Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Words that drive me, “Is this what your Jesus told you to do?”

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on February 28, 2010
in Street to the Seat
. 0 Comments

These were the words Matt Casper asked me in the fall of 2007.  I will always be grateful to Matt for challenging me.  I hear them ringing in my ears each and every day of my life since.

Is this what your Jesus told you to do?

Probably the greatest question I’ve been asked in 15 years of being a pastor.  I really believe it is what fueled my desire to plant Hope Crossing Community Church with Pat Giraldin.

Here are 7 more things that have fueled me.

I wish church were:

1. not just a sermon, but a dialog & discussion

2. respectful of my intelligence

3. not about a building

4. less programming & more prayer

5. loving and safe place for all

6. carrying for the poor and the environment

7. a place where more Jesus was taught

These 7 things describe mine and Pat’s vision & mission for Hope Crossing Community Church in San Juan Capistrano, CA.  If this is who you are as well… come be a “mover” with us.  Jesus was about a movement … not an institution.  Jim Henderson & Matt Casper taught me that… be a mover with us.


Invest Wisely in the First Impressions of the Church

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on February 24, 2010
in B.E.L.O.N.G., Communication, Community, Connection, Contribution and Street to the Seat
. 1 Comment

I posted on my twitter (@kerrymackey) last week the following,

“Pastors, invest wisely in first impressions or no one will be in the seats to hear you.”

Seriously, if we would invest the same amount of resources helping people bridge the gap between what they think church is and what we genuinely desire it to be don’t you think more people might consider at least trying it once.

For the past 15 years I’ve spent a good majority of my time evaluating how the church invests it’s resources within the walls.

I must say we have not done a good job of wisely investing the resources God has entrusted to us.  What if we were to reinvest the same amount of funds the the following ways: communicating about us effectively in the community (oral, print, broadcast, & digital), making someones connection first rate when they arrive at the church (street to the seat), helping persons assimilate easily (clear next steps), and help them choose to be a part of belonging to the community of faith (fellowship/serving/small groups).

Pastors, just a thought to consider… What if you spent as much on your first impressions ministry as you did on your worship experience & your facilities?

Just a thought!

“Figures” to “Faith” - a 10 year journey… the short story

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on February 5, 2010
in B.E.L.O.N.G., Communication, Community, Connection, Contribution, Street to the Seat and Top 10 Things
. 0 Comments

A journey of living the past 10 years at or above 6 figures ($$) to living by faith.  God woke me during the night last night and began to have me write.  What you see here are my ramblings from last night.

I have been needing to write this post for several months now; however, I just wasn’t ready.  I think I need it as much for myself to flesh out in words my feelings.  I hope you’ll find a nugget or two within my ramblings that will give you a word of faith for your own life.

LESSONS IN FIGURES

Over the past 10 years I have had the great privilege of serving at some of the greatest and most well known churches in the world.  I was fortunate enough to have gone to one of the most well known seminaries in the country in Fort Worth, Texas and began my ministry at a church of 255 in attendance to serving at the executive level of churches of 3000, and two churches over 20,000 in weekly attendance with multiple campuses.

During those times over the past ten years I was honored to have a very nice salary, health, life, dental, vision insurance, church supported HSA’s, retirement, and spending accounts.  Not to mention access to up to 3 & 4 weeks of paid vacations and plenty of time to travel and conduct conferences, revivals, training events, etc…

To tell you the truth over these years I truly haven’t worried about anything.  During that time my bride and I have lived in 3 different states, had 4 boys, and my bride has been able to be a work at home mother and home school our boys.  We have been completely taken care of financially.  Never really worrying about bills, car payments, mortgage, etc…  In fact, we purchased an investment property in Texas and held it for several years.  On other occasions we considered purchasing additional investment properties in Texas just in case we ever considered going back, but never followed through.

LESSONS IN FAITH

In the last 6 months God led us from that life of security in “figures” to join our dear friends Pat & Gina Giraldin in “faith” here in southern California to be church planters.  On Christmas Eve we started, “Hope Crossing Community Church” in San Juan Capistrano California (92675)

These past 6 months have been the greatest lesson in faith my bride and I have ever encountered.  Placing our home in Florida on the market in late August 2009… (still hasn’t sold - potentially will short sale) to moving our family to southern California completely on faith (several people came together to cover the cost of the move), not having a place to live (literally) until after driving into town the second week of December 2009.  Finding a place to rent within days and once again having several families help cover our 1st months rent.

Did I mention that at the time we rolled into town we didn’t have a place to start the church for Christmas Eve.. once again God showed up and gave us San Juan Hills High School Gym on December 14th and hundreds of folks came together to make the start a wonderful success.  In the past 5 weeks we have been gathering as a church, God has been impacting and changing lives of the folks in south Orange County… cities like San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel, Las Flores, Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, and Aliso Viejo.

We have never lived an extravagant life; however, God has taught us what we can live without.  For the first time since we’ve been married we are renting a house and not owning.  We haven’t had TV, Cable, Satellite, house phone, or Internet for 6 months - no biggie - Thank you (Panera Bread) for the use of your free Wi-Fi.  We are turning back our lease car this month.  I have started riding my street bike full time.  We don’t have membership dues to golf or sport clubs so nothing lost there.

God has also stepped Stephanie and I through steps of faith in showing us daily provision.  Never in our lives have we been so dependent on daily provisions from God.  We have seen God use the gifts/resources of others to pay our rent, cover utility bills, make insurance payments, cover costs of registering our vehicles, provide groceries, and the list goes on.  It has been a very humbling experience as for the first time in our lives we have started going to the local food bank once a month.  Thank you to every person who has ever given to a local food bank… your generosity is providing for my family… Thank You!

God has shown us that we are so blessed! In light of the world’s problems we are blessed.  We live is a free country protected by the wonderful men/women of the armed forces.  We are all healthy. We have a great family, great children, loving parents/grandparents, awesome friends, and a church home in Hope Crossing that just blows our minds with love.

God has also shown us that the vision of reaching this community for Christ… Is to die for.  It is causing us to die to self and long for their eternal security in a relationship with Jesus.  I was reminded just last night that I have no pride left… For those of you who have known me most of my life you know that is a HUGE step for me.  From my earlier years I was in it for me… It was about what I could do, what I could prove, and who I was going to become in corporate America and in the American church.  I have truly been broken in the past 6 months.  Stephanie and I are both looking for part-time jobs to supplement expenses while getting the church off the ground with the ministry team.

The vision God has given us for south Orange County is crystal clear.  We (Hope Crossing Community Church) are a Church relieved of imposed boundaries created by religion, rising up from a generation that desires hope and community, gathering together to grow as disciples, loving God, loving others, and leaving a legacy of love in the world.

The communities we are desiring to love here in south Orange County are in dyer need of hope, love, and a legacy.  Our vision is to be the Church in our communities, not to them.  We want to be serving in our communities through local Government, Schools, Community Organizations, Youth Organizations, and in the lives of individual families.  We are committed to the cities of south Orange County for the health of our families and our faith.

Check out these stats: (10 mile ring around Hope Crossing - 9 cities)

  • 500,000 people
  • 182,000 households
  • 24.4% - say it is important to attend a religious service
  • 50.5% - consider themselves spiritual
  • 18.0% - enjoy watching religious TV
  • 35.4% - considering themselves to have conservative Christian values
  • 17.3% - say their faith is really important to them
  • 25.0% - say they contribute more than $200 a year to a religious organization

I’d like to ask you to consider partnering with us to carry out the vision God has given us at Hope Crossing Community Church.  Please consider joining the vision.  Your support will change a life, a family, and our community.

Make contributions payable to:

Hope Crossing Community Church

Mail contributions to:

Hope Crossing Community Church
PO Box 4170
Mission Viejo, Ca 92690
Thank you for allowing me to share my journey.  I hope that you have seen from my thoughts that my faith is stronger now than ever… on so much less.  Being a church planter has shown me a missional-life is a faith-life.  Living by faith…

Last night during our bible study and prayer time we studied Galatians 6:9 in the Bible which says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

We will not give up…

Blessings!

Pastor Kerry

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