Hitchhiking to Substance

Marriage and Dating advice that will make you laugh - Substance style

Every month I ask my staff:  What are people dealing with the most?  What are the issues that are obstructing our church member’s abilities to experience and know God.  Of course, this is a tough question for me to ask… after all, if the sermons were up to me (& not God), I’d have all sorts of pet-topics that I’d love to preach on.  For those of you who really know me, I secretly obsess over systematic theology.  For years, I diligently studied Greek and Hebrew.  I also love the doctrines of the Holy Spirit (hence, I wrote a book on tongues and prophecy); yet, I have enough fear of the Lord to ask:  God, what do you want me to preach on?

Of course, every month I hope the staff tells me what I want to hear:  ”The church desperately needs to know more about particularist atonement theology.”  ”Pastor! please!  We need to know more about charismatic prophecy in light of pre-millenial eschatology.”  After all, I love geeking out on this kind of stuff.  (& believe it or not, I used to preach these types of messages… before I understood God’s heart for lost people).

But unfortunately, the staff tells me:  ”Pastor, I had a dozen people come up to me this Sunday who are about to foreclose on their house because they have so much credit card debt.”  And another staff tells me:  ”Pastor, I had 8 people tell me that they’re separating from their spouses… and they’re totally overwhelmed with parenting their young kids.”

You see, I’ve realized over the years:  It’s the basic practical things that pull most people away from Christ… not a lack of deep theological or experiential knowledge.  Of course, if you ask most people in Evangelical or Charismatic circles whose marriages are failing, “What do you want to hear?”  they’d rather beg for more theology or worship experiences (rather than get a budget and a date night).  

So, after giving a big sigh… I say:  ”O.K. God… I’ll preach on marriage!”  And that’s exactly what we’re doing in this new series called:  ”The Vow.”  

Don’t get me wrong:  I love this topic too.  In fact, after 18 years of being best friends with my wife, I’ve made a few funny mistakes (which I will likely confess to you this coming weekend.)  But, seriously:  One of the most important questions you need to be able to answer in your Christian life is:  ”Who is the mate God has chosen for you?”  (Or, How do I stay married to the one God has chosen for me?).  So, get ready to laugh.  This is going to be a really fun series.

Every week we’re going to share some Biblical insights that are sure to relieve some of the tension you’ve felt in regards to this topic.  So, if you’re marriage or dating relationship is a roller-coaster:  Hold On!  God is an ever-present help in times of trouble.

So, this February, come on out to any one of our three campuses.  God’s Word is sure to lift your burdens!

Families search for their loved ones among the deceased

Hey there faithful men and women of Substance.  As most of you already know Haiti has been undergoing one of the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in a while.  On Jan.12th, a 7.0 earthquake rocked the capitol of Haiti resulting in at least 140,000 casualties.  As many of you already know, Haiti was already a poverty stricken situation; thus, the circumstances and plight of these people is downright terrible.

During our 21-day fast, I was recently reading Isaiah 58:6,7… God says,  “this is the kind of fasting I want: …Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.  Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” Immediately, when I heard about Haiti, God brought this to mind.

In fact, right now, there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people sleeping on the streets tonight.  There are tens of thousands of children who lost both parents… who lost limbs… whose entire world is flipped upside down.

As a church, we need to act.  So this Sunday, not only are we going to pray; but, out of our tithes, we’re sending a large donation as an immediate response; yet, this is merely pittance compared to what I’d like to do.

Also we’re going to spend time in prayer for Haiti this Tuesday at our Deeper Experience (Operation Center, 7pm).  Last Tuesday we had a totally packed house for our first deeper experience.  But, I hope that this Tuesday repeats that passion as we seek the Lord on behalf of this tragedy.

Lastly, we’re going to put a few links to some reputable websites that we know are already bringing amazing relief to these desperate people.  We’re going to give out of our tithes and offerings; but, in the meantime, the following relief organizations are already doing an amazing thing.  Let’s get behind them as they are already on the front lines:

Samaritans Purse is doing an amazing work:    http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

One Hope:  http://www.onehope.net/pages/page.asp?page_id=96451

Lastly, see:  Hand of Hope:   http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/HandofHope/default.htm

Thank you men and women of Substance.  This is what true Christianity is all about.

Every time I walk into our Operation Center in Roseville, I’m compelled to thank God for his grace.  After all, this facility is nothing short of a financial miracle.  A church our size usually has a tithing base that 3 times as large; yet, through thriftiness and the generosity of a small number of families, we’ve been able to build our mid-week auditorium. 

            Of course, since we moved in, we’ve literally quadrupled the number of ministries here.  And one of those ministries has been our worship nights.  For years we’ve wanted to do extended worship and intercession but, we haven’t had a place to make it happen.  And this Thurs (Oct 22^nd) we’re going to be having our 3^rd public “extended worship night.” 

            So far, they have been absolutely crazy-amazing.  We probably over-promoted the first one (as we packed an amazing number of people inside like Sardines… with no seats)  It felt like a sweaty punk-show.  But that was one of the most amazing worship nights I’ve had this year.

            I remember reading about King David in the Old Testament dancing until his clothes started falling off.  A long time ago, I couldn’t relate to this image of worship as I had grown up in a stiff and stoic liturgical church.  Don’t get me wrong:  I’d jump up and down at sporting events.  I’d mosh at a local concert; but, worship equaled sitting still.  I had no idea that the God of scripture was a God who loved to celebrate.

            And if that’s something you can relate to, I’m happy to tell you:  There’s more for you and me!  Worship isn’t always meant to feel like a historical funeral service.  And frankly, when you realize how amazing our God is, I don’t know how anyone can stay sitting down (unless they’re passed-out).

            At our last worship night, almost every person was dancing their hearts out like it was 3 a.m.  (Anyone who’s ever thought that Christians were boring hasn’t met this group!!)  For the last song, we started doing this Hillsong United song that sounds like an old-school British punk song.  Everyone was jumping, including our worship band.

            Of course, when Jacob Champlin, (one of our worship leader’s) feet went through the wall, I immediately imagined God smiling down on us thinking:  “Now that’s the kind of worship I’m talking about!”

            So if you’ve got time, come and join us for one of our worship nights.  Of course, I’m not recommending you invite your unchurched neighbor, nor am I suggesting that you should come ready to destroy our drywall.  But, I don’t mind hiring a construction crew to clean up after our worship nights as long as people are filled with the Spirit of Worship.

            One thing is for sure:  If you truly open up your heart to a God whose very name is “Consuming Fire”, you will never be the same.  So try it sometime.  As I once heard from a quirky youth pastor:  “There’s no high like the Most High.”  And although it’s cheezy, it true.

Cover Article - Being Substance!

Who would have thought we could already be launching a magazine!  (Then again, who would have thought we could have become a triple site mega church in just a few years).  But God gets the glory once again!  And we’re excited to announce the inaugural issue of Being Substance Magazine.

As many of you know:  Substance is a “church of churches.”  We have over 100 different small groups, home churches, and fellowship opportunities that focus on every topic imaginable.  We always tell people: “Church is what happens in between church services.”  In fact, we go as far as to say:  ”If you don’t have a friend to whom you could feel comfortable confessing your darkest sins… then for all practical purposes, you’re not a member.”  And it’s not that we “force” people to have this experience; rather, we simply know that it’s liberating to be a part of a family that truly has your back… that knows your darkest thoughts; yet, still loves you.  (In fact, see our cover story on Armin to get inspired!)  You see:  The greatest statistical predictor of spiritual growth is “quantity of intimate Christian friends.”  So, at Substance, we’ve always emphasized the need for small groups.

Of course, Pastor Nick kept coming up to me with a desire to “upgrade” our quarterly sub-group catalog.  And when NCU journalism professor Reuben David started dreaming with us, the idea was birthed:  ”Let’s do a magazine… let’s highlight the amazing testimonies and events going on at Substance!”  Even more ambitious, “Let’s do this entirely with volunteers!”  After all, Substance is a church filled with writers and graphic designers.

Of course, our first printing is a scaled down copy of the online edition.  So, don’t forget to go online & see it! (beingsubstance.com)  If it wasn’t for Paul Stein and Julie Clark, we wouldn’t have succeeded; but, our hope is that we can recruit a whole new army of journalists, historians, and graphic designers to take this to the next level!  So, if this sounds exciting, talk to Pastor Mark Mellen (mark@substancechurch.com).

But here’s the deal:  Substance is busting at the seams.  We just grew by around 400 people this month.  God is clearly blessing our church.  But we need leaders, volunteers, and most of all:  prayer.  Remember, set your cell phone alarms for Friday at 6pm.  Hundreds of our members stop and pray for one another at exactly the same time.  And you can join us too!

So check out our magazine (especially online), and get involved.  Clearly, God is starting a movement here; but, the question is this:  Do YOU want to be at the center of it?  If so, join a small group, join a ministry, & get involved in our “empowerment track”.   Trust me:  You won’t be disappointed.

Campus Launch Team at Northwestern

Today we officially launched a new Substance campus at Northwestern.   And, thanks to God, it was a wild success.  Using viral networking alone, we ended up getting over 400 new visitors at our new campus this Sunday… (And we’re not even going to do our “real promotion” of the new campus for another 4 weeks!!!!)  Wow!

Obviously, we’ve been growing all through out the summer; yet, we had over 400 college students gone for summer.  And we knew that, as soon as our students returned, we’d be out of seats (as Fridley High-school Theater only seats around 1400 in two services).  So, having the ability to launch a new site in Northwestern’s 1300 seat multi-media auditorium was perfect.

In fact, I did a short video diary of the entire day (I.e., I videotaped my thoughts as I travelled and experienced both campuses).  Check it out on youtube!   www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlQhySWKu1k

Of course, our fancy new video technology almost failed us for our first service at Fridley (where I preached live); but, never fear:  It was flawless for the second one (which was the one that counted).  Then I went over to Northwestern to preach at the 10:30 service.  Of course, Northwestern is gorgeous (& the sound & lighting system is equally amazing).

So hat’s off to all of our amazing ministry teams who made this happen.  Believe it or not, we’ve involved almost 300 new people into ministry in the last couple months.  And we not only expanded into Northwestern; but, if you pay close attention to Fridley, we’re upgrading both our video and our sound.  So great job everyone!

Also, I just want to re-clarify our new meeting times:  (So here’s the big picture).  

            Saturday,             5pm – Live Video Recording and cafe

            Sunday,             9 & 11 am – Fridley Highschool Auditorium

            Sunday,             10:30 am – Northwestern College’s Maranatha Hall

I’m actually going to be speaking live at all three locations each weekend.  (The 11am at Fridley will be a mix between creative video and live).  However, both the worship band and I are going to be mixing it up so that no venue feels like a “lesser” venue.

But let me warn you:  The first couple weeks may be a bit chaotic.  Attendance at specific services may fluctuate wildly for about a month.  But, just hold on; after all, by this November, everything will level off!

So, we appreciate your patience with all of our “growth chaos.”  But even more, we appreciate your volunteerism and prayers in the coming weeks.

I believe in my heart that the Twin Cities will never be the same!!!!  So let’s give thanks to God.  Agreed?

Symbolic of my Soul

Yes indeed, Brett Favre is coming to the Minnesota Vikings.  Who would have thought?

Of course, many of you know that I grew up in Central Wisconsin where they literally worship the Packers.  As pastor Lombardi once said… I mean coach Lombardi:  “The three most important things in life are family, religion, and the Green bay Packers.“  And this was really serious.  (Of course, you have to live there to understand it…& part of it is because there’s not much to do there : ) But the vortex of Packer football is almost impossible to resist if you really want any friends.  By the time I left Marshfield, I had experienced 8 solid seasons without missing a single game… (even my wife became a regular fan). 

Even more, I had made numerous pilgrimages to Lambeau… one of which was that Monday night Packer-Viking game where the Pack won in overtime (you know, that game when it was pouring rain & the ball bounced off of Antonio Freeman’s back shoulder then landed in his hands for the touchdown)??  I still tear up when I think about that.  (& if you’re a Viking fan, you probably do too).

So when we decided to plant a church in Minneapolis, the #1 question from our previous church was:  “How are you planning on staying true to the green and gold while living there?”  I mean, people were truly concerned for my NFL salvation.  I even had church members from Wisconsin offering to buy Sunday ticket on Directv so I would never miss a Packer game (it was offered like missionary support).

But I kept telling the people:  Listen church, I cannot antagonize the people of Minneapolis and still minister to them.  I’ve got to be willing to open my heart to Viking fans. Yet, their only solace was when I told them that I would adopt the Vikings like Abraham adopted Ishmael.  I could love both of them as my sons, but only one team came with the Promise… (specifically referring to Favre).  So you could imagine my shock when I heard that Favre was coming!  It felt like God was reconciling my two worlds.  (I’ve actually had dreams that Favre and I became good friends).

Of course, I was pretty angry when the Packers gave Favre the boot.  Sure, he put them in an awkward position; but, for goodness sakes… he’s not only a legend but he brought them to the NFC championship only months earlier.  I actually became a Jets fan for a year just to get over it.

So here’s the cool part.  Rumor has it that his daughter is coming to Mpls for college.  And you all know that Substance and college students are like chocolate and peanut butter.  Of course, Favre’s daughter is not coming to Substance, as far as I know (that was just a gimmick); BUT, I beguiled you with good purpose…  Prayer.

In a week in a half we are launching a new Substance campus at Northwestern!  And Substance, this is our Super-bowl moment; because, we’re estimating that we are going to grow by around 400 people in the coming 2 months!  So we need you to be praying like never before.  We cannot afford to cruise into the fall without being prayed up.

And, I suppose we could pray for Wisconsin too.  After all, Favre coming over here is nothing short of a state-wide church split.  So, Viking fans… I hope that you lend a compassionate hand towards our conflicted Wisconsin brothers.  After all… good things do come from Wisconsin… Right?

Well we just finished doing all of our new service times this weekend… and it all rocks. Wow.  Our Saturday recording at our Operation Center was stinkin cool!

In case you didn’t know, starting this last Saturday August 1st, at 5pm, we started an event called the Saturday Night Recording at our Operation Center studio auditorium. We have so many people listening to our audio podcasts from around the country that we decided to change to full video podcasts of our messages. Keep in mind, our largest “service” could easily be our online audience. Also keep in mind, our coffee shop will also be open on Saturday nights!!!! : )  (we gave free coffees to everyone who showed up this last Saturday!)…. perhaps we’ll do it again : ) ?  But when all was said and done it was AWESOME!!!!  So, if you have a free Saturday, come on out and hear the message before anyone else does!  (sorry, no child-care : ( we’re recording : (

 But make sure you read the vision document that I linked in an earlier post!  It has a lot of important information about the changes we’re making this Fall.

And remember, at Fridley, our Sunday morning services are changing to 9am and 11 am. (No more 8 am service) So if you attended 8 am, we’re asking you to “sleep in for Jesus.”
Of course, it will still be a month before we launch at Northwestern, but be praying: These are exciting times!  And watch out for changes at Fridley.  Because we’re unveiling our new lighting and video set up at Fridley in the coming weeks. (And it will look stinking cool!)   God is Amazing!
See you there!!!

Sneak-peek of Cafe at the OC!

We have so many wonderful things going on this Fall.  We’re launching a new Substance worship experience at Northwestern’s fine arts theater (in addition to Fridley).  We’re also upgrading Fridley with a dual projection HD video system by this August (It will look like a huge vertical wall of video).  But, despite the flurry of facility updates, we can’t forget to celebrate our new Operation Center in Roseville!  

This Sunday, (July 19th) we are officially opening our new facility for business!  The coffee machine works beautifully!  (I hear that it’s basically the same set up that Starbucks uses).  So join us Sunday afternoon for our official Open House / Dedication event!  At 2:30 pm, doors open for tours (led by the staff and me).  At 3:30 we’re going to dedicate it.  And we’ll continue giving tours and hanging out until 4:30.  So join us!  God is doing amazing things.

And remember:  It’s not so much about “the building.” Rather, God has been at work in our church community.  We’ve had an amazing number of unchurched people give their lives to Christ in the past few months.  We’ve also had an unusual number of people get involved in new ministries that we are currently launching.  So, this building is nothing more than a symbol representing the true cause of our celebration:  the expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven!!!!!  So pray that God enables us to continue glorifying him with the increase!  All right!?  I LOVE you guys!!!

I’m blogging from Hillsong Church in Australia right now. And I am totally inspired. For those of you who don’t know, Hillsong is perhaps the most influential contemporary worship church of the last century. (In fact, Hillsong United has been topping the secular itunes downloads for the last few weeks). Their songs are being played in more churches globally than any other songwriters in the last century.  (In fact, 1/2 of Substance’s worship music is simply Hillsong United  (but with a Substance spin : )
But their artistry is just insane. They have so much talent.
Of course, I’ve been meeting amazing pastors from all over the world. I got to know the pastor of Hillsong Paris… (he’s my age)! And hanging out in small rooms with Chris Tomlin strumming on his guitar is somewhat surreal.
In fact, just to give you an idea of how wild it is to be here: I was eating lunch, and suddenly a guy came up and started to massage my shoulders to say “hi”. I turn around and it’s Joel Osteen!?  How random.  Where else could you meet Louie Giglio, Craig Groeschel, and Joel Osteen in the same room?
Even more random, I’ve been running into Substance people! We are a global church!  I ran into NCU student …Becky Salter ?(Did I get your name right?).  Also, one of Substance’s original worship band members, Brooke Reynolds, was getting married right by my hotel. Her mom recognized one of the people in our group. I mean, we’re 15 time zones away… yet always at home! How small the world is!

But I’ll tell you what: As talented as Hillsong is, I can see this same raw potential at Substance. I know that it will be a few years before we have a national platform; but, the entire time I’ve been here, I sense the Spirit of God telling me: “Get Ready.”  So I’m just passing on the impression to you.  Let’s dream Big!

Opera House Sydney Harbor

Well the staff and I just released some juicy church information in the new document:   The Substance Fall Vision 2009!  As many of you know, we continue to grow.  We have around 450 college students going home for summer this year…yet amazingly, we’ve filled almost every seat since they left!  Naturally, even if we didn’t grow at all throughout the summer, we’d still need to add another church service.  But, thankfully, we’ve been ahead of the curve!

And that’s what this Fall Vision document / podcast is all about:  This fall, Substance is going to be adding another campus!  We’re also going to be doing a new Saturday night teaching event at our Operation Center.  So, if you have time, make sure you read the document or download the mp3 of me teaching it in person.   http://www.SubstanceChurch.com/content/pdf/TheFallVision2009.pdf

http://www.substancechurch.com/podcast/

Lastly, we’re doing a Q & A meeting about our multi-site set-up on Wed. July 1st at 7pm.  So, feel free to come if you want to hear more about all the changes!

But we love you guys.  Keep in prayer about all of these changes.  We believe that God is going to entrust us with over 700 unchurched people this fall.  That’s a HUGE responsibility because, these people aren’t numbers… rather they are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.  So, thanks for being a part of all this!  As you read it, ask the Lord what part he’d have you join up with.  All right!?  Let’s rock this city!