Oil For a Change

If you live in Jackson and know single moms in the area or you are a single mom yourself, this might make your day . . .

Imagine a line of cars outside of a local Auto Care business full of single moms and their kids waiting to get their oil changed, fluids checked, some hot dogs and drinks, and a car wash--ALL FOR FREE. This weekend!

Oil For a Change is a cooperative effort between Westwinds and Choice
Auto Sales and Service of Jackson. This year, on May 21st and September 10th, Oil For a Change will give away free food, car washes, and oil changes to over 300 single moms (165 each date).

Last summer, Ben Redmond and I did a message series entitled “Jesus Jackson” where we discussed how Jesus would respond to issues specific to Jackson and the people who live here—unemployment, underemployment, Jackson’s view of itself, opportunities to heal the community, the young and old, transplants and native Jacksonians, our work ethic, hope for the city, etc. We asked, “What would Jesus care about in Jackson? What would compel him? What would make him sad? What would he celebrate?”

I spoke one particular Sunday and mentioned a list of dreams I had for the city while encouraging others to dream in the same way letting people know “You can’t separate who you are from where you live,” and “God wants to use what you do and who you are to impact this place in a way that only you can.”

After hearing the list of dreams and being encouraged to imagine ways individuals could help Jackson, Carmela Lazarus, a local business owner and Allegiance Health employee, approached me with an idea. She heard me mention in a long list of dreams an idea to change the oil in the cars of single mothers as a display of hope and healing for our town.

Carmela (whose name has an accent on the first syllable) said, “My husband Chuck and I own a business where we service cars. I think we could actually do something like this.”

And so, the idea for Oil for a Change was born.

You can listen to one of the interviews we did on local radio station 89.3 The Message below.

Oil For a Change 89.3 Interview

On Christmas Eve, Westwinds Church traditionally gives an offering to something in the community that offers hope. We told the story of our dream for Oil For a Change and on December 24, 2010, Westwinds raised enough money to change the oil in the cars of over 300 single mothers.

Tickets for oil changes are available in advance at Westwinds, Choice Auto Sales and Service, or the day of the event at Choice Auto Sales and Service. While we don’t want to turn anyone away, supplies are limited to 165 each weekend. Your best bet is to get advance tickets or show up early.

FolkGalore is Coming in April!

Life is a story. Your story. My story. Our story.

Stories can encourage us, give us hope, connect us to one another, build a sense of belonging, create pride, empower us, inspire us, and create unity.

On April 4-8, the city of Jackson and surrounding areas will be invited to celebrate the art of story through music. Think of it as a “happening” as opposed to an “event.” The happening is called, FolkGalore.

FolkGalore is:

Story.
Music.
Redemption.

For 5 days and nights, venues throughout Jackson and the surrounding areas will host numerous musicians and artists creating multiple stages ripe with stories celebrating the human spirit. Over 20 different stages and venues will host multiple musicians each of the five days and evenings.

Coffee shops, theaters, youth centers, churches, and house concert venues will be filled with music and art exploring what it means to live, love, triumph, fail, celebrate, dream, and learn how to get along. One of the best ways to share in the larger story we are all a part of is through folk music.

Folk music, which is widely defined, has “story” at the heart of it.

For centuries, stories have been told through music and art. Folk music takes its name from “folklore” which consists of a culture’s legends, tales, music, oral history, proverbial wisdom and sayings, jokes, visual art, popular beliefs, fairy tales, customs, and personality.

Folk music has incorporated many genres over time to include Americana, alt-country, blues, country, bluegrass, acoustic, singer-songwriter, and a wide variety and variations of those genres.

But Folk is always about stories.

April 4-8 is Spring Break. With the way the economy has been, not many folks are preparing to travel out of town. We are bringing Spring Break to Jackson.

One $20.00 pass will give participants “all-access” to the venues for concerts and any after parties with the musicians.

Throughout the week, some musicians will also be holding clinics, lessons, and lunch discussions at various times in various locations. For an extra $10.00 a participant can receive a stamp on their pass to gain access to any of these extras.

On Friday, April 8th, the event will culminate in a concert with renowned Americana artists The Steel Wheels (above photo). The Steel Wheels show is included in the all-access $20.00. However, tickets for this show will also be sold separately at the door for those only attending this concert and none of the other weekly events. The Steel Wheels only tickets will be $12.00 at the door.

Save the date! Tickets will go on sale at the end of February.

People Still Talking About Twitter Church

I'm amazed people are still talking about Twitter Church and Westwinds' TIME article. But, tonight I saw a blog post by Rachel Motte in Siren magazine online and I had to respond.

You can read the whole article here but these are the parts that concerned me . . .

SIREN:

. . . Twitter, it’s argued, strengthens community ties and offers church goers a new way to express what they are thinking and feeling during the Sunday morning service . . .

. . . In other words, twitter allows people to begin silently “fellowshipping” with other believers before the Sunday morning coffee hour even starts . . .

. . . But is this genuine community? No, not really. That’s the problem . . .

. . . The writer of Hebrews told his readers, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) He meant that literally. No matter how advanced communication methods become, there will never be an adequate substitute for face-to-face interaction, and there will never be a replacement for real-life fellowship . . .

. . . We have souls, and we crave interaction with other souls, but we also have bodies. When we communicate through technology, we functionally disembody ourselves. There’s a great difference, for example, between talking to your mother on the phone and talking to her in person. When you can communicate with someone unseen without even using your voice, you separate yourself even further. Misunderstandings become more commonplace and relationship building more difficult. Instead of bringing us closer to those around us, technologies like twitter actually tend to separate us – and it’s hard to teach people about the glories of the incarnation while dis-incarnating yourself online . . .

. . . So should you tweet during church? Not unless you are trying to help someone far away (say, in the mission field) feel marginally included. When you are in church, you should be in church, and you risk being less than fully present if you’re busy with your iPhone. So perhaps instead of asking WWJT? “What would Jesus tweet?” the real question should be WJT? “Would Jesus tweet?”

MY RESPONSE:

You make some decent points here Rachel and certainly I don’t mean any disrespect but I think your conclusions are a bit short-sighted. I hope we can have some friendly-fire here.

Your presumption is that the weekend gathering of believers is simply about community but I'm not sure that is the biblical apex of gathering together. If community is the goal of weekend gatherings then churches need to make a ton of adjustments. There is no community listening to a speaker for 30 minutes, there is no community watching people sing on a stage, there is no community watching videos, dramas, etc.

I agree face to face communication is preferable but your argument about communication is misplaced. When do people ever communicate with one another during church? It would be one thing if a church was trying to replace face to face communication with technology but instead, a church was introducing another kind of communication into an environment where interaction seldom happens.

You also said, “When you are in church, you should be in church, and you risk being less than fully present if you’re busy with your iPhone.” I see where you are coming from but you are making two different arguments here. You suggest that Twittering isn’t real “community” but you introduce another argument when you mention being “fully present.” If by being fully present you are suggesting one should be still and listen to someone speak, there is certainly no community in that.

At Westwinds we believe the Bible gives an incredible amount of freedom for corporate gatherings. We strive to create an original, unsullied, experience-rich, multi-layered environment where we increase the occurrence of people interacting with God, his Word, his truth, his people, and face their barriers that interrupt and antagonize the life Jesus invites. The only non-negotiable element in the whole weekend experience is God’s Word as the living, enlightening torrent of truth that must be present every week. Other than that one item, everything else is negotiable.

I certainly don't believe Twitter is for everyone. We experimented a few times three years back and we use it occasionally in different ways. One of the things it does is it gives people another way of being involved in the weekend gathering as opposed to just being a spectator. I think we need to think of many other ways of accomplishing this kind of interaction.

John Voelz

Where Am I?

This weekend at Westwinds we participated in a simple interactive worship moment. We invited everyone to take a card off of a table and write something on each side:

Side 1= one word that describes where you are with Jesus/one word that sums up your current spiritual state

Side 2= something you want our staff to pray with you about

About half of our adults who were here participated in this prayerful moment which is very encouraging. It takes some courage to get out of your seat and participate in something.

I am thankful for our people's honesty. These words mean something. I am looking forward to following up with many of them.

This is my prayer list this week. This list and the names attached to them are above my desk right now. These are MY people.

I am thankful for an opportunity to be in relationship with the people of Westwinds. Here are the words that came in:


70%
ABANDONED
ALONE
ANGRY
AWAKENING
AWESOME
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING
BEGINNING/RECONNECTION
BENT BUT NOT BROKEN
BEST FRIEND
BLESSED
BLOSSOMING
BROKEN
BROKEN
CHANGE
CHANGING
CLOSE
CLOSER
CLOSER
CLUTTERED
COMMITTED
COMPLACENT
CONFLICT
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSED
CONFUSION
CONNECTED
CONTENT
CONTENTMENT
CRAVING
CRUISE CONTROL
CURIOUS
DESPERATE
DEVOTED
DEVOTED
DISAPPOINTED
DISTRACTED
DISTRACTED & SEPARATED
DRIFTING
EXHAUSTED
FAITH
FAITH
FAITHFUL
FAITHFUL
FALSE
FASTED
FEAR
FEAR
FIGHTING
FLIGHTY
FLOATING/CONFUSED
FLOUNDERING
FLOURISHING
FOCUS
FOLLOWER
FORGIVE
FORGIVING
FOUND
FREEDOM
FRESH
FRUSTRATED
FRUSTRATED
FULL
GIVING
GOOD GROWTH
GRACE
GRACED
GRASPING
GRATEFUL
GRATEFUL
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWING
GROWTH
GROWTH
GROWTH UNDER PRESSURE
GUIDANCE
GUIDANCE/LISTEN
HANGING ON
HAPPY
HEALING
HOLDING ON
HOPEFUL
HOPEFUL
HOPEFUL
HOPELESS
HOPELESS
HURT
HURTING/TRUSTING/LISTENING
IGNORANT
IN LOVE
IN PROCESSS
IN-BETWEEN
INCONSISTENT
INCONSISTENT
INCONSISTENT
INQUIRY
INTERESTED
INTIMATE
INTRIGUE
JOURNEY
JOURNEYING
JUDGMENTAL
LACK OF FAITH
LACK OF TRUST
LACKING
LAZY
LEARNER
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LEARNING
LIFELINE
LOOKING
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST
LOST/FIND
LOVE
LOVE
LOVING
LOVING
LOVING
MAN-UP / AUTHORITY
MENDING
MOURNING
MOVING & TRUSTING
MOVING > GOD
MOVING FORWARD
NEED
NEEDY
NEW
NEW
NOWHERE
NUMB, LOST, BROKEN, ALONE, DEPRESSED, DESTROYED, FUCKED
OBEDIENCE WITH JOY
OVERSCHEDULED
OVERWHELMED
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
PEACE
PEACE
PEACE
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PEACEFUL
PRODIGAL
PROGRESS
PROGRESSING
PURSUIT
REACHING
RECOVERY
REMEMBERING
RENEWAL
RENEWED
RENEWING
RENEWING
REST
RESTART
RETHINKING
SCARED
SCARED
SEARCHING
SEEKING
SELF-CONDEMNED
SELF-CONTROL
SELFISHNESS
SELFLESS
SERVING
SKEPTIC
SMOOTH HIGHWAY WITH RANDOM RUMBLE STRIPS
SPIRITUALLY GRATEFUL
STAGNANT
STAGNANT
STAGNANT
STAGNANT
STALE
STARTING OVER
STARTING OVER
STARTING TO BE FOUND
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
STRENGTH/HOPEFUL
STRENGTHENING
STRONG
STRONG
STRONG
STRONG FOLLOWER
STRUGGLE
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STRUGGLING
STUBBORN SEEKER
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK
STUCK IN MY MIND
STUMBLING
SUBMIT
SUCK
SURRENDER
THANKFUL
THE BEGINNING
THIN
TOLERANCE
TOO BUSY
TORN
TRAILMATES
TRANSFORMING
TRANSITION
TRUE TO MYSELF
TRUST
TRUST
TRUSTING
TRUSTING
TRUSTING
TRYING
TRYING
TRYING
TRYING TO WRAP HEAD AROUND CONCEPT OF GRACE
UNDONE
UNFOCUSED
UNINSPIRED
UNRESTED
UNSURE
UNSURRENDERING
UNWANTED
WANDERING
WANTING
WEAK
WEARY
WITH
WORK IN PROGRESS
WORKING
WOUNDED
YEARNING

QR Church

One of the things I love about Westwinds is our early adopter mentality and our willingness to try new things. This proves true in the areas of technology, media, programming, and other methodologies.

One of our latest adoptions is the use of QR Code. A QR Code is a matrix barcode. These codes are readable by scanners, mobile phones with cameras, and smart phones. If you don’t have the QR Reader app for your iPhone, go download it now

QR is showing up everywhere. Last year I used a QR coded ticket to board a plane as they scanned my iPhone. QR is shown on commercials between shows, all new products at Best Buy, magazines, posters, you name it.

A few months ago, my wife and I scanned a QR Code during a commercial break and were directed to a site promoting the new show, “Lonestar.” My wife said, you should take advantage of QR at Westwinds for the bulletin and other things.

Brilliant.

Westwinds is starting to use QR in our bulletin (The Draft), our weekend pre-service slides, posters, fliers, newsletters, magazines, albums, teaching atlases, on the doors of our church, on our business cards, and many other areas are being explored.

You can generate QR code very easy with sites like delivr

I encourage all churches to use QR and challenge them to come up with new ways to communicate and get information out through the use of QR.

Church Staffs and the Opposite Sex

Lately, I've received a few requests for Westwinds' policy on staff meeting with members of the opposite sex.

In the past few years, I have personally witnessed (people I know) nearly two-dozen marriages fall apart and/or bad things happen because of romances that begin in the workplace. I have been on staff in two places where marital affairs have happened with people on staff. I have had a half-dozen close friends confess affairs that began in the workplace or while on staff at a church or para-church organization.

It's a problem everywhere--not just the church. But, let's face it--we are in the people business. Caring for them. Listening to them. Spending time together. Planning together. Celebrating together. Close contact. It's a . . . ahem . . . "hotbed" of temptation and potential danger.

In the last 6 months, I have personally counseled 4 couples (not on our staff) whose marriages are in turmoil or ending because of relationships fostered between a spouse and an "old friend" on Facebook. Every one of them began "innocent." Two began when the people were starting conversations about Jesus.

Last month, a fellow pastor friend of mine had a musician in the church catch the worship pastor (a woman) having sex in the church nursery with one of the men musicians before corporate worship began that Sunday morning. I want to throw up as I type this.

Below is our policy. It might help you. At least start conversation. But, your church will not fix any problems based on a policy. Safeguarding comes with conversation, prayer, accountability, question asking, and NEVER allowing anyone to think they are beyond making bad choices.

The following guidelines are to be used for the staff of Westwinds when meeting/communicating with the opposite sex.

1. Please make arrangements to meet on site at the church if a meeting requires a one on one scenario.

2. If a one on one meeting occurs, make sure you meet in an area visible to everyone i.e. not behind closed doors.

3. If a quiet environment is deemed necessary, please meet in a space where the door can be cracked open OR the door has a window in it.

4. If a meeting MUST be arranged off-site, please take the following steps:
a. Let another staff member know the meeting is taking place
b. Call your spouse if married to make them aware of the meeting
c. Meet in a public space where there is a crowd—coffee shop, restaurant, etc.

5. If you find yourself trying to “bend the rules,” you may have a problem you want to make someone aware of and seek counsel.

6. The fist-bump and the side-hug are your friends. There should never be any full-on frontal hugs. We believe Jesus likes hugs. We also believe most men like them—a lot.

7. Be careful not to establish ongoing counseling relationships with anyone in a one on one scenario. Encourage meeting in threes. Even fours. Sometimes, we have seasons of ongoing counseling but be wise.

8. Facebook and Twitter and other social networking are wonderful tools for ministry and also carry a high degree of potential danger for relationships to bloom into something unhealthy. Be careful of direct messages and “secret” messages.

9. At any time, an accountable staff member should be able to read what you have written to anyone in an email, Facebook message, Twitter, etc. unless it is a private family matter. Be careful of your wording.

10. Be careful of gift giving. Appreciation is encouraged but the types of gifts you send communicate something. Make your spouse aware of any opposite sex gifts and, if possible, make a staff member aware of the gift.

11. Touching, laying on of hands, and praying are biblical. Touching! Laying on of hands! and preying are not. Don’t be an idiot. A general rule of thumb is this: If you like it, (in that special way) do not do it. Ask yourself if you would hold hands and pray with the ugly smelly person in the same way as the pretty yummy smelling one.

12. Your cell phone contact list should be shared with your spouse and possibly a staff member.

13. When traveling from one place to another, travel in groups when at all possible. In the rare circumstance where you need to travel alone with the opposite sex, let a staff member know and let your spouse know about the travel, duration, and destination. Trips that are out of Jackson are frowned upon. We are stopping just shy of saying trips out of Jackson are prohibited.

14. Never shall a staff member attend any meeting, conference, or gathering overnight with someone of the opposite sex unless they are married.

15. In a rare circumstance where a staff member is engaged to be married and is traveling out of town with their spouse-to-be for a Westwinds related event, separate sleeping arrangements must be made and communicated. This is not in an effort to be the sin police, but rather to minimize fallout that affects us all.

16. No counseling of the opposite sex is to ever happen alone at Westwinds. Ask a staff member to stay longer if need be. If you are left alone in the building, end or reschedule your meeting.

17. Be willing to fess-up to any mild crushes, infatuations, etc. with a trusted staff member. These things happen and should be dealt with. Confess and ask for accountability. Coriolis is always available to help you through these things.

18. When emailing the opposite sex (or any written communication) in regard to a serious, relational, or potentially volatile situation, please consider having a staff member or your spouse proofread the letter. Again, this is about full disclosure. Quick emails in regard to serving opportunities, scheduling, etc. are not the potential problem. Be more concerned with ongoing written counsel or communication of a nature that may leave room for infatuations to blossom.

19. Learn to communicate love and appreciation for someone in ways that include the whole group--everyone. For instance:
a. Constantly telling the opposite sex you love and appreciate them is not “bad” but it isn’t wise. “WE ALL love you and appreciate you” comes off WAY different.
b. Consider thanking someone’s spouse at the same time you thank him or her. “Dear “Madame X”, thank you so much for the time you spent cleaning the studios! We love your dedication! Please thank your husband “Guy who doesn’t know I sent this letter” for holding down the fort at home while you served here. You are both heroes!”
c. “Here is a gift card for you! I hope you and your wife enjoy a great night out on the town!” Sounds way better then, “Go buy yourself something nice. You deserve it!”

20. Be careful of compliments regarding others’ appearance. It is not inappropriate (necessarily) to tell someone they look nice or their new haircut is styling, but be careful of falling in to these patterns. Ask yourself, “do I say this in order to impress this person or get a response in return?”

21. Avoid talk of a playful yet “innocent” nature. “Now that is sexy!” or “Bow chicka wow, check YOU out!” sound funny and may even be hyperbole (or a way to tease) on your part but leave room for misinterpretation as well as establishing a comfort level with using words that are usually reserved for married couples.

22. Be careful and practice full accountable disclosure when working on long-term projects with the opposite sex. Projects have the ability to stir unhealthy feelings towards another. It is possible to enter a project completely innocent and serve in the name of Jesus and come out on the other side with an unhealthy attraction. This is also true of crisis situations.

23. Be careful of counseling those in broken relationships. Your love and compassionate ear will be foreign to them and feelings for you may develop. This will make you feel good about yourself and probably think more highly of yourself then you should.

Life Story

This is Bill. A Westwindee. This is his story.

Nicolae: An Allegory

This weekend, we are looking at Colossians 2:6-15. It’s a rich passage full of vivid imagery. We will unpack it on Sunday but I wrote an allegory to process what I was reflecting on in the passage during my study. This is not typology or exact metaphor. Allegories leave room for artistic license so don’t read too much into the narrative (for this same reason, know that you won’t get all your L O S T questions answered but you’ve had fun taking apart the episodes piece by piece—it makes you think). On the other hand, play around with the story. Ask what kinds of parallels you see between this allegory/parable and the biblical narrative.

NICOLAE

Nicolae was raised parentless. His mom was young and frightened, naïve and fragile the night she dropped him off on the steps of the church. He was found, hungry, cold, emaciated, weak, and barely moving let alone crying when the priest hurried him to the hospital.

The hospital then became the orphanage; the orphanage brought him abusive parents. He was taken from their home for his protection and began rotating through a series of Foster homes. Nicolae wasn’t particularly “unlovable.” Quite the contrary.

However, as he grew in years it became more apparent there were implications and consequences of his abuse and neglect. There were challenges attaching to any caregiver of any kind.

Nicolae had come out of a horrific situation in Romania where the government, in this case the communist rule of Ceausescu, had ignored the orphanages for over a decade and even had the audacity to tell the people orphanages didn’t exist. It was one of the many lies they told to paint a picture that things were far better than they actually were.

In later years, Nicolae would curse his namesake and say it was a cruel joke he was named after a man who eventually met his end on a Christmas morning when he was ousted by a kangaroo court. Nicolae Ceausescu, along with his wife, was shot in the stomach for the crimes of genocide and amassing illegal wealth beyond measure. “He had death coming, I live with his curse” Nicolae would sometimes say.

Through a series of convoluted events no one can quite remember all the details to, Nicolae’s life had a turnaround that is the stuff of fairy tales. While reading a history novel alone one winter’s night, there was a knock on the door of Nicolae’s one bedroom apartment. At the door stood a man with a telegram.

“Telegrams are so out of fashion,” he thought (it was the early 1990’s and he had no idea how “out of fashion” they would soon be). “There must be a mistake,” he thought as he read the words, “Nicolae, I am your father.” The rest of the words didn’t matter. This claim that a man named Salvatore was somehow the man that brought him into the world made Nicolae confused, hopeful, angry, expectant, and sad all at once.

Nicolae sent a return telegram for the sake of expediency (and because he somehow thought it might be his “father’s” preferred method of communication). He was willing to meet. No matter how ridiculous the claim. After all, this man did seek him out and he seemed to know how to find him.

He had his eyes. His bold chin. And, though he wasn’t accustomed to taking close notice of people’s facial expressions, he believed Salvatore smiled in the same way as he. Their conversation went on for hours though it seemed like they had just pulled up a chair at the bar only moments before. “This man is my father. There is no doubt.”

Salvatore carefully explained the details of his relationship with Nicolae’s mother, their secret wedding, and his stand against the injustices of the government that earned him a reputation as an enemy of Romania, and the distinction of having a price on his head. He told him of his grandparents (his Romanian grandmother and Italian grandfather who had been a rebel in his own right).

Wanted, dead or alive when he was only 20, Salvatore fled Romania with the help of a couple of Roman Orthodox doctors who eventually started a seminary after the fall of communism in 1989. Salvatore stayed in various places over the 19 years of Nicolae’s life and the 3 months before he was born. He fled the year Ceausescu took office—it was 1974. It wasn’t abandonment; he fled in hope of being gone shortly and providing safe haven. It was then that Nicolae also learned of his mother’s kidney failure and premature death. She was sick when she dropped him off at the church that night. She died shortly thereafter. Nicolae became a statistic.

Nicolae was overwhelmed. He now had a story. A story much more intentional, meaningful, lovely story than he could have ever imagined. And, he had a name. An identity.

Two years passed. It wasn’t until shortly after Nicolae’s 21st birthday that he learned he had the same disease that claimed his mother’s life. His rare kidney disease was congenital and hereditary. The search for a donor did not last long. There was a perfect match.

Salvatore, Nicolae’s father was more than happy to give his kidney. What father wouldn’t give his life for his son if given the opportunity?

The surgery was a success.

For Nicolae.

Sadly, the transplant was successful, but Salvatore died of abdominal bleeding about 11 hours after his surgery. The man Nicolae barely knew had introduced him to a world he never knew and gave him life anew.

Nicolae was saddened and devastated. Yet, he would describe it in later years as poetic and even . . . prophetic. This was his lineage. Rebels. Fighters. And sacrificial love. This was now his mantle.

Nicolae was married in the spring of 1999. 1 year later, almost to the day, he held his new baby girl in his arms.

As he gazed into her eyes for the first time, he thought of Salvatore. He whispered to his baby girl and told her the things he wanted for her. Happiness? Sure, but happiness was fleeting and unreliable. Make good choices? Of course.

But, more than anything, he wanted her to know why she was here. Why she was made. Who made her life possible. It wasn’t just Nicolae who gave her life—there was a much bigger story to tell. She had a history. A lineage. A grand narrative. No one could take that away from her. Nicolae would make sure of it. Death gave way to life. She would need to know the story.

And he reached down and touched his scar.

Does Jesus Want Me To Be Physically Fit?

Mission statements are meant to grab your attention, start discussion, clarify your motives, get on the same page, understand where you are headed, clarify what you are not about, etc. But, rarely if ever do they fully surmise the depth of your passions, or your personality. Often, they leave no room for variance or seasonal discrepancies. Some mission statements are purposely worded to fit on a t-shirt. That being the case, rarely do they give an adequate definition that is satisfactory.

OUR MISSION (Westwinds) is to lead everyone toward full life development in Christ.

A couple of years ago, someone lovingly and jokingly chided and teased us (me) about “full life development.” “It’s so vague! What does it mean? Does it mean Jesus wants you to work out and lose weight and stuff?” The laughter suggested that certainly this is not what the person thought we were saying by full life development. They supposed it was something much more “spiritual.”

My reaction to the prodding? Ummm, being physically fit, yeah, that’s part of it.

My answer was met with silence.

I believe being physically fit and healthy is very much a part of being spiritually fit. That conversation has come back to me many times.

Not being overweight or obese is only part of the physically fit and healthy equation. Eating right, making wise choices, strength and endurance, learning to say “no” and “when”, establishing new habits, thinking of your loved ones’ and family’s reliance upon you, planning ahead, sexual choices etc. are all parts of a physically fit and healthy lifestyle that is indeed tied to our spiritual well-being and our relationship with God and others. We often times don’t give this mindset enough credence.

The old adage, “you are what you eat” is extra-biblical proverbial wisdom that is in fact very biblical.

How does it affect us spiritually if we ignore our physical health?
• Exhaustion that deprives us of time with our families.
• Complications that affect our ability to work and provide.
• Attitudes of anger and bitterness because we do not feel good about ourselves.
• Irritability with our loved ones.
• Apathy and lack of motivation.
• All varieties of depression.
• Sleep deprivation and physical pain that keeps us from doing simple things like spending time with others or reading our Bible.

The list goes on.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19 and 20

While we may not espouse any of the diets and fads that attach themselves to Christianity like The Old Testament Diet or Weight Loss God’s Way, and we don’t get so ridiculously specific as to ask “What Would Jesus Eat,” we certainly recognize the connection between unhealthy choices/bad habits and our spiritual condition. Garbage in=garbage out has implications mentally, physically, emotionally, and indeed spiritually.

Westwinds empowers our staff each year with a sum of money designed to impact the local community in creative ways that are “missional.” In light of the mission of “full life development in Christ,” our staff is given the freedom to spend a certain amount of money in the community to bolster and augment spiritual conversation, meet needs, raise awareness, etc. (though each endeavor may not do all these things at once). We call this “Beyond 1000” (our address is 1000 Robinson).

This year, during the second quarter of 2010, we will launch a Beyond 1000 initiative/missional endeavor designed to promote health and wellness—physically and spiritually.

Beginning in April, a petition will go out to the Jackson community through various media outlets encouraging people to write a short essay on “why I need to get healthy.” From the collection of essays, a group of 12 will be selected to join a Westwinds satellite dedicated to health and wellness. These 12 will then be given a 6-month membership to a local gym in Jackson and a 6-month membership to Weight Watchers (subject to rules and accountability guidelines).

As part of the satellite, members will have access to a qualified nutrition and health expert for questions, guidance, advice, and support. They will also have access to a spiritual guide they can contact and be in relationship with if and when they wish to pursue biblical counsel in relation to this challenge.

The purpose of this mission is:
• To provide inroads to spiritual conversation
• To foster community and relationships
• To make a concerted effort to raise health awareness in connection with spirituality

During this 6-month satellite, members will be held responsible for meeting guidelines that include but are not limited to regular satellite meeting attendance once a week, having an accountability partner, regular Weight Watchers participation including a once-a-week meeting, and regular gym usage no less than 3 times a week.

This is all in the initial stages. I’d love to hear what you think.

How Video Games Saved Church Music

There has never been a greater, happier, more fulfilling, more fun period of time in my 20+ years of being a musician in the church as this very moment. By “moment” I am referring to the period of time that began sometime in 2004 and stretches to the present—The age of Guitar Hero.

2004 saw the invention of Guitar Hero. God’s gift to the church musician. On its heels, RockBand came along in 2007 and the angels sang once again.

Not exaggerating.

Church musicians and church personalities come in all shapes and sizes but, if you are in church that is missional in any way (use your favorite descriptive word like seeker targeted, seeker sensitive, relevant, whatever), you are always seeking for songs that are winners. Songs that create moments. Songs that relate. Songs that people dig. As many people as possible.

Talk about livin' on a prayer.

Unless your church is predominantly one demographic, you swing the pendulum knowing every song is not going to hit everyone the same way but you hope it hits some. Few of us have a church full of 35 year olds who crave a Pearl Jam or Nirvana song every week.

Variety is key. But . . .

Something has changed and we owe a great deal of gratitude to the folks at Guitar Hero. They introduced Classic Rock to a generation who used to think it was dad’s old crappy music. Not only Classic rock but a variety of songs that were popular in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s not to mention current hits. Then, with RockBand’s introduction of Beatles RockBand in 2009, some of the greatest music of all time was introduced for the first time to the young masses. Happiness is a warm game.

For the first time in history, when parents are yelling, “turn that down!” there is a good chance it is the exact same song their parents’ told them to turn down . . . or, grandparents told their parents.

What does this mean for church musicians? It means your grab bag of songs should start with these catalogs.

But, the great thing is, it’s not only specific to these catalogs. All of a sudden, Classic Rock is cool across the board. And, all those 30 and 40-something’s who are coming back to church after years of hiding are bringing their kids who already know the words to what dad was listening to in the 80’s and 90’s. Outside of the game playing, younger crowds are listening to Classic Rock and 90’s RADIO because, if it’s cool for the game, it has to be cool. A Kansas song can show up on a game and kids go to iTunes and download the whole album.

Take a trip to Kohl’s or even Hot Topic and look at the clothing. Vintage rock tees such as AC/DC, The Doors, Van Halen and Rolling Stones have trickled down to the stores that cater to teens and they are buying them up faster than dad can say, "radical (or boss, or cool, or awesome)!"

In the last few months at Westwinds, I have run a little experiment. I incorporated Beatles tunes into worship medleys, played songs by The Who, Rolling Stones, REO Speedwagon and others with incredible feedback. By everyone.

The kids, college young adults, parents, and the older folks are all high-fiving us on the same tunes. One older lady who often comments about volume recently thanked me for playing The Who’s “Christmas” that hints at the Tommy lyrics. She is in her mid sixties. “That really spoke to me” she said. “Thank you for playing the music I love. You always do a good job.” (P.S. it was the loudest we have played in a long time).

It is also interesting that worship music heroes like David Crowder have embraced their inner classic rock and, in so doing, have made it okay for the more conservative Christian kids to listen to. After all, Ted Nugent played a guest spot on Crowder's 2007 album, "Remedy."

The planets have aligned. Thank you God. And, thank you video games.

Westwinds: Baby Bottle Fundraiser

What Do We Fight For?

Had an email convo with a friend today. He asked me what mountains I am willing to die on at Westwinds. My response was lengthy but I can also boil it down to these things:

We fight for the Jesus stuff
We fight for the church worldwide
We fight for invention
We fight for non-complacency
We fight to dream
We fight to heal
We fight to participate with our people and our city
We fight for imagination
We fight to be permission giving
We fight for real, no BS community
We fight for accountability
We fight for Jackson
We fight for our people
We fight for the idea of what we can be
We fight for non- religiosity
We fight to create
We fight for authenticity (the real meaning of ethos)
We fight for our individuality
We fight for justice
We fight for the freedom to listen to God’s leading and try new things
We fight to hold it all loosely
We fight to not fight
We fight for the idea and the ideal of Westwinds.

Short Films Blowout!

Many of you have asked me about the videos I posted last week. These were from a series of videos created for use at Westwinds and beyond. The videos were packaged in DVD format under the name Popnovella. We marketed them for a bit under that name. We are trying to clear out our stock.

The DVD originally sold for 70 bucks but we are clearing them out for 20 bucks. There are 6 short films called "Thought Grenades" on the DVD. Each film is under 5 minutes in length and perfect for church or small groups. The DVD also has drag and drop files for use in Media Shout, iPod, etc. Super easy. Help us clear these puppies out and get some good stuff! We want all the DVD's to go away.

Buy one today!

Old Songs, New Songs, You Know I've Had My Share

The other night on Twitter, I asked musicians, worship leaders, pastors, and whomever wanted to add anything, how they determine what songs to shelf for their church. When does a song feel old? How many times is too many times to sing a song?

The answers were great--(most were funny responses that were inside jokes about washed-up bands, churches, and such)--but many of them were helpful.

I didn't say what my own philosophy is, I simply asked the question. Most people (according to the survey) rely on gut check, feedback from their band and congregation, a sense of when a song feels "dated", how their church responds in the moment, and the sheer number of times they have done it(VH1 gives away an award each year entitled, "Your Song Kicked Ass but was Played Too Damn Much." Sometimes, that's just the case).

We rely on the same things to varying degrees. We track our songs on a spreadsheet so we don't overdo them, we drop them if they felt good at a listen but don't work live, we play them more when people love them and request them, etc. AND, we also believe the biblical idea of "sing a new song to the Lord" is more than just a suggestion so . . . we regularly bring on new songs and phase some out. Sometimes, songs are still "good" they just need to take a time out.

And, occasionally, one of the best things you can do at a church is bring back an oldie with some new spit polish and fresh arrangements. Familiarity and nostalgia can go a long way.

I like songs to go out like Seinfeld--on top, nothing wrong, just feels like it's time to end. Then, the song always has good memories attached and when we bring it back--if ever--it's like seeing an old friend.

A great add from friend Patrick Murphy was, "I want to say, forget relevance. Stop worrying about old and new." Patrick also added to remember the value of creating within your own group and not relying wholly on songs that are written by and/or sung by others (I'm embellishing a bit). I agree with Patrick in that I never think it's a good idea to abandon a song just because everyone else already did. It's never too late to pick up a song everyone else has been doing for a bit. Think about your own community. Just because Crowder wrote a new song doesn't mean you should do it, even if everyone else is. It may be wrong for you. There is value in singing the songs the church is singing worldwide but, it shouldn't be our only criteria for picking/playing/rotating/retiring songs. And, we highly value indigenous worship tunes.

I'm trying something fun this quarter at The Winds. I made a list of our "favorite" tunes over the last 6 years. The list was HUGE. I picked about 40+ off that list for this quarter (and threw in some favorite original tunes that our church loves). So, Westwinds will be taking a trip down memory lane for the next 3 months. The only songs that will be repeated in 3 months will be a fistful of songs we learned in the last 2 months so they stay fresh and we learn them well. No other songs will be repeated. It's like the Top 40 Countdown for Westwinds.

It was a hard task. Next quarter, we will hit another 25 or so. I thought you might want to see the list. They are in alphabetical order.

1. 1000 Hallelujahs—Mark Roach
2. All Around Me--Flyleaf
3. All We Need—Charlie Hall
4. Always Something—John Voelz
5. Anytime Lord—John Voelz
6. Beautiful One—Tim Hughes
7. Beautiful Wonderful—John Voelz
8. Bless the Lord—Among Thorns
9. Cannons—Phil Wickham
10. Chainbreaker—Charlie Hall
11. Count Me In--Leeland
12. Dress Us Up—John Mark McMillan
13. Eternal One—Robbie Seay
14. Everyone Under the Sun—Vickie Beeching
15. Everything--Lifehouse
16. From the Inside Out—Joel Houston
17. Glory of it All—David Crowder
18. God of This City—Chris Tomlin
19. Here is Our King—David Crowder
20. Hosanna—Paul Baloche/Brenton Brown
21. How Great is Our God—Chris Tomlin
22. I Will Lift My Eyes—Bebo Norman
23. I Will Not Forget You—Paul Baloche
24. I Will Overcome—Charlie Hall
25. I Will Rise—Chris Tomlin
26. Indescribable—Laura Story
27. Life Light Up—Christy Nockels
28. Love Has Come—John Voelz
29. Magnificent—U2
30. Mighty to Save—Reuban Morgan
31. More of You—John Voelz
32. My Reward—Paul Baloche
33. My Song—Bob Bullock
34. My Surrender—John Voelz
35. Nothing But the Blood—Matt Redman
36. Praise Him—David Crowder
37. OK--Mutemath
38. One Thing/Doxology—Charlie Hall
39. Remind Me—John Voelz
40. Rescue—Jared Anderson/Desperation Band
41. Shot of Love—John Voelz
42. Sing—John Voelz
43. Song of Hope—Robbie Seay
44. Sound of Melodies--Leeland
45. Take My Life—John Voelz
46. Take Us In—Vineyard
47. The Least I Can Do—Mark Roach
48. The One—Brian Chandler
49. This is How We Know—Matt Redman
50. Today is the Day—Lincoln Brewster
51. Whatever—John Voelz
52. Wonderful King—David Crowder
53. You Lifted Me Out—Chris Tomlin
54. Your Love Never Fails—Chris Quilala

The Westwinds Top 11 (because it's one louder)

Westwinds Top Worship Tunes of 2009

We get a lot of mileage out of our indigenous worship tunes at The Winds (written by me or others in our band) but there are quite a few we use from the giant pool of resources in the worship music industry that our people love. You may sing some of these at your church.

Honestly, not all of these were MY favorites (some were), but I guess it's not all about me. These are the ones we tried that stuck. People dig 'em.

We got the most feedback about these tunes in 2009 (not necessarily in this order):

1. Life Light Up by Christy Nockels
2. The One by Brian Chandler
3. All Around Me by Flyleaf
4. This is How We Know by Matt Redman
5. God of This City by Chris Tomlin
6. I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin
7. Magnificent by U2
8. Today is the Day by Lincoln Brewster
9. Mighty to Save by Reuben Morgan
10. From the Inside Out by Joel Houston
11. Your Love Never Fails by Chris Quilala

VOTE on Westwinds T-Shirts

We are making some new Westwinds T-Shirts. T-Shirts help us wear our colors, show our pride, and they are great conversation starters. Here are a list of the TOP TEN T-Shirts I am thinking about making. Please comment and vote for the ones you love . . . or hate.

WE, Oui, Weeeeeee!

All the way home.

Westwinds

Westwinds

Allergic to Boring

iPAC Your Life

Imagination. Permission. Authenticity. Community.

Westwinds

Westwinds

For Those About to Rock

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

Westwinds

I Know You Are But What Am I?

Westwinds

Westwinds

Turning the Lame Knob to the Left One Weekend at a Time

Keep You Arms and Hands Inside the Ride at all Times

Westwinds

turn up the music

run through the halls

stay past curfew

use your outside voices

touch everything

drink your coffee on the carpet

Westwinds

Standing For, Not Against

Westwinds

My Art Pieces from Ap(art)

Okay, if you want to own a piece of my art there has never been a better time. Here are four pieces from the Ap(art) event. All money from these pieces goes to scholarships for kids so they can continue in art programs at Jackson School of the Arts.

Get out your checkbooks people. If you want a piece, you can bid here on this site in the comment section or send me an email at john@westwinds.org. I will contact you with current bid status and answer any questions.

If you aren't an art person, do it for the kids. We'll give the art you win away to someone else.

You can pay by check, cash, or credit card through our PayPal account if you win the bid.

#28 is an oil abstract on a 4X4 piece of 3/4inch plywood. The "frame" was routed into the actual piece with a plunge router and the color gives it depth and the illusion of being inset in a frame.

#33 is a black and white abstract with oil and bondo on canvas. There is a thick wire running around the perimeter of the piece. The contrast is brilliant.

#7 was inspired by the series we are in at Westwinds. The writing on the painting says, "YOUR CITY IS SICK SHE'S HURTING" and the words repeat four times with a different word underlined each repeat for a different emphasis. Your city is SICK. YOUR city. Your CITY. Your city is sick, she's HURTING.

#41 This is oil and bondo on ply. A boy kneels and ponders how he might shadow God in the redemption of the world.

Art from Ap(art)

Go online to the Ap(art) site and place your bid on any of this art. Click on a piece if you like it and place your bid in the comment section. We will update the site later today with the bid status. Every piece of art is at least at $50.00 currently. Some are over $150.00. All the money we raise goes to art scholarships for the Jackson School of the Arts.

Ap(art) 105.3 Interview

The Centre Promo

This is best seen by actually watching it from YouTube. It's in HD and too wide for this blog post.