The Goings on and Work of Sam Mahlstadt

There is a part of me that has deep respect and appreciation for those who have gone before me and who’s shoulders on which I stand. There is also a part of me that wants to know what is being birthed right now in the leaders that are just now taking their place. I don’t think it is an either/or situation.

I believe we must honor and appreciate those who have gone before us. We must also hang on loosely to previous movements that have placed people in positions of prominence. No doubt that we, the Church, wouldn’t be where we are today without leaders who have walked out their calling. It cannot stop there, however, as we must keep moving forward.

I believe that we are a part of a story that has yet to reach it’s conclusion, and until that day, we must keep involving ourselves with what God is doing. Many people live in such a way that suggests the best has already happened, when the truth is that the best is yet to come. God is not resting from the last revival, he is waiting for us to light ourselves on fire in order to spark another.

So, I like to mix it up: some wise sages and some young visionaries. What about you?

Our launch team is planning a community event to help raise awareness of modern day slavery. Slavery is more prevalent today than in any other time in history. Human trafficking takes place all over the world, cases being sited in all 50 states in the U.S. and in countries around the globe.

27 million people live in slavery right now.

We as the Church must stand up for justice.

So, in response – we are going to host a screening of the documentary Not for Sale for the community, and hopefully spark a local movement that educates people and provides a way to respond.

Of course, we are only a few people with limited abilities.

Enter social networking.

sammahlstadt i need a graphic designer and a web designer to help with a human trafficking initiative soon going down in Winston-Salem. holla atchya boy 9:12 PM Jul 2nd from Power Twitter

I sent out a tweet asking for help and was able to get a graphic designer and web designer to pitch in and donate their time and skills for the cause. I am so excited that these talented folks decided to lock arms with us in this effort. I will be featuring them on the blog very soon, once all the web and print material is created. Until then, check out the post I wrote for ChurchCrunch.com about the dynamic of widening your talent pool using social networking.

Remember, collaboration can only happen when you ask for help.

“He has shown all you people what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”

-Micah 6:8
Check out this video from the Q Conference. The speaker is the founder of Not for Sale.

For mor information on how to get involved, check out some great organizations who are voices for the 27 million who live in slavery by searching #abolition on twitter. Please feel free to add to the list if you are on twitter, or leave the name/website of an organization you know who is fighting to end human trafficking in the comments of this post.

At the restaurant where I work, some of the staff noticed something strange. Outside the back door, just off the sidewalk, a Roma tomato plant was growing, and had produced a tomato. No one planted a seed in order to grow a tomato plant there, no one watered the plant or even knew it existed. And since it is a Roma tomato, which are only used in the winter, the seed would have endured a harsh season to even spout, let alone grow to produce fruit.

Now, there are two options – let it ride or facilitate the growth and health of the plant.

It is similar in how the church can respond to those it comes in contact with. You may not have planted the seed, it may be unexpected, it may have been through some stuff, but that doesn’t matter at this point. How we engage and interact with those God places in our lives is what will make the difference. What now?

Leave the plant where it is, and it will die – either devoured by an animal or unable to grow in the space it  currently occupies. Support it, move it if necessary and provide protection and the plant will survive and continue to produce fruit.

Organic discipleship is huge, but there will always be those who show up unexpectedly. How are you responding to them?

the past couple months, I have had the opportunity to be a part of a few book tours. Kem Meyer, Geoff Surratt and Shawn Wood have entrusted Creating Culture with advance copies of their books, Q&As and the opportunity to post a review. I am thankful for all of these authors, not only for letting me be a part of their book launches, but for their leadership and innovation in their local churches and the Church at large.

I would love to know your thoughts if you read Geoff and Kem’s books and are planning on reading Shawn’s. Also if you read the posts: Kem Meyer on New Media vs. Old Media, Geoff Surratt on Being Less Stupider, and the review of Shawn Wood’s Wasabi Gospel let me know what you thought.

These are some major books that deal with varying but crucial topics for the Church. It is my prayer that all churches function efficiently, and these are some great resources to help ensure that.

You can get Kem’s book, Less Clutter. Less Noise. here

You can get Geoff’s book, 10 Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing here

You can pre-order Shawn’s book, Wasabi Gospel here

Shawn Wood’s new book, Wasabi Gospel is going to be one you want to check out. Today is the book bomb for Wasabi Gospel on Amazon.com, so go head over there today to order a copy. I was able to get a copy of the book a while back, and I would love to share some of my thoughts. I will be focusing on the first chapter in order to give you a snapshot of the content and writing style of Wasabi Gospel.

Let me begin by saying that I love Shawn’s voice (no, not in a creepy way, his writing voice). Wasabi Gospel deals with some tough issues that aren’t easy to digest, and his humorous style helps deal with the weight of the topics.

In the first chapter, “God, I’ll Take the Mercy, but Give the Idiot Who Cut Me Off in Traffic Justice” the topic is forgiveness. As the title of the chapter suggests, forgiveness is dealt with using humor and practical application. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” is the scriptural context of the chapter, and Wood approaches the often read scripture with a new lens through which he invites the reader to examine the text and their hearts.

In the chapter, he breaks down the components of forgiveness and practical steps to forgive others even when you don’t feel like it, because as he states, “Our feelings are freaky-deaky. Feelings can’t be trusted.”

The chapter concludes with my favorite part: the “Take a Bite” section. There is a “Take a Bite” section at the end of each chapter, where the reader is given the opportunity to apply the scripture to their lives. A final thought and a prayer seal the chapters very fittingly.

Wasabi Gospel will be a book that makes you reexamine your heart and the way you interact with the Bible.

So again, I will say go get your copy of Wasabi Gospel. You can surely use the fresh take on some pasages of scripture that you have heard countless times, and the practical ways to apply them to you life.

John Piper said a few days ago that church online has the potential to be “spiritually defective.”

Many churches are launching internet campuses to engage a group of people that wouldn’t otherwise ever visit a church – and seeing huge turnouts – being spiritually effective.

I had my first encounter with online church a while ago – it wasn’t an “internet campus” but it was a sermon, made available online, which people gathered around (to me…an internet campus). Since then, I have also visited a few live worship services online.

If you broadcast your gatherings, whether live or not, and draw people – you are hosting an internet campus. If so, it becomes an issue of stewardship.

What are you doing with/for the people who are coming to view/listen to your content?

If you can’t answer that question, then in my mind at least, you are failing the Church.

If we are not engaging those who are coming to experience our messages, we are furthering an individualistic and consumeristic church culture, which stands directly opposed to the foundations of our faith.

I am NOT opposed to online campuses, or even having a podcast of your messages. It may be the only contact someone has to a church, and the reason someone joins or rejoins a community that helps them walk out their faith. This is powerful, and there is a place for this in the Church, but we must have a way to move people from experiencing messages individually, to joining a community in the flesh.

Do you attend church online? Do you broadcast your church gatherings online? If so, I would love for you to weigh in on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqGK9PzuyB8

A cool pair of shoes for me, a life-changing pair of shoes for you. That’s the premise of TOMS Shoes, started in 2006 in response to children living without shoes. You can read more on their site.

I explained what TOMS were to a co-worker today, and think you should know about this company too. They are doing great things, and having a great impact all over the globe.

One for me, one for you. Genius concept in the marketplace. Go get a pair. Be the change.

I think the one thing that has set TOMS apart from other apparel lines is that their brand tells a story. You buys shoes, a kid gets shoes, and that kid’s life is better now. That is a story that will be retold.