therstblog

Wow! I really cannot believe I am about to type this. I have been putting it off for sometime now, because I know that I know that I know that once I hit “publish” i cannot take it back. So here it goes i am getting out of my head and heart and into your lives.

WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHEW! That was easier than I thought.

On January 1st of 2007, only 10 days after Esther and I got married, God spoke to me (please dont get spooky on me) and declared NOW was the time to start the church. Let’s just say that I did not sit still long enough to hear the rest of that message. I fluffed it, tripped, fell on my head several times, lost a friend or two, or three, and still i managed to be in the excellent Grace of God to be able to sit here and share my heart with you concerning my family and our pursuit of the Call God has on my life.

A Peculiar Place.

A place where those who are far from God, those curious about God, even those who are mad at God, or say there is no God will be welcomed. Leave all judgment outside please! I don’t want to see another person friend or stranger have to live life hurting, numb, in lack, or alone! Our vision is to see those that are far from God be brought out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Be introduced to a relationship, not a religion with Jesus Christ. Be able to build a community of people from all different walks of life, socio-economic, ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds who simply love God and His Kingdom.

Why downtown?

Honestly, the suburbs are taken care of. I mean i am sure there are still surrounding areas and counties of metro Atlanta that could use a church dedicated to Kingdom building, but my heart bleeds for the city! Literally bleeds, i promise. There is an energy, a life all its own in the heart of any city that has been dubbed “DOWNTOWN”. Atlanta is no different. High rises going up on every other corner. Hotels, businesses, Trump Towers, homeless sitting outside of those same buildings where millionaires step over them, bums pissing in the alley or an abandoned buildings, people commuting from the ‘burbs to their office… constant movement no relationships. Jesus loves the city as much as He loves any other area of Atlanta. WE ARE PLANTING IN THE CITY!

I long to have a worship service where lesbians are sitting next to a newly married heterosexual couple, and a homeless man is sitting next to someone worth more than most of us would ever see in a lifetime, where someone with a PhD sits next to someone trying to get their GED. I realized that these groups who often never ever lend a hand or have time for the other NEED EACH OTHER MORE THAN THEY KNOW! Oh how awesome a worship service that will be. Naked before God where your money, your background, your hair or clothes, you choices no longer condemn you but you find FREEDOM here!

WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH DOWNTOWN!

Who is the church for?

Simple enough. Those who have never been to church ever in the entire history of their lives. We will call them the “unchurched”. Then there are those who grew up in church, forced by their parents who shouted at them “That as long as you live in my house…” you know the rest; or those who had such an awful experience with church they swore never to step foot in that place of pimps hustlers swindlers and snake oil salesmen. We will call them the “dechurched”. Last but certainly not least, those who love Jesus and commit to a lifestyle patterned after His own. We will call them “Lifestyle Christians”.

Basically this aint your mamma’s church. Its not, and I don’t want anyone to tell me i shouldn’t say that or i am offending someone by saying that. It is simply the truth. There may be nothing wrong with your mamma’s church, but it is not for me or for you if you are still reading. What do I mean? There wont be a thousand programs, eighteen services during the week, a mandatory dress code, the hymns probably wont be sung the way they were a thousand years ago, the church wont have a steeple with furry pews with gum stuck under every other seat and most importantly RELIGION (TRADITION WITH A FANCY NAME) WONT HAVE ANY PLACE IN THIS CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christ did not die so we could separate ourselves into denominations, cults, clicks, groups, or religions. He died so that a RELATIONSHIP with His Father might be restored. PERIOD. Get over yourselves if you have to put your religion down to disagree with me in words you wouldn’t use on the church house steps. I HATE RELIGION BUT I LOVE JESUS CHRIST.

DID I MENTION THAT WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA!

Why Peculair?

There are so many reasons for that one. I will give you the biblical point to satisfy those I just made mad with my “religion” paragrahs, then a practical notion behind the name. 1 Peter 2:9 reads:

“But you are a peculiar people [chosen people], a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Need I say more? God has clearly called us His Peculiar People, a royal priesthood, His own purchased (by the blood of Christ) possession with a mission to do wonderful things for our community and assist in building the Kingdom of God, which is why He called out of sin, darkness into His wonderful never failing never forsaking light!

As for the practical. A Peculiar Place is a church for people who would normally never go to church for fear of being looked down upon because of their lifestyle, the way they wear their hair, they have tattoos covering everything but their eyelids, they have criminal records, their pants sag, or they simply could not relate and looking for something real. So therefor God is birthing through us A Peculiar Place.

Your prayers, well wishes, your kind words, your donations, your time, your creativity, your networks, your relationships, your lives, your commitment, your specialty, your talent, your skills, your ambition, your abilities, your love, your money, your friendship, your blogging, your facebook contacts, your Realtor, your information, your friends email addresse and phone numbers who live in Atlanta, ARE ALL NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK THAT GOD HAS CHOSEN US TO DO!

I want to thank you in advance for myself, my wife, Esther, and my sons Tyler and Jah. This is not going to be easy. I am both excited and sometimes afraid. I am confident in God’s voice and my Calling, but insecure in my ability to carry it out. I strong here and weak there. I can see it, but my vision blurs. Pray for us please. Keep us lifted before God. We are currently looking for a home in and around the downtown area. If you know anyone with a house they want to give away please don’t hesitate. But seriously we would like to find a foreclosure, i love fixing things…lol, and will consider lease to purchase. If you know anything or anyone please let me know!

BY THE WAY, WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH DOWNTOWN!!!!!!

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