Open Mike

Fun Facts About St. Patrick and Guinness Beer on March 17

Here on St. Patrick's Day, a few fun facts in honor of my great historical mentor (and subject of my doctoral thesis titled "The Transformational Missiological Leadership of St. Patrick").

St. Patrick:  YES there was BEER involved in his mission in the 400's, to tell the Celts the good news of God's love through Jesus Christ.  He does not mention beer in the two short works he left to history, "The Confession" and "Letter to Coroticus," which can be read in one sitting here  https://www.confessio.ie/#

BUT beer is mentioned as part of the mission when it is first described in writing by someone else, a number of years later.  Patrick took with him to Ireland many priests, deacons, bakers, etc as part of a large team. Included in the list is a personal beer brewer for Patrick.  It would have been not just for merriment, but also for something clean to drink in swampy areas with no potable water they might encounter.

[picture of the oldest church in Ireland, traceable to the time of St Patrick: Saul Church]

Guinness Beer: Was not in existence in Patrick's day. But it is an outstanding example of Christian Irish business people, inheriting the faith of St. Patrick, living 'on mission for Christ' through good, profitable work and blessing others purposefully, starting in the 1700's.   I learned this from the book "The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World."

I recommend this as a quick, enjoyable, spiritually encouraging read.  From the book jacket:

"It began in Ireland in the mid 1700s. The water in Ireland, indeed throughout Europe, was famously undrinkable, and the gin and whiskey that took its place devastated civil society. It was a disease ridden, starvation-plagued, alcoholic age, and Christians like Arthur Guinness—as well as monks and even evangelical churches—brewed beer that provided a healthier alternative to the poisonous waters and liquors of the times. This is where the Guinness tale began. Now, 250 years and over 150 countries later, Guinness is a global brand, one of the most consumed beverages in the world. The tale that unfolds during those two and a half centuries has power to thrill audiences today: the generational drama, business adventure, industrial and social reforms, deep-felt faith, and the noble beer itself.

For readers who love history, cultural studies, religious debate, and stories of business success. 

What readers will learn with this book...

• The earthy, human, and holy importance of honing a craft over time
• Example of a family seeking to do good in the world as an offering to God
• How unexpected and small things impact the history of humanity
• Inspirational fuel for entrepreneurial dreams"

So tonight, Angie and I will toast St. Patrick with a Guinness. And I will recount again how the study of his spiritual and entrepreneurial leadership has so influenced me and my work.  So, in the words of the common Irish toast - Slainte!  It literally means 'health,' with the feeling of when we say 'cheers!'

 

Monkified Prayer: Mike the Monk

I spent half my April vacation working as a monk.

Which immediately brings to mind two questions - "why would you do something like that on vacation?"  Well I'm me, you're you, and saying that God makes everyone different is another way of saying he pre programmed us to think the other is weird.  I hope you enjoy my account of the experience, and don't worry, I don't think its for everyone.

"Wait, you said 'working' as a monk - but I thought monks don't work, they mostly pray, right?"  Exactly. To quote David Wilcox, "it's hard work. but its good work, if you can get it."

I traveled to the mountains of Meteora, Greece, where there are six small Greek Orthodox monasteries which have been precariously perched on top of pillared cliffs for over 800 years. 

Until a few decades ago, the only access was to gain permission to be hauled up in a net by rope and pulley for a visit.  For the sake of solitude and safety (during Greece's occupation by the Ottoman empire, which saw brutal repression, these monasteries nurtured and hid Greek patriots of their rebellion).  But some time ago they cut stairs and tunnels into the cliffs, opening up to the eyes of curious visitors and spiritual pilgrims. One of the locations was featured in the James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.

The Meteora Monasteries don't allow overnight guests, so I rented a room in the village of Kastraki, nestled at the foot of the mountains. Each morning I began my prayer routine on the balcony of that room, overlooking the range.

Then I hiked to a different monastery to pray and worship for the day. I fasted for lunch, to keep my body reminded and tuned like a tuning fork toward my primary hunger and purpose each day.  The fasting was only a true challenge on the day my hike was a strenuous 2 hours each way.

Upon arrival each day, I would first light a candle at the prayer station on my way into the sanctuary of that particular community, praying for anyone I just met along the trail, for the monks or nuns of that place, and for Lake Forest Church.

 

I would then find as unobtrusive of a seating place as possible (most sanctuaries are micro, and there are tourists walking through in bursts most of the day),

pull out my prayer guide and Bible, and begin to pray and worship. During times of silence scheduled for my prayer order, I would often walk around and gaze at the beautiful paintings and icons depicting various persons or moments in God's story, a joyful way to keep my mind on Christ and God's Word. 

At times I had each sanctuary to myself, and when I reached a hymn or the chanting of a Psalm at those times I could sing aloud, enjoying the acoustics that made it sound like I was part of a choir rather than alone. Glorious. The monk in charge of the church that day always got a kick out of this odd Protestant making music in their sacred place.

When each monastery closed to guests at the end of the day (some 5, some 6, others 7pm), I would hike back to the village, enjoy Greek cuisine at an outdoor café on the town square (always including an appetizer of baked feta), then read and pray my final prayers in my room before bed.

 So what did I actually DO in order to pray all day?  I did what's known as Praying the Hours, or Praying the Office(s).  The classic monastic pattern of life is to have a service, or 'office' of prayer at eight different set times each day, including once in the middle of the night (rather than schedule that one by alarm clock, I let my 50 year old prostate wake me).  Did you know that the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches today officially recommend that all of their members pray three of these prayer offices daily? Early morning, mid-day, and evening.  Kind of kicks tail over evangelicals recommendation of a single daily quiet time.

What does each 'office' or prayer look like? The majority of it is praying or chanting scripture back to the Lord as prayer (again, for a long time I thought evangelicals had the corner on the 'praying scripture' market).  The order can vary a bit, but the guide that I chose (see sidebar on my books) began with a two line refrain to sing, that was different for each of the eight offices.  Second would be a couple of short scriptures that function as a call to enter the Lord's presence.  Third would be to sing the refrain again.  Fourth would be to chant a number of Psalms (this section determines how long or short a time you spend in each office; in a week a monastic community chants all the way through the book of Psalms, which I managed to almost squeeze into my days; yes I learned their manner of chanting). Fifth is a hymn with all its verses. Sixth is a New Testament reading.  Seventh, sing the refrain again.  Eighth, silence.  Ninth, my own prayers.  Tenth, sing the refrain.  Eleventh, chant short phrases from the Psalms.

Each of these daily prayer services can last as short as fifteen minutes.  But when prayed as one's job, like a monk, they each take between thirty and sixty minutes.  Do that eight times a day, and you see why I called it 'working as a monk' - that's your main job that day, its a lot of time.

And that's exactly how monks (at their best) have seen it for centuries.  That YOU have a calling or vocation in life, I have a calling to a certain job in life.  But THEIR primary calling or work, is to pray.  And they call it an 'office' for a reason.  That word is used in the sense of a public servant - a person is elected or appointed to the 'office' of town clerk, for instance.  Their job is to serve the public and the town by fulfilling that 'office,' or job. Some monastic communities build in a high level of physical work (like Mother Teresa caring for the dying poor), but most if not all live their lives oriented around the eight daily offices as their primary 'job.'

Monks experience a desire, a calling, to serve God by rendering the praise due to Him alone, all day every day, as their work.  Its that simple.  I never understood that before.  I used to judge them for their reclusiveness and inactivity. No longer.  Their solitude is not their aim, its an aid, to help them do their primary work as well as possible.  They are not in defensive retreat from the world, instead they daily hold the world and its pain close to their heart and lift it up to God's heart in prayer, as their unique and powerful form of service to humanity (if you believe in the power of prayer). This is my description of the monastic calling at its best (I wince when people judge pastors by the worst of us, and so encourage Protestants to judge monks by the best of them).

THAT is what I set out to do for those four and a half days.  Render back to God what is due to Him alone - unceasing prayer, honor and praise.  As an act of service, not supplication.  As a gift to my Lord, not an experience of mine (though the location certainly resulted in an overflow of joy and beauty). As a response of love, from the beloved to the divine Lover, who first loved and continuously loves me and the world.

Here's the most unique thing that happened to me during my days of Praying the Hours.  Because I 'put on' this ancient, tried-and-true way of serving God in prayer, I had to 'put off' my more habitual approach to prayer/reading scripture/worshipping/going to church.  By praying 95% scripture and hymns, particularly the Psalms...And by praying as a gift back to God, with the sole intent of giving Him joy by rendering His due...

One result was that I had zero of the anxiety or self-questions that I often bring to prayer, worship and church: 'did I experience God today?' 'did I learn something from God's Word or get something out of it' 'do I feel closer to God' 'did I hear the Lord correctly about the issue I'm seeking direction on' 'did I pray for the right items in my life and other peoples lives today'  'did I get the new vision or direction that God wants me to have for my life and the church?'

All of those questions and more are what I unthinkingly use to evaluate my prayers and times in God's Word, alone and with the church.  And they are not wrong.  But they are particularly Protestant and evangelical as a habit,  and they are not healthy as my primary focus in prayer, reading and worship. Because if these are my 'go to' unexamined attitudes in prayer, they result in self and human focus in prayer, rather than on the Triune God. This is a critique Catholics and Orthodox often make of us, and it rings true as a weakness; its also a point that the best of our Presbyterian heritage seeks to correct, teaching us to render worship back to God primarily because it is our highest work or duty to glorify Him.

I noticed my lack of anxiety or questing early on, and enjoyed the peacefulness of this type of prayer, which I labored at solely as gift to God. I didn't have any need to 'do it right,' or 'find the right words.' Nor did I care at all about 'getting something out of it.'  It was prayer as objective gift, almost like a wrapped birthday present, that is handed to the Lord by the simple act of doing it in the manner and form that I received from others.

I learned that its good and right for you and I to sometimes view prayer as an objective act of gifting ourselves to God, rather than as primarily a subjective thing to be evaluated for its quality. Of course, solely viewing prayer as an objective practice can lead to rote repetition and eventual deadness, just like solely viewing prayer as a subjective experience to be evaluated leads to either a shallow me-focus, or a frustrated quest for ever-better emotional highs from my experience of prayer.

I also noticed a sense of quiet satisfaction.  Do you know how you feel when you've simply done your job for the day, and now its time to go home?  You don't necessarily leave the office and say 'wow, what an experience I just had' or 'wow, that changed my life' or 'man, I just learned and grew a ton.' On most good work days you turn out the light and leave with a sense of, 'I did a good job today, I did the mundane, maybe a biggie or two, and served the purpose I was hired for.' That is satisfying, peaceful.  'Good work if you can get it.' 

I guess that's what this type of prayer 'felt like' for me, and it is mostly a new one that I hope to carry into my morning devotions, my 'arrow prayers' throughout the day, evening prayers, and times of worship with my friends at Lake Forest Church.  I hope it sounds something like this:

"This is my service unto you, O God, because you are worthy to be praised, to be adored, and I have spent this time in prayer/Bible/worship/church primarily as an act of serving you and rendering back what is only due to You. I do so because of your great glory, goodness and love, and in gratitude for your famous acts of salvation culminating in Jesus Christ, Your Son.  I thank you for any overflow of gift back into my life from this time and receive it as bonus, not my wage or my due. Amen."

 

 

 

 

Lake Forest's Special Sauce

Every now and then I get asked a funny question by new church planting pastors who appreciate the uniqueness of what God has done in our church: "Mike, what's the secret to the growth/health of your church?" (most pastors use one of those words as their primary buzz for success, depending on the books they read). 

At first, I used to give a completely 'aw shucks, I don't know' non-answer.  Because as we all know (and the questioners do too) there's never one secret to something like a healthy church that's hitting what I define as 'successful' (my definition of church success for LFC: continuous God-stories of new faith and growing faith in Jesus.  If I stop hearing one or the other of those kinds of stories, look out, we need to blow some things up here that ain't working).  I also gave non-answers because I'm more aware than anyone of all the ways we are not getting it right and owe the LORD more faithful execution of our stated aspirations.

But then I thought, you know what, there is one fundamental aspect to LFC that is sort of a secret to most because its behind the scenes and relatively unknown.  I often call it our special sauce.  Because I know the power of this factor since LFC began, and I know the rarity of it in most churches. 

Here's the special sauce, such as it is:  The strength and unity of our elders, especially the dance of mutual submission the elders and me have danced for fourteen years now.  We believe in this principle of church governance - the Spirit leads the church through the plurality of leaders (especially elders) not the singularity of the pastor.  So the elders as a whole must truly lead the church, even as the head elder (in our system called 'Lead Pastor') is allowed to function as first among equals.  How do we 'do that'?  All I can say is its a dance in which the lead and follow are almost indistinguishable from one another because of unity.  This unity is partly possible because of the fact that we select very few elders, they are distinguished for their shepherding track record within the church, we never ever ever believe the lie of electing a 'loyal opposition,' and they are rigorously vetted for godly character and leadership and discernment gifts (all the other qualities can be present, but if an elder doesn't have a true leadership gift they will by nature jam up the overall function of the leadership body).  Oh yea, no crusaders for one cause or ministry allowed - they all have a heart for the overall church.  And we have met weekly, Tuesdays at 6:30am for fourteen years (gives us tight relational connection, we never have to bring up and decide a weighty matter in the same meeting, and meetings don't drag on - everyone has to get to work).

That's why I'm on edge, in a good way, that we did the unthinkable last month and changed our elder schedule.  Yes, at just 14 years old, LFC has our own version of sacred cows and traditions - our weekly elder meeting has been one of those, in a good way.  Hopefully we are adjusting the 'special sauce' to better fit the current reality of LFC, and we aren't ruining it.  Our primary motivation for change was the need to continue to separate the elder and staff functions as the church gets a bit larger - elders focused on guarding health and doctrine and setting direction.  So I thought you'd like to see the document I drew up for our elders that details our new plan, and reminds us why we're making the changes:

New Elder Schedule for 2013

Goals:

1. Preserve core strength of LFC elders’ unity and power: relational connection  (don’t lose our special sauce while trying to achieve other goals) through meeting more than 1x monthly
2. Achieve right focus of elder agenda for next 5 years (rather than maintaining past/current foci) by Increasing and Institutionalizing the following:
   a. regular practice of Scripture meditation and prayer together, including discernment of our Body of Christ as shepherds
   b. philosophy of ministry discussion and ministry skills training
   c. dream frequently together about annual church focus and long-term vision
   d. Discussion and decision of elder-appropriat matters through gate-keeping agenda setting and pre-reading sent to elders

Method:  One evening meeting with a meal, and two morning meetings monthly.

Tactical:

2^nd & 3^rd Tuesday mornings:  6:30-8am          Discussion and Decisions as shepherd leaders

4^th Monday evening: 6-8pm                             Dinner, Prayer, Scripture, Training, Dreaming

I hope this is helpful and encouraging to those of you at LFC - please pray for our elders this year.  I also hope this example is helpful for you church leaders laboring faithfully in your own, other corner of His vineyard - may you lead well in 2013 toward more and better disciples of Jesus Christ.

What do you get when you cross a hippie, a rock star, and Robert Webber?

You get the right Worship Arts Director for Lake Forest Church!  Okay, that's not EXACTLY right, but our search is on, and me and the search team took a long time to craft the position and cast the right vision for the future of our church.  Lake Forest has been led well up to this point, and is being served SO WELL by our current worship team and leadership, and interesting guest leaders.  I am so thankful for the amazing servants and talents in all of our worship ministries - being a good steward of such gifted people is one of our many motivating factors in getting this national search right.

So, how do the hippie, rock star, and Robert Webber fit together? (Webber is who coined the phrase Ancient Future Worship, and wrote books on the theme).  Well, let me show you our position description.  If you are part of Lake Forest, you'll see a bit of the method behind our madness in this description, attempted explanations for why we do what we do. We don't claim to get it all right - but these are our aspirations as clearly as we can state them.  If you know anyone who may fit the position, please encourage them to apply.  One worship leader friend of mine read the job description for me and commented: "Dude, this job description leaves no time to go to the bathroom!" Re-reading it, that may be true - so we will look for a leader who can delegate well.

Our search team is led by JT Taylor (long-time LFC worship team member and international human resources professional, and crazy-good slalom water skier), combined with me, Wendy Penn, Jack Cathey, Robert Conrad, Chuck Lee, someone from LFC-D, and Jesse McLoud.  We erred on the side of over-communicating in this job description, instead of choosing brevity.  Here it is:

Overview  Are you a worship leader who can create a worship experience for skeptics, spiritual explorers, and believers alike? Do you thrive in the practical and theological tension of a church that values both attractional and missional ministry? Do you dream about the opportunity to experiment, on a large scale, with rock-oriented worship that creatively reinterprets ancient Christian practices? Lake Forest Church (LFC) is seeking a Worship Arts Director with the vision and talent to help us meet our goal: to glorify God by transforming consumers into worshipers.

Who We Are  LFC is a 14 year old church of 1,500-2,000 people in four services between two campuses, with plans to launch a third campus within the next 12 months. Started in 1998 by Mike Moses, LFC is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and is known for ‘reaching people who’ve given up on church,  but not on God’, through a clear and engaging focus on Jesus, spiritual growth in small groups, and intentional deployment outward in mission. Our worship experience has been a key element in our growth and discipleship. We seek a person with vision and experience in leading the people of God to worship Him in ways that include the following:

Worship Participants: We take Paul’s instructions for worship in I Cor. 14:18-25 as normative. Gathered Christian worship should always take into account three different persons: the believer (Christian), the inquirer (whom we call ‘spiritual explorer'), and the nonbeliever (whom we refer to as a ‘skeptic’). Thus we envision, plan and lead worship services intended to edify Christians, as well as engage skeptics and spiritual explorers.

Musical Style: LFC pursues and expects excellence in musical instrumentation and voice because it honors God and powerfully expresses God’s beauty to both the redeemed and the seeking heart. Adult contemporary rock is the primary musical style in our local culture, so it is our worship style.  We also experiment along a broad spectrum of musical genres.

Creative Worship Elements: At LFC, worship is more than words and music. We use a wide variety of art forms including: short film, ambient lighting, specific musical genres (blues), unique stage/set design for each new sermon series, original poetry, participatory rehearsal of truth (ex. use of fingerprint ink pads at communion stations for all to rehearse their identity in Christ), painting, sculpture, lots of humor, and more.

Ancient/Future Worship:  While LFC is a ‘today’s musical style’ church, we continually explore how early Christian worship models can be applied to the postmodern church, for the dual purposes of deeply rooted discipleship and effective worship evangelism. Whether celebrating the season of Lent, setting up and praying the Stations of the Cross during Holy Week, or singing hymns, ancient/future is an emerging element of our worship approach.

Role Overview   Reporting dually to the Lead Pastor and Executive Director, the primary responsibilities of the Worship Arts Director will be to lead musical worship at the LFC-Huntersville campus (personally and/or through others) and to lead weekly and long-term all-LFC worship service planning and execution (creative service elements, music, sound, lights, a/v, presentation software and more) at all of our campuses.  This person will continuously elevate the worship at our campuses by resourcing, encouraging, and developing their worship leaders.  General duties for this full-time staff role include:

Weekly Worship

• Plan and coordinate song sets and service flow for Sunday worship services that enhances the message, atmosphere and worship theme
• Manage weekly rehearsals and ensure all worship arts elements are of high quality and that all worship arts teams are fully prepared for Sunday morning
• Oversee the scheduling of the worship team including instrumentalists, vocalists, media and AV.
• Complete weekly post-service reviews

Creativity

• Act as a catalyst for creativity, pushing boundaries and translating creative vision into reality.
• Elevate the “Sunday morning experience” by immersing in and staying abreast of worship arts best practices
• Utilize special events, guest appearances and musical alternatives to open the door to new attendees

Teambuilding

• Maintain the health and spirit of the primarily volunteer worship team with regular personal connection and encouragement
• Build and expand the team and its range of talent by recruiting, engaging, auditioning and onboarding new talent.
• Mentor, teach and inspire team members, providing a strong, biblical approach to the spiritual development of the team.
• Establish and embody a Christ-focused culture of excellence

Communications

• Coordinate and integrate the work plans of other campuses and ministry areas to promote alignment in the overall vision and strategy.
• Foster the flow of communication between the worship arts teams, the Lead Pastor, XD and other ministries, fostering an environment of cooperation, trust and openness
• Must be able to manage energetic, very talented and high-spirited team members and resolve conflicts in a Christ-like,yet decisive, manner

 Leadership

• Take a leadership role in strategic thematic planning for worship, preaching and teaching
• Serve as required for senior leadership matters, particularly regarding strategic planning
• Effectively supervise staff, which include paid staff and volunteers.

 Operations

• In coordination with the XD, develop, manage and comply with annual worship arts budget
• Ensure that all instruments, lighting, sound, and multimedia equipment is in proper
  working condition and always operational.
• Plan for future equipment needs and priorities, and provide for the protection and
  inventory of church equipment
• In coordination with the Lead Pastor and XD, define success measures for worship
  arts ministry.

 Requirements

• Must have a saving faith in Jesus Christ and be willing to commit to the mission and motivations of LFC
• 5+ years of experience as a Worship Leader
• Must be able to effectively express ideas and communicate the Word of God in a relevant, innovative manner
• Demonstrated experience in managing staff and volunteers
• Bachelor degree in relevant professional field with relevant graduate degree a bonus
• Need not be ordainable in the EPC, but must have the ability to think theologically about worship and be comfortable with the Reformed understanding of Scripture

For more on Lake Forest Church see www.lakeforest.org Interested candidates should email resume and media samples to Suzanne Powell: [email protected]

Patron Saints, Heavy Questions, Ambition vs. Obedience: Themes from My Sabbatical Learnings (Next Tues 6:30-8pm is Sabbatical Discussion)

During the last week of my sabbatical, I went to the mountains and started a document titled "Learnings from 2012 Sabbatical."  So far, I've written 15 pages under some of the following headings (here we are remembering our baptisms outside of Phillippi):

But before I list some of them, remember you are invited to our "Sabbatical Discussion Night" next Tuesday, 6:30-8pm at Lake Forest-Huntersville.  Angie and I will show pictures, I will talk about a few of these learnings in depth, and then we can discuss.  Snacks and drinks provided (One of our ministry partners is graciously making some authentic Greek food as snacks).

Here are the first few lines of some of my learning themes:

Questions me and my friends began the sabbatical with:  Before leaving, I went to three friends and two mentors with the question, ‘What questions do you think I should ask of the Lord during my sabbatical?’ I wrote them down and prayed those questions all summer...

“Clarity of Focus”:  My journal entry from 4/13/12: “I am getting excited about sabbatical. I have no doubt the time will be enriching and fun, for me and the family (Ireland, Greece, Italy, Austria – how can it not be??).  My greatest concern and prayer is to not only learn and refresh, but to exit with clarity of focus.  Lord, that’s what I’m asking from you.  I want to set some goals for that, but I also want to see it just happen also...”

Ambitious pride versus faithful obedience to mission. I have submitted myself to reading and reflecting about the dangers of pastoral leadership and vision emanating from the ego of the pastor more than the command of God.  I am reflective about this danger and tension. Paul tells Timothy very directly that leadership in the church...

My Monkish Need for a Rule of Life (chosen, weekly repeated rhythm of spiritual and life practices):  From my journal 5/18/12:  The heart of Psalm 116 for me (which the Lord gave me for sabbatical, and I turned into a meditative song) is “Return, O my soul, to your rest.  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.”  The godly missionary monks of ancient Ireland ‘returned’ daily, even hourly, to Christ as their rest, by living according to their chosen Rule. Which was their way of fulfilling Psalm 116’s prayer to ‘keep my vows unto the LORD.’  Their Rule recalled their body,mind and soul to rest in the LORD and directed their steps to walk before him.   As for me?  I am never advanced, wise, grown, or mature enough to forsake my own basic Rule of Life. Which I am privileged to re-set when I return in August..."

My patron monastic saint for the year: Yes, yes its Patrick always.  He is my life-long patron saint. However, this summer I studied and experienced the history of Ireland’s second generation of Celtic Christian leaders, and acquired another specific historical mentor in ministry...

Play: My first sabbatical was primarily themed ‘rest.’ This time, the Lord called me to ‘play’ as the overarching theme, setting the tone for the next years of my life...

Healing Prayer at the Upper Lake of Glendalough: The most intimate moment I shared with the Lord was at the upper lake of Glendalough, Ireland.  5/17/12 journal entry: “For these three days, I am using the exterior geography of this ancient monastic center to guide exploration of my interior geography..."

Church Multiplication:  “Lake Forest – A Church Distributed?” to emphasize multi-site is not about US, its about distributing people who are living on mission into the community where they live.  What did Paul do?  Multiply churches which remained connected with one another. St Patrick?...

I'm looking forward to discussing these and other themes next Tuesday night, including implications for our life together following Jesus as Lake Forest Church.  Anyone is welcome, not only LFC folks.