Jonah's 411

2011-12-16T07:20:00.001-08:00

Christmas Offering 2011: City Collective from Trinity Grace Church on Vimeo.

Missional Basis of the Bible

2011-12-07T13:02:00.001-08:00

Christopher Wright - Reading The Whole Bible For Mission: What Happens When We Do? from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.

Bible Course: The Prophetic Arrivals

2011-11-16T11:04:00.001-08:00

In November and December, Jay Slocum will continue to teach a Bible Course geared for those who are presently not involved in a Jonah’s Call Home Group. Over the course of four sessions, we will study Old Testament passages offering

prophecies of the coming of Jesus. The course will be a precursor to our Advent Sermon Series (The Seven Arrivals) and will include group discussion, teaching, and time for participants to get to know one another. If you are not presently in a Home Group and desire to grow spiritually, consider being a part of this class. We will be limiting the course to 14 participants, so sign up ASAP. To sign up, email Jay Slocum at jslocum411@gmail.com.

November 16th

God’s Prophetic Arrival

Proverbs 30:1-6 and John 5:16-25

November 30th

The Arrival of the Prophet-Hero

Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:14-27

December 07th

Our Advocates Prophetic Arrival

Isaiah 11:1-9 and Luke 2:25-34

December 14th

The Prophecy of Our Friend’s Arrival

Isaiah 53:9-12 Luke 22:24-38 ω

Seven Arrivals

2011-11-16T09:50:00.001-08:00

The word advent means arrival. In the church, we celebratethe days leading up to Christmas as part of the Advent Season. Advent has adouble meaning. Part of the Advent season includes our celebration of thearrival of Christ incarnate, in the flesh, as a baby. That’s what Christmas Eveis all about. The other part of the Advent season includes our focus on thecoming of Jesus to consummate all of human history. We theological types callthis time the eschaton, meaning the end of time. So, in the season of Advent,which will start on Sunday, November 27th and end on December 24th, we will belooking at prophecies from the Old Testament that point to Jesus’ arrival, andare fulfilled in the Gospels. These passages will focus on Jesus both as a babyand as the ruler over all of human history. Then, from Christmas to Epiphany (aday when we look at the arrival of the wise rulers who worshipped Jesus), wewill continue the pattern of comparing Old Testament prophecies and theirfulfillment in the Gospels. This series will open our eyes to the amazing planof God to bring Good News into a world shrouded with darkness and doubt. As weenter into the holiday season, this series will allow us to focus on theamazing beauty of God in sending Jesus Christ into the world and the amazingreality of Christ fulfillment of human history n someday completing the work hestarted by making all things new at the and of time. Join us for this seriesand be sure to invite a friend.

November 27th

God Will Arrive

Proverbs 30:1-6 and John 5:16-25

(Jay Slocum)

December 4th

A Hero Will Arrive

Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:14-27

(Jay Slocum)

December 11th

An Advocate Will Arrive

Isaiah 11:1-9 and Luke 2:25-34

(Gaea Thompson)

December 18th

A Friend Will Arrive

Isaiah 53:9-12 Luke 22:24-38

(Jay Slocum)

December 24th

Jesus, A Light Arrives in the Darkness

Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9: 1-7, Luke 2:8-20

(Jay Slocum)

January 1st

Enemies Will Oppose His Arrival

Jeremiah 31:15-20 and Matthew 2:13-18

Guest Preacher

January 7th

Outsiders Will Welcome His Arrival

Isaiah 11:10-16 and Matthew 2:1-12

(Jay Slocum)

Season of Celebration

2011-11-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

A Sermon Series from Philippians

The early church grew from a disparate band of followers in Jerusalem to a worldwide movement that changed the very fabric of the world in the span of 300 years. In the midst of this movement, the Church in Philippi offered the city and the world a model of what it looked like to be the church to and in the world. The letter to the Philippians is a book that celebrates the very best of what it looks like when people’s lives are changed by the Good News of being a people redeemed and redeeming the world as a result of the saving love of Jesus Christ. Join us for this series, titled Season of Celebration and invite a friend.

Download Sermon From the Season of Celebration Series Here

Easter at Jonah's Call 2011

2011-04-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Confirmation at Jonah's Call

2011-04-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

(Photos by David Sadd)

Our Prayer Book (The Book of Common Prayer) describes confirmation in this way: “Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop. It is required of those to be confirmed that they have been baptized, are sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith, are penitent for their sins, and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord."

On Sunday, April 10, 2011, our Bishop, the Most Rev. Robert Duncan confirmed 11 candidates from Jonah’s Call: Maggie Dahl, Mark Dahl, Jill King, Josh Moyer, Elisabeth Moyer, Thad Pellegrini, CJ Pellegrini, Jay Roszman, Rachel Roszman, Elaina Sadd and Emma Slocum.

During this time, he also reaffirmed Liz Delgado and Linda Stewart.

Center for Public Justice- Gideon Strauss Coming to Pittsburgh

2011-03-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

Gideon Strauss is making his way to Pittsburgh to begin a conversation about how Christians can engage the civic arena in a way that moves beyond mere partisan politics. In preperation for his visit to Pittsburgh, Gideon recently visited with John Hall & Kathy Emmons at Word Fm. His interview is worth checking out. Find it on the Jonah's Call website by Clicking HERE.

Center for Public Justice Forum

Date & Time:April 6, 2011 from 6-8:30pm
Location:The Union Project (801 North Negley Ave. Pittsburgh, PA)

Topic: Civic Engagement among Christians in Pittsburgh

Join us for a facilitated conversation on thoughtful civic engagement among Christians in Pittsburgh.
Facilitated by: Dr. Gideon Strauss, CEO, Center for Public Justice
Dinner will be served.

**This event is free of charge, but you must register.

To RSVP please contact Stephanie Summers at 202.669.6926 or stephanie@cpjustice.org Have questions or need directions? Contact Lisa Slayton or Valerie Faust

lslayton@servingleaders.com vfaust@servingleaders.com or 412.281.3752.

Jonah’s Call Reveals Jesus through “Re:Design” Projects

2011-03-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

To Read this article in PDF form from Trinity Magazine Click Trinity Lent (March)

New ministry seeks to bring beauty to the city of Pittsburgh in ways that reuse, restore, and renew physical resources.

Tanni, Evan, and Alex saw Jesus come to their home through
the Re:Design ministry at Jonah’s Call.

“This is Jesus.” This was the reaction of a teenager whose home was redesigned by a new outreach ministry at Jonah’s Call, East End. Re:Design helps create home interiors that nurture hearts and help others to feel God’s love through beautiful design. The mission of Re:Design is to bring beauty to the city of Pittsburgh in ways that reuse, restore, and renew physical resources. Through this ministry, Jonah’s Call assists others in reusing quality resources to restore homes in Pittsburgh, with the hope of seeing people renew their belief in the beauty of God’s design for the world. They put quality, gently-used furniture and household items to reuse through donations from many different sources. “We want to show people God’s love by making their home beautiful,” says Jen Brandenstein, lay leader of Re:Design.

Re:Design started when Ruth Thompson, a parishioner at Jonah’s Call who redesigns kitchens for mostly wealthy clients, saw resources going to waste. The Rev. Jay Slocum, rector of Jonah’s Call, heard about this and cast a vision for redesigning homes for those who couldn’t afford it, as a way to spread renewal and hope. Jen Brandenstein, a member of Jonah’s Call with a degree in Fine Arts, was ecstatic when she heard Slocum’s vision. “My real passion has always been interior design. Design is a gift I have been given,” she says. Brandenstein agreed to lead the new ministry and Re:Design was born.

The Brookline Project was the first Re:Design home makeover. A low-income, single mother of three teens was selected to receive a complete makeover of her home in Brookline. In August, Jonah’s Call (with the help of Church of the Ascension) raised $5,000 at The Big Sale, an annual parish rummage sale. The money raised at The Big Sale allowed Jonah’s Call to secure space at a storage facility to begin accepting donations and to purchase supplies for the Brookline Project. “Through The Big Sale and Re:Design, we believe that redistributing wealth is a powerful form of Christian love that helps to bring restoration to people’s lives in profound ways,” said Slocum.

On December 3, volunteers began work on the Brookline home. The result was dramatic (see photos). Volunteers did a complete makeover of the home and decorated it for Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree. As Christians around the world celebrated Jesus coming into the world, a family in Brookline celebrated Jesus coming into their home through the Re:Design ministry.

Brandenstein says that Re:Design projects present a unique opportunity to be welcomed as a guest into someone’s home and for people with a variety of gifts and skills to serve. Re:Design has something for everyone who wants to transform their community. “Some living conditions are full of despair; we want to change that. When you improve someone’s environment to make it beautiful, they feel better about themselves and can receive God’s love,” says Brandenstein, “Re:Design is about loving people who can never seem to get ahead. I can’t think of a more intimate gift of service.”

Join Re:Design: Reuse, Restore, Renew

Re:Design is about much more than giving practical or pretty “stuff” packaged in good design. It is about renewing lives one home at a time. There are three things Re:Design strives to do:

Reuse - Distributing quality unwanted household items to those in need through individual partnerships.
Restore - Providing personal consultation and labor to redesign living spaces.
Renew - Bringing hope by helping people see the beauty of God’s created order and the grace he offers in renewing our lives, spiritually, physically, and relationally.

If you are interested in joining Re:Design in renewing the city of Pittsburgh, there are many ways you can help. Re:Design is especially looking for a crew of people who can drive a truck and pick up donations once a month. To find out more about how to volunteer with Re:Design, contact Jen Brandenstein.

Reason For God Home Group Study

2011-03-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

So many of us have friends and relatives who really struggle to believe in the God of the Bible. There was a time when enough of Christian belief was embedded in the mind of the average American that bringing a person to believe in God was simply a case of reviving them- waking them up to realities that they held deep in their hearts.

In Post-Christian America, the need that many have is to see Christianity as plausible in the midst of a relativistic, post-modern, pluralistic culture. Questions like, Why is their evil? How can Christianity claim to be an exclusive Truth? How can a person believe in Moral Absolutes, and How can a loving God send people to Hell? are vital questions that seekers need to have answered.

Tim Keller's DVD study, based on his book, The Reason for God is a great way to answer questions and to be prepared to understand those who do not believe.

The Squirrel Hill Home Group will be studying The Reason for God in the coming weeks.

Here is the trailer:

The Reason for God DVD Trailer from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March, 9th at 7:00 p.m.

Allegheny Cemetery Hall of Memories

(Penn Ave. Entrance) 4715 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh

A Christian worship service that will remind us of our mortality and give us

a hope for the renewal of all things. Special music, a beautiful sacred space, and the imposition of ashes will highlight the evening.

Super Bowl 2011 at Jonah's Call

2011-02-08T16:29:00.001-08:00

Anglican 1000- Terry Gyger on the Way Church Planting Pays!

2011-01-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

Anglican institutional churches often shutter at the thought of giving away people & possessions and sharing property with the church plants.

After all, isn't it just too expensive to fund a church planter and underwrite a church plant, not to mention the people that will "leak" out from our church if we give them away.

According to Terry Gyger, this kind of thinking is very short sighted.

At the Anglican 1000 conference, Rev. Gyger from City to City pointed out how church planting brings huge resources into our cities and communities.

Consider the following comparison.

An investor has two decisions to make.

First, he can invest in providing funding to ten non-profit ministries either globally or locally at 10,000.00 per ministry for three years. His total investment will total 300,000 dollars.

Second, he can invest in a church plant for three years at 300,000. Out of this investment, he will see a new church that will begin, as part of its outreach to the local & global world, to invest non-profits and the multiplication of new churches that will invest in non-profits and the multiplication of new churches.

Gyger pointed this out in a session titled Churches planting churches.

So, from an investment standpoint how much sense does it make for large churches to ignore a facet of growth that multiplies ones investment exponentially.

Put in a grossly simple way, if you had two choices which would you make:

Putting 1,000 dollars into the purchase of buttons for your church

Putting 1,000 dollars into the purchase of a button making machine that will yield thousands and thousands of buttons for your church.

Now, to be clear, neither Gyger, or I am saying that we ought not to invest in global and local non-profit ministries. However, we ought not to exclude church planting as part of our investment portfolio as churches.

Anglican1000 Conference- Tim Keller Discusses the interplay Between Movement & Institutions

2011-01-27T07:00:00.001-08:00

I am at the 2011 Anglican 1000 Conference in Plano. Dr. Keller has spoken of how important it is for movements to keep the dynamic between informal & formal, liquid & solid, a movement & an institution.

We all know how not hip institutions are.

"We are a movement not an institution. We form teams not committees. We are organic not bureaucratic. We experience Jesus in intimate community not formal churches, blah, blah blah.

But the genius of Dr. Keller is the way in which he holds the tension between formality & informality, movement & institution.

The great German sociologist, Max Weber once laid out the way in which the charismatic authority of a visionary leader (say, King David and his mighty men) moved from being able to 1. Order chaos into a compelling way to see the world or live life.

2. To then take that ordered way of life and "routinize" it so that a group or community could take part in its dynamic way of life.

3. To then further order this way of life (or compelling vision) into a bureaucratized system that could be applied to a larger segment of society.

4. To then institutionalizing this ordered way of life or compelling vision so that an entire nation could apply it to the chaos of life.

Keller has done a great job drawing these vary dynamics out when discussing the health of the church. Below is his piece from the Redeemer City to City Blog:

Ministry Movements

27 Jul 2010, by Tim Keller

The word "movement" is often used to describe a kind of vital, dynamic human organization, in order to distinguish it from what are called "institutions." Both of these words can have broader meanings, but for the sake of this discussion let us define them in the following ways.

A movement is marked by an attractive, clear, unifying vision for the future together with a strong set of values or beliefs. The content of the vision must be compelling and clear so that others can grasp it readily. It must not be so esoteric or difficult that only a handful of people can articulate it. Instead, it must be something that all members of the movement can understand and pass along to others. By contrast, "institutionalized" organizations are held together by rules, regulations, and procedures, not by a shared vision.

This unifying vision is so compelling that it takes pride of place. First, the vision leads to sacrificial commitment. Individuals put the vision ahead of their own interests and comfort. They are willing to work without high compensation, power, or perks. The satisfaction of realized goals is their main compensation. There is no more practical index of whether you have a movement or not. If the leader is making all the sacrifices, you don't.

Second, the vision leads to generous flexibility. Institutionalized organizations are very turf conscious. Members are suspicious of anyone encroaching on their area of responsibility. Positions and power have been hard-won and jealously guarded. This is done by slavish devotion to rules of procedure, accreditation, and tenure. In movements, however, the accomplishment of the vision is more important than power and position. So people are willing to make allies, be flexible, and cooperate with anyone sharing the basic vision and values.

Third, the vision leads to innovativeness. Institutions are organized more vertically, where ideas from "below" are unwelcome. Movements are flatter because the commonly shared vision unifies and empowers. The vision is what matters - so anyone with a good idea about how to accomplish it is welcome to give it. Ideas flow out of the whole organization, top to bottom, which leads to greater creativity.

Finally, a movement is marked by spontaneous generativity. Spontaneous combustion means energy generated from within - a conflagration without the need for external ignition. A movement is able to generate its own resources, recruit its own new members and participants, and (especially) raise up its own new leaders. This does not mean that movements have no formal training programs. Rather, it means that first, the vision of the movement (especially as its content is disseminated) attracts people with leadership potential, and, secondly, that the work of the movement provides opportunities that reveal emerging leaders through real-life experience and then prepares them for the next level of leadership in the movement. Denominations or church networks that always have to recruit ministers and staff that were raised up in other environments, and that attract them mainly with good compensation, do not show signs of being a movement.

David Hurst, a Harvard scholar, summed up how movements become institutions this way - vision becomes strategy, roles become tasks, teams become structure, networks become organizations, recognition becomes compensation. It is wrong, however, to draw such a hard line between the two forms. It is typical in the Christian movement literature to be highly critical of "institutionalism," for good reason. But the impression is left that all authority, central control, and formal processes are bad for ministry. The reality is more complex.

It is natural for new churches and ministries to try very hard to stay informal, non-codified, and non-centralized. But part of what makes a movement dynamic is a unified vision, and that always requires some codification and control. As time goes on, to maintain the main engine of movement-dynamics - a unified vision - a ministry must adopt some of the aspects of institutions. A strong movement, then, occupies the difficult space between being a free-wheeling organism and a disciplined organization. A movement that refuses to take on some organizational characteristics - authority, tradition, unity of belief, and quality control - will fragment and dissipate. A movement that does not also resist the inevitable tendency toward complete institutionalization will lose its vitality and effectiveness as well. The job of the movement leader is to steer the ship safely between these two opposite perils.

AC1000 Conference- Tim Keller cites DA Carson on Six ways people receive the Gospel in Various Contexts

2011-01-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

I am at the AC1000 conference in Plano Texas listening to Tim Keller present on contextualizing the Gospel in various cultures. He cites an amazing article by DA Carson on ways people receive the Gospel:

1.Relieving Fear,

2. Relieving the Burden of Guilt,

3. Relieving Shame,

4. Receiving a Future Grace,

5. Being Drawn to the Attractiveness of Truth,

6. A Deep-Seated Fulfillment of an Inner Need,

7. The Attractiveness of Jesus' Shear Love for Us,

8. And a Sense or Urge to be on God's Side.

Themelios: Volume 35, Issue 2

July 2010

Pastoral Pensées: Motivations to Appeal to in Our Hearers When We Preach for Conversion1

D. A. Carson

D. A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Most of us, I suspect, develop fairly standard ways, one might even say repetitive ways, to appeal to the motivations of our hearers when we preach the gospel. Recently, however, I have wondered if I have erred in this respect—not so much in what I say as in what I never or almost never say. What follows is in some ways a mea culpa, plus some indication of why I think the topic should be important for all of us.

Before I survey the motivations themselves, I should specify that because the gospel is to be preached to both unbelievers and believers, the motivations that here interest me may be found among both parties. Nevertheless, I shall tilt the discussion toward those motivations of unbelievers to which we should appeal when we preach the gospel to them, aiming, in God’s mercy, at their conversion.

1. A Survey of Possible Motivations

The eight motivations I am about to list are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Several may, and often do, coexist at one time and in one person. In no particular order of importance:

1.1 Fear

The Letter to the Hebrews insists that people are kept all their lives in fear of death but that the coming of the Son of God as a human being, a son of Abraham, set in train the destruction of him who has the power of death, namely, the devil himself (Heb 2:14–18). With respect to this particular fear, then, the preaching of the gospel promises a reduction in fear. On the other hand, in various ways Jesus tells his hearers to fear him who has power to destroy body and soul in hell (Matt 10:38). Not a few of the parables end in a simple polarity: gathered into barns or burned (Matt 13:30), entering the home of the wedding feast or being shut outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 22:10–13), and so forth. Some apocalyptic images depict people calling for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Luke 23:30; Rev 6:15–17). Belonging to the same theme are texts asking us, rhetorically, where the profit lies if we gain the whole world but lose our own souls (Matt 16:26), or the insistence that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31).

Obviously it is possible to preach the wrath of God in such an angry and self-righteous fashion that we bear a much closer resemblance to Elmer Gantry than to Jesus Christ. On the other hand, in addition to the example of Jesus and the apostles, we have occasional examples from church history where God has used the appeal to the fear of judgment in powerful ways. The best known witness is doubtless Jonathan Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” which I reread some weeks ago to remind myself how biblical most of it is.

1.2. The Burden of Guilt

I specify “the burden of guilt” instead of “guilt” because I prefer to use the latter for one’s moral and legal status before the holy God. In other words, one may be very guilty and not feel guilty, that is, not labor under any burden of guilt. If one is in fact guilty but feels nothing of the burden of guilt, the objective guilt is not a motivation for conversion. Until one cries, in these words or something similar, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Ps 51:4),2 one is not strongly motivated by the burden of guilt. On the other hand, that guilt, rightly perceived, can be a crushing burden and thus a powerful and desperate motivation for relief.

It is a truism of much Reformed theology, not least Puritan theology, that the law must do its work before grace can do its work. Without an adequate dose of the former, the latter is likely merely to heal the wounds of the people slightly (to use King James English). That Puritan heritage influenced many who were, strictly speaking, outside that heritage. For example, John Wesley’s advice to a young minister on how to preach the gospel in any new situation is replete with this perspective.3 The text to which many in this tradition appealed was Gal 3: the law is our παιδαγωγός to bring us to Christ, for the law was added to turn sin into transgression, to make us see our fault, to shut us up under condemnation (Gal 3:19–25). Careful exegesis of Gal 3 has often shown, of course, that this interpretation is substantially mistaken: Gal 3 is less interested in the psychological and moral profile of the person transitioning from guilt to grace, than in unpacking the place of the Mosaic law in redemptive history. Nevertheless, the Puritan vision of the place of the law is not as off-base as some think. For even if Paul’s primary point in Gal 3 is to locate the law’s rightful place in redemptive history, over against the place that many Palestinian first-century Jews thought it should have, the conclusion one must inevitably draw is that God took extraordinary pains to establish and nurture the law-covenant across a millennium and a half as preparatio Christi. Total ignorance of this OT background is one of the reasons that so many in contemporary culture feel almost no burden of guilt when they are first confronted with the Bible, with Jesus, with the gospel. In fact, nurtured on a spongy epistemology, many hear the law’s demands and conclude, at least initially, that the God who thought this lot up is not worth respecting, for he must be a manipulative and power-hungry despot. Still, at some point the burden of guilt catches up with many people, and it can become a powerful motivation in their conversion.

1.3. Shame

A glance at the literature shows how difficult it is to distinguish absolutely between guilt and shame. Some cultural anthropologists speak of “shame cultures” as if such cultures know little of guilt, and of some traditional Western cultures as if they are guilt-ridden but know little of shame: the two kinds of cultures are sometimes treated as if they are categorically disjunctive. Some in the field of psychiatry assert that guilt arises from what we do, while shame arises from what we are, but that is certainly not a biblical distinction. In the Bible we may be guilty and feel guilty for what we are, and equally we may be ashamed of what we do.

In popular parlance, I suspect that shame has more to do with losing face, primarily (though not exclusively) in horizontal relationships. Nevertheless, if one loses face before one’s family or peers, it is usually because one has done something “wrong” as judged by those peers, so it is hard to see why guilt feelings do not also intrude. Similarly, one may be genuinely guilty of some sort of moral breach and be ashamed of what one has done. Initially Adam and Eve are naked and unashamed: they have nothing to hide. But when sin changes everything, does Adam hide from God because he feels guilty or because he feels ashamed? Must one choose? Nevertheless, there does appear to be a slight difference in focus between the two: shame has to do with losing face, often objectively, and hence feeling shamed. Such loss of face commonly springs from one’s own faults, but of course it may spring from something one has endured—like David’s envoys who are ashamed of losing half their beards at the hands of the Ammonites and whom David therefore consoles by instructing them to remain at Jericho until their beards grow back (2 Sam 10:1–5). They have lost face, but of course in this instance they are not guilty of anything.

Many have argued that in a culture like ours, which protests that it is unmoved by the law’s demands and that refuses to admit to guilt feelings because it refuses to admit to guilt, a better way to unpack the nature of sin is to unfold the nature of idolatry rather than the nature of law. Idolatry is bound up with corrosive relationships, with de-godding God, with shameful distortions and substitutions; and, it is argued, these evils are more easily admitted among yuppie postmoderns than are the evils of transgressing law. In other words, shame is more readily acknowledged than guilt.

1.4. The Need for “Future Grace”

When John Piper unpacks this category, he has primarily Christians in view. Historically, however, a great deal of evangelism has been carried out by urging people to prepare to meet God, to receive the grace now that alone prepares a sinner for resurrection-existence in the new heaven and the new earth. Where is the profit in gaining the world and losing one’s soul? Where there is widespread belief that one must finally give an account to a holy God who does not grade on the curve, this sort of appeal carries quite a lot of weight. The motivations to which one appeals are a mixture of fear (which I have already mentioned) and the desire to be found right, just, before this God, acceptable to him.

1.5. The Attractiveness of Truth

Frequently the apostles declare that they bear witness to the truth, that they declare the truth, that they do not peddle the truth, that they cannot do other than speak the truth, that they speak the truth plainly in the eyes of all, and so forth (e.g., John 19:35; Rom 9:1; 2 Cor 4:2; 11:10; 13:8). The assumption, of course, is that by the grace of God, the truth itself is attractive to some. Cornelius was such a man. He was a good deal more eager to hear the truth, at least initially, than Peter was to declare it. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the truth can be self-attesting; for others, like some of Jesus’ opponents in John 8, the truth is precisely what is detested: “Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe” (John 8:45; cf. also Isa 6, cited in Matt 13 and elsewhere). To draw an analogy: the one gospel can be a wonderful aroma to those who are being saved and a disgusting stench to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). So also the truth can appear wonderful to those who by grace begin to see its beauty and compelling nature, while actually causing offense and unbelief in those who are perishing.

When I was a young man, many university missions spent a lot of time defending, say, the deity of Christ or his resurrection from the dead. The widespread assumption, both among the evangelists and among many of the student hearers, was that if one accepted the truth of these claims, one was already on the path toward becoming a Christian. This assumption sustained quite a lot of evidentialist apologetics. The approach is flawed in several ways, of course. James reminds us that the devil knows and believes such truths, but such “faith” does not save him (James 2:19). Granted, however, the need for grace to enable the “natural” person to perceive the truth, one cannot deny that one of the motivations in people as they begin to “close” with Christ (to use an old Puritan expression) is the attractiveness of the truth. While some in Athens sneered, others, in some ways already hooked by what the apostle Paul was saying, wanted to hear him again on these matters (Acts 17:32). They were drawn to the truth.

1.6. A General, Despairing Sense of Need

It is pretty clear from the Gospel accounts that many who pursued Jesus did not do so out of a well thought-through theology (e.g., law precedes gospel, and they were under deep conviction of sin), but out of desperation fed by their most acutely perceived need. Witness the woman with the history of hemorrhaging (Matt 9:20–21), the two blind men by the side of the road calling for the Son of David to have mercy on them (Matt 9:27), the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:25–28), and many others. In some cases, of course, Jesus responds to such needs yet also pushes on a little farther to deal with the sin in their lives (the Samaritan woman [John 4:10–18], the man by the pool of Bethesda [John 5:5–14]). Moreover, it does not follow that everyone who is healed by Jesus is “saved” in the fullest theological sense of that word. For instance, nine of the ten healed lepers do not have the courtesy of gratitude, let alone saving faith (Luke 17:11–19). Yet where there is a whole-hearted and desperate plea to Jesus, even absent much theological understanding, it is wonderful to see how embracing Jesus is.

Pastoral experience supports this assessment. Many of us have witnessed people turning to Christ with remarkably little exact theological knowledge. The knowledge comes later. Why these people come, at least initially, is that they need help, need it desperately, and turn to Jesus. This may prove to be part of a broader, whole-life turning to Jesus. Their initial motivations, however, are all bound up with desperation.

1.7. Responding to Grace and Love

Both Testaments repeatedly emphasize the matchless love and grace of God. Some are drawn to Christ when they begin to glimpse the Father’s love for this damned world in sending his Son to the cross, and the Son’s love in accomplishing his Father’s will. One suspects that the appellation Mary and Martha had for their brother Lazarus—“the one you love,” they say to Jesus (John 11:3)—reflects a common experience: so many felt peculiarly loved by Jesus, even the Fourth Evangelist himself (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Paul cannot talk long about justification and the cross-work of Christ without breaking out with an adoring exclamation such as “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Whether it is the love of the proverbial father for his prodigal sons (Luke 15:20–24) or the assertion that Christ loved the church and gave himself for her (Eph 5:25, 29), whether it is the gut-wrenching portrayal of the love of God in Hosea or Paul’s prayer that believers might have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp the limitless dimensions of that love (Eph 3:17–19), the response to the love of God is one of the most powerful motivations people experience, not only when they first close with Christ but also when they mature in Christ.

1.8. A Rather Vague Desire to Be on the Side of What Is Right, of What Is from God, of What Is Biblical, of What Is Clean, of What Endures

I know that sounds terribly vague. If I had to attach one word to what I am talking about, it would probably be the motivation of hope. Consider the encounters with Jesus in John 1:19–51. The Baptist’s disciples begin to follow Jesus because their master had pointed to him. They clearly hope he is the one to come. The christological confession at Caesarea Philippi (“You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” [Matt 16:16]) is part of this hope, of course—even though the context shows the apostles at this point have no category for a crucified Messiah. The same sort of longing, with even less theological understanding, is reflected in the desire of Zacchaeus to entertain Jesus in his home (Luke 19:6). I am not trying to specify exactly when the apostles or Zacchaeus were converted. I am pointing out merely that at least part of their motivations in pursuing Jesus, at least initially, lay in their desire to see if he really would fulfill Scripture-anticipation, if a good and powerful man would come to the home of a corrupt civil servant. They hoped so. Transparently, such hope can merge with other motivations already listed: people may hope for release from the burden of guilt, hope to be justified by God on the last day, hope that things will turn out well both short-term and in eternity.

So I turn now from this survey of possible motivations that people display when they turn to Jesus and offer:

2. Four Theological and Pastoral Reflections on This Survey

1. We do not have the right to choose only one of these motivations in people and to appeal to it restrictively.

Consider an analogy. It has become common to speak of half a dozen distinguishable models of the atonement. I do not much like the rubric, but I shall use it for the sake of convenience. Many is the recent book that argues that since all these “models” are grounded in Scripture, we are free to choose the one we prefer. But that is precisely what we are not free to do, unless we conceive of Scripture as little more than a case-book, an inspired volume of cases, warranting readers to glom onto those few cases, and only those cases, that seem to fit their own situations or preferences most closely. If we hold to a more traditional and faithful understanding of Scripture, then to the extent that the various models of the atonement are warranted by Scripture, we must hold to all of them—and then work out how each is related to the others, what holds them together, where there is a priority among them that is established by Scripture itself, and so forth. But we dare not choose merely one or two of them.

So also here. Insofar as these diverse motivations enjoy biblical precedent or even biblical warrant, preachers do not have the right to appeal to only one or two motivations as if they were the only legitimate ones. We ought to appeal, at various times, to all these motivations—and, again, work out how each is related to the others, what holds them together, and where there is a priority among them that is established by Scripture itself. But we do not have the right to appeal constantly to, say, fear before God, without also on occasion appealing to other biblically illustrated and sanctioned motivations.

2. On the other hand, we may have the right to emphasize one motivation more than others.

In the same way that the structure and emphases of Paul’s evangelistic addresses could change, depending on whether he was addressing biblically literate Jews and proselytes (Acts 13) or completely biblically illiterate pagans (Acts 17), so the particular motivations to which we appeal may vary according to our knowledge of our audience. In a somewhat similar vein, if we are addressing biblically literate but unregenerate people, some of our appeal will presuppose that they know the Scriptures at some level, that many of them, say, will be convinced that there is a judgment to be faced, a heaven to be gained, a hell to be shunned and feared. By contrast, if we are addressing biblically illiterate people, then although all those themes will at some point have to be introduced, our initial appeals may sound quite different. Some motivations are of course unworthy, and we should never appeal to them. For example, “Come to Jesus, and you will receive a lot of cargo,”4 or “Turn to Jesus, and you will always be free of trouble.” Where motivations are not unworthy, however, and especially where they are biblically sanctioned, we may find it particularly appropriate to appeal to certain motivations rather more than others.

It would be easy to go through the list I laid out and conjure up situations where it is the part of prudential wisdom to appeal to one or two motivations rather more often than to all the rest. Had we time, it would be an excellent exercise to envisage the kind of audience that ought to find us appealing to primarily this or that motivation in our hearers.

3. Nevertheless, the comprehensiveness of our appeal to diverse motivations will reflect the comprehensiveness of our grasp of the gospel.

Once again, let me draw an analogy first before establishing my point. For the last fifteen or twenty years, many of us have wrestled long and hard with the doctrine of justification, judging that something essential to the gospel is at stake in the current discussions. The result, however, is that we have sometimes so tied the gospel and conversion to the question of our right standing before God that we have downplayed the new birth. We have emphasized Christ’s bearing our guilt and the nature of imputation without correspondingly emphasizing the regenerating work of the Spirit and the gospel as the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, in transforming our lives, in our becoming part of the new creation. Suppose, then, that we managed to emphasize both of these elements of conversion appropriately (let us call them the forensic and the transformative). We might, of course, then tumble into neglect of the running biblical tension between our joy in the kingdom of God now already operating in the reign of King Jesus and the joy that awaits the consummation of that kingdom in the resurrection-existence of the new heaven and the new earth. Understanding this tension will engender hope, thereby reinforcing all the motivations that spring from a godly anticipation of what God has promised that still lies ahead. In other words, while the exigencies of our pastoral location during these past twenty years have demanded that we focus on forensic elements of the gospel and conversion, a robust biblical theology demands that part of our ministry be taken up by the biblical exigencies, the shape of the gospel itself, the rich and complex nature of its outworking in conversion and in the spiritual maturation of the believer and of the church.

So also this matter of choosing the motivations to which we appeal—choices that largely shape our sermons. For pastoral reasons, we may decide, for instance, that our particular audience, with its endless frustrated and idolatrous relationships and its suspicion of law-categories, needs a heavy emphasis on the generosity and freedom of God’s grace: our God, as Tim Keller likes to put it, is an overwhelmingly prodigal God.5 Well and good. But the Bible itself depicts Jesus inciting fear in the hearts of people with his insistence that the God with whom they have to deal “can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). Again, Jesus openly appeals to motivations that seek eternal rather than temporary and material rewards. He does not hesitate to elicit awareness of guilt and to invoke shame: Who goes home justified, the Pharisee or the publican (Luke 18:9–14)? Who gives more, the wealthy givers or the widow with her two mites (Mark 12:41–44)?

So while we may, for pastoral reasons, initially choose to appeal to certain motivations and not others, it is surely the path of biblical faithfulness so to teach and preach the Word of God that we awaken new motivations in the hearts and minds of our people as we unpack the complex richness of the glorious gospel of our blessed God. If instead we find ourselves constantly appealing to the same two or three motivations while ignoring others, it is probably because our choices are too much shaped by our perceptions of local cultural needs and too little shaped by the richness of the biblical gospel. Sooner or later, our people may read their Bibles with limiting and even dangerous blinkers that we ourselves have given them.

4. To put this another way, all of the biblically sanctioned motivations for pursuing God, for pursuing Christ, say complementary things about God himself, such that failure to cover the sweep of motivations ultimately results in diminishing God.

Thus, the motivations characterized by fear are bound up with the truth that God is holy, that he is rightfully our Judge, that he gathers some into his presence and casts others into outer darkness, that his knowledge of us is perfect, extending not only to a grasp of our motives but even to a full-bore knowledge of what we would have done under different circumstances (a form of so-called “middle knowledge”). The burden of guilt reminds us that God does not grade on the curve, and unless we are justified by the one who is himself just while justifying the ungodly, there is no hope for us.

And so we could work through the list. The point to be made is simple: any failure to appeal to the full range of biblically exemplified and biblically sanctioned motivations not only means that there are some people we are not taking into account, but, more seriously, that there are elements in the character and attributes of God himself that we are almost certainly ignoring.

^This article is a lightly edited manuscript from a paper presented on May 19, 2010 at The Gospel Coalition’s Pastors’ Colloquium in Deerfield, Illinois.
^Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture citations are from Today’s New International Version (tniv), © 2005.
^John Wesley, “To an Evangelical Layman,” in The Works of John Wesley: Volume 26: Letters II: 1740–1755 (ed. Frank Baker; Oxford: Clarendon, 1982), 482–89.
^Cf. neo-Melanesian “cargo cults,’ or our own health, wealth, and prosperity gospels.
^Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (New York: Dutton, 2008).

Tim Keller's The Prodigal God DVD Study

2011-01-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

The Jonah's Call Squirrel Hill Home Group will begin a six week study of Tim Keller's The Prodigal God beginning Friday, January 14th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Check out the Trailer for this study. Contact Catherine Slocum for more information (catintheburgh@gmail.com).

The study guide can be purchased at Amazon. New and used prices are HERE .

An Amazing Christmas Eve at Jonah's Call

2011-01-01T16:52:00.001-08:00

Mancamp 2010

2010-11-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

17 Men from Jonah's Call traveled to Raccoon Creek State Park on November 13-14th for Mancamp. Thanks to David Sadd for the Pics.

Jonah's Call Pics- Halloween

2010-10-14T16:13:00.001-07:00

So Excited About Tim Keller's New DVD Teaching

2010-09-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Trailer for Gospel in Life from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.

Catherine (my wife) and I just finished watching the trailer for Tim Keller's new DVD Series The Gospel and Life. Zondervan produced it and you can tell right from the first seconds that thy have done a great job at making Tim accessible to the general public. I have been waiting 20 years for this format to come out and can't wait to see the impact that this series will have on the present generation. We will be doing this eight week teaching series at our home group this fall. If you are in the Burgh and are free on Friday nights, join us (6:30-9:00).

The Pittsburgh Parking Chair!

2010-02-20T16:30:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Jonah's Call

2009-12-26T20:17:00.001-08:00

Advent Make and Give

2009-12-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the many folks who contributed to this year's Advent Make and Give. Last night Cas Pellegrini and his sons, CJ and Thad, along with Karl Thomas and his son, Ian, delivered 50 very full care packages to the men at the East End Cooperative Ministries Men's Shelter in East Liberty. I was not able to photograph the assembling of these packages, but did get a few shots of the finished packages neatly tucked under the Christmas Tree at Jonah's Call. A special thanks goes out to Linda Stewart and Jennifer Brandenstein who purchased socks, pop and warm winter hats with the monies donated.

Below is the copy of the letter we sent to the men that we are reaching out to during this Christmas Season.

Dear Sir,

During this Christmas season we all need hope. And, the thing that gives me the most hope right now, tonight, is that God did not wait for mankind to reach out and touch him. He went first. He reached out and touched us! How? More than 2000 years ago, God knew it was just the right time to save us from hopelessness. He had watched the world turn dreary and saw men’s hearts grow stone cold. So, he lowered himself, humbled himself, and became one of us. God did not come to the rich and famous on the night he gave his son to us as a baby. He did not go to the “President” the night his son became man. He did not go to “Hollywood” the night his son became a man. He went to some shepherds- guys who lived under the stars. He went to a teenage girl and her troubled husband who could not find a place to sleep in Bethlehem. What was God saying? He was saying that he has come to US. Jesus was born in the way he was born to send us a message. You are not alone. You are loved by God right now right where you are. You can’t earn His love for you and He doesn’t need you to. His son, perfect in everyway, came to be born as one of us, to live as one of us and to die for all of us. He reached out to you first and lowered himself so that you would know how much he loves you. I hope you see that this Christmas. God loves you and can forgive you all your sins. You just need to see the hand that is already reaching out to you. There is hope.

All of us at Jonah’s Call want you to know God loves You and we want to extend that love to you by reaching out with a very small token our own possessions so that you will know the love of God.

Merry Christmas.

Pastor Jay and everyone at Jonah’s Call

4729 Ellsowrth Avenenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Join us Christmas Eve at 6:30 p.m or on Sundays at 5:00 p.m.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-10

Christmas Eve @ Jonah’s Call

2009-12-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas is to light as snow is to Winter, as north is to pole, as the manger is to baby Jesus. Sure, you could have Christmas without snow, but what would Christmas be without light? In fact, the image of light is so central to Christmas that our Christmas carols are just beaming with light:

“O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer/ Our spirits by Thine advent here;/ Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,/ And death’s dark shadows put to flight.”

“The stars in the bright sky/ Looked down where He lay/ The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.”

“The Child, the Child sleeping in the night / He will bring us goodness and light,/ He will bring us goodness and light."

“While shepherds kept their watching/ Over silent flocks by night/ Behold throughout the heavens/ There shone a holy light.”

“It came upon the midnight clear,/ That glorious song of old,/ From angels bending near the earth,/ To touch their harps of gold;” It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

In keeping with the great Christmas theme of light which captures the goodness of God in illuminating all things dark and dreary, Jonah’s Call will be celebrating Christmas Eve this year on Thursday, December 24th @ 6:30 p.m. in a way that will illumine all who attend.

On Christmas Eve, we will enter into worship in candle light, moving through the service singing traditional carols and reading ancient prayers and Scriptures that highlight Jesus as a light coming into the darkness to bring joy to the whole world. During the course of our Christmas worship, children and adults will contribute to the drama of Jesus coming into the the world as we light candles representing the holy family (Joseph, Mary and Jesus), the manger, the shepherds and the the angels who brought the news of Christ’s birth on that holy night. After the service, we will enjoy a special Christmas Eve buffet. Please join us this year for Christmas Eve and invite a friend!

Advent Make and GIVE 2009

2009-11-26T10:35:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, December 20th, Jonah's Call will participate in the Second Annual Advent Make Give. The Advent Make and Give mixes generous donations of homemade cookies and hand crafted gifts bags from the Jonah’s Call Kid’s Club with warm socks, “pop,” sweets, Bibles and a special Christmas greeting from Jonah’s Call. If you would like to help organize, donate cookies or money (to underwrite this project), please email Catherine Slocum at catintheburgh@gmail.com.

Ero Cras: The Roots of O Come, O Come Emmanuel

2009-11-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

By Josh Moyer

Take a moment to read the following:

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other mightily,

and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.

O Key of David and scepter of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Beautiful, isn’t it? What you just read is four parts of the seven part ancient Latin antiphons known as the O Antiphon. An antiphon is simply a response, usually sung in chant, to a verse, psalm or other part of a religious service. The O Antiphon is a set of antiphons used in the latter days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. It is believed that the prayer has existed since at least the Sixth Century. There are three rather significant and amazing characteristics of each of the seven parts. First, each of the seven prayers begin with a different title for the Messiah (i.e. Wisdom, Key of David, etc.). Second, each part also refers to the prophecy of the Messiah found in Isaiah.

And lastly, (and my personal favorite because I am a sucker for this kind of stuff) - if you take the first letter of each of the seven Latin names used for the Messiah and put them in reverse order they spell “ ero cras” meaning, “Tomorrow, I Will Come.”

The O Antiphons were eventually translated to English by John Mason Neale in the mid-19th Century and paraphrased to create a fairly known Advent-Christian hymn. Throughout Advent, Jonah’s Call will join in with centuries of beauty, history and mystery as we sing that hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.

Idols and Tithing

2009-11-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Man will necessarily have something that he respects as his god. If man [does] not give his highest respect to the God that made him, there will be something else that has the possession of it. Men will either worship the true God, or some idol. It is impossible it should be otherwise. Something will have the heart of man. And that which a man gives his heart to, may be called his god. Jonathan Edwards

According to the Bible, an I.D.O.L. is an Intense Devotion to and Object we Love. Most likely, our I.D.O.L.s are not external things that we bow down to and worship. Instead, they are the gods that we assign ultimate value to and depend on in our hearts. Practically speaking, these idols take the form of the things we must have in order to be happy or things we cannot lose without falling into despair.

A great way to determine what we really worship is to identifying what we must have or cannot live without. What is it that makes you worry the most? What must you protect from harm at all costs? What do you pour most of your time, money and energy into? Identify these and you will be following smoke leading back to the real object of your worship (a job, relationship, lifestyle, or bank account).

In the book of Malachi, God’s people were claiming that He was the object of their worship. Yet, when God surveyed the lives of His people He found that what they were most in love with was their money.

God says in Malachi 3:8-11 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

By pointing out their I.D.O.L. (money) and providing tithing as a corrective to false worship (giving God 10%), God was protecting his people from the worry and despair that comes from making money a god while also helping them to see that only He could be counted on as their ultimate provision.

This year, Jonah’s Call will be partnering with Church of the Ascension during the month of November to bring God’s people into a more secure relationship with Him by teaching the biblical model of tithing as the normative guideline for Christian giving.

A great resource that Josh Miller (Associate Rector at Church of the Ascension) has developed is a Bible study that teaches about tithing. To check out a PDF of the Bible Study, Click HERE

Halloween Fest 2009 PICS

2009-10-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a fun night, with more than 300 folks in attendance throughout the night we were able to give away 200 pounds of candy, 200 Chicago style hotdogs, and six gallons of hot cider.

The Big Sale 2009

2009-09-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

It Was a Big Massive Sale

On Saturday Morning, August 29th, more than 100 people waited in line for the Big Sale to Begin. By the time the sale ended 1,000 people had passed through our doors.

Most of those who shopped at The Big Sale were internationals, university students from all over the United States and city dwellers who had never before visited Ascension or Jonah’s Call. That means that nearly 800 “new comers” visited our church in one day. That’s a lot of people! The vast majority of Big Sale shoppers left with BIG smiles on their faces because of the great sales that they found and the authentic expressions of love that they received from all of the volunteers that made this amazing outreach event so successful. Oh, and did I mention that we were able to raise $6,000.00 to benefit Pittsburgh’s homeless.

The Big Sale was more than a Big Sale, it was a MASSIVE sale with more than 100 families donating incredible merchandise, an army of volunteers giving upwards of 1,000 combined hours into this event to make it a success and a great turn out from the city of Pittsburgh.

Thanks to all who volunteered from Jonah’s Call and Church of the Ascension (our mother church). We look forward to seeing the ways in which God will use this outreach event to draw the city of Pittsburgh closer to Him. w

The Reason for God

2009-09-02T05:48:00.001-07:00

God's Ruthless Love

2009-07-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, do you think, today, right now, that God love's you ruthlessly like a man who is pursuing that which he has sought after all his life? Or do you think that God is a distant malevolent or vaguely benevolent Creator who has not much time for you. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a staggering statement of God's ruthless love for you. This 3 media quote, the second in a series, portrays the love of a man for a woman alongside of the love of God for you.

Jonah's Call Work Day

2009-05-09T17:16:00.001-07:00

Easter Pics 2009

2009-04-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Easter @ Jonah's Call 2009

2009-04-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

Easter at Jonah's Call was pretty amazing. We built a service that started in a space called the New Catacombs (that's religious speak for basement). This space is actually very nice with state of the art sound, video, and lighting. We adapted the space making a an eight foot by 6 foot cross into the center of worship. Thanks to a very talented team (Jen Brandenstein, Jill King, and Linda Stewart) the cross was covered in flowers and placed in the center of the room. We then, placed chairs around it. It was simple, but beautiful and really spoke of the resurrection. As a way of taking advantage of the technology available to us, I built a video of Jesus' life in relation to Mary Magdalene using Ben Harper's song, The power of the Gospel. One of the challenges we faced with this service was that there was still no natural light in the space. As a way of working around this, we decided to have communion outside in a courtyard that was accessible from the new catacombs. This space is gorgeous and was actually designed for outside services. After songs, sermons, and an offering, we all left the space, bringing the cross covered in flowers outside. Communion was amazing. We used a sweet bread and wine and celebrated communion while the rising smoke of fire pits swirled around us. What surprised me was how acoustically beautiful the space was. We had a guitar, hand drum, and an accordion without mics and it sounded incredible. After the service, we had a serious feast and watched the kids chase down Easter eggs. A person from our community said, "I came dragging my feet about the idea of worshipping in a basement on Easter Morning. But, this was actually the best Easter service I have EVER had."

As we all said throughout the day, "Alleluia, Christ has risen." "The Lord has risen indeed, Alleluia."

The Challenge of Diversity in Worship

2009-02-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

by Josh Moyer

I must confess that far too often I have walked into church settings seeking to interact with and worship God, but never get there. I arrive, take my seat, sit quietly, shake a hand or two and patiently wait for my worship experience to begin. Then, that dreadful worship leader approaches the microphone, strums an E major 7 chord and begins… “Let everything that, everything that, everything that has breath praise the Lord.” “Are you freaking kidding me?!” - exclaims my brain, as I raise a hand and smile at the pastor. “First of all, that song was written during the Carter Administration. Second, she’s not singing it like Matt Redman! Why can’t I have Matt Redman? Third, she’s a she and that song needs a male vocal… a male vocal on pitch! Girls shouldn’t play guitar and where’s Jimmy Carter when you need him!!!!!!!!! Come to think of it, Matt Redman would have made a better president that Jimmy Carter. Hmmmm… My next door neighbor’s cat is named Carter…” Coincidence?

You get the picture.

We come to church honestly desiring to worship God in and among our community of believers and friends, but can be easily derailed by “our” expectation or belief of what is good or what is truly “worship”. In most cases, these beliefs are fed by our experiences – valuable experiences. Yet, our experiences, with all their potential value, truth and beauty, can devour us if we allow them to become the boundary lines, or worse yet, barb-wired fences, outside of which worship of God cannot take place.

The reality is this. In the above hypothetical, there is nothing wrong with singing songs from the 1970’s or 80’s. There is nothing wrong with a female vocalist singing a song written by a male songwriter. There is nothing wrong with girls playing guitars, Jimmy Carter or cats.

But everything is wrong when my criticism outweighs my love for people and God. Everything is wrong when my criticism prevents me from worshipping my God, who himself could be very critical with me, but instead has extended to me unrelenting love and grace despite my countless failures and undeservedness.

At Jonah’s Call, the band has been very intentional at trying to be diverse. By diverse I mean that we have attempted not to fall into any single musical genre, style, form or experience. Rather, we have purposefully attempted to include as wide a variety of songwriters, themes, arrangements, tempos, time periods, cultures and instruments as possible. And why? Because in our view, it’s all good, valuable and beautiful. Yet, diversity is challenging and can bring with it a great deal of problems and discomfort. Furthermore, it requires us to examine and identify our tendencies and in many cases, to purposefully set them aside. In some cases, we have made headway. In others, we have a long way to go. However, it is my continued desire for Jonah’s Call to see and experience the value, beauty and creativity in a diversity of musical styles, songs, lyrics and instruments. And despite our natural tendency to stick with what is comfortable, stay in the box and settle in our past experiences, I want us to be willing to engage the diversity and challenge ourselves. I am mindful that this road brings with it discomfort, but I am confident in the people of Jonah’s Call and I am confident that in doing so our worship of God and knowledge of him will be all the more enriched.

Jonah’s Call Pot Luck Sunday

2009-02-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

by Linda Stewart

Pot Luck Dinner is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a communal meal to which people bring food to share. At Jonah’s Call we have started a tradition on the last Sunday of every month, where the grazing dinners become a communal feast with everyone bringing their favorite dish to share. Every time we have a Jonah’s Call Pot Luck Dinner I am just blown away by all the
different and delicious dishes. The beauty of all that awesome food presented after the service is a treat for the eyes and a feast for our hungry stomachs.

For anyone new to pot luck dinners, the following are some suggestions which will make it easy and simple for you to participate.

· All dishes should be prepared in advance.
· Nobody should do more in the kitchen than pop something in the oven for reheating when you arrive.
· The dishes should be easy to transport.
· The serving size of each dish does not need to equal the number of guests. Everybody will take only a small portion of each dish when there are many from which to choose.
· Usually prepare a dish to serve 6- 8.
· Traditional potluck dishes include casseroles, chili, Crockpot meals, salads, breads, and any kind of desserts.
· Recipes don't need to be fancy. Dishes that are simple and easy are often the most popular.

If you are looking for a way to really get to know more people, build your own Jonah’s Call family, and have a lot of fun in the process, come join our Hospitality Team which prepares food for our weekly grazing meals.

If you have children the food is simple enough for them to help so they are welcome to participate. It gives singles a great way to build new friendships, have a lot of fun and experience the joy of giving back. For those who may think cooking is not your thing, come do something different. There is a new and wonderful culinary world for you to discover, be a wonderful blessing to others, and be blessed in the doing. We are expanding our teams, and invite you to come and join the fun and spread the love. lstewart1949@yahoo.com.

What We Will Do For Love; Go Steelers!

2009-01-31T16:06:00.000-08:00

I walked in on my rather bohemian Father-in-law in the mid nineties to find him polishing his shoes- expensive shoes. I married a pastor's kid and The Rev. Martyn Minns, my wife's dad, was known to me at the time as a Pete Townsend knock-off who had done really cool stuff in NYC with the homeless and artists on the upper west side of Manhattan. He was not one of the DC elite. And, yet, God called him to the Washington DC area (Fairfax City to be exact) to be the senior pastor (rector) of Truro Church. Jokingly, I said, "Hey, what's with the shoe polish?" he looked up and said, sometimes you have to do things you might not normally do in order to love the people you are serving." Seems one the the generals (remember Clarance Thomas went to this church before converting to Roman Catholicism) pulled him aside and told him to ditch the Down jacket and the ruddy penny loafers. Before long Martyn was wearing nice suites, got one of those long black formal jackets, and started visiting Brooks Brothers regularly. He did it for love.

In the past year, I have been challenged by several "generals" regarding my lack of enthusiasm for The Steelers. It is not that I do not like football, it is that I do not love it. Yet, The Steelers are to Pittsburgh what black blazers are to DC and flip flops to Hilton Head Island. So, tomorrow, I will wear my new Steelers Belt Buckle. After the service, we will throw a Superbowl Party and live stream the game on the big screen. and, I have traded my "down jacket" for a Harrison Jersey- Go Steelers! I am doing it for love the love of Pittsburgh.

Kids Jonah's Call Kids Club From A Child’s Perspective: I Just Love Church

2008-12-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

by Catherine Slocum

What does Jonah's Call look like when you are in between three feet to four and half feet tall? The first thing you do when you come to Jonah’s Call is decorate your name tag with colorful markers. Then, you may be in a family that is helping get ready for church which means you might help "pull chicken", fill water pitchers, push huge carts full of food into the church, hand out bulletins or run freely until your parents tell you to sit down for worship. Then you get to sing praises to God, walk to the front of the church and hear a message just for you that usually includes something to see, smell, taste or touch and then you run to Jonah's Call Kids' Club where you sit down on the whale beach towel and are reminded of who you are: God loves you, He made you, we have an amazing history and you are part of the story. All hands go up for being an actor or actress in the Bible story of the night. We “laugh,” we “cry,” we “stand tall,” we “die”....all in full costume. We are then divided into two groups by age (3 to 7 and 8 to 11) and have a craft or crossword to help us understand our lesson further. We then play games that have included— water guns, ping pong balls, sand pails and silly string. We end with a yummy snack and go back into church for communion with our families. One of us will help close the service by holding the cross for everyone to put their "stuff" on for Jesus to take care of. We are then met at eye-level by a feast of food at the back of the church where we pile our plates high! After eating it is usually tag, hide and seek or turtle games until our parents say it is time to say good-bye to our friends... until next week. I just love church.

Kids Club from a Teacher’s Perspective: Imparting Faith

2008-12-26T07:09:00.000-08:00

By Rachel Myers

It’s been said that teaching is the greatest act of optimism. As teachers for Jonah’s Call Kid’s Club, the knowledge we impart to our children concerns yet another act of optimism, faith. Our curriculum starts with creation and weaves its way through the Old Testament, sharing the stories of God’s relationship with his people, Israel. The stories themselves are familiar enough—Adam and Eve, the Flood, Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac, but somehow the task of sharing them with our kids, ages 3- 11, really allows us to engage with the scripture in new and meaningful ways. We make dioramas, play games involving wells (buckets) and water balloons, do crosswords and coloring. Despite the silliness that is often involved, the process of sharing these lessons really stirs up a sense of the great value and importance of what we believe. And though it’s usually the kids who are acting the stories out in their play-closet costumes, we too are remembering exactly who this amazing God we worship is—a God who deeply loves his insolent, fickle bride, who forgives her endlessly, provides faithfully, and blesses abundantly.w

A Year of Hospitality: “That Sounds a Lot Like Jonah’s Call”

2008-12-26T00:00:00.001-08:00

By Linda Steward

Since April 2008, the Jonah’s Call Hospitality Team has served up approximately 30 “grazing dinners,” 64 gallons of punch, 360 cups of coffee, 65 roasted whole chickens, 384 turkey wraps and 37 pizzas just to name a few items. This is but a pale comparison to the enormous servings of love, fellowship and community in the name of Jesus Christ delivered every Sunday evening at Jonah’s Call. From its humble beginnings of 2 Hospitality Team members, Jonah’s Call now has 11 rotating members, preparing our grazing Sunday dinners every 7 weeks, and it’s growing. In the beginning Jonah’s Call Hospitality Team served around 60 people. We are now serving anywhere from 80 to 100 people every week. Awesome!! While developing menus during this time, I have been privileged to work with and get to know so many talented and gifted people at Jonah’s Call: Suzanne Trenney with her artistic talent and awesome gift for floral arrangements and international cooking, Peter and Kelly Venable with their culinary talent for the most delicious desserts in the world, Dan Oliver, the best coffee maker in the world and all around best man-with-a-servant-heart, Joy and Francois Guilleux, Liz and Caswell Nilsen, Darlene Gilmer and her mom, Joy, Bea, Karl and their precious children, Ian, & Lydia—and all the many helpers for set up and clean up. A special thank you goes to Dolores Oliver for her many administrative and logistical gifts. What an awesome team we make. All of you are the “recipe” that make Jonah’s Call Hospitality Team so wonderful. It is so exciting to be part of a vision for hospitality that includes so many talented people and to be involved in a role that allows me to play a part in transforming lives for Jesus Christ.

In reviewing the past year, there were a lot of highs and a few lows. These high and lows included hard work, blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice, mixed together with a lot of blessing, joy, community, love, and laughs. The funniest kitchen story that I recall occurred when I clogged 15 feet of kitchen drain pipes with 50 lbs of rice salad, causing a flood by the dish washer. It was not funny when it happened, but we can laugh about it now. Bob Forrest (Director of Maintenance at Ascension) and a plumber worked for 2 days unclogging the kitchen drains. It was nasty, gross, and a bit embarrassing, yet, Bob was so gracious and nice. In the end, I “made things right” by purchasing a gift certificate for a steak dinner to help me assuage the guilt my blunder created. Lesson learned—never put cooked rice in a food disposal.

Serving as the leader of the Hospitality Team has been a blessing and an honor for me. It allows me the opportunity to demonstrate God’s love for His children. Having a beautiful table and delicious meal prepared, I pray anyone coming to the table walks away feeling special and loved. Serving Jonah’s Call this way has brought me closer to my Lord and has transformed my heart. I hope and pray you also are richly blessed by coming to Jonah’s Call. I never viewed myself as having a gift of hospitality until Jonah’s Call. I just like to cook, bring people together, and talk about God. To me, this is part of life’s simple and greatest pleasures—good food,
interesting people, and talking about God. That sounds a lot like Jonah’s Call.

A Very Good Year for Music at Jonah's Call

2008-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

By Josh Moyer

Drums, two guitars, an occasional flute and sax, bass, didgeridoo, banjo, an accordion, and He called it very good. God has been so very good to the Jonah’s Call Band. When I set out to assemble what would be the foundation for the Jonah’s Call Band I had no idea what to expect. My only hope was that whatever the band did, it would do with its own flavor, and would not default into what was already being done elsewhere, or even what was expected to be done at Jonah’s Call. Eight months out, I am so grateful to God that he has granted us amazingly skilled, sweet scented and creative musicians to faithfully join us in worship each and every week. I could not ask for a more creative and simply fun group to work with and make music at Jonah’s Call.

I am also grateful to God for sending us a highly educated and skilled soundman who pushes the buttons and moves the sliders as gracefully as a dancer. Thank you, Josiah, for rescuing us from ourselves.

Lastly, I am considerably grateful to God for all of you, the members and “choir” of Jonah’s Call. Your willingness to push through the difficult and often times frustrating learning curve of new songs, new faces, new instruments and new melodies is amazing. You have “played” a vital role in shaping the musical worship of God at Jonah’s Call. I look forward to the year of our Lord 2009 and the influx of more eclectic and creative musicians, the growth of the “choir” and to our future time spent together in worship unto our God. It too will be very good.w

Music for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany

· In the Bleak Midwinter (Christina Rossetti, 1872)
· O Come O Come Emmanuel (15th Century, French)
· I Heard The Bells (Henry Longfellow, 1864)
· Silent Night (Josef Mohr, 1816)
· Away In a Manger (James R. Murray, 1885)
· O Come All Ye Faithful (John Francis Wade,1743)
· Do You Hear What I Hear (Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne Baker, 1962)
· It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Edmund Sears, 1849)
· Go Tell It On the Mountain (African American spiritual, 1865)

The Advent Make and Give: There is More to Come

2008-12-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

On December 21st, Jonah's Call participated in the first Advent Make Give. With generous donations and lots of homemade cookies, Jonah’s Call prepared 50 care packages for the guests at the East End Cooperative Ministry emergency men's shelter. The men received the care packages on Tuesday, December 23rd. Because the men at the shelter have very little they fully appreciated the warm socks, sodas, sweets, Bibles and Christmas greeting that they received in the care packages.

Special thanks goes out to:

Jonah’s Call kids and teachers for decorating the bags
City Reachers who donated the New Testaments
Marcy Reed for organizing the event and really making it happen
All those who volunteered to make cookies and underwrite the Make and Give.

Join Us for an Epic Christmas Eve

2008-12-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

December 24th, at 6:30 p.m.

The Jonah’s Call Christmas Eve service includes a special children’s message and Kids Club for children through 5th grade, communion using the Anglican Kenyan Rite, and lively and traditional Christmas Carols ending with Silent Night by candle light.

Jay Slocum, Pastor at Jonah’s Call, will preach a sermon titled, The Baby King that Changed the World.

Following the service, we will have special holiday food, refreshments, and carol singing around the fire pit.

Invite your friends and family and celebrate Christmas this year with us at Jonah’s Call.

Child care for infants and toddlers is provided.

To receive free downloads of our Christmas music, featuring the Jonah’s Call Band, go to jonahscall.com.

Remembering Our History From Bethlehem to the Burgh

2008-12-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Remembering is one of the cornerstones of Christianity. Jesus tells his friends on the night before he was sent to die for us on the cross, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus’ good friend Peter was eager to help the church to remember. Again and again Peter told the church, “do not forget” and “always remember” He says in 2 Peter 3:8, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” From beginning to end, the Scriptures ask us to remember God’s story and our place within it. And, what a huge story it is—epic, in fact.

Perhaps no time in the year calls us to remember as does the Christmas season.
In fact, this time of year is so important for remembering God’s story and our place within it that we have ritualized this time in the Church in three seasons of recollection; Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. In Advent (which means coming), many Christians pull out Advent wreaths, Advent candles, and Advent calendars and spend the month preceding Christmas recalling the way that God worked in the history of the world to bring his Son as a Saviour. In Christmas, we remember the birth of God in a manger through songs, stories, gifts and celebrations. In Epiphany, we recall the epic reason for God sending his Son, to save the world from darkness and treachery. Advent, Christmas and Epiphany capture much of God’s story and prepare us for Easter where we see God’s final victory in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Wow, that’s epic.

In the midst the epic story of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, there is also our story, the story of you and me and our friends and neighbours. Jonah's Call has been part of many people's stories in 2008 and we will be sharing some of those stories here at Jonahs411 over the next few weeks.

Thanks Joy and Peace

2008-11-23T17:33:00.000-08:00

Joy Ike and her sister Peace joined the Jonah's Call community tonight. If you have not heard Joy, please give her a listen (and buy a CD). She has a really unique urban sound with Tori Amos, Sara Groves, Ani Defrnaco, Sufjan Stevens-ish sounding influences.

Pics From the All Saints Festival on Halloween

2008-11-02T20:01:00.001-08:00

Josh Moyer- Stitched

2008-10-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

Josh Moyer, Director of Music for Jonah’s Call, recently penned a new song that we have been enjoying in
worship.

Stitched (Josh Moyer)

(Chorus)
You repair all things
stitching everything together
with the thread of Calvary
You repair me
You eliminate despair heal the scars
and mend the tears of the world

We’ve been beat down, broken and torn
And we’re searching for something
safe and warm
We’re searching for someone
to sew our souls back together
We’ve poisoned relationship
Fashioned evil on our hands and lips
And we’re searching for someone to
wash the stains away

We’ve been addicted to death on a string
And we’re searching for the real thing
We’re searching for someone
to sew our world back together
We’ve sold ourselves to ourselves and
whatever else we could find that promised us life
But that life was a lie
So forgive us and repair us

(Bridge)
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
He’s mending the tears

Halloween Transformed

2008-10-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

I always felt really bad for the Jehovah’s Witness kids in my class when I was in elementary school. No birthdays, no Christmas, no Easter, no Fourth of July, and no Halloween. They seemed to be excluded from every really fun aspect of American culture that I enjoyed. And, as a boy, I really didn’t know why. Yes, they would talk about the “end times” and how they were being true to Jehovah by not being involved in “worldly stuff” like holidays. “But,” I thought, “they still
don’t get any presents.”

Thirty years later, I understand the plight of these Jehovah’s Witness kids because I understand what they believe. The kids I grew up with who were excluded from holidays, were part of a faith that rejects secular culture and embraces a separateness from society that allows them to remain faithful to the tenants of their beliefs. Namely, they see holidays like birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween as rooted in Pagan beliefs.

There are a growing number of Christians who, though they may celebrate Christmas, Easter, and birthdays, also greatly object to Halloween. Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they see Halloween as an explicitly Pagan holiday where evil is celebrated. And, since we are to be “in the world but not of the world,” many of these folks have been known to turn off their lights on Halloween and retreat to the basement until the night has gone.

On the other hand, as I look back over the past 30 years, I can recall plenty of Christian kids with vibrant faiths who celebrated all the popular holidays, including Halloween. These kids are now grown up themselves and are among the many Christians who see no problem with Halloween. They dress up and trick or treat. Sure, they realize that a lot of vandalism and a certain amount of pagan ritual occurs on this day, but overall, they do not see Halloween as a big deal. It’s just a fun day for them and their families.

So, which is it? Should we embrace Halloween, ignoring its Pagan roots and emphasis on evil and focus only on the treats and the costumes? Or, should we, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and those involved in other-worldy faiths, reject it despite its growing popularity.

I would suggest that there is a third option. I believe that though Christmas, Easter, and Halloween have, in fact, many pagan roots, these holidays have been transformed throughout the ages by Christians as a way of sharing the love of God with the people with whom they have shared life.

On Friday October 31st, Jonah’s Call and Church of the Ascension will host an All Saints Festival as a way of sharing the love of God with the City of Pittsburgh. The All Saints Festival will neither fully reject nor fully embrace the present Halloween culture. Instead, we will seek to transform it by offering an amazing life-giving alternative that both we and our neighbors can take part in.

The event will attract children, teens, university students, singles, and families, and will tap into the Church’s century old tradition of celebrating the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 11) that have gone before us. Some will choose to attend the All Saints Festival as a Halloween alternative while others will attend the festival as a stop off on their rounds of gathering treats or attending Halloween parties.

You do not have to be under the age of 16
to get candy! There will be something for everybody. The All Saints Festival will
come complete with cotton candy and “tons” of treats, a costume parade– we are encouraging folks to wear costumes that celebrate life, games, a “bouncy gym,” and great live music.

Mark Your Calendars:
2008 All Saints Festival
Friday, October 31st
5 to 8 p.m.

Come join the fun:
· an abundance of candy for everyone
· multi-colored balloons
representing the saints that have
gone before us
· games for young and old
· a cake walk
· a bouncy gym
· live music
· a costume parade
with best costume prizes

As a way to contribute to this great event, we will be accepting donations of candy throughout October. Please purchase a large bag of candy and drop it off on Sunday when you come to worship. Baskets will be available and will be marked “All Saints Candy Donations.” We are also looking for volunteers, both young and old to help us with this event. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, please contact Dolores Oliver at oliverda1@verizon.netw

Josh Moyer on Being An Environmentalist In Worship

2008-10-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

By Josh Moyer

I am an environmentalist. Let’s be clear – I am not looking to co-author Al Gore’s next book or advocating for or against off shore drilling – that is quite a different and more complex issue. What I do mean is that I am almost always aware of and sensitive to my surroundings. My surroundings have the potential to greatly influence both my mood and energy.

The space in which I worship is no exception and thankfully, at Jonah’s Call, we have what could arguably be one of the most conducive spaces for worship in the entire city. Our worship space (known in Church terms as the Nave) is both beautiful and reverent, ancient and modern. However, it is also quite big - perhaps too big at times. While too big is hardly a problem for a church intending to grow, in the initial stages of growth, it can certainly be hindering with respect to a community’s connectivity and energy.

The décor of the storefront church I worshipped at during college consisted of drab fabric on the walls, fake plastic vines as the center of décor, and a lighting scheme that featured fluorescent light bulbs.
Though it lacked beauty and reverence, it never lacked energy. Why? Because we

would squeeze 125 people into a space built
for 50 every Friday night and we would feed off of each other’s desire to worship God as a fellowship of college believers. We were connected. We were together.

The same principal applies when you invite a group of people over to your house for a meal together. There is clearly a difference in the connectivity of the group when you all sit down to feast at the same table, as opposed to each person eating in their own separate corner of the house.

At Jonah’s Call we have purposefully invited everyone to sit where they please, especially those who would prefer to observe our service before participating in it. We believe that this freedom is important and we also couldn’t stand the thought of using ropes to restrict seating. However, many have felt that this decision has actually hindered our ability to feel connected and unified in our worship and has displaced the energy and celebration that is present when a body of Christian believers come together to worship God. Thus, this past Sunday we created an inviting entryway which concentrates our energy while allowing people to either enter into worship or observe from “behind the torches.” The results of our sensitivity to environment has been amazing and is fostering an even greater degree of connectivity and energy in our worship unto God. If you have not yet experienced Jonah’s Call, come check it out and bring a friend.w

Jonah’s Call: Called to be Transformers!

2008-10-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

At Jonah’s Call, we are pursuing the mission of loving God, loving others, and reaching the world through a unique vision. That vision is to worship creatively, connect neighbors, transform life, and reach the city.

Lots of folks talk about transformation: “Vacationing in Italy transformed my outlook on Europe” or “The South Beach Diet transformed my understanding of the way sugar was controlling my eating habits.” So, what do we mean when we talk about transformation at Jonah’s Call?

Our Whole Life Needs to Be Transformed
Well, we believe that our hearts, habits, relationships, families, neighborhoods, city, nation, and culture need to be transformed because every area of life has been damaged by the sin and rebellion that all of mankind has inherited from our spiritual mother and father, Adam and Eve. You see, as Christians, we believe that our spiritual DNA is damaged and, as a result, so is the rest of life. Sound hopeless? Well, to be realistic, in many ways Christianity has a very negative view of life. It sees life as deeply flawed and in desperate need of redemption and healing. We need to be transformed.

Our Whole Life Can be Transformed
However, Christianity is also very positive. Along with seeing us as deeply flawed, Christianity emphasizes strongly that we were created by a loving God who made us very much like Him. We were made to live forever, to be in intimate relationship with God and our neighbors, to be creative and productive, to make culture (and babies), to care for the created world, and to pursue various “callings” in life as family members, mothers and fathers, workers, and citizens. We were made for a purpose and according to the Christian worldview, God so loves us He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to call us back into relationship with Him by offering His own life in our place. Yes, we believe that we are all broken and in need of transformation. And yet, we also believe that transformation is possible when we except the good news (We call it the Gospel) that God is willing to and capable of transforming us by bringing us back to him and allowing us to become his people.

At Jonah’s Call, we believe that God can and will transform life when we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. And, he will not just transform our hearts and minds but our relationships, families, neighborhoods, city, and culture, as well. This issue of the Calling focuses on transformation, one of Jonah’s Call’s core values.w

Josh Moyer On The Origins of His New Song, "Resurrection"

2008-08-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

We have been singing a new song over the last couple of months at Jonah’s Call entitled “Resurrection”. Here are the words:

If one grief among my many

Had its full career

Surely it would carry my heart to death and fear

But You have spoiled my sufferings

With joy to entice relief

So come on sorrow

Come on pain

Come on crossesAnd come on graves(Chorus)
You turn every death into a resurrectionYou turn every death into a resurrectionYou turn every death into a resurrectionSo let all that's been left for deadBe resurrectedIf one fault among my manyHad its time of trialSurely it would leave me guiltyBeyond all doubt(Bridge)
Come aliveLet all that's dead
(Repeat)

The song has its origins in an Anglican Divine named George Herbert and its inspiration from a Presbyterian Pastor, Dr. Timothy Keller.

George Herbert, a 17th century Anglican poet, wrote a poem called “Joseph’s Coat.” The poem goes like this:

WOUNDED I sing, tormented I indite (write down),
Thrown down I fall into a bed, and rest:

Sorrow hath chang'd its note: such is His will
Who changeth all things, as Him pleaseth best.
For well He knows, if but one grief and smart (pain)
Among my many had his full career,
Sure it would carry with it ev'n my heart,
And both would run until they found a biere (a stand that holds a coffin)

To fetch the body; both being due to grief.
But He hath spoil'd the race; and giv'n to anguish
One of Joyes coats, ticing it with relief
To linger in me, and together languish.

I live to shew His power, who once did bring
My joyes to weep, and now my griefs to sing.

Tim Keller, author and pastor, actually turned me on to Herbert during one of his sermons about the story of Joseph in which Keller referenced “Joseph’s Coat”. In examining the hidden workings of God through suffering in the life of Joseph, Keller explains:

"Suffering, come on! There're two things you can do to me: one is you just hurt me, and because I know what God is doing, because I am going to trust in Him, all you are going to do is to make me richer, deeper, better, wiser, and ultimately a happier person. Or the worst thing you can do is to kill me, take off my head, and you will make me happier than before. Because I have a God who turns all deaths into resurrections - literally as well as figuratively! I have a God, who doesn't create evil, but He overrules it, so it destroys itself. I have a God, who turns all deaths into resurrections! Come on, graves! Come on, crosses!”

Keller continues…

"And when suffering comes, you will lose any sense of God's love unless you see: here is Jesus, the One who lost the Father's coat, so you can be assured that you have it. Here is the One who lost the Father's love, paying our penalty so we could know - in spite of our imperfect life - God loves us. Christianity is the only religion that even claims that God has suffered, that God has gone into that pit. That God is there. God suffered for you! So you're not alone. You can know, even in the midst of your suffering, that He loves you."

As we continue singing this song, my hope is that we will be fully aware that our God turns every death into a resurrection and that He is present and working even in the midst of the sufferings of our lives and world.w

We Love the Steelers Second

2008-08-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Trenney "The Golden Calf, 2007"

We will be helping all of our Steelers fans to love God and the Steelers this season by hosting a special Steelers Game Hospitality Hour after church starting on Sunday, September 21st when the Steelers play the Eagles at 4:15 p.m. in Philadelphia. We will have the “rest of the game” playing after the service and will be sure to give everyone a game update when we begin worship.

For die hard Steelers fans, here is the schedule of the 4:15pm games for 2008. I know what you’re thinking– “Can I love God and love the Steelers too?” The answer is, “Yes!” Come to Jonah’s Call on game days and we will do our best to help you love God first and the Steelers second.

2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule

REGULAR SEASON
Sunday, Sept. 7 vs. Texans 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Sept 14 @ Browns 8:15 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, Sept. 21 @ Eagles 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Monday, Sept. 29 vs. Ravens 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Oct. 5 @ Jaguars 8:15 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, Oct. 12 Bye Week
Sunday, Oct. 19 @ Bengals 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Oct. 26 vs. Giants 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Monday, Nov. 3 @ Redskins 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Nov. 9 vs. Colts 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Nov. 16 vs. Chargers *4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Thursday, Nov. 20 vs. Bengals 8:15 p.m. (NFL Network)
Sunday, Nov. 30 @ Patriots * 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Dec. 7 vs. Cowboys *4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday, Dec. 14 @ Ravens * 1 p.m .(CBS)

Sunday, Dec. 21 @ Titans *1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Dec. 28 vs. Browns * 1 p.m. (CBS)

Come to the All Saints Festival

2008-08-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

(Friday, October 31st, 2008)

You are going to have SO much fun. Join us on Halloween from 5:30pm-8:00pm at Church of the Ascension for a festival that the whole community will enjoy.

While little ghosts and goblins are scouring neighborhoods throughout the city on Halloween Church of the Ascension and Jonah’s Call will be adding to the festivities by hosting an All Saints Festival. The event will attract children, teens, university students, singles, and families, and will tap into the Church’s’ century old tradition of celebrating the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 11) that have gone before us. Some will choose to attend the All Saints Festival as a Halloween alternative while others will attend the festival as a stop off on their rounds of gathering treats or attending Halloween parties. The great thing about this event is that you do not have to be under the age
of 16 to get candy! There will be something for everybody.

The All Saints Festival will come complete with cotton candy and “tons” of treats, a costume parade– we are encouraging folks to wear costumes that celebrate life - games, a “bouncy gym,” and great live music. w

Mark Your Calendars Now for The 2008 All Saints Festival which will include:
· an abundance of candy for kids
· multi-colored balloons representing the saints that have gone before us
· games for young and old
· a cake walk
· a bouncy gym
· a dunking booth
· live music
· a costume parade with best costume prizes

THANKS TO THE SERVICE PROJECT VOLUNTEERS!

2008-08-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Jonah’s Call Summer Service Project was a great success. We had many new folks from Jonah’s Call involved and the work they accomplished definitely made an impact. Thanks to all those who volunteered; your scraping, taping, clearing, cutting, and painting is appreciated.

Jonah's Call Is All About Connecting Neighbors

2008-08-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

Our Vision at Jonah's Call is to be Creative Worshippers, Connecting Neighbors, Transforming Life, and Reaching the City.

We Want to Connect With Neighbors
We believe that being committed to Connecting Neighbors is a vital element of what it means to be a Christian in the Third Millennium. The dilemma is that Community, with a capital C, is a thing of the past. The place you live does not mean that you live in a community where you are known or where you are connected to your neighbors in a significant way. Instead, community comes only when we intentionally live out our lives in a way that will make us available, useful, and growing closer to our neighbors. So, at Jonah's Call, we seek to build community by being intentional about connecting to our neighbors. And, when we say neighbors, we mean it. Our goal is not to be a church where we build a Christian ghetto within the walls of the church. Instead, we want to build a vibrant community with ALL of our neighbors outside of the walls of the church.

Since Community is not going to "fall into our laps" move from being anonymous to being known by setting up our lives in a way that will connect us to our neighbors. Here is how we do that.

Small Groups
First, from small groups to large gatherings we are a community that invites outsiders in. it is really cool to see this at First, we simply value relationships. We value them so much that outside of our Sunday Worship, we place the bulk of our energy, not in fancy programming, but in people. At Jonah's Call, we are striving to love one another by sharing life together in intentional small groups. Right now, Jonah's Call is working really hard to build a powerful Weekly Neighborhood Home Groups network throughout the city. We hope to have our small groups in place by October, 2008. If you want to connect with you’re in the city rather than being just another anonymous soul, look into what we are doing with small groups.

Invitation
Second, from small groups to large gatherings we are a community that invites outsiders in. it is really cool to see this at work at Jonah's Call. Whether it is the friendly and inviting faces that you will find at our after church hour where we eat food and hang out on the lawn, or an invitation to a movie night on "flagstaff hill," or an invitation to a party or a small group, we are all about letting new folks in. If we are going to connect, we have to invite. It is really that simple.

Missional Living
Third, within the emerging Jonah's Call community; we place a really high value on being friends with folks who do not share our beliefs while at the same time remaining true to the teaching of Jesus, who we follow unashamedly. Having authentic friendships with pre-Christians as we eat, play, work, and take part in the life of the city rather than just expecting people to look, act, and believe the way we do, is really important to us.

Belonging
Fourth, it is really important for us to extend love and acceptance to pre-Christians by helping them to belong prior to believing. This does not mean that we do not have strong beliefs or that there is not a certain code of ethics that we follow as Christians. However, it does mean that we want to allow folks as long as they need to explore Christianity, within Christian community, so that they can see the credibility of following Christ and the plausibility of believing in the Words of the Bible. At Jonah's Call, we feel pretty strongly about connecting neighbors by placing Belonging before believing.

Please Pray for Jonah’s Call

2008-07-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, Jonah’s Call broke the 100 mark. In the past eight weeks, we have been visited by Mormons, Hindu’s believers, unbelievers, as well as interested onlookers and new members.

Because Church of the Ascension and Jonah’s call have purposefully gone where few churches dare to go by sharing resources and creating an interdependent model of church growth that allows us to have a mother and daughter relationship in planting a new church, we are faced with the simultaneous experience of excitement and joy about the new adventures that we face and trepidation and frustration about the new adventures that we face. Thus, we are in constant need of three things: Faith, Communication and prayer.
Part of the way that you can be a part of the work of helping to make Jonah’s Call a healthy church plant is to join us in prayer.

Please pray for:

· God’s continued provision in bringing unbelieving and believing members into Jonah’s Call.
· Our leadership as they continue to discover what it means to work within a mother-daughter model of church planting.
· Our Ministers to be able to have wisdom in the way that they lead those who are part of Jonah’s call and Ascension.
· For the flock of Ascension and Jonah’s Call to be able to faithfully serve in their roles and to allow those who minister to them to lead them in the direction that God is asking us to go.w

On a Mission... To Serve The City

2008-07-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

By Christine Curley

Part of Jonah’s Call’s vision is to serve the city by working to make Pittsburgh a great place to work, live, and raise a family. We believe that God has called us to do this by focusing on place, beauty, justice, and bettering the overall economy of the East End.

On July 19, 2008 from 8 am -12:30 pm, Jonah’s Call will be partnering with the Lincoln Lemington site of the East Liberty Family Health Center and Dorothy Day Apartments.

About East Liberty Family Health Center
The East Liberty Family Health Center offers a holistic approach to health and wellness. Started by an “Ascensionite,” Dr. David G. Hall, The East Liberty Family Health Center has been practicing medicine in East Liberty for over 25 years. The East Liberty Family Health Center caters to both people who have and do not have health insurance. Additionally, they believe that it is vital to attend to the spiritual well being of their patients and offer prayer to all of their patients.

Work at the Dorothy Day Apartments
Connected to the Lincoln Lemington site is The Dorothy Day Apartments, serving single parents in transition. The women served by the Dorothy Day Apartments stay for roughly one to three years. During this time they work to improve their lives and develop the skills and support needed to raise their children.

As a service to Dorothy Day Apartments, Jonah’s Call will be painting interior hallways and exterior railings. We are also hoping to be able to paint a mural, either for an interior space, or an exterior space.
In addition to the work of painting, we hope to complete some landscaping, (ie removal of dead trees and bushes) as well as some dry walling in a small corridor.

The work that Jonah’s Call undertakes in partnership with The East Liberty Family Health Center and the Dorothy Day Apartments will make the building more beautiful, friendly, inviting, and be a symbol for growth in the community.

This is great opportunity for everyone involved with Jonah’s Call to reach the city. So pull out your old clothes, and get ready to paint!

How can you Help?
If you want to take part in this service project sign up by emailing me at, Christine.curley@utoronto.ca, Other help includes donating tools for the day or underwriting paint supplies. We will need roller cages, roller covers, tarp, shovels, paint brushes, tape, and shearers.w

Urban Renewal in East Liberty

East Liberty Family Health Center and the Dorothy Day Apartments at the
Lincoln-Lemington Center is located In East Liberty at the corner of Lincoln
Avenue and Churchland St.

This neighborhood is the product
of 1960s renewal projects gone bad. East Liberty, once a booming section
of the city well into the twentieth century, suffered from two urban renewal
plans.

First, in an attempt to draw suburbanites back into the
city to shop, the road system and commercial district was redesigned to compete
with suburban malls. However, instead of attracting people back to the city, it
devastated the local economy and created an environment that was not attractive
to suburban or urban shoppers. In 1959, there were 575 businesses in East
Liberty and merely 98 in 1979.

Secondly, in order to deal with a
housing shortage in Homewood that resulted from displaced Hill District
residents (when the Civic Arena was built), a housing project was constructed in
East Liberty that created a high crime, low income community.

Since the early 1990’s East Liberty has fought hard to recover its
once vibrant economic and residential health. Today, the community continues to
see growth and health as well as the new challenges of the third
millennium.

At Jonah’s Call, we believe that we can make a
difference by partnering with the people and organizations that are working to
renew this amazing neighborhood.

What Guns N’ Roses Taught Me About Worship

2008-07-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

By Josh Moyer

I’m about to reveal something about myself that in all honesty, I am not particularly comfortable with, but I shall divulge nonetheless:

I love Guns N’ Roses – at least I once did.

There.

I’ve said it. Happy?

If you actually know who Guns N’ Roses is you could be exclaiming either one of two things: “Wow, me too!!!” or “Jay, I think it’s time to find a new music director for Jonah’s Call.”

Looking back I wonder what actually attracted me to the band. There are so many possibilities. Perhaps, it was the swagger and vocals of Axl Rose. Perhaps it was the fact that my Mom hated them (she actually found and shattered my first copy of “Appetite of Destruction”). Or perhaps it was the melodic, screaming guitar licks of Slash. Wow…I’m currently watching an old GNR video on Youtube… Something happens when Slash really lays into his Gibson Les Paul, and I think Axl, Slash, Izzy and the rest of the boys (not to mention millions of fans) knew it. But did they know what that something was?
The Book of Psalms says this:

Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

The implication is that musicians are capable of and in fact, instructed to use their instruments as a means of worshipping God – even without the aid of song lyrics.

Just music. Being. Breathing. Speaking.

I can’t say with certainty that Guns N’ Roses was aware of this truth (Izzy is said to be a huge fan of Larry Norman, Christian music pioneer). However, their awareness does not diminish the truth that a musician can encourage worship, and worship can actually occur solely by playing an instrument (though the object of the worship can certainly differ). In many cases a guitar, piano or sax solo can speak things that words themselves cannot express.

At Jonah’s Call, we are aware of this truth and so we intend to encourage skilled musicians to simply play, be, breathe, speak and worship through their instrument. It is our belief that this means of worship is no less of a means than singing the words “Here I am to worship.”

And hopefully, if you ever see Slash hanging out around the city you will invite him to Jonah’s Call to play in the band and to autograph my second copy of “Appetite for Destruction.” Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell my mom!

How Not To Kill One Another, and Other Benefits That Come From Having A Vision

2008-07-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

In the past year, I have had the incredible experience of getting to know the folks who make up Jonah’s Call. I have consumed gallons of caffeinated beverages on the corner of Craig and Fifth getting to know folks over coffee. I have spent time in homes eating meals, written thousands of words of correspondence, and even gone through a whole box of “Kleenex” while offering counsel to friends who were once strangers.

We range in age from 17days to 78 years. We are Black, White, and
Asian.

In this time, I have learned that Jonah’s Call is made up of a diverse group of people. From the core, to the committed, from the congregation to the crowd, Jonah’s call has attracted a wide variety of people that make up “who we are.” For instance, we range in age from 17 days to 78 years. We are Black, White, and Asian. We come from religious traditions ranging from Roman Catholicism to the Reformed Presbyterian Church. We are represented by students, singles, young families, divorcees, widows and widowers, lawyers, bankers, nurses and construction workers. Some of us are republicans and others democrats– still others are radically a-political. Some prefer more traditional worship, others want their worship to “rock.” Some of us are from the suburbs and others are died-in-the-wool urbanites.

Some of us have been Christians our whole lives, while others of us are fairly new to Christianity. Some of us have been high achievers who know the loneliness of getting to the top and feeling like something is missing, while others among us are in recovery after finding a “high” that took us to a bottom where we realized that there was no place to go but up.

So, what keeps us from squabbles, power plays, forcing our opinions on others, or just simply “killing each other?” (lol) Well, though we all have diverse backgrounds, personalities, and political affiliations, to mention just a few of our differences, we all share one thing in common. We all believe that the mission that God has called us to is to love Him, to love others and to reach the world for Jesus Christ. The way that we have all agreed to do that is through a vision that has been shared and embraced by the community that we now call Church of the Ascension and Jonah’s Call.

You see, the vision of Jonah’s Call is much more than a sentence on a sheet of letterhead. Instead, it is the glue that binds us together as Christians on a mission to love God, love others and reach the world for Jesus Christ. Sure, we all have lots of diverse ideas and opinions. We celebrate that. However, in order for us to be more than a mere conglomeration of opinion forcing our wills and ways on one another based on who is in or out, or who is more influential or most articulate in their views, we all submit to a vision that helps to give us guidance.

Recently, an impressed visitor to Jonah’s Call asked when our church started. I said, “On April 20th” He said, “Last year?” “No” I said, “We started a few months ago,” His response? “Wow.” Yes, wow is a good response to what God has done to make Jonah’s Call a reality. And, it has all been possible because we have prayed hard and thought long, and wrestled with ideas that have allowed us to come up with a vision that is becoming more and more of a reality as each day passes. So, What is this vision? Well, our vision is to be creative worshippers, connecting neighbors, transforming life, and reaching the city. This vision allows us to love God, love others and reach the world and is supported by 15 underlying values that allow us to be Jonah’s Call.

The vision of Jonah’s Call is much more than a sentence on a sheet of
letterhead.

CREATIVE WORSHIPPERS
We will become attractive in corporate worship by valuing:
Truth:
God’s Word will take a central role in our worship. The Truth will set us free.
Beauty:
worship will powerfully express God’s beauty as creative teams serve together to make Sundays a multi-sensory worship experience.
Participation:
adults and children will consider worship to be the most powerful experience of the week. After church many will gather to talk, connect, eat, and enjoy the Sabbath.
Diversity:
pre-Christians will be comfortable observing sacred worship while Christians make powerful connections through song, prayer, sermons, and a communion meal.

CNNECTING NEIGHBORS
We will connect neighbors by valuing:
Relationships:
we will strive to love one another by sharing life together in intentional small groups.
Invitation:
from small groups to large gatherings we will be a community that invites outsiders in.
Missional Living:
we will intentionally form authentic friendships with pre-Christians as we eat, play, work, and take part in the life of the city.Belonging: we will love and accept pre-Christians by helping them to belong prior to believing.

TRANFORMING LIFE
We will see individuals, families, and society transformed by valuing:
The Gospel:
we will see lives transformed by proclaiming that we are rebellious creatures who, though loved by God, are in constant need of His Grace and forgiveness.
Believing:
we will see relationships, families, and society transformed by allowing our beliefs to be re-ordered and shaped by the whole of God’s Inspired Word (The Bible).
Becoming:
we will be transformed as we begin to live out the pattern for life that God has established for individuals, families and society through The Word of God.
REACHING THE CITY
We will work to reach the city by valuing acts of service that make the city a beautiful place to live.
Place:
we will contribute to the city by serving in ways that make Pittsburgh a great place to work, live, and raise a family.
Justice:
we will reach the city by helping to bring justice to the oppressed.
Beauty:
we will reach the city by looking for ways that we can bring beauty to the cities culture.
Economy:
we will reach the city by making sure that our service adds to the overall economy of the city, financially, aesthetically, socially, and spiritually.

Tim Keller Reason With America About Reasons for God

2008-06-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Tim Keller was recently interviewed by Christianity Today about his quest to reach urban professionals with the Gospel. Here is a piece of the interview.

CT:You reject marketing apologetics like, "Christianity is better than the alternatives, so choose Christianity." Why?

Keller:Marketing is about felt needs. You find the need and then you say Christianity will meet that need. You have to adapt to people's questions. And if people are asking a question, you want to show how Jesus is the answer. But at a certain point, you have to go past their question to the other things that Christianity says. Otherwise you're just scratching where they itch. So marketing is showing how Christianity meets the need, and I think the gospel is showing how Christianity is the truth.
C. S. Lewis says somewhere not to believe in Christianity because it's relevant or exciting or personally satisfying. Believe it because it's true. And if it's true, it eventually will be relevant, exciting, and personally satisfying. But there will be many times when it's not relevant, exciting, and personally satisfying. To be a Christian is going to be very, very hard. So unless you come to it simply because it's really the truth, you really won't live the Christian life, and you won't get to the excitement and to the relevance and all that other stuff. To Read More…

Making Films in Pittsburgh

2008-06-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

I got to spend time yesterday with Michael Savisky. Mike plays guitar for the Jonah's Call Band as well as the Josh Moyer Band. In addition to his musical talents, he is also a gifted film maker. He just finished a 48 hour film project short and has done some great work in the past. Check out some of Mike's work:

Shoes to Africa (Documentary)

48 Hour Film Contest Runner Up: Best In Pittsburgh! Heart Failure

A tv producer hits the road in search of the next American reality show victim. Literally. Produced for the Pittsburgh 48 hour film contest.

Beautiful Baby Moyer

2008-06-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

Josh Moyer, Director of Music at Jonah's Call and his wife Elizabeth have a new baby girl. Abigail is absolutely beautiful and healthy and it is just an amazing miracle to see Josh and Elizabeth as new parents.

Consider this:

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. Psalm 139 (the Message)

The John and Stephanie Show

2008-06-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

Josh Moyer and I have been invited to hang out with John Hall and Stephanie Fraschetti on their afternoon radio show this afternnon from 5:40-6:00 (Listen Live). We will be bringing along Michael Savisky, guitar player at Jonah's Call. The station is WORD FM 101.5. John is friends with Launch Team core guy Karl Thomas (their kids play sports together). After talking to John about being a part of our church plant, John called and asked if we could come on the show and talk about Jonha's Call and our relationship both to the city and to our Mother, Church of the Ascension.

I am hoping to use this opportunity to speak to the Christian community in Pittsburgh about the amazing opportunities that the Christian community has to reach out to, and love, those who do not understand, trust, or believe in Jesus Christ.

Josh Moyer on Worship- Something To Chew On

2008-05-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

From This Month's Issue of The Calling. To read the entire issue, download the PDF of The Calling (June 2008)

Worship: Something to Chew on

By Josh Moyer

Take a minute to Google the word “worship” and you will get close to a million hits. Among the pages will be a heavenly host of articles, theories and analogies of who, what, why, how and when we should worship (through music), the role of the “worship leader” and the implications of it all.

In light thereof, I figured I would add one more proposed theory to the pile. Give this a read and let me know your thoughts.

The “Blind Date (or Waiter) Theory ” on worship (through song).

A beautiful woman sits down for dinner in an eloquent restaurant with an unknown, but handsome man. The lights are dim, the furnishings plush, and the food and wine exquisite. There is only one problem – despite the apparent love in the air, the woman has nothing to say to the mysterious man. Awkwardness sets in and anxiety and unfamiliarity provoke silence. She is lost for words, unaware of her surroundings and completely blind as to the identity of the man.

Enter the waiter.

(...Continued on page eight )
The waiter immediately recognizes the man and begins raving about what an outstanding, philanthropic, humanitarian he is in the community and around the globe. The waiter thanks him for visiting the restaurant and for gracing them with his presence. Suddenly, the woman strikes up her own conversation with the man, having been enthralled by his aura. Being careful not to disturb the couples’ interaction, the waiter slips back to the kitchen.

Worship leaders are waiters.

In a broken world made up of broken people we use music as a way of instigating relationship with the one and only true God. We sing to God, about his reputation as Creator, Savior and Redeemer of the all things, about his relentless love and pursuit of all of us and about his call to us to join with him in helping to transform the world into what it was originally intended to be.

Our purpose as a church in using music as a vehicle of worship is not just to instigate singing – though hopefully it will do that - but also to instigate interaction and relationship with God – through song, conversation and silence.

So, there you have it – one more theory to chew on.w

Being A Missional Christian

2008-05-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

What is a missional Christian? Is he or she a new kind of missionary, a part of a new concept in missions, or something completely different.

To understand what it means to be a missional Christian, I think we need to shift the way we engage our neighbors with the Gospel in three significant ways.

First, we need to make a shift from seeing ourselves as members of a Christian culture to seeing ourselves as members of a post-Christian culture.

Being a missional Christian will require us to realize that we no longer live in a culture that is dominated by Christianity (or Christendom as it is often called). As Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “We are not in Kansas anymore.” Today, neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are made up of a diverse range of “believers” who hold to faiths ranging from Secular Humanism, Materialism, Agnosticism, Paganism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, to name just a few. Because Christianity is now perceived as a mere “choice” among many faiths, we no longer simply need to send missionaries to the un-reached people groups of the world.

We now also need missionaries in our own homes, on our own streets, and in our own neighborhoods. As a friend of mine recently noted, “Time is short, hell is hot, and your neighbors across the street do not know Jesus.” Being a missional Christian in a post-Christian culture includes making the choice to be a missionary to friends and neighbors here in Pittsburgh.

Second, we need to make a shift from evangelistic “classes” to evangelistic communities. There was a time in the city of Pittsburgh when evangelism could be highly effective by sharing a simple Gospel message with a person on the street, or by taking a person to a Christian event, or a Christian course (like Alpha) where, in a fairly short period of time, they could, “make a decision for Christ.” This was highly effective because many people grew up going to church and hearing the Gospel in “dribs and drabs.” In this era of American history, Christianity seemed plausible and evangelism was often a matter of reviving or stirring the souls of people who were not yet ready to believe.

Today, to a rapidly growing segment of the American population (especially those in the 10-30 age group) Christianity does not seem plausible. Instead, it can seem strange, at best, or repulsive, at worst.
Because a whole generation of Americans are now at least one-generation-removed from Christianity, it is not as easy to accept. Before many of our neighbors can see Christianity as a plausible alternative to the beliefs that they have grown up with, they will first need to develop an understanding of Christian concepts such a human depravity, blood atonement, absolute Truth, and Divine punishment (to name just a few). Of course, helping our neighbors work all this out will probably take a longer period of time and will demand that we both live in community with those who do not share our basic beliefs and spend time helping them to see the basic tenants of Christianity as plausible rather than foreign or repulsive.

When a friend of mine realized what it meant to evangelize as a missional Christian in a post-Christian culture, he said, “So, instead of our church just sponsoring an Alpha Course,* we need the entire life of the church to become an Alpha Course.”

*Alpha is a 12 week evangelism course that models community, encourages skeptics to ask questions, and presents the claims of Christianity in a way that pre-Christians can understand.

Third, we need to shift from assuming that church language and behavior are universally understood to assuming that a majority of the people in our city are unaware of church language and behavior.

Finally, as missional people, we need to assume that our non-Christian friends and neighbors do not know the “insider language of Christianity (like traveling mercies and blessings). Because a growing number of non-Christians are far removed from the community and culture of the church and are not accustom to the Bible, we cannot expect them to simply know the language of the church, or the Bible.

Instead, we need to be careful to break things down for them just a missionary might do in a foreign culture. By carefully and sensitively taking the time to teach and explain what our “odd” but beautiful words and rituals mean in the context of study, worship and everyday life, we can more effectively reach our neighbors with the good news of God’s love and forgiveness.

Recently, I sat with a person who was working out what it means to be missional in the context of traditional Anglican worship. She asked, Why aren't people feeling like the belong when the come into church? I responded by saying, in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner, “Go down past the guild room, through the parish hall, across the ambulatory, enter in the nave, reverence the cross, enter the chancel, approach the altar, get the lavabo bowl and paten sitting on the fair linen, and bring it back to me. Then I will tell you why people do not feel like they belong when they come into Church.” My friend looked at me, wondering if I was being serious, and then said, with her mouth gaping open, “What?”

In order for us to be missional Christians we will need to begin doing the hard but worthwhile work of helping our pre-Christian friends and neighbors understand the language and the beliefs hidden within the words that we use, to worship God, love other, and reach the world.

Big Sale Chochski's and More

2008-05-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Faces of the Big Sale

2008-05-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Big Sale and Burma

2008-05-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

In many countries around the world, 90% of the resources are owned and controlled by 10% of the people which means that the remaining 10% of the resources must be shared by 90% of the people. Today in Burma humanitarian aid is being withheld by the ruling 10% while the masses die. Not even a natural disaster will budge those who are in control of the resources. They continue to work from a 90-10 model while the poor die and millions of people around the world who desire justice for the poor shutter.

This weekend, Jonah's Call held "The Big Sale" in partnership with Church of the Ascension (our mother church). Over the last few months, we have asked folks from Jonah's Call and Church of the Ascension to bring clothing, furniture, books, music, household goods, baked goods, and plants, to the church for a Big Sale that would benefit the city in a variety of ways by spreading our excess resources to others . All of the proceeds are being donated to benefit the housing rehab effort in the East End of Pittsburgh.

On Saturday, Church of the Ascension was packed with merchandise (everything from vintage 70's vinyl and GI Joe action figures, to Brooks Brother Suites and a Mid Century Wedding Dress). With most merchandise averaging $1.00, we were able to move more than $2200 dollars of merchandise into the hands of hundreds of people from all over the Pittsburgh region.

During the sale one of our volunteers realized that a nearby single mother's home had need of merchandise. At the beginning of the sale, she purchased about $40.00 worth of merchandise and delivered it to the new moms and their babies. Later, she returned saying that the women were delighted in the gifts that they had received and would welcome additional gifts. By the end of the sale, we were able to donate several hundred dollars of merchandise to the moms and their babies.

After the Big Sale, we delivered a "truck load" of quality clothing to the South Side Good Will. They thought that we had just finished a large clothing drive! I guess they were right. By the end of the week, our remaining merchandise will be sold or donated to places like Half-Priced Books, Construction Junction, The Exchange, Jerry's Records, and to the City's Recycling Plant. Instead of having our stuff rust or rot, or worse added to a garbage dump, merchandise is now in the hands of folks who have experienced the generosity of Christians loving the world from within the church (I recall Jesus saying something about treasures in heaven). All this and we haven't even started rehabbing houses yet!

A HUGE thanks to our leadership team and volunteers who sorted and sifted, set-up and sold, hauled and helped, moved and merchandised, priced and packaged, all that came into and out of the doors of Church of the Ascension this weekend. I am proud to say, that this weekend, Jonah's Call and Church of the Ascension flipped the 90-10 model upside down. Instead of keeping our stuff, or taking the best for the insiders, or allowing the leadership to have first dibs on sale items, or charging ridiculous prices to internationals... we gave it ALL away to benefit the city.

I am looking forward to seeing the ways that God will use this event to further His Kingdom in the coming days.

Thank You Jonah's Call

2008-05-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

It has been an amazing month of joy, struggle, challenge and victory for Jonah's Call- all the things you would expect from the birth of a "baby." As we move into our second month, I want to thank all who have worked and prayed to make Jonah's Call a great beginning in worship. The committed team that makes up Jonah's Call's leadership has put in a lot of hard work, provided amazing feedback, and much needed participation. To the Jonah's Call Leadership team. Thank you.

Here are a few things:

Thanks for Inviting
We have had many visitors over the past month with incredible instances of folks extending themselves to call, invite and welcome new comers. Last week, a couple from a very different faith tradition worshipped with us. The week, before, we had three woman who personally invited and hung out with the same newcomer until 7:45 that night!. The week, before Universit students walked in off the street just to "see what see what was going on in there."

Thanks for Reaching the City
Our first official Service Project, The Big Sale is happening this week. It will be a chance for hundreds to visit our church grounds and make a decision about what they think of the Christians at Jonah's Call. I am confident that they will be loved. If you get the chance, come to the sale, bring a friend, bring stuff before Friday, bring blue bags and boxes, and help out at the sale if you are free for a few hours to do so.

This Week: Testimony Sunday
We will be having our first Testimony Sunday. We will do this every five or six weeks. This week, Josh Moyer and Elizabeth Avrigean will tell stories about ways that God is transforming their lives. Based on Revelation 12, we will see how true stories of change, faith, healing, and trust work to prove God's love and actually destroy the power of Satan. Please Do not miss this Sunday!

Tim Keller Is Coming to the Burgh!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

When: Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Open to the public and free of charge

Why does God allow suffering in the world? How could a loving God send people to Hell? Why isn't Christianity more inclusive? How can one religion be "right" and the others "wrong"? Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?

If you or your friends ever struggled with any of these questions, you won't want to miss this event.

As the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Timothy Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced doubts skeptics bring to his church as well as the most important reasons for faith. His book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, peaked at #6 on the New York Times Bestseller List. In his book, Dr. Keller "addresses each doubt and explains each reason, using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth."

Join the CCO in welcoming Dr. Timothy Keller to the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, situated between the campuses of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, 2008. The event is free of charge, so bring your friends-skeptics, believers, cynics, and doubters alike!

For more information about this event, contact Scott Calgaro, Director of Conferences & Events, CCO (scalgaro@ccojubilee.org or 412.363.3303 x109).

Jonah's Call First Church Service

2008-04-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

We launched the first Church service for Jonah's Call on Sunday. I said afterward, "The baby has ten fingers and ten toes and the parents are glad the birthing is over (lol)." It was a great time. We had about 140 in attendance.

Francois the French Turtle, who is the adopted brother of Jippy the turtle, made an appearance and explained what Jonah's Call meant to the 25 kids in attendance. The kids then went off and had a really powerful time at the Jonah's Call Kid's Club.

Musical instruments for this service included two acoustic guitars, a piano, harmonica, xylophone, didgeridoo, accordion, and an acoustic bass. Yeah.
I am preaching through Nehemiah and really looking forward to seeing what God is going to do through this amazing book about restoration of the city, God's people, and the heart of Nehemiah; an amazing and often overlooked leader in the history of God's people.

One of the highlights for me was to enter into worship in a sacred space using tasteful amounts of technology and the words of the Kenyan service taken from the Anglican Church 1552 service. At the end, we had a boy from the congregation bring a cross into the midst of all who were gathered for worship. We then cast all of our fears, difficulties and hopes onto the cross.

After the service, we ate for an hour in the churches entryway as smoke from the fire pit outside wafted into the church.

If you have not joined us, consider coming to Jonah's Call this and every Sunday at 5:00pm.

Thanks to Jon Minns for the photos.

We have drums: Welcome Clarence

2008-04-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

We are looking forward to welcoming Clarence Grant as our drummer for Jonah's Call this Sunday.

2008-04-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Painting the New Catacombs

2008-04-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jonah's Call and Ascension partnered in a painting project. The new basement of the education wing, known now as the new catacombs, are nearly completed and will provide space for worship, theater, concerts, youth groups, and children's play. Here are some pics:

So is it a Beta Launch or Just a Launch?

2008-04-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, six months ago, Jonathan Millard (Ascension's Rector which means lead pastor) and I agreed that it would be impossible to get enough momentum, involvement, and just plain stuff completed in order to fully launch a service. So, we planned on doing a quiet little service that we were going to call a beta launch. Well, that was six months ago. The reality is that in the past six months, so many people have given so much to Jonah's Call that we really are ready for a pretty serious launch. In fact, even though we are not advertising or spending a huge amount on marketing, we will be launching at full steam on April 20th. Our launch Team is "chomping at the Bit. Josh Moyer, The Director of Music for Jonah's Call said he is ready to launch tomorrow. So, we will put a lot into the launch of Jonah's Call. Invite your friends!

Here is the signage that I roughed out today. My hope is to have a pretty big banner hanging from the side of Ascension's main church and two stand up sign that will allow folks to identify Jonah's Call when they arrive for the service.

The Website is DONE!

2008-04-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

I have been working with Ian Todhunter, our web designer, for the past three weeks. Our website is finally done and clean enough to share with the world. Check it out at jonahscall.com

The First Jonah’s Call Church Service

2008-04-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

We have combined elements of the Anglican Kenyan Communion Service based on the Church of England's 1662 Prayer Book (that's roots), elements of the American Book of Common Prayer, and elements of the Church of England's Common Worship as well as some stuff that we just made up (lol). I am pretty excited about this kind of worship. It affords tons of opportunity for participation and movement. If you have any feedback to offer let me know.

Here is what the communion section of the service is gong to sound like:

Communion (Standing)

Confession of Our Sin
Leader: Hear the word of challenge and comfort:
All: Almighty God, Creator of all, you marvelously made us in your image; but we have corrupted ourselves and damaged your likeness by rejecting your love and hurting our neighbors. We have done wrong and neglected to do right. We are sincerely sorry and truly repent of our sins. Cleanse us and forgive us by the sacrifice of your Son; remake us and lead us by your Spirit, the Comforter. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Absolution
Leader: May Almighty God have mercy on you and forgive you all your sins through our Lord
Jesus Christ. May He strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

Declaration of Our Forgiveness
All: Thank you, Father, for forgiveness. We come to your table as your children, not presuming but assured, not trusting ourselves but your Word. We hunger and thirst for righteousness, and ask for our hearts to be satisfied with the body and blood of your Son, Jesus Christ the righteous. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Remembrance
Leader: We stand for thanksgiving and remembrance. Is the Father with us?
People: He is.
Leader: Is Christ among us?
People: He is.
Leader: Is the Spirit here?
People: He is.
Leader: This is our God:
People: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Leader: We are his people:
People: We are redeemed.
Leader: Lift up your hearts:
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God:
People: It is our delight to give him thanks and praise.

Leader: It is right and our delight to give you
thanks and praise. You are Creator, Provider,
Saviour and Giver. From a wandering nomad you
created your family; for a burdened people you
raised up a leader; for a confused nation you chose
a king; for a rebellious crowd you sent your
Prophets. In these last days you sent us your Son,
your perfect image, bringing your kingdom,
revealing your will, dying, rising, reigning, remaking
your people for yourself. Through him you have
sent us your life-giving Spirit, filling us with light
and life. Therefore with angels and archangels and
all who accompany you in heaven we proclaim
your great and glorious name forever praising you
and singing:

Alleluia, alleluia for our Lord god Almighty reigns Alleluia, alleluia for our Lord God Almighty reigns Alleluia, holy, holy are you Lord God Almighty worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb you are holy, holy are you Lord God Almighty worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb you are holy

Leader:
Almighty God, Owner of all things, we thank you for giving up your only Son to die on the cross for us who owe you everything. Pour your refreshing Spirit on us as we remember Him in the way he commanded.

On the same night that he was betrayed he took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.”

All: Amen. His body was broken for us.

Leader: In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; then he gave it to His disciples saying, “Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

All: Amen. We are brothers and sisters through his blood.

We die in Christ.
We rise in Christ.
We live in Christ.

Leader: Therefore, heavenly Father, hear us as we celebrate this covenant with joy, and await the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. He died in our place, making a full atonement for the sins of the whole world, the perfect sacrifice, once and for all. You accepted his offering by raising him from death, and granting him great honor at your right hand on high.

All: Amen. Jesus is Lord.

Leader: This is the feast of victory.

All: The Lamb who was slain has begun his
reign. Hallelujah!

Leader: These are the Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

The Calling Special Edition

2008-04-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

We have just finished the April edition of our monthly news, The Calling.

This special addition of The Calling reflects the design of the Jonah’s Call service bulletin. We created this special edition of The Calling to help you see the kind of artwork, music, and liturgy (a word that means the work of the people in worshipping God) that we will be using to help all who attend Jonah’s Call experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you want to see the kind of music and worship that will be expeeienced at Jonah's Call, please downloard and print the PDF of The Calling, April, 2008

Describing the Worship “Vibe” at Jonah’s Call

2008-04-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

We do not assume belief.

At Jonah's Call, because we believe in “One True God... and in Jesus Christ our Lord” (as our Creed puts it) we give everything we have (all of our heart, mind, and soul) in worshipping Him on Sunday. And, we do it creatively because we believe that worship pleases God and helps us ALL to communicate to Him through sights, sounds, tastes, touch, words and songs.

At the same time, we do not assume that everyone among us believes. In fact, one of our core values is to be a Church that invites those who doubt or struggle with the Christian faith to make their home among us.

We create a space where you can belong.

Each week when we gather at Jonah’s Call, we will enter into a sacred space and greet one another. Those with kids will bring them along for the first part of the service. The Church will be a bit loud as people gather, talk, laugh and connect. Some will just observe while others will participate fully.

At the beginning of the service, one of our pastors will call us to a more formal time of worship. We will greet each other from our seats (the Church pews), hear about the flow of the service, sing, and then listen to a brief message for the kids about God's love and forgiveness. The children (K to 5th) will then go to learn more about Christianity from our teachers. We call this time Sunday School.

After singing, praying, and hearing a reading from the Bible, we will listen to a sermon (a message about what God is saying in the Bible). After the sermon, we will all have a chance to respond by voicing our prayers to God. We will then pass around a plate so that those who are formal members can have a chance to give money to support Jonah's Call and its mission here in Pittsburgh.

We will end our service by eating a meal together that we call communion. In this ritual, we eat a piece of bread and drink wine from a common cup to remember the physical sacrifice that God's Son, Jesus, made for us in paying for the wrongs that have trapped and darkened us and the world in which we live. During communion our children will return to join us in this meal.

After the service, we will all have a chance to continue to eat together by sharing food and drink in the church lobby.

About Our Cover Art

2008-04-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the core values of Jonah's Call is creative worship. In that vein, we have been working with a bunch of folks to come up with some art for the church service bulletin that we will use beginning on April 20th. Josh and I just finished it yesterday and we are very happy with the results. We combined photos of Pittsburgh’s skyline with stain glass and gothic arches found throughout Church of the Ascension to create the art. The juxtaposition of the skyline of Pittsburgh with the interior of the Church powerfully expresses who we are; a Church that reaches out to the city and invites the city to come in. Some interesting components of the art are the combination of the arches and the stain glass from the back of the church (we saturated it so that one color would be dominant and would compliment the grey stone of the piece. Also, the city skyline has been colorized along with a sky for the background. Overall, the theology here is that we beleive that we are to be missional and attractional- inviting others from the city in and going out from here into the city.

The Calling- March 2008

2008-03-01T10:28:00.001-08:00

The March 2008 edition of our monthly new is out. In some sense, The Calling is a summation of what is posted on the blog each month. So, if you keep up with our Blog, you will probably be hitting into some repeat stuff with The Calling. However, if you do not keep up with the blog and what a more "traditional" way of engaging print, then The Calling might be a useful tool for you to enage with what is happenning at Jonah's Call. Here is a summary of this issue:

The Calling: March 2008 (PDF)

Music at Jonah’s Call: The First 40 By Josh Moyer
We have been working with a group of folks for the last few weeks to develop our initial "library" of songs for Jonah's Call. What does that mean?...

Baby Food or Food Pyramid: The Gospel and Evangelism at Jonah’s Call By Jay Slocum
Is it possible to bring pre-Christians into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in the context of a Church service while still feeding and maturing those who already believe?...

The Fat Tuesday Festival WAS a Big Event
Jack Walsh, an “Ascensionite” who is a member of the vestry, the choir, the stewardship committee, and who is very interested in Jonah’s Call, got a big surprise on Fat Tuesday when he came to get his share of pancakes, sausage, and apple sauce at what he feared might turn out to be a sparsely attended “pancake supper”...

jonahscall.com
Jonah’s Call is working hard to develop a web presence. Jonah’s Call has just purchased a domain name (jonahscall.com) and will be working with Ian Tod Hunter, who designed ascensionpittsburgh.org...

Launch Team Resource: Five Books for Church Planting

2008-03-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Here are five books that have changed my life and ministry that I would like to encourage each person involved with Jonah's Call to read in the next year, should you have the chance, inclination, or desire.

1. Good to Great by Jim Collins

This is a book about leadership. Collins and his research team look into the heart of 15 companies that have gone from good to great in the past 50 years. He shows how companies that were so so became powerhouses (Circuit City, Gillette, Kroger, Walgreens, Wells Fargo, etc.) by developing focus that have an extraordinary level of focus (by employing a hedgehog concept). Collins also points out the difference between good leaders, (who surround themselves with less-then-great subordinates) and great leaders (who humbly recruit great team members). An important book if you want to grow as a leader.

2. Simple Church by Tom Rainer

Most churches are anemic because they are "all over the map." They offer too many programs with too few people to organize them or attend them. Simple churches have four things: Clarity of vision, alignment of ministry, focus on what God has asked them alone to do, and movement in the direction in which the church is going. Apple is Simple, Mars Hill Church in Seattle is Simple, and in its DNA, Jonah's Call is Simple. To find out how churches to get away from over-commitment and in-effectiveness, read Simple Church.

3. The Radical Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll can has been criticized as being "obnoxious." He doesn't believe in women's ministry. He swears. He drinks really good beer. He was banned from last years church growth conference. Though I disagree with him on some stuff and find him offensive in some ways, I still love him. In some ways, I feel like Mark and I could be brothers! Anyway, Mark is a powerful preacher and teacher and a very gutsy leader. This book will take you into the heart of Mars Hill Seattle, a church that has grown from the basement to three campuses, reaching thousands of postmodern twenty somethings in the most secular city in the US.

4. The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee

We suffer in America from a sick cycle of Individualism-Isolation-and-Consumerism (IIC) that feed one another and cause us to live lonely lives with little meaning. Frazee applies the IIC cycle to the church and show how, through living in authentic community which is comprised of sharing Property, Possessions, and Purpose, can allow us to reverse the cycle and to begin to live "authentic" Christian lives. If you want to know how we will set up small groups at Jonah's Call, read this book.

5. The Reason for God by Tim Keller

I have been devouring EVERYTHING that Tim Keller has been saying for nearly twenty years. When Catherine and I were in our twenty's we went to Tim's church- redeemer Pres in NYC. Tim is a profound teacher and like Luther, an amazing proponent of the Gospel. He has just (last week) come out with a new book that basically compiles that last twenty years of his ministry in NYC to urban pagans and disillusioned skeptics. I am almost done with this book, but will probably read it at least five more times before it all sinks in. If you want to know the love of God and the seriousness of your own plight with sin, READ THIS!

Is the Gospel for Babies or Big Boys?

2008-03-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

“The Word of God is a body of water so shallow in places that a lamb can cross and so deep in other places that an elephant can swim.” Augustine of Hippo

Is it possible to bring pre-Christians into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in the context of a Church service while still feeding and maturing those who already believe?

As a church planter and evangelist, I often hear something like this from fellow Christians: “I agree that pre-Christians need to hear the gospel when they come to Church but what about all of us who have already heard it? If we constantly emphasize gospel messages, how will those of us who have already heard and accepted the gospel grow as Christ followers?”

My friends understand the gospel as a single message of introduction (seen as evangelism), which is followed by a life of learning how to be like Jesus (seen as discipleship). Having already been introduced to Jesus through the gospel, they now desire to hear more about how to follow His teachings. Within this understanding of the gospel, it would be frustrating and thin to be introduced to Jesus week after week through “gospel sermons.” Speaking metaphorically, my friends think the gospel is the Gerber baby food of Christianity. They believe that we hear the gospel when we are “little babies.” Then, when we are ready to grow up and become “serious Christ followers,” we begin to desire the “meat and potatoes” of Christian living by learning more about the serious teaching of Jesus and the demands that he makes upon His followers. Hence, a concerned church-goer might think that they will starve on a steady diet of evangelism (gospel sermons) while believing that the pre-Christian would never be able to swallow the food that serious disciples are eating at the “big boys” table.

The essential problem with this understanding of the gospel is that it creates a false dichotomy between evangelism and discipleship which makes the Christian feel that the gospel is a message once received that is then replaced by a life of moral training. Nothing could be further from the truth than this unfortunate falsifying of the power of the gospel. The good news of Christianity is not a message of grace and forgiveness followed by “working real hard to be like Jesus.” It is not that we eat Gerber's gospel food when we are babies being evangelized and then graduate to eating the meat of following after Jesus by learning His methods for how to behave.

Instead, the gospel can be seen as all of the spiritual foods that allow for growth. The gospel is our food whether it is Gerber’s or filet mignon. It is total, all encompassing, and complete. It is not “starter food” but the entire food pyramid. The gospel says that though I am sinful, rebellious and estranged from God, he has found a way to win my heart because of His overpowering love for me that can be found in the sacrificial life, death, resurrection, and rule of Jesus Christ in every aspect of my life (emotional, psychological, social, political, economic, etc.) for the whole of my life (from birth to eternity). The more fully and deeply I understand the gospel, the more I will grow up in Him. It will not come by using the gospel as the food that “got me going” which I no longer need once I figure out how to follow Him. Instead, I will figure out how to follow Him to the extent that I understand the gospel, thus taking in the nutrients that I need in order to thrive and survive. This will then enter into the way I evangelize or disciple and will determine whether or not I am evangelized and discipled.

Using the metaphor of learning a human language, Dr. Timothy Keller from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City says,
We never “get beyond the gospel” in our Christian life to something more advanced. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s of Christianity, but it is the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we all make progress in the kingdom. We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience but the gospel is the way we grow (Gal. 3:1-3) and are renewed (Col 1:6)…The main problem, then, in the Christian life is that we have not thought out the deep implications of the gospel, we have not “used” the gospel in and on all parts of our life… Luther says (on Gal. 2:14), “The truth of the gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine… Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.”

Once we see the gospel as total (all good food) it is suddenly possible to bring pre-Christians into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in the context of a Church service while still feeding and maturing those who already believe. Why? Because we all need to be fed by the gospel whether we have been starving for our whole lives or feeding on the Good News for years.

Projecting Images

2008-02-22T15:06:00.001-08:00

One of the non-negotiables for me in corporate worship on Sunday is having the freedom to project images to aid us in singing and in learning. This does not mean cheesy PowerPoint slides that fly in or tacky images of Jesus with feathered hair holding a lamb. It does mean using words to help people in liturgy (the words we use to Worship God) and in song as well as the use of words to help people see the road map of a sermon (the outline). Also, I often use images, and video from films to teach. So, the use of projection in Church is pretty important. Many folks recoil at the idea of projected images mostly (and rightly so) because they have seen "PowerPoint" done so poorly and slavishly in worship. In America, if we can do it we tend to do it just as the baroque artist could do any kind of painting they wanted and did (it was hideous). However, I believe that all technologies are mere tools. The question is not can we but should we use it to aid our worship. Done thoughtfully and with some restraint, projection can be pretty amazing. This week, Josh Moyer and I experimented at Ascension with projection and came up with an astonishing solution. There is a mural of the ascension of Jesus on the back wall of the worship space (called the chancel). After working with screens on the sides, we tried projecting on the mural and were pleasantly surprised to find that using a black background allowed us to project words onto the mural. The overall effect is that we are aided in our worship without having the overall aesthetic of the church affected at all. In fact, the effect is one that seems, in my opinion, to aid our worship even more. So, here is an image of some words projected onto the mural located on the "chancel" wall at Ascension.

The Jonah's Call Launch Team Week 5: The A to Z Gospel

2008-02-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

One of the crucial elements of Jonah's Call will be the way in which we engage the Gospel. Many people think that the Gospel is the Gerber Baby Food of Christianity. We hear the Gospel and then we grow up into the meat and potatoes of Christian living where we learn how to live as Chrsit Followers. Nothing could be further from the truth than this unfortunate falsifying of the power of the Gospel. In fact, when we refer to the Gospel, we are refering not to the ABC's of Christianity but to the A thru Z (As Tim Keller has pointed out) of Christianity. This week in our launch team session on Sunday Morning at Church of the Ascension, we will talk about the central role of the Gospel as a kind of E=MC2 for the way in which we engae in EVERYTHING that we do as a Church.

Tim Keller says it powerfully:

We never “get beyond the gospel” in our Christian life to something more “advanced.” The gospel is not the first “step” in a “stairway” of truths, rather, it is more like the “hub” in a “wheel” of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s of Christianity, but it is the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we all make progress in the kingdom.

We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience but the gospel is the we grow (Gal. 3:1-3) and are renewed (Col 1:6). It is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power through every barrier (Rom 1:16-17).

It is very common in the church to think as follows: “The gospel is for non-Christians. One needs it to be saved. But once saved, you grow through hard work and obedience.” But Colossians 1:6 shows that this is a mistake. Both confession and “hard work” that is not arising from and “in line” with the gospel will not sanctify you—it will strangle you. All our problems come from a failure to apply the gospel. Thus when Paul left the Ephesians he committed them “to the word of his grace, which can build you up” (Acts 20:32).

The main problem, then, in the Christian life is that we have not thought out the deep implications of the gospel, we have not “used” the gospel in and on all parts of our life. Richard Lovelace says that most people’s problems are just a failure to be oriented to the gospel—a failure to grasp and believe it through and through. Luther says (on Gal. 2:14), “The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine… Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.” The gospel is not easily comprehended. Paul says that the gospel only does its renewing work in us as we understand it in all its truth. All of us, to some degree live around the truth of the gospel but do new “get” it. So the key to continual and deeper spiritual renewal and revival is the continual re-discovery of the gospel. A stage of renewal is always the discovery of a new implication or application of the gospel—seeing more of its truth. This is true for either an individual or a church.

Listen to Tim Speak About Evangelizing to Postmoderns

Belly Dance Music Vol. 1

2008-02-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

As a way of helping The Launch Team learn the music that is emerging here at Jonah's Call, we have conjured up a"mix tape." Sixteen songs from our first forty found their way on the the mix and Josh being the creative and clever man that he is named the first volume "Belly Dance Music." After purchsing a bunch of songs, we will be creating a loaning library so that everyone interested can learn the music that we will be doing at Church on Sunday night.

1. All I Owe - Matthew Smith

2. Everything Glorious - David Crowder Band

3. Filled with Your Glory - Starfield

4. Lift Up Thy Bleeding Hand - Andrew Osenga

5. Enchanted - Music At Mars Hill
6. Send The Wind - Calling Cedar

7. Never Let Go - David Crowder Band

8. Jesus Paid It All - Stanfill, Kristian

9. Holy - Waterdeep

10. Take My Life - Chris Tomlin

11. He Reigns - Newsboys

12. YHWH (to the rescue) - Josh Moyer Band

13. You Are - Music At Mars Hill

14. You Have Redeemed My Soul - 100 Portraits and Waterdeep

15. Give Me Jesus - Fernando Ortega

16. Wide-Eyed - Josh Moyer Band

Fat Tuesday

2008-02-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

I have been saying over and over for a long time that foot traffic + invitation = opportunities for entrance into Christianity. If we invite people into our space, they will have the opportunity to be introduced to a saving relationship with God and with others. But, we all know that it is about as easy for a pre-Christian to enter a church as it is for a Christian to enter into afternoon prayers at the local Mosque. Not easy! But, if we can find ways to be in Christian community that will allow pre-Christians to enter into our homes, our businesses, our lives, and our churches, we can begin to make Sunday Morning (or Evening) more plausible for the Pre-Christian. At Jonah's Call, we are making invitation happen in three ways. First, we are going out and loving our neighbors. Every Wednesday I hang out at the Skate park. Throughout the year, I hang out at the dog park. Every week, my wife hangs out in the waiting room of the gymnastics center. In these spaces we make friends with pre-Christians and over time those friendships become real and strong. We call these places, third places (Thanks Joy and Francois!). A third place is that place that you find some semblance of community that is not your home and is not your work. It is your third places. It is within our third places that invitations to two arenas that are powerful transmitters of the Gospel occur. First, we can invite people into our small groups where they will find authentic Christians living in some form of healthy community (we share our property, possessions and purpose in following Jesus). Additionally, we can invite our friends to large gathering where we worship that are not Church. At Ascension-Jonah's Call, we have begun to do this by having festivals. Our first festival was the Fat Tuesday Festival. We turned Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday) into a festival by serving Pancakes, Sausages, Apple Sauce, hot cider and cocoa, and by adding a bouncy gym, balloons and face painting for the kids, live music and some fire pits outside for younger folks and families, and then we had stuff like Fat Tuesday Bingo, the pancake decorating corner, and the pancake eating contest to round out the fun. What was the result? We had between 300-350 people show up. My favorite visitors were a Muslim family a Jewish Family and a bunch of students from Pitt and CMU. One of our friends said, "How quirky, serving pancakes for dinner. It's so fun. I also loved that you guys had a coat check (our overzealous greeters were hanging up people's coats!) Anyway, it was an amazing night. Now, a bunch of folks who might have been scared of our building, have had a great time inside our space, know where to park, and are a lot more likely to come when someone mentions the word Church. The Gospel will be credible to the Pre-Christian when we love them authentically over time, allowing them to belong, before they believe or behave the way we expect them to.

www.jonahscall.com

2008-02-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

We are working on the website. I am really happy to be working with Ian Todd Hunter who helped us build our ascensionpittsburgh.org site. here is a very rough snapshot of the website that we are hoping to have up by March!

The First 40 Songs: Loud and Soft Calls

2008-02-07T17:39:00.001-08:00

Josh Moyer (Director of Music at Jonah's Call) and I have been working for the last few weeks to develop our "base library" for Jonah's Call. What does that mean? Well, that means that we need about 75 songs to form the basis for the music that we sing on Sundays and at other gatherings. In the next week, we will be putting together some CD's of the first 40 songs that we will be singing over the next year. We are really happy about the renaissonce of some of the classic hymns that have been reworked by emerging artists and will be including these songs in the mix. Josh, who is a gifted writer and composer, will also be introducing some of his work into the mix. I have grouped the sounds of Jonah's Call into four categories: Emerging Hymns, Celebration Songs, Adoration Songs, and Contemplative Songs. Here is the first 40 for you to check out:

Emerging Hymns

Lift Up Thy Bleeding Hand
by Cecil Alexander
Beams of Heaven: Indelible Grace IV
Andrew Asenga (Listen)

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
by John Newton
Jars of Clay: Redemption Songs (Listen)
Laura Taylor (Listen)

How Great Thou Art
by Carl Gustav Boberg
Paul Beloche: Our God Saves

Take My Life and Let It Be
by Frances R. Havergal
Chris Tomlin: Hymns Ancient and Modern (Listen)

Jesus Lover of My Soul
By Charles Wesley
Beams of Heaven: Indelible Grace IV
Matthew Perryman Jones (Listen)

Amazing Grace
By John Newton
Amazing Grace Soundtrack: Chris Tomlin (Listen)

Break Bread Together on Our Knees
African American Spiritual
Josh Garrels: Over Oceans

Give Me Jesus
Traditional Public Domain
Fernando Ortega: Hymns of Worship (Listen)

All I Owe
By Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith: All I Owe
Matthew Smith (Listen)

Jesus Paid It All
by Elvina M. Hall
Passion: Everything Glorious
Kristian Stanfill

Celebration Songs

How Great is Our God
by Chris Tomlin (Listen)
Chris Tomlin: Arriving

He Reigns (Listen)
by The Newsboys
He Reigns: The Worship Collection

Yahwah
by Josh Moyer Band

Praise Him (Listen)
by David Crowder
David Crowder Band: Illuminate

Those Who Trust (Listen)
by 100 Portraits
Enter The Worship Circle: First Circle

Filled With Your Glory (Listen)
by StarField
Starfield: Enhanced

Changed
by Mars Hill Church

You Are
by Mars Hill Church

Unchanging
by Chris Tomlin

Adoration Songs

Holy
by Waterdeep

Open The Eyes of My Heart
by Paul Beloche

Send the Wind
by Calling Cedar

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman

Be Near to Me (Listen)
by 100 Portraits
Enter The Worship Circle: Second Circle

Enchanted
by Mars Hill Church

Wide Eyed
by Josh Moyer Church

You Alone
by David Crowder

Yearn
by Shane and Shane

Everything Glorious
by David Crowder

Contemplative Songs

You Have Redeemed My Soul (Listen)
by 100 Portraits and Waterdeep
Enter The Worship Circle: First Circle

40
by U2
To Be Alone With You
by Sufjan Stevens

I Remember You
by Gene Eugene

Nothing Without You
by Bebo Norman

Never Let Go
by David Crowder

All I Need
by Shawn McDonald

The Jonah's Call Launch Team

2008-02-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

Members of Ascension as well as interested folks from around The East End, gathered at Ascension for lunch and discussion on Sunday January, 20th from 12:00- 2:00pm. Of the 150 or so gathered, 50 have signed up thus far to become part of The Launch Team .

The Jonah's Call launch team, which presently consists of Ascensionites and other believers living in and around the City has formed and has been meeting on Sunday morning for breakfast from 8:45-9:15am and then an hour to gather for worship, prayer, teaching, and the hard but rewarding work of giving shape to the vision of Jonah's Call to be a body who Worships Creatively, Connects Neighbors, Transforms Life, and Reaches the City.

Please pray for those who have stepped out in faith to be a part of Jonah.s Call. Specifically, pray that each member of the launch team each will find his or her place on the team and that each will be able to offer his or her gifts to the fullest. Pray also that God will grant me wisdom as I lead the team into yet uncharted territory. Finally, pray for spiritual and physical protection for the launch team as it steps into new areas that include intentionally reaching those who have not yet found as saving relationship with Jesus.

Launch Team Week Three Powerpoint

Jonah's Call and Ascension: A Mother-Daughter Relationship

2008-01-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

What is the relationship between Church of the Ascension and Jonah's Call? Well, the simple answer to this question is that Jonah.s Call is a new service-congregation. A new service-congregation implies that the relationship between Jonah's Call and Ascension is separate but connected. It is much like the relationship between a mother and a daughter. They look alike in many ways, and yet they are distinct. Likewise, Jonah's Call and Ascension share much in common while still remaining separate. Here are some ways in which Jonah.s Call will be separate but connected to Church of the Ascension.

Vision
Jonah's call will have its own vision. This vision will allow Jonah's Call to grow into a fully functioning church that complements the present vision of Church of the Ascension.

Clergy
Jonah’s Call will be led by Jay Slocum as the Lead Pastor. At the same time, Jonah’s Call will sit under the existing headship of Jonathan Millard as Rector.

Preaching
Jay Slocum will preach through books of the Bible incorporating Jonathan Millard as a member of the preaching team at Jonah’s Call once a month. Jonathan Millard will preach through the lectionary (along with other designated preachers) and Jay Slocum will be incorporated into the preaching schedule at Ascension’s Sunday Morning Services one time per month.

Leadership Team
Jonah’s Call will have a core leadership team who will come from the existing membership of Church of the Ascension as well as from the community. The vestry is looking into how Jonah’s Call may have some representation on the vestry.

Physical Space
Jonah’s Call will share its physical space and resources with Ascension.

Funding
Jonah’s Call will have a separate budget reviewed by Ascension’s Finance Committee and approved by the vestry. The goal is for Jonah’s Call to become self sustaining - hopefully over a period of three years, dependent upon actual growth. All tithes and offerings given to Jonah’s Call will come through Ascension.

Staff Team
The Jay Slocum and Josh Moyer will work collaboratively with Church of Ascension staff and function as part of the Ascension team while focusing primarily on the vision for Jonah’s Call.

Neighborhood Home Groups
Jonah’s Call will form new home groups that may or may not include members of existing home groups at Ascension.

Men and Women’s Ministry
Jonah’s Call will initiate a men’s and women’s ministry that will work in conjunction with existing men’s and women’s ministries at Ascension.

Prayer and Healing Ministry
Jonah’s Call will depend on the existing prayer and healing ministry to further build upon the established model to provide healing ministry to people experiencing differing levels of brokeness in their lives.

Festivals and Special Events
Jonah’s Call will work collaboratively with Church of the Ascension to create five festival events and will participate in the Annual Parish Retreat.

To read More about the partnership between Church of the Ascension and Jonah's Call, download a PDF of February edition of The Calling (Monthly news about Jonah's Call).

To Hear More about the partnership between Jonah's Call and Church of the Ascension, download The Jonah's Call Informational Meeting at Ascension (1-27-08 mp3 download)

Coming Up!

2008-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

January 20th, 2008 (12:00-1:00pm)
We will have an Informational Meeting following the 10:30 service. During this time, Jay Slocum and Jonathan Millard will share the vision for Jonah’s Call as well as the “daughter church” concept that we will be pursuing as an alternative to the traditional church plant. This will be a vital time for our worshipping community to respond to the vision and share insights and ideas that will make Jonah’s Call a work of the whole body. Lunch and childcare will be provided.

February 2008 to April 2008 (9:00-10:15am)
Those interested in being a part of Jonah’s Call will be invited to join the “launch team.” The launch team will spend a number of weeks forming, organizing and learning about what it will take to launch a new service-congregation here at Ascension. Using Sunday mornings present Adult formation sched- ule, the launch team will gather for breakfast and then use the adult education hour to “build” Jo- nah’s Call.

April 20th, 2008
We will launch a “beta” service. This service will begin meeting on Sunday evenings at Church of the Ascension in the Nave (main worship space). These six months will allow us to develop and hone our liturgy, music, flow, and hospitality. We will also begin small groups and community service during these months as a way of preparing for our public launch on August 31st.

August 31st, 2008
Jonah’s call will have its first public service on the evening of Sunday August 31st. Invite a friend!

Builder, Farmer, Planter

2008-01-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Material from the Diocese of Albany Parish Leadership Conference at Christ the King Spiritual Retreat are available:

This session will tackle the challenges that we face in building things that once worked but now do not and the ways that we can reach out to the ever-changing world that we find ourselves in as pastors and leaders charged with stewarding what has been entrusted to us.
Builder (PDF)

Builder (Powerpoint)

There are elements to growth. If you want growth you need to combine the right elements of growth (seed, water, light, heat, soil, space, etc.) and then let God do His work. Great farmers know how to combine the right elements so that they can provide rich produce. This session will provide five growth elements available to us in the post-Christian world and will focus on the one that seems to be providing the greatest yield.
Farmer (PDF)

Farmer (Powerpoint)

We have all heard, "Without vision, the people perish." So many churches attend conferences and training to establish vision, only to have a vision statement remain as a non-functioning phrase on our church letterhead. This session will help us move from vision as a "letter head phrase" to vision as a life-giving picture of the future that moves us and our people from simply doing church to being incredibly effective and joy-filled leaders that produce fruit in our ministries.

Planter (PDF)
Planter (Powerpoint)

Fund Raising Update

2008-01-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Well, it's January 1st 2008 and I have just tallied all of our fund raising efforts for 2007. I am very pleased to say that so far God has really moved in the hearts of folks that we have served over the years. Thus far, we have raised 12,500 of the 30,00 we need for a 16 month period of time between September 2007 and Decmber 2008. Thank you SO MUCH to all of you who have supported Jonah's Call. In the past four months. We cannot express how loved and supported we feel. Coming up in February, I will be sending out our next pledge request. I will be calling this pledge the Stone Soup Drive. Basically, The Stone Soup Drive is derived from an old folk tale of three soldiers who were traveling through a foreign land while returning from war. The entered a village and asked for a meager meal from several of the villagers. But, everyone was pretty strapped. So, they procurred a large kettle went into the center of town and filled it with snow. Then they lit a fire under it and placed three large stones inside the kettle. Soon, villagers where coming out of their homes to inquire about what the soldeirs where doing. They said that they were making stone soup. Before long, each of the villagers went back to their homes and retrieved something to add to the stone soup (an onion, some stock, a few bits of meat, a bundle of carrots. By the nights end, the whole village was able to feast on stone soup and the soldiers where celebrated as gourmet chefs! My hope in February will be to send out a request to 400 folks that Catherine and I have served over the past ten years with a simple request- send us a check for 25 dollars. If each family sends us 25 dollars, we will have raised 10,000- Almost enough to cover the rest of our yearly budget. It will be a beautiful example of the way that a community can reach out to the lost by giving a little to feed a lost soul in the city. So, if you are on our mailing list, look forward to getting our stone soup mailing. If you are not on our list and would like to be, just email me at jslocum411@gmail.com and I will send you Stone Soup request.

Jonah's Call Gets Called Out

2007-12-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

Check out the most recent edition of the Diocese of Pittsburgh's E News featuring Jonah's Call @ Church of the Ascension.

Ascension Prepares to Do Something New

"Jonah's Call" is intended to reach out to the thousands of people around Church of the Ascension, Oakland, who don't know Jesus.

On an average Sunday morning, the pews at Church of the Ascension in Oakland are about eighty percent full.

That is a good thing. Church of the Ascension has a lot of pews. It is also a challenge. Churches tend to see fewer visitors become regular attenders, then members, when most of the seats are filled. “Historically, this parish saw straightline growth for years, but it reached a plateau and we got stuck,” said the Rev. Jonathan Millard, rector of Ascension.

Ascension could have responded to getting “stuck,” by settling into a comfortable life of caring for the several hundred people who are already in church on Sunday morning. That, however, was not an attractive solution. “We can’t just sit here getting bloated,” said Millard. Settling in also wouldn’t fit Ascension’s desire to take Jesus’ call seriously to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

So, instead of settling for stuck, Ascension is already deeply engaged in doing something new. With the help of the Rev. Jay Slocum, a church-planter most recently in ministry near South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island and now on Ascension’s staff, they are launching a new service, and with it hopefully a new congregation at their current facility .

“We are not interested in providing another consumer option for the people who are already here, we want this service very intentionally to attract pre-Christians,” said Millard.

As Slocum sees it, there are plenty of “pre-Christians” in the neighborhood. Surrounded by major universities and medical schools, Ascension literally has people from all around the nation and the world on their doorstep. “Pittsburgh is a mission field,” said Slocum.

In fact, that sense of being surrounded by tens of thousands of people who don’t know Jesus has crystallized into a name for the coming expansion of Ascension’s ministry. They are calling it “Jonah’s Call,” after the story in the Old Testament book of Jonah of God’s concern for all those who did not know him in the great city of Nineveh.

“We are not interested in providing another consumer option for the people who are already here, we want this service very intentionally to attract pre-Christians.”
- The Rev. Jonathan MillardPreparations are far advanced for launching Jonah’s Call, but there still is much to do before the service officially begins when students return to campus in the fall of 2008. According to Millard and Slocum, Ascension members just completed a season of prayer and fasting for the diocese, the church and for the launch of Jonah’s Call. “The overwhelming sense of the feedback was that we were indeed hearing God properly and were being encouraged to move forward,” said Millard.

This coming winter and spring, Slocum is working to gather leadership for Jonah’s Call and with that leadership, as well as the entire congregation of Ascension, fine tune the vision that Jonah’s Call will embrace. That vision points Jonah’s Call to focus on worship, connecting to neighbors, causing transformation in people’s lives and serving the city.

Ascension will begin “beta” Jonah’s Call events and worship in just a few months. In fact, the first planned happening for the new service as a Fat Tuesday party this February.

Millard, Slocum and other members of Ascension are obviously excited by the opportunities they see. At the same time, everyone involved knows there is a lot that they won’t be able to predict. “We don’t know what will happen. We don’t quite know how the child is going to turn out,” said Millard.

Ascension is convinced that it is supposed to find out. “This is part of what we are called to be and to do. It’s the great commandment [to love each other] and the Great Commission [to make disciples]. This is what you get. It is about bearing good fruit,” added Millard.

- Posted December 30, 2007 -
Created by pfrank Last modified 2007-12-30 08:30

The Vision for Jonah's Call

2007-11-29T06:36:00.000-08:00

Our Mission is Jesus’ Mission

As people saved by Grace, we have the privilege of pursuing the mission Jesus gave us. His mission is our mission.

What’s that mission? We sometimes refer to it as the great commandment and the great commission. Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s the great commandment. Jesus also commanded us in Matt 28:18-19 to go into the whole world to “make disciples.” That’s the great commission.

For centuries, Christians have been faithfully following this mission. Until Jesus returns, His mission is our mission.

Our Visions Fulfill His Mission

Although we all have the same mission (love God, love others, and reach the world), our visions vary greatly. In fact, it is through diverse visions that God has uses His people and will continue to use us to fulfill His mission. Just think of all the amazing ways that Christians reach out to this lost and dying world.

Vision
A new service-congregation will be emerging at Church of the Ascension. It compliment fill-out Church of the Ascension's present vision (a worshipping community, equipping God’s people; sharing Christ’s healing with a broken world).

The Vision: Creative worshippers, connecting neighbors, transforming life, reaching the city.

Our Strategy will be to fulfill this vision by pursuing the following values:

Creative Worshippers
We will become attractive in corporate worship by valuing:

Beauty: worship will powerfully express God’s beauty as creative teams serve together to make Sundays a multi-sensory worship experience.

Truth: God’s Word will take a central role in our worship. The Truth will set us free.

Participation: adults and children will consider worship to be the most powerful experience of the week. After church many will gather to talk, connect, eat, and enjoy the Sabbath.

Diversity: unbelievers will be comfortable observing sacred worship while Christians make powerful connections through song, prayer, sermons, and a communion meal.

TIMELINE: FROM NOVEMBER 07 TO SEPTEMBER 08

11-07 to 3-08 Share VisioN
11-07 to 3-08 Recruit, Form, and Train Launch Team
4-08 Launch Beta Worship Service (For Launch Team)
8-31-08 Launch Public Service

Connecting Neighbors
We will connect neighbors by valuing:

Relationships: we will strive to love one another by sharing life together in intentional small groups.

Invitation: from small groups to large gatherings we will be a community that invites outsiders in.

Missional Living: we will intentionally form authentic friendships with pre-Christians as we eat, play, work, and take part in the life of the city.

Belonging: we will love and accept pre-Christians by helping them to belong prior to believing.

Transforming Life
We will see individuals, families, and society transformed by valuing:

The Gospel: we will see lives transformed by proclaiming that we are rebellious creatures who, though loved by God, are in constant need of His Grace and forgiveness.

Believing: We will see relationships, families, and society transformed by allowing our beliefs to be re-ordered and shaped by the whole of God’s Inspired Word (The Bible).

Behaving: We will commit to living in the freedom that Christ offers by allowing His Spirit to change patterns of sin in our lives that cause us to experience bondage and enslavement.

Reaching the City
We will reach the city by valuing acts of service that make the city a beautiful place to live.

Place: Our church will contribute to the city by serving in ways that make Pittsburgh a great place to work, live, and raise a family.

Justice: Our Church will reach the city by helping to bring justice to the least, the last, and the littlest.

Beauty: Our Church will reach the city by looking for way that we can bring beauty to the cities culture.

Economy: We will reach the city by making sure that our service adds to the overall economy of the city, both financially, aesthetically, socially, and spiritually.

Fund Raising for Jonah's Call

2007-11-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

THE GREAT CALL

Dear Friends,

In 2003, God called Catherine and me to The Church of the Cross in Bluffton, South Carolina where I worked to grow and pastor a new congregation.

After four incredible years of ministry, God began to make it clear that we were being called to the city of Pittsburgh to plant a new church.

Between April and July of this year, miracles occurred that allowed us to sell our home in a very “dry” market, complete a church planter’s assessment in Pittsburgh, hand-off our ministry, and move to the city of Pittsburgh with the hope that God would

provide new partners for the work of Church Planting. It was a time when our faith was greatly tested.

But, in late August God proved His faithfulness when the Church of the Ascension (ascensionpittsburgh.org) and the Diocese of Pittsburgh responded to God’s call and invited me to begin working with them to establish a Church Plant that would reach the many thousands in the city who do not know Jesus.

On September 1st, I began working alongside Church of the Ascension to prepare them for the work of planting a new church in the city.

THE GREAT NEED

How might a concentrated effort to reach America’s cities impact America as a whole?

It is clear that God has a heart for the city. In Jonah chapter four God said to Jonah “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left… Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

Today’s cities are definitely post-Christian and at the same time they are epicenters of influence. If we can bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people who are shaping commerce, culture, and the arts in our cities, we could make an incredible impact on this world.

In Pittsburgh, there are five major colleges and universities which means there are thousands upon thousands of young people from all over the world who study here, raise families here, or go back to their home countries as leaders and shapers of culture.

Additionally, there are a huge number of people living in the city who have never been a part of a dynamic and growing church. From a biblical point of view, “they do not know their right hand from their left.”

What if we had a concentrated effort at reaching these folks through offering them attractive worship that connected them to God, powerful preaching that would awaken their needs to receive God’s loving forgiveness, authentic community that connected them to small groups, and opportunities to serve that would change the very face of the city.

Catherine and I believe that God is calling us to such an effort in the city of Pittsburgh’s East End.

Our plan is to launch a new service-congregation, in 2008, that will grow out of Ascension, and become a fully sustainable congregation that reaches this city’s postmoderns.

A GREAT PARTNERSHIP

One of the ways we know God to be involved in our work is that amazing partnerships are forming.

Presently, God has called us into partnership with Church of the Ascension (in the East End of the City) and with The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The Diocese has been incredibly supportive and has agreed to partner with me by providing partial funding and the support of the Diocesan Church Planting Network.

Ascension has also agreed to provide partial funding and has stepped out in faith to offer the crucial resources of people, property and possessions to begin the work of church planting in their midst. I am presently working with Ascension to develop a clear vision for a new congregation and a final decision to step out into a three year commitment will be made later in November.

Great partnerships are forming, but we still need additional partners. We believe that God is calling individuals, families, and churches where we have served in the past to partner with us by helping to provide the additional support we need through prayer and financial assistance.

Here is what is needed:

1. Pray. We need to receive commitments from those of you whom God is calling to pray regularly for us as we enter the rigorous work of reaching the lost in Jesus’ name.

Specifically, we need you to pray that God will allow me to continue to develop a clear vision for a new Church in Pittsburgh’s East End and that it will be well-received and further clarified by Ascension’s leadership and the wider community.

Further, we need you to pray for our protection. Thus far, God has worked miracles and we have received amazing support. Nonetheless, we are in a spiritual battle for lives and feel the weight daily.

2. Give. We need to receive financial commitments from partners willing to support us in our first year (November 2007 to November 2008). We need to raise $30,000 dollars beyond what Church of the Ascension and The Diocese of Pittsburgh can provide.

I would like to ask each of you to consider if God would have you sacrifice a specific portion of what He has blessed you with in order to partner with us in reaching the lost.

If God is calling you to partner with us, download a pdf of our fundraiser The Great Call (PDF)and mail it to the enclosed address.

To the rest of our friends and supporters, please keep Jonah's Call in your prayers.

What's In A Name

2007-11-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

For months I have been struggling to name our new church. Our blog is called Jona's 4.11 which is a reference to Jonah chapter 4:11 and is also a play on the modern numeric code for information 411. But, I have been unsettled about our new church being called Jonah's 4.11. I think it might sound very 2007 in ten years. Last week Catherine said, "The new church should be Jonah's Call." Wow. That refers to the call to reach the city and asks for a response. It stuck on me so until someone comes up with another name, we are now Jonah's Call. Any suggestions folks?

The Church Planter's Wife

2007-11-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of being in Pittsburgh is the opportunities we now have to influence up-and-coming pastors and their wives, especially those interested in planting new churches. Why is this? Well, we are only 30 miles away from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, one of the only seminaries in the United States committed to an Orthodox and Evangelical Anglican Mission in America.

On November 06, Catherine will be speaking to a gathering of future-pastor's wives at Trinity.

Some of the things that we have found to be crucial for pastor's wives in general and church planters wives in particular are:

Having clearly defined boundaries- the pastor and his wife Must have at least one day off each week where they will be protected from all outside influences.
They MUST have a date every week and that date cannot include the kids or the job or potential converts or sick people or even colleagues.
The pastor's wife must be seen first as the pastor's wife and not as a second hire or free labor. If she wishes to give to the church, it Will be on her terms and after she has taken care of the Pastor and their children.
Since the pastor is taking care of everyone else, the pastor's wife needs to be prepared for the challenge of taking care of the pastor. His ministry potentially rises or falls based on her support and distraction from being able to provide this help is often a huge burden for the pastor.
Because the burden of being a pastors wife is so heavy, the church needs to provide added support for the pastor's wife and her children. When everyone else is coming to church as couples, the pastor's wife comes to church with the same challenges as "a single mom." She is alone and much weight rests upon her.
Ministry is war and the pastor's wife is a main player in the battle. She may not get the credit that the pastor gets or the congratulations, but she is holding the "universe" together through her faithfulness to supporting her spouse in the work of planting and pastoring. Both the Pastor and the Church need to do whatever it takes to make sure that she is supported, honored, and cared for.

For a really helpful perspective that Catherine and I resonated with, listen to Mark Driscoll's comments from Death by Ministry on the Needs of a Pastor's wife.

Go and Plant Churches

2007-10-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Story on Church Planting From Christianity Today by Tim Stafford