Plus, check it out… as of May 16, the walls are up on the Blaine campus!

May 16

Friday, March 26, the earth was moved—a little. But, big things are happening. Ten ceremonial golden shovels officially broke ground on the much anticipated Blaine campus, Eagle Brook’s fourth church location (see photo slide show).

Left to Right: Clark Arneson (Blaine City Manager), Darcy Wood (Early Childhood Coordinator), Pete Smith (BWBR), Tom Ryan (Blaine mayor), Blair Madsen (US Bank), Brian Hegseth (EBC Board), Pastor Bob Merritt, Campus Pastor Matt Anderson, Gifts Pastor Lisa Welter, Sheehy representative

The event started off with some prayer before the official ceremony. People spent time walking on the land and praising God for His provision, praying for the ministry that will happen to reach those in the surrounding area, asking for protection during the build and finances to continue to come in, as well as for good relationships to develop with other churches in the Blaine area. Mostly, the prayer team asked for God to keep our church’s heart keenly close to His.

Nearly 60 people attended the groundbreaking. Core Blaine campus volunteers, Not Without You supporters, some EBC church staff and board members joined up with representatives from the City of Blaine, BWBR architects, SHEEHY construction and US Bank to get the project underway.

The new Blaine Campus Pastor Matt Anderson and Senior Pastor Bob Merritt shared a few thoughts. “When the Spring Lake Park campus opened in December 2007, we never would have dreamt that our fourth campus would be birthed from SLP less than three years later and less than five miles away,” Matt said. “If we continue to be faithful to share the message of hope found in Jesus Christ with our hearts in line with His, I believe we will see God do amazing things here in Blaine. What a privilege it is for all of us to be used by God for such a time as this.”

SLP Worship Pastor Josh Dekker led the group in a few worship songs as they dedicated this project and campus to the Lord. With the shovels in the ground, construction could begin.

SHEEHY Construction rolled in shortly thereafter and is already hard at work on the project. Both SHEEHY and BWBR Architects have worked on previous EBC projects, including the Lino Lakes campus. We’ll see the shell of the building up by the end of April, and so far the schedule is on track for an early fall grand opening.

Remember, those interested in attending the Blaine campus as their church home can get a head start. The Blaine campus is already meeting on Sunday nights at 4:05 and 6:05 pm in the Spring Lake Park location for the same great weekend worship experience. Nearly 300 people are currently attending, and more volunteers are needed to help open the new Blaine facility in the fall all trained in and full of momentum. All this is being made possible through funds contributed to the Not Without You campaign, so THANK YOU!

We do know this, once we do have that green light–likely within the next week or two–it’s all going to happen REALLY FAST and the ceremonial groundbreaking will be underway in a wink. Then, they’ll toss aside those hand-shovel props quickly as the big machinery moves in and begins construction. We are praying and planning even now for that “holy-moment” pause right before this whole thing gets going full-force.

Campus number four brings us into new territory for a lot of reasons: how we structure our staff for changing realities, engage volunteers, reach a new area for Christ, and further play out the complex simplicities of the multi-site strategy. It’s a new baby. It’s going to be a lot of work and money, but we are so excited to watch it grow. We know God has a great future and destiny for it!

A few weeks ago, the Blaine campus got started by meeting at the Spring Lake Park campus on Sunday evenings at 4 & 6 pm as they anticipate moving into their permanent home in the fall. More than 300 people, most of whom have stepped forward to say, “Blaine is going to be my campus and I want to help get it going,” are attending on Sunday nights to experience weekend services. Many people have already found a place to get trained, volunteer, and invest as part of that campus community. Not only is that helping to take a little attendance pressure off of the bursting Spring Lake Park campus, but when Blaine opens its doors officially, it will do so with a vibrant group of people and leadership to help it soar.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the renderings for the Blaine campus facility. It’s going to be located at 3603 95th Ave. NE, Blaine, MN  55449. Or, simply, the northeastern corner of I35W and 95th. Yahoo map.
 

I’m not a great “reflector” kind of person. I’m always in awe of people who actually take the time to ponder things, because I don’t do a lot of pondering myself. In fact, I think I was (and probably still am, to a large extent), ADHD, back when it was referred to as ”squirrely” by my parents on good days, and worse on bad days. But, I know it’s good to ponder from time to time, and so a pondering I will go….

The Not Without You campaign was a highlight for our church, and according to people who worked with us on it, was also a launching pad for other churches across the nation who had assumed that God was out of the church business right now. Our results proved that people still hold deeply to the mission that we have held to – and are willing to sacrifice to make it a reality. I am so proud of our church.

Since December, so much has taken place that have been either funded by or inspired by the NWY movement. It funded the largest portion of our costs to pack more than 2.3 million meals for starving kids in Haiti and other parts of the world. It funded the World Vision Step Into Africa experience, which was the jump start to our church sponsoring every child that was in need in the Mugeba province of Mozambique. Think of it—every child in this huge area of Africa has a sponsor, and has a chance at life, both physically and spiritually, because of us. Wow. Then, to cap it all off, something like 300 people have applied to go on short-term missions trips to places like Nicaragua, Ethiopia and Mexico this summer.

My wife and I had the great privilege to spend our 20^th anniversary in Hawaii a few years ago, and we had the chance to watch some amazing surfing during a particularly windy day off the coast. I could have watched all day, as people rode the waves. But even better, I could have rented a board and tried it myself. I didn’t do it, and I enjoyed watching people ride the wave, but I can’t help thinking what I missed by not getting in the water. A wave is building at Eagle Brook—will you ride it, or just watch from the sidelines?

If things continue to progress as planned, we should be moving dirt in Blaine by the end of March with a goal of holding services in September or October. All the background work is being finished up, and we’re pretty excited to get started! As exciting as that is, it’s even more exciting to know that the Blaine campus has already launched on Sunday nights at Spring Lake Park under the campus leadership of Matt Anderson. Matt has been our Groups pastor for a few years, and he will make an excellent campus pastor at Blaine. Come check out the Blaine service (anyone is welcome to attend) at 4:05 and 6:05 pm on Sundays. We’ve already got more than 300 Eagle Brookers coming and it’s only been running for a few weeks!

Woodbury is making slow, but forward, progress. Partly because our focus has had to be on Blaine, and partly because the city and planning process is always a bit slower than one would like. We’ve been learning patience on this one. The land is pretty well nailed down, and the building design, parking, landscaping, etc., are all in the last stages of completion so that we can submit to the city and get the process rolling. This should happen in March and April as far as we can tell right now.

From a financial standpoint, we have been surprised that the level of engagement has not been what we had projected, but thankful for everyone who has taken steps to get started on their pledge. I’m not sure why more people haven’t started, but it might become necessary to adjust our timelines to reflect reality. We’ll see—if you made a pledge and haven’t given toward it yet, it would help us to plan if you would start at some level now. Statistically, the vast majority of people who make a pledge and don’t give toward it within three months will never start. That said, so many have, and God has done amazing things through this little campaign in just a short period of time!

I guess that’s all the musing I will do for now, but it wasn’t too bad…I should do it more!

Eagle Brook just came through an amazing month of February geared toward compassion. Based on Micah 6:8, The Micah Project challenged us to love, mercy and action in this world. In case you didn’t catch the connection, did you know that The Micah Project initiatives were driven and funded through Not Without You dollars? If you give to Not Without You, you can know that you played a great role in building into the hearts of thousands of Eagle Brookers. And, I’m willing to bet you were stretched and challenged through the experience personally, as well.

We don’t want the experiences of The Micah Project and the inspiring teaching of “The 6:8 Challenge” to just be a great memory. It’s about momentum for new perspectives that will engage action as a lifestyle. It’s considering love as a verb.

Here’s a quick recap of what happened in February 2010:

Nearly 11,000 volunteers from our church and community packed 2,325,888 meals for Feed My Starving Children—a state record! Remember, our plan was to pack 2 million meals, but response was so great that we boosted our amount. Our cost for the food itself was $390,000. Just about $100,000 was underwritten by businesses, and the rest came from Not Without You funds (paired with a portion of the Jan. 16/17 weekend offering that was entirely dedicated to helping four partnering organizations on the ground in Haiti).

You sponsored 1,482 more kids in Mozambique! EBC hosted the World Vision Experience: AIDS exhibit at the White Bear Lake campus. Nearly 2,500 people came to “Step Into Africa,” and get close to the personal stories of those deeply affected by poverty—and see where hope is prevailing. Not Without You funds are funneled into Mozambique through World Vision regularly, AND personal child sponsorships boost that effectiveness. Combine the number of kids that were already being sponsored with the new tally, and nearly 2,500 kids are now sponsored at $35/month. That’s more than $1 million a year just through sponsorship!

Hundreds of people became interested in short-term missions. In 2010 so far, Global Impact has had nearly 500 people express interest in going on a short-term mission trip, and with the addition of the ORPHANetwork in Nicaragua and Healing Haiti organizations as partners, we have significantly increased opportunities to send out larger groups. Check out more info about Global Impact and Local Impact serving opportunities.

The 5-Day Meal Challenge made real hunger personal. It’s hard to know just how many attenders engaged in our challenge to eat like the world’s poor, but we got dozens of emails about the impression it made. Here’s what just a few people said:

“It has definitely made me think about the people that live this way every day.”—T. du’Monceaux

“We have learned that we are a society of convenience. The food is terribly bland. I never thought I would look at cornbread as a dessert!”–P. Herda

“I cannot believe what an awakening it has been. My empathy level has risen, and I know that I am going to become a stronger steward and servant of God.”–G. Schafer

Suzanne Lee wrote an insightful blog post on her family’s experience (including her kids ages 6, 4 and 1 who participated) with the 5 Day Meal Challenge: go there.

Patty Wynn summed it up well, “I don’t ever remember a week where I’ve felt so generous.” In fact, up through Easter she said she and her friend will try to do the meal challenge every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “I’m a changed person,” she said.

After February, I think we’ve all been changed and challenged to respond in some way.

>>>Enjoy watching a couple of local news stories on Feed My Starving Children and Step Into Africa.

Maybe your questions include:

> How can I get motivated to pay on my pledge?
> How much money was pledged?
> How much is in the Not Without You fund so far?
> Why is the Blaine campus now a construction and not a renovation project?
> What’s up with Woodbury these days?

Click here to get answers to these quese questions and more in the January 2010 update. We’ll be putting these out in the mail and on the site quarterly to keep you informed.

I was looking at the Eagle Brook Facebook page online, reading the comments from people who had participated in the Not Without You commitment weekend on November 21/22 (check it out!), and was reminded once again how unique a church like ours is.  In it, people expressed their joy at having the opportunity to simply be a part of this church’s mission – to reach people who are far from God. 

We spent five weeks making the case, rejoicing in where we’ve been, and now doing our best to take the next steps, steps that are harder to take now than they were in the past.  But this church takes bold steps, and though thirty million dollars worth of projects is far beyond our known capacity, we love–and I sense our church loves–that we are willing to trust God for the unimaginable.  Way to go, church!

We will have a lot to celebrate, and we’re very pleased. I’m excited to say that we received more pledges even this past week, and though we won’t know the full level of participation until we get all of it entered, it’s clear that a larger percentage than typical is participating at all levels of financial ability.  A few things you won’t want to miss:

1. If you’ve not yet pledged to the Not Without You movement, don’t miss the opportunity to be included in the results we will announce on the weekend of December 12/13.  You can pledge online, and then follow the links to the online giving portion of the site to schedule your contributions.

2. If you haven’t seen one or more of the messages in this series, don’t miss the opportunity to catch up by watching online, including the commitment weekend message, which was a powerful service and an opportunity to watch the church in action in a very unique way. 

3. Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the financial results on December 12/13!  Let’s face it – even getting to the place we were at in the God’s Amazing Church campaign would be a miracle in this new world and economy that we find ourselves in, but what if God chooses to do something extraordinary?  What if you miss it?

Along with many, we already celebrate how this series and opportunity to express our intentions has stretched us, brought us together, and confirmed in our own hearts the mission God has called us to accomplish – not without Vision; not without Sacrifice; not without YOU.

Remember, the drum rolls on December 12/13 and the totals will be announced. Hang in there, and be ready to celebrate what God and you have done!

Last week, over 2,000 people experienced The View From Here. You never know how things are going to land…

People were seated on the stage, and looking out toward the worship seats.

Three people's stories of life change were projected into the auditorium, with spotlights highlighting the importance of a person in a seat.

Story-telling is a big part of what we do at Eagle Brook, and we’ve got no shortage of stories, either.  This place is filled with people whose lives have been transformed by Christ, and about 2,000 of invested Eagle Brookers seized the opportunity to share in the life-stories of a few of them last week (November 2-6).  As one who helped to birth the idea of the View From Here event, I was amazed by two things once it all came to life over the span of five days and ten sessions.

First, I’m in awe of the talent that God has brought together here at Eagle Brook.  Many of the technical geniuses that work here could make a lot more money in a secular job, but they willingly share the skills and talents they have been blessed with so that we can experience God in a more impactful way.  We start the process with a kernel of an idea and they take it and make it something that will be talked about for years to come – I am so thankful for the opportunities we get because of the people who work with us! I love how their work can bring the connection alive.

Second, I was amazed at the level of engagement and ownership that people exhibited after the sessions.  I know that people in general love Eagle Brook, enjoy its programs, and love to part of something beyond themselves – I get that.  Walking out of the rooms over those ten sessions, though,  were people who were ready to be a greater part of it, more than they have in the past, or even more than they ever thought possible.  I’ve had numerous conversations since the events with people who were prayerfully yet excitedly choosing to go out on a limb for the possibility of reaching people they may never personally meet or know.  Do you know how unusual that is?  Do you know how unique that is?  I do.

Pastor Bob asked the people at the event to be the ones to lead the way for the rest of the congregation. He asked them to make their 3-year commitments by November 16 so we could inspire the rest to participate in what God is doing by Commitment Weekend: November 21/22. If you were challenged, or if you are reading this and feel ready to lead the way, you can make your pledge online right here. We’re asking God to surprise us with his goodness, and I really think he will–through YOU.

Since I get the privilege of helping to formulate our campaigns, it’s fair to say that my wife and I are a little further down the road on the decision process than many. The Not Without You campaign represents one of the most impactful things this church has ever done, at a time in our world when it is needed more than ever.

Three years ago, when we were trying to discern what we should do for the God’s Amazing Church campaign, it was everything we could do to think outside of our box. In this three-year period, we would see two kids start college, need to figure out how to add at least two cars to get five drivers to and from work and school, and manage the medical expenses for Sarah, my wife, whose chronic pain was not only causing her to lose the ability to live an active life, but also putting her job at risk. Anything over zero seemed like pretty big risk to us, to be honest.

We made that commitment, which to us was beyond our capacity, but we felt like it was the right number, so we did it. I have to be honest, we’re not quite there and we only have a few weeks left to get there, but we committed $13,000 above our general fund giving, and we’re within about $500 of making it to that finish line that never seemed even remotely possible back then.

But here’s the amazing thing. Both kids are at Bethel now, and we’re making it work (I’m not going to lie – it hurts!). We’ve got four cars and all of them still run. My wife’s physical condition is still a journey, but a change in our healthcare plan has provided significant savings over the old plan. We still have cable TV, Sarah still gets a Caribou from time to time, and we just generally feel blessed in life.

Is it all because we stepped out of our comfort zone to participate in GAC? No, but we’re learning to hold onto things more lightly, and our GAC experience has helped us with that lesson. Add to this the fact that we’ve been a big part of helping people find Christ through the Spring Lake Park campus and reaching the poorest of the poor in Mozambique, and it’s helping us gear up for what God would have us do in the Not Without You campaign. We don’t know what it’s going to be yet, but we do know it’ll change lives – both ours, and others. Nothing beats that!

I encourage you to help us finish the God’s Amazing Church campaign strong. It only goes through November 30. Then, giving officially begins to the Not Without You fund December 12/13. God did so much through this church the last three years, and I can’t wait to see what he will do in the three years ahead.

Need some help with budgeting and coming to your commitment decision? The Journey Guide has some good tips, but you can get some interactive tools here to help you think outside the box, and even add a little faith to the mix. God does some pretty amazing things with our willingness to follow his leadings.

“For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” Romans 11:36