Here is something I wrote as we were preparing to launch Relevant Life Church..

This church is an Acts 1:8 church. Our responsibility is first to Fargo/Moorhead, then to Minnesota/North Dakota, then to America and then unto the rest of our World.

This Church is strategic about growth. We are strategic through prayer, fasting, research and planning. We are fully instructed, fully equipped, and fully empowered to reach our community. We know our community, know our target demographics, know ways to connect, add value and reach the people that God has entrusted us with. This church goes to where people are at. We have everything we need to accomplish growing His kingdom. Because this church is serious about the Great Commission, we will not stop growing. This church will leave a legacy that will last an eternity.

This church is a church of disciples and disciple makers. This church is all in. We will do whatever, whenever and however we are instructed to do so by the Lord. This church is not all about comfort. We are willing to pay the price to see lives changed. We will forsake whatever we need to in order to radically follow Him. This church has left nothing back, left no stone unturned. We are determined to let God remove all obstacles that will hinder us from loving Him and loving people.

This church is a church that loves people. Regardless of present, past or current issues we love people. Income, race, or religion we not keep us from loving and valuing people equally. We love them the way that God loves them and choose to see them the way He does. There are not prerequisites of this love. This church loves without recompense. This church loves at great costs. This church exists to love God and make His love known.

This church is a church of unity. Slander, strife, gossip, and backbiting are our enemies and not allowed in our church body. This church is thrilled to be one of many life-giving churches in this community. Because out of the heart the mouth speaks, we will speak life to each other and speak life about each other. This church realizes the power of words and the power of unity, therefore we will walk in the unity that Christ calls us to.

This church is a church is commited to empowering people. Sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, singles, married, widowers and anyone else that God brings to us. We will empower families to serve Christ passionately together. We will empower single people to find God’s will and purpose in their life. We will empower people to empower others. We will strive to see the gifts that God has placed in each individual rise up and come forth.

This church is serious about seeing kids experience God. This church will provide an atmosphere where kids can learn about God and experience the love He has for them. This church will love every child that it encounters and strive to see God’s will come forth from their lives.

This church is all about the Bible. We believe in the inspiration of scripture and trust it as the foundation of the Christian life. This church understands that the Bible is relevant and has instructions that pertain to every facet of life.

This church is full of the Spirit. This church embraces the presence of God and is dependent upon his power to see changed lives. This church recognizes that apart from Him we can do nothing. Unless He shows up and shows off we have nothing to offer others on our own accord.

This church is not afraid of messes. We realize that it is easy to get messy in this life. Christ died because we do not have the ability to clean up our own messes. Therefore, this church will be serious about about introducing people to the One who has the power to clean up every mess. This church will walk beside people through this process.

This church is all about Jesus. We recognize the Deity of Christ. This church understands that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is hope for mankind. This church will be a proponent of that hope in word, deed and action. This church will filter everything message though the cross of Christ.

This church is progressive and innovative. This church embraces the promoting the gospel by any creative means necessary. We recognize that there are ways and methods to reach unchurched people that have not yet been thought of. We will respond with wisdom to every scenario that we encounter keeping God’s plan at the forefront.

This church is excellent in stewardship. We believe in stewarding all that we own to the glory of God! This includes our time, resources and talents. We also realize the importance of doing everything with excellence. This church believes in generosity! Everything we have belongs to him so we live life with an open hand!! In both receiving and giving we approach God and people with an open hand, not a closed fist.

Star Wars is a staple in the Linn house. We love the movies and the cartoons. We even named our dog “Princess Leia”. I’m not going as far to say that we have a room full of collectables or can recite all the characters and Star Wars history found on Wookieepedia but we are fond of the story. If you are familiar with the story at all you will remember the iconic clones that are in the picture above. The characters in their classic white battle armor were created from the DNA of one man. They used the DNA of a bounty hunter Jango Fett and created an army from the DNA of one single man.

I see a trend happening in our christian culture that is similar to this cloning that is found in Star Wars. We think that everyone should think like us. We try to replicate our selves. We push our beliefs on others with no regard and we do it all in the all in the name of “bettering yourself”. And Christians do this in the name of, “I’m just trying to help people come to know the Lord.” The internet is full of blogs (like this one 😉 and self-help books are coming out of the wazoo. Facebook and Twitter are great conduits of people airing their own opinion. Romans 12:17 NASB says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”

 My wife and I had lunch recently with one of our amazing team members (we are planting a church) and she brought up some real topics in our society that led to an insightful talk. This team member grew up in a very mainline denomination with less “conservative” views than my wife or I were brought up in. We were able to talk about homosexuality, abortion and the church’s view on how to deal with these issues according to the scripture.  Most importantly we were able to talk about the love of God and the necessity to appropriate grace in those messy situations. This team member helped me see something in our talk..our diversity is apart of the plan of God’s people. You look at Jesus’ disciples and how different they were. Their personality, culture and even ethnicity were very diverse. These diversities were a huge point of contention during those times. Many of the writings in the NT specifically deal with this “exclusiveness” that was coming from the church. I see this same exclusiveness that alienates literally millions of people. We have these conditions that people must measure up to before they can become worthy enough to enter our churches. We act like others need to be like us and conform to our standards before they can truly embrace God.

The problem with this is simply — it is unscriptural. Look at the interactions Jesus had with sinners.. He always embraced them before he ever instructed them (women caught in the act of adultery, women at the well, Zaacchaeus). Yes, we have to be clear on what is considered “sinful”. We need a measuring standard to filter everything through to determine what is right or wrong. But we are too busy trying to clone ourselves that we have forgotten that it is God’s responsibility to make people holy. We do not have that power nor should we consider ourselves that significant or powerful enough to be able to do that.  Our responsiblity to be light and salt. We should attract others to come out of darkness and point them to the source!!

3 ways to avoid Christian Clone wars

1) Realize your place in the body of Christ

Security is a huge part of this. Are you secure enough in your own beliefs to accept others who don’t believe what you believe? People adhering or accepting truth isn’t your responsibility. Whether or not they accept the truth doesn’t make it less true.

2) Point people to a Person not to your convictions

It’s not about rules, regulations or a to do list. It is about a person. Point people to the person of Jesus. Let Him teach them how to live through you! Let people know what you are for not  just what you are against.

3) Being loving is more crucial than being right.

When you hyper critical of people it keeps you from loving them. When your more concerned with forcing your opinion and agenda down someones throat, you fail to listen to them and hear where they are at and what they really need. Don’t assume you know. Love them.. Right where they are at. Earn the right to speak into their lives.

While I believe it is important for the church to be proponents of truth we must also be proponents of grace. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 NASB

This is the most wonderful time of the year right? Except if your house is anything like my house, this time of year can be downright nutty. Between the perpetual sound of my children in the background asking for a christmas horde that would fill size of Scrooge Mc Duck’s treasure vault and deciding what relative we are going to have to offend because we won’t be able to make it this year..again; the whole “spirit of Christmas” can be lost. Add all the monetary problems that can multiply the stress of the holiday season, the weather problems that can literally damper your travel plans, that strand of lights you just can’t get to light up, the missing box of ornaments that has your great Aunt Marice’s special ornament she made during the time of the great depression and you have a combo that can truly distract you from remember WHY do we celebrate this season.

…On a side note, if it were not for the staple of Christmas comedy movies that my wife and I watch together, I believe all might be lost. These holiday classics bring a comedic relief we truly need!

Here’s a friendly reminder of the most famous verse in Christendom;  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 NIV. I could say many things regarding this profound truth. But listen to the first part of this verse that I believe captures the essence of Christmas. “God loved so much that he GAVE…….”

Our Father is a giver. His nature and very being bestow every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).  Generosity is a part of who He is. Giving gifts to my kids is one of my favorite parts of this holiday. We think long, we plan, we discuss together how can we make this day special for them. I want to hit a home run on every one of these “special” gifts I give to my kids.

God is the same way. His plan was from the beginning of time to GIVE. He gave us the most magnificent gift that mankind could receive.

Therefore start a family tradition of giving. I’m not just talking about gifts to each other. Teach your children to give and to give with love. Teach them to find a need in this community or this world and give. If you don’t have a family challenge yourself to be a giver.  We have done several things as a family this Christmas to help develop a spirit of generosity in our children and to remind ourselves why we celebrate!

This is the most wonderful time of the year! Remind yourself the true meaning of Christmas.  Have a very Merry Christmas!!