a time as this” moment for us all. As Roy and Candy pastor Northstar Church in Pryor, Cathy and I along with the people of Northstar in Frisco look forward to strategically partnering with them to develop and sustain this new church community. We are inviting you to be a part of this partnership. You have taken the time to read this far. Now I am going to ask you to do three things: 01. Pray for Northstar Church Pryor. Right now, our greatest needs are wisdom, favor, resources and facilities. 02. If you live in northeast Oklahoma, come out to one of our “Vision Gatherings.” If you are looking for a church home, we will share the vision and direction of this exciting new work. And even if you already have a great church home, but believe in what we are doing, please come out and cheer us on! Here are two dates and locations you can choose from: Sunday, Nov. 15 - 6pm - Tulsa Vision Gathering Renaissance Hotel 6808 South 107th East Ave, Tulsa, Ok. | MAP Monday, Nov. 16 - 7pm - Pryor Vision Gathering Holiday Inn Express Suites Pryor 271 Mid America Rd, Pryor, Ok. | MAP Please rsvp for one of the Northstar Vision Gatherings by sending an email confirmation to info@northstarchurch.cc. 03. If you know a friend or family member that lives in northeast Oklahoma, call, email, text, re-publish this on their wall… just find a way to tell them about these meetings and encourage them to attend. You may also forward any questions you may have about Northstar Church Pryor to info@northstarchurch.cc. What an opportunity lies before us! There are 50,000 people within a 10 mile radius of Pryor, Oklahoma. There were likely less that 10,000 of those people in churches last Easter Sunday. Friends, that leaves more than 40,000 people who are away from church and likely away from God. We have a job to do. Thank you for joining us in prayer, in serving and in resourcing this exciting new assignment. Could Jesus say go to Pryor? He just did. Church, Church Growth, Church Planting 2009-10-14T03:43:31+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/dont_chicken_out/ http://blainebartel.com/site/dont_chicken_out/#When:17:35:01Z by Chris Lindberg Do you like a delicious fried chicken dinner with all the fixins?  Me too, and so does Tatum.  Let me tell you a true “chicken story” and then give you a principle that will greatly help you in your everyday life (if you’ll put it into practice). While hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people have a delicious recipe for chicken, Colonel Sanders was convince… by Chris Lindberg Do you like a delicious fried chicken dinner with all the fixins? Me too, and so does Tatum.  Let me tell you a true “chicken story” and then give you a principle that will greatly help you in your everyday life (if you’ll put it into practice). While hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people have a delicious recipe for chicken, Colonel Sanders was convinced he could make money from his very own recipe.  At age 65 (yes age 65!) he decided to do something with his finger-lickin’ good chicken, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. One day the Colonel walked into a restaurant and told the owner he would gladly give him his secret recipe for nothing if he would share the profits.  A quick NO was the response. Now, if Colonel Sanders lacked persistence and determination, he would have given up right then and there, saying “Well, at least I tried”. Many do/did this, but not Colonel Sanders.  Choosing to focus on a positive outcome, he marched right into another restaurant, made the same offer, and quickly got the same answer: NO THANKS! Before I tell you how many times he was rejected, my question is: How many rejections can you handle? Five? Ten? 15? 100? Would you keep going after hearing 1,000 no’s? Back to the Colonel.  Undaunted, he kept asking various people and restaurants until person number 1,009 finally said, “Yes, let’s try your recipe.” You read it right; 1,008 people said NO. Every day you have a choice.  This choice is either to believe in God and stay persistent, or to give up and let the enemy steal your faith in a faithful God.  I’m serious, there’s no exaggeration in that last sentence.  This is a daily decision, a constant choice you and I will make every day. Now to the principle I promised you.  (Just so you know, it’s a divine principle written in the books of heaven.)  Here it is:     - Don’t get tired of doing what is good     - Don’t get discouraged and give up     - You will reap a harvest of blessing at God’s time. Perhaps you recognize that powerful principle and passage from Galatians 6:9.  So what’s your next step?  Read it daily, memorize it completely, believe it totally, and look for God to fulfill it gloriously.  One day you’ll be glad you made the right choice and didn’t give up. About Chris Lindberg Chris leads Northstar Church’s growing ministry to Jr. High and High School students, Arora, as well overseeing Northstar’s creative department. Church, General, Leadership, Thoughts 2009-08-12T17:35:01+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/they_are_coming_and_together_we_will_build_it/ http://blainebartel.com/site/they_are_coming_and_together_we_will_build_it/#When:18:53:05Z One of my favorite movies is “Field of Dreams.” We all have heard the memorable line from this classic, “Build it and they will come.”  Looking back over the last three years here in Frisco, I actually think the opposite has happened. They are coming and we must build it. I am humbled and grateful for all the people and families who are finding a home at Northstar. We are doing everything we can to accommodate the continuing influx of believers and seekers. We now have two services that are both close to being full. We are providing opportunities to connect and serve. And together, we are building a permanent home that will serve as a launching pad for our continued reach into North Dallas. As I have said from the beginning… One of my favorite movies is “Field of Dreams.” We all have heard the memorable line from this classic, “Build it and they will come.”  Looking back over the last three years here in Frisco, I actually think the opposite has happened. They are coming and we must build it. I am humbled and grateful for all the people and families who are finding a home at Northstar. We are doing everything we can to accommodate the continuing influx of believers and seekers. We now have two services that are both close to being full. We are providing opportunities to connect and serve. And together, we are building a permanent home that will serve as a launching pad for our continued reach into North Dallas. As I have said from the beginning, we are not building a monument. We are facilitating a movement. As this striking new facility has come out of the ground and begins to take shape, I think it is good to remember why each of us are making significant sacrifices to make it possible. Why? People. Hurting people. People that Christ gave His life for. There are going to be people that are lost, poor, marginalized, confused, hopeless, suicidal, guilty and sinful who walk through the doors of this building and walk out completely different! They will walk out saved, forgiven, healed, hopeful and transformed by the power of Jesus. This past Sunday, as I walked through the hall between services, I had a conversation with a lady who attends Northstar faithfully.  She has an amazing story. She was a meth addict who had destroyed her marriage and family. After she surrendered her life completely to Christ, she was set free from drug addiction and God restored her marriage. Anyways… she told me the story of a friend of hers that had gone to a church in another city. Her friend had a baby out of wedlock and when she dropped her child off at the church nursery, she was asked why the child’s name did not share her last name. When she explained that her daughter had the father’s last name and not hers, the church worker refused to take the child. Her explanation? “This church is for saints, not for sinners.” That was all the inspiration I needed to keep up our work, our serving, our giving, and our sacrifice to make Northstar’s new facility a reality!! We are not building a museum for the unmarred, but rather a hospital for the hurting. We are raising up a cross in our community that welcomes both saints and sinners alike. In fact, we believe that the saints will show up each weekend with sinners they have loved and invited. Will you lock arms and join us as we march towards a brand new day at Northstar Church? God had greater things in store for all of us… things we can’t possibly imagine right now.  Each weekend we will have the potential of reaching 2000 adults and children with the Gospel! Wednesday nights, we be able to share Jesus with 500 students. I believe we are on the verge of a genuine revival of saving grace that will be poured out in lives all over our city. If you are not connected yet, I want you to become a part through our one of our “Groups” starting next month. If you are not serving yet, I need you to give of your time in ministry. If you are not giving yet, I need you to jump in and pray about what the Lord would have you to do to help make this dream possible. We must raise $260,000 between now and when we occupy our new home later this coming fall in order to pay for all the finishes inside. With God’s good people and by His amazing grace, we will do it! Go to northstarchurch.cc. Get more information on our Groups and ministry opportunities. You can also give an offering there securely online.  Thank you for living a life of significance and making a difference in the lives of people. They are coming. Let’s build it. Together we can. Blaine   Building, Church, Church Growth, Construction, General, News 2009-07-27T18:53:05+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/the_next_great_outpouring_-_part_two/ http://blainebartel.com/site/the_next_great_outpouring_-_part_two/#When:03:22:37Z So what is God saying to His church? How do we interpret the cultural and spiritual skies that are overhead? Allow me to take you back for a moment to the turn of the last century when God was pouring out His Spirit in Topeka, Kansas and Azusa Street in Los Angeles. The two most influential men in this fresh visitation of God that began in about 1903 were Charles Parham and William Seymour. Both were mightily used by the Lord to re-introduce the baptism in the Holy Spirit, along with His gifts, to the church in America. Thousands and thousands of people came to Christ, were healed, set free from sin and filled with the power of the Spirit. This revival absolutely changed the spiritual landscape of America and beyond. So what is God saying to His church? How do we interpret the cultural and spiritual skies that are overhead? Allow me to take you back for a moment to the turn of the last century when God was pouring out His Spirit in Topeka, Kansas and Azusa Street in Los Angeles. The two most influential men in this fresh visitation of God that began in about 1903 were Charles Parham and William Seymour. Both were mightily used by the Lord to re-introduce the baptism in the Holy Spirit, along with His gifts, to the church in America. Thousands and thousands of people came to Christ, were healed, set free from sin and filled with the power of the Spirit. This revival absolutely changed the spiritual landscape of America and beyond. Fast forward to 1910. This move of God was coming to a close. It was that year, according to historians, both men prophesied about the future of America. By this time, these men no longer worked or served together. Their prophecies were independent of each other, neither knowing what the other had spoken on behalf of Spirit that had inspired them.  Both Parham and Seymour prophesied the following in 1910. One hundred years from now, God will once again pour out His Spirit upon America in a way that exceeds this revival.  Of course, that would bring us to 2010. If true, what will this outpouring look like? How will we recognize it and how and where will it begin? I believe it will be completely different from the early 1900’s. Today, we have experienced the fullness of the work of the Spirit in churches across America.  Thankfully, we still have thousands of churches in every major city and small town that have an expression of God’s Spirit in their midst each time they gather. I suspect the outpouring that the Lord may have for us 100 years later is much different in scope and purpose. I am convinced it will be an outpouring of the Spirit’s love and bidding for lost souls.  Could God be preparing His Church for a fresh baptism of love and compassion for those who are still outside of His grace. Is God preparing to visit His people with a spirit of goodness and grace that has the potential to change the world?  Romans 2:4 says that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. One of the most underrated and unheralded fruits of the Spirit is goodness. Simple goodness. The genuine act of being good to someone other than yourself. What would happen in America if the millions and millions of Christians in our country were on a mission: to be good.  To be good to those in the church. To be good to those outside the church. What if we helped?  What if we cared? What if we asked?  What if we gave? What if we comforted? What if we eased? What if we were good?  Really good. My guess is it wouldn’t be long before our churches would be crowded and overflowing with lost sheep brought home. I suspect a move of God’s grace and goodness would never be confined to one “meeting” or geographical location. What could make this greater than Azusa would be the breadth of influence from Seattle to Miami… from LA to New York of course to the nations of the world. One more thing. What if this move of God’s goodness had the touch of the Spirit upon it as well? What if the Lord gave you a word of knowledge about a neighbor that had lost their job? So you invite them over for dinner and coffee. At an appropriate time, you share that word with them and ask them if it is true? Bewildered, they confide it is true. You follow with compassion and the offer of prayer for a better job. (Who would say no to this?) Then before leaving that night, you show a simple act of goodness.  You give them a card with a couple hundred dollars tucked inside with a note about Christ’s love for them. What do you think the effects of that evening might be in their lives? I wonder where that couples thoughts will turn when the Lord leads them to that new job? I wonder if that card and gift might change any previous attitudes they had towards the church? I wonder how long it would be before they receive Christ into their lives? I believe the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is about to enter into its finest hour. The Spirit is ready and willing to inspire and equip us with all we need to arrest the attention of the world we live in and proclaim the greatest goodness… that Jesus died on a cross, paid for our sins, rose from the dead, conquered death and hell and offers eternal life to the worst of us. The power of the Acts 2 outpouring pushed the disciples out and closer to their world, not father away. May we experience the same kind of outpouring and power today. Church, General, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Formation, Thoughts 2009-07-07T03:22:37+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/the_next_great_outpouring_-_part_one/ http://blainebartel.com/site/the_next_great_outpouring_-_part_one/#When:03:11:03Z I am currently teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit at Northstar Church. We are a Spirit filled church and do not try to hide it.  We actively contend for spiritual gifts that will help the hurting people of our community. Each week, people walk through our doors that need healing, direction, deliverance from addictions and the list goes on. We believe gifts like prophesy are crucial for both edification and guidance in the local church. I scratch my head when churches that once valued the ministry of the Holy Spirit and exercised His gifts have now shut Him out of their worship. The very person that directed their steps in the early days, caused them to grow and help so many people has now been benched on the sidelines… I am currently teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit at Northstar Church. We are a Spirit filled church and do not try to hide it.  We actively contend for spiritual gifts that will help the hurting people of our community. Each week, people walk through our doors that need healing, direction, deliverance from addictions and the list goes on. We believe gifts like prophesy are crucial for both edification and guidance in the local church. I scratch my head when churches that once valued the ministry of the Holy Spirit and exercised His gifts have now shut Him out of their worship. The very person that directed their steps in the early days, caused them to grow and help so many people has now been benched on the sidelines.  I’ve determined in my heart, that as the Pastor of Northstar, we will never exchange power for production or edification for entertainment. Those who know me understand that I as much as anyone, believe in being effective in the culture that we live. I’ve never been accused of being irrelevant or unimaginative in the way I present the gospel. But I have always sought the touch of the Spirit in all we do. I think you can speak clearly into the culture we live in and still be yielded to the work of the Spirit. I call it being Spirit-relevant… call it whatever you want… I just know that one day I will stand before Jesus Christ and give an account for the gift in Acts chapter two. That said, I do believe that many churches in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have allowed the extremes of emotionalism and fanaticism to turn many good people away from seeking the genuine baptism in the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised his church (Acts 1:8). I believe our gatherings should be done with decency and order (1 Cor. 14:40). I believe many in the Pentecostal movement have added manifestations that are simply unbiblical and oftentimes plain silly. We have people from every denominational background that come to Northstar. One family after another have told me that for the first time they understood the importance of the Spirit’s work in their daily life. They describe how refreshing it is to hear His voice and sense His presence in our gatherings. To eliminate the baptism of the Spirit from our teaching would be asking our people to live for God without the necessary power. Several of the gifts of the Holy Spirit provide revelation… prophesy, discerning of Spirits, tongues and interpretation, the word of wisdom and word of knowledge. Our Heavenly Father has always been very interested in giving direction to His people and telling of things to come before they actually happen.  This gives us the opportunity to prepare for what’s ahead. In the Old Testament the sons of Issachar were used by God to help direct Israel: 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJ) ”...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.” Jesus himself was critical of the religious crowd in His day for not discerning the times that they were living in. Matthew 16:1-3 (NIV) “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” I believe we are in a critical time in the church. Never before has there been such a cultural divide between Christians and non-Christians in America. Sadly, we have seen hate on both sides of the fence. The “Christian right” and “Liberal left” seem to grow farther and farther apart with each new moral issue that gets bantered and debated about in the always willing media outlets. I know that I, along with Pastors and Christians across our nation, have been praying for a fresh movement of God to sweep our nation and bring the lost home to Christ.  For the last year, I have not been able to get away from the parable of the 100 sheep. Jesus prodded us saying that we should be ever ready to leave the 99 in order to find the one that is lost. Too often in the church today, we are busy doing meetings for the 99… counting the 99… anointing the 99… shaking hands with the 99… and have forgotten about “the one.”  That one may be a 20 something that left the church in their late teens. The one may be someone who was hurt by hypocrisy in our ranks. Whatever their reasons for lostness… Jesus simply told us to go, find them and bring them home. So what is God saying to His church? How do we interpret the cultural and spiritual skies that are overhead? Part Two Coming soon… stay tuned. Church, Church Growth, General, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Formation, Thoughts 2009-07-02T03:11:03+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/rocks_and_wild_goats/ http://blainebartel.com/site/rocks_and_wild_goats/#When:21:13:59Z “Then Saul took 3,000 of the best-trained men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.” 1 Samuel 24:2 There were three things we see in this verse that David encountered as a young leader in his quest to obey God. Rocks, wild goats and a king named Saul. Each has application to the building of a new work for God. The walls are now up on our new facility at Northstar Church. It won’t be long now before… “Then Saul took 3,000 of the best-trained men from all Israel and went to search for David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.” 1 Samuel 24:2 There were three things we see in this verse that David encountered as a young leader in his quest to obey God. Rocks, wild goats and a king named Saul. Each has application to the building of a new work for God. The walls are now up on our new facility at Northstar Church. It won’t be long now before we have a home and officially move from being a church plant to a church planted. To me, the commitment it requires to build a home from both pastors and congregation declares to the community we are here to stay. As we move towards completion, I can’t help but look back at our journey over the last 3 years. Church planting can take you into some pretty rocky and treacherous territory. There is a lot of rocky ground and it can be a challenge to find stability and a foothold. Often, you are in a new city where you barely know a soul. Meeting in places like hotel ballrooms takes a small army of pioneering hearts to set up and tear down an entire church operation each and every week. You are working with a lean staff team and limited resources in the first several years. Of course, there is also the personal cost. Sacrifices are made financially and family relationships often feel the strain as well. New church plants attract three kinds of people… at least ours here at Northstar has.  First, you get the strong, committed sheep who have a desire to build the kingdom of God from the ground up.  Wow - where would we be without these?  As I am writing these words, I am seeing the faces of dozens of families along with single men and women who showed up at the very beginning of Northstar and have never left us.  They have prayed, worked, given, loved, welcomed, evangelized, encouraged, strengthened…. there aren’t enough verbs to describe their contributions to what God has built. Secondly, there are the prodigals and lost sheep.  This may well be the most rewarding part of the journey for all of us. They are brought by friends, family and neighbors. Every so often, they just show up uninvited and unannounced.  Some discover Christ for the first time. Others are “de-churched” believers and rediscover church in a way they never imagined possible. I remember one of the first young men who came gave his life to Jesus at Northstar during our first Christmas service.  God completely transformed his heart. He had new questions every week about the Lord. His conversion gave us all new oxygen for the rocky climb ahead. Then there are the wild goats.  Goats are believers who tend to “butt” into business that really isn’t theirs and just love to show up at church plants to see how far they can push their way into position and authority. They never arrive willing to roll up their sleeves and pick up the servants towel. They want center stage and are more interested in a title than a task. Part of being a Pastor is learning how to properly handle each of these new settlers.  You must value the faithful sheep and be ever grateful for all they do.  You must protect and disciple the prodigals. And you must provide truth and grace to goats while making sure they are not allowed to hurt others. Sadly, many goats when confronted with servanthood just turn tail run for another pasture… oh well. Then there is Saul. Saul is the past. Saul oftentimes isn’t even a person… just the old way. As pastors and church builders, many of us have come from different churches to this new, fresh work called Northstar.  There is always a season of time when the voice and influence of Saul weighs heavy in the first stages of a newly birthed church. While we should be thankful for the people and places the Lord brought us from, we must remember that God is establishing something completely unique. While holding true to our foundations and first love, it is important that we forge the identity the Lord desires to establish for each one of us and of course this, His work. Beloved, we are conducting serious business.  We are building the very thing that Jesus came to establish on the earth… His Glorious Church!  Don’t think for a moment that the enemy won’t raise his ugly head to try to discourage and dissuade you from this mission.  The easiest time to destroy anything new is during it’s infancy.  Satan tried to take the life of Jesus while he was just a small child.  King Herod ordered every baby to be killed that was Jesus’ age. But God supernaturally protected Jesus from harm and He will do the same for us as we continue to build what Christ died for.  Each of the attacks we face during this battle are different. Your attack may be financial… it may be health related… it may be a through a relationship with a friend or family member.  But know this, according to scripture, “there is no weapon formed against you that will prosper.” (Is. 54:17) When we stand our ground, trust God’s Word, walk in grace and maintain a life of prayer, we can’t be stopped! This is our finest hour.  God is on the move. Together we can!! Building, Church, Church Growth, General, Leadership 2009-06-26T21:13:59+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/lord_deliver_us_from_cool/ http://blainebartel.com/site/lord_deliver_us_from_cool/#When:18:58:49Z So, I’m sitting here in my un-tucked dress shirt, sipping a latte, reading “Good to Great” for the 5th time, twittering to all my “peeps” while I write my latest blog…. ugghhhhh…..Lord, please deliver us from “cool.” Here’s what’s hard though.  Cool is such a desirable commodity is our world.  In fact, many, many of my best friends are cool. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  Cool is the word that never goes out of style.  It is our verbal stamp of approval when we like anything.  “Cool.”  It’s blessing, approval, validation and pure goodness all wrapped up… So, I’m sitting here in my un-tucked dress shirt, sipping a latte, reading “Good to Great” for the 5th time, twittering to all my “peeps” while I write my latest blog…. ugghhhhh…..Lord, please deliver us from “cool.” Here’s what’s hard though.  Cool is such a desirable commodity is our world.  In fact, many, many of my best friends are cool. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  Cool is the word that never goes out of style.  It is our verbal stamp of approval when we like anything.  “Cool.”  It’s blessing, approval, validation and pure goodness all wrapped up in one magnificent word. To set the record straight, I do happen to enjoy a more modern, casual dress.  I also like my coffee.  I have read the first 2 chapters of “Good to Great” 3 times before getting bored to tears each time.  Every now and again I “twitter”... only because someone talked me into signing up and now have 133 “followers” that I feel obligated to throw down amazing status reports to. Cool seems to have become a pre-requisite for nearly every occupation today…whether it’s being a Mom with the fly stroller, McDonald’s and their latest offerings of uber hip coffee or churches with their trendy marketing and phat worship “experiences.” Ok…I am not on a personal journey to Dorkville, nor am I saying that we should avoid the cool technology that the nerds of this world are creating for us.  I just think we should take a step back and re-define cool. To me, cool is confidence in who you really are.  Cool is not being afraid to boldly forward the mission God has given you for life.  And sometimes cool is saying I’m not going to do this just because everyone else on the planet is doing it.  I love when I meet someone who tried watching LOST and had the inner courage to tell me that they hated the show.  BRAVO!!  I know a Pastor who preaches in one of the most relevant churches in our nation who doesn’t even come close to passing the “cool” test in his clothing and dress.  But that’s what makes him so cool.  He is confident in his calling and secure in his mission. Here’s the deal folks; if you market and sell vacuum cleaners, you have a responsibility to attract the culture you live in to your sucking machines.  You better find a way to make sure your vacuum cleaner is more than just a cool looking machine.  It better be a better “sucker’ than the rest of them.  If your machine looks like something out of Star Wars and still doesn’t pick up the dirt, then obviously…it doesn’t suck…and you do.  Cool alone won’t cut it. For those of us leading the church, our job is also to clean up the dirt.  Let’s remember our mission.  Let’s be who we are knowing that there are people out there who will be attracted to the gift of personality, style and talent that God has placed within us.  It’s not our tricked out 25 Flat-Screened Information Desk in the lobby that is going to save the sinner.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Cool?  Cool. Church, Church Growth, Leadership, Thoughts 2009-05-28T18:58:49+00:00 http://blainebartel.com/site/navigating_storms/ http://blainebartel.com/site/navigating_storms/#When:19:34:41Z I don’t know how many of you were told that if you would just come to Jesus… “Everything would be perfect from now on!” Of course that is not true.  As Christians we have challenges and troubles to work our way through like anyone else.  The difference is the way that way determine to get through.  Reading through Proverbs yesterday, I was struck again by this particular verse… I don’t know how many of you were told that if you would just come to Jesus… “Everything would be perfect from now on!” Of course that is not true.  As Christians we have challenges and troubles to work our way through like anyone else.  The difference is the way that way determine to get through.  Reading through Proverbs yesterday, I was struck again by this particular verse: Proverbs 14:12 (New International Version) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. For about 2 years of my life, I was up and down in a private aircraft speaking at churches and conferences across the country.  At the time, it was more economical to have a small plane in order to fulfill all the engagements that we had on the calendar. There were some days that we travelled and ministered in 3 different cities in one day… that could never have been done with commercial travel. During that time, I learned something about air travel, especially when navigating through heavy clouds and storms.  Trust your instruments. There were times that I felt like we were flying upwards, when in reality we were nosing down.  I discovered that you can’t trust your feelings or personal “hunches” on a plane when you are bad weather.  YOU CAN ONLY TRUST YOUR INSTRUMENTS… AND IT’S A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. The scripture above reflects this truth in our own lives.  In life, if you make decisions in difficult times based on your feelings or your hunches, there will be many times you will get it wrong and you may well be nose diving and not even know it. The instruments in our personal lives are the scripture.  As we read God’s Word… submit ourselves to the teaching of a faithful Pastor in a local church and then determine to navigate all of our decisions with God’s information rather than what “seems right” to us, we will succeed… even if life gets a little bumpy at times and landings are rough. How does this play out in our lives today?  Well, is there anything in your life right now that you are doing that “seems right,” but is contrary to what His Word teaches us.  With today’s economic storms swirling around us, it would “seem right” to hold on to every dime we get our hands on.  But we know that the scripture teaching that “The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.” (Pr. 11:25)  Perhaps someone has brought tremendous hurt and pain into your life.  It would “seem right” to try to get even and make sure that “they get what’s coming to them.”  But the scripture tells us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mat. 5:44) Let’s take our eyes off the storms and circumstances and put them back on our instruments. The Word of God is our guide and our compass and it will bring us safely home. Blessings and Grace, Blaine General, Spiritual Formation, Thoughts 2009-05-15T19:34:41+00:00