Connexus Community Church

Three Key Announcements

So as our team gets read to ramp up for the first full, official day of working full time for Connexus tomorrow, we have three cool announcements to launch us into our month of launch preparation.

First, we have a logo.  I know, this is anti-climatic, because the logo has been up on the blog for a day now (look up).  But I felt we should announce that it was official.  So, there it is. Ta da. I feel better now.

Second, we have a slogan.  After all the submissions, we went with:

                            Real life...simplified

You'll find our teaching team will focus heavily on applying what God wants us to do in real life in a way that is simple, but not simplistic.  I think just about everyone is into simplifying their lives. Funny thing is:  so is God.  Spiritual things are not theoretical, they are practical -- for real life.  We'll teach it that way.

Third announcement.  Orillia is going to launch with two services (8:30 and 10:00 a.m.)!  We were so amazed at the turn out at both the Barrie and Orillia launch meetings, that we have decided to prepare for two Sunday services at both locations. 

Much more to come.  And starting tomorrow, Nadine Russell, Rich Birch, Matt Fox, Cindy Morris, Pat Dryburgh, Brian Hughes and I go to work full time as the staff for Connexus, and we look forward to partnering with you for an amazing November and an even greater December.  Thanks for your partnership and prayers.  Fasten your seat belts....

What's Next

So...last Sunday we held our final services at Trinity Community Church where I have served for twelve years, and now we head into...what?

The temptation is to say "see you in December", when we launch publicly in Barrie (December 2nd) and Orillia (December 9th). 

Actually, our team hopes to see every person who wants to be part of Connexus in less than two weeks when we hold our first Sunday gathering as Connexus -- Sunday, November 11th 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at the Barrie Galaxy for both campuses. 

We need everyone who is going to volunteer at both campuses present for a training morning.  Plus, we'll also pray together.  You can bring the family (we're working on a programme for the younger kids that day), and honestly every one else can find a job!  There's lots to do.

In the meantime, here are things you can do until we meet again November 11th:

• Please fill out and return the volunteer card you got at the Launch Meetings in Barrie and Orillia over the last two Saturdays.  We need to hear from you personally with your data, as we are building our data base from scratch for Connexus.  If we don't hear from you, we don't know you exist!  Obviously, your help financially (the second part of the card) is very helpful too.  Please do what you can and please get the card back this week.

• If you missed the meetings and didn't get a card, email us at admin@connexuscommunity.com.  We'll sign you up.

• Plan to join us every Sunday in November (except this one -- the 4th). 
  
  • All campuses meet in Barrie on Sunday the 11th and Sunday the 18th for training and to participate in/observe Barrie's soft launch,
  • We then go regional on Sunday November 25th
    • Barrie people go to Barrie for their second week of soft-launch
    • Orillia people go to Orillia for their first Sunday of soft-launch

• Also, reserve these Saturday mornings for training.
  
  • Barrie people train on Saturday morning November 17th at the Barrie Campus
  • Orillia people train on Saturday morning November 23rd at the Orillia Campus.

The other thing you can do this November is to pray for people who don't go to church.  Think about your network of relationships.  Ask God to open up conversations with people.  While you volunteer to get us ready for launch, take some time at work to talk about what you're involved in, to talk about relevant environments for people who are curious about God but not into "regular" church, and then invite them out December 2nd (in Barrie) or December 9th (in Orillia) as you see all your hard work, prayers, and investment finally begin to pay off as people are led into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is going to be one awesome month.  Is the path clear for you?  What parts of it do you not understand?   We are trying to do all we can to support you as we work together for what will be an incredible launch.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com

Your Input Is Making a Huge Difference!

Wow! It's been a pretty overwhelming week.  Thanks for your awesome response this morning in Orillia, as 200 people gathered at the Galaxy Cinema for our second launch meeting. 

Between the two launch meetings and some leadership meetings we've had over the last two weeks, we've met in person with over 500 people who are committed to being part of the launch.  And those are just individual adults we could chat with personally...when we think of the families represented, it's a little overwhelming.  Imagine how the time, energy, prayer and resources you are contributing right now could change lives just a few months down the road.

Thank you so much for your prayers, your commitment, your generosity.  I think we really are seeing God do something powerful and amazing as we get ready to open relevant environments that will help lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus.

Here's a real quick update..and some opportunities for you to impact what happens next.

• Generosity. Your generosity continues to be amazing.  In the last ten days, we have heard from about 80 families who have committed a total of $539,000 in over-and-above giving to the launch of Connexus in the next six months.  That is truly unprecedented. What amazes us is that the majority of families have yet to respond.  We are just so thankful to God for the way He is opening hearts.  Two thoughts. We still need the contributions of everyone to be fully resourced for our launch (and we want you to be in on the blessing by participating).  We may see God open up much more for Connexus than we first imagined.  So please take those first gifts as an encouragement to all of us do our part. We promise this: your generosity will directly result  in opening as much opportunity as possible for people to be led into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through relevant environments.  If you want more information on how to give, email us at rich.birch@connexuscommunity.com.

• Volunteers.  We were so encouraged that at the Orillia campus turn out that we are thinking and praying about beginning with two services at Orillia, which would mean that Connexus would open with two services at each campus (8:30 and 10:00 a.m., both locations).  The key: volunteers.  As your volunteer cards come back in (we gave those out at each launch) we will be able to make a final decision about the number of services we'll offer when we launch in December.  If you want to sign up and didn't get a card, email us at admin@connexuscommunity.com.

• Involvement in November.  Connexus only has ONE Sunday off in November (Sunday November 4th).  Every other weekend, it's all hands on deck as we train and prepare for the December launches in each city (see the summary for November's timeline here).  Make sure you book the time to gather, pray, train and get ready for the launch all November long.

Last point today...we narrowed things down to a final candidate for slogan, but want your input one more time before making a final decision.

Connexus Community Church:  Real Life...Simplified.

What do you think?  Like the slogan? Can you imagine that slogan being something you could talk to your friends about as a defining characteristic of what Connexus is about?  Post your comments this week.

We're getting closer every day to something amazing.  Thanks for your incredible response so far.

We are humbled, and deeply excited, by what we see God doing through all of you.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com

Tomorrow Morning -- A Key Point in The Launch of Connexus

I just so deeply hope you'll be at tomorrow morning's launch meeting at 10:00 a.m. at the Galaxy Cinemas in Orillia at WestRidge Place.

Tomorrow's meeting will really mark the beginning of what will be an incredible few weeks of activity that will lead to the launch of Connexus within five weeks.  Can you believe that?  Five week's away. So tomorrow's your chance to be part of something exciting.

We've been hearing from people who still wonder what's happening with Connexus in November.  Great question!  The answer?  Everything.

We actually have only a single weekend off in November (Sunday November 4th).  Beyond that, we are engaged every weekend in training and soft launch services.  We will spell out the time line in detail again tomorrow, but essentially, it's all hands on deck starting November 1st. 

So if you haven't been at a face to face encounter yet for the launch of Connexus (a leader's meeting or our Barrie meeting last week), you have simply got to be in Orillia tomorrow morning.  It's going to take every single one of us taking a role in November to ensure optimal launch.  Many have plugged in already, but there is plenty of room for the rest of you.

So, bring your launch-minded friends with you tomorrow morning.  Scroll back in the blog through some of Rich Birch's posts (including yesterday's) that outline the logistical details for November.  Tomorrow will be your chance to sign up and serve!

See you then!  Can't wait.  It's amazing to see your life caught up in something God can use in a powerful way.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com

What's the big deal? Environment Teams?

"Our locations might be temporary, but our ministry is any but!"

Over the last couple weeks I've been working with my daughter, Haley, on her grade two project on the Monarch Butterfly.  She has done a great job putting together a display and presentation that explains the incredible change that the Monarch caterpillar goes through to become this beautiful Butterfly.  She's taught me knew things about Butterflies - like that fact that they don't make cocoons but chrysalis.  (Only moths make cocoons . . . but you probably already knew that.)   In the middle of watching her practice her presentation this week I got thinking about the transition our church is going under.  In just a couple weeks we are going to have new homes to be apart of every week.  In that same way that the Monarch Butterfly looks incredibly beautiful after it comes through it's transition we're praying that as we come through this transition we will be a beautiful new version of ourselves!  There are unseen things that take place inside that chrysalis that transform the caterpillar into the butterfly - today we want to chat about something somewhat unseen but just a vital to our transformation.

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Bottom Line - If you don't read any more . . .

Environment Teams - We are in need of 60 people at each of our Campuses who are willing to arrive early every Sunday to help us transform the Galaxy Cinemas' into irresistible environments for people.  Will you join us?  Email Rich Birch today and let us know which Campus you can help out in!

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Early every Sunday morning a group of 20-25 volunteers will show up at each theatre to unload dozens of rolling cases that contain everything we need to transform these spaces into incredible environments.  Each of these cases has a specific home labeled clearly on the outside.  After the cases have been rolled to their locations they are opened up to find "set up" instructions inside each one.  These instructions help the team remember exactly where to put everything.  Where we are able to label materials for easier set up we will.  Wherever possible, we've reduced the need to pick things up so you don't need to be a Hulkamaniac to be on the team.  (Although all Hulkamaniac's can apply!)  After our first couple weeks of training we will be able to do this incredible transformation in just ninety minutes!  It really is going to be a fun team to be on to see all this equipment set up every week.  We'll get it done quickly so we can grab a coffee together and catch up with each other!

Everyone who calls Connexus Community Church home should volunteer on an Environment Teams.  We can't leave this to a small group of "hyper-dedicated" people.  Each of us need to join in and help.  At a bare minimum we need 3 teams of 20 people at each location.  We can always use more people on the set up teams but that's our starting point.  Can you please sign up to help us on this front?  If we don't set up the sound equipment our bands can't play.  We need to make sure Waumba Land is set up safely for each of our wonderful preschoolers.  Our UpStreet team can't take to the stage until we've got the sound, video and lights all set up.  Our teens won't be have a place to hang out if we don't set up the space.  The bottom line:  we need you to sign up and pitch in to the Environment Teams. 

Let us know what location you can help in by emailing Rich Birch today.  Be thinking of people that you can invite to join you on the Environment Team.

We have a special surprise in store for our Saturday Information Meeting in Orillia that directly relates to the Environment Teams.  Are you coming to the Orillia Galaxy Cineplex at 10am on Saturday?  We have something special planned to help people understand more about the Environment Teams - we didn't have this surprise in Barrie last week!

I know it sounds like a stretch but I really do believe that every week we're going to be a part of a butterfly-type metamorphosis of the theatres.  We need you to make that transformation complete but it's going to incredible!

Have a great Thursday!

Rich Birch
Executive Director of Operations
Connexus Community Church

p.s. If you have 5 minutes to spare check out this video from a "portable church": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxfiWKYu608

The Power of Synergy

I get excited when leaders get together.  There is nothing like a group of people pooling their time and energy and strength together to achieve a common mission. 

That's what is forming the heart of the Connexus community.  As hundreds of us pool our time and talent as well as our resources together and submit them prayerfully to God, we are able to accomplish far more than any of us ever could on our own. 

One of the values of Connexus is called "strategic service". That value simply says that our spiritual gifts have maximum impact when exercised in support of our strategy.

I think this value reflects how God designed things to work. Musicians understand it: if musicians get together and play whatever they want whenever they want to, you get noise.  But when their talents are used around a common strategy (to play a song), you get a far more powerful and beautiful sound than any single musician could produce on his or her own. As we pool our time and energy and resources around a common cause, the synergy will unleash a potential that would never be present in a team not unified or running off in different directions.

Thank you to ALL of you who are stepping up to serve this November to help us launch Connexus.  You are unleashing the power of synergy on our communities.  I just believe God has such a deep heart for people, and when we cooperate with His heart to reach people, who knows what will happen? 

But the Connexus team is even bigger than you might realize.  We are so energized to be part of the broader North Point Community.  If you check out the North Point Partner site you'll see two little Canadian arrows on a map of North America that mark Connexus as part of the North Point Strategic Partners network. 

Every week, I get emails and phone calls from people who serve in North Point churches who are praying for us, cheering for us and supporting us in our launch.  They are so excited about what you are doing and how you are stepping up to the challenge.  In this launch phase and over the years to come, North Point  provides training, support, and leadership to help our teams release their full potential.  The FAQ section of the site might give you some interesting perspective on how partnerships operate, although there are a few differences with our relationship because we'll be the content provider (the Sunday message provider) for the Canadian sites.

It's great to realize the power of synergy.  Many more of you will sign up to serve this weekend at our launch meeting at the Orillia Galaxy Cinema at 10:00 a.m. Thanks in advance for pooling your talent, resources and effort to make this launch spectacular.

Everyone Involved in November

The launch of Connexus is less than six weeks away for Barrie, and seven weeks away for Orillia. Each of you reading this blog has a role to play in the next month to help the launch happen.

Quite honestly, if our staff and elders all worked 24/7 until December 2nd with zero sleep and no meals, the launch still wouldn't happen. There's too much to do.  Plus, it wouldn't nearly be as much fun or rewarding.  AND -- you wouldn't have the opportunity to be part of something that we believe is going to be amazing and historic. So, we are building an  incredible to launch this ministry, and you're invited to be a part of it.

Imagine using your energy and time to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus.  Imagine seeing that you played a role in shaping and building irresistible environments for people to encounter Jesus from the ground up.

So how can you get involved?

The best way for you to get involved at this point is to be at our next Connexus launch meeting this Saturday, October 27th at 10:00 a.m. in the Galaxy Cinemas at WestRidge Place in Orillia.  Even if you plan on being part of the Barrie launch but missed last Saturday's Barrie launch meeting, come to Orillia this Saturday. That's your best way to hear about each opportunity and actually plug in.

We're using those meetings to build our team and giving people to partner with us in every way.  You'll hear the vision, get a chance to sign up to be part of the team.  We'll actually need over 400 volunteers working together over the next month to launch Connexus (200 in each location), so don't miss out.

One of the questions we still get from time to time is "what are we doing in November"?  After a brief single Sunday "off" on November 4th, we'll be working weekends to train volunteers, run "soft launch" services where we basically do a dress rehearsal, and get everyone working together for what we anticipate will be an amazing December.  So we'll be fully engaged on every other weekend in November.

How can you help?  Consider these opportunities:

• 120 people will be part of our e-teams (environment teams) for each Sunday.  20 people each weekend in each location will be on a three week rotation (one weekend on, two off) to unload all the portable church gear and then load it back up by noon on each campus.

• Small group leaders, story tellers, dancers, musicians and more will fuel the ministry in Waumba Land, UpStreet and Xtreme each Sunday.

• Our growing host team will train to welcome people, help people park, distribute resources, and pour coffee and make popcorn.

• Tech teams will be trained and assembled over November to run cameras, sound board and all kinds of gear.

• Musicians and hosts will staff the environments every Sunday in both locations.  Remember, everything is live and local in Orillia except the message!

• Plus we need dozens of other volunteers in admin, databasing and more.

What matters most now, as we move to launch, is for everyone to plug into serving as we gear up for December. 

Two questions:  How will you serve, and what aspect of serving are you most excited about?

We'll talk more in Orillia on Saturday.  Don't miss it, and don't miss the opportunity.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com

A Launch, a Struggle, and an Overwhelming Response

What a great morning in Barrie!  Nearly 200 people gathered this morning in the cinema in Barrie to be part of the launch team for Barrie Campus of Connexus.  The excitement and the joy were pretty contagious.  And that's just the people who could make it...

At the meeting, we shared the vision and the plan for Connexus, and people devoured the opportunity to serve and to give, and are so looking forward to our launch meeting next week for the Orillia campus (September 27th at 10:00 a.m. in Orillia at the Galaxy Cinema).  Don't miss it.

I was also able to share what happened this week.  As you know, Connexus is launching as a portable church December 2nd in Barrie and December 9th in Orillia.  But this week, it looked like that might all unravel.

As a portable church, we are a new venture with no assets, which makes getting a loan hard.  We also need to purchase over a half million dollars in gear (very soon) to be ready for our December launch.  We had a strong lead on a $500,000 loan, which, with the combination of $600,000 in start up gifts we hoped to raise from Connexus people over November, would enable us to launch.

On Tuesday, we learned the $500,000 loan wasn't going to happen.  The company in question had a change in their cash flow, and to make a long story short, the deal evapourated.

That put us into a very difficult situation. With the loan gone, and Connexus not even having a bank account (hey, we did get one Friday!), we had no money to place the order for a half million in portable church gear.  And with no order, we wouldn't have the gear in time for training, and the launch would have to be delayed.  Another option was to scale back to one campus, but none of us wanted to do that.

Tuesday night I gathered our elders and we prayed, deeply.  We sat in silence a lot.  We prayed some more.  What was God saying?  Was this too much?  Were we on the wrong track?  Did we need more faith?

The only option we had, other than to cut back the launch, was to try to raise the money in a few days.  Banks generally don't finance churches with no assets, and any loan to Connexus would involve people from Connexus putting up their homes or investments as securities.  We simply began to feel like we had to raise $300,000 - $500,000 by Monday, October 22nd, the last day we could place the order and still safely make the double launch for December 2nd and 9th. 

Trouble is, we had never raised that much money before in such a short period of time.  Ever.   People would have to sacrifice, people would have to give.  And the money we are asking for is over and above regular giving.

Plus we had no way to get the word out widely without raising a sense of panic.  Sure, people who attended the launch meetings in Barrie and Orillia this month and other leadership gatherings would get a chance to contribute financially, but not until later in the month.  And we needed the money now.

So our leaders prayed, and we began to let other Connexus leaders know about the crisis, and I personally felt a dependency on God for this like I've never felt so deeply before.  If God didn't move hearts, the plans we'd prayerfully made would have to change.  Maybe He wasn't in them.  Maybe this was a bad dream. Or maybe God would just move.

Are you ready?

Over the last four days, $435,000 in commitments and donations have poured in.  And we have only heard from about 25 families.  We have yet to hear from everyone else or even the nearly 200 people who gathered in Barrie today (yes, Barrie people, the figure went up $130,000 since noon today), not to mention other leaders who will hear about this later this month or even our Orillia crew that we're gathering with next weekend!

We are not completely out of the woods yet.  So many of you have yet to hear about the situation and everyone else needs to be given an opportunity to respond and help out.  We still need $600,000 total in over and above gifts by the end of the year to meet our commitments, and ideally, $800,000 to really keep our debt load low and our opportunity to invest fully in the community high.  But we are well on our way, and we are SO looking forward to the moment when all of us get a pledge card and we can all participate in this amazing thing God is doing in our region. 

Who knows where this might go????  Who knows what God really wants to do in this community?  I truly believe we have only seen the very beginning. 

'To say I am in awe is an complete understatement.  To say we are grateful to see the hand of God at work seems just so short of how we feel.  We are humbled.  We are so thankful.  God is alive, and God is moving, and His people are giving to a vision to create irresistible environments like we have never seen His people give in this region before.  Thank you, God!

We are so grateful that we'll be able to place the order for our portable church equipment on Monday.  That puts us right back on schedule for a December 2nd and 9th launch in the cities of Barrie and Orillia. 

And thanks to all who are already partnering and to all of you who will partner with us in the next 7-14 days. 

I know many of you will ask how you can give -- you don't want to miss being part of this.  Thank you in advance.  And the truth is, we really need all of us to do this together -- because the size of our generosity directly affects the scope and impact of Connexus on our region and beyond. 

Truthfully, right now the best way to give is for us to give you a pledge card next Saturday at the Orillia campus launch meeting.  So showing up next Saturday in Orillia at 10:00 a.m.. If you want to talk more urgently about it, call Rich Birch at 705.241.8070. 

I promise that on November 1st, when we will be able to serve Connexus full time, we'll open up many more portals to help you get fully involved and engaged in the launch of this dream for our communities. 

In the meantime, give thanks, pray, and make sure you're present at the next launch meeting in Orillia next Saturday, October 27th at 10:00 a.m. where we can see what God is going to do next.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com

Some Big News Tomorrow

So tomorrow we finally have our first real opportunity to talk face to face about the launch of Connexus.  The December 2nd Barrie launch and the December 9th Orillia launch are just six and seven weeks away, and there's so much to do in the meantime and so many ways for you to be involved.  This meeting is your chance to hear more, ask questions and to get in on the ground floor of Connexus.

As I eluded to earlier, there's a situation that developed over the course of this week that was really quite serious, but it has been amazing to see how God and many leaders are responding. Tomorrow is your chance to respond too when we get together tomorrow.  We're not quite home free yet, but I can't wait to tell the story (I'm not going to discuss it right now on the blog.)  And when we announce what's happening, I think you'll be a bit amazed.  Something unbelievable is unfolding before our eyes.  At least I've never seen anything like it in twelve years of ministry.

So make sure you are there tomorrow (Saturday the 20th) at 10:00 a.m. at the Galaxy Cinema in South Barrie (behind WalMart).  Even if you are planning to be part of the Orillia launch, we would love it if you came to the inaugural launch meeting in Barrie in light of what's been taking place this week.   

We'll serve coffee and popcorn.  We'll be in and out in 90 minutes...you are welcome to bring your family. Although the launch meeting is really targeted at adults, if you can't get childcare then the kids can eat more popcorn while we chat!  It's your call on feeding them coffee.

We have so much to do in the six weeks before launch that remains, and you finally get to see how God can use you as an indispensable part of the launch in both cities. 

It's all about leading people into a growing relationship with Christ.  And we're going to create the most relevant environments we can to accomplish that, tearing down the barriers associated with church and opening up friends and family to all that is possible in Christ.  As I've talked about the Connexus vision with numerous people I know this week who don't go to church, some of who are downright hostile to church, I'm seeing an openness in them I've not seen before.

Although I am cautious in saying what I'm going to say next, I really sense we are seeing a move of God in our midst.  Can't wait to talk about it face to face and get our team together for the first time tomorrow.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com

Hey -- We Exist!

Want some great news?  Late yesterday afternoon we heard from our lawyers that our letters patent were approved by Industry Canada.  That means we are now legally incorporated as a charitable not-for-profit corporation (that's government speak for church) with Industry Canada.  We exist!  How cool is that?

We also ran into a bit of an unexpected hurdle on Tuesday in terms of funding our launch.  It could have been a serious situation, but it was amazing to see the reaction of our team of leaders -- both the new Connexus leadership team and the leadership team I've been working with over the years (they're also also coming to Connexus).  I just loved how our leaders reacted, not just with words but with some powerful actions to help address the issue.  We seriously prayed about the matter, and 24 hours after the situation emerged, we have some real and practical action that is moving us toward a very encouraging solution.  Your prayers, and your response is appreciated.

The most helpful response is to come to our Launch Meeting this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at the Galaxy Cinema in Barrie (for an address, click here), so don't miss it! I'll share a little more about what's happening and show you how you can play a role in helping us.  At it, we'll cast a compelling and clear vision of all that Connexus might be to your and your friends and show give you chance to get in on the ground floor.

More to come soon.

Carey Nieuwhof
carey.nieuwhof@connexuscommunity.com