This is exactly what we did when evaluating if it was a good thing and good time for my family and I to take a sabbatical. We are certainly not “burned out”, frustrated, or tired of leading Friendship. In fact, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. It’s an absolute joy to be able to watch decisions we made 3-5 years ago become reality and see all these people come to know Christ and so many of you take huge steps in your spiritual growth. In all transparency, this is the last time I would choose to go on sabbatical. I love leading the charge, being the visionary, teaching the Word, and watching lives change…but that is the short-term view of things.

The long-term view says, bigger things are yet to come, greater growth is just around the corner, and what we are experiencing now is just a sliver of the blessing God has for us. If I continue to lead the charge through this time, my batteries may not have enough left to lead an even bigger charge later, and that’s not acceptable. If our vision as a church is to “glorify God as an effective and influential church” then it’s leaders must make sure that they are doing the same with their lives. If staying and enjoying this Summer with my amazing church means that I won’t be as effective as possible when I’m needed most, then I’m being selfish.

I heard John Maxwell once give an incredible illustration, it went something like this. Nature gives us one of the best examples of shared leadership and the importance of down-time. When geese fly across country going South or back North they fly in a “V” formation, as I’m sure you’ve seen. This formation gives the flock incredible aerodynamics and allows them as a group to fly infinitely farther than they could individually. The formation allows for each goose to receive a certain amount of lift from the flapping of the wings of the goose directly in front of them. The lead goose takes the brunt of the wind for the group and his wings provide lift for the entire group, while the rest of the geese “honk” their encouragement to him to keep up the pace. When the goose in the lead becomes tired, another leader rotates to the front. This enables the entire group to continue moving forward while at the same time allowing the lead goose gets the much needed rest for the next length of the journey.

That is why my family and I are going on sabbatical. I want to be ready for the next phase of the journey of Friendship Church. I believe with all my heart that greater things are on their way, that God has more in store for us than any of us can even begin to think or imagine, and I want to be ready! In the short-term it will be painful to be away from you this Summer, but the long-term rewards will far outweigh short-term pain.

“No discipline (training) seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of peace and righteousness for those who are trained by it.” Heb 12:11

Here’s what we sang this morning at Friendship Church as we cranked up our new series, “Ready?”:

Go – Hillsong United
Kingdom – Kristian Stanfill
At Your Name – Phil Wickham
Nothing But The Blood – Matt Redman
You Revive Me – Christy Nockels

Rest: A major part of our sabbatical is for rest. The ability to not have to preach every single week, be ready to counsel at a moments notice, or be actively engaged in decision making. If you run an engine at maximum rpm (rotations per minute) for too long you can burn up the engine. The same is true for human beings, especially those who carry the burden of leadership. If you truly love the people you lead you carry their burdens with you, and after a certain period of time if you don’t take an extended time of rest, it begins to take a toll on your continued abitlity to lead effectively. I love Friendship Church way to much to get to the point where my leadership becomes less or even completely ineffective. I have no desire to “burn out”, I want my fire to continue to burn bright over my entire life!

Renew: The second component of our sabbatical is renewal. All throughout our sabbatical I will be reading, writing, and studying. I want my passion for Christ, my joy for ministry, and my love for Friendship to be renewed and stoked to it’s full potential! Although I won’t be physically with you I will be daily praying and asking for God’s incredible blessings to continue to flow, and when I return, with completely full tanks, we’ll be ready to take the future that God has for us!

Reconnect: The final piece of our sabbatical is to reconnect with each other. Just like any family as we grow up we tend to move towards our own loves and joys, which can sometimes cause us to not spend as much time together. Unlike other families the pressure of ministry exaggerates those tensions and makes it more difficult to reconnect. So, we decided that it was essential that none of this sabbatical was done alone, we will do it as a family. Our girls are entering transitional times in their lives and this Summer is perfect timing for us to strengthen our bond and our relationships.

I am so thankful to Friendship Church for allowing me and my family to enjoy such an incredible blessing. This is a gift that I wish everyone could enjoy at some point in their lives, and I am so blessed to be able to experience it!

original artwork by Friendship Creative

Here’s what we sang this morning at Friendship Church as we continued our series, “Potential Me”:

Kingdom (Kristian Stanfill)
Say Say (Kristian Stanfill)
Marvelous Light (Charlie Hall)
Where The Spirit Of The Lord Is (Chris Tomlin & Christy Nockels)

First, we brainstormed what we wanted it to look like, and then we wrote out what our little stick figure would encounter on his journey:

From there, our amazing creative team animated our scene and cast, then took over 100 pictures to moving the scenes inch-by-inch.

We then decided on the speed/pace that we wanted our video to run at (180 beats per minute or 3 frames per second). Added our music and the series graphic at the end, and here’s what we ended up with:

Potential Me from Friendship Creative on Vimeo.

original artwork by Friendship Creative

A HUGE morning at Friendship Church and for Friendship Creative. We kicked off our series, “Potential Me”, with switching permanently to two service times. We also released a few new videos created by Friendship Creative. More on the videos later this week on the blog. Until then, here’s what we sang (twice!) this morning to celebrate Easter 2012:

Kingdom (Kristian Stanfill)
The Glory of Our King (Matt Redman)
Where Would We Be (Matt Redman)
Kindness (Chris Tomlin)
Free To Be Me (Francesca Battistelli)

…..10 minutes later…..

Even though you are happy that you destroyed that table, that satisfaction is unfortunately accompanied by a major stomach ache and regret. That’s right…regret.

Because you were in the right place and the food was there at the right time, you decided to partake in a major way. So much in fact, you were worse off for it.

As Christians, we have to guard ourselves against situations like this simply because we have a craving. In this case, your “craving” was hunger, and that’s all it took for you to indulge yourself. What if you were “craving” something else but it isn’t food?

Instead of walking into a room with a table full of food, let’s say we come into a room with a group of people talking about our boss and you just had a run-in with him/her, or they’re complaining about their spouses after you just had an argument with yours. Chances are pretty good that you are going to have the same result….that you’ll get too full and have regret.

Proverbs 4:23-27 tells us “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet;stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

We have to be careful what we crave because that is what typically will lead us into evil. We must know what direction we are moving in and do our best to stay on that path without getting sidetracked by cravings.

~Nick~

Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:1 to “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children”. I’m sure the idea of “perfect” may seem far off or even unreachable to some, but look at what Jesus told the rich man who wanted to know how to get into heaven in Matthew 19:21-22, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions”

It’s all about making choices. If we truly want to change something or make something better then we all have to be willing to give up something for the cause. In this case, maybe giving up social networks and giving that time to “practice” some simple conversation with your spouse. It’s about making a commitment to each other, taking advantage of the opportunities that God has laid before you, and glorifying God in all that you do.

Ephesians 5:15-17 “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

Let’s not squander away opportunities that God provides for you and risk throwing away your marriage. Don’t be like the rich man who walked away sad in in Matthew 19. You have the remedy to make things “perfect”, and what do you have to lose by having better communication with your spouse?

Don’t wait until tomorrow…..start serving your spouse today!

~Nick~

For more posts on marriage, check out the For Better or Worse Blog!

Here’s what we sang this morning at Friendship Church as we continued our series, “Virtuous”:

Happy Day (Tim Hughes)
Glorious Day (The Village Church)
10,000 Reasons (Matt Redman)
Give Us Clean Hands (Chris Tomlin)
My Heart, Your Home (Watermark)