Crazy Pills

I talked to a friend of mine the other day at the gym and jokingly said that he must be taking crazy pills to want to start a church.  Of course that’s kinda like telling your sister that her mother is ugly, not a very smart cut-down.  So, here I am starting this journey and I’m taking the same crazy pills that all of the other church planters that have gone before me are taking.

But…I’m not that crazy.  I really do have a plan.  I’m not going at this blindly with no experience, calling or training.  I am hoping to build friendships and relationship that will sustain me, my family and Axiom Church for the long haul.  I’m not approaching the financial obligations with faith alone.

So, in a sentence (yes there is more and I will talk about it a lot), this is the plan:

Take and pass the Integrated Curriculum Exam tomorrow to get multiple certifications, then get a teaching job in Gainesville, while selling our house, moving, raising funds for the Axiom, followed by building a core team, having informational meetings and building staff in the spring to launch with Preview Services in June, July, August culminating in a Grand Opening on August 22, 2010.

Please pray for me and let me know how you want to help!!

Soak it up…

Lately, I have been hot on the trail of some great senior/lead pastors.  My plan is to soak up their experiences and wisdom to get a clearer picture of their role in the Church.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Tim Grandstaff, Tony Mccollum, Shawn Lovejoy, and I’m meeting with J.R. Lee and Matt Evans this week.

As I’ve digested and internalized these conversations, I’ve realized that every guy that stands up to preach has a wildly different story, which is what I learn from the most anyway.  I also know that my education would be incomplete if I quit now, so I’m posting my wish list of those guys I would most like to download in the very near future (and why).

Matt Chandler (The Village Church) – He can use the Bible to crush you more gently with your sin then anyone else I’ve heard.  You will still like him at the end of the day too.

Chris Brown (Seacoast Church) – Great storyteller (not the Lead Pastor) and just fun to listen to.  I would love to download his story telling ability and learn how he prepares.

Steven Furtick (Elevation Church) – When he talks its like listening to someone open up a thesaurus.  What he does and how he carries himself feels extremely genuine…I’d love to understand the philosophy of his approach.

Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church) – He just seems like a super smart dude that would challenge everything I think.  Plus, he would be a fun guy to interrogate.

Bob Roberts (Northwood Church) -Probably the most well connected Pastor that I’ve seen or know.  I would love to understand more deeply his approach to ministry and taking the Gospel to the Nations.

Jonathan Falwell (Thomas Road Baptist Church) – In a day and age when denominations are struggling and Baptists influence seem to be fading, his church is thriving.  I’d love to understand how he leads in these uncertain times.

Jeff Kapusta (Lifepoint Church) – How could you not have fun with a surfing pastor?  I think it would be fun to digest his approach to ministry to keep interesting.

Beating a Dead Horse

There is a myth that Pastors like to talk.  OK, that’s not a myth, it’s for real.

I wonder sometimes if we are more in love with thinking and talking about doing stuff then actually doing it.  In other words, do we have so many meetings, brain-storming sessions, strategic lunches, and organizational charts that we can’t find the time to implement any of our ideas?

It’s kind of like beating a dead horse.  He ain’t running any faster if he is lying dead in the mud.  Ministry isn’t happening any better just because you talked about it and continually perfect your latest idea.

Corporations, Educators and others are just as guilty and fall into the same traps.  I can’t remember how many meetings we had as a teacher that kept us from grading papers, preparing for class or tutoring a student.  Instead we had to listen to the latest standard, testing procedure, or “motivational” speaker.

At the end of the day I think we often crowd up our days with meetings because we are afraid of the hard work. It’s easier to talk, Twitter, or write a blog then to actually make disciples.

Time Flies…

If this happens in 2 years, what is going to happen in 10?

Surprise

I used to hate the Mellow Mushroom. I thought the pizza tasted like cheese and sauce on a sandy piece of cardboard.  It’s so weird how things change.  The other day my family was trying to choose a place to eat and I suggested Mellow Mushroom?!  I didn’t immediately realized that something had changed, but it didn’t take long to notice that the place I used to loath I now wanted to frequent.

It’s always interesting how God uses circumstances, tastes, and odd situations to teach you that He is in control.  I’m not saying that He made me like Mellow Mushroom, but I am saying that He controls our hearts. Anytime you control someone’s heart you can direct them like a fat man toward a buffet.  Men and women alike are deceived/inspired by their hearts and led to pursue stupid things, great things, and eternal things.  At the same time God is the only one that can actually understand our hearts (guess that’s because he made it?).

I guess the lesson I’m learning is to never get too comfortable or be too quick to judge.  We all know people we that grew on us, places we didn’t like going that we now frequent, and jobs that evolved into something amazing.  I say watch out and let God does His thing.

You never know what you could wake up tomorrow liking, doing, or wanting!

Me Against the World

There are lots of approaches people can take in trying to accomplish their goals or the vision they believe God gave them.  I imagine that most people would recommend trying to work with others to help both parties win.  Others, would attack obstacles like its them against the world.

Roger Federer is one of those “me against the world” players in the professional sports world, because of his approach to tennis.  For many years he didn’t have a coach, all the while quickly becoming one of the most decorate pro tennis players ever.  Over the last two years however, others (who have coaches) have caught up.  Just this year he has decided to get a coach as he has realized that others understand his game and no longer fear him.

As I start my journey toward planting a church I constantly find myself fighting this internal battle to involve others, to trust them, believe in their motives, and yet understand that we (human beings) aren’t naturally selfless, encouraging, trusting and interested in seeing other succeed.

I’ve been warned not to expect those who I would assume would be huge supporters to get behind the calling God has given me (minus my wife) and to expect funding, support, prayers, etc. to come from unlikely sources.  So far, I’m pretty certain that “they” are right.

It makes me want to try and do it completely by myself, but I know that God wants the Glory, that others need to be stretched, and that God will use His Church to spread the Gospel.  It’s going to take more then just one family that is willing to do difficult things in their personal life to change Gainesville, Florida for the Kingdom of God.

“Though none go with me, still I will follow…” – S. Sundar Singh

Fill it up!

I don’t know if you are like me, but there is something that really frustrates me going through the drive-thru at a fast food joint.  It’s an almost full drink.  You know what I’m talking about…it’s when you grab your drink and start to sip and quickly realize that they left the top 1-inch of space in the cup empty, for no reason at all.  Sure they probably say its so you won’t spill it on your lap, but we all would choose a little sweet tea on our jeans over a drink ending early…right?

Anyway, lately my life has been feeling like that.  It’s not like I’m not investing in my relationship with Jesus, praying, reading my Bible, etc.  It’s not that I don’t spend time with my family or find goofy things to do that I enjoy, it’s just I feel like when I wake up in the morning my glass is missing the top 1-inch of energy, excitement, and courage.

Lamentations 3 talks about God’s compassion being new every morning.  I used to read verses 19-20 every morning as a single guy trying to have a good attitude about being single and waiting on the Lord.  Now I need this verse to keep my head up in the midst of selling our house, changing careers (for a very short time), getting a job, moving my family, starting over, leaving friends and our church.

Check out those verses and maybe your won’t get robbed of that last 1-inch of sweet goodness tomorrow!?

“Push the button!!”

There is an infamous story that we sometimes refer to around the Oak Leaf offices as “push the button!”  Basically, I was on the phone from a guy from India, who represented Intuit (Quickbooks), and he was repeating over and over company policy instead of refunding our money when they charged us to do something they didn’t actually do.  So, I told him to push whatever button he needed to push to refund our money…it eventually happened.

I was thinking about Jesus the other day and I wonder if He had a “push the button experience.”  Jesus is often credited for not sinning despite being tempted in every way.  In every way means exactly that, He faced every temptation, yet turned them all down.  I’m not sure of this, but I think that His greatest temptation was to actually not “push the button.”

Here is what I mean…

You probably remember the path to His crucifixion.  He was hunted down, arrested, tried, beaten, whipped, humiliated, and then stabbed by some nails.  I often wonder if there was a time, maybe right at the point when they stuck the “crown” of thorns into his head, that He didn’t feel like grabbing the thorns, tossing them down and then “pushing the button.”

The button I’m referring to is the one that would send Gabriel and a 1000 of his angel buddies down to earth to thrash Pilate and all of the Jewish leaders who were beating and mocking Him.  Can you imagine sitting on that much power and not using it when its at your finger tips and your discretion.  That’s some serious self-control and I’m super glad He resisted.

I think I would have “pushed the button.”

Cat Out of Bag…

It’s really overwhelming when you think about how much work it is to keep a secret.  It’s not the part of not saying anything, but rather not acting like you have a secret that makes it hard work.  Well, I had one in regards to what God was doing in the life of my family and with my daily attempt to follow wherever He leads.

The Story:

When I met Michael in the summer of 2006 I was a bored teacher wanting to make a Kingdom impact and a former church planting staff member expecting God to get me involved in church planting.  So, when things went well in our first conversation, and the subsequent ones, I felt compelled to throw everything I had, and then some, into what God was doing at Oak Leaf Church.

Carrie claims I was trying to get on staff, but I honestly just needed to do something in the summer.  After awhile it seemed apparent that I fit well at the Leaf and a staff position was a natural result.  So, after being a volunteer staff person for about a year, I quit my job and started getting a paycheck to be the Executive Pastor.  It’s been a great learning experience and I feel like I have been able to help Oak Leaf go forward during all of moves, meetings, and strategies.

However, last summer God started something inside me that I haven’t been able to shake.  It wasn’t a brand new idea, just something that I thought I fulfilled in working at Oak Leaf.  It was the idea of starting a church with me as the Lead Pastor.  At the time, the where and when wasn’t clear.  But, during this winter and spring through lots of prayer, fasting, and hard conversations I’ve realized that God is calling me to leave the job, staff, and church I’ve grown to love and start a church in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida.

It probably one of the worst timed things I’ve ever attempted, but it’s God timing!!  Two little boys, a brand new building, and a terrible economy, but there are plenty of people who need Jesus in Gainesville, so God is sending me and my family to take the Gospel to those who don’t know Him.  We are excited, nervous and sad, but we know its the right thing to do.

So, sometime in August I will head to Gainesville to begin the journey.  These next two months will be a great time to see how God will provide and what direction our lives and ministry will go.  We just ask that you pray for us and help us go forward in faith that God’s timing and plan is all we need. I believe God used my time at Oak Leaf to prepare us and hope that the church will get behind us, while being a catalyst for Him to do something equally significant in Gainesville.

Not a good day…

It’s a Gratto trait to have what to others would be a lifetime combination of errors, all happens in one day.  However, since my last name ends in Gratto…tonight was pretty ridiculous, but also pretty routine.

I wanted to go hear Andy Stanley in person and learn what I could from his style, delivery, etc. After all I’m teaching at Fuel on Wednesday and I expect to teach more in the future, so I want to get some tips and tricks.  So, I do the smart thing and I check up on the series and double check to make sure that they did have child care for my two boys. We are set, so Carrie and I grab the boys, get in the hand-me-down Trailblazer and take off.

About 3 miles down the road, on the 40-minute trip, the gas light comes one (we are already behind schedule at this point).  So, we pull into the gas station and pump some gas…it’s slower then squeezing toothpaste, so we only get a couple gallons.  We get going again and it starts to rain.  For some reason, one of the wipers are only hitting half of the glass.  About two miles down the road it flips over.

Now, its pouring and I’ve got one windshield, with one scraping the glass, Micah is making a racket because of the noises…and then I get an important phone call.  I take the call and drive with no windshield wipers, because I couldn’t hear anything.  As I’m talking I realize that I missed my exit, so I try to get off the phone gracefully and then figure out another way, which of course only makes us later.

We finally arrive at the Buckhead Campus and we pull into the parking garage.  The kids are out and we are standing at the Elevator.  It says to go down to Preschool.  So, we push the button over and over and finally give up and just go up, which are actually where the classes are located.

We get off the elevator and we are immediately in front of the Wamba Land sign.  To our complete dismay they have a nice note saying have a great Memorial Day…we are closed!  Carrie and I look at each other and just smile.  So, we head to the service with all of the other parents expecting childcare.

We arrive get our seat in the back row and the real fun begins.  Todd Fields is leading worship and every time the colors change Micah screams out the color…going well, huh?  Then Todd tells a story about his grandmother as Micah is telling us, “let’s go Daddy!” over and over (no music at this point either).  Finally, he finishes the worship set and just as the last chord rings out and Todd starts to pray, Micah lets out a “YEAH! at the top of his lungs and starts clapping.

Yep, the closest 200 people turn around to see what weirdo parents brought their two-year old into the service.  We get him calmed down (he thinks you clap and cheer after every song) and Todd says Amen…at least Andy will be there to speak.  At this point, I’m expecting Mr. T to be preaching.  Can you guess what happended next?

No Andy, just a video and there is no chance Micah and Jude are watching a sermon on video on our laps for 35 minutes.

If my night had ended there, I might be in a mental hospital, but I made a wrong turn trying to get back to 400 and the Lord saved me from a stroke….it was the Pearly Gates, or Chipotle (depending what denomination you are).