Love, Learn, Live

Fighting Poverty in Nairobi through Education

2009-02-18T18:35:00.003-05:00

Now that we are back from Kenya, I thought it would be helpful to show all of you the video slide show that we put together to capture what is going on at Great Commission Fellowship in Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us during this time. We will never be the same. There is a light that is shining from this humble school in the middle of a very dark place of poverty, disease, etc... With our help, that light will grow and eventually consume all that is dark. Please continue to pray for Great Commission Fellowship, the work that they are doing in Kayole', and the lives that will be transformed as we (Churches, businesses, schools) are work together to affect change in our world. Please remember that God's plan for redeeming this world is us, and He has no backup. If you are interested in helping financially, please see the details of what is needed at http://vineyardwestside.com/2009/02/the-hope-of-kenya-fact-sheet/

Homa Bay back to Nairobi

2009-02-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

The countryside of Kenya is beautiful with rolling mountains, green everywhere, tea fields, and so on. As we made our way from Homa Bay (West Kenya) to East Kenya (Nairobi) we passed through Luhya land through several Kissi villages, through the Rift Valley (where we met our Maasai friends. We have seen so much this week in terms of the different landscapes, the different socio-economic classes, the beautiful tribes and languages, the different types of food consumed here, but overall...overwhelmed by just 2 things. The first being the overwhelming poverty everywhere in this country. Sure, there are a few spots of living above the poverty level, but the sheer amount of people living on very little, working so hard and not being able to rise above it, have shaken us. The second, and more important to us is this... the heart of God that lives in Kenya. These people...no matter what tribe or tongue, love God, love each other and have such a sweet spirit about them that we cannot easily understand it. Even in the midst of a traffic jam, they don't yell at each other, they joke with one another and seem to have a sort of laid back, cooperative Spirit about everything they do. I believe this to be a reflection of a nation that embraces the teachings of Christ.

During the riots following the elections last year, the spiritual leaders of Kenya rose up and placed the Tribe of Christ above the individual tribes that exist in Kenya. I watched as Pastor Peter stood before a Luhya congregation and introduced our driver to them. Our driver, Martin, is Kikuyu. He stood before all of them and said that we are all God's children and we all matter to God. WE are all a part of the tribe of Christ and there is no room for division amongst God's people. Then he told them how he loved Martin and that Martin was his brother. This was perfect example of what it looks like when Jesus reigns over the things that would otherwise divide us. I have seen Christ yet again in Kenya.

On a lighter note...during our 6 hour drive from Homa Bay to Nairobi, we stopped at what I will call a Kenyan version of fast food. We pulled through the drive through and ordered chicken and Mangos, and Sugar Cane. The only difference is that this drive through sold live chickens that Peter would have to take home to his family and friends to be cooked there. Apparently, he ordered the family bucket because he didn't just by one chicken, he bought the value meal of 3 chickens (coo coos as the Kenyans call them). It was an interesting ride home for the remaining 3 hours as we would occassionally hear the coo coo's squawk at one another from the front seat. This has been such a great and interesting trip. I love Kenya and look forward to returning with some of you so that you can experience what we have on this trip.

Day 9 & 10 - Homa Bay

2009-02-01T14:05:00.007-05:00

It has been a very interesting and intense journey that God has sent us on, but one we are so grateful to Him for. Our journey to Homa bay took us by road (mostly dirt, sometimes gravel, and always giant potholes) through Kisitown (the Kisi Tribe lives there),into the land of the Loowas (spelling?).

We were all exhausted, and had headaches at the end of the ride, but after 6 hours, our heads banging the ceiling and the windows, we arrived in Homa Bay which sits right on the banks of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya. The landscape is beautiful here as it is filled with rolling hills and mountains of tea plantations and villages scattered in every free corner as far as the eye can see.

After eating dinner and resting on Friday night, we got up early on Saturday morning to attend the “Revival” meeting that was held in our honor. We drove up a hillside in Homa Bay, through various dirt and gravel roads to the home of Pastor Denis, Mama Denis and the entire “New Haven Church community.” We were greeted with open arms, a tour to see the needs of the community and THEN I PUT ON THE PREACHING SUIT as Pastor Peter described it. At the end of the service, there was an alter call and we ended up praying for 50 people over the next hour.

I have to tell you that the worship was like nothing we had ever witnessed and we found ourselves dancing (for a very long time), sweating (profusely…yes even Carrie) and longing for an extremely large bottle of water to consume in record time.

The presence of God is here as well. We were a bit unprepared for the amount of need that exists in this little village. Hundreds of orphans (we were given a list from 2 years ago and found that there are close to 200 orphans in this village. Unlike GCF in Nairobi, there is a shortage of organized leadership here to take care of these orphans. I believe they are doing the best they can, but the need seems to be getting greater due to parents dying to HIV/AIDS, Typhoid Fever, and Malaria (very curable with Medicine). We left after day one, exhausted, overwhelmed, hot and disturbed by the needs before us.

The Kenya government has given some seed money for a medical clinic here. They showed us the blueprints (of which only 10% was completed). While we were touring the partially built clinic, a woman whose infant has malaria, rode up on a motorcycle (a piki piki) , and the leaders had to turn her away because there was no doctor there to help her.

Orphans

Widows

HIV AIDS, Malaria, Typhoid Fever.

Devastated.

To top that off, Pastor Peter arranged for us to visit an orphanage in the heart of Homa Bay. The Director (Morris) showed us around and it was clear to me and the others that He has a heart of gold for the children he is caring for at the orphanage. This was started in the 1960’s by Finland missionaries and the work continues today. The average age of an orphan here is 3 years old and they try to place by age 4 with families who can care for these children in the community. He appears to be successful at this, but admits that it hurts him when they “lose a child”.

This little adventure to the orphanage really shook us up. Carrie and Ryan really had a difficult time here. Please pray for them that God would minister to them as they process what they saw here.

After stopping at an open air supermarket (dead fish with flies everywhere), we quietly made our way back to the hotel. We all have a lot of processing to do.

Sunday morning brought another round of “REVIVAL.” We ate Getheri (beans and corn), and had some fellowship with the area Pastors in Homa Bay. Then the church service started. It was a packed house with standing room only. Worship was crazy great but very long…then Pastor Peter preached on giving, I “preached” on Micah 6:8, and then there were several church leaders who got up and spoke to thank us for our coming. We again were asked to pray for people (probably over 100 today), and then everyone lined ups to shake our hands. The needs of the community were brought up for prayer one last time and then we were escorted to the home of Mama Denis for lunch (Ric ate a fish head with the brain, eyes on Friday night…I forgot that one…come to think of it, he has been a little wittier since that night).

We just arrived back at the hotel to rest and we all took power naps for at least 2 hours. Pray for Ryan…he might be getting Montezuma’s Revenge. I hope he is ok.

Tomorrow, we head back to Nairobi. After everything we’ve seen in the rural area, we are ready to go back to Nairobi.

Tomorrow night, I will be speaking to the leadership at GCF and talking about living out faith instead of just preaching about it on Sunday. Our time here has opened doors for us to share candidly what it means to be a “go and do” church rather than a “come and see” church. Pastor Peter is truly a great friend of ours now and he is faithful man of God who desperately wants to Challenge the congregation of GCF to live out their faith rather than just talking about it.

I will try to blog one last time before we head home tomorrow night. I love all of you and hope that God will help me to communicate what things are like here in a way where you will get it. Thank you all for your unceasing prayers. I know this is why God is opening our eyes to things that make his heart break. We miss all of you and can’t wait to get home.

A Much Needed Break in Maasai Mara

2009-01-30T13:41:00.008-05:00

After 5 days in Nairobi at GCF, we desperately needed to get out of the city and be with God. I definitely understand when Jesus had to get away to be with his Father after being with the poor, sick, and hurting for days.

We packed up our things and headed to Homa Bay for stage 2. As we were sitting for lunch, Pastor Peter and our driver Martin recommended a break for us to take a day and enter the African Wildlife preserve called Maasai Mara. I can honestly say that I have never witnessed God's creation and this beauty to this magnitude in my life (outside of the birth of my kids). We spent most of Thursday night and Friday morning in the park.

We met the Maasai tribe of Africa who still live off of the land. They are herdsman and provide meat for Kenya. They live in huts made out of sticks and cow/goat poo, and they have multiple wives, circumcise their boys at 16 (tied to a stick in the middle of the cow pen) and then the circumcised boy must go and kill a lion in order to be considered a man in the tribe and be able to marry. All I had to do was beg Joanne's Dad to let me marry her (at the time, I was freaked out). We had an incredible time talking with the Maasai warriors. They danced for us and we danced with them. Well...if you call seeing who can jump higher dancing. The kids played in cow/goat poop, were covered with flies, and didn't think anything about it. They were filthy, but happy. We also met the medicine man, who delivers all of the babies (most of which are his (without viagra I am assuming). I asked how many of the children survive and I was told that some die before becoming men/women...mostly from Malaria, and the Maasai are used to that and it is expected. Can't comprehend, but there is much about this continent that eludes my understanding.

They were very hospitable to us and opened there homes to us (homes where goats sleep in the hut with them and they sleep on the poo.

After that, we left for the park. I can't explain the majesty of this land to you. But I will tell you this. After 5 days in Nairobi, seeing and experiencing what we saw...Our hearts were numb, cold, and empty of all emotion. We simply were broken open, poured out, and left laying in our own tears over the people of Kenya.

As we stood up in the safari van, letting the Serengeti wind blow in our faces and wash God's breath over us, we found ourselves coming back to life. Breathing again, our eyes were open to what God has made. Indeed, I see what God meant when He looked at all He had made and said that it is VERY GOOD. He has such a sense of humor.

We saw 2 sets of lions (one with a young male present). We were only 10 feet away from them. We saw my giraffe all over the place, a black rhino (which is the rarest citing in the park), along with hyenas, hippos, gazelle, Wildabeasts, Waterbuffalo, zebras, warthogs, crocodiles, elephants (all within feet of the van). I am attaching pics for everyone to see. These will never do justice to what you see when you are there in person, but hopefully you are blessed to see what we saw.

I want to thank everyone for their prayers. Please keep them coming. God has us in His hands and we are refreshed and renewed and ready to take on Homa Bay now. We arrived tonight (Friday Night) and found ourselves needing rest for the next 2 days as we will be visiting a well, an orphanage and I will be "preaching" (stop laughing) at least twice.

OK...I love all of you. Ryan, Carrie and Ric are all doing great (Ric makes all of us laugh...A LOT), and I am grateful to be on this with them.

We will be praying for all of you as well...I will write again tomorrow.

Nairobi - Day 5 (Light in a very Dark Place)

2009-01-28T11:28:00.012-05:00

Each day I write to you, I feel like I have run out of words to explain to you what we have seen since we have been here. Today I feel more like that than ever. However, we made the suggestion to the leadership team at GCF to “Trust Us” and let us buy some water and juice (200) and give them away freely to the people of Kayole.

Without any hesitation, they agreed. We went to the store, spent 2000 Kenya Shillings and loaded up the van. We drove to a busy “intersection” that was more like a crowded dump with people everywhere. We got out of the van opened up the back and showed people the love of Christ in a practical way. This concept was brand new to the people of Kayole and to our partners at GCF.

So….I don’t want to fail with words so I thought I would just show you the pics. Again (and I know I say this everyday), I have never experienced anything like this before in my life. Tears turned to laughter, anger to joy, hopelessness to hope, rejection to acceptance, and…how do you say it….LOVE WINS.

Besides Carrie almost getting mobbed in the back of the van, and a kid on inhalants taking our whole team for a journey through rapid fire talk and “say it, don’t spray it” mantras, we had a blast and so did the team from GCF.

We are on our way to Homa Bay in Eastern Kenya tomorrow and would love your prayers as we travel. I will be blogless for a couple of days, but please don’t stop looking. You never know when the next story will find its way across the pond.

I love all of you. Thanks again for all you do and who you are.

Nairobi – Day 4 (Taking it to the Streets)

2009-01-28T11:18:00.004-05:00

This day would be one of the most challenging for our eyes to see. Yesterday, we spent the day around Great Commission Fellowship and got to spend plenty of time with the kids that are part of the school. We knew however, in order to gain a better perspective of the crisis in Kayole (the village that GCF serves), we would need to go beyond the gates of the church and school into the streets. Kayole houses ½ a million people in a 1 mile radius. For comparison, there are 190,000 people living in the most crowded part of Cincinnati in a one mile radius.

WE WEREN’T PREPARED TO SEE THE THINGS WE SAW AND EXPERIENCED…

The day started with an impromtu dance with the baby class at GCF. This was unadulterated childhood at its best as they came out and did several African school children classics. We began the day with giant smiles on our faces and it’s a good thing because the rest of the day brought us the reality of daily life in Kayole.

We set out on foot from the school and soon found ourselves in buildings and houses that would be considered the worst slums in America. Children were everywhere because the public school teacher in Nairobi are on strike. All I can say is “there were children EVERYWHERE!”

The housing can be anywhere from 1 to 4 stories tall where a mom and 3 kids might live in a room that is literally the size of a walk in closet in a house in America. It was about 8X8. Each floor of the complex had about 20 housing units and all of them shared a 2 toilet bathroom that was appalling and again the smell can’t be explained…the closest I can get is when your drains get clogged up and you have to use a snake (magnify that smell by 20 and that is everyday life in Kayole).

The contrast between the refuge of Great Commission Fellowship and the rest of Kayole’ is night and day. The kids inside are happy, excited about learning, and their future. The children in the streets of Kayole are fighting hunger everyday, going to the bathroom in the streets and letting it run through the open air, uncovered sewage system toward the Nairobi River. This sewage ditch is usually rendered ineffective because it is littered with trash from the lack of sanitation in the city. As a result, you have, basically, a dump being constructed as people survive. The work set before Great Commission is HUGE. The leadership and the people here are saints and they truly love what the world would call the unlovable.

For the first time in my life, I see true AGAPE Love in the hearts of the leadership and teachers at GCF for a community that looks impossible to help because of the sheer number of poor people in the area.

They don’t see it that way though…they have dreams of being a lighthouse, a refuge, an oasis to this community. Never do I see them doubt whether or not they could change this community from the inside out. The level of respect that the community has for Pastor Peter, Joel, Justin, and of course Pastor Denis is something to be witnessed. Because of their efforts, they have won over this community. If you take this kind of proven leadership to the next level and resource it, you will truly see a “City on a Hill” in the midst of the worst poverty in the world. They are helping me see their vision of True Religion.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

I could go on writing about this, but I am truly shaken from this day. THIS IS NOT OK!!! NOONE SHOULD LIVE LIKE THIS!

I love all of you… thank you for your prayers and support while we are here. Please know that when I get back, we have some work to do.

Nairobi Day 3 - Monday (At the School)

2009-01-27T00:44:00.002-05:00

I am sitting in my bed, in a hostel in Nairobi, under my Mosquito net. In the dark…trying to figure out how to put words to this day. As our trip continues, I find that each day shows me glimpses of God that I have never known. As non-manly as this sounds, I cried at least twice today (once was a slight knot in the throat and a bit teary, if that increases the man factor at all). Today was all about the kids. We started our day at 9:00 am when Martin (our driver) picked us up from the hostel and took us to Great Commission Academy to tour the school and to see the land that we (VWS) purchased last year.

We were able to go into the classrooms with every grade from the “baby class” as they call it all the way up to the 6^th grade class. The school currently enrolls about 160 students. As we went into the classrooms, I was overwhelmed by these children, the things they knew, their joy for learning, their pride in their accomplishments, and quite frankly the Spirit of God living in them.

In the baby class, the teacher was showing pictures of cookware and utensils on a poorly constructed chalkboard and having the student state what each shape was. When they did well, the whole class sang a song and celebrated their accomplishent. As one little girl got to the shape of a knife, Ryan clearly couldn’t stand the anticipation, so he shouted out in a loud, “KNIFE” to which the teacher looked at him and told him to “let the student answer.” Haaaa….busted!

After the class visits with each grade level, we were given a tour. The classrooms were overcrowded and in very poor condition. Most of them get very hot when its hot and cold when its cold due to the fact that they are made out of wood and tin. We also got to see the bathrooms that we paid for sitting there still needing a roof and interior finishing. They were still inoperable so that they school of 160 students is still using 2 toilets.

Two very sweet ladies cooked the food and drinks for “tea time” and the kids came in one by one and took their food back to their classrooms.

After seeing the needs for expanded space, insulated classrooms, toilet constructions completion, painting, a scholarship program for kids who can’t pay school fees, and a place for the teachers to have a break once in a while (they work very hard with these kids and they love them deeply), I was overwhelmed and knew that this could be fixed easily.

We were then wisked away to the church “auditorium” really an open air assembly area where each grade performed a song from their music class for us as their “special guests.” We heard songs about how much Jesus loves them and who they are in Jesus. We also heard songs that were used to teach them about HIV/AIDS and a song entitled “Diseases.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but it makes sense when you stop and remember that many of these children have lost their parents to AIDS…many of them recently.

The day ended with a meal amongst Pastor Peter, Pastor Jo-el, Martin, Ryan, Ric and myself. We sat and dreamed about the “City on a Hill” that God is building through GCF and VWS. We talked about what they needed, what we needed, and how with each others help, we would be a light to the world through our ministries.

I LOVE THIS PLACE…AND I LOVE THESE PEOPLE! It is really as simple as that. God is here!

Tomorrow, we interview the staff, conduct a water outreach in the heart of the community that surrounds the school, and hang out with families in the neighborhood. Man…can it get any better than this?

I am such a rich man who can see more clearly each day what the “Kingdom of God” looks like.

Nairobi - Sunday

2009-01-26T09:29:00.005-05:00

Today was a good day. Today is Sunday and Sunday is church day. There are Pentecostal churches everywhere. Our drive toward Great Commission Fellowship Church in the center of Nairobi was very eye opening. After our first day of being wisked around the city by our driver Martin, this week, we saw what the majority of Nairobi is like.

After getting stopped by a herd of cattle crossing the road in one of the busiest intersection in the city, we made our way past the poorest of the poor in a slum called Mathera. This is the second largest slum in Kenya. Only second to the world famous Kibera slums (largest in the world). There was a very sobering effect on all of us along the way.

We arrived at GCF church/school at 9:30 where we met the leaders of the church and got a chance to talk and get to know them. The worship part of the service lasted from 10:00 to 11:30, during which time some of the children came to the stage and danced before God with a Spirit that I have never seen before. They are soooo beautiful (inside and out) and their Spirit is one of joy and gladness in the midst of some of the worst poverty i have ever seen. After their dance, I was asked to teach (some would say preach...but you all know that I am not a preacha). I want the entire Leadership team at VWS to know that I finished in 33 minutes (in case you were wondering). I had a translator standing on stage with me to translate everything I said into swahili (spelling?). In case your wondering, I taught on LOVE WINS.

After the service was over we had the chance to meet with the members of the church in their Sunday bests on the dirt playground outside of the auditorium and school offices. The kids were all over us (especially Carrie as you can see in the photo). This only sparked our excitement for Monday when we would meet them in their classrooms as we toured CGF's modest and run down facilities.

Afterward, Pastor Peter, Pastor Joel, Pastor George, and Ms. Mary and Ms. Vera took us to an American like Mall (very close to American embassy and housing). The food was great, the company even better as we got to know the hearts of the men and women who work so hard to change the fortune of the children living in the streets around them. I feel like they are part of Vineyard Westside and God has sent us to learn how to care for our brothers and sisters, but more importantly to learn how to Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly in the ways that they understand far better than us.

On our way home, we drove by the Mathera slums and looked at a distance at the worlds worst poverty known to man. Families with no clean water, nothing to eat...the best word is "nothing." Pastor Peter told me that he lived in the Kibera slum for 6 years. We were not allowed to go in the slums because of the safety risks, so we drove by slowly and eerily while we watched the sea of tin roofs go on for what seemed like forever. Garbage covering every inch of the ground, and the indescribable smell that can't be explained in words. You really have to be here to know what I am talking about. The poorest of the poor reside here.

At the end of this day, I am a different man. I came here looking for the Kingdom of God and found it in the eyes of the poor. Great commission Fellowship is teaching me how to look like Jesus in a world starving for hope. These people are hope peddlers, seed throwers, and fire starters...and they love unconditionally.

After my teaching, Pastor Peter got up and recapped my message encouraging the congregation to be better tippers in restaurants and to preach the gospel by their actions and generosity rather than with words all the time. Then to my shock, he warned them against complacency, apathy and religion and told them to start showing Africa what God is like by the way they live their lives.

I was in awe...Jesus lives Here. I am convinced more than ever, that this trip is much more about what God is teaching us versus what we are doing for our Brothers and Sisters in Kenya. I am truly humbled to be here.

In Nairobi - Day 1

2009-01-25T16:41:00.005-05:00

Today we met the Great Commission Fellowship Team at 10:00 AM ready for a tour of the Metropolitan area of Nairobi. This would be a fascinating day as we saw the business, education, retail, finance, and general good vibe of the Nairobi cityscape. Mostly, we saw the good side of the city and were actually blown away by the diversity of people, the influence of both West and East culture, and the overall kindness and peacefulness of the people that we met. This was a great way to start the trip and get ourselves acclimated to our surroundings without too much pressure to meet too many people, adjust to jet lag, and remember our names at the same time.

I have to say however, that what we saw was probably not reflective of the majority of Nairobi or Kenya for that matter. This was a day where Nairobi (as a whole) looked like most other international cities that I have been to, but I have a feeling the days that will follow will show an entirely different picture.

On a lighter note, I think Pastor Atandi (Peter) somehow found out about my longing to see a giraffe. So we took a bit of a short cut and went to the Giraffe Park in Nairobi (still hope to see one in the wild, but this was pretty cool. They are beautiful animals and as you'll see, Betty (thats her name kissed me, however, she took a great liking to Ric and decided to french kiss him). I have to say...I am going to have a lot of fun with this photo at church when we get back.

Already, we have fallen in love with the Great Commission Fellowship Leadership and felt a very kindred Spirit with them. They have hearts of Gold and they deeply care for the people of their city. They are doing God's work here at a level that many of us in the west would throw our hands up at and walk away because it is too daunting of a task.

Just having glimpses of the poor in Nairobi has started to shake me. I realize more than ever that this trip is about what we can learn from Pastor Peter, Pastor George, and Pastor Joel...about what it means to take the teachings of Jesus seriously and live out a day to day walk that loves "the least of these". The Bible tells us that God lives amongst the poor. And if we are with them...then God is with us.

I am in search of Jesus here...and I can already tell you that he is here. We feel Him in a very surreal way. It hasn't quite sunk in yet that a white kid from Cincinnati is in the heart of the African continent experiencing God on levels I have never experienced Him before. Other than marrying the girl of my dreams and having 4 incredible kids, I'm not sure what could ever compare with this. But...who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Africa - Day 1&2 "Getting There"

2009-01-23T16:47:00.003-05:00

Ok...so Ryan, Carrie, Ric and I left my house on Thursday at @ Noon and we just arrived in Nairobi tonight (Friday Night) at 10:00 pm. Wow, that was a lot of flying. I feel like I haven't been to sleep for 27 hours... Probably because I haven't. It was a decent trip though all things considered. British Airways is a great way to fly. The only time we had a problem was when we crossed through the Jet Stream on our flight from Heathrow (London) to Nairobi. My coffee spilled all over my pants and some of us were a little rattled by the turbulence. However, on our way, I ended up sitting next to a Pastor from Kenya who filled me in on the state of the church in Kenya. Got his number and we are going to connect again while we are here. His name is John and he was a great seatmate on the plane.

We were all pretty tired when we got here, but now that we're here, we are excited about what we get to do tomorrow. Already, i feel a connection to the Great Commission Fellowship Team here in Nairobi. We will get to hang out with them more tomorrow. But it's late, and I am on my way to bed so we can start the day off fresh tomorrow. I will be adding pics and blogs daily if I can with stories so enjoy and tell me what you by commenting us.

A Pretty Good Read

2009-01-04T23:18:00.002-05:00

So I had the chance to catch up on some reading over the holidays as well as take a sabbatical from the facebook and blogging world. It did me good for sure. One of the books that I read was a bit of a surprise for me. It was a really easy read, but gave me hope in the business world that the principles shared in the gospels work better than any other business principles I have learned. While the principles may not be labeled as the teachings of Jesus...they clearly are rooted in the gospels. I would recommend this to everyone. It is a very simple read (you could probably get through it in a day) and it is written in story form. If you decide to read it, it may simplify your approach to how you do business, interact with people, network, and grow your organization. Enjoy everyone.

My Awesome Grandma!

2008-12-03T23:20:00.002-05:00

This is my Grandma. She is 90 years old and we just celebrated her birthday. Now, you have to know a little bit about her to appreciate this. She's 90, just had her knee replaced and still acts like a 60 year old. Her mind is sharp, her heart is gold, and her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids love her. So many memories, such a rich life, so humble, so beautiful, and above all else, she has spent her life putting others ahead of herself. As a result, she is one of the happiest people I have ever known. She is living proof of finding your life when you lay it down. 90 years of giving through life have brought pure joy. I love my grandma. Did I mention that she was pretty?

To top it all off, at the end of her party, she gave us all a gift, it was a book that she wrote over the last 3 years with my cousin Nicole. It was a full length book about her life and the life of our family. On her 90th birthday, she gave me one of the greatest gifts I will ever get. What an amazing woman. No wonder my Grandpa was always so happy.

The Economy

2008-11-22T23:32:00.003-05:00

My wife saw this sign sitting outside a local beverage drive-thru in Cleves. I have to say, this is one of the best signs I have ever seen to illustrate the state of our economic and spiritual lives. After I got done laughing, I thought i would throw it out to all of you and get your thoughts. So Here it is...What do ya think?

Opening Weekend at the Shack

2008-11-16T17:03:00.004-05:00

Today we began the next chapter of the VWS story. We moved into an abandoned church building in hopes that we could begin to make it our own. In a lot of ways, this building is representative of the things that God is calling us to on the Westside.

You see, there is a Spirit that lives on the Westside of Cincinnati that holds the people here in apathy, complacency, and mediocrity. It uses tools like fear, failure, and condemnation to hold people in the status quo and remind them that they will never fully be who God made them to be. This Spirit is called "Religion" and it is a very old and very strong spirit over here.

Enter Vineyard Westside... A tribe of messy Jesus lovers who have moved into the territory of Religion to break this spiritual bondage and bring real freedom.

This is not just a church, not just a tribe, not just a movement... but the beginning of a REVOLUTION. Don't get used to seeing us sitting in these seats because God is turning our hearts outward to invade the city.

"Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city."

As excited as I am to see this old run down building filled with God's people. I am even more stoked by the idea that God is calling an army of servants together to REACH the Westside with the message of hope, purpose, and making famous the name of the only one who can break the bonds that hold this city captive... Jesus.

LOVE WINS!!!

Love Being a Dad!

2008-11-13T00:35:00.003-05:00

So...my friend Lee came over to take some shots of me and Noah for a project that he was working on. Noah and I didn't really know too much about that other than we got to put shaving cream on our faces and goof around for a little while. When I look at this picture though, I realize how much I love being a Dad. I realize that they are only placed in my care for a season and I want more moments like this with them. God...thank you for Noah, thank you for shaving cream, and thanks for loving us like this. You are extravagant.

Saying Goodbye to the Danbarry

2008-11-09T22:34:00.005-05:00

Today was a bittersweet day for me. Three years ago several of us went on an adventure to start a movement on the Westside of Cincinnati Called "Vineyard Westside. We went public on September 18th, 2005 in the Main Theater of the Danbarry Cinemas on Glencrossing Avenue.

While our Theater was dirty most of the time, the bathrooms smelled and we never really got the temperature right; God used this little Theater to change lives during our time there. We may never know the accurate number of people who stumbled and staggered into the Danbarry, but God does. He allowed us to watch as the wounded and beaten up by life were transformed by God after spending time in our Theater.

While I am very excited about our move to a new location, I will miss this Theater that we called home over the last 3 years. Thank you God for a great run in the Dirty Danbarry. May the prayers prayed in those seats be heard even today and may your name be famous on the Westside of Cincinnati and all over the world because of what you have done through us in the most unlikely of places.

Gift!

2008-11-06T22:44:00.002-05:00

This morning I was given a gift. Like anything that God gives you, you have to share it. Therefore, I am sharing it with you. Here is the canvas that I saw this morning. Everyday it is new and everyday it is spectacular. Enjoy this one that truly moved me.

Are You Reading "IT?"

2008-11-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

One of the most remarkable things that I understand about Faith is that we go through seasons. This has never been more true for me than in the last 6 months. As God is awakening me from the Spirit of Apathy, Complacency, and Status Quo; I am finding myself seeing the world differently the last 3 weeks. He has given me His eyes for this world and I am ruined, simply wrecked!

In this season, He has placed this book in my lap and had me read it. At first I thought it would be one of those lame books that sounds like someone is preaching to you, but I was dead wrong. This book has honestly pegged my story, my apathy, my lack of leadership, and my status quo heart.

I now realize that the transformation of peoples lives on the West Side of Cincinnati from a "Religious Condition" to a thriving, Authentic "God Experience" begins with my own heart and the leadership that is produced from "IT."

I recommend this book to anyone who knows there is something wrong with what they are leading and has no idea how to put their finger on it. This book will open your eyes to apathetic leadership and call you to something greater. God speaks in this book. I have found that even though I am wrecked, God is calling me to know what "IT" is, how I once had "IT", then lost "IT", given me a desire to have "IT" back and wants me to keep "IT".

I am alive again.

The Incredible Children's Pastor

2008-11-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

I want to introduce you to my friend "Pastor Jim" or PJ as the people who are closest to him call him and he is amazing. PJ has such incredible vision for how a children's ministry should work.

On Friday night, He, Kim (his wife) and Jamison (his son) pulled off one of the greatest events ever known at Vineyard Westside. It was called the Blast.

I had no idea what a great event it would be, but PJ did. We watched as over 150 kids packed into the Glenmore building on the Westside of Cincinnati with their parents as they bobbed for apples, through bugs through webs, golfed, kicked soccer balls into nets, played every other kind of game you can imagine. Not only that, but there was hot cider, cotton candy, slushies, bar-b-que, hot chocolate, popcorn, and every kind of candy under the sun. The most impressive part of all of this was that He did it while feeling a bit under the weather.

Here's what i know. He has Vision, He has an incredible heart for kids and them becoming all that God made them to be.

I love this guy!

Cure Apathy Now (CAN)

2008-10-23T12:22:00.000-04:00

One person CAN make a difference.

"This is what the Lord requires of you...To ACT JUSTLY, To LOVE MERCY, and To WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD." Micah 6:8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrJ5lJGjpDI

So many of us walk through this one life we have and buy into the lie that we can't make a difference in this world. I beg to differ. I think we get scared, we live in the status quo, and a spirit of medocrity and religion hold us in a place that tell us we have nothing to offer.

I saw this video, and was inspired to show it to all of you as well. I hope you see Micah 6:8 come to life through this and you find yourself inspired to CURE APATHY NOW (Because you CAN).

Proud Papa

2008-09-16T23:47:00.000-04:00

It's the last quarter. The 8th grade football team is losing to Madeira 14 to zip. The Three Rivers coach calls a time out and moves the tall lanky wide receiver to QB. In He goes, immediately throwing 4 for 6 completions, 2 Touchdown passes and runs in the extra point to win the game in the last minute. Yep, that's my son AJ. I am a proud Papa.

Best Friends

2008-08-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Back in 7th grade, I attended a predominantly white Catholic grade school in Cincinnati. We had recieved word from our teacher that another Catholic Grade (completely African American) School in Lincoln Heights was closing their doors and the kids from that School would be joining us.

The first day they came to school, we played a pick up game of football at recess...us against them. However, they didn't have enough players, so myself and another kid went on their team. That day, I became the peace keeper of my school and I found myself connecting to the new kids in a way that most of my classmates didn't understand. In the middle of it all, I became best friends with the leader of this group. His name was Scotty Hutchings.

From 7th grade through our Senior year in High School, we found ourselves in all kinds of trouble, all kinds of fun, and all kinds of opportunities to grow. I was the quarterback and he was the All State Tailback for Roger Bacon High School.

Scotty's mom passed away during our sophmore year of High School and he came to live with my family in Forest Park for the better part of 2 years. During that time, we grew even closer in our friendship.

After our Senior year, I went to Toledo and Scotty went to Southern California for college. But during that time, we both found ways of testing our freedom, but Scotty found himself in some trouble with the law and ended up dropping off the face of the earth for a while. I tried to find him for 4 years (we didn't have the internet back then), but to no avail. After getting on with my life and sure that He had gotten on with his, 21 years has passed.

Until Today!

Today, while I was in the shower, I received a phone call. My wife said, "do you know a William Scott Hutchings?" followed by "is that Scotty?" You see, I have been married for 17 years and my wife and children know about Scotty as I have talked about him regularly for the last 21 years. "Yeah, Yeah, that's Scotty...why?" "Well He just called and left 2 numbers where you can reach him, she said.

Within minutes I jumped out of the shower, cried and called my old friend.

Turns out Scotty was in town to bury his sister who passed away from a heart attack recently and that brought to mind the death of his mother, his past, and our friendship. He told me he was shaking when He called because of how abruptly he was taken away from me in a police cruiser, and how he had thought he let my family and I down. I told him that it could have been either one of us at any time taken away in a police cruiser at that point in our lives.

We met for lunch today. I don't think I have ever hugged anyone as hard as I hugged Scotty today. We spent 2 hours catching up on his life, my life and the bond that we shared as boys. One black, one white, from different worlds that taught each other the value of people simply for the fact that we are both people. During our lunch, we laughed, we cried, we talked about the paths that our lives have taken us down, and we committed to each other that we would walk this life out together from here on.

I have missed my brother for a long time. My children will know him as "uncle Scotty" but I will always know him as my best friend. So if you see me cruising around Cincinnati with a big black man with dreads, just say hi to my brotha from anotha motha. We are "each others people" and I would imagine, even though we're both 40, we will probably still get in a little bit of trouble from time to time. At least I hope so.

Photo "Shop"

2008-08-21T10:50:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know my blog is lame because I don't have any pictures. So... I will be shopping for a camera to take digital pictures to liven this thing-a-ma-jiggy up. If you have any thoughts on this, please feel free to send them my way. If not, just keep tuning in and look for a digital pixel revolution on the Love, Learn, Live blog.

Leadership

2008-05-16T23:40:00.000-04:00

I was thinking recently on one of the most profound moments of my life. It happened when I was in High School (I know, lame to talk about high school). Have you ever had one of those moments that really helped to shape the person that you are today? That profound understanding of a basic principle that would radically change the course of your life? Well this was one of those moments for me.

During my sophomore year in High School, I played quarterback on the Reserve Football team. If you know me, you know I love the sport of football so hopefully this will make sense. On a saturday, during a game against Moeller in the rain, I threw a pass to one of our receivers who ran it 50 yards to the goal-line. However, at the goal line, a defender hit the ball out of his hands and the other team recovered the fumble.

As we jogged off the field, my coach came straight for me. He said, "Urmston, what the Q#$%#$ happened out there? I looked at him very perplexed and said, "Coach, I didn't fumble the ball!!! I threw a great pass!!! He fumbled the ball, its not my fault!

I will never forget the words that he spoke to me at that moment. He grabbed my facemask, pulled my head close to his (I can still smell the tobacco dip being sprayed on my face as he spoke). He said, "URMSTON, YOU'RE THE LEADER, ITS ALWAYS YOUR FAULT." His voice still rings in my head and hits me to this day.

As a leader, it is my job to take responsibility for those I lead. To stand in the gap for them, throw myself in front of a bus for them, to speak the truth in love to them, to defend them when they are attacked. I am the leader...God put leaders on this earth to lead. When we succeed it is the team that wins. When we fall short, it is the leader who stands up, breaths vision and leads everyone into the next battle.

As a person who was raised by a somewhat controlling Father (He's not that way anymore, but that story is for another time), I tend to lead by committee as an act of rebellion. I like to let people run with their ideas and encourage them along the way. This sometimes creates situations where I don't lead well, or I remain undecided due to too much "committee" and not enough hutspa to make a decision, even though I know in my gut it is right.

I have to remember what my Coach said way back in my sophomore year of High School. He said, "as the leader, it is always on me to make the decision. While I can take counsel, and hear opinions, and try to get consensus; the ultimate weight of the decision falls on me...THE LEADER.

OK...I get it God. Counsel is great, opinions are important, but sometimes you grab my facemask and tell me...YOU'RE THE LEADER...I CHOSE YOU. MAKE A DECISION, AND LEAD.

Memories

2008-05-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is not about the Barbara Streisand song "The Way We Were." Actually, I guess it could be in a round about way.

I was reflecting on what makes me sad sometimes and it hit me that sadness is a product of longing for something that is no more. The loss of trust, or friendship, or love, etc... This led me to think about how I miss a lot of things that "used to be". I miss my old neighborhood growing up, I miss my friends from High School that I made such great memories with. I miss my kids being young... actually I can't drive by my old house on Julep Lane in Greenhills where I taught my kids how to ride bikes, catch baseballs and climb trees.

While in Honduras on a missions trip with 10 other guys I had a chance to see the thing I would miss before it actually happened. The last night of the trip, we were sitting around outside the place we ate talking about the trip and I remember one guy saying that we need to get together after the trip is over and hang out. Most of us have been in these situations where we say we'll get together and then time passes, we get busy, forget, and then feel sad over the loss of this group being together as they were that one night.

It hit me that night that maybe, just maybe, the memories are a gift from God. Here's what I mean...maybe the memories are there to warm us on lonely nights, or maybe they're there to put joy in us when the world is dark around us. Maybe instead of the sadness, they simply make us feel alive, even if reflective, even if they are never possibly going to happen again.

I miss those guys from that trip and the friendships that we formed. I miss my kids growing up in that house. I miss going on dates with my 5 year old daughter who is now 15. I miss driving to Florida with my high school buddies my sophomore year. I miss my friends who I grew close to and watched move on to bigger and better things. I miss strapping on shoulder pads on crisp Friday nights in the fall of my youth. I miss seeing the world through my job because I now travel less. I miss my grampa's hugs, I miss wrestling with my brother. I miss the people I traveled to China with, I miss the sound of kids playing outside my window while a breeze blew through my room as a 10 year old. I miss "popeye" cartoons. I miss everything that once was, and will never be again.

But on darker days, I draw from these things that I miss as they fill the void caused by the darkness and make me smile. Maybe this is why we have the memories. Maybe that is what they are all about.

I was talking with a very dear friend of mine this night and she told me how much she misses her son who died in an accident last year. I listened as she lamented his passing, however, I noticed that as she told stories about him, described his personality to me, longed to have him near her again, I got a glimpse of the joy that those memories produced in her.

So I have concluded...God loves us so much that he makes us remember. While this can be painful, it also offers a far greater benefit.. JOY.

As I live out my life, I want to enjoy the time I have with people in my life, to love hard, and live passionately, knowing that even if people move on, or change, or disappear, I can always count on the memories to fill me during very empty times.

Thanks God.

Traditional Church Buildings

2008-04-28T15:55:00.000-04:00

About a month ago, my business partner and I were on the way home from Las Vegas and we had a layover in Dallas. We were informed that the flight had been cancelled due to snow at home, so we quickly grabbed our things and headed for a hotel in the metropolitan Dallas area. It was still fairly early in the day and we had no plans so I remembered hearing about a church in the Dallas area that I wanted to check out.

We quickly got our things together, stopped off at a Starbucks on the way and made it just in time to get the last two seats available in their auditorium. Now I had heard a great deal about this church. I had heard that they had grown from 168 people in 2002 to over 5000 in 2007. Part of me wanted to know how they did it, and part of me was excited just to be able to hang out in a church and hide in the crowd where no one would expect anything from me.

We pulled up and were shocked to find a very traditional looking church building that looked like every other struggling church in America. The building itself appeared old and I wondered how they could pull it off.

We quickly took our seats and learned that they conducted 7 services over a weekend and 3 of them were done via video so as to save the Pastor from burnout. Clearly, there was something very powerful going on at this church and from what I could tell, the Pastor was trying to get people to leave more than he was trying to grow the congregation.

I couldn't put my finger on what was happening here, but then I realized that the Holy Spirit is like the wind (you can't really put your finger on it).

All together, it appeared that God had brought me to Vegas to bring me through Dallas on a snow delay, to get me to go to this church, to show me what could be done in a traditional building when the Holy Spirit is in it.

As our church looks at buying an old traditional church building, I began to hear God speaking to me once again about considering this building to grow our body. Before we were looking at a $2.8MM investment in a bigger building, but God clearly doesn't want us going into debt or being building poor. So He has presented us with an option to buy an old traditional building that was appraised at $1.3 MM but through various people, it has become clear that we may be able to buy the building for @ $500,000. Clearly, this is a lot more doable... gives us flexibility to add services, meet capacity, and watch the Holy Spirit work through us. I can't help but wonder what God is doing here, but there have been too many doors swinging open for this to be coincidence.

As we make our plans, God continues to guide our steps and we are blown away by what He is doing through us... gently, mercifully, gracefully taking us where we need to be.

Dance with Me

2008-03-21T03:09:00.000-04:00

I recently asked some friends the other day in my Life Group a question. I asked them if they only come to church one time a year for Easter and never come again, what is the one question that they would love to ask God. The response was overwhelming. There were all kinds of questions posed, but one stood out to me as profound. One person asked, "How does and all powerful, all controlling God love? I know, it sounds straight forward, but it really isn't. Here is what I mean.

When I was in the sixth grade, I liked this girl named Jenny (named changed to protect the innocent). You know how it is when your in sixth grade... when it takes all the courage you can muster to ask a girl to dance with you. So this was it, I was finally going to ask her to dance toward the end of the night because that's how long it took me to get up the nerve. So, I say, "do you want to dance?" and she turns bright red and runs to her friends and I am left standing there looking and feeling very awkward. I never got that dance, but I did gain something from that exchange.

When you love someone, you place the control of the relationship in their hands. Love and control do not and cannot exist on the same plane. The more you control something, the less you love it. The more you love something, the less you control it. When I asked Jenny to dance, I was giving her the control to say yes and accept the invitation, or to say no and reject the invitation. This is how love works.

So back to the original question...How does and all powerful, all controlling God, Love? I would argue that God had to give up control. I know this answer will freak out a lot of people, but maybe, in God's power and sovereignty, He set it up in such a way that He can't make us love Him. I don't mean that he won't, I mean that He can't. Maybe the God of the universe, set the universe up in such a way, that he can give you your heart, but can't make it beat for Him. He can give you feet to walk, but He can't keep them from walking away from Him.

God can't make you love Him! Because if He could, that wouldn't be love. Love and Control cannot co-exist.

I don't claim to fully understand the ways of God. I think our lives are a constant journey toward discovering these things about our maker, and in the end, the deeper we go, the deeper he gets. But, maybe that's the point. Just like when we watch our kids find the eggs during an easter egg hunt, maybe He takes great pleasure in watching us discover new things about Him every day. Yeah, I think we might be on to something.

Moving On

2008-02-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

Today, one of the people closest to me in my life and business, my friend Ellen, sat across the table from me and wept as she told me that she was leaving the company and moving to Kansas City to be close to IHOP (International House of Prayer). Initially, my mind went to what a great opportunity this was for her and her husband and how great it was to see her take this risk and dream big.

Then something really weird happened to me. I had this uncontrollable surge of tears that seemed to creep up out of nowhere. Needless to say, I was blind-sided and confused with the reasoning behind these emotions. After all, I have been in this position before where employees have told me that they were leaving. This is natural and this is good. So, why am I about to pull a niagara falls on the table?

Interestingly enough, the rest of the day was a bit of a challenge for me, and I found myself with a lump in my throat and tears flooding my eyes for greater portions of the day and still confused with the reasoning and trying to make sense of it all.

On my way home, it hit me.

Ellen is more than an employee...she is my friend...a very dear friend.

We go through our lives and watch as people we grow close to, eventually move on to the next thing...this is the way of the world. But then there are those that become a part of us in a way that can't be explained to a rational audience, and words can't really justify the overwhelming sense of loss one feels when a friend is called to move on.

The only way I can explain it is like this. When I was little, I had a friend named Garrett Hess. He was my best friend. We had lots of dreams that we said we would do together when we got older. He was Superman and I was The Flash. We played in the sandbox, raced each other up and down our cul de sac, and often got in fights over who got to sit next to Carrie Vanoli on the bus. But through it all, in our minds, this is the way it would be forever. Until that day...that dark overcast day in the sandbox (where we had all of our planning meetings for the future), He told me that his parents decided to move to Dayton and two weeks later he was gone... I never saw or heard from him again. I cried for many a day that summer hoping that one day his dad would be transferred back to Cincinnati, He would move back into the house 2 doors down and things would one day be back to the way they were. But that day never came. But that's not how life is. People move on and so the story goes.

I have to believe that this is why Ellen's announcement was so difficult today. She is my friend and she is moving on. When she started, she brought a spark to our little rag tag company that catapulted us to a viable option for the coolest company on the planet. She brought us an identity, a vision, and a personality that other companies can't hold a candle to. But while all of these achievements are brilliant, the real reason for the flood of emotion today comes from a deep seeded sadness over the moving on of a great friend in my life.

I know she has to move on because God has called her to. And while everything in me is screaming "don't go" I want the very best for her, because that's what real friends want for each other. Ellen has taught me a great deal about loyalty, friendship and "bringing your best" to everything you do. For that I am grateful. I WILL MISS HER TREMENDOUSLY.

Just like with Garrett, I will hold out hope that one day she will return to Seek and things will be the way they were, but I know that may not happen until heaven. Hey, maybe I can introduce her to Garrett when we all get there and live on the same street together. Who knows?

Until then, I will keep an eye on the sandbox and Ellen's cape while I run the cul de sac and keep praying that my friend is OK in Kansas City.

Have We Forgotten How to DREAM BIG?

2008-01-01T18:50:00.000-05:00

Remember when you were a kid? Remember the rarely noticed runny nose, the small amount of attention given to the multiple scabs on elbows and knees, or possibly the lack of lethargy as the sun fell behind the neighborhood we grew up in after a long day of basketball, stickball, or superheros? I often wonder what happened to that kid. At that time, life and the world were right in front of him and nothing else. I was a big dreamer. I actually thought that I could be the superhero "Flash" when I got bigger.

Too often today, I find my dreams being limited by my fear of failure, my fear of embarrasment, my fear of rejection, my fear of not enough, my fear of man, and the list goes on. What if those fears were removed. What if my dreams were released from those everyday fears like they were when I was a kid. What impact would my dreams have on this world?

What if?

I randomly sampled 20 people the other day and realized that about 18 of them could not answer the question..."what are your dreams?" Where did we lose our ability to dream and go after those dreams with full force?

I want to dream like that again...I want to see things happen around me, through me, to me, that will shock me and ultimately shock the world. Who knows, maybe sometime in the future, I will actually make my dreams known to someone beyond my own skin. ewwwww, Scary!