Author Archive for Kerry Mackey

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

Hope Crossing Web
Hope Crossing Facebook Fan Page

Aerial View of communities being impacted by @hopecrossing

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on January 27, 2010
in Street to the Seat
. 0 Comments

We are so excited that God has called us to impact the following communities of south Orange County, California.

Website

Facebook

DONATE button added to Hope Crossing Community Church.

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on January 16, 2010
in Street to the Seat
. 0 Comments

As a church planter we wear several hats.  Today we are raising support to carry out the vision God has given us to help change lives in the San Juan Capistrano Valley area of south Orange County, California.


Please keep up with the latest on our website at http://hopecrossingchurch.com and/or our Facebook Fan Page.

Thank you for your support.

Blessings!

Pastor Kerry

Intentional or Natural Assimilation through the eyes of a Church Planter

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on January 13, 2010
in B.E.L.O.N.G., Communication, Community, Connection, Contribution and Street to the Seat
. 0 Comments

Well, these past several months have been off the hook as we’ve planted  Hope Crossing Community Church in southern California with some dear friends.  Coming from the world of serving on staff with two giga churches over the past 5 years to planting a church from ground up has it’s own assimilation intricacies.

My students at Rockbridge Seminary (an online seminary where I teach) reminded me through their postings this week of our longing for … biblical community.

I am also reminded of a brief discussion I had with Joseph Myers author of “A Search to Belong” back in February 2009.  Joe said, “Why do we work so hard to create something God created us for in the first place?”  Joe was referring to the time/energy the church puts into “creating community”.  Joe said to me, “Kerry, shouldn’t something that God created us to be, come easier?  Why do we try to artificially created something…?”

Just a thought?  It made me think…

Hope Crossing Community Church - Christmas Eve Launch

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on November 24, 2009
in B.E.L.O.N.G. and Street to the Seat
. 1 Comment

It is hard to express to you in words the emotion we are feeling right now as we share with you the vision God has given us for Hope Crossing Community Church, a new church plant in the Ladera Ranch area of southern California.

More details on our web site at Hope Crossing Webpage and on our Facebook Fan Page
Our Vision…
Hope Crossing is 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.
Our Purpose and Plan are unified:
Love God – Believe – weekend messaging
Love others – Belong - community groups
Leave a legacy – Become – being the hands and feet of Jesus
Hope Crossing will live out the church in community as established by Jesus and modeled by the disciples. We will be a place where the churched, un-churched, de-churched, and all of God’s children can come together in gatherings to support, care for, and encourage one another. We see the church moving into communities and houses…yet still connected.
We see the church working towards three gatherings, a Believe gathering, a Belong gathering, and a Become gathering. The design is to connect the community and help motivate people to come not out of convenience, but out of desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. Church will be where we come to worship God, invite friends and family, and grow together.

The three gatherings will have aligning messaging with different deliveries. These gatherings will always be unified without uniformity, and each designed to reach someone at a different stage of their spiritual growth.

Hope Crossing’s leadership will be FULL of Jesus, FULL of vision, and FULL of love

for His church…100% sold out and committed to God’s vision and mission in the world.  Crossing over from what the church has become to what Christ intended it to be.

Here is how the vision came to be…

By late May 2009 Pastor Pat had separate conversations with two close friends who shared their impressions with him that by July 1, 2009 they felt he would have clarity about next steps in ministry. The answer came in the form of a vision to Pat of a church based in community - recklessly abandoned to Jesus. On July 1, 2009 Pat was called to move forward with the vision of a church plant in Orange County California called “Hope Crossing Community Church.” Since that day God has continued to reveal signs and next steps. The vision is being confirmed through numerous mentors, life coaches, pastors, friends and family to this day.

On August 21, 2009 Pastor Kerry Mackey contacted Pat to see what God was doing in his life. After sharing the vision with Kerry, Pat learned that Kerry not minutes earlier had been challenged by his mentor Dr. Daryl Eldridge (Rockbridge Seminary) to consider planting a church. Pat and Kerry began praying daily for God’s direction and timing of next steps. Since that date, God has given many signs to both Pat and Kerry as well as their wives and others that they have been called together as a co-laborer team to share in the vision that God is crafting through them.

We believe that God is calling us to plant Hope Crossing in the Ladera Ranch area of southern California. At this time we sense God showing us a vacant commercial property or school in the area. We have considered a former auto dealership unable to be rented and purposefully gifted to Hope Crossing for a specified period of time.

We are currently raising financial support for staffing, facility rental, utilities, and ministry needs. We are having weekly night of prayer gatherings where our core team is praying and studying
scripture together. Joining together from multiple locations over Skype.

Weekly we are having meetings with individuals, churches, and organizations of potential partnerships with us.

We LAUNCH…. Christmas Eve at sunset… location is still to be determined; however, we should have that nailed down in the next week.

We count it pure joy to be serving alongside each of you in ministry.

If you have any questions and/or would like to be involved in any way, please contact us at

pastorpat@hopecrossingchurch.com
pastorkerry@hopecrossingchurch.com

or

info@hopecrossingchurch.com

We will see you Christmas Eve… stay tuned to our fan page for time and location.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Super fellowship with LifeChurch.tv Wellington, Florida - GREAT ministry Team

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on October 13, 2009
in B.E.L.O.N.G. and Street to the Seat
. 2 Comments

This past weekend, Stephanie, the boys and I gathered with Life Church.TV Wellington, Florida.  We were so blessed to have worshiped with them.  We wanted to say thanks to the staff and ministry partners for making us feel so welcomed.  It is always a blessing to be greeted like family even when no one knows who you are.  Over the past several years of my ministry it has not often been that I could just be a part of the crowd.  It was so refreshing.

Several things that caught my attention.

  • access/signage was done well
  • banners along the front of the high school auditorium were HUGE… great street appeal and easy to understand where we were suppose to go.
  • ministry partners were every where (all wearing the same shirt)
  • greeters on all the side walks shaking hands.
  • greeter at the door greeted us, asked our names, asked how they could serve us today.
  • greeter walked us to the welcome center for more information, asked if we’d like our children to attend worship with us or with the children’s ministry.  This was HUGE for us because we prefer to have our children with us.  Our children (9,4,2, and 1) were welcomed with open arms into the worship center.  Kids were super stoked that they were given ear plugs as welcome gifts.  The boys truly saw it as a welcoming gift.
  • usher welcomed us and walked us into the auditorium, asking questions as she went about us, our family, etc… SO refreshing… you could see she was genuinely interested in our family.
  • Auditorium was done very well… love how they used pipe/drape to make the room feel more intimate.
  • Sound and Lighting was very nice - would love to know where they purchased their equipment.
  • Campus Pastor Larry Mayer, greeted us… as he could see we were a fresh face…  That my friends is a gift.  A Campus Pastor who looks for new people… passionate about his campus.
  • Worship was good! - visiting worship pastor from the area… my boys love contemporary Christian rock, so we fit right in.
  • Andy Stanley was preaching… need I say more… It was a word of Truth we all need to hear.
  • hundreds of folks hanging out in the foyer after the gathering time.
  • great small group information
  • great children’s and student ministry information
  • Loved how Pastor Larry invited all new folks to his home for the following weekend just to hang and ask questions… This is REAL!

Thanks to the Following Life Church.TV Wellington, Florida Team

We had a great experience.  When you are in the south Florida area near West Palm Beach (PBI) you need to stop in and worship with LifeChurch.TV Wellington.  It is minutes from the airport.

Blessings my friends!

I just became a fan of “Hope Crossing Community Church” on Facebook.

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on October 12, 2009
in Street to the Seat
. 0 Comments

I just became a fan of Hope Crossing Community Church on Facebook.  Really love what they are saying about their ministry.

Might be a church you want to follow.  Seems like they are up to “crazy love” for Jesus.

Just a thought.

Customer Service - a back porch discussion

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on October 3, 2009
in Communication and Street to the Seat
. 1 Comment

This past week I was hanging with some really great friends in the North Texas area.  During our time together while hanging out on the back porch at their house we had a great discussion on “customer service”.

Just a couple of nuggets from that discussion that I think are paramount for us to understand as we think about first impressions through the local church into our communities.

  • be easy to find (church contact information should permeate your community)
  • be the go to organization in your community (partner with your city, county, state)
  • be available to serve the community at a moments notice
  • be in the community conversation (you don’t have to lead it, but you need to be in it)
  • be the safe place for everyone in your community
  • be accessible
  • be real about who you are
  • be transparent
  • be servants

You’ll notice that this “customer service” discussion didn’t have anything to do with persons at your facility.  Customer Service starts long before anyone arrives at a location.

Just a couple of nuggets that were good reminders for me.

Hope you find them helpful as well.

Just a Thought!