Logan Gets All Clean

Logan had his first bath this evening. Here's the digital proof!

He didn't fuss too much, but he was much more content once everything was over. He was glad to return to his sleeper and a blanket. We'll see how he does in a few days when bath #2 rolls around.

An Explanation for My Absence

Here's why I haven't been on here this week....

Logan Joseph Libby

March 10, 2010

1:22 p.m.
7 lbs, 10 ozs

20 1/2 in

Check out more pics on Facebook!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 6

And here is my promised special surprise...

As much as all the churches have helped me grow in my ministry and the understanding of my calling to serve the UMC with all that I have, there is one person to whom I owe the largest debt of gratitude - my wife, Debbie.

When I met Debbie I had no idea I was going to follow a call to ministry - a call that would lead us to move more frequently in our first 5 years of marriage than she did her entire life prior to meeting me.

All along the way Deb has been my biggest support and my quiet cheerleader. She has helped my get up when I didn't feel like getting up any more. She has kicked my butt when it needed to be kicked. And she has done it all with grace, patience, and humility.

When we first started dating at A&M, Deb was an accounting major and I was an engineering major. She finished her accounting degree, I changed my major twice before graduating with an economics degree. She didn't complain when I told her that I was feeling a call to ministry and that would mean 4 years in seminary. She didn't complain when I told her how the appointment process moved pastors around as needed. She didn't complain when I told her how much seminary was going to cost.

We moved to Dallas, I started working for First UMC, Plano, she worked for AT&T Wireless, and we started saving for Perkins. It was during this time that she learned to love the back of my head because that was about all she saw of it during my first three semesters in seminary - and I love her all the more for it.

During my last year in seminary we moved to Carrollton so that we would be closer to the church I was working for during that time. We also added Caitlyn to our family during our time in Carrollton, but not before I got my first appointment as a local pastor. Now that Debbie was enjoying seeing the front of my head again I was able to talk with her about how to grow new programs, how to be a better preacher, and how to properly feed a newborn (all of which I still need work on!).

Now that we are in Wichita Falls I am so thankful that she has journeyed with me during these last 9+ years. I am thankful for the ability to rely on your strength, wisdom, and courage as we have faced challenging days both personally and professionally.

I love your wit, even when it cuts my pride (perhaps especially then).

I love your zeal for clarity.

I love your incredible "mom powers" - how in the world do you keep up with Caitlyn everyday?

Deb, you are the one I love the most and the only villager that I want to spend the rest of my days with. Without you, there would be no elder to celebrate this year. If it takes a village to raise an elder, then you are the matriarch of that village!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Caitlyn's First Soccer Game

Caitlyn had her first soccer game today. She played great and had fun running around chasing the ball. Here's some shots from the day. Enjoy!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 5

Sorry this didn't go up earlier! Here's the final chapter (for now)...

University UMC, Wichita Falls

What can I say about my current appointment - the church family that hears me preach every weekend, whether they like it or not! I'll start with thank you because it's the truth and it's always a good place to start.

When I came to UUMC I had no idea what being the "pastor-in-charge" entailed, but I knew that I had been called by God and sent by the Bishop to serve here. I quickly learned that I had much to learn and needed to rely on conversations held with lay leaders during my first few weeks in WF. As I transitioned from one pastor among many to the only pastor a church has, I have learned that my pastoral identity has taken a huge leap up and there are times that I haven't measured up to that identity.

I have learned what it means to work with the committee structure within the UMC - even when it takes more people to approve a move forward. I have learned what it takes to plan worship week in and week out. I have learned how to help a family grieve the loss of a loved one, even if I didn't know the loved one very well (or at all). I have learned that no matter how small or insignificant a decision may seem, someone will be upset about it and make their opinion known - and I can't do a thing about that.

I am learning new things everyday: how to say goodbye to staff members, how to say hello to new church members, how to keep the office running smoothly (still working on this one), and how to maintain a good sense of balance between work and home.

I am still learning, but I hope that I never stop learning. I hope that UUMC is willing to continue to help me learn. UUMC has been patient with a greenhorn preacher, pastor, and congregational leader. Thank you for sharing your lives with me and with my family over the past 18 months. We are looking forward to many more years of fruitful ministry at UUMC!

Tomorrow - a special treat!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 4

Continuing through my journey of thanksgiving...

Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound
How can I start to say thanks to the people of Trietsch? I learned so much during my 3 years in Flower Mound that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my ministry career. I am not quite sure how many different ministry areas I interfaced with, but I know that I had a chance to meet a ton of great people and made a bunch of mistakes that I could learn from.

The most significant group of lay people during my time at Trietsch would have to be my Lay Ministry Committee. This group of eight dedicated folks spent an hour with me once a month during my last two years to talk about my ministry, my growth as a pastoral leader, and exploring new ways of doing ministry at Trietsch. Alan, Betty, Chris, JohnS, JohnM, Patty, Michelle, David, Jaime (I know that's nine, but we swapped Jamie for JohnS during the 2nd year) helped me to discern my gifts for ministry and pushed me to take risks, love God, and serve with all my heart. I am deeply indebted to this group of people. I would not be where I am today without their influence.

The next significant group of lay people (and some clergy) would have to be the staff. I promise you that they made me look 100x better than I actually was on numerous occasions! I would never have laughed so hard, prayed so much, or served so faithfully had it not been for the wonderful men and women of the Trietsch staff. I can't begin to tell all the stories here, but if any of you reading this are members (or were members) of Trietsch's staff - I am deeply indebted to you as well.

Finally, I would like to say a special thanks to the dedicated folks who served as ushers, greeters, info desk volunteers, parking lot attendants, donut table volunteers, trolley drivers, medical team volunteers, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and small group leaders. On many occasions you went above and beyond the call of duty to serve the church and our community and I thank you.

Tomorrow - University UMC!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 3

Still saying my thanks this week...

Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton
Of all the churches I have served Holy Covenant challenged me to grow in my understanding of God the most. I entered seminary theologically conservative on every issue. When I graduated from Perkins I considered myself to be theologically moderate, but politically conservative. When I finished my internship at Holy Covenant I considered myself theologically moderate and politically moderate.

Even after getting off to an auspicious start with my Lay Teaching Committee (sorry Susan!), this group of dedicated people met with me for two hours once a month to critique my sermons, discuss my pastoral care, push my theological thinking, and encourage me to be the best pastor that I could be. Susan, Charlie, Jan, Randy, Jim, Evan, and Cheryl spent many hours reading my reflection papers, discussing my sermons, and helping me to articulate my theological understanding of local church ministry. I am deeply indebted to these wonderful folks because I am a better pastor today because of the time they invested in me.

The congregation as a whole surrounded me with support as I learned how to find my voice in the pulpit, find my teaching style in the classroom, and find my way around the justice issues within our community. I even got to write a few book reviews for the Dallas Morning News thanks to a member of Holy Covenant!

To my Disciple 1 class - thank you for not falling asleep when I went off on a tangent about some random biblical fact that had little to do with our lesson and even less to do with your lives! To Sharyn, Jana, Becky, Carol, Denise, Debbie, and Don - thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and for teaching me what it means to be part of a staff. To the whole congregation of HCUMC - thank you for loving Debbie and I while we were there and continuing to care about us after we left. Thank you also for giving this "greenhorn" an opportunity to stretch his wings and see if he could fly. Thanks for picking me up when I fell and teaching me grace in the midst of learning how to "do church"!

Tomorrow - Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 2

Continuing from yesterday's post...

First UMC, Plano

Oh, FUMC Plano! I am so grateful for your patience, persistence, and grace while I learned what working in a church was really all about!

During my 3+ years at FUMC I had three different job titles - all of which I was far less than qualified to hold.

First, I was the Assistant Youth Minister. I spent plenty of time doing office work, prepping rooms for Sunday School and Bible study, and working on the monthly Youth Newsletter. I also spent plenty of time building relationship with the youth, parents, and youth sponsors. I learned how to lead a Bible study, teach a Sunday School class, and successfully lead a game for youth. I am indebted to Hilary for teaching me.

Second, I was the Interim Youth Minister. When Hilary left to be a mom, I took over responsibility for the youth group. Fortunately this only lasted a few months because I was in way over my head. During this time I realized that the ins and outs of Youth Ministry are far more complex than I had originally thought and that I was ill-equipped to handle the pressures of leading a youth group of that size. I am indebted to the Youth Sponsors & Sunday School teachers (Mark, Yo, Kevin M, Dan, Kevin C, and many others) who made me look good when I didn't have a clue.

Third, I was the Minister with Young Adults. When Brady came on staff to be the Youth Minister, I shifted my attention to college students within our community. In the 18 months I held this position I learned how to develop new programming where there was none before, learned to market a new ministry, and develop relationships with 20-somethings who were both my peers and my responsibility. I am indebted to those who joined our efforts at launching a new ministry with a guy who had never done that before - especially Terri, Andrew, Pat, Sara, and others.

Outside of my direct responsibilities I worked on several projects that required heavy lay involvement. Some of them went better than others, but all of them went better because I realized I couldn't do it alone.

Thank you to all the wonderful people at First UMC, Plano! I learned great lessons during my time there and I will carry them with me for the rest of my ministry.

Tomorrow - Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 1

Now that I am a week out from my successful ordination interview on Wednesday I am beginning to understand the magnitude of the work of the laity within our journey to ordination. I wanted to take few posts to reflect on my learnings at each of the churches who have invested time, money, and energy in helping me get to this point in my career.

Here's the schedule for this week:

Tuesday - First UMC, Victoria

Wednesday - First UMC, Plano

Thursday - Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton

Friday - Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound

Saturday - University UMC, Wichita Falls

First UMC, Victoria

FUMC was the church I grew up in during the most formational years of my life.

I remember the Sunday School teachers (Sandy) who loved a quiet little boy while teaching him about how much God loved him.

I remember how the staff and pastors (Laura, Robert, Ricky) trusted a wily teenager to read the Word of God within the context of worship on numerous occasions, and even gave him the opportunity to plan worship for Youth Sunday one year.

I remember Youth Pastors & Sponsors (Karen, Ken, Sherri) who trusted me enough to give me the opportunity to be a 6th grade group leader.

I remember other church members (Robert & Joye, George & Rose, Hugh & Janet, and many, many others) who encouraged me to follow God with my life even when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

As I stop to think about the impact the laity on the formation of future clergy leaders, I am eternally grateful for the body of Christ at FUMC Victoria. They loved me when I was ornery, they loved me when I was trying new things, and they loved me because they loved God and God loved me.

I appreciate all that FUMC Victoria did for me and I will never be able to fully repay their generosity and kindness.

Tomorrow - First UMC, Plano!

Graphic for New Series

This Sunday we will begin our new sermon series, Jesus is...

I thought I would let you preview the graphic for the bulletin cover. What do you think?

New Pages Added

I found out that I can create specific pages that link directly to my blog for whatever I want. So, I put up two (only one is up currently) about the books I have read recently and reading that I consider essential. Check them out with the links right under the main title bar.

I'll let you know when I finish the "Essential Reading" page and make it live.

Follow Without Fear

"Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated...Though the mountains be shaken and the hiss be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:4a, 10)

One of the parts of our mission statement at University is to "dare to follow Christ without fear." I truly believe that this one phrase complicates matters tremendously because we don't know what life is like without fear.

I remember being taught about "stranger danger" or not crossing the street without an adult or not taking candy from people I didn't know, etc. From a very young age I learned to fear the unknown because the unknown was somehow unsafe, dangerous, or "deadly".

How has this thinking crept into our churches? We worship a God who knows us fully - more than we are often comfortable with - and yet do we really know the people sitting/serving around us?

We set up "hedges of protection" around our children, youth, and elderly so they don't get hurt. We set up "hoops" for new people to jump through so they can be part of us. But do we ever really let our guard down and live like we are not afraid?

What would it take to live that way?

What would it take to do ministry that way?

How can we move from fear to trust - and not trust in ourselves, but trust in God, the one who is truly trustworthy?

Thoughts?

"Groundhog (Easter) Day"?

OK, if you're a church nerd (like me) then this might be funny. If you are not, then just wait for a serious post tomorrow.

In case you didn't know, today is Groundhog Day. A day where the whole nation (maybe even the world) focuses its attention on a little town in Pennsylvania and a famous rodent ("Punxsatawney Phil"). Isn't it interesting how some many people trust a groundhog to tell them what the weather will be like? Isn't it interesting that no matter which outcome Phil has there will still be six weeks of winter?

With that in mind, I thought I would take a "Groundhog Day" look at some Christian holidays, specifically Easter and Pentecost.

Each spring (sometimes in March, sometimes in April) Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Day. What if when Mary and the disciples get to the tomb that morning, instead of Jesus being gone, he walks out to check and see if he can see his shadow? If he sees his shadow, then there will be seven weeks of Easter!

In late spring (seven weeks after Easter) Christians celebrate the birth of the Church on Pentecost. What if when the tongues of fire come in and land on your head, instead of speaking in various languages, you check the person next to you to see if there is a shadow? If you see a shadow, then there will be twenty-eight weeks of Pentecost!

I know, I know - it doesn't really matter whether Jesus sees his shadow or if we see a shadow from the fire on our neighbor - just like it doesn't matter if Phil sees his shadow or not!

Again, I have to ask...why do we look for silly things to tell us what's coming up next instead of looking to the author and perfecter of our faith? Why do we trust in things that make no difference when we could trust in the One who makes all the difference?

Things You'll Never Hear the Preacher Say

Hmmm....I am pretty sure that I have never said any of these things!

"Oh, no, I couldn't eat another bite of that delicious pie!"

"I can't think of anything to preach!"

"I wish we had a church business meeting every week!"

"I'm afraid that our choir is at full capacity. Can't take anyone else."

"We'd like to start paying our Sunday School teachers next week."

"December is a boring month--I never have anything to do."

"I hate it when people volunteer!"

"I believe the Lord has called me to a smaller church."

"There will be no offering today--we've got plenty of money."

HT: Michael Duduit & Preaching.com

Studying the Beatitudes

I read this the other day in my devotional book and I thought I would share it.

I do not understand my own actions.

For I do not do what I want,

but I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:15

Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

Psalm 86:11

Beatitude 6: Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God. (NJB)

The nineteenth-century lay theologian Soren Kierkegaard wrote that "purity of heart is to will one thing." One thing, not two - between which we must then choose. But how to achieve such unity of purpose? How often have you said about some spiritual challenge: "On the one hand, I want to go in this direction, but on the other hand I am drawn to the opposite way"?

Even Paul the apostle confessed that too often he wanted to do one thing yet did another. Ultimately Paul resolved his conflict by seeing that in this own power he could not be always of one mind; only Christ could deliver him from his spiritual confusion. (Romans 7:21-25)

Could it be that this beatitude is not saying that first we must have purity of desire and as a reward will see God? Could it be instead that when we pray to be delivered from a double mind we see God in ways that only God can know? How appropriate to keep offering the petition of the psalmist quoted above, to seek an undivided heart.

What do you think?

Asking the Right Questions

During the upcoming year I will be spending a great deal of time engaged in the Congregational Transformation Process through our partnership with Rev. Dr. Don Nations and his consulting firm, DNA Coaching, Inc. My hope is to learn all that I can from him and his associates so that I can help the Church Council lead our congregation into a brighter future. Rev. Nations and I have already begun to dialog about beginning a second worship service here at University, but we still have several questions to wrestle with before moving forward.

As I asked him about what would be necessary to begin an alternative worship service he asked me if I could answer the "why" question – "why do we want to do this?" The answer to that question begins to determine the direction that the new service will take. There are two possible answers to the "why" question that are helpful:

1. Because a current service is approaching 80% capacity
   
2. Because we want to reach out to an new segment of our community who is not currently being reached by our current worship service
   

If #1 is our answer, then we need to replicate our current service at another time (either on Sunday morning or at another time that makes sense for our audience). If #2 is our answer, then we need to design an alternative worship experience that meets the needs of the people we would like to see included in our congregation, but are not currently attending or participating.

I believe that #2 is our answer to the "why" question Rev. Nations posed. To that end I did some research through the Percept Group to find out about the demographics of the community immediately surrounding University UMC. The information I found out about the community within a 3-mile radius of our church was startling, eye-opening, challenging, and encouraging. Here are some of the highlights that might impact our decision to begin a second worship experience:

Current Population: 55,839

Households with No Faith Involvement: 29%

Average Age: 38.0 years

Overall Church Style Preference (Trad. vs. Cont.): Both

Preference for "Historic Christian" Tradition: 83%

Overall Faith Receptivity: Somewhat High

Overall Church Program Preference Category: Spiritual Development

This data (along with about 10 more pages worth of data) gives me a good indication that with the right team in place to launch a new worship experience here at University, we could double worship attendance (or more) within the next year.

If you would like to serve on the team that will strategize about this new worship experience, please send me an email (pastor@uumcwf.org) indicating your interest before January 31, 2010. I am looking for 15-20 people to serve on this team.

Thank you for your generosity in our second offering Sunday morning! With your generous gifts, we will be able to help the United Methodist Committee on Relief continue its post-earthquake efforts in Haiti.

A Powerful God

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.

Isaiah 45:2 (TNIV)

The Lord is the one who goes before us into this world. He is the one who clears the way for us. God is the one who can move mountains and destroy barriers that stand in our way. Why then do we often rely on ourselves for deliverance?

In an age of hyper self-reliance, we dismiss the need for others to help us out. We think we can solve all of our problems and defeat all of our enemies. In these attempts to be our own God we fail to recognize the powerlessness of our selves and the powerfulness of God, our Creator. What obstacles are we unable to overcome because we have not begun to rely on God and God's power to "level the mountains"?

Amazing God, you are able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. Give us the ability to expand our imaginations and embolden us to ask big questions. In Jesus' name. Amen.

His Agenda, Our Agenda

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure...

Ephesians 1.8b-9 (TNIV)

Paul writes that God reveals his will in his own time and not ours. God makes his will know to us according to his good pleasure. The will of God is still a mystery to us, but it works for our own good and is done with all wisdom and understanding.

How do we get caught up in trying to bend God's will to ours instead of the other way - our will to his? Inherently our will is flawed and only serves to further our agenda. But when we serve God and his agenda, his agenda becomes our agenda. When we trust that the plan and purpose of God will come to light just when it is needed, then we can trust God in taking the next step of faith.

God, as we move into 2010 with a head full of dreams, help us to pause long enough to make sure that we are seeking your will for our lives and our church. May your goals be our goals and may we be a powerful witness to your faithfulness in 2010. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Allow Me a Moment to Brag, Please

As the world responds to the crisis in Haiti following last week's devastating earthquake I want to thank the great folks at University UMC for stepping up to give from their hearts on Sunday morning during our second offering.

I want to brag on them for a minute and let all of you know that after giving toward the mission and ministry of our church through their tithes and offerings, they dug into their hearts (and wallets/purses) a second time and gave an amazing $2,729 to go to relief efforts in Haiti!

Thanks again UUMC!

If you would like to make a donation through UMCOR, just like we did on Sunday, you can go here and give online. Remember, 100% of your gift will go to provide life-giving supplies and aid when given through UMCOR.

UPDATE: As of today (1/25/10) University UMC has now donated a total of $3,200 toward earthquake relief in Haiti! Way to go!

New Look for a New Year

Sorry for my absence from the blogging world during the last quarter of 2009. I am back and I have some thoughts that I would like to share with the world once again. So be on the look out for more frequent posts.

And in between blog posts, follow me on Twitter or Facebook!