Worship Night Failure

Can't Do it All, Part 1

I think we (as humans) are set on being self-sufficient. I think we fight tooth-and-nail anyone who wants to lend a helping hand… perhaps in fear of the appearance of weakness? This is a dangerous tendency I know I have to fight every day. God did not create us to be alone. God did not stop with Adam and say “There… I’m done”. In fact He says “it is not good for man to be alone” and “support one another” and “love one another” and “motivate one another” and “encourage one another” and “submit to one another”. None of these things we can do alone, but we try to… I try to.

Worship Night was this past Sunday for Great Lakes Church. It’s the ONLY time we get together as a church whole, and worship God as a family (Remember, Sunday mornings we’re split into 4 adult auditoriums). We play music for over an hour, we take communion, and best of all, we celebrate with those who have decided to publically announce their faith in Jesus through water baptism. Here is a promo video I made leading up to the night, hoping to get everyone else as pumped about it as I was.



The PLAN was to have Gordon, one of our music team leaders, open the night in leading. Then John, another leader, would cover the middle set of songs. I was going to close out the set and the evening. Only, I got sick! Still dealing with flu symptoms that kicked in a few days before Worship Night, I knew it was going to be a challenge for me to make it through the night. Sure enough… during the first song I was singing, I started to cough. I couldn’t even make it through a single song without choking… and I had five more to sing. I was sweating and nauseous and I was sure I was ruining the experience for everyone else. On a huge, unfamiliar stage, in front of an auditorium full of my church family, in the middle of a song, I looked over at John. He knew exactly what that look was about, and stepped up and lead the remainder of the set. He didn’t hesitate.

In the past I’ve tried to accomplish things alone only to bring those things to a quick demise. I can count 5 bands that I was a part of in my teens that broke up because of my unwillingness to budge on an issue that NEEDED to be done MY way. Even recently, I have dealt with things in a know-it-all fashion, demanding my control over things that I know (even in the moment) would be better in the end if I let it play out to 80% of my satisfaction. But, I’m prideful, and stubborn, and blunt, and holding-my-tongue doesn’t seem an option. I’m wrong! Holding my tongue is an option. Submitting to the ideas and direction of others can be an option. Letting people help me should always be an option.

We are grateful we get to be a part of a community – people that choose to be together, supporting one another, rather than a group of individuals living independent lives. It is because of this community, people like John and Gordon and many others, that we get to be a part of what God is doing here. It is because people sacrifice their time and resources (and by “resources”, I do mean “money”) that we get to know people like Chuck and Kathy Hassel who were brave enough to share their story for us to show at Worship Night. See for yourself…



I could have easily considered Worship Night a failure. If it weren’t for community, I would have had no choice but to walk off the stage in the middle of that song, ending the experience with a bad taste in people’s mouths. But that didn’t happen. Because we are meant to support one another and because I am a part of this amazing group of people, this most recent Worship Night was the best we’ve ever had! Over 460 showed up to worship God together, receive communion as a family, and witness 58 individuals identify themselves as Christ Followers publicly through water baptism. We can’t do these things on our own, and I am grateful that we are not supposed to.

From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it's work.
Ephesians 4:16

How To Be Rich

Generosity… I think it’s a characteristic we’d all like to be known by. Yet, going from a lifestyle of giving nothing away to giving something away can sometimes be a big leap. We have to hurdle such obstacles as trusting the organization or person we are giving to. We hear so much about abuse and mismanagement, it can make a person justifiably leery. Or, we get blocked by the discouragement that our gifts, whatever they might be, would be too small or insignificant to make any real difference. Another high wall to climb is our own financial situation. How can we give to others when we are barely paying our own bills or are buried in interest rates and debt? Still, we see generosity as noble and honorable, and definitely something that “rich people” should practice.



You’re right, rich people should definitely practice generosity. Did you know that you are rich? Go ahead, see for yourself. Click on this link to find out how your income compares with the rest of the world. Global Rich List Surprised? Are you in the top 5% or higher? Phenomenal perspective, isn’t it? So, how does your personal generosity (the way you give of your time, talent, and resources) reflect your wealthy position in the world?

Now before you start getting nervous, I have no intention of making anyone feel guilty. Rather, I believe one of the biggest reasons people don’t give more often to more worthy causes is simply that they don’t know where to begin. I have seen first-hand how hard it can be to volunteer at a local shelter or even the library. I have personally called local non-profit agencies and left multiple messages letting them know I had a group of people willing to come and give their time for whatever they needed, only to have my phone calls go unreturned. It can make you feel like they might not really need your help after all. So, what’s a person to do? Push hard, look deeper, and cut through that red tape!

For as many organizations that unknowingly make it difficult to participate in their cause, there are just as many making it easy. At Great Lakes, we encourage our Growth Groups to organize their own service projects and we’ve seen amazing results! Everything from care packages to soldiers, to Easter baskets for local families in need, to simple food drives. Just this weekend I had the opportunity to participate in one of the most fun service projects yet. A few of our women's groups pulled together to have ourselves a party. We called it “Ladies Night: A Benefit for Care Net” where we chose to support a local organization, hoping to raise funds and supplies they need to help support women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Here is the story we shared at the party as a part of learning more about this great program…



All it took was one Evite, one planning meeting with my friends Eden & AnnaLisa, and a little initiative, and we had all we needed. We just did what women do best, socialize, eat great food and have some drinks and somehow, with less than 30 of us, we were able to raise roughly $2,000 worth of supplies and cash to hand directly to Care Net and their Earn While You Learn program.





These women generously gave everything from cribs and bassinets, to diapers and baby wash, to brand new clothes and gently used hand-me-downs. More than that, we were all inspired and many of the women have expressed even greater desire and creativity for ways we can do more! Amazing!



We know one thing for certain… it is easier to give when we know what we have received. The pursuit of “more” is an elusive mirage, and the reality is that we very likely have all we need.

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. – 1 Timothy 6:17-18

With that perspective, I dare you to invest yourself in just one of thousands of worthy causes. Why don’t you spend your coffee money this week on a new CD that could result in lowering the global poverty rate?

Tech Church

It’s hard to believe that there was a time, not too long ago, when messages were communicated to “the people” via radio and print only. Now we live in a time where even books are being replaced with a digital paperless option… Print isn’t yet dead, but his kids have definitely moved him into the retirement home. People used to tune in and hang out around the radio to “listen” to their favorite shows… if they liked westerns it was “Have Gun Will Travel”, or if detective mystery was your thing then “Philip Marlowe”.

Today, we have televisions being made with better resolution than the human eye. We have video game consoles that allow you to view things in 3D without wearing glasses, and control the system with body and hand movements, no controller needed. We carry around in our pockets mini-computers that can view HD video on our command. These mini-computers can locate you on the planet within inches, control all the other high-tech equipment in your house, allow you to speak face-to-face with anyone else, live, and connect you to everyone else in the world at wireless speeds faster than humanly imaginable only a few years ago.

In my lifetime, I’ve been privy to witness a pre-computer and post-computer educational system. I started learning DOS programming at age 9 from my mother on our “laptop” computer (which was actually about 40lbs. and had a black and green 6-inch monitor). I’ve witnessed the birth of the biggest technological leap the world has ever known, the internet. And now I work in a field that I get to be a part of utilizing and creating content for this new information-thirsty culture.


My job is to leverage the use of modern methods to accurately and effectively communicate the message of Jesus Christ to the masses. I think my official title is “Church Computer and Video Dude”. Really, I have three jobs, but two of them are pretty closely related… video creation, graphic design, and worship pastor (which really means band leader). Let me tell you a little about my day-to-day.

I work for a growing church called Great Lakes Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Before GLC, I had a similar job with EastLake Church in Bothell, Washington. Before that I was a “Web Development Assistant” for a small web conferencing company which is now extinct. And before that, I was a “Customer Service Representative” for DHL (the freight delivery company). I always loved design and constantly found myself tinkering around with different programs, but never did it “professionally” until I was at EastLake.

As you walk into Great Lakes Church, you begin to notice a certain style. But even before you set foot into our lobby, you most likely received one of the 75,000 mailers we send out two to three times a year. Then you decide to show up. First, you’ll navigate your way through our halls via the interior signage. Then as you enter our Adult Auditorium, you’ll be handed a program which tells you who we are and what to expect.


You’ll take your seat (in a movie theater since that’s where we currently meet) and thumb through the program, all the while, the huge 60 foot screen in front of you is creating an upbeat atmosphere with motion graphics and video footage. After a video countdown, the band plays three songs and you’re invited to follow along. After the band is done, you’re invited to take your seat again, and the room goes dark allowing for three more videos to be played (all before you even see the pastor). The first is what I call the “interlude”… it’s the background music and motion graphic that transitions you to situate and sit down without an awkward silence. Next is what I call the “roll-in”… our speaking schedule is designed around a topical series, and the roll-in is the intro for that topic… kind of like a sitcom theme intro. And last is what I call the “setup clip”. This is a short video clip from a movie or TV show that pertains to the weekends topic, and transitions our pastor in with humor. I'm responsible for your experience from your invitation all the way up to the pastor speaking (if he botches it, that's not my fault).



Our target is the 30 year old male who’s never been to church or hasn’t been in a really long time. Right now you’re probably thinking “shouldn’t your target be everyone?” Well, we do want everyone to know Jesus yes, but we know that stylistically we cannot reach/please EVERYONE. Even if you’re a church that has no target or says your target is everyone… the style of music you play, the way your leaders dress, the color of paint on your walls, the humor (or lack thereof) reaches a certain demographic of people and turns away other demographics… like it or not. There are all types of churches cuz there are all types of people. Our music is loud and rockin, our pastor wears jeans and t-shirts, we meet in a movie theater, and our humor is sarcastic and plentiful… we reach 30 year old men.

So, with that in mind, I create videos that emphasize that. I create graphics that appeal to the non-Christians. The non-Christian sees a dove, or a crown of thorns, or Jesus hanging bloody on a cross, and they are intimidated by the imagery and turned off… therefore, I NEVER use those “standard” religious images. Not out of disrespect, but instead to be relevant and sensitive and helpful to those people outside our Christian “club” (at least, that's how they see it). It is my job to make the message of Christ “Easy and Accessible” and to allow those people to come check out the claims of Christ as He accepts them... exactly as they are.

Another thing I need to be aware of is the community and its residents. I was born and raised in the Seattle area, so I’m used to white collar America. In a city where getting ahead means putting off having a family until your thirties so that you can climb the business ladder and get a bigger cubical at your next review, that’s what my path was. But out here it’s so different. People get married at 19 and 20, and then have their first, second, and third kids by the time they're 25. Our target works in a factory (of which I have no experience) or has a construction type job (also, no experience). My work needs to connect to those guys. I can’t be using Dilbert type humor when office humor doesn’t mean having an idiot boss and a wasteful meeting. Office humor is more like “I forgot to put the parking brake on the dozer and it rolled into our new frame and demolished half the work site”.

I like what I do… a lot. My week is spent in Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver. The things I used to do for fun, I now get paid for. My newest love is what’s called “open source” software. It’s free software that the designers give freedom to anyone and everyone to change how they see fit. One of my favorite new programs is Blender 3D. Similar programs are in the thousands of dollars range, but Blender is free. I use it to animate and create graphics in 3D space.



Man! I’ve got so much to talk about but I know I’ll bore then heck out of you if I continue and go into the details of my art. Or maybe it won’t bore you. Tell you what… if you’re interested in hearing more, leave me a comment and maybe I’ll expand in a part 2.

Human Hearts

I get home sick. Though I grew up in El Paso, Texas until I was thirteen, I actually get homesick for Seattle. I wake up sometimes and feel like going to get a coffee near Juanita Beach, or driving across the 520 bridge and back – yes, even in traffic – just for the incredible view. Though the internet helps me feel connected to friends and family and life there in Washington, I still get that far away feeling once in a while.



Home sickness is not a condition that is easily treated. I found nothing for it on Web MD or Mayo Clinic’s website. I have prayed about it, only to be reminded of what Jesus says in the book of Luke:

“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison – your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.”

I suppose, since Jesus gave up his own life, I can give up some time with my friends and family… I suppose…

I think part of the weariness comes from not really feeling “called” or “qualified” to do this kind of work. I mean, who on earth ever would have thought I would be involved in launching a new church in the Mid-West? Certainly not me. I never even finished college, let alone one minute of seminary training. But, again, God is faithful to answer me using Scripture. I’ve been reading in 2 Corinthians and mulling over one section in particular. The apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth talking about this very idea of being qualified. He says:

“Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This ‘letter’ is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.”

So, rather than share my version of what God is doing here in Kenosha, I’ll let another young lady speak for herself. This is Brittany’s story…


About a year ago, I made the first time decision to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Growing up, I never had much exposure to religion, going to church, I didn't know the first thing about the Bible, or the difference between God and Jesus Christ (Truthfully, I didn't even know there was a difference). My cousins started talking to me about Great Lakes Church, for those who hate church. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try one Sunday last summer and it will remain one of the best decisions I've made in my life. Weeks went on and while I started to attend regularly, made the first time decision, I knew something was missing in my life, the pieces of the puzzle hadn't quite added up. That Fall, I went through a difficult time. The only way to truly describe the second half of 2009 is feelings of complete loneliness. Although I was surrounded by people, I've honestly never felt so separated from the rest of the world. This was all going on around the same time that I started attending church. I started learning more and became completely captivated by the idea that there's someone, with more power than any of the people I was letting control my emotions, that would love me unconditionally regardless of my story, what I've been through, or the decisions I've made. In October, I decided after several months of learning the Word that I would get baptized.



It was time for me to really begin this journey I was on and expand my faith and not be afraid to let this wall, that I've put up with everyone, down and simply, grow. Since I started attending Great Lakes Church, I've served on multiple teams and I'm currently apart of my second Growth Group. During my first Growth Group, the leaders and members of the group made a permanent mark in my heart and helped me learn and expand so much. Being that it was a class especially designed for first-time Christians, I learned about the first right steps and I couldn't be more grateful that that class was my first one.

Next week, myself and several other individuals will be traveling to Virginia to help a previous GLC member launch a new church and I could not be more excited about this. I know that there are several other individuals who are in the stage I was in just one year ago, lost and completely caught up with the wrong perspective on the ways things are vs. the way they should be. When the doors open for that church, I pray that at least one person out there will take a chance like I did because it's the best one I could have taken.

I still struggle with sin and know that I'm nowhere near the point in my faith that I have the potential to be, but I have found a community of people who understand and accept me for where I am and this is something I always thought I had to strive for in the past and now it comes effortlessly. I believe the reason it took 20 years for me to become a Christian is just the way that God works with everything and everyone. Nothing happens over night, I wouldn't have understood or appreciated church or God for that matter at any other point in my life because I was too stubborn and thought I was the only person in control. I realize now, we weren't put on this earth to walk through life alone and as long as I believe in God, I'll never be alone again.


The trip to help launch a new church in Virginia that Brittany is talking about is being led by a guy named Jason. Jason has a story of his own… Watch this video for a glimpse…



Want a peek at the church they are traveling to help launch? Scott Obenchain and his family were members at Great Lakes Church just a few short months ago. Check out his Pastor’s Welcome Video that Tony helped create…




I think about Great Lakes Church and am refreshed. I don’t want to imagine how empty my life might feel if I didn’t have the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing here in Kenosha. I am thankful for these tablets of human hearts and the difference they are making in the lives of those around them. It helps me remember that my true home is not a place. My true home is found in my relationship with God.

P.S. Yes, both of those videos, and many many others, were shot in our living room. Who needs a studio?

Claire

Did you think we had abandoned this blog? In a sense, I thought so myself. This is definitely the longest we've gone without posting, so I thank you for your patience with us as we adjust to life as new parents.

Since I can't come up with a better way to fill you in, you get bullet points for this post. Here are some highlights of the last couple of months:

• Claire Elaine Peterson* was born on January 22nd, 2010 at 2:28am... two weeks after her due date.
  
  
• Katy (Pratt) Wogsland arrived just in time from Seattle to help us at home for the first 10 days. THANK GOD!
  
  
• We were blessed beyond belief with countless meals and notes for Claire's first 3 weeks at home. Don't know how we would have survived (or eaten) otherwise.
  
  
• Tony finished designing another mailer for Great Lakes Church, inviting 70,000 families in the area to come check us out.
  
  
• We launched another season of Growth Groups with an incredible number of sign ups, and our weekend attendance at GLC grew to just over 1,000.
  
  
• We had just over 60 people at our most recent 101 Class make a commitment to partner with GLC as members! Love welcoming more people into this family of faith!
  
  
• We baptized just over 40 people at our most recent Worship Night! (That same night, I left Claire with the provided childcare for the first time. She did great! I was a nervous wreck!)
  
  
• Because of the incredible amount of people (and KIDS) we are seeing at GLC, we brought on another staff member, Matt Stennett. Matt, along with his wife Crystal and their little son, Jace, moved across the country from Seattle (although both of their families live here in the Chicago area) a couple of weeks ago. Great additions to the team!
  
  
• Tony and I made the tough decision for me to "stay home" and quit my job in Racine. This means the three of us are now home together full time. I'm excited for this opportunity and my new job as Claire's mom. Definitely eating crow, as I told many many friends before I had her that staying at home with her was just not something I'd ever be interested in. What the heck did I know?
  
  
• Claire is really good at being a baby, growing every day, sleeping more than I'm comfortable sharing with other new moms, smiling, and "talking" to us.

And now, for our feature presentation, Claire!

Claire Elaine Peterson from Tony Peterson on Vimeo.

*We named our sweet girl, Claire, after the song Clair de Lune by Debussy. This is a song Tony introduced me to when we first began dating 6 years ago... said it reminded him of me. He insisted I walk down the aisle at our wedding to this song, it meant so much to us both. It is the song playing in the background of this video. Her middle name, Elaine, is my middle name and a family name on both sides. We pray she knows how much we cherish her.

Out with 2009, In with 2010

We hope you've all had a great Christmas. Ours was very relaxed, just the two of us plus one cat-nipped kitty until the afternoon. Then we headed over to the Grays who hosted a homemade pizza dinner & games.

We started our Christmas fun a couple of days before. Four families (the Grays, Winnetts, Nelsons, & Petersons) all trekked out to Lake Geneva to see an incredible outdoor light display and indoor gingerbread house contest. It was snowing out and the drive was treacherous, which made it much more fun. We ended Christmas Eve-Eve with a White Elephant Gift Exchange. I came home with a fantastic wall mountable cd holder and Tony scored an outdoor thermometer. I think it's safe to say the company was better than the presents :) Here are a few photos from our trek to the Grand Geneva...












We look back fondly on 2009, it was definitely a big year for us. Below is Tony's latest video project, I'm very proud of the work he put into this. It's also a great way to share with you the journey we've been on with Great Lakes Church. Enjoy...

Celebrating!

I turned 30 yesterday.

Actually, yes, it does feel a little different. Not sure how exactly, but I do find myself taking stock of where I'm at in life and whether or not I'm good with it. I'm pretty sure I am. We have a lot going on and a lot to be thankful for.

I have an incredible husband who loves God and loves me. He is someone I admire and am in awe of all of the time, incredibly talented and incredibly fun to be around.

I live in a place I never thought I would, Wisconsin, and am surprised all the time by how much adventure there is for us here.

We've been a part of launching the most fun church around, meeting great people, learning new ways to serve God.

I'm pregnant, which is an adventure in itself.

Yes, at 30, I love my life and have a lot to be thankful for.

I shared my birthday this year with some new beginnings for Great Lakes Church. We had a grand opening for our new "Video Venue" where we made more room for many new guests. We launched a brand new series called Q&A where Pastor Dave is taking questions both live via text message and via email throughout the week. There was this really fun sense of unpredictability and still we were able to walk away hearing a great message about God's love. We also released our Fall Growth Group Catalog. If you'd like to know how I feel about Growth Groups and how much I love them, please take a look at some of our past entries. It was a great Sunday, lots of energy and lots of new faces and families. In the end, we had over 600 people with us! Incredible!

Here are a couple of Tony's latest video creations that were shown during service yesterday, just to help you feel like you were there...

For my birthday, Tony planned a small dinner at our place with a few friends. He had an incredible spread of tapas... marinated pork skewers, parmesan & sweet pea risotto, lemon & pine nut green beans, cheese plates... Getting hungry? It was nice and relaxed and I loved looking around the table to see faces I have grown to love after being here nearly a year. Hard to believe we've made such good friends already.

My big birthday present was finding out what kind of baby we're having. We are excited to announce...


Tony has known since our ultrasound last week and has been carrying around this little secret ever since. I was honestly very surprised. He did a great job keeping his lips sealed and sending me off the trail to figuring it out on my own. Now we have the task of deciding on a name!

We hope you all are well and that you sense God's love in your own lives and are celebrating in your own ways.

MY WIFE...

... is amazing!

We met in a bar (like normal people do). She came to see my band perform and from then on we were friends. She just stood out to me... in a sea of faces and intentions, hers really connected to me. There was something different, something special about this one, but I didn't really know what. The truth is, I was in a long term relationship when I met her, and the closest I could get to Michelle was as a friend.


In that atmosphere (the club), you can so easily get lost in the hype and moment of it all that 8 hours just flies by... but when Michelle was there, things slowed down a bit for me. Then, one day, she was gone.


The rumor was that she was "dating Jesus" and broke up with the band photographer cuz of it... and that was that for the rest of the guys... just another fan moving on... but I was hopeful for a return.


Days turned into weeks turned into months. Then, at The Central Saloon in Pioneer Square, there she was. She came back.


NOW she was the "weird christian" girl... overly nice... obnoxiously comfortable to be around... and that was that for the rest of the guys. But I wasn't just going to let that be that.


I asked her about the rumor, and she told me that it was basically true. There began my path back to a life worth living. My other relationship ended, and Michelle and I started to date. I was going to Catholic Mass at the time and she had her church, so we would go back and forth. We were invited to attend a preview service at EastLake Community Church by a friend... did... and fell in love enough to spend 4 years there, be employed, and launch a church identical to it out in Wisconsin.
Talk about a nut shell... but that's not what makes her amazing.


She's not supposed to be launching a church, she's supposed to be selfish and inward seeking. She's not supposed to be kind, she's supposed to be bitter and rightfully so. She's not supposed to be in love with God, she's supposed to hate Him and hold Him accountable and curse Him and live life with regret and remorse and self pitty.
But she doesn't...


God has done a great work in Michelle, and I am honored to be here to witness it everyday.



Great Lakes Church: Michelle Testimony from Tony Peterson on Vimeo.


This was the video testimony we showed this past weekend at Great Lakes Church. It had an amazing effect on everybody. If you've already watched it you know the power of Michelle's story... and that power is being used for Gods glory. Dave (watery eyed and sniffling after the video played) said it best...

"Michelle is a trophy of Gods grace"