Peeling the Onion

Some receive our ACG Newsletter but other readers of my blog do not so I added this article. If you would like to receive the newsletters go to the ACG website at www.achosengeneration.org



Several years ago a person made a comment to me regarding the “vision” that I had given their pastor. My ego wanted to pat myself on the back and tell me what a great job I had done serving the Lord. It seemed only to be nano-seconds before God awoke me from my self-indulgent dream.

Before I could even thank the person for the intended compliment, I said to the person, “I never gave your pastor a vision.” I went on to explain that the vision for the “InterGenerational church” was planted in the pastor’s heart by God and I was given the privilege of “peeling the onion.”

When that was said, the person had a perplexed look on their face. I went on to tell them that what brought me to the church was the trust of the pastor because he knew in his spirit that I shared the same vision that God had given him.

I have come to realize that God has trusted A Chosen Generation with a clear understanding of vocabulary, definitions and strategies for the restoring of the InterGenerational Church.

There is a part of that trust and favor for this message that can be paralyzing or empowering. With God’s trust comes enormous responsibility. I have chosen to be empowered.

God has allowed ACG to help some incredible pastors “peel the onion.”

When God entrusted A Chosen Generation with a message for the InterGenerational Church, He also gave me some very clear guiding principles that I have worked hard to follow from the very first day.

1. Never hold a pastor hostage. Having spent a couple of days in Special Operations during my 23 years of military service I thought I understood “Hostage” but it took me time to understand what God was telling me. Over time I understood God to mean that if we withheld truths, training, equipping and resources that God has given ACG from Pastors, we would hold pastors hostage to this ministry and that was never God’s intention.

2. Never out price the small church. This has been foundational from the very beginning. I believe that God desperately loves the small church and sees it as just as important as any “mega-church.” The reality is that much of what God has given ACG is best implemented in smaller churches that best represent family. That is not to say that we cannot help larger churches. It is merely to say, “If it is of God and good for His church, it should be good for ALL His churches.”

3. Be open and operate with integrity. We have worked very hard to be open, honest and with full integrity.

In the 20/20 Vision for His Vision for 2020, it is very clear that it will require resources. We must shift from doing the ministry to training others and trusting them to carry the message. We must lock arms with many other organizations and ministries. This will require us to travel and attend conferences and meetings that are expenses and not direct revenue producing. Over time we will be able to see these types of events and training as investments for ACG and the churches we serve.

From the very beginning, I have known that God is our provider, not men or churches. His resourcing of A Chosen Generation will come through faithful churches as well as men, women and families who are obedient to God’s nudging. God is going to use the obedience of many others who He has trusted with Kingdom Resources to resource A Chosen Generation.

In the past, I believe that I have lacked boldness to talk about money or resources. I have no good reason for that except to say that I believe the work God has entrusted to A Chosen Generation is Kingdom work and can be part of God’s greater plan of raising up “World Changers.”

It is critically important for everyone to know that I am not asking you for just financial support. I am inviting you to join A Chosen Generation on an incredible journey; a journey that in the next ten years will reach over 5 million people with message, strategies and resources to restore the InterGenerational church in His Kingdom. We are devoting our energy to helping pastors “peel the onion” of a vision that God has to them.

I am inviting you to become part of something that in 10 years you can look back and tell your children and grandchildren, “I was obedient and God let me be a part of something amazing.”

My prayer is not that you will donate to ACG. My prayer is that you will earnestly pray, seek God’s heart and then to be obedient to what He tells you.

Always Two Questions

There are two questions that are asked of me at most Rites of Passage. The first is, “Where was this for my older children?” That is normally followed by the statement, “Maybe they would still be in church if we would have done this for them.”

The second question seems to be more sensitive to the person asking. It is, “Where was this for me?”

These are not easy questions to answer, except to say that we are trying to (re)capture something that is “of God” and so needed in our churches today. It is not just about a spiritual blessing. It is also an issue of speaking truth - - truth about who and whose we are.

Far too many Christians have never been told that they are loved because of who they are and not what they do. Blessings counter the lies and deceptions of satan.

A significant dynamic that we see at Rites of Passage weekends is the high number of men and women of all ages who come forward to receive a Father’s Blessing. I have witnessed men and women in their 80’s kneel to be blessed.

Afterwords, many have told me that they have known for years that “something was missing” but they just did not know what it was until that night.

I believe that churches must focus on being families that bless one another.

Clearly a foundational work on this subject is The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent. One of my favorites is Rolf Garborg’s book The Family Blessing.

Blessings change life and help shape our destiny. No one in God’s family should ever wonder if they have been blessed.

Here is a question for readers - - When did you receive a Father’s blessing? Leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

Our Vision - A Chosen Generation

Yesterday I wrote about vision. I am sure that many wondered if the vision of ACG can be seen with the eyes of the heart and mind.

Here it is for the world to know.

ACG Vision: To see an explosion of dynamic intergenerational churches reproducing among God’s people.

I love the idea of being a part of something that is "God-size" and not "me size."

Close your eyes and picture your church as a place where all age-groups matter - a place "where everyone serves and gets to be served." Picture your church pouring into the lives of people of all ages in communities and churches in your community, city, state, country and even around the world.

Picture the families of your church worshiping, growing and serving together.

Picture all that and you will know why I think God created me and what I believe God wants me to pour into with all my energy and strength.

I am loving the journey.