The Momentum and the Madness of 2009
Many have asked me over the last two months just how I'm absorbing all the crazy and exciting changes in this past year. So I've decided to put together a list of the more notable events of 2009, what I've entitled The Momentum and the Madness of 2009.
But – since there's a high likelihood that some of you won't read this all the way through (and I know who you are) – I'd be remiss not to pre-empt the fun with an important reminder regarding our end-of-the-year giving. Here are the details: (More Momentum and Madness...)
Year End Giving
Every gift matters at Heartland, no matter the size. Did you know that you can make a gift online with your debit card or set up recurring giving within your myHeartland account? Giving online through your checking account saves the church money and helps save time for our staff. If you have not yet begun giving to Heartland, we encourage you to make your first gift today.
Just go to our Give Online page to learn more.
Year End Gift
The go. Campaign, which allowed us to purchase, remodel and move into our new home, officially ended November 30, 2009 with $6.46M in gifts! However, you may want to prayfully consider extending your go. giving through the end of the 1st campaign and up to the beginning of the 2nd campaign (to begin in the fall of 2010). Gifts to the go. Campaign will be our special year end gift and our hope is that we will finish the go. Campaign with $7M in gifts by the year end. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously to make this move a reality.
Stock Gifts
'Tis the season for Stock Giving. With the recent rebound in the market, you may have some gains in your stock investments. To rebalance your portfolio and provide more money for your charitable giving this season, you may want to consider giving appreciated securities before January 1st, 2010.
If you have stocks, bonds, or mutual funds that are worth more than you paid for them and you’ve held them for more than a year, you can give appreciated shares directly to Heartland. It's a much wiser solution than liquidating the stock and locking in a capital gains tax.
However, we need to be alerted to look for the gift prior to giving the stock, mutual fund or security. Just fill out this form to alert us that a stock gift may be coming. Let us know if you have questions.
All of our stock gifts are processed through our Charles Schwab Account.
Momentum and Madness Continued...
Above all, I want to thank you for your incredible generosity this year. Thank you for giving regularly and, above all, sacrificially. In this economy, it has been a testing year for so many of you. And with all the increased expenses of our sudden growth, it has also been a stretching year for Heartland. Thus, we can't thank you enough for helping us finish both our ministry fund and go campaign well!
Superlatives
Scariest part about the construction process: when the first green paint went on the walls. I requested an immediate tour.
Greatest lesson: when the seventh kind of green went on the walls and I realized that either our designers were crazy or that I didn't know a thing about paint color.
Greatest relief: when I realized that the paint colors were perfect, absolutely stunning - just as I predicted...
The time it seemed the apocalypse was upon us: my very last time at 8301, in a meeting with Tom Brawner and Shelley Winkler. It was on a Wednesday, the week after our last services. It was late in the day and a dark storm was brewing outside. The place was empty and everything was packed in crates or boxes. As we walked down the old hallway to leave, Brawner turned to me and said, "I feel like we've been stranded on the moon."
Saddest day for my wife, Elise: when our construction company, A.L. Huber, took down the live construction webcam in our atrium. She had grown quite addicted to firing up the site every morning and watching (err, inspecting) all the daily progress. Even the girls got hooked and often asked "Mommy, watch men working?" This practice – watching "men work" as sport – will be forbidden beginning when the girls turn thirteen. Make that eleven.
The coolest surprise happened when: an anonymous Heartland couple asked if they could donate a grand piano to the church. I've secretly dreamt of such a day and so when I was asked whether we had the space on stage and how we would get it up there and how much it would - I said abruptly: "Yes! The answer is 'YES!' When someone offers to buy you a grand piano, the answer is ALWAYS YES!" Turns out, they purchased a seven foot, brand-spanking new Baldwin grand piano. Thank you anonymous couple, thank you.
Memories I'll never forget
#1: our last service at 8301. My emotions caught up to me when I gave our last benediction to close the 11:00 service. It was truly a beautiful time. So many of us met Jesus in that space, others experienced pivotal moments of growth. Some dedicated or baptized their children, while many grew up through our youth internship programs. Some met their loved ones at 8301 while others lost loved ones. So much life happened in those walls over the last 19 years and there was a sweet spirit of gratitude about us that day.
#2: our first service at 12175. I took a moment before our first service began and walked towards the huge window in our office area that faces the parking lot. No one else was around as I looked upon this perfect day – clear skies and unusually warm for November. What I saw took my breath away: the parking lot was FULL as people streamed towards our front doors. People I knew, many I didn't; old, young, singles and families alike. I was hardly noticed as everyone seemed too excited to look my way. It was like I had my own private moment with the Lord. I just stood there, thinking, "Dear God. Oh God. Wow, God. Please God." A combination of praise and wonder – and the added question of "how many of these people are someone's grandma from Wichita?"
#3: What you did to get us here - the number of volunteers that stood to be thanked throughout our "He is Good Celebration Service" on 11.4. It was so humbling to see how the whole Body of Jesus made this go journey happen; how every person's gifts, time, and every single dollar came into play to make our new day a reality.
#4: How you serve now - walking throughout the building one Sunday morning a few weeks back and seeing so many of you passionately engaged in serving. An amazing and inspiring picture!
The time I most felt God's provision over us: when we closed on our old facility at 8301 Lamar. To sell our facility at a fair market price during such a down time in the economy felt miraculous. To sell it to another great church seemed too good to be true (I've heard The Vineyard Church has made incredible improvements already!). Then to learn that they were selling their building to Westbrooke Church, who in turn was selling their building to a young church plant. For all four of us, these new buildings represented at least double the space.
This has been such a picture to me that God is aggressively at work in our city. It was also a reminder that we are just one little piece in God's great work. Lastly, the fact that The Vineyard is one of our 2 other partners this next year in "What If The Church..." (our other partner church is Christ Church) is testament to the very spirit of Jesus - that churches can navigate a complex contract and actually become friends as a result.
Something I would've never predicted: the fact that we would launch another church plant at the same time we were moving. The Gathering Network began on October 1st and is doing great. God moves in mysterious ways and I'm so proud of their leadership team and all our elder teams for getting behind His movement.
Things I'm praying for 2010:
- "Lord, as we grow...how are we going to get small?" In November alone, we've grown over 35% (not counting our grand opening). Our great challenge is to find greater ways of building community, growing relationships, and helping people to gather together, grow in Christ, and to go serve.
- "Lord, how can we continue to grow in generosity?" We're in a stable position financially but with greater opportunities to impact more lives, comes greater expenses. With this down economy and our commitment towards never letting the issue of money to become an obstacle for the unchurched, how can we all turn this necessary corner together?
- "Lord, how can we best keep our arrows pointed out?" I'm praying for wisdom over our Management Team and elders as we re-focus our missions partnerships and initiatives. How can we maximize our resources and efforts for the poor in a way that leads to lasting, redemptive impact?
- "Lord, what are you brewing for our 2nd Campaign?" What will be that God-sized task that will be unique in its purpose but equally as radical in its call? What will make us - once again - tremble before Him, need Him unlike ever before, and knit our hearts more closely with His?
To join us in these on-going prayers, please join us for prayer every Wednesday at noon in our prayer room.
The one thing that reminds me why we do what we do: when I met Kathleen Riley. Kathleen joined us for one of our very first Wednesday prayer times nearly a year ago. She walked in, not knowing a soul and – it turns out – the Sunday prior was her very first time to Heartland (at least in years). Over the last year, we have watched her become a follower of Jesus, grow more dependent upon Him, and begin to use her gifts to serve. We've even been privileged to walk alongside her through some medical hardship. The thing that sticks out to me about Kathleen is her hunger for God and her contagious joy to have found Him. In short, the new life she's found in Jesus reminds me what it's all about.
And Kathleen is just one of many who has started new lives in Christ in this last year. To be reminded of what it truly means to "build a church for the unchurched", watch the 2009 Baptism Video (Kathleen is the very last one featured, you can't miss her!).
Again, a lot has happened in this past year. Thank you for being such an integral part of it. God has been so good through you!
Happy New Year!
dan |
