Bill Berger.org

Leaders, leaders, leaders

Looking forward to hosting our leaders meeting Tuesday night, May 19th  at 7pm.  We ask all leaders, volunteers, staff, workers...everyone that makes All Saints "go."  We are going to talk about vision, a fresh infused look into the direction of All Saints. A reminder is always good, especially a passionate and direct reminder!

These are always nights of energy and honesty. I always look forward to this opportunity to speak directly to all the people that serve and give of their time. I love All Saints, I am grateful for all of those that give their heart and resources to see people be introduced to Jesus for the first time or in a way that they have never seen or heard before.

So, if you lead in any capacity at All Saints, I will look for you Tuesday night, May 19th. We are looking to pack the room full of wonderful leaders.

Love you all!

From the fringe

"On the fringes is where disruptive innovation begins."

This is the quote on the front of Fast Company this month. What a true statement. To be truly out there, to be where the people are going to be, to be out front is to be on the fringe. It's very shaky territory though. It's unstable and unpredictable, a true experimental culture is the only way to navigate it. I have a friend who calls it the "white water."

As a church, if we are going to be on mission we need to be on the fringes. This is where the unstable, creative way of the gospel is most loudly spoken. I also think this is where the pharisees show up. They are there to push you back into the safe area of theology, community and safe boundaries. The safe area is the place where you are told how to believe, how to live and how to behave. There is a false security to someone affirming all of your beliefs, it feels good and right.

As I read the gospels, I see how the Pharisees were shaken to the core, they went out to the fringe where Jesus was to try and use the law to push him back to safety. Jesus lived on the fringe and found the future greats that were going to help spread the kingdom of white water. Peter and Paul were fringe dudes. Mary Magdelene was a fringe girl. Peter was the first church leader, Paul was the mission specialist and Jesus saw to it that Mary was the first to see and know about his resurrection.

I get weary of trying to live in the box when the fringe is calling. As a follower, as a doubter, go to the fringe! Push the message of Jesus to the fringe of your life, that is where the super natural happens, this is where real influence happens. Innovate, create, thrive, paddle, and live freer than you ever have...on the fringe!

Investing

The economy stress has affected people across the board, unemployment is high, businesses are cutting back, people are truly living on a budget, this is a new kind of feeling for alot of us in the younger generations. Being part of a church, I hear other church people talk about the crunch they are feeling as well. Lots of churches are cutting back on program expenses, laying off employees, turning off lights and using less power during weekend gatherings. Actually, if that is trimming the fat and being able to utilize dollars more effectively to expand the reach of the Kingdom then maybe it's a good thing.

However, I hear many talk about cutting back on giving to agencies and people that are trying to make a difference in the lives of the oppressed, marginalized, poor, and those who are telling the story of Jesus here and around the world.  I get passionate about this. I want to be clear, this is about a conviction not a soapbox.  That being said, I get excited when I am around people that see an opportunity to put God's principles to work.

For instance, at our advisory board meeting the other night. We were lamenting over our lack of income and how we come up short of our budget and what are we going to do. We teach on it, we encourage people about it, we have good people that are overseeing the budget and finances, but we are still short. One of the men made this faith stretching comment, "everytime I have been short in my own budget, I just give Jesus more and somehow all my needs get taken care of." What a challenge and what conviction! The gauntlet was thrown down, do we trust what Jesus says about giving or not?

We decided to increase lthe amount we are currently giving to agencies and people that are serving others another 2% of what we were already giving, and allocate $2k to two churches in the Seattle area that need a blessing. Currently, we now give 7% of our general fund with a goal of 10% by the end of the year. We are giving this 2% increase to Downtown Emergency Service Center in Seattle. They are doing an amazing job of serving and loving the homeless, we also have volunteers from All Saints that give time to this incredible agency. It seems crazy because we don't have it, but its amazing how God gives so we can give more!

We believe that Jesus is reliable and he will see to it that the needs of his church will be met as we move out and trust him. We want to do the same in our desire to plant other churches, give money, give people, give resources. This is the Kingdom of God, this is how God demonstrated love, by giving.

I want to encourage you to take a step of faith, "give, and it will be given to you.Good measure,  pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be given back to you." Luke 6:38

We are excited to see what this investment will do in and for our city. In this time when so many are really struggling, give extravagantly, give without regret. This how lavish God is, He gave his best...His son, Jesus.