Wednesday, May 21, 2003 

Cindy and I had dinner with Rand and Amy Tucker yesterday at Giordano's on Rush Street. I forgot how much I missed Chicago Style Pizza while we lived in Georgia! Rand is the pastor of the Hyde Park VCF in Chicago. Talk about a neat guy. He is someone I really want to get to know better. His Vineyard is smack in the middle of the University of Chicago, so he is doing a lot of what we are hoping to do. I think we are going to visit his church on Sunday. From his descriptions, they are a little different. Should be a lot of fun.

Tuesday, May 20, 2003 

I often wonder how people like Jordon Cooper do it, posting to their blog daily. I can never find the time.

It has been extremely busy since my last blog! First, Cindy and I were asked to interview for the Senior Pastor position at a local Vineyard. We went through the interview process, and were then asked to preach on Sunday. Surprisingly, Sunday went well (especially since this was the first time I had ever preached on a Sunday morning. I’m more used to teaching classes then preaching). The church that invited us is in the same town we are going to plant in. The pastor decided recently that he wanted to move to Florida, so he resigned. His last day there will be this Sunday. Everyone seemed to be excited that we were there on Sunday and some even made comments that they hoped we would take the church over.

I got a call yesterday from that Pastor. He said that we made a great impression with everyone there. Someone on the Pastor search team read an article somewhere that stated that churches do better if they wait a few months between pastors so that they can develop their own identity. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but they are not going to make a decision on what to do for a couple of months. I wish them well in this decision, but I find myself concerned for them. The church is at about 30 people. They do not have any type of home group / small group in place, everything is Sunday morning. They think that if they bring in some preachers over the next few months, everything will be ok, but I don’t know if they can make it like that…without some form of leadership or vision.

I know that there is a strong move amongst the “emerging church” for a leaderless environment, or a Holy Sprit lead environment, but I think that the body needs to be in agreement for that and there needs to be vision for that. Perhaps that is what the Lord is trying to do for them. I fear that without vision (especially if this model for this church is not from the Lord), how will they survive?

Cindy and I are praying for them, and we will support them any way we can, but we are not going to wait for them to make a decision before we do what God is leading us to do. More to follow…

Saturday, May 10, 2003 

I found this on Mark Riddle's blog. I find myself asking many of the same questions....

Questions I'm asking myself today:
Is it possible to be a pastor And also be a follower of Jesus?
Is it possible to be a pastor And know people outside the church?
Is it possible that Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream maybe the greatest Ice Cream on the planet?
Is it possible that we fundamentally misunderstand and abuse the word leadership?
Is it possible that we post-modern pastors have more in common with a young adolescent than an adult?
Is it possible that God is doing something new and exciting outside my world view?
Is it possible that God could laughs at us often?
Is it possible that we take ourselves way to seriously?
Is it possible that we take God way to seriously?
Is it possible that the church leaders of tomorrow will be a bunch of bitchy people who demonstrate a bitchy God?
Is it possible that I am the cheif sinner in this regard?
Is it possible that we need more biblically bitchy people?
Where are the young pastors who seek humility?
Where are the emerging leadership who are honoring to more than God and pretty pictures?
Where are the pastors who will sacrifice their only son to serve this wild God?
Where are the pastors who are willing to submit to those with different worldviews?
Where are the pastors who are willing to stand against the things that greive God?
Where are the pastors who are willing to give up control?
Where are the pastors willing to give their assumptions to God and then follow him on his terms?
Where is the humility?
Where is the sacrifice?
Where is the Faith, hope and love?
I know it is out there. I know it is in here.
Right now I just need to be asking questions I guess.

Thursday, May 08, 2003 

Hi, my name is Joe Holda and this is my blog! My wife Cindy and I are simple church planters here in DeKalb, Illinois (actually, we live in Sycamore, but that’s another story). I thought I would start this blog to attempt to keep track of the trials and tribulations in the planting of a church. I hope that in time, this little bog will turn into God’s story of what he is doing with us, as well as miscellaneous thoughts and ramblings on what it means to be a Christ follower in the 21st century. Idle thoughts about community, leadership, church and relationships are sure to be plentiful.

So as the title of the blog goes, feel free to sit back and enjoy a cup a joe with me while, with the help of the Holy Sprit, we stumble through this thing called life. Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 07, 2003 

So here it begins.......

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