The World is Flat

On the way to Stockton the other day, I listened to an audio version of Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat.

Has anybody read it? If so, what did you think?

In the book, Friedman describes 10 World Flatteners. Here's the list, but you'll have to read/listen to the book to understand them. . .

(1) 11/9/89 The Fall of the Berlin Wall

(2) 8/9/95 The New Age of Connectivity: When the Web Went Around and Netscape Went Public

(3) Work Flow Software

(4) Open-Sourcing (In 2006, retitled 'Uploading')

(5) Outsourcing

(6) Offshoring

(7) Supply-chaining

(8) Insourcing

(9) In-forming

(10) Amplifying technologies, or "steroids."

Friedman makes much of how these "flatteners" are lowering the barriers to entry for new markets such as China, India and the former Soviet Block countries.

One of the things I appreciated most about the book is that it's not all analysis, but also corrective. Friedman offers some helpful suggestions for surviving/thriving in a flat world.

As I listened, I thought about three issues:

1. What does a flat world mean for world missions? Huge implications here. God, "who works all things after the counsel of His own will," will work a flat world for His good purposes. How can we take advantage of the circumstances of a flat world to join Him in His work?
   
   
2. What does a flat world mean for Grace? I got an email from someone in deep China who was encouraged by "The Fig Tree Withered" message from a couple weeks ago. Blew my mind. That's a flat world phenomenon. How do we go further and deeper?
   
   
3. What does a flat world mean for San Luis Obispo? I think those who are trying to live and work in SLO should read "The World is Flat." A flat world can make it possible to survive and thrive here or whereever. We need more flat world businesses here.

Welcome Eli Allshouse

Mike & Katie Allshouse just returned home from Ethiopia with their new adopted son, Eli. Welcome to Grace, Eli! Be praying for the Allshouse Family as they integrate one more. . . they're up to four. . . so far.

Grace is starting to get a bit colorful with all these new additions . . . it's about time . . . Who's next?

On the subject of Africa, I just watched this 35 minute NBC News Special called Bono in Africa.

(It's available for free on the iTunes Music Store . . . the link will take you there. . . iTunes required.)

Dude is the real deal and he's making it happen. Attacking the roots of the problems in the name of God. He makes a great point about how the West needs to be involved there to show the world our values and our care. It's good public relations. It's the right thing to do. It's a good investment.

Check out Bono's website at one.org . . .make poverty history.

Theule Family Photo of the Week: me & her

Isn't she lovely? Clearly my "better half!" Lucky guy.

Cousin's Camp

On Father's Day after our full and fun services, I headed up to the Stockton area to drop off Sage, Eden, Zeke, Kyle & Julianne for a week long "Cousin's Camp" that my mom and stepfather put together for the week. Looks and sounds like they're having a great time.

I'm taking the week off and it's just me and Susie and Haak. . . .trying to catch up on the business of life this week.

Have you seen this family?

Perhaps you've heard the rumors or perhaps you've already met this friendly family. It's true, my brother Chad and His family have made the leap to the Central Coast. He hung up his VP tech job and he's starting a company called One Source Home Solutions, with another buddy of mine.

Would you believe it? They're renting a house just 7 houses up from us. The cousins are loving it. It's like summer camp.

From left that's Chad, Julie, Nate, Kyle and Julianne. When you see them around, give them a great big Grace welcome.

ch-ch-changes

It's sinking in this week that Pastor Scott has really left our staff team. We had a pastoral offsite today and he wasn't there. I looked in his office today and it was nearly empty. He wasn't in the worship service line-up this last week. I miss his smiling face.

I read a quote today that caught my attention. . .

Change is hard. Change is hardest on those caught by surprise. Change is hardest on those who have difficulty changing, too. But change is natural; change is not new; change is important.

I agree. Change is hard. Blessings to Pastor Scott & the whole Peterson Family as they seek and serve the Lord beyond Grace.

Nehemiah Borland

Mike & Kristin Borland welcomed Nehemiah into the world and into their family on Sunday, June 11th. Mom & baby are doing well. Congrats to the proud parents and grandparents!

75th Anniversary Road Ride?

So I just got wind that there was a low profile 75th Anniversary Road Ride on Memorial Monday. What's up with that? No one invtied me. Here's the evidence . . .



from left. . . Mark Ernstrom, Steve Leonard, Michael Grainger,
David Leece, Dean Hampton, Rick Wolfe, Scott Morton, and Greg Keough

Now I've heard that David Leece is the man to beat out there.

Lots of cycling going on these days at Grace. . . both road and off road. Give me a holler if you want more info.

It's been a while since we've thrown a Life Together quote into the mix. Here's a thought-provoking one. What's your reaction?

He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions my be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, page 27

discouraging note of the week

Surely you don't think all the feedback is positive, do you?

Last Sunday between services, somebody handed me a worship tab that they had found lying around. She said, "I think this is note for you." Here's what the tab said. . .

Length of sermon isn't as important as getting the message across to the people. On average people can only hold their attention for 30 minutes.

Your delivery is excellent. Very animated. Its a good thing!

Nice. Of course it was unsigned. Why do I read unsigned notes?

encouraging email of the week

Here's another college student that Scott Morton and Steve Leonard have been investing their lives in . . .

Greetings Men of God,

My name is Greg Keogh and I'm a Cal Poly student attending Grace. Since I have finished finals (praise God!!) I've had a few moments to reflect on the past quarter and decided to take the time to tell you all what I have learned and seen this past quarter specifically to the 75th anniversary.

I first want to start off by thanking all of you for giving me the opportunity to experience this anniversary even though I have only attended 3 years and will only be around for a little over 1 more year. I am so thankful I got the chance to sing in the 75th anniversary choir; I sang in high school which was an amazing experience. But there is something to be said about singing with a group of people that believe the words they sing, it was amazing to worship God by making a sweet sound to his ears and proclaiming at the top of our lungs how he is worthy of praise!

I was also very challenged at the banquet to hear the stories and see the people that have been at Grace since the beginning. I was blown away to hear that Leroy Persson was only 22 years old when starting Grace and had no pastoral training. I pray that I might have the same confidence in God's will that Leroy had in starting a church with 3 people and pushing through all the trials with prayer and submission to complete God's very evident will for a church on Pismo and Osos. God has been so faithful in providing for Grace, just like it says in Hebrews 11 that "He who promised is faithful" and Grace is another testimony to that. I have been challenged to seek God's faithfulness in my own life and to celebrate and remember that as I walk with him daily.

I finally hope to encourage you in saying that I accept the challenge you, Pastor Tim and Pastor Steve, have been giving us to take the baton and move into the next generation of saints. I prayerfully hope to do this as I serve on College leadership and desire so much to see my fellow students serve their crucial role in the body of Christ. I want them to see how they make Christ's bride even more beautiful by serving Him throughout their college years and continuing beyond by pouring into others. Again, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience this anniversary and for so lovingly welcoming college students in the body at Grace. I thank you for pouring yourselves out for the sake of Christ and pray that my simple words bring encouragement to you.

Because He is good,

Greg Keogh

Here's a neat shot of our 75th Anniversary Banquet at the Madonna Expo ... that's a whole lot of people. . . . an evening to remember. Click to see larger.

The Drama of Doctrine

Today, I read this great interview with Kevin Vanhoozer, a prof at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the author of The Drama of Doctrine, which I now would like to read. (Though the cover might just be the most boring book cover I've seen in a very long time!)

Here's a link to a PDF version of the article and a few quotes that caught my attention. . .

The imagination is our means of perceiving a unified drama in the diversity of the Scriptures. What holds the various books of the Old and New Testament together is their testimony to the speech and action of the triune God and to the drama of redemption. The imagination allows us to grasp as a meaningful whole what those without imagination see only as unrelated parts. . . . But we can go further still. The imagination also enables us to see our lives as part of that same meaningful whole. Christians don’t need more information about the Bible, trivial or otherwise. What the church needs today is the ability to indwell or inhabit the text, the ability to make the Bible serve as the framework through which we interpret God, the world, and ourselves.

(This is exactly what I mean when I often say that we need to "place ourselves in the text, see ourselves in the story.")

I think a picture of doctrine as theoretical information has held evangelicals captive for too long. We believe the right things and sign on the dotted line of our confessional statements, but too many of us are unable to relate our offical theology to everyday life. There is a tremendous disconnect. We know how to profess, but not to practice the cross.

(We believe the gospel, even proclaim it, but don't know how to live it.)

The church is a company of players who have become in the words of the apostle Paul, a "spectacle to the world" (I Cor. 4:9). Christians are "costumed interpreters," clothed with the righteousness of Christ and charged with being the “theater of the gospel.” To be precise, the church is to perform the in the power of the Spirit. The most important form that our biblical interpretation takes is not the commentary but the community: the church is to show the world what the gospel means through the way it shapes its life together. When the church performs the gospel, it becomes an enacted parable that exhibits the kingdom of God before a watching world. For example, the church performs the atonement by exercis- ing its ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). The church does not bring reconciliation about—only the cross can do that—but witnesses in word and deed to the reconciliation already achieved in Christ. The church participates in the cross, then, when it becomes a theater of reconciliation. Or, to put it somewhat differently, the church demonstrates her understanding of—performs—the doctrine of atonement by living as though the “dividing walls” (Eph 2:14) of racial and ethnic hostility really were broken down.

(I like that term "theater of the Gospel" to describe the church. This quote is all about "living the Gospel," isn't it? We perform the atonement by practicing reconciliation! That's a great concrete example of how we can apply the gospel to our everyday lives.)

Read the article and share your thoughts.

(HT: my father-in-law who gave me the article)

update your contact info @ graceslo.org now

If you worship with us at Grace, you can now access and update your personal information online from our website. Give it a go at . . . .

Click Here!

The earliest days of Grace were characterized by creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, and cutting-edge use of technology to advance the Gospel here on the Central Coast and beyond. We're committed to the same. To that end, we are pleased to announce the launch of our New Secure Online Congregational Database. We believe this will help us accomplish two important aims:

1. Congregational Care & Shepherding: The growing size of Grace requires that our leadership redouble our efforts to provide care and shepherding for the Lord's people. We believe this is our Biblical charge and we are not satisfied with the level of care we are currently providing. We want to do this better and we recognize this new database as one of many tools to help us in that task.

2. Improved Ministry & Body Life: Our desire is to see every believer at Grace using their time and talents to serve the Lord. Its pretty mind-numbing to keep track of it all. Our new database is a tool to help us do that better by facilitating communication, ministry oversight, event registration and data management. Our database will allow us to broaden and deepen our ministry in exciting ways. Here are some of them. . .

• It will enable you to update and manage your own personal information from our church website.
  

• It will move us toward a realtime, almost current Pictorial Directory by allowing you to upload personal and family photos.

• It will enable online event registration for picnics, conferences, dinners, services and other special events.
  

• It will provide ministry leaders a snapshot of who is involved in their ministry where.
  

• It will allow Growth Group Leaders to quickly and easily reach out to their Growth Groups.

We're rolling it out via an email to the the congregation later today, but you "life together" readers get an early sneak preview.

What do you think? Your feedback is always welcome.

In the Bag

The 75th Anniversary Big Weekend far surpassed my hopes and expecations. From top to bottom, the events of the weekend were God-honoring, excellent and characterized by sweet fellowship.

The Concert on Friday was unbelievable. Pastor Al just labors quietly and then pulls off the big one. Historical, passionate, excellent and Biblical.

The Banquet on Saturday was overwhelming and exciting. Packed house at the Madonna Expo. Food was tasty. Fellowship was flowing. Program was riveting.

Sunday's Worship Services were packed. It was a unique and different "Covenant Renewal Service." A big risk for me, but timely for us as we move ahead from here. (Listen here if you missed it!)

The Picnic on Sunday was rockin'. That ACE Team is amazing. 600+ served.

The Hymn Sing was a fitting and sweet capstone. It was hard to get up and go, but I was so glad I did. If you missed it, you missed out.

I've been thinking about this thing since before I got here, so it feels good to wrap it up and know that we did it well together. Many thanks to each and every one who came together to pull this thing off. The Lord was in it. We did it. Its in the bag and know one can take it away from us. It was a Celebration to remember and will serve as a lasting memorial to our great and faithful God.

Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Share your thoughts.

The Hymn Sing ended with a Men's Chorus singing this great song, called "Find Us Faithful." I thought the lyrics expressed my prayer this weekend well. . . .

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift though all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Theule Family Photo of the Week: Memorial Day Messing Around

Hope you had a good Memorial Day!
We just tried to catch up after an amazing, but very full weekend.
More soon . . .

Friday Musings

what's cookin'?

I had great time this morning gathering with a group of Central Coast pastors. We shared personal needs, what we're preaching on this Sunday and what we're learning from our study of God's Word. We prayed for one another. We laughed. We evaluated the Da Vinci Dialogue CCEPN campaign and agreed that it was our best cooperative project to-date.

It's always a hassle to get there. It's always a joy once I'm there.

I give thanks for our fellowship. I need it. There continues to be a sense among us that God is doing a work here on the Central Coast . . . and He's not done yet.

We've got some great things cookin' for next year. I'd love to tell you, but. . . .

It's a pretty unique thing. I've never seen or heard anything like it.

Many thanks to Steve Potratz for pulling us together and for sacrificially giving of his personal and corporate time, talent and treasure. It simply wouldn't be happening without him.

The BIG WEEKEND

In case Grace emails are going to the "Junk Folder," here's the email I sent today. . .

Beloved Grace Family,

Are you getting your rest? You're going to need it! The BIG WEEKEND is upon us. . . our labor of love to the Lord in celebration of His faithfulness to Grace these 75 years.

I want to exhort you to get, not only physically ready, but spiritually ready as well. Commit our weekend to prayer. Ask God to manifest His presence in a mighty way. Pray for spiritual protection, as we sense the enemy prowling. Pray that God would prepare your heart and our hearts together for spiritual renewal. SET ASIDE SOME SPECIAL TIME FOR PRAYER. I will be here in the sanctuary tomorrow morning (Friday) from 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM seeking the presence of the Lord with any and all who would like to join me.

Also as part of our spiritual preparation for the weekend and our worship on Sunday, I want to urge you to read Joshua 24 where the Lord's people, at that momentous moment in their history, re-commit themselves to the Lord. I believe we stand together at a similar moment . . . a momentous moment in our history together. . . a moment to REMEMBER our CALLING in Jesus Christ . . . a moment to RENEW our COMMITMENT to live for JESUS CHRIST. Get ready!

So here's the rundown for the events of the weekend and their various start times:

Friday Celebration Concert @ 7:30 PM in the Sanctuary
Let's kick things off with praise to our Great God. Our adult and children's choirs and full orchestra will help us lift our voices to the Lord. Childcare will not be provided, but the Family/Cry room will be open. Just bring the kids along. Let's worship together as a family.

Saturday Celebration Banquet @ 5:30 PM at the Madonna Expo
We're expecting a packed house of 650. If you have not paid for your tickets, please plan to do so that evening. If you have purchased tickets, but now are unable to attend, please let us know by phone or email, as we have folks on a waiting list eager to attend. If you're looking for tickets, contact us to get on that waiting list. It would be a shame to see empty seats on Saturday evening.

Some have asked where the Expo is. Getting to the Madonna Expo is a cinch. Just pull into the Madonna Inn off Madonna Road and follow the signs past the Inn. The Expo is located up the hill at the base of Cerro San Luis (Madonna Mountain if you prefer). Looks to me like we can expect about a 3 hour evening together including dinner, a 75 minute program, dessert, and fellowship. Attire is somewhere in the range of dress casual to semi-formal. Let's not put on airs, but make it warm and real.

I want to also encourage you to have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus by regarding one another's interests as more important than your own (Phil. 2:3-8). We've had a few calls from folks making last minute requests (demands?) about seating arrangements on Saturday night. It is no small undertaking to try and coordinate seating for 650! Please be open, flexible and gracious as we do our best.

If you've got some time available on Saturday and want to help with EXPO preparations, REPLY to this email and let us know.

Sunday Worship Services @ 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 AM
A great way to serve others this weekend is to come to the 8:00 AM service to free up some room in those later services. I want to urge you to bring your youth and children with you to one of these important "Covenant Renewal" services. If you normally attend only one service while your kids attend Youth Group or Sunday School, plan to attend two services this Sunday.

Beloved former Youth/College Pastor Corey Melia, will be sharing the Word and his heart in the Ministry Center during the 9:30 and 11:00 AM services. If you missed Paul Anderson last Sunday, you missed out. Don't miss out this week!

Once more, prayerfully prepare your heart! Come expectant and prayed up!

Sunday All-Church Picnic @ 12:15 PM at Mitchell Park
500+ expected. If you haven't RSVP'd, please REPLY to this email now. Lunch will be served at 12:30. I'm wearing shorts and flip-flops. No program, just come and enjoy the food and fellowship. Nametags will be provided. If you've been here at Grace for a year or less, you'll receive a red name tag, so we can get to know and love you. Cost is $5.00 / $25 max per family.

Karen Weaver and the ACE Team are looking for 8 - 10 men who can help with picnic set-up during the 8:00 AM service. If you can help, just hit REPLY now.

Sunday Evening Hymn Sing @ 7:00 PM
I know it's crazy . . . but it seemed fitting to end the weekend as we start it, giving praise, honor and glory to our faithful God. After all, most of us get to sleep in and relax on Monday which is Memorial Day. We'll sing some of the great hymns of the faith, even taking audience requests. We'll also open up the mic so that you can give testimony to the Lord's faithfulness in your life through the ministry at Grace. Be thinking now of a memory that you might share. Remember; let's be God-centered and BRIEF! Again, there will be no childcare for this event, so just bring them along and let them experience God's faithfulness through the years.

I've been much encouraged by the many who've taken the time to add a memory to our 75th Anniversary website. The list is GROWING! It's not too late for you to leave your testimony to God's faithfulness! Here's that link, once more . . .

ClICK HERE!

Many thanks in advance to our 75th Anniversary Committee, our ACE team, our Administrative and Ministry Staff Teams, and the many others who've labored tirelessly to create what I know is going to be an incredible and God-honoring weekend. It's going to be great. Not to us O Lord, but to your name give glory!

I think that's plenty. See you this weekend.

Because of and for the Gospel. . . .Pastor Tim

Audioblogger

Check it out! That's the wind you hear in the background.

Fun and different. Are you open to audio posts once in while?

Pretty slick and easy. Pretty amazing.

Self Serve or Not?

I was having a conversation with our staff about something the other day when we somehow ended up talking about the "self serve check out counter" at Home Depot. I assumed everybody disliked this impersonal experience as much as I did . . . the scanner never seems to work very well. . . . I'm never sure of the procedure . . . I don't dig that computer lady talking at me . . .

But alas. . . I was wrong. Several reported how much they love it. . . . quick, easy and you don't have to talk to anybody.

How about you? Like it or not?

What does all this have to do with "life together" in the church?

I hear it often . . . ."Grace is starting to feel impersonal!" I don't know if it's true or if the church is just a big easy target.

Is it true? How do we fight it? How do we make a big church feel like a small church? The Elders talk about it continually. I'd like to hear some of your thoughts.

Are you doing your part?

Theule Family Photo of the Week: Knight Zeke

Our Ezekiel turns 4 tomorrow. My how the time flys. On Saturday, we had a small "Knights & Maidens" party for him complete with sword training, stick horse riding, slaying the dragon, and "how to treat a lady" instruction.

So the picture is Zeke being "knighted."

Lots of fun. . .

a packed house

Not to bring up a hot topic again or anything, but Bryan Stupar has posted some great photos of the Da Vinci Dialogue evening. . . . a packed house at Grace. Thanks Tom O'Leary. . . uh. . . I mean Bryan. Sorry, you had to be there.

pastor.bryan.stupar: Dialoging the Davinci Code