As we dive into our 1more giver series, and begin to prepare our hearts for the Christmas season, I want to ask: Can you imagine this? Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:3-4 This promised reality has been made possible by the gracious investment of God sending His Son, Jesus, to the world. Christmas shows us God’s heart for every single person. He desires that every person would flourish. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a * rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10).   * Spiritual Capital - God dwelling among His people, and His people knowing Him completely and cooperating with Him fully. Relational Capital - no more war or conflict between people; instead, perfect relational harmony and peace. Physical Capital - no more death or sickness; instad perfect health for our bodies and environment. Intellectual Capital - creativity and ideas abound. Financial Capital - no more poverty or lack of any kind, but abundance of everything needed for a full life. “OIKONOMICS: How to Invest in Life’s Five Capitals the Way Jesus Did” pg. 98 Have you ever really stopped to consider Jesus’ investment? Can following Jesus give us the rich and satisfying life today, before Heaven? Yes! The key is understanding that giving in the Kingdom of God is less about sacrifice and more about investment. To solidify this learning during the holiday season, will you join me in a little experiment? Here it is: Spend some thought time each week between now and Christmas, (alone, with others, perhaps with your family) and jot down some specific answers to the questions below. Week 1: Spiritual Capital What specific actions will I take this season to invest energy in following Jesus? Week 2: Relational Capital What specific actions will I take this season to invest energy in growing relationships with family and friends? Week 3: Intellectual Capital What specific actions will I take this season to invest in ongoing learning, in creativity, and in thinking deeply about things that really matter? Week 4: Physical Capital What specific actions will I take this season to stay or get healthy so that I can live and love well? Week 5: Financial Capital What specific actions will I take this season to invest my finances so that the Kingdom pursuits that I care about have the funding they need to be effective? You are a giver. Invest your 5 capitals freely. And, with an investors temperament, invest in your Kingdom Portfolio. Enjoy the abundance! Our shared mission depends on it!

Hello (the) Church Family! This summer the Church in East Madison was presented with an opportunity to share blessings in the Monona school district, through the Monona Giving Project. There is a fund that is used to help school district families in need, with needs ranging from getting a car fixed to help with bills or school supplies. There is a limit to what can be distributed to a family from the fund, and there is already a person in charge of that part. What they needed was someone to take ownership of really increasing awareness and raising money for the fund. Since that’s one of our neighborhoods on the East side, and we’re connected to schools in general, we decided to take it on. What we’ve found is that many people are willing to help and chip in when it comes to their neighbors and their community. As much as I have a hard time with asking for money, when you tell people about a need in their community and something you are doing to help, an invitation to join and get involved comes pretty naturally. Already the fund has grown to more than 4 times its size from last year, but it has a long way to go. What a blessing it would be if that fund had money left over at the end of the year because all of the needs had been met. Even though this fund is set up such that we would not personally be in contact with those it helps, we’ve already developed relationships with the person in charge of the program, many other people in the schools and neighborhoods, and other churches. We’re excited to see what God will do with this opportunity, and how He will open more doors for us to engage with and be part of lives in Monona and our neighborhoods. We are blessed to be on this journey together with all of you brothers and sisters. Thank you for your prayers, and know that we are praying for you as well. It would also be a great encouragement to us East-siders to hear your ideas or experiences: how have you used (or how would you like to use) your energy and creativity for kingdom investment?

 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise.

   Give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good.

   His unfailing love continues forever,

   and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

 -Psalm 100:4-5

Give thanks to him and praise his name! I like the sound of that. It is good to give thanks to God for all He has done for us, and the many ways that He provides for us and blesses us. Especially as we prepare our hearts this holiday season, it is good to stop and reflect back on all we’ve been given, as well as to look forward to how we can share our gifts and the good news of Christ with others. It is good to stop and take time to name what we are thankful for. To say it out loud or write it down. Perhaps you have seen or even participated in the Facebook “Thankful Challenge,” when someone challenges you to write down three things you are thankful for every day for five days. Or maybe you have tried in the month of November to write down one thing you are thankful for each day. These are good practices, not just at this time of year, but every day, to have a grateful heart and give thanks to our Father in heaven for the many gifts we receive. As I read this passage from Psalm 100, it reminded me of lifeGroup. Especially the verse, “his faithfulness continues to each generation.” We have seen several generations of lifeGroups since we began with just one. And God has been faithful. I am thankful for people who have agreed to meet weekly. I am thankful for people who have said, “Yes, I will open up my home and share my life with others.” “Yes, I am willing to discuss my questions and doubts and concerns with others.” “Yes, I will ask others to help hold me accountable to follow through on what I say I want to do.” I am thankful for people who invite those who are new to our church to join them in lifeGroup. I am thankful for people who are willing to invite their neighbors to join them in discovering how to follow Jesus. I am thankful for people who are willing to have difficult conversations and work through conflict when it arises. I am thankful for families that are willing to bring their children to lifeGroup because they know the value of having other trusted adults invest in their lives. I am thankful for a place to come to where I receive grace when I try and fail. I am thankful for a group of people who help me be prepared to engage in relationships with friends who are far from God. I am thankful that we have the privilege of living life together and the freedom to share the Good News with those in our circle of influence. What are you thankful for? Have you told God lately? Have you written it down? Try sending a note of thanks to someone, or writing out a thank you prayer to your Heavenly Father. And would you tell me in a comment below how you’re choosing to respond? Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever!

  I have great excitement and anticipation as this holiday season approaches. It will be our first Thanksgiving and Christmas with a baby in the house, and I am eager to share this time of year with my family. It is also the time of year when we pay a little more attention to the idea of generosity and generous living. But what does true generosity in a home look like? I’ll admit I am easily lured into the idea that generosity means money and things. Already I am thinking about what presents to buy for Oliver and how we can shower our love on him in that way. (I am well aware he isn’t even one and won’t remember!) God calls us to generous living. And, if our homes, centered on Jesus, are the epicenters of an active faith life, then that generous living should begin in our homes. How then might we begin to live with great generosity in our homes? Is there a way for me to be abundantly generous with Oliver without buying out Toys R Us? How did Jesus model a generous lifestyle? Here are some of the things that I noticed as Jesus lived life with generosity: · Jesus was generous with his TIME. · Jesus showed GRACE abundantly. · Jesus allowed ACCESS to himself and his whole life. · Jesus left a LEGACY of faith. As I reflect on those things, I am left to ask myself the following: · Am I generous with the time (undistracted, fully present time) that I give my family? Or, do I let material things take the place of the time I should be investing in them? · Am I quick to show grace to the others in my home? · Do I allow Oliver and Micah full access to myself, or do I let other things have more priority? · What legacy am I leaving Oliver? Am I generous with how I teach and equip him to follow Jesus? Am I pursuing a faith life that I want my son to replicate? Recently, the Jaeger family shared a story with me about an experience where they were able to practice generosity with their oldest daughter, Renata: “I had heard about the Blessing Ceremony from you and the All Pro Dad website and thought it would be a great event to help Renata mark a transition in her life. She was very excited about her ‘Sweet 16’ and we decided to have a party with all of our extended family and a blessing. Renata has shown great maturity and responsibility so we wanted to honor and recognize her for that. After everyone had arrived, we thanked them all for coming, had Renata sit in the middle of the group, and told everyone what a blessing is (Baruch) and why we wanted to bless her publicly. We wanted to mark this day as her official transition from childhood into young adulthood. We told her, and everyone, that we recognize that she is growing up and is well equipped to be the person God wants her to be. We acknowledged and recognized all the great things that God is doing her and the abilities He has blessed her with. We wrote a letter to her which we read, and then presented her with a ring with an anchor on it as a symbol of the blessing and that God is our anchor. Hebrews 6:19 says ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ Then we all prayed together, ate, and had a great time! I think it was a great way to honor Renata for the person she is and is becoming, to state that we see her as an adult and proclaim this to our family, and to show her that God planned and chose her from the beginning.” Jesus’ generosity was an investment in others and in the Kingdom. His wasn’t an investment in earthly things that are broken and destroyed, but instead it was generosity that allowed for the growth and blessing of His people and God’s Kingdom. This Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am eager to let Jesus guide my generosity. How are you practicing generous living in your home? What creative ways are you finding to invest in those in your home and in God’s Kingdom? Share your stories with me in a comment below, or at [email protected].

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. . . . Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life” Galatians 6: 4-5 (The Message). Isn’t it interesting how generosity enlarges? It expands the giver as well as the receiver; the spiritual along with the physical, those directly involved and the ones around them. In Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential (call number 248.4 Smi in the church library), Gordon Smith proposes that our generous God gives each of us a reason for being on earth, a calling, as well as the ability to work with Him in carrying it out. God longs for us to experience the joy of giving by loving each other through our calling. But understanding our purpose as it matures through life, and discerning how to live it most effectively, is challenging. Smith’s book grew out of many conversations around these questions, and is a study for those who want to invest their talents for God. The book outlines three ways calling can be understood:

• The call to be a Christian, to follow Jesus.
• A specific call: a reason for being, or vocation, unique for each of us, which may or may not be expressed in our occupation.
• Immediate calling: specific duties and responsibilities we are given by God at the present time, such as caring for family members or job responsibilities.

Specific and immediate calls flow from our first call, our identity as God’s children, and all three are “in play” at any given time. For example, we are all called by Jesus to love others. I might express that love by feeding the hungry on an ongoing basis. If I have young children, I will have less time to participate in a soup kitchen than when they are older, but I will be living out my entire calling by not ignoring any of the three at each stage of my life. The primary focus of this book is on the second call, and discusses three aspects of vocation: knowing ourselves, discerning the work we’ve been given to do in the world, and acting with intention to carry it out.

• Knowing ourselves: God calls us to serve Him out of who we are, not who we’re not. What are your gifts, abilities and personality? What are your deepest desires? Where do you sense the needs of the world most acutely?
• Thinking vocationally: Looking back to see how God has worked through the story of our lives, and paying attention to opportunities now, can help us recognize our vocation more clearly. Is there a thread God has woven through your life, a chord that has always resonated?
• Acting intentionally: Living out our calling requires action.

When we recognize how God has fitted us into the world, serving and giving to others out of His design brings joy – to us, to others, and to God. What a great revelation as we reflect on Christ’s arrival here on Earth and the model He is for us, and as we begin to think about the new year! How will you embrace the place God has carved out for you in the world this year?

Part of living a missional life with gospel intentionality is having a third place. Often people hang out at home, at work and then somewhere else becomes their third place. My husband and I had dinner with a couple who have made a local restaurant their third place. They go there almost every Monday night and they over time have built relationships with some of the staff and other regular customers. There is something to going to the same place at the same time and over time you have established a bit of a community where you can listen to the stories of other people and bring Jesus with you. Where is your third place?

  2014 has ended. 2015 begins. I can’t seem to shake the stanza from my head: Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.” #123 The Lutheran Hymnal What have we accomplished together? Where has He been leading us? What adjustments in our journey is God prompting us to make in 2015? I’m encouraged by your stories of where you have seen God working. Go to www.livelifetogether.com/stories to read or share your own. I grow in depth of understanding when I read your insights or aha moments in your journey. Please tell us at [email protected]. I love seeing your photos. Keep ‘em coming at [email protected]. We’ve shared a few from 2014 on our facebook page. We are realizing our vision of One Church, Regional Impact. We are connecting people to Life in Jesus… 1 person, 1 neighborhood, 1 region at a time. My hope for each of us who associate yourself with this community of believers, seekers and observers is that you would ALL discover your own story and share it. There is blessing that comes from doing what you were made to do. God created us to BE the Church, not just COME to church. In 2015 we will be encouraging you to find your passion, roll up your sleeves and discover the joy of participating in YOUR STORY. I’m excited to see where God takes us in 2015 and look forward to reading YOUR story this year.

Over the years, it has become a part of Higher Ground’s culture to talk about where they are seeing God at work in their lives. It is a rhythm we try to incorporate in lifeGroups, retreats, mission trips, and service projects. We ask, “Where did you see God show up?” or “What is God teaching you?”. We also ask my favorite question, “How did God surprise you?”. One thing that I am realizing is that the more we ask this question and make it a part of our rhythm, the more students are able to recognize God when He speaks to them and nudges them. They aren’t just noticing God at work, but also noticing when God is asking them to partner in His work. Over the years, the answer to the question “where have you seen God at work” has become more than just a list of good things students are experiencing. It has become a platform for students to identify and share ways they have responded to God’s nudging. Sometimes, using the same question over and over can feel monotonous. Or, maybe you have already tried asking your family or loved ones this question and didn’t get a lot of response. Below are some different ways to ask others [and perhaps yourself] to reflect on how they have seen God working in their lives, without having to default to same one question all the time. I’d love to know which question you like the best, and what kind of response you received. Where have you seen God working in your life recently? How did you see God show up today? What has God been teaching you? How is God challenging/shaping you right now? What are you praying for? What do you want to celebrate? Where did you experience joy/goodness/kindness/love/peace/gentleness/self-control/faithfulness today? How have you seen grace lived out recently? This new year, I would challenge you to make this question a part of your family’s everyday lives. Perhaps you ask it at dinner each night, or as you drive to and from school. Maybe it is a question you ask at bedtime and use the responses to frame your prayers. However you choose to weave this question into your family’s rhythm, I am certain that using it will help to strengthen your faith and trust in Jesus. Try it!

In 1997, five years before Rick Warren penned The Purpose Driven Life, career counselor and executive coach Richard Leider published The Power of Purpose: Creating Meaning in Your Life and Work. Considered a classic in the field of personal development, this book and his eight others have sold over one million copies and have been translated into twenty languages. As the founder of Inventure-The Purpose Company, Richard has championed the passionate pursuit of on-purpose living with over 100,000 leaders in world-class companies. His influence is about to increase exponentially; he was tapped by AARP to be the Chief Curator of content for the organization's Life Reimagined Institute, inspired by his book Life Reimagined, co-authored with Alan Webber. It was an earlier Leider book, however, that forever endeared me to this gentle man and his purposeful work. Just reading the title, Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life, spoke solace to my heavy heart in 1994. I didn't then have the perspective, much less the languaging, for what I was experiencing, but this Leider guy got me. I was without purpose, in the "nowhere between two somewheres," as one life chapter was sputtering to a close and my "next" was not yet visible. I couldn't travel to exciting new vistas of possibility, he persuaded, if I didn't jettison worn-out ways of seeing, being and doing that my self and soul had outgrown. I could not then have imagined that nine years later, I would be a coach, running my own business, and speaking at the same coaching conference for which Dick Leider was the keynote speaker! He taught our circle of coaches how to ask questions which would uncover, refine, or renew a client's purpose. We learned how to integrate their "why" (purpose) into a compelling "what" (vision) and a viable "how" (plan). Most importantly, we reviewed our own purpose statements, and held our lives up to those templates. Were our investments of time and attention an exemplary expression of our gifts, passions, and values? Were we modeling lives being lived "on purpose?" In The Power of Purpose, Richard describes how he asks older adults this question: "If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?" The answers always theme around these three things: * Be more reflective * Be more courageous * Be clear earlier about purpose Leider states, "It's tempting to ignore the question of purpose in life, since the consequences of our neglect usually don't show up until crisis points or toward the very end of our lives. Thus, we unconsciously spend much of our energy staying busy, building a lifestyle and making a living. Yet, when we scratch under the surface of our drive for making a living, what's there?" Coaching claims space for more reflection, more courage, and more clarity around purpose, no matter what goal or issue is identified at the outset. Because purpose is our reason for being, our "why," it's not a stretch to say that reaching most goals ultimately depends upon a strong connection to purpose. A goal anchored in or pointing to purpose helps us push through our habitual patterns, inertia, and resistance to change. If there's a direct link between what we want to achieve and why we believe we are here, now, in this one wondrous, God-given precious life, we'll get there with less angst. If a case can't be made that reaching a particular goal will bring us more fully into our best selves and highest use, we'll run out of gas when fear and lethargy hijack our good intentions. That said, I have deep respect for those sacred and mysterious times in each of our lives when passion fades, purpose feels elusive, and goals seem pointless. It is during those days (weeks, months, years) of waiting and wondering that the companionship of a coach can be most transformative. If you want to pursue purpose in your own life, or support a coachee in that quest, the link below is a great starting point for productive dialogue: http://richardleider.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Unlock-the-Power-of-Purpose.pdf I'll sign off by sharing my recently re-crafted purpose statement, and thanking you for allowing me to live my purpose through our coaching collaboration. "The purpose of my life is to bring light, depth, and heart to my beloveds, my clients, and my community." Lynn

God did not establish the church to be a gathering of like-minded people rallying to “make a difference.” In other words, the church is not a voluntary organization where people can choose to participate where they want to, or invest in the things they deem to have a great ROI [Return On Investment]. The Scriptures never talk in those terms about our involvement or investment. Never. Never ever. On account of our individualistic society, in America we think of churches as voluntary associations of autonomous individuals. Individuals come together as a church, IF THEY WANT, and DO WHAT THEY WANT. But Jesus says repeatedly something distinctly different from this “do-your-own-thing individualism and investment.” Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” [John 13:8] We only participate by God’s undeserved kindness. Jesus says, “You did not choose me but I chose you.” [John 15:16] We don’t choose to participate. He allows us to. There’s extreme grace in that reality! And why did He choose us? For what purpose do we participate? Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” [Matthew 28:19-20] All of our participation in its various forms, allow us to make and teach disciples. And all of our participation in its various forms, allow us to discover our own stories as disciples. That is perhaps the greatest discovery waiting for you in 2015.

  The Bhutanese Ministry at the Church continues to grow and evolve. For those of you who are new to the Church, or are not as familiar with the thriving fellowship God has created among our Bhutanese brothers and sisters, a little history may be helpful. The United Nations partnered with the United States Department of State in the resettlement of at least 60,000 of the more than 100,000 Bhutanese living in refugee camps in Nepal. Having been expelled from their home country of Bhutan because they are not the majority culture, they have lived in refugee camps for over 20 years. Not able to go home, and not able to gain citizenship in Nepal due to political issues, they were in need of a new start and a new life. Outreach to Bhutanese refugees resettling in Madison began in April of 2009 when a lifeGroup committed to a 90-day sponsorship of the first Bhutanese family to arrive in Madison. To date, over 300 Bhutanese have resettled in Madison. God has led us to a ministry well beyond that initial 90 day commitment to a single family. Our congregation has been blessed to witness 40 Bhutanese come to faith in Jesus through baptism, attend weekly Saturday evening Bible study and fellowship, and serve in our congregation. Others have also come to faith and been baptized through other local ministries. Our God-inspired love for these humble and gracious people compelled us to help meet their physical, social and spiritual needs. Although it is a challenge, the Bhutanese families are largely self-sufficient with their physical needs now. During the week, we spend two nights with the kids tutoring and reading, partnered with discipleship time helping three of the Bhutanese leaders prepare for Bible study. Saturday evenings bring the community Bible study and fellowship time with dedicated teaching for the kids. We have been richly blessed by the opportunity for discipleship, and have seen amazing God-led progress. For more than a year, three of the Bhutanese ministry lay leaders were teaching the Bible study every other Saturday evening. In 2015, they will be teaching every Saturday. The older kids have completed their first communion training and continue to grow in their knowledge of the Bible. And the youngest kids are eager to read scripture and complete projects focused on their faith. The most exciting news in the Bhutanese ministry is the addition of paid part-time ministry development. From the very beginning, a partnership was started with a Bhutanese ministry in Chicago. Over the years, combined Christmas celebrations and other events led to new friendships and trusted partners in ministry. Through designated mission dollars, the Church is taking the next steps forward by welcoming minister Amos Shakya to our faith community. Amos’ journey with Jesus began with a Gospel tract handed to him by a stranger on a path leading to the cornfields near his village. He was captivated by the message in the tract that quoted John 3:16. Several months later, he moved to his sister’s home in Katmandu and decided to attend the church identified on the back of the tract. As the Lord spoke into his heart at this church, Amos sought baptism four months later. He dedicated himself to work, Bible study and outreach activity for three years before entering a six-month formal training program on faith discipleship conducted by Youth with a Mission [YWAM] - Nepal. He then accepted a staff position as Campus Minister with YWAM - Nepal with a focus on evangelism and faith discipleship. Additional certification programs with YWAM took him to Bangalore, India and Bangkok, Thailand. In August 2008, he entered the U.S. as a student at the Bible School for the Nations conducted by YWAM - Wisconsin. On a trip to Chicago, he felt drawn to reach out to the growing Bhutanese community there and with his wife Roma and young daughter, has established what a strong and vibrant congregation is now. In 2015, Amos will be coming to Madison every other weekend. He arrives on Friday afternoons for ministry planning and meeting with leaders. Saturdays will be focused on evangelism, discipleship building and training workshops. On Saturday evenings, he joins in with the Bible study and fellowship time, returning to Chicago early on Sunday morning to join the faith community there. While in Madison, Amos stays in Bhutanese homes, strengthening the bonds of friendship and faith. During the weeks in Chicago, he uses technology to connect with and encourage the leaders here in Madison. The goal of Amos’ position at the Church is to develop leaders from within the Bhutanese ministry and equip them to make disciples to God’s glory. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement that has led to such amazing fruit. Please pray for Amos and the Bhutanese ministry often and give praise to God for his amazing provision. We can’t wait to see what God does in the coming year!

Had it not been for my "accidental" meeting of Frederic Hudson in May 1998, when I was bored on the final afternoon of a Coaching & Mentoring conference and wandered into the vendor expo, I would never have met each of you. I am blessed to have had two precious years learning from and working with this exceptional man, before the early symptoms of Alzheimer's hijacked him from a life of teaching, speaking, and writing about the adult development journey. Frederic and I had, at most, three 20-minute coaching conversations in the span of a year, and yet, those 60 minutes of focused attention changed my life, my work, and my world view. Coaching does not have to be a lengthy conversation or a long-term commitment to be powerful. It does require what Frederic brought to the conversation: a fully present mind and heart, curiosity unburdened by assumptions and agendas, and the ability to challenge a coachee's thinking in a respectful, supportive way. He was a light, not a judge. It is poignant to me that the co-author of The Joy of Old: A Guide to Successful Elderhood would be unable to follow his own sage advice about how to age with passion and purpose. "And yet, as you'll read below, in an excerpted note to the Hudson Institute of Coaching community from Frederic's widow, Pam McLean, he lived into a life unexpected and unwelcome with uncommon grace. When I think of Jeremiah 29:11, I think of my coach as a key part of God's plan. Through the door that Frederic Hudson helped to open, I found that hope and my future, a future that happily included you. Frederic Hudson passed away on Monday, February 9th. The visionary behind the Hudson Institute of Coaching nearly 30 years ago, he has been facing into the challenge of Alzheimer's disease for 15 years. He lived those many years with as much poise and simplicity as any of us can imagine. While the early years included plenty of pleasures - tennis, painting lessons, endless piano and beach walks; the later ones grew harder, yet he remained loving, positive and continuously adjusting his vision of what was possible until these last couple of years. He is finally released from this part of his journey and I thought it might be fitting to share a poem he wrote long ago. -Pam McLean TRUST THE MYSTERY We have no words to carry us beyond our time, no symbols to escort us into a fulfilled future, what we have and have well is our fire, our very here and fully now to ground us in the moment. But how our current intensity relates to grander schemes Is mere conjecture. I choose to believe in purpose without words, in deity without form, in unity without beginnings or ends. Do not ask me to explain. I believe, and in believing I experience this day with mystery and peace. Frederic M. Hudson -Written in the late 1990's