The Melheimian Sabbatiblog

Fun - da - mentals of Family Ministry

   
 

 

 
 

Road Trips and Home Trips

I had a major blast this week in Charlotte, Rochester, Madison, Milwaukee, Stillwater and Eau Claire, and a mini-blast with a couple fun captured moments with my kids.

Todd Zielinski's "The Well Coffee House Church" just outside of Charlotte is worth a drive if you're anywhere near the area. It's a church that doesn't look like a church, on a corner that doesn't look like a church corner with authentic folks waiting to serve you with a smile... and not charge you a cent if you've got no money. The music is young and fresh and fantastic. The art is eclectic and bright and this week it's got lots of feet featured.

Karl Rist and Lisa Modary at Hosanna in Rochester were perfect hosts up on the hill. The afternoon and evening included some surprise guests from my first parish in Owatonna, including my old friend Larry Iverson, who now works for the ELCA Bishop in the SEM Synod.

We filled the church basement at Bethel in Madison, just down the street from the Wisconsin state capital. My old music writing partner in crime, Mike Lee from Lodi showed up to surprise me. (Yeah, that's him...but I didn't let him say much)

Pastor Paul Steinberg and the kids at St. Marcus Lutheran in Milwaukee were the highlight of the week.  An amazing level of quality people working with an amazing bunch of kids in a tough situation. I especially enjoyed dinner with Paul and three of his six kids, and dragging my buddy Tim Tahtinen over for some music and comic relief. I was able to jump into a 1st grade music class and lead the sign language for their school theme, "Be Strong" from Joshua 1:9. I want to go back!

My home church and the birthplace of Faith Inkubators, Trinity Lutheran in Stillwater, hosted me on Friday. Pastor TJ and the Trinity Staff went waaaaay out of their way to make me feel at home and welcomed. I am so blessed to be a part of a church that puts its heart, efforts and energies into mission. I am doubly blessed to have a church that my kids LOVE. It has truly become their "3rd Place" and the source of challenge, friendships, mission and life.

I made it home in time to watch Leno and Letterman (back and forth) with Joseph. A little laughter and bonding on the couch. Yesterday morning before I headed to Eau Claire, Joseph took me to look at a red 1986 porche.

Ouch!

Yesterday's event at Peace in Eau Claire was a blast as well. High quality everything! A beautiful building that is bursting at the seams, a waterfall in the entry, three giant screens that made our Powerpoints look stunning, and DCE Timothy D. Kich with a servant's heart and a leader's vision.

I made it home for a deja vu with my wonderful Kathryn, freshly home from Concordia. I squeezed onto the couch between Arlyce and Kathryn like the old days and we all fell asleep watching Saturday Night Live. Like the old days.

I love being a dad.

(PS - This week it's Des Moines, Davenport, Zionsville (Indianapolis), Toledo, Summersville, SC, and home for church on Mother's Day. Stay tuned.)

Stunning

I'm in Anchorage at the moment. Stunningly beautiful flight in over an immense ice field, mountains, bays. Hard to describe. Host Martin Eldred of Joy Lutheran and his family are taking me to dinner in a couple hours... after I get my old man's nap in.

42 Nights of Family Purpose

At my 50 events this spring, I'm going to be asking for parents and kids to make a significant commitment to the FAITH 5 (Below).

6 weeks x 7 nights = a little more tha42 nights of caring conversations. 42 nights of prayer and care. 42 scriptures. 42 nights of blessing. 42 nights of being the church. 42 family purpose.

I'll be asking parents and kids to be totally intentional about this for the six weeks. Every night. Every home. Talking. Listening. Reading a verse of scripture. Relating it to their lives. Praying. Blessing. No child in this church will EVER go to sleep without a blessing again. And no parent, either, for that matter. It'l be the closest thing to an altar call an old Lutheran can pull off.

I'll be asking for total Intentionality. Put down the newspaper. Turn off the television. Log off the internet. Turn the cell phone on silence. We will not be giving "left-overs" of time and energy to each other i this experiment. We will not be hoping for some random conversation with a teen during drive time. We will be taking time. Making time. Investing time in DOING and BEING what parents once promised God they'd DO and BE when they first held that baby in their arms.

I'm thinking the people who commit to this 6 weeks and stick it out just might find something wonderful happening. Something wonderful that just might continue for the rest of their lives.

Jesus said, "Wherever two or three are gathered... there I am."

We're asking these family to BE the church. Every night. Every home.

I am so excited about the possibilities for this that I could spit!

But I won't. I'm a closet pietist.

It could lead to the life of the mainline after the death of the mainline.

Well, speaking of the mainline, I'm off to Colorado with a bunch of radical UMC movers and shakers and systems breakers. My post tomorrow will come from the mountains.