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.

The Great Commission seems to always be at odds with the Great Commandment, doesn’t it?  The Great Commission commands us to spread the Good News to every person, proclaiming the salvation that is available to all through Jesus Christ.  If you read it just right, it appears to be the most important and critical element of what it means to be a Christ follower.  Similarly, the Great Commandment commissions us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a sick and dying world filled with people who are less fortunate than we are.  If you read it just right, it appears to be the most important and critical element of what it means to be a Christ follower. 

 I’ve heard it said that the best way to reconcile these two challenges is to assume that the poorest among us has nothing to do with money or things, but rather has to do with the condition of one’s soul, meaning that the great Commission encompasses the Great Commandment.  I’ve also heard it said that a person who has to truly worry about food or shelter will only respond to God when that need is met, meaning that the Great Commandment encompasses the Great Commission.

 Here’s what I think…each person, and even each church, has to discern the difference and the balance between these two critical challenges that God places in front of us.  I could argue that the need for both is more intense now than it has ever been in the history of mankind, and the saddest part is that too many people (and too many churches) choose not to invest deeply in either one.  How must that make the Father feel? 

 At Eagle Brook, just like for each person who follows Christ, we are constantly doing our best to discern and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to both reach people who are far from God (and save them from eternal death) and provide for the real physical needs of the desperately poor ( and save them from physical death).  Three years ago, prior to the God’s Amazing Church campaign, we felt drawn to a deeper involvement in the plight of the world’s poorest people, and launched an effort to do what we could in an area of Mozambique ravaged by HIV/AIDS and poverty.  Since then, over $2 million has been invested through World Vision in the lives of people we will never know, but with impact beyond what we can imagine.  It’s made us a better church, filled with better people.  Now, as we launch the Not Without You campaign, we again have included Mozambique in our plans to impact poverty and AIDS (Great Commandment stuff); in fact, we have a dream to increase our sponsorship level from 1,100 to 2,000 by March of next year.  

 What’s new in this campaign is that we are once again on the move here at home, with the dream of establishing at least two more campuses in the next three years in communities like Blaine and Woodbury (Great Commission stuff).  Things like reaching people who will spend eternity separated from God is never at odds with helping the poorest among us – in fact, neither is at odds with the other, unless one is pursued without the other.

 We’re called to do both – as individuals and as churches.  We’ll continue to look for ways to grow both values in our church, even as each of us individually should do the same.  Isn’t it interesting that God didn’t lay it out more clearly for us with percentages and formulas to know exactly how we should serve him?  I think it’s because the journey is the destination – and it’s the most amazing journey imaginable!