Get Involved in Bmore!

As I sit here it's Sunday night, January 4, 2009.

I'm so stoked to get back at it tomorrow. This church will launch in just over 8 months (We're looking at September 13th).

The last several months have been a whirlwind but are NOTHING compared to how fast life is about to move. In about two weeks we'll have our daughter Ainsley (Due on the 19th). We're also shooting to have our budget worked out by the end of March so the next three months will be vital for our fund-raising efforts. We have a staff team moving at the end of February and Mission teams begin arriving in March. Throw in visits from other staff families and recruiting of a few more and you can see how the next few months are about to get nuts.

So many of you are great friends and supporters so I want to give you a few things to pray for as well as ways you may consider partnering with us.

Pray with us:
Staff and their families- We have a few amazing families already committed to moving here. One comes at the end of February and others in June. Please pray for them that God would bless them for their sacrifice and expand their capacity. Pray for the children who are involved and some having to change schools and move away from friends. I want our children to know that they are the church of today and we can start by seeing to it that our staff kids get transitioned well.

Financial Partnerships- We've got some great partners coming on board. We also need several more. Please pray for those partners who are still considering how their churches will be involved. Also pray that we'll see individuals and small groups join together to make this vision a reality.

Key Positions to be Filled- We still need a few key staff-level positions.

I'm begging God for an Administrative mind. This role would be to oversee the day-to-day operations (business) of the church. God has opened up some amazing opportunities and given us a clear and compelling vision but we need someone with the right type of mind and experience to lead us in the administration side of things.

I'm also praying for a Music person. We need to have great music if we're going to have people stare at the stage for 25-30 minutes with sound coming through the speakers. I'm praying for God to send us someone who is talented, humble and passionate about people. To be honest with you I know a lot of people think they are great but few fit the mold. If I could clone Lee McDerment I'd be set- but since there is an ethical problem there I'm praying God brings someone who is uniquely gifted to make it happen here in Baltimore.

We're also beginning to pray for God to begin forming His launch team. It's His church and He knows who would be the perfect fit for us. I'm praying that maybe some of you would be crazy enough to pack it all up and move to Baltimore and get a job here. I'm serious. We need people crazy enough to make their lives count to make a very real impact on a major American city. Baltimore is RIPE and I truly believe those who sacrifice to build a great church here will be a part of something monumental in the world of Christianity! Maybe you are that family. Get in touch with me if you want to begin seeking God together.

How You Can Partner:
Over the next few weeks we're going to be rolling out several ways you, your church or small group can make a significant impact.

As an individual I want to ask you to consider a few things.

1. Pray. No really. Pray. So many times people say "I'll pray for you" but they really mean "I want you to think I'm in your corner but when we part ways I won't think twice about you." It's sad but true. We're seeking 1,000 friends from around the country

2. Download our Stuff. We've got a great 12 page PDF you can download at TheBaltimoreProject.com. We'd love for you to download it so you can better do the #1 above. It may also lead you to become more engaged in transforming this city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Financially Partner. As I shared above we have some great partners and will be adding more in the weeks and months to come. You may be one of those people God will use to see this vision come to pass in Baltimore!

4. Come for a visit. Yes I'm serious. We'd LOVE to have you come to town and get a feel for what we're up to. Over the next few weeks I'll reveal some of the blessings God has brought our way and outline various parts of our vision. After being on the ground here I can assure you that God has positioned us in an amazing way and every local Pastor or Christian I've met has echoed that sentiment. I'd love for you to come to town alone, with your family or with friends. The more you know about what God's doing here... the more you're likely to be involved. I believe there are some amazing people out there who are begging God for "what's next?" I'm telling you... 2009 presets an amazing opportunity for some of God's people to join us. All of that starts with prayer, conversation and a visit.

That's enough for now. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Baltimore is going to be changed by what we do here! In whatever way you can... be a part of it!