Good News On the Horizon

Well, life as been busy adjusting with a new addition to the family. Christie, Luke, Julianne, Soleil, Xander are all doing well. I have some good news on the horizon that I will be sharing with you over the next two weeks. So check back...just a little teaser for the good news coming!

Julianne Sage is Here!

Well, at 8:15 am this morning Julianne Sage made her grand entry weighing in at 8 pounds 10 ounches. Yeah, she was a big one but truly the most beautiful girl in the world! Ok, at least in her daddy's eyes. Mommy is doing well and we can't wait for Luke to see his little sister tomorrow.

Fall Change

This was a rough week. I work for the recruitment center where we staffed 35 employees and on Monday we had to let go 15 of them. Wednesday I encounter one of my famous headaches and found myself out for the next 15 hours sleeping it off. I woke up Thursday morning at 5 am feeling like I had just woke from hibernation, hungry and strangely refreshed after so much pain. I had to manage the recruitment center Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday by myself. I have great support from my boss and colleague and hope I managed it as well as they would have.
The good news I went to the Doctor on Thursday and got medicine to help me through January. We are working at scheduling surgery for me in the new year so the headaches can go away. It's all an insurance issue right now but hopefully this time it will all go through.
Today the recruitment center seem to be starting to return to normal. I went and got a cake to celebrate November birthday's. If you know me, I'm the guy who hides in my cube during these office rituals. But nonetheless, I felt we all could use the pick me up. I cleaned out everyone's desk who had left. It was cleansing and now I feel we all can start moving forward. The team work hard this week to meet one of our client's deadlines.
We keep moving forward at church. It has turned out nothing like I thought, but I'm grateful for that. I could never return to ministry as I once knew it. This has change my life and perspective of how God intended the church to be. I look forward to working it without the other jobs some day and not feel so divided between work, family, and what God has called me to do. On the other hand everything is so intertwined that I can only expect great things to take place as I walk this journey. I pray that God will just continue to send us people who need a place where they can come as they are and find the way of Christ.
We had a couple of fires in the fireplace already has the weather changes. Tomorrow Luke is going to help me plant the fall/winter plants. And if we are lucky Julianne will decide to show up.

Day In Downtown

Today was an exciting day has realHope set up a booth at the downtown festival in Fuquay-Varina. We handed out flyers with our information on it while doing face painting, hot chocolate, and had a drawing for a way cool treasure chest full of goodies. It was a really good day to be out in the community serving. And yes yours truly, painted face after face and became quite good at it. Thanks to John and Blynn who stayed the entire day with me setting up and tearing down. Couldn't have done with all you guys! Thanks also to Christie and Jen who help face paint in the morning and for Megan and Christine helping get the hot water from the church to our booth. If you visited our booth we hope you will be our guest this Sunday at 10:30 am! See everyone in the morning!

The Redwoods

Today, on way back up to Santa Rosa I made one last stop to Muir Woods. Incredible to see the giant redwoods. It had rained last night so the creek was full and it was just amazing to see. Really I think this was one of the best things I've seen so far. Well tomorrow I'll be back home...and I can't wait! Thanks Jedd and Brad for the recommendation!

I stood in this one!

Pier 39

So this evening I decided since I've been working so hard (yesterday was a very long day!) that I needed some fresh air and something fun to do. It was moderately fun but would have been so much more fun if my wife and son were along. I went to Pier 39 where I enjoyed some ice-cream, a magic show, sea-lions (boy were the loud!), overlooked Alcatraz Island (I really wanted to go see this but they didn't have an evening tour tonight...ahh well), watched the cable cars, looked at the sail boats, and then enjoy a quiet dinner at the crab house. I sat in front of a fire which is the first time I have felt warm in California! So it was all ok but when you are far away from the ones you love most...well...it sucks. However, please enjoy the pictures!

Picture of the Day

Ok so I drove over the Golden Gate today to go to Santa Rosa where I was recruiting. Did you know that there are 80,000 miles of cable which can stretch 3 x around the earth. The bridge can swing 27' in either direction and can drop 10' under extreme conditions! Way to go John Strauss!

Picture of the Day

So while I'm working hard I try to find time to see one fun things while I'm out here. This is Pacifica Pier, well the Peir is behind and I thought this view was better. Enjoy!

On Southwest

So I’m on my way to San Francisco, California, and it’s a long flight. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to update you all on things that have been going on lately.

I’m going to San Francisco to recruit people for jobs. This was a last minute trip decided on Wednesday because we had somewhat of a crisis on a current project. And so I was asked to make this trip to provide the leadership needed. My boss has call me her ‘star performer’ which I have to admit is always nice for the ego…however big responsibility and sacrifice seems to follow it.

I’d prefer not to travel and be gone for another week from Christie and Luke. They both are very strong and supportive when I’m gone. But today before I left I got to play with Luke and his balloon and well it’s those moments that make it really hard to go do your job.

And this is the first time I’ve flown Southwest and wow I’ve never seen people herd to the gate to get their preferred seat like that before. Lucky me got a window seat with no one beside me!

rH's First Baby Dedication

We had our first baby dedication service at rH. It was really great…it was super! Scott and Jen DeVarne dedicated their child Steven. We had 30 people come and well, yep our building was really crowded. A lot of great connections were made and it was so good for our community to experience the body of Christ together like that.

We have so big outreach events coming up this month and next. We are going to have a booth at Fuquay’s downtown festival where over 10,000 people come. Then in November we are doing another International Quiz night. We are looking for a local bar or pub to sponsor it at. Right now we are searching for a worship leader or least some people who can play instruments to help out our worship. Once we have that in place we are going to look at doing a bigger marketing campaign in the community.

Luke's 3 Yr. Old Pictures

International Quiz Night

Well, I'm back from my travels in New York. It was good to see some old friends and enjoy the change of scenery. We have known Tim & Suzy since college and they we're really great with having us stay with them. Luke loves hanging out with them. I just hope we didn't drive them too crazy with a 3-year old in their house for the week!

We got back really late Saturday night so I was pretty tired on Sunday but we still had a great service and a great International Quiz night. They are really challenging questions but everyone did really good and had a lot of fun. It's turn out to be a really good event just to get people talking to one another and getting to know each other better. It's nothing more than getting the family around the table and enjoying a good family game night.

This also promotes one of our important values at rH - We are a family working together.

Working In New York City

So today I woke up and walked to the train to go into New York City. I'm happy to say I only got turned around twice, once in and once on the way out. Although on the way back if you get lost in NY there is at least a Starbucks on every corner to allow to you to gather your senses again. Thankfully Suzy came and picked me up. Also, it's cold up here! Which I have to say is kinda of nice since its been so hot in NC.

Headway's offices are located on Madison Avenue right outside Grand Central Station. It's pretty cool. I'll be here until Friday and then head back to the South.

Last Sunday we had our first Sunday services at rH. We had five families represented. I'm really excited as we continue to move forward and grow rH. I hope to see you sometime there on Sunday's at 10:30 AM. Our core group is also meeting on Sunday's at 6 PM which is another great time for fellowship and planning for rH.

Team Efforts

Honestly there are nights I lay awake thinking this will never happen. There's not enough time in the day to get it all done. And somewhere in all of these rushing thoughts of things that I need to do for work, church, and family it all hits me - I can not do it all. And this truth is really quite a relief once you accept it. It's just getting to that point.

There is a lot going on this week. This Sunday we begin Sunday morning worship services at 10:30 AM, we have a cook out this Saturday, and there are so many things that need to be accomplish for both of those things. The good thing, is there is a good team of people at realHope that are ready to work hard to make sure things are ready. It is nice to know that when I realize I can't get it all done, they have already realized that weeks before I do. So everyone is busy getting things done this week and working hard.

If you are in the area I hope you will join us this Sunday morning at 10:30 AM. It will be a great time of worship and fellowship. And I promise you'll find more than just a church, you'll find a family.

Owner's Breakfast

Once a month at rH we have what we call Owner's Breakfast. This is an opportunity for us to come together and fellowship, pray, discuss, and dream about our plans for the church. We are calling our members 'owners' because we want our members of rH to understand that we are heirs of the kingdom of God and each have a role to play in His kingdom. Membership in our culture has come to imply a consumer attitude - get your membership card, enjoy the services, and leave. At rH we want people to really to participate in the body of Christ. Christie and I came to this term after visiting Vintage 21 a church in Raleigh, NC. I'm excited that we are creating in our DNA a place where people we not just join but really become a part of the body and use their unique gifts to serve God's Kingdom.

This week at rH we continue our study in Colossians, You've Got Style. Hope to see you there and stop by Saturday at our Owner's Breakfast (9 AM).

The Gospel for Today

At thegathering I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from author Leonard Sweet.

"The mystery of the gospel is this: It is always the same (content), and it is always changing (containers). In fact, for the gospel to remain the same, it has to change. The old, old story needs to be told in new, new ways. In fact, one of the ways you know the old, old truths are true is their ability to assume amazing and unfamiliar shapes while remaining themselves and without compromising their integrity."

My son Luke loves milk. I can pour his milk into different cups for him. Some cups are easier for him to drink out of while others are more difficult for him to handle yet. I personally enjoy the harder cups to drink out of and would not enjoy drinking out of his sippy cup. But Luke is able to understand, enjoy, fully take in all of his milk, and not spill any out of his sippy cup. If I choose the easier cup over the harder one have I altered Luke's milk any? Absolutely not! I have only allowed him the opportunity to really enjoy all of his milk.

It is important to understand if changing methods change the message of the Gospel. Experiences change but the Gospel does not. And this is important for leadership to make sure that methods (containers) don't alter the message (content). We can begin to really understand what Paul meant when he wrote, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22). What an incredible challenge for us today!

If we are to preach the Gospel for today we must contextualize the culture around us, discover the containers that the people use, and begin filling them up with the message of Christ. Our challenge is to understand our preferences and not to let them become prejudices that blind us from reaching those Christ has put in our paths to reach. I am convinced that the church today must explore the containers people are using and begin filling them with the Living Water. These are the containers they drink out of everyday. A great challenge and yet it may be one of the greatest opportunities for the church to preach the Gospel for today!

This Week @ rH

Tomorrow night Sunday at 6 PM will have thegathering, a place for anyone and everyone who is seeking out the way of Christ. We are starting a new message series entitled, "You've Got Style." It is a study through the book of Colossians, a New Testament book in the Bible. I'm really excited about it and hope you'll join us if you are in the area.

As I posted earlier we ran out of chairs last week, but got some more, so come and don't hesitate to bring along a friend. Make sure you check out the rH website for all the great events coming up (Scrapbooking night, International quiz night).

Hey, if you come by thegathering I'll make this promise, I won't tell you the ending of the new Harry Potter book! See ya then!

Record Attendance, New Job, Great Stuff

Yeah, it's one of those just 'great stuff' happening weeks. Those are good to have ever now and then. This week I started at Headway Corporate Resources as project manager of the Resource Center. I have a learning curve to get pass but confident that I swing through it. I'm excited about the company - they really seem to know their stuff and how to do it. They treat people with care - it's not just your normal staffing company, they are a mark above the rest. So if you need a job, let me know or your company needs lots of jobs, let me know. I can help.

realHope had record attendance Sunday night. We had a great call this week and well the short of it all....we're growing! We ran out of chairs and are not sure what we will do this coming Sunday! We gave the rH website a fresh update so check it out. I really please with the results so far. We are also working on a new feature to allow people to donate online, so yeah, you no what that means friends and family....

Christie's mom, sister, two nieces, and cousin are here for a couple of days so we have a full house! Also, last Friday we found out we are going to have a girl (I'm still not sure what to think about that one!) But, in the end of it all it's all really great stuff!

Time Off

Well this week I'm enjoying some rest and catch up on somethings around the homestead and for rH before I begin my new job at Headway. I started the week off doing some premarriage counseling and visiting the zoo with Christie and Luke. Luke just wanted to see Giraffes and luckily at the very end we saw them. It was a lot of fun but really hot!

I finally got a calendar put together for rH for the next couple of months and started putting together a preaching series calendar together as well. Our big project that we are starting to get underway is to get morning Sunday services going. We feel like more people will choose this time to visit us and well frankly we like to grow.
The biggest challenge is what do with worship. We really need a gifted worship leader so please pray that God will lead us to the right person to do this.

It seems this is the week for people from the past to check in. At least its been people I still like to hear from! Well that's all the update for now, maybe something of more interest later.

Some Last Things

Ahh yes, some last things that I will ever have to do have come. Today was my last day at the hotel, my last day standing on my feet for eight hours checking in people who don't understand rates and are to cheap to pay for parking, my last day eating the nasty food in the employee cafeteria, my last day doing airlines, my last day doing a room move, or taking luggage to a room. Ahh yes, some last feel good.

Today was also the last day in the week where I completed working out. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's I committed to working out. Always feels good to complete the first week.

So on now to some first and even more familiar things, like having evenings back and weekends, and having more time for rH.

This Week at rH

So today I ran the mile again...well sort of. I thought it would be good to take Soleil, my dog with me. She likes to run...really she loves to run especially when you don't want her too. So off we went this afternoon, but surprise, surprise, she was slowing me down. She actually wanted to stop half way through. Guess I'm not the only one who needs to get in shape.

This week at thegathering we continue in our Revolution series searching for answers on how to face obstacles in our journey. The fact is everyone of us will face obstacles in our journey. Our aim is to finish the journey well. How do we do that? Find out this weekend at thegathering, Sunday @ 6 PM.

Want to know what other great events are happening at realHope? Check it out on the web (www.realhopechristian.org).

See you Sunday and if I don't lift up a prayer for us!

Health & More

Yesterday afternoon we welcomed our first new baby to rH. Steven DeVarne was born, Sunday around 4 PM, seven weeks early! Jen went into the hospital with complications earlier in the morning. We saw both Scott and Jen today and they both were doing well. Their son is doing well to and will have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks while he gets stronger. Overall both mommy and son are doing very well. We are excited that rH just grew by one! Congrats Scott and Jen!

And today I started exercising, ran over a mile today. Why oh why does working out have to be so much work...guess that's why they called it working out!

International quiz night went well. We plan to do another by the end of the summer. It was a great time of fellowship and fun. I was really glad I was the host because I didn't know any of the answers. They were really hard questions! Like what is the most popular candy to hand out at Halloween?

Well, only four days left at the hotel!

8 Working Days Left...

Today I got my last starhot rate for Christie and I to celebrate our 8th anniversary in August. I can't believe we will have been married for eight years! We will be staying at the Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte, NC. And how appropriate is the number 8 today because I now only have 8 working days left of the hotel.

Tonight Christie held our first Scrapbooking night at realHope. They had two guest show up! So this week we have had a total of three guest already and International Quiz night is this Sunday! If you know me at all, I completely suck at trivia. I am the guy you do not want on your team, the one you pick last unless your playing dodge ball, then I can play a pretty mean game. I am totally amazed at those of you gifted to hold useless trivia information until it becomes useful in the only event I know of - winning trivia games. It all happens this Sunday at 7 PM at realHope. Hope to see some of you there - and for the rest of you pray for a good turn out!

9 Working Days Left. . .

Really, the last few days always seem to drag out. This weekend at the hotel was crazy and I even had to stay over. You may think well that's nice that you got to sleep at the hotel, but when you've been there all day, smell like hotel, the last thing you want to do is go to bed at the hotel, praying they won't call you from downstairs.

We had a guest at realHope last night and a great Owner's meeting this weekend. That was really exciting! And this coming Tuesday night the ladies are having their first scrapbooking night and this coming Sunday is International Quiz night! It was nice to eat with Christie and Luke tonight and realize only 9 more working days and I'll get to do this a lot more often. Then my parents came over and we played hearts. That's a great summer evening. Only 9 more working days to I get to experience more of it! Do you understand, I'm on the count down. And if you must drudge on in a place you hate, I hope you can experience only 9 more working days soon too!

Moving Forward

First, I'm in the process of changing the look on my blog. I like visual change of scenery. Secondly, yesterday I signed my letter of offer with Headway Staffing Company to be their new project manager for their Call Center Division. So good-bye Sheraton on July 6th! (And yes, I'm sorry, no more great hotel discounts).
This position is offering exciting opportunities for us. I will help with Real Hope's financial flow, allowing us to use more money for ministry, equipment, and marketing. It will also give me back my evenings and weekends! I don't think Christie or I will know what to think about that!
So we are moving forward to good things!

Good Stuff

Ok, so it's been awhile since I've blogged. But I have to say a lot of good stuff has been taking place in the weeks that followed our 'near death experience.' Talk about really waking you up to life!

First, we are mostly behind the wreck. Still working through some insurance issues... blahh! But for the most part I have to give it to Erie, they've really done a great job taking care of things. And I'm now that average American father with the mini van, two pets, and soon two kids! The little one is doing great with a strong heart beat! We should find out the sex next time we go! Luke and Christie are doing well too. We enjoyed a week with Luke's cousins, Emily and Logan. It was nice to have the minivan with everyone here. So I might be somewhat dorky looking in the mini van but you can't beat the room. The other day I was cleaning it out and discover a whole drawer! Who puts a drawer in a car? Genuis idea!

Tonight my parents, Christie, Luke and I handed out close to 300 flyers announcing realHope and our events coming up. In July we are having our first Internation Quiz night which I'm really excited about. We hope this will become a real attraction to people in the community. At our first outreach event we got over 80 emails and address from people, so we were really excitied about those results.

I have other great news but I can't announce it yet...so check back and I'll tell you soon! And remember drop by realHope anytime, we love to see ya!

What It Really Feels Like to Be Hit By A Truck

Dear Friend and Family,

There are moments when you're life flashes before you and at the end of it all you can not help but to be thankful for the people God has placed in your life.

Last night at approximately 12:30 AM, Saturday night, we (Luke, Christie, and I) were heading back home from Atlanta, GA to North Carolina on I-95. Just an hour and an half from home we hydroplaned in front of a Semi-truck. The truck pushed us 200 feet down I-95 as we spinned out of control and landed in the median. All the windows we're gone and the bumper of the truck came very close to Christie. The State Trooper that later came to the hospital told us that none of us should have walked away alive.

By God's amazing hand we had only minor scratches and bruises. Luke didn't even cry! He thought it was cool that he got to ride in an ambulance. People kept telling us how lucky we were but we kept telling them God was in it all.

This Saturday we have our first outreach event handing out balloons, face-painting, and info. about Real Hope at the Celebrate Fuquay-Varina festival. Approximately 8,000 people will pass our booth. I am convinced that Satan would do anything for us to be shaken from this event. However, why shaken emotionally from the event, our resolved and faith to plant this new church can not be shaken.

Your prayers have been more important then you'll ever know. They protected us when we could not. And once again they have started something in heaven that we could not and it begins this Saturday as we reach people for Christ!

So thank you from the depths of hearts for praying and supporting us. You have no idea how much each of you mean to us. And please pray for our emotions to heal quickly and as we go out and reach people for Christ this weekend.

Peace and a prayer,
Jeremy, Christie, & Luke

PS The little ne owe are expecting in November is ok too!
PPS If your local in the area drop by our booth at Action Park in Fuquay-Varina this Saturday! We'd love to see you!

119 South Fuquay Avenue

Pictures of Real Hope's new home:

A New Day

This morning Luke crawled into bed to wake me up. I asked him what today was, and he said, "a new day." He can really make you feel positive about life, alive, and ready to conquer the day. There are a lot of exciting things taking place. Just a quick update about what's going on.

Monday evening we will be signing a lease for Real Hope's first home. It's located downtown Fuquay-Varina next to the DMV and Library. This brings a lot of traffic right by the building so I'm really excited about that. One of the best features is that the back door opens up to a community park with a children's playground, pavilion, and large grass area. The town also holds several events downtown each year and we plan to be involved in those. One festival brings in over 20,000 people.

We don't have anything for the building yet, but I love the spirit of our group. We plan to start meeting there next Sunday and they said they can bring there folding chairs. So who knows what kind of chairs we'll have for our first time there, but we are excited about the potential ministry opportunities that will happen and the impact we can have.

So keep all this in your prayers. I'll post pictures later this week.

Wind Changes

At night the wind has been blowing around our gray blue house as if it is giving up the old season and preparing for the new. Luke graduated to his 'big boy' bed tonight. How fast they grow. I grab onto his unmastered pronouns to keep him from growing up to fast. He says, 'hold you' instead of using 'me', although the other day 'me' slipped out. I couldn't bear to let him know he was right. I'm just not ready to let go of 'hold you.' He gets me everytime he says it.

My parents move to this beautiful state in eleven days. The reality of them being so close by hasn't set in yet. I may have to just stand in their living room for the first few days and just stare at them to know it's real. I don't know who will get tired of who first. But I remind them if they start acting old their off to my brothers.

Soliel keeps going outside and barking tonight. She's ready for the new season as well. Tired of the cold nights and the cold ground outside. Xander wants nothing more than to leave the cozy house and begin venturing outside. I think we are all a bit stir crazy for something new - something we've been waiting for awhile to happen. We just weren't sure how it would be ushered into our lives.

Revolution

"The skeptiscism of those who lead conventional spiritual lives is a palpable reminder that growth always comes with a price tag...The mere presence of Revolutionaries makes the typical American citizen - yes, even the typical churchgoer - uncomfortable. It is not uncommon for Revolutionaries to meet with rejection - verbal, intellectual, relational, or experiential - simply because of their determination to honor the God they love."

This is a quote from George Barna's book "Revolution." By no means did this book alter my thinking in any great way. It was an easy read but affirming what I feel inside many days. It help identify what I am a part of - of who I am becoming - of where I am going. I can be lots of titles. A bivocational minister, church planter, front desk manager, daddy, husband, brother - but I am a part of a much larger movement. I am one of the revolutionaries which simplified means, I have deserted Christianity and become a follower of Christ.

I know it seems somewhat of a paradox, but this is much of the revolutionary life.

Relevance

My friend is an awesome librarian. Before she became a librarian I thought all librarians were pretty much geeks who had little regard for being relevant. She is doing amazing things that are culturally relevant and engaging new children and parents into the world of books and reading. What I find interesting is that she comes up against the very thing churches are willing to die for even in the secular field - being irrelevant to the culture around them.

Somewhere we have to understand that culture relevance is not the death of what's moral, right, and truth. Language changes, style changes, and so must our methodologies if we expect what we love so much to be around for the next generation.
Take the word pimp. At first there is a generation that would associate this word's use in a negative connotation. But the very word itself has changed meanings for much of the culture around us. Pimp can also be used as a verb such as "You're pimped up!" or "Pimp my ride." The latter example refers to customizing an automobile, made popular by the show Pimp My Ride on MTV. It can also be used as an adjective connoting the same, i.e. "Man, that car's pimp!" Either use was originally a derogatory term, implying that the subject was overly decorated and tacky (referring to the stereotype of pimps with excessive jewelry, flashy clothes, or brightly colored cars with animal-print upholstery and crystal chandeliers). It was eventually reclaimed as an American slang term for being unique, "cool" or socially desirable, in much the same way as the term "ghetto fabulous."
All I'm trying to say is that if I could get people to wake up from their mundane hard working days and come to church to hear a sermon title, "Pimp my Church" - they're the very ones I want to reach. Leonard Sweet says it well, "The mystery of the gospel is this: It is always the same, and it is always changing. In fact, for the gospel to remain the same, it has to change. The old, old story needs to be told in new, new ways. In fact, one of the ways you know the old, old truths are true is their ability to assume amazing and unfamiliar shapes while remaining themselves and without compromising their integrity."
Maybe the real reason people find it hard to stay culturally relevant is because our world is changing so fast, then again, maybe we have some prejudices that we just don't want to face and death seems to be the better option. My wife also wrote a great blog about Christ and Culture.