For my friend Terry Ferguson

Terry Ferguson passed away this week. I think he was about 54 years old. He was a preacher in Lansing Michigan. I have known Terry since I was a little kid, his family and mine used to hang out together quite a bit. We even went on a few vacations together. Terry was one of my brothers buddy's. They hung out, went to concerts together, and basically spent a lot of time laughing. He was older than me so he and I didn't have a whole lot of "hangin'" time. But I do have some memories.

One of the vacations we went on together was to the Grand Canyon to ride the mules to the bottom of the canyon and spend the night and ride back up the next morning. I remember just before we were to leave Terry bought two things in the gift shop...a pretty expensive cowboy hat and a lot of Pepto Bismol. There was a time when Terry and I were preachers in Michigan at the same time and I was supposed to speak at a Statewide convention and they had Terry introduce me. There was a typo in the program so he followed what it said and introduced me like it was written...Red Idle. He laughed so hard as he was trying to introduce me.

But probably the way I remember Terry the most is that he was a good friend to my older brother and sister. Terry wasn't a big sports nut like my family, but he would sit in the room and watch the games because that is what everyone else was doing. He didn't have to be the center of attention, but he could always be seen sitting on the side, laughing hysterically when his friend Jack or my brother Steve would crack a joke. Terry was "there" for you, you know? He was just the type of guy who everyone likes. You couldn't say a bad word about Terry because there was nothing bad about him. He was a good husband, a good father, a good brother, and a good son. Simply put, he was a good man. A man of God. He will be missed that is for sure. Terry was one of the good guys.

To Luann, his wife, you are in our prayers. To Ken and Carol, his parents, I am so sorry for your loss. I want to leave you with this if I can.

"Grieve not for me, nor let one small tear fall. For things you dream of, I now see. And brother, it's worth it all" Terry is walking hand in hand with Jesus now. WOW.

Trash talking...

Trash talkers have taken over sports. In football, guys are out there now acting like they won a Super Bowl when they make a tackle after a running back gains 7 yards! They pound their chest, mouth off, screaming like they are world champions. Celebrating too early for too little really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. In basketball, a kid slam dunks a basketball and runs down the court staring down the opponents bench and crowd, yet his team is losing by 20 points! Ridiculous behavior to say the least. Check out the score before you go dancing down the court! We lose sight of the purpose pretty easy don't we? I wonder if the church is full of trash talking too?

I mean, have we lost the urgency of the message in the church? You know what I mean? I mean, have we lost our sense of Biblical purpose? The kind of purpose that effects eternity. The kind of purpose that ticks off the enemy. Have we lost our sense of urgency when it comes to the message of salvation and the need of Jesus? Do we celebrate too early and for too little? I am not trying to judge the world here, but I think about Journey and I like what is going on, but I don't want to celebrate too early of for too little. I don't want to be a trash talker. I want to remember what is really important in my life. Why God placed the church here on earth. I want to remember the urgency of what really matters every day of my life. I have two friends here in Fernley who do not know Jesus in a personal relationship way...I am going to talk to them both this week again and encourage them to start their life over again...with Christ.

Take care,

Rod

One Month to Live

I am beginning a new series for Journey in just a few weeks called One Month To Live. This is the study we are starting our Small Groups with as well. I am interested in hearing your thoughts. If you found out you only had one month to live...what would change? What things would you concentrate on? How would you spend your time? Who would you make sure you talked to? What would you tell your loved ones? What is on your "bucket list"?

I have been spending some time thinking about these things. If I were living like I only had 30 days left, I would have to make some changes to how I am living right now. I think I would start with my connection with God. If I start there, then everything else would have a better chance to be successful in helping me to leave a legacy. Because that is what I want, to leave a legacy.

So, what about you? How would you live differently if you had just one more month to live?

Let me know.

Take care,

Rod

Things I miss from back home

I miss my family...mom and dad, brother Steve, and my sisters Deb and Joni. I miss all of them, my nieces and nephews...all of them. I am especially going to miss them this thanksgiving. That is my favorite time of year and the whole family gets together and enjoys my mom's fantastic Thanksgiving dinner, watching football and eating some of mom's famous coconut cream and butterscotch pies. I really am going to miss them this holiday season.

I miss the crisp fall weather. Leaves changing colors is a beautiful thing to see. I love the smell of burning leaves in the fall.

I miss Skyline Chili. It is Cincinnati style chili and it is AWESOME! Along those lines, I miss Krispy Kreme donuts, Five Guys Hamburgers, Tiajuana Flats Mexican food, and my mom's beans and cornbread. Are you seeing a theme here?

I miss my friends. Dave V, Jimmy, Bob S, Mark S, Mark G, Kevy K, Ernie V, and all my golfing buddies.

Things I won't miss are easy. I won't miss the gray skies from November to March. I won't miss all that snow and wet...yuck. I won't miss having to watch the Detroit Lions every Sunday. I won't miss a cold rain in late October.

Not sure what all this means to you...but I appreciate the opportunity to share.

Take care,

Rod

What next?

I love that Journey Community has "begun". I love the thought of meeting with the family and friends every week. I love preaching and to be able to do that every week is an absolute blessing. We had 155 at our second service and 9 people made decisions to follow Christ. We hope to find a place to be able do some baptisms and we are sure we will. I am excited about the possibility of the influence Journey will have on the community of Fernley and for Christ. But now I am praying about "What's next?"

I am confident God wants something more than just another church in Fernley. What does He want? The call to be a church of Irresistible Influence (I2) needs to overwhelm and overcome us. I want to "tear this community up" for God. I am anxiously awaiting for what's next. I want to live, serve and do expectantly...do you?

Take care,

Rod

Last 5 Reasons to abandon ship

6. The church keeps losing it's Pastor. Let me tell you there are many reasons that make it necessary to leave, but often churches chase pastors away. Consistency and longevity often lead to strength and effectiveness.

7. Secretive leadership. I served at a church where the leaders thought it was best to keep the congregation in the dark...about everything! No doubt there are some things leaders can't share, but good leadership communicates clearly and regularly with the people.

8. Tolerance and Political Correctness become the key words of the church. Its amazing how many people believe that a loving church MUST be tolerant of all beliefs and social stances. Not true.

9. You don't feel loved.

10. You aren't being fed. I know that this can often be a lame excuse, but truthfully there are churches that are spoon feeding their people whipped cream. The church needs to take you deeper and challenge you to dig for greater truths.

Now I want to reiterate that often God calls us to change a church from the inside out. So I am not saying jump ship.

Take care,

Rod

10 (5 today) Reasons to Abandon Ship!

I was reading an article written by Rick Reilly on ESPN.com on the only 10 Reasons you can change your loyalties from one team to another. I thought I would try it for churches. So here we go (making these up as I go along). Here are the first 5:

1. The Pastor is NOT teaching the truth. I put this as number one because this is the biggest reason I could think of. If the truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth is not being taught...leave. I know the truth can be hard at times and sometimes very unpopular, but as a pastor we need to remember that we will answer to God and not to the size of our church or whatever man-made standard might be out there.

2. The church is not following biblical standards when it comes to finances, missions, or leadership. Most of the time, these are just signs of other deeper problems.

3. The leadership no longer desires to win the lost to Christ. I know, I know, ALL churches SAY they are about winning the lost, but often the sacrifice is too much for them to want to handle, or there are other excuses they have become adept at rationalizing and accepting. Too many churches don't even reflect the community in which they exist. There really is no excuse.

4. Bickering and fighting within the ranks take precedence over the call of the church. I have come to believe that when churches get into this mode they no longer care about the mission of the church.

5. The church has lost it's friendliness. Maybe because of some of the reasons listed above or some yet to be mentioned, but I have see churches become increasingly unfriendly over time. When no one feels welcome to your church it is a sign of deeper problems.

Now I know that many of the reasons I gave, you might disagree with because you think you can change it. Perhaps you can, and if God has laid that on your heart, then by all means, go for it. My goal is not to get you to leave your church, so please understand, if God has prompted you through the Holy Spirit to stay and be an agent of change, then great! Pastors always pray for agents of change and you are probably an answer to prayer.

Just my thoughts.

Take care,

Rod

Obama and the church

I just read about a pastor in Phoenix who told his congregation that he is praying for the death of President Obama. I got to tell you that I AM NOT an Obama fan in any sorts of the word. I completely disagree with 99.9% of everything he does, says and shows. His goals and values are completely opposite of what I have come to believe and hope for...BUT, I will NOT ask for his death, his demise, or affliction to come his way. He is our president and I respect the office and I love this country, so I will pray FOR our president. I ask that God intervenes in his life, maybe a type of a "Road to Damascus" experience to wake him up and show him that his ways are taking this country down a road to weakness and eventual destruction.

My concern, not to sound too preachy, is that the church is rightly standing up for the God-given values but we have wrongly forgotten to pray for our "enemies"...and yes I believe that Obama is an enemy of the church. Church we need to act, yes, but we also need to PRAY. Our country doesn't need the death of our president, we need our president to turn to God.

Just my thoughts.

Take care,

Rod

Churches working together

Do you believe that churches from different denominations can work together? I do. I hope that it is possible. I have been a pastor for years and I know how busy your congregation can keep you as a pastor. It can dominate your life, so to think about working alongside another church for a project in the community or just trying to encourage each other in our ministries, may just be too much time. But can I suggest another way to look at it?

How cool would it be to work together to show a picture of unity to a world that finds it easy to criticize the church and allow the church to be there excuse to not go to church. Wouldn't it be great to see the body of Christ BE the body of Christ and work together to win people to Jesus and show as an example by being the hands and feet of Christ together?

Instead of a distraction it just might be a source of refreshment and reinforcement that we all so desperately need at times.

I look forward to the day when we don't worry about our fishbowls and try to reach more together all for the cause of Christ. Am I alone here?

Take care,

Rod

Preview #2

Well tomorrow is our 2nd and final preview service. I am pumped about it. I know we have some new people coming and a great lunch afterward. You know I love Sunday mornings with this team. Working with all the people setting up, positive attitudes, and a willingness to help out in any area. It is really an uplifting time.

I am not naive. I know it wont be like this forever. I know that the newness wears off, people get tired, and personal lives begin to crowd in. But I am going to enjoy this time right now. I think it is a great picture of how the church should be. People working together, doing whatever it takes, to get the job done.

One last thing, when you begin to plant a church, you get the feeling that you are on your own. Your not, but you sometimes feel like it. It is so nice to have a team around you doing the work side by side.

I can't wait until tomorrow!

Take care,

Rod

The Lion

Last night I watched a show called Primetime Outsiders. It was about two men who each are trying to tame and protect Lions in Africa. Both have completely different styles. One is part of the pride of lions, the lions play, lick, and sleep with him. He walks among them, they lay on top of him, they run up and hug him, it was pretty neat to watch. Then they interviewed a man who was an expert of lion behavior and as he watched this interaction he simply said "terrifying". When asked why? he replied that one day a lion could just be in a bad mood and there is nothing that man will be able to do about it. It will be over.

The other guy on the show was confrontational with the lions. He used to train lions for TV and shows. They asked him if he was safer working with the trained lions or the lions in the wild. He felt he was safer being in the wild. The trained lions knew his every move, and if he ever slipped up and made one mistake, they would make him pay.

I thought, lions look like they are these guys friends and companions. Kind of like a friendly dog, a true pet. But the truth of the matter is that these lions don't love their trainers, if they had the chance, they would and could destroy their trainer.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 that the enemy is like a lion seeking someone to devour. A lot of us flirt with the lion like the two guys in that show. We dance around truth, accept compromise, change our priorities, and wink at sin. The Lion (enemy) waltzes with us, laughs with us, and gets us comfortable until the right moment where we slip up...then BOOM, he pounces.

Flee from the things of the enemy, he is not acute little imp in red tights...he is the destroyer. He hates you and your family. He is our enemy.

Be on watch in your life.

Take care,

Rod

The death of another Kennedy

Eunice Kennedy Shriver died yesterday. The Kennedy's have been in the news for generations here in the United States and all over the world. Unfortunately, it has been mostly because of their tragic and untimely deaths. I won't recount them all, I don't have too, you know the stories and headlines.
But yesterday another Kennedy passed away and this one is not tragic or dramatic. It was the end of the life of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She lived a full life. A life with a purpose that brought joy and purpose to so many people. A "special" people, people with disabilities. Driven by her own sister's disabilities, Eunice Kennedy Shriver spent a major portion of her life starting, funding, and supporting the Special Olympics. What a great venue and a place where dominance comes in the form of humility and competition gives way to unity.
Eunice's life was lived with a purpose and it will go on long after her. It is nice to celebrate her life instead of mourning a tragic death. She was a bright spot on a family that needed one.
Just my thoughts.
Take care,
Rod

Praise Report

Yesterday was our "Dry Run" Sunday in preparation for our Preview Services on the 9th and 23rd. I was hoping for 15 people to be there to help set up and all. Instead we had 30! We had a great time of worship at the school then a great time of fellowship afterward at the Pizza Factory in town. My family all said that we feel like we have known this group of people for a long time. They make you feel so welcome! Good stuff all the way around. I was flying high last night!
Well this next Sunday is our first of two preview services before we LAUNCH on September 13th. I am so pumped. I am hoping for 70 people this Sunday and that we can build up our Launch Team to 50 people by September 13th. Our goal for the September 13th service is 200 people...crazy for a small city like Fernley, but God is the one who makes things grow, so we are totally trusting in Him.
This coming Saturday a team from Texas is coming in to help us out for a week. We are having a children's VBS in the park and a Family Movie Night. It promises to be a great week of fun and ministry. They will also be there to help us on our first preview service. WOW what a big week!
I appreciate all the prayers and goodwill sent our way. Thanks so much.
Take care,
Rod

no more rants...maybe

Okay, okay, I know that my last blog was a complaining rag of discontent...and I am sorry...well sort of sorry. I mean, while there was some anger that caused me to write it because of what a friend is going through at the church where he serves, I probably was too negative...so I am sorry.
Today is a day to rest the mind and soul. I am reading this morning, blogging (obviously), and then getting together with another pastor in town and playing golf. I need days like today sometimes, don't you? I need to relax and let loose a little. Nothing sinful or decadent, just relaxing and not about work. It helps refresh me.
What do you do to get refreshed? I'd like to hear from you.
Well, it's short but that is all I am going to write today.
Take care,
Rod

Leadership and the church

Over the years serving as Pastor and other times as Elder in a congregation I have seen all sorts of different kinds of leadership. I have seen Elders who have prayed before every decision, humbling themselves earnestly and truly seeking the will of God. Maybe I am a little skeptical, but unfortunately in my experience that is not the normal.
I have served in churches where the men didn't pray, pettiness took top priority, and ministry suffered because of men who had no business being a shepherd in a church. Elder was only a title for some to throw their weight around, criticize, and operate in the flesh. With this kind of leadership, churches suffer, communities suffer, and good men, called to be pastors, are left discouraged and wounded.
Serving the church is hard work, a life's calling and totally worth it. But often, not in this lifetime. A Pastor or Elder has to serve with eternity in mind. Knowing that his calling will have to be answered for someday. When men put their own agenda first, allow pettiness to be a priority, and only serve in fear, God is not served...rather I believe He is disappointed and perhaps even angry. We are supposed to be different than the world. Unity and self sacrifice is the behavior that pleases God. It's a shame that men, who call themselves Christ-follower's and should be living at a higher standard, serve out of the flesh. It makes me want to throw up. I can only imagine what it makes God want to do.
That's my rant for the day...thanks.
Take care,
Rod

Are you ever really sure?

I am a Minnesota Viking football fan (nothing to be too proud of I know). I am following the Brett Favre fiasco and I DO NOT want him on my team, he's a Packer and he always will be. However, he is trying to decide whether he "has it or not" to make it through the whole season. My first thought is that I wonder if you can really "know". I wonder if you can have the kind of confidence it takes to be completely sure you can do it.
I guess that came into my mind because I have those thoughts about all of this church planting stuff. Most mornings when I get up i have the same question. Can I do this? Earlier this week when I was talking with my friend, Todd, he reminded me that I shouldn't take too much of the blame when things go wrong because I might be tempted to take too much of the credit when things go right.
The thing is this, God makes things grow, not me, not you, not anyone besides God. Journey is in God's hand...right? What is there in your life that needs to be put in God's hands?
Take care,
Rod

Now that they are buried...

Over the last few weeks we have seen some famous people pass away. David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Steve McNair and Billy Mays to name the most famous.
I have memories of many of them. Kung Fu, the poster my friends had that my parents never let me own, Thriller, Heeeeere's Johnny, the 2000 Super Bowl, and Oxy Clean. Sadly there are also some other memories, drug abuse, allegations, infidelity and other things that clouded up their lives. These past few weeks I have heard people want to make these people into saints, completely glossing over their flaws and failures and I have hear people wanting to villify them completely ignoring any good they might have offered in their life. Truthfully, much of what was reported and written was...well, sad.
But to me the saddest comment I heard was from a family member spoken to Michael Jackson. His parting comment was "May Allah bless you Michael." Got to tell you, when I heard that a shiver went up my spine. Whenever someone famous passes away my first question is "I wonder if they knew Christ as their Savior". Sometimes that gets answered at the funeral.
My point is that I don't always allow the mistakes and failures of their lives to be their judgment of whether or not they are in heaven because it ALWAYS comes down to Jesus. Not Allah, not the way they helped the poor or the needy, not the foundations they started, not even whether they are black or white...just Jesus.
Take care,
Rod

Plan B's

This past weekend we had 2 booths at the local July 4th celebration. One of the booths was a Baby Changing Station. It was a big success. Moms really appreciated the rockers, fans, baby changing table, and extra diapers and wipes. Not to mention that they didn't have to walk all the way back to the car and change the baby there. Great idea that came from my friends at Stadia.
The other booth was to be a cool down tent with free water, fans, and chairs to rest from the heat and all day walking. The tent was a big success except that we never received our 5000 bottles of water that had our logo on the label. So Friday night and Saturday morning we were running to Wally world and buying small bottles of water, misters to spray at people to cool them down, and squirt guns to shoot at the kids. We had a bowl of those Dum Dum suckers and
81/2 x 11 name tags for the kids. It was a last second change and it proved to be a great way to meet people and we received a number of compliments on both of our booths.
Now I got to say that Friday night I fought my desire to really get angry and fire off some nasty e-mails to the vendor I used for the water. I wanted to scream into the voicemail at their company because it was July 3rd and no-one was there. I read the email confirmation I got during the early part of the week that we will receive our water by Friday, no later, over and over again. I was pretty stinkin' angry. But I prayed and prayed about the day and asked God to bless it even though my great idea wasn't going to happen.(sarcasm). And guess what...it was a GREAT day!!! Friends helped out, my family was awesome, and the day was just a fantastic time of getting the name of Journey Community out there. When I told my coach, via text, about the water not showing up his response was, "welcome to church planting". (he planted his church 3 years ago).
I found out...church planting is full of Plan B's.
Take care,
Rod

Balancing Faith and Practicality

We just made a decision that we will begin our worship services at the local High School. It means that we will not be meeting in the building that we have been praying about and been absolutely confident that God has called us to have since March. I have struggled with this decision because I am still very confident that the building is supposed to be the home of Journey. I can see, I can feel it, and I know it. But something I am even more confident about than where we are supposed to be is why we are here.
Ministry is much more important than any facility you could ever dream of occupying. I love this facility but I am called to love the people of Fernley more. Journey is about the community of Fernley and not about a building in the community of Fernley. Keeping my eyes on the reason we are here is what drove me to make this decision.
Now I get to go tell the owners of that building that we won't be able to rent it from them as soon as we had hoped. Pray for me...and them. Thanks.
Take care,
Rod

Stressssssssed!!!

How do you handle stress? I am great at handling stress. I usually blow up at miniscule things, maybe slam a door at times, and even pull my own hair. No, the truth is, I sometimes don't handle stress too well. I can let things start rushing me, press in on my day, and make me impatient and frustrated.
I begin saying things like "Why haven't they called me back?" or "What is their problem?" or "Who put that there?" Stress can ruin your day, ruin your relationships, and ruin your health. So with so much at stake, what do you do?
I have to stop whatever I am doing for a moment or two, put my head in my hands, and say a prayer. I have to re-group, remember and remind. Re-group my thoughts, remember what is important to get done, and remind myself that it is God who will make this church a success, not Rod...(and if that doesn't work, then I just punch a hole in the wall) : ).
I'd like to hear from you...what do you do to help get through the stress of it all? Respond back to the post or email me at ridle@journeyfernley.org. I will post some of the answers, sans name, in the next few weeks.
Take care,
Rod

Things I learned from my dad...

Sunday, June 21st is Father's day so I thought I would talk a little about that this week. I wanted to start out by telling you about my dad. I am blessed by having a dad who loves the Lord and has served him in various ways his whole adult life. There are many lessons that I can tell you that I learned from my dad, but one stands out that I want to share.
In 1974 we had a huge December snow storm in Toledo Ohio. I remember it hit on a Sunday morning because after church we spent a lot of time pushing cars out of the church parking lot. (this was a time in life where people didn't let something like weather to keep them from church)
That evening we needed to get some groceries and my dad asked me to walk over to the grocery store, which was a little less than a mile away. Before we went, we walked to a few of our older neighbors and asked if they needed anything. Some did and my dad and I walked over to the shopping center in the midst of blowing, drifting, and rising snow. My dad walked in front of me and told me to walk in his footsteps, so I walked in a path my dad created for me to make it through the more than waist high drifts. Every few yards my dad would turn and ask if I was still coming and if I was okay. But that is not the most memorable part of that storm.
The next day the daily newspaper, the Toledo Blade, could not be delivered because of the snow. My dad has to read a paper each morning, so again he asked me to take a walk and we walked down to the Frisches Big Boy restaurant to see if the paper box out front would have the Blade. When we got there, the restaurant was closed but the paper box out front had that days paper. But the slot to put coins in was frozen over so you couldn't put coins in the machine. But the box door was frozen open and you could easily reach in and take a paper without paying the .25 cents. That is what my dad did, he reached in and took a paper and we walked home.
The next day, my dad asked me to take a walk again (in case you don't catch it, my dad loves to walk), so I bundled up and we walked back up to the Frisches Big Boy restaurant. By this time most of the main streets were cleared and the restaurant was open for business. We walked in and my dad walked up to the lady at the front counter, reached in his pocket and pulled out a quarter and as he handed it to the woman, said "I came here yesterday and took a paper out of the box out front. It was frozen over, so I couldn't pay for it, so I thought I would come and pay for it today. Thank you." I remember the woman behind the counter stood, not knowing what to say, and probably thought my dad was kind of strange. We turned and walked home after that. Not a whole lot was spoken on the way home. But while nothing was verbal, my dad spoke volumes to me that day. Integrity was, is and forever will be, vital to my father. I think I should walk in those footsteps too. Thanks dad. I love you.
Have a great day.
Rod

Why all the hate?

Today I heard about a man who went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and shot and killed a security guard. All I could think is "why all the hate?" But the truth is that I know the answer to that and that is that we live in a fallen world. Hate wasn't God's idea. All the trouble our country is in shows that we truly live in a broken world. The good news is that the church has the answer. We have the greatest message for the world to hear. To quote Bill Hybels "the church is the greatest hope in all the world." Jesus Christ is the answer to this lost and dying world.
This is the reason why Journey Community of Fernley exists today. The message of the love of Christ and His church is what we hope to bring to the town of Fernley. Our hope is to show the people that this world will fail you and disappoint you, but God never will. His love is forever. One of my favorite sayings is that "God cannot love you more and He will not love you less."
As we go through these tough trials and times I think there could not be a more important message to those who walk this earth without knowing the love of God. Instead of commiserating with those who are struggling we can tell them or maybe remind them that even in the face of these troubles the love of God will never fail us or leave us. We don't have to walk this world alone and face the trials alone. God exists and He walks beside us to give us hope to make it through, day by day. I believe the church is to stand up for truth, fight injustice, and help those who are weak and burdened. As we minister to those people, we show, prove, and express the very love of God. So, go be the message of hope God intended for us to give, the message of hope.

The trip was a trip

Hey all,
Man, it has been a while. Sorry about the long delay but I do have a pretty good excuse...or excuses.
The first is simply that my computer crashed. I was afraid that I lost all my data, documents, and other favorites I had on my computer. After turning my laptop over to a man who I have never met before and he kept it for nearly two weeks, he was able to save all my stuff...yippee!!! But the laptop is officially gone. So I am borrowing one from the church that I received from the church in California that where we bought all that start-up equipment until I can save to buy myself a MAC! My daughter installed all of my stuff back on and I am rebuilding all my "favorites" on the internet and hopefully soon will be back to "normal."
The second reason is that last week I was on the road all week. Last Monday I flew back to Washington DC and on Tuesday began a 2581 mile trek with my daughter and her roommate Becky back here to Fernley. They are now living with us until they find jobs and then they will find a place of their own.
It was a great trip and God kept us safe and out of bad weather. It is so good to have the family back together again and now we've added another (a surrogate daughter) in Becky. We travelled through Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, part of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. I won't name the states that bored me to tears. But if you ever had to drive through Iowa or Nebraska, you know what I am talking about.
But we are glad to be home and looking forward to this summer. Awesome stuff ahead and I look forward to sharing with you all that God is doing here in Nevada.
I promise to write more often now and to make them so much more interesting. Have a great day! We love and miss you all.
Rod

Lesson's I've Learned # 3

You got to talk about money...a lot! I do not like talking about money. Especially when I know people are already giving to their church and other ministries. But you have to talk about it whether you like it or not because it is EXPENSIVE to plant a church. Just to have Sunday morning worship and some childcare for about 90 minutes could cost thousands of dollars per month. It makes my head swim. Then when you add all the stuff that God is laying on your heart to DO besides meet for worship each week, things like service projects, the Boys and Girls club, single mom car maintenance, tutoring, and community bridge building, it becomes a very EXPENSIVE endeavor. I don't like to ask, beg, or plead but it seems like I have to a lot. It's awkward and uneasy.
But then I remember that its not about me or about Journey Community. Its about the kingdom of God and the hearts of men. I don't ask people to give because I've got a big dream or some good ideas, or even because some people may like me enough to give. I ask and sometimes plead because its about the kingdom of God and the lost in Fernley Nevada. I love what I am doing and I am learning to love the people of Fernley. Actually that last part has come pretty easy. I prayed non-stop before I moved out here for a heart for Fernley, and God has answered that prayer.
So when you give...it's not about ME...huh, who'da thunk?
Take care. Thanks for giving to the kingdom of God for the lost of Fernley.
I love you in Christ.
Rod

Lessons I'm learning #2

Lesson’s I am learning #2

As all of you know, planting a church is new to me.  And as I go down this road I believe I am learning a few things along the way.  So I though over the next few Blog’s I would share some of those lessons with you. 

Lesson #2: It’s up to me but it’s not because of me

Another thing I am learning in this process is that there is a lot of work to do and no one to delegate it to. 

Where ever I have served before I worked with a team, and together as a team, we would accomplish what needed to get done.  Here, it is Gay and I doing all of it.  If we don’t do it, it doesn’t get done.  That means the things I love like meeting people, strategizing, and dreaming.  But it also means the things I don’t love like administrative stuff and paperwork.  So in reality, it is up to me if things get done around here.  BUT, to be successful it will not be because of me.  Does that make sense?  I know the work needs to be done and if it will get done it will be up to me, but the church will only be successful because of God. 

Sometimes I get those mixed up and I think that this church will be successful because of all the work I do.  Nope, not true.  The church will be successful because God is at work in Fernley and He chooses to use Journey as part of his work.  There’s a balance that I am learning, that I should have learned a long time ago.  The church does not become successful by the work of man, but rather by the hand of God.  I pray daily for the work to get done and that God will bless Journey and allow us to be a FORCE in Fernley for His kingdom.  Please pray for that as well.

Thanks.

Take care,

Rod

Lessons I am learning

As all of you know, planting a church is new to me.  And as I go down this road I believe I am learning a few things along the way.  So I though over the next few Blog’s I would share some of those lessons with you.  

Lesson #1: Some people are just not interested in what I am doing.

In my ministries in the past, I have always been surrounded immediately with church-goers.  They are my world when you first arrive on the scene of a new ministry.  They visit, they eat with you, have coffee, go to your meetings, and even laugh at your jokes.  Because you’re the new pastor you start on the softball team, get invited to all sorts of family activities, have numerous options for golf buddies, and people want to hear your story.

However, in church planting, you find a lot of people who have absolutely no interest in the church.  In fact, in Fernley we have found that the local church doesn’t have a great reputation in town.  I am not sure all of the bad press is warranted, but that is how many of the people feel.  So since they feel that way, they have no interest in a new church being planted somewhere in their town.  It is amazing how many conversations have stopped once the person asks me, “What brought you from Virginia to Fernley, Nevada?” and I tell them, “I am here to plant a new church.”  There has been no fanfare, no potlucks to welcome the new pastor in town, and no special meetings to hear about the vision God has laid on my heart for the church.  

I think people want to follow someone who is interested in them.  You see, I am not sure there are many people outside of God’s family who care about what God cares about until they are sure God cares about them.  I am finding that people have needs going unmet and God has put me and my family here to meet those needs.  Then and only then will they care about the vision of Journey.

Take care,

Rod

Trailer

Yesterday Gay and I drove over to the Napa Valley region and picked up a trailer full of church supplies and much needed items for starting a church.  It was an adventure for me.  I am not used to hauling a trailer and yesterday I got to do it in the driving rain and through the mountains all while being overwhelmed with allergies, sneezing and hacking all the way home.  I am glad the trip is over and we didn’t have any incidents.  Today we are going to go through all the stuff, take inventory, find out what we can use and what we still need.  It’s like Christmas!! I am sure we will find some good stuff waiting for us in all those plastic bins and cabinets.  To quote Forrest Gump “Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.”  

All of this is just a microcosm of planting a church.  Doing things you have never done before while experiencing some opposition and trials.  But then at the end, you get to see what awaits you.  Some good and some not so good, but all in all, it’s worth the struggles.

Wow, I am not sure I should have gotten that out of a one day adventure with a trailer…take it easy Rod!

Take care,

Rod

GPS

I have a GPS system for my car.  I have GPS on my phone.  Now I want GPS for the golf course.  They have these real cool handheld GPS for golf courses.  It will tell you how far you are from the green, the pin, the pond, the trees or whatever.  It is really cool and I hope someday to find one laying in a fairway somewhere and have one because I know I can’t afford one.  So I will have to find one laying around somewhere…

But my point is that I like being led.  I like being warned about traffic, detours, sand traps, and trouble.  I like being told to turn right on Main Street and my destination is on the right or that the Par 3 is exactly 187 yards from where I am standing at the moment.  I like it because it eliminates trouble.  It lessens the chance of getting lost.  It lessens the chance of hitting the ball into the pond.  

I wish there was a GPS for planting a church.  It would be cool if I could point a GPS system out in Fernley and it would tell me where to plant the church, what to do, who to talk to, and what decisions to make.  But as I have found out, there is no GPS.  So many things that you do, you cringe as you do them.  You hope you don’t make a bad move, a poor decision, or miss a great opportunity.  

The answer?  God.  Simple I know, but the thing I need to remember that is that God is going to make this church successful, not me.  I can’t think so highly of myself that I believe I am going to make this church successful.  It is only God who will make this church successful.  I want Him to take the controls of Journey Community.  He will ensure success.

Now, I wish He would take the controls of my golf game too…

Take care,

Rod

Obsession for the Lost

I am at Exponential this weekend.  The title of the week is “The Art of Movement”.  The whole challenge given to us is not just to plan to plant a church, but rather start a movement.  It got me thinking about Journey and what we are called to do and to be.  I am determined to be a church that is about the kingdom.  I think the temptation might be to make Journey about Journey and I don’t want to get comfortable with being a church.  I don’t want to be measured by church attendance alone, or by offerings alone, or by being compared another church, to be confident on what God is doing.  If we are going to be successful, the measurement is going to be God’s standard, not yours or mine. 

In the movie the Guardian, the main character is played by Kevin Costner and he works for the coast guard rescue.  There is a young kid who is new on the force, I believe he is played by Ashton Kutcher, and he is gunning to be the best rescuer ever on the force.  There is a scene where the young kid asks Costner “What’s your number?”  He was wondering how many people Costner saved over the years.  Costner paused and said “22”.  Thinking for a moment, the young guy says, he had to have saved more than that, more than 22.  Costner then says “No, 22 is how many I lost. 22 people drowned.  That is the only number I ever kept.” 

I wonder what would happen if the church became obsessed with the number of lost people instead of how many people attended this week?  I hope I can keep that the priority of my life from this day forward.

Take care,

Rod 

The Masters

Did you watch the Masters this weekend?  What a great tournament!  I was rooting for Kenny Perry to win it.  Anybody who is my age and can hit the ball as long as those young bucks is a hero of mine.  Even after losing on the second playoff hole, he was a truly gracious man.  When they interviewed him afterward he talked about playing well and how proud he was of the winner, Angel Cabrera.    When he said that I thought “what a really nice guy”, so I instantly became of fan of Kenny Perry from Kentucky. There was no jealousy, no anger, no visible disappointment, just total graciousness out of the man because he recognized how hard it is to win the Masters and how well you have to play.

Gay and I have been visiting churches in the area and every time we meet the pastor they always ask “So what brought you from Washington DC to Fernley Nevada?  I must admit that I am a little nervous when I tell them I am out here to start a new church.  I don’t want them to think that I am there to steal their sheep or saying that they are not doing a good enough job so I am here to do a church right.  The reactions have been mixed but there have been two pastors that have been more than accommodating as we begin this adventure.  One in particular, Duane, had introduced me to the Rotary Club and his wife is the one who invited me to the Chamber of Commerce meeting this Wednesday.  He has been friendly and gracious in his approach with me. 

It’s all about the Kingdom, isn’t it?  I mean we do this to win people to Jesus, right?  Of course, I have thought about being the pastor of a large, mega church, with multiple staff, being on the speaker circuit, writing a few books, and making a name for myself.  But that is not what it’s about…it’s about the kingdom.  I appreciate guys like Duane who understands that too.

Take care,

Rod 

Opening Day

Opening Day of Baseball is one of the greatest days of the year.  It starts with fresh hope.  Last year’s disappointing season is a distant memory.  Now you got new players, a new energy, and renewed hope and confidence.  I love opening day. It’s like a fresh snow on Christmas.  You know how it’s so beautiful before it gets all messed up and slushy and dirty.  This is the year that my Reds are going to win the World Series.  Before you laugh at me, understand that as of today, they are tied for first place.   Anything is possible on opening day.

I think all of us need an opening day every once in a while.  You know, a time where our lives have a new chance to make a difference or to make an impact or to reach new goals.  Sometimes we need a time where everything is possible again. 

I am learning to hang on to the opening day we are experiencing right now.  When I think about our launch of Journey Community Church I get pretty pumped.  I mean, imagine a church without a political struggle.  Imagine a church without worn out traditions and sacred cows.  Imagine a church that truly exists to reach out to others in the name and love of Christ to see the broken healed and the hurting comforted.  I love opening day.  I am going to enjoy this time because…well, let’s not even think about it.

Play ball!!!!!

Rod

Overwhelming

Have you ever felt like you were drinking out of a fire hydrant?  I mean overwhelmed and under prepared…that’s the feeling I have had recently.  The challenges of the day sometimes pile on don’t they?  What do you do to deal with it?  How do you dig out of it?

I remember a time when I was working with BT Office in Aurora Colorado and our Divisional President was about to be fired and I was the only person besides our corporate office who knew about it.  I knew when it happened I was going to be promoted and was going to have to make a lot of tough decisions involving personnel and changing the way we did business.  I also knew when it was announced there was going to be a big “backlash” of employees and probably customers.  I began to feel overwhelmed at all the responsibility I was about to take on in the climate I was about to inherit.  Panic and frustration began to set in.  I called my former boss and explained what I was facing and what I was feeling.  She gave me this advice: “When the going gets tough and you feel like you are swimming upstream without a map, put your head down and work like you have never worked before.” 

It was good advice.  Advice I am remembering and following even today, 13 years later, in a totally different environment.  It worked then and I hope it works this time too.

Take care,

Rod 

When God Seems Silent

Have you ever prayed and prayed for something and nothing seems to happen.  I mean, no direction, no sign, no voice, no nothing.  What do you do when it seems like God is silent?  Let me give you 5ome things I do to help me through these times:

1. I sit and listen.  I know, I just said that I am not hearing anything, but sometimes we don’t hear because we don’t slow down enough to listen.  Sometimes I sit and stare out a window or I go outside and sit in a chair and listen for God to enter my thoughts and I listen.  Take a notepad, sometimes things kind of “flood” in.

2. I fast.  A lot of people do this at different times, but I try to fast with no purpose other than God’s purpose.  Fasting for answers or direction is important but I think sometimes we need to fast for the direction God has in mind.

3. I relax.  Sometimes we get so intense and nervous about finding God’s voice that we find no rest.  God wants us to rest and perhaps He isn’t talking because he wants you to slow down.

4. I read.  I need to remind myself of the promises and hopes of God.  It’s easy to forget.

5. I podcast.  I often listen to pastors preach and teach.  I like people like Erwin McManus at Mosaic; Pastor Gary Hamrick from Calvary Chapel; Pastor Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill; and My buddy Todd Hudson at Southeast Christian in Parker Colorado.  Sometimes what they say applies directly to me and my situation.

Take care,

Rod

Church Planting

I found out this week in Boise that I am not planting a church…rather I am planting churches. The whole design of church planting is to have planting churches in your DNA. It makes sense. Why go through the work and effort for just one more church to be located somewhere, doing the same thing all the other churches are doing? Part of the DNA of Journey Community is going to be that we are going to plant churches as well.

I heard this week that:

If your vision is for a year—plant wheat

If your vision is for ten years—plant trees

If your vision is for a lifetime—plant people

If your vision is for eternity—plant churches

Journey is a partner in ministry with Hope Community in Reno. In the future we will begin the process of planting another new church somewhere in the U.S. or even internationally. It will be the second for Hope (Journey being their first) and it will be the first of many for Journey.

Pray for this opportunity…it’s going to be an incredible experience.

Take care,

Rod

P.S. By the way, I am planning on “Blogging” a little more frequently at the request of some friends. Keep an eye out.

Annoying

Do you have certain things that annoy you?  For me things like people leaving their shopping carts in the parking lot instead of walking them 10 feet over to the corral. I mean, come on people its ten feet! Another one is that guy Billy Mays…you know the guy who does all those infomercials about “KABOOM” and cleaning stuff.  Man is his voice loud and grating or what.  I also get annoyed with cell phone companies.  Their rules and regs are absolutely brutal.  They have contract obligations for everything.  It’s the modern day Gestapo.   A slow foursome on the golf course is another thing that annoys me.  In fact I am getting a little fired up just thinking about it.  (If you’re a golfer, you understand).

Being annoyed! Can that really be a sin? Or is it merely a slight personality flaw?   Being annoyed usually stems from being offended when people say or do things that do not suit us.  I am not sure it’s a sin, but I know it can lead to sin.  Anger is usually a result from allowing things that annoy us to take root and grow.  

Truthfully most things that annoy me are pretty small and petty.  When I learn to let them go and try to focus on more positive things my life seems to go pretty well.  So why do I hang on to them?  Because it doesn’t suit me, it doesn’t make me happy, it rubs me the wrong way.  I hang on to them because at those times I am self-centered.  Selfish might be more accurate.  

Now I am getting annoyed at me for getting so easily annoyed!  I’ll try to get better.

Take care,

Rod

Relationships, not religions

I was reading an article yesterday in the USA Today online version.  Its headline was, Most Religious Groups in USA Have Lost Ground, Survey Finds.

Listen to how it starts out:

“When it comes to religion, the USA is now land of the freelancers. 

The percentage of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers — or falling off the faith map completely.”

Now I don’t know about the accuracy of the data or if the interpretation is correct, but it is sad to say the least.  In this time of crisis in our country, I would hope that people would run to God and not away.  I wonder what the church should gather out of this survey.  It says that there is a higher percentage of people claiming no religious affiliation (almost doubled since 1990) at all.  

I am not sure what all this means but I am sure of what the true need is.  More people need to hear and understand what the desire of God is for their lives.  As most of my readers already know, God is not about religion and affiliation either.  He is all about relationship and fulfillment.  

Journey Community is on a mission of helping people find a relationship with God through His Son Jesus.  We want people to find an eternal purpose and day-to-day purpose for their lives.  We do not desire a religious experience…we want a real one.  Something to grab hold of everyday of our lives so when the times get tough, like they are right now, we can stand under the downpour…like the house built on the rock.

Take care,

Rod

Our first love

Gay and I went to a church yesterday where the message was about the church at Ephesus.  The message was from Revelation 2 where God speaks to the church and tells them that they were good at discerning false prophets but they forgot their first love.

I thought how easy it could be for a church to lose sight of their first love.  My first love is Jesus.  Unbelievably, it is not supposed to be the Bible, worship, or even evangelism.  My first love is supposed to be that I know Jesus in a real and intimate way.  Sometimes I can get so busy with doing the things that a church pastor is supposed to be doing that I can allow those things to be a substitute for my first love of knowing Jesus.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, all those things are great and important.  However, I want to make sure that Journey Community and Rod Idle do not forget our first love: Knowing Jesus Intimately.  I hope and pray that when people come to Journey or when they encounter Journey in town, they see that we are people who desire to know Jesus intimately, because to get to know Jesus you have to spend time with Him.   The more time you spend with Him the more you look, act, and speak like Him.  You simply reflect Him and that is when all those other good things I spoke of in the second paragraph, happen.

Let’s get to know Him.  Take care.

Rod

The First Blog

I have never blogged before…so this is my inaugural blog.  I, Rod Idle, do solemnly swear to keep each and every blog short, sweet, and to the point.  

I just got done reading a book by Robert Lewis called “The Church of Irresistible Influence”.   In it he talks extensively about building bridges into the community.  How the church has the main responsibility of helping the community SEE the love of God and not just hear about it.  He calls it I².  I love the idea of being an externally focused, missional, meet the needs, “out there” kind of ministry.  I want to be a church of Irresistible Influence from the very start.  I² is going to part of the DNA of Journey Community Church in Fernley from the beginning.   

This is a matter of the heart and prayer first.  I am fasting and praying each week and asking God to increase my burden for the people of Fernley.  I want to see needs and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in order to meet those needs.   So in order to be effective I need your help as well.  Gay and I are looking for people who are willing to be a part of the Journey Prayer Team (I’ll try to be more creative for a new name real soon).

The commitment is simple: Pray daily for the work of Journey Community Church of Fernley; pray for the specific prayer needs shared each week through the e-mail updates we send out; intercede when needed because spiritual attacks do happen and will happen; and finally be willing to fast periodically with a concentration of prayer for this community.

If that is your desire and you are willing to be a VITAL part of this work, then simply send an e-mail back to Gay at gayidle@att.net and she will get you on the list.  We hope that this list will grow continuously.

Thanks for all your love and support.

Rod