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This weekend Lindsay, Asher and I will be heading to thebridge in Iowa, where I’ve been given the opportunity to preach. We’re pumped about this. Making the weekend even more exciting is the fact that this is the preaching equivalent to a substitute teaching assignment or a blind date. Here’s how pastor Marty Schmidt explains it:

Back in March we brought Lon Wong in as a guest teacher at thebridge. Prior to Lon’s visit I had only known him through his blog. I was energized by how his mind worked and thought he would be a great catalyst for us at thebridge. We were not disappointed. Lon flew in dropped an awesome message on us and went back to that small city in Canada known as Toronto (which by the way will be hosting an NFL game this year!).

I wasn’t all that sure we would do something like this again. It felt like it was one of those God ordained moments that was a one and done. But over the past few months the promptings reemerged and I was again led to toss an invitation to teach at thebridge to someone I had never met before. After some prayer on both sides, AJ has agreed to drive up from his small city of Kansas City (which by the way will be hosting 8 NFL games this year - no playoffs for you Chiefs fans) to visit us in Ottumwa and guest teach next week. We have been praying for him and his family the past few weeks and are super stoked about what he has for us.

I haven’t apprised Marty of the fact that I’m a militant KU hoops fan, a fact I plan to unveil about halfway through the message. More seriously, we really appreciate the generosity and faith behind this invitation. If you think of it, pray for me. I’ll let you know how my shtick goes over.

Marty Schmidt is taking Stephen Gray’s 21 characteristics of fast-growing churches and walking through them, commenting on how each factor effected his planting experience. I like it when active planters talk about praxis with this kind of gritty practicality.