Change the World - WATER

As we enter the Christmas season, we are challenging each other at STORYCHURCH to CHANGE THE WORLD this year. This year our goal is to raise $15,000 in a special offering on December 18 that will go to three different initiatives. This week we focus on clean water.

In December of 2010, STORYCHURCH members gave enough money to fund the drilling of a fresh water well somewhere else in the world. In August of 2011, that well was finally drilled in partnership with Living Water International.

We literally CHANGED THE WORLD. And we plan to do it again.

Read More

One year

Yesterday we celebrated one year at Story Church. One year. Wow. Someone asked me recently how the vision for the church matches up with the real thing now that we're a year in. It's a great question really.

The mission of Story Church is to help people embrace the story they were meant to live.

So the question is, how well have we done at doing that? In what ways are people embracing a new story, a different story, and beginning to embrace a larger view of their life and the place and role they play in the bigger story God is telling? Here are some of the ways I think that has been happening in year one:

• People who were without hope have found it.
  Some of them had no relationship with Jesus or his church a year ago, and today they are passionately following Him. Others had lost hope that church could really be a life-giving community where people were real and authentic in their pursuit of Him, and have begun to see that in Story Church.
• We are finding ourselves a part of a bigger story.
  For the first time there are lights coming on for many of us that are realizing that following Jesus isn't just about the "some day". It's not just about being forgiven and one day ending up in heaven. We are beginning to see the invitation of God to participate in the redemption and restoration of the world. And that's exciting.
• The world is a different place.
  Story Church has literally changed the world. A dozen kids around the world are now being cared for, fed, educated, and supported as a result of our people. 600 people in one village have clean water now that didn't before Story Church. A second village will be getting their clean water well soon. Women who were rescued from sex trafficking were given jobs. 100 needy kids in Durham were given backpacks full of school supplies to start the school year. Single moms were given fun days out with their kids. Church planters were funded, resourced, and coached.

So how well is the vision lining up? Pretty well I think. But like I told our church this week - we are no where near what I believe God wants to accomplish through us. I fully believe that we are just scratching the surface of what God has in store for us.

So let's get on with it shall we? Year two is here. The Story has yet to be written. Let's write with a renewed passion and energy to see even more people embrace the story they were meant to live.

Read More

How STORYCHURCH changed the world

I love my church. Seriously.

We've been working our way through the Advent season, speaking of hope, of peace, of joy, and of love. All throughout we've looked inward and forward. Inward to acknowledge the ways we've grown cold throughout the year, and forward with hope and anticipation that Christmas can still change the world.

And throughout this season the anticipation has built. The light has grown stronger.

Sunday was one of the most incredible mornings we have ever had as a church. I don't know that I have ever been more proud to be a pastor. All month long we have been talking about the Advent Conspiracy and challenging our people to give more, and spend less. Give more of themselves, spend less money on meaningless stuff. And instead to take that extra money and turn it into something that would change the world. So this Sunday we took up a "Change the World" offering.

We had two goals: Be able to fund a well in a third world country that would literally change that community for generations to come - $5,000. And secondly, to replace a trailer we've outgrown and to then be able to give our trailer away to another church plant - $3,000.

And STORYCHURCH responded big time. All together we have so far raised just under $10,000!! This means we will definitely be able to reach both of our goals.

But we aren't done yet! There's still more we can do. There are more places that need water, more church plants that need funding, more single moms that need help. Though we've already met our goals, let's do even more than we could have ever imagined! If you'd still like to participate you can give here and under "gift options" simply write "Change the World", or place your gift in our offering box on Christmas Eve and mark it "Change the World."

Thank you STORYCHURCH for being an amazing, life giving, generous community of Jesus followers!

Don't forget our Christmas Eve service this Friday at 6pm. Invite your friends and family - the celebration just got a little bit bigger!!

Read More

Living Water International

View Larger Map

At Christmas last year, Story Church participated in the Advent Conspiracy. Many of us decided to spend less at Christmas on stuff we didn't need, and instead to give toward clean water wells for people that really needed it most. This week I was notified by Living Water International that the well we helped to build has been built. The well is in Bozoubolo in the Central African Republic (see the map above of the exact location of the well). It serves more than 600 people. I can't tell you how excited that makes me! The fact that as a church, before we even officially launched, we had helped to build a well that provides clean water for 600 people is amazing to me. And I think this news came at a great time. For me, its a reminder that what happened at Christmas matters most because of what happened at Easter. The baby who was proclaimed by angels at Christmas was good news to the world because he would one die and free us from sin and death and usher in a new kingdom. It's a kingdom of life and love and grace and hope. It's why Jesus not only proclaimed truth, but he demonstrated the fruit of the present kingdom through miracles of healing. For us as a church, we celebrate the baby Jesus as well as the risen Lord, and we embrace the role we play in the resurrection story. My desire for us is that while we proclaim good news to the world, we are also demonstrating it through acts of justice and mercy. And today, 600 people are experiencing life giving water as a result.

Read More