I know, it’s hard to see how those two things connect.  Let me explain.

When I was younger, a teenager, and had just come to know Jesus – I really believed that God loved the whole world and sent His Son to die for everyone – that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life – phew!

As I have aged, I have found myself starting to believe that there is only a percentage of people who will really believe this and so it’s only possible for most or some people to come to know Jesus (this is one of those things you would never say out loud, but most people really think it).  I know that verse doesn’t say that everyone will come to know Jesus – but it sure does say that He died for everyone.  Jesus came so that people would have life – all people!  I don’t believe that God was willing to settle for a percentage and the rest are just damned to hell.  I think God is an optimist, hoping that none would perish, as 2 Peter 3:9 says.

So the question I have been asking myself lately, is:

Am I crazy enough to believe that we can reach everyone with the Gospel and see their lives turned around for eternity?

It makes me ask some questions, that’s for sure.

• What are the barriers in each persons life that need to be removed so they can see the living Christ and His sacrifice for what it is?
• How must I live my life differently?
• How should the church reallocate it’s dollars and volunteer hours?

So, am I that crazy?  I think so.  I am a “Wild and Crazy Guy…”

There are several ways you can connect with people at Epic Church.  Initially you can join us on our Launch Team.  Once Jenni and I move to Andover we will be meeting weekly with a group of committed families and individuals to talk about how we can reach people who are disconnected from God in Andover and Wichita.

The second way you can connect with people at Epic is to join in on service projects.  We plan on serving the community in a ton of creative and God honoring ways that elevate the position of the family (for example, handing out free roses on a street corner for husbands to take home to their wives!).

The third is to be involved in an small group.  Once Epic launches in September our next milestone will be to launch small groups.  These groups will give you an opportunity to meet weekly with a group of friends to spend time having fun together and encouraging one another in your walks with God!

So the final question is, who are we looking for?  You may be thinking to yourself, I want to have good quality friendships, but I don’t think I’m a good enough person to do any of the three things you mentioned.  If that’s the case, then join the crowd – I wrote this post and I don’t think I’m good enough!  We are not looking for perfect people we are looking for real people who have faults and problems but who are willing to take a chance on God and other people.

Who are we looking for?  WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!

Just like you need other people in your life to help you grow and connect with God, other people need you.

You have a wealth of wisdom and life experience that is the key to unlocking an issue or problem in another person’s life.  You have a distinct gift that God has given you in order to encourage another person in their faith.  Connecting with other people is really less about you and me and really more about other people, how we can help them grow, how we can add value to their life!

We believe and know that God honors that kind of commitment to people – really, when we give ourselves in such a manner, we are living out the example of Jesus in our own lives!

So, what can I do for you?

If Humans are anything, we are social.

We are in desperate need of other people.  We long to know and be known, we long to normalize our experience in the experiences of others.  And in a society that has become increasingly segmented and withdrawn we create ways to socially network with other people through the Internet using mediums like blogs, facebook, myspace, twitter and others.  We are drawn to one another because we need each other.

At Epic, we believe that the second most important thing you can do is to connect to other people (second only to connecting to God).  Connect your families, connect your hurt, your successes, connect your strength and your weaknesses.  This life is too overwhelming at times to fight through it on your own and at the same time this life is too wonderful to not share it with life long friends!

We are not looking for Stand Alone warriors, we are looking for real people who are ready to connect with other real people as we make bold moves to know God!

So let’s get to it!

I can’t wait to get Epic Church started and start helping out the families of Andover!

We are planning on accomplishing this in a couple of ways.

1. Service: At Epic, we believe you grow through serving.  No, scratch that, we believe everyone grows through serving – your kids included.  There are plenty of ways kids can begin serving today and learning how to use their gifts and talents for the Kingdom of God.  This can be as simple as working with their mom to hand out bottles of water to over-heated passer-byers.  We envision kids helping pass out programs at church, helping set up and tear down, running computers, helping paint an elderly person’s house, and so much more!
2. Connect to God through Worship: We want families to feel comfortable worshiping together.  We love it when babies cry, and kids talk – we are in this for the family!  We don’t want you to ever feel like you need to split up your family to go to church.  This is not to say that your children are not more than welcome to attend our dynamic children’s program, we just want you to understand we love having kids in worship and strive to make it something that is enjoyable for them as well as for you!
3. Connect to People through Small Groups: Life is too difficult to do on our own, but if you are like our family it’s also too difficult to find time to do it with other people.  That is why we intentionally carve out time every week to spend with some of our closest friends to eat together, play games together, share insights into raising our families, and to grow in our relationship with God together!  There is no better way to safe-guard your family than to get involved with a small group!

We know that involving kids so heavily in the adult aspect of church sounds a little messy, and if we are being honest, it is.  Tomorrow’s post deals with this issue of having kids at the table when we are together at church!