Partners and Pancakes

Posted on December 13, 2008 by Carl

As I shared in my last post, the Lord gave me a business model that does nothing less than make my heart leap with excitement. There are four main things that this model seeks to address:

Providing for missionary pastors
Furthering the spread of the gospel
Meeting the physical needs of others
Giving an opportunity for those getting back on their feet to work

The Lord led me to use network marketing and affiliate marketing as the primary vehicles, because we can help a struggling person move from unemployed to employee (dependent upon a company) to business owner (controlling their own financial future).

I shared this concept with a room full of friends on Friday and everyone got excited, the ideas began flowing and we all agreed that the Lord had just birthed a Kingdom venture.

Today we went to South Bluff Park to make breakfast for the homeless. South Bluff Park is home to a large transient population and is primarily known for the drug dealing and prostitution that takes place. Our group had the pleasure of cooking up pancakes and ended up feeding about 20-25 people throughout the morning. Many quickly grabbed their food and moved on, while others stayed and allowed us to build relationships.

There is a battle going on for the heart of our city. I am convinced that we will never see Corpus Christi transformed until we see this part of the city transformed. The sweeping move of the Holy Spirit is necessary for the bondage of addiction to be broken.

Simplicity Solutions

Posted on December 12, 2008 by Carl

I am developing a for profit business model called Simplicity Solutions that will be used to help fund the church planting, benevolence and other ministries of Simplicity.

Simplicity Solutions is a conglomeration of MLM and Affiliate commerce ventures that will be used to provide an income for new church planters, people getting back on their feet and the lead pastors for the Simplicity network.

Simplicity Solutions…Life Shouldn’t be Complicated

Mission: A for profit corporation that is in business to create financial funding for the furtherance of the Great Commission through Simplicity Church Network and its affiliated ministries.

· Purpose

o Bring Christ into the Marketplace

o Use commerce to fund the work of the Kingdom

o Give the servants of God a means to support themselves

o Give the lowly a tool to improve themselves

· The Model

o A business of businesses

§ Utilizing ecommerce and MLM strategies

· Creates ownership

o Profits used to for:

§ Financial provision for Simplicity Church Network pastors and their church planting efforts

§ Seed money for church plants

§ Ministry projects

§ Reinvestment for further profits

o Creates a tent-making role for church planters

§ Constant contact with the unchurched

o Creates a place of work for those needing a fresh start

· Goals

o A complete support solution for church planters

o Support for Kingdom work worldwide

o Providing employment opportunities for those getting back on their feet

You can join in on the action as well as we will be looking for affiliates for our the different businesses and people to market product. This is also an opportunity for you to make some additional income as well. The primary thrust of these businesses is marketing, although some of these offer a traditional sales model.

Here are the first few pieces of Simplicity Solutions:

ProMedXHealth

Advantage Nutritionals

Cognigen

Eniva

Reverse Phone Detective

USFreeads

Cash Making Powersites

Unlimited Game Download Website

Homemade Energy

Finally!

Posted on December 4, 2008 by Carl

Today, I was finally able to complete the certificate of occupancy process with the city. After multiple inspections, hours of waiting and an open faced toilet seat…we’re finally done.

Tonight’s Organic Group was great. We have been ministering to a family that my wife has gotten to know through contact at my children’s school. This week one of their family members passed away and I showed up a few minutes after her passing. I had a chance to minister to the grieving husband and tonight he called asking if he could join us for Organic Group. I think we will develop a great relationship in the days to come.

Constantly in Awe

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Carl

Walking with God is such an amazing journey. I find myself constantly in awe of His handiwork. The precision with which He conducts the symphony of life is a beautiful thing to behold indeed.

Today of course is no exception. Today I sat down to pay the first of the month bills and as has been the case these past 5 weeks, there was just enough. I’m not rolling in excess, but there was just enough to meet the needs of today.

The two websites that I launched yesterday made a combined total of 10 sales in the first 24 hours of operation, so that was also another praise. I am working on some marketing techniques that tap into my love for writing…in short bursts I might add (perfect for those of us with attention deficit disorder).

Tonight we had a large and diversified collection of people in our Organic Group. One of our group was wrestling with some fears that were born out of a season of testing she was going through. Our discussion led us tonight to the promises of God, how they are so huge and from our perspective nearly impossible; yet, we take confidence in those promises because they are rooted in the very righteousness of God. When this woman left tonight, she was testifying of the weight that had been lifted through the reminder of God’s character and faithfulness.

Tonight I received an email from a pastor in Iowa who would like to begin a dialogue of how to start a Simplicity work in his community.

Excuse me while I go to the fire hydrant for another overwhelming gulp of “Living Water.”

Catching up

Posted on December 1, 2008 by Carl

With Thanksgiving I’ve gotten behind on the blog. So let me give you a quick rundown of some of the happenings over the extended weekend.

On Thursday we spent the morning at Mission 911. Mission 911 is around the corner from our church building in the South Bluff Park area of Corpus Christi. Mission 911 offers people the opportunity to get back on their feet with food, shelter, spiritual food and a sense of purpose. Mission 911 had already held their Thanksgiving celebration the week before, so our purpose was simple…hang out and get to know people.

We spent Wednesday evening baking cookies, pastries and other treats for the residents to enjoy. Once we arrived, we laid out the goodies and spent our time getting to know people. I had the opportunity to minister to a man who had been a resident the year before. His wife had left him recently and he arrived that morning looking to connect with the counselor that had helped him in the past. As we talked, he shared that he had given up hope and didn’t know how he could press on. By the time he left, God had done a work within Him. Just as he knew God had brought him up from the depths a year before, He also knew that God was willing to walk with Him through these dark days as well. Our greatest impact during the day was with the neighborhood children. We have been asked to consider starting something for the children on Saturdays and will be praying through that in the coming days.

About 2 weeks ago, the ministry was given a 1992 Jaguar. The car is currently in my driveway and not running, as the fuel system needs some work. On Saturday one of the men from the church and I spent a good portion of the day dismantling the fuel system, only to find out that the fuel pump we had was too large. This week we will try to complete the work and sell the car to further the ministry of Simplicity.

On Sunday, Mike preached his first message. He kept telling me he was terrified, but God spoke through him in spite of any fears he may have had. The video of his message is on the www.simplicitycc.org website under “media.”

Over the weekend, I began working with some e-commerce ideas I have had. I am hoping to develop a business model that can be developed to help support future church planters and ministry leaders. I currently have two websites up and running www.luvmyhog.com and www.healthmartxpress.com. I will be looking to develop a marketing strategy that can be cross pollinated for future use by other planters.

The development of a secular business model has become somewhat of a priority for me, as I realize that the one stumbling block for many potential Simplicity leaders will be the question of supporting their families, since one of the values of Simplicity Church is the use of bi-vocational and self-supporting pastors.

People Matter

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Carl

One of my stated core values is “people matter.” Today we put feet to that value by spending the morning at Mission 911. Mission 911 is a community of hope, help and unconditional love that is located around the corner from our church storefront. Mission 911 did their formal Thanksgiving dinner last week, so we came up this morning to just “hang out” and get to know people.

One of the things that I consider important in my ministry is relationships. I do not want to be a church that shows up throws some money and materials at a problem, takes a few pictures and leaves. So the priority today was to build relationships and look for opportunities for further ministry.

Throughout the morning we got to know some of the local children who enjoyed some intense games of Uno and Monopoly. We got to know a man who has bicycled throughout the Southern US and Mexico. We met a man who was hoping to find housing with the mission. Another man, who a year ago was a resident, returned today in tears as his family had fallen apart in the past few months. I watched as tears flowed from his eyes and ultimately God reminded Him that He was not alone.

The mission has no spiritual activities on Saturdays and there are no activities for the local children. Mike and I will spend time seeking God’s direction as to our role in the lives of these precious people that God loves deeply.

Drinking from a Fire Hydrant

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Carl

Over the past few days I have been explaining these first few weeks of Simplicity as “drinking from a fire hydrant.” The Lord has opened so many avenues of ministry, allowed me to have so many incredible conversations and brought me into communication with so many people…I am simply drenched in the enormity of His goodness.

Today was just another example. This morning I started out with contact from a pastor in Kenya who runs a school for local pastors. He was introduced to me by the man in South Carolina I have been conversing with about Simplicity. This pastor needs to be affiliated with a ministry organization for his school to be recognized by the Kenyan government. I believe this is a need we can easily address for him.

Next I had my final city inspection from the fire department. Tomorrow I will go turn in all of the inspection reports and get the certificate of occupancy on the building.

My next meeting was with the director and founder of the local rescue mission that we are going to partner with. Wouldn’t you know, by Divine design of course, the mission is up a few blocks and around the corner from our church building. The opportunities to bless one another were staggering and Mike was nearly in tears as he got to see the working reality of a dream he has had for 8 years.

I ended the day praying with a Christian business man who is supposed to have surgery on a tumor in the morning that has overtaken his sinus cavities. This man’s heart is to bring Jesus into the world of small business and his affirmation of my efforts was a great blessing. We prayed together trusting Jesus to do the impossible.

I am privileged to have been invited to drink from the “fountain” of God’s work in my generation.

The Weekend in Review

Posted on November 24, 2008 by Carl

Last week, the ministry was given a 1992 Jaguar that needs a new fuel pump and fuel filter. Other than that it seems to be in working condition. Saturday a man showed up at the house and asked if the Jaguar was for sale. I told him that it would be, but I wanted to get it running first. I explained that it had been donated to our ministry.

The man kept asking me what I wanted for it. I told him that I was unsure, but I gave him blue book values and said that if it was running, I would be looking for a certain amount and if it wasnt’ running I would be looking for a certain amount. The man said he would like to buy it, but if it was running what he really would like to do is trade a 1997 quad-cab Chevrolet pickup for it. Immediately, I saw prayers being answered.

Mike and I are both in the process of downsizing our debt loads to become much more fluid and flexible with the ministry. He will be working on selling his car and I am asking the Lord to help me pay down the note on my truck so I can sell it. The Lord impressed upon me that this truck would be a ministry provision for both of us. Since Mike and I both ride our motorcycles for regular commuting, we don’t particularly need a second vehicle every day of the week. The provision of this truck would allow us to both utilize it as needed and would be beneficial in our ministry as we seek to touch lives with the hands of Jesus. The man will be checking back with me next weekend to see if I have the Jaguar running, your prayers and knowledge of Jaguar automobiles are both welcomed.

Since launching Simplicity, we have had the privilege of getting to know a young woman who has beaten an addiction, staying clean for over two years now. She recently completed a job training program and has also come to faith in Jesus Christ. One of the desires of her heart has been to have her husband join her as a close partner in faith. Yesterday we had the privilege of seeing her husband join her in our Sunday celebration. God is so awesome.

One of the ladies who had attended Simplicity our first weekend was having difficulty finding our building yesterday and nearly gave up on coming. On the last attempt, I was able to guide her to the building and this morning, I learned why she was having such difficulty Yesterday the words of Christ set her free from a burden she has been carrying with her for 30 years. Nothing compares to the freedom Christ brings to our lives.

Body Life

Posted on November 21, 2008 by Carl

Romans 12:4-5 (NASB)
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Last night was a beautiful illustration of life in the body of Christ. Since launching Simplicity, we have come into fellowship with a couple who have been walking on a wonderful journey with the Lord. Their heart is for the broken and forgotten of our world, but they had not found a body to be joined together with.

So last night we got to sharing our various journeys and how God had stretched us in our understanding of His working within our lives. The greatest part of this interaction was watching the Holy Spirit speak to and through one another in profound ways. Words were shared that were freeing, reaffirming and directionally oriented. In some instances the person speaking did not realize that the words being spoken were directed towards the heart of another in the room.

This by far was one of the greatest of experiences in the early life of Simplicity.

A blessing, a bummer, a test, a provision and repentance

Posted on November 19, 2008 by Carl

Yesterday was so cram packed with opportunities, challenges and blessings that it took me a day to process it all.

I began Tuesday with a phone appointment with Ben in Hilton Head Beach, SC. God has been stirring this man’s heart towards a simplistic expression of faith for the past 4 years. He has been to conferences, read books and talked via phone and internet with some of the experts in house church life. We came into contact with each other when I saw a request he had put out over the internet for a church planter to help establish a new work in his community. We spoke for about an hour and both agreed that the Lord seemed to be bringing us together. I gave Ben some thoughts on how to find others who were yearning for the same expression of faith and we will begin working together to establish a new faith community in his community. As you are praying for Ben, ask the Lord to identify for Ben those who will join him in launching this new work.

That phone call was a high point for sure. Shortly there after we received the bummer. Our property manager in Pennsylvania called to inform us that our tenants were moving out at the end of the month, because we had not replaced the roof and it was still leaking. I actually handled this one fairly well, but Carol took it hard. I prayed for her and then left to meet with our other pastor, Mike.

While I was meeting with Mike, the Lord showed me something. The phone call with Ben was the work of God’s kingdom. It is the kind of thing that Jesus tells us to seek first. The Lord reminded me that He had already promised the provisions for my family,and that I needed to focus on seeking the provisions for the opportunities that come about. So the direction was clear, forget about the roof, God already has that in His hands, but instead focus on Ben and the planting efforts in SC, focus on the pastors in India, focus on the Organic Groups…why? The words of Jesus say it all: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” With this marching order I shifted my focus back to the work of the Kingdom.

As I blogged about earlier, the Lord used a question about my needs to expose and confront an area of pride that was preventing the Lord from caring for me as He intends to. On Monday afternoon I had sent my needs to those who had asked and to my prayer intercessor. My intercessor wrote me back reminding me of a sermon illustration I have used about missing God’s provisions. She also reminded me that God simply wanted me to extend my hands to receive His provisions with a thankful heart.

By the time our Organic Group started last night God had brought forth three separate provisions for our family. One of these provisions was directly related to the tearing down that God did within me the previous afternoon.

One of the things that the Lord has helped me see these past few days was the error of my ways in some of my financial decisions of the past several years. This is what I mean…we currently have two vehicle payments. When we bought these vehicles we prayed and thought we were making prudent decisions by purchasing low mileage vehicles that appeared to be capable of giving a good life of service. There is a problem with those decisions they never took into account that God might ask us to drop everything and I do mean everything to follow Him in a walk of faith. We were not listening for God’s voice or allowing ourselves to be fully dependent upon God’s provisions at that point in our lives. I had a good salary and didn’t expect that would be changing, except perhaps increasing. I realize now that I need to stay as financially lean and mean as I can so that I am never prevented from following where God leads. This morning Carol and I spent some time in confession and repentance of these decisions. We are asking the Lord to show us the way in removing those burdens from our life.

Journey To Simplicity