back from ORANGE 08...

Our team of 8 got back from Orange 08 (www.theorangeconference.com) last night. What a great week to get away and be with people passionate about the church and the next generation. How we invest in preschoolers, kids, and teens will shape how the next generation leads the church of Jesus Christ. (not your church or mine or your denomination of mine just the church we all belong too, it was founded by Jesus and it will never end) There is great hope that we can make a difference in the lives of kids and families and we get to be a part of the next chapter of what God wants to do here in the United States. I sensed the entire conference that God is doing a new things in the hearts of His followers who are called to invest in children and teens. Just such a blessing to be a part of that move of God. I can not wait to see what God does here in Clarksville over the next year in the church and in the families that live here.

Yesterday we had a few surprises. Andy Stanley was a surprise visit, Eddie Kirkland ( a friend the I met at Bigstuf and who has done some ministry with Freddy T) got to lead us in worship during the morning sessions, and Louie Giglio spoke in the last session. Tried to recap some ideas that flowed from the first day so here goes...

Andy Stanley...came and basically did a Q and A with Reggie and helped us think through family ministry in the local church, spiritual growth, and gave some insight into where he sees in church culture right now. Great reminder from Andy to be careful of serving others without the name and message of Jesus on our lips as we go. We serve not in our name but in the name of Jesus. As we serve we lead others to the only hope we have JESUS. Great insight...Also great insight into what spiritual growth looks like but you will have to get the session.

Louie...wow really asked everyone to examine of hearts and motivation for how we do church. In our attempt to be relevant do we miss the fact that Jesus transcends all of our feeble attempts. Our goal is to be like Jesus, think like Jesus, live like Jesus, lead others to Jesus, love others like Jesus. The truth is that we are not called to copy culture or manipulate culture we are called to CREATE culture that allows Jesus to be the center of all we do in HIS CHURCH. This thing we call church is His anyway not ours. The message from Louie was innovate, create, dream, move forward BUT NEVER WORSHIP RELEVANCE. The end goal is to spread the fame of Jesus Christ not our cool environment.

Right now as I finish this, I am so thrilled Jesus captured my heart. This is all for Him...my life, my time, my family, my dreams all for Him. In that place i find life, His life.

amazing 2 days at ORANGE...

It has been an amazing 2 days so far at the orange conference (http://www.theorangeconference.com ) this week. Yes, it is called orange and the idea behind the conference is that 2 combined influences in a child/teens life is greater than either one alone. we families and the church link arms in helping kids see and embrace Jesus Christ the influence is stronger than either one alone. If you ever get a chance to be a part of this conference it is so worth your time. Listen to how RETHINK describes the conference...

100 years from now the only thing that will matter in someone’s life is their relationship with God.

Those of us who host and participate at Orange are committed to systematically evaluating why and how we do ministry. We make an assumption when we create a conference for Christian leaders, that those who attend really are CHRISTIAN LEADERS. Therefore they want to have an honest discussion about how to reach and inspire the next generation to BE the church. They don’t mind if we engage in a healthy debate about the methods and practices of the church. As long as we are all driven by an UNCOMPROMISING MISSION to influence children, teenagers, and families to grow in their passion for Christ, then we should fight hard for the best ways to do just that. If that discussion is filtered only through conventional models or led by self-promoting entities then it doesn’t create the kind of authentic experience that challenges us to RETHINK what we do and implement the necessary changes.

There is just too much at stake to sugar-coat, water-down, or tip-toe around the issues.
That’s why we invite a special breed of leaders to speak at Orange.That’s why we value unfiltered debate.That’s why we ask hard questions.

Just amazing...I have sensed God presence here in this place in so many ways. Every session and every breakout is packed with people hungry to see this generation come to Christ. There is no fear of asking questions or rethinking how we do ministry here and there are over 48 denominations here gathered. Preschool, Children, Youth leaders all together hungry for God to use our churches to lead this generation to the cross. There is nothing we can do in our own strength, God must lead the way and together over 5,000 of us have begged God to show us the next step. There are so many thoughts that have surfaced for me, and so many moments this past week where my heart has screamed YES as the speaker spoke...

Reggis Joiner, helped us look at Luke 15 and ask our selves are we loving those away from God, prodigals, like the loving Father in the story or like the older brother. Go read that...think about it in terms of our churches. Loving father mindset or older brother? Jesus in this chapter is addressing the judgement of the Pharisees as they were mad that Jesus was eating with sinners. read it and think about it.

Francis Chan, helped us examine if our churches really look like the church birthed in the book of Acts. Do we make excises for our churches and dismiss the power of community and the Holy Spirit because of our American context. Can our churches look more and more like a place Jesus would be welcome in? Are we willing to embrace the risk having God lead us to live more and more like his Son?

Donald Miller, helped us look into the life of a leader, a servant leader. Jesus modeled this idea. Jesus influenced so many but LEAD a few disciples. Jesus allowed people to participate in God's mission to bring redemption. He helped those around Him be a part of God's plan. Will we really know the people we lead, will we help people do more than they think they can for the Kingdom? Will we dream and lead with out fear?

It is sweet to worship with so many people hungry to see God move in this generation right now with all their hurt and pain. it is wild to ask question and dream about what can be. It is great to get away and dream and refuel!

God of this City...great song, great idea!

If you have not heard the new Passion CD, go out and get it or download it. Tomlin sings a song on the cd called God of This City, it is amazing. We have been able to sing it a few times at GCC and people have really connected with the idea of the song. I find it wild to be living in a city and watch God turn my heart toward the city and the people who live here. We are a corporate sponsor of Rivers and Spires (www.riversandspires.com) a city festival here in our town. I was in a meeting today about the festival and looking around at the folks in the room. We were from all walks of life and all different types of organizations all working together to make sure this festival happens and it a blessing to the city of Clarksville. We all cared about one thing, the good of the city. Of course my heart wants to see people all over the city encounter Jesus Christ but I also want the best for this city. I want and need to understand what people care about in Clarksville. I am hoping that people here in this city will understand that the church can bring hope to city, help to the city, and people that are ready to serve. I hope we will serve asking nothing in return. I hope we will serve and display the hope of Christ through every aspect of our lives. Maybe people will see Jesus really have changed our lives, He is real! In the end, if we serve our city will be a better place to live. As we serve others we will care about the things that people here care about. This weekend we are going to be camped out with about 100 GCC volunteers in the teen area of the festival. It is going to be amazing for us to be right in the middle of this thing serving others. I have to say I am stoked about the folks that are serving. God is doing great things in our city, we get to be a part of God's movement here. Go God!

merge, summer, life with the girls...

This Blog thing...wow...i treat this like an online journal. as many of you know I talk a ton about my family, Jesus, church, Grace Community, and openly dream a little on here. If you read this I am sorry for the randomness of my brain. I do this for me so through the years I can look back and see how God has been stirring in my heart. I am not perfect, and do not have it all figured out so with that said, welcome to the mind of Bayne. it can be scary...

April is here...not the beginning the MIDDLE of April. Is it not crazy how fast time flies when you get older? I remember how slow I felt time went when I was in school. Some Saturdays could feel like they went on forever. Some weekends seemed like they would last forever. Now I am a dad. Wow, time just seems to fly. My oldest girl, Kozbi, is starting Kindergarten next year. Kelyn turns 2 in just a few days. Chelsea and I have been married for 12 years, that is wild! I have been back here in Clarksville for a year now. Time goes by so fast. The only thing I am sure of anymore is to live every moment for God's Glory. God made this thing called life anyway, maybe when I live each moment to the fullest, slow down and value each minute, try to live like Jesus showed us, maybe time will slow down a little. Well the Bible does say that life is like a "vapor" so time will always slip away and move fast but I just want to seize all of it I can for as long as God lets me.

We just finished an event with relevant called MERGE. The idea behind the weekend was that teens would spend a weekend together in small groups, staying in homes, led by their lifegroup leader. This was our first retreat like this with our teens at GCC...it was based around an event many of you have been a part of called Disciple Now but instead of bringing people here to lead our students our adults who have been leading our small groups all year led the groups at merge. Sure we did several large gatherings where a band and speaker led but once again God seemed to work the most in the group times. Discipleship and growth seem to explode when people work through the Bible, Faith, their life in a small setting built around relationship. Each large group session was amazing last weekend and each time we encountered truth from God's Word but growth happened when small groups met! It seems in our environment that we all make progress on our journey with Christ when we work through it with other people. It is not just my faith it is our Faith...questions can be asked...our struggles become know and we find out we are not alone. Teens need community, they need a place to belong, they need a place where it is ok to question, dream, discover truth with others. I was so stoked because it happened last weekend at Merge. What I experienced last weekend is what keep me focused. To see teens embrace Christ, embrace community, to connect is amazing. I am amazed that I get to spend my time working with families at Grace Community. It has been a great year!

later VOLS...

Great year for the vols, horrible way to end the season. What team was that playing UL tonight? What was going on? We had one play on offense run to the basket and turn it over or commit an offensive foul. One thing to say...

Go Memphis, Go North Carolina...that is the final I want to see! FOOTBALL SEASON is just around the corner, Go Vols! (maybe we can also recruit a point guard this year!)

today...

Ok, today is my 32 birthday and I was a great day considering I am another year older. really I was blown away with so many messages on facebook and texts and calls from family. It was wild. Thanks to so many of you who wished me a great day. Just a few things tat stood out today in a random list...

1. Kozbi made me a sweet book about soccer for my birthday!
2. Chelsea gave me a great present - tickets and a night out to my choice of concert in 2008! I am stoked. She wanted to send me to austin city limits but it is on Operation serve weekend this year.
3. Ron Edmonton and Anne Loy made me cupcakes and surprised me at staff meeting...wow.
4. Brandon Reed sent my my favorite kind of box in the world...a book from amazon!!! I am addicted to those boxes!
5. To top it off got a dinner at my favorite Mexican place...manzanillos!!!! and they sang happy b-day in spanish!!

Great day! Here comes year 33...

have a great EASTER!

We have had an amazing weekend here in the Bayne Family! We have had family here since Friday morning and are getting ready for our second Easter egg hunt of the weekend. Easter egg hunt #1 was with family and the #2 hunt is with our neighbors. Kozbi played soccer this morning in a game for the first time...wow. I was really proud of her for not touching the ball with her hands. She had a great time!

Have a great Easter! Love this holiday since we get to celebrate the central moment of our faith as Christ followers. without this moment in history or faith is in vain. Praise God for salvation for hope, for Jesus. Since Jesus...my life has never been the same.

Have a great weekend...and GO VOlS!

church

Church…what comes to mind when that word is mentioned? At Grace Community we live out an idea of what church can be. We have an idea of what a community of believers should be about and we try to create an environment that helps people live that out each week. Well…this week I have experienced 2 weird thoughts about church. The first was a comment that was made by someone who visited GCC. When asked what she thought about the gathering that morning she immediately said…’well it was ok but that worship leader was wearing blue jeans’. Not a good sign that GCC was for her since all of us on staff and most of the people who go to GCC wear jeans every week. It is just odd that in a gathering meant to lead people to connect with God someone got stuck on jeans? Would her worship of God been better with a person in a suit or maybe a leader wearing a pair of overalls, or maybe in a swimsuit? Not sure…but it just seems funny. That was just the beginning of the weirdness. At the YMCA today I was talking with a friend about a couple who are coming this week to visit on Easter. She had a friend with her and her friend asked me about our church. First she asked me if we were connected with a denomination, then she asked me if we were a rock and roll church. (yes I did laugh when she asked me the rock and roll thing!) It was such an odd question, both the denomination thing, which is kind of normal for people who have church backgrounds, and the rock and roll thing. We never label what we do as anything but a gathering. We hate the word contemporary. What does that label mean, but the rock and roll label just caught me off guard. When I asked what she was talking about she proceeded to tell me in Nashville, churches used all those weird musicians to play loud music and rock and roll in church. Yes I am serious, she called great musicians in Nashville weird. Then she said liked old music in church…that is cool. Well, I said, I guess we are a rock and roll church and we ended the conversation and parted ways. I was taken back because I just think of our church as a place where people can discover the love of Jesus Christ in a context that makes sense. The music and the message are clear and connect to a person living life in Clarksville. I just do not think in terms of a label. A great band once wrote...rock and roll aint noise pollution, rock and roll aint gonna die. The Rock and roll label is fine but as many of you know we might be country or bluegrass next week and GCC. HA! We love being creative and creating a place where people can connect.

the adoption

I am writing after Tennessee just lost by one to Arkansas. What a great game! I am sick we lost but I have to say it was one of the best games I have seen all year. I love that we have a team that never gives up. I love to watch out guys run and gun. The loss may really help us in the end. If UT gets focused they can win a national championship and I can not wait for next Thursday and the big dance to start. Forget a #1 seed, bring the 2 seed and lets roll. I am stoked about our regular season sec championship and ready to see what the big orange machine can do. Go Vols.

We spent the past 2 days in Shelbyville to celebrate some new members of our family. My in laws adopted 2 wonderful children they have been raising for the past several years. Chelsea has a new brother and sister! God led her parents to adopt last year and they took the plunge of being 54 and parents of little kids. I am so proud of them. This move does not make sense in the eyes of man. They are not wealthy but they are simple following the barbarian way of Jesus and obeying the guidance of Father God. It makes no senses but it is such a Jesus kind of thin to do. we threw a big party for the kids and it was an amazing time. It was such a picture of what God has done for us as His children. We are HIS! God did the unspeakable and adopted us into His family. well, enough of being sappy - I am just amazed that my IN LAWS did what they did. welcome to the family Kamyia and Tristan!

Not much else to type, It has been an amazing week and God keeps teaching this guy about His way and His will. Trying to focus more on what matters and less of the temporal traps of this life. Enjoying God is the goal...

snow in march!

My family drove back from a week of vacation in Va Beach and we found SNOW. As we drove in we saw a snow man in many yards in our neighborhood. Most of the snow and the snow men were melting but Koz so wanted to make a snowman. we looked out the back window and there was snow so we did it, OUR FIRST snowman!!! It even got a UT hat! Go vols!

Yes, we were in Va beach and we went to see Brandon Reed get married to an incredible young lady named Kara. They made it and are now married and spending their honeymoon in Jamaica! Brandon is such a great friend and I am so happy for those 2! Way to go Brandon and Kara.

Gonna blog about some ministry stuff on the GCC website this week. Go check out our posts out at www.gcomchurch.com and check out our student ministry website at www.relevantstudents.com