My friends at CCC came to KC and shot this video of the Wegers. It’s a great story and a must watch.

Finding Your Way Back to God Story- David & Debby from Restore Community Church on Vimeo.

We start our winter term of small groups this week at Restore. Mine kicked off last night and we have a great group. Being the beginning of a new term we started with some basic “get to know you” questions. One of the questions was asking what led people to small group. Here’s some of the responses we had:

• I want to connect with new people
• We hope to strengthen our marriage through small group
• I love the community that I experience in small group
• It provides me with a group of people that I can call on in tough times
• I want to learn more about God and the Bible
• Small group is where I can take next steps with God

I love it! Whether you call it small group, life group, life transformation group, or whatever, God works in us when we connect with others in authentic community. You can’t help but see God change you, and others through you, when we gather to discuss God’s word and how it applies to our lives.

If you’re at Restore or any church and you’re on the fence about getting connected, you have to give it a try. You won’t regret it!

As 2010 approaches and Restore completes our 2nd year, I really want to examine our website.

• What’s works?
• What’s missing?
• What needs to go?

How would you answer the following questions about your church’s website:

1. What do you love the most about your website?
2. What would you most like to change about your website?
3. What’s that 1 thing that you dream of adding to your website?

Thanks for taking the time. I really admire and respect the work you do for the Church.

When all else fails, do what Oprah does… right? Ok, maybe not. But this year for Christmas we wanting to empower generosity at Restore without pointing people in a specific direction. The people of Restore have proven that they know how to be generous and we knew it was time to dream up ways to give BIG this Christmas.

Here’s what we did: Troy McMahon was giving his normal warm wishes from the stage, updating people on some of the upcoming things at Restore when he stepped off the stage, onto a subwoofer, and then on to the floor, face to face with the people. He asked everyone to pull out there wallet. (That’s never a good thing when a church asked you directly to get your wallet out). He said “Take out your largest bill”…people did, hesitantly. He walked over to a man with a $10 bill, and handed him an additional $10 bill. Then to a woman with a $20 bill, then a $50, even on to a man with an $100 bill.

“What the heck are we supposed to do with this $?” was written all over their faces. “Watch this”, we told them.

Restore’s Big Give from Restore Community Church on Vimeo.

What do you think?? What are your churches doing this year? Would love to hear more idea.

Starting this Sunday, John, Paul, George, & Ringo will be taking us on a Christmas journey. Here’s the rundown:

• December 6th – “Revolution”
  Big Idea: Christmas was not meant to be just another holiday.  It was meant to be a revolution.
• December 13th – “Yesterday”
  Big Idea: Christmas is not about the past, but the future and as Christ-followers we are meant to be on the offensive in this world.
• December 20th – “All The Lonely People”
  Big Idea: Reaching out to people who are lonely is not just nice, its at the very heart of being a Christ-follower.
• December 27th – “Across The Universe”
  Big Idea: The world wants to conform us, but God wants to transform us.

At Restore we love to redeem all things in the world, including the British Invasion, and use it for the glory of God. Come check out the Christmas story through the eyes of The Beatles.

On Sunday we collected our Impact offering and God continues to be a faithful provider. We casted a vision to Restore and asked for $100,000 in one morning, approximately 10x what normally comes in. This money would go to the launch of our 2nd campus in Liberty.

I am thrilled to share that on Sunday, the people of Restore responded in faith and gave an overwhelming $137,000!!! The people in this church community continue to blow me away with their generosity.

Rick McKinley of Imago Dei in the Northwest, says “It isn’t giving ’til it hurts” and I know that people have made HUGE sacrifices to see the Jesus mission carried out here in KC.

Thanks Restore!! My prayer is that God continues to bless us, individually and as a church, that we might continue to be more generous with what is HIS!

Much of what has happened in the last 12 months at Restore has revolved around reproduction; it was the theme of our last 12 months. We’ve reproduced:

• contributors
• leaders
• small groups
• celebration services
• and now a new church Liberty

A culture of reproduction is in place at Restore, it’s embedded deep and I love that. We, as a First Team believe that this next year be about TRANSFORMATION. We have the 3 C’s at Restore: Celebrate, Connect, & Contribute. What if in the next year all 3 of these experiences could be taken deeper? What if…

• we didn’t just celebrate together on Sunday but we all heard from God daily thru prayer and reading the Bible
• we didn’t just connect in the social space of small group but began intimate relationships of accountability and transformation
• we didn’t just contribute our time and money but were transformed into people of generosity, recognizing that all we have comes from God

Much of what I’ve posted this past year has to do with mission and movement. It’s our culture, it’s what we do, and will continue to do. Now I see my focus and the focus of Restore turning more towards the heart and it’s transformation…

Where do you want to see transformation this year in you and in your church?

Have you ever looked ahead at your long term goals and wondered how you’ll get there? For much of what we set out to do in church, in business, and in life someone has done before us and their is a proven process in place. Other times we’re setting out to do something that hasn’t been perfected.

At Restore, part of our mission is to be a reproducing church and to do that we want to grow exponentially on a continual basis. So many questions are arising as we have embarked on this journey. Good questions. Important questions. I’m finding over and over that there isn’t a definite answer and I’m learning that OK.

So here’s is what I’d tell you if your long term goals involve roads yet to be traveled.

• Begin with the end in mind. Know where you need to get to and let that direct your next steps.
• Let it happen naturally. Don’t force your initial ideas. Let people’s response to your goals craft the process.
• Trust your leaders and contributors. Let those who are going to make it happen, formulate the equation. I know you’re smart and you can make anything good. Trust in your prior coaching of these people and let them make it great.

Are you starting something new? What are your thoughts?

My friend Patrick got an email about an “award”. For only $39.99 plus S&H we could be the proud owners of this:

Unfortunately for us, no where in the budget is there a line item for “Tacky Undeserved Trophies”. I’m guessing the only church deserving of this trophy is the church willing to pay for it.