You don’t have to scroll very far through my blog to realize I stink at blogging! I’d much rather be with people than behind a computer. And I’m so ADD, it’s challenging for me to write in paragraphs. I’m bored with myself after the first sentence. I prefer status updates on facebook from my blackberry while I’m talking to someone at the same time.

But, I have an unbelievable story to tell. I don’t know if anyone even subscribes to this blog, so I hope somehow this story finds it’s way to the right person.

Sunday, January 25^th, my team and I launched MyChurch in Columbus, GA. We were supposed to be in this awesome, new strip mall with a cool build-out planned and decorated to our specs. Six days before our launch, we found out we could not be in the building (after 50,000 mailers had gone out announcing our big day). Keep in mind, this is January. It was one of the coldest weeks of the year (low temps at 21 degrees). We had no other options but to rent a big tent and put heaters inside. I was sure people would drive up, see the tent and keep going.

Fifteen minutes before the service, I was hiding in my truck praying for God’s power to keep people from turning away. When I came around the corner, I saw a line of people all the way across our parking lot, waiting to check their kids into a Tae Kwan Do studio turned kid’s ministry. Then, I walked in the tent, and it was full and overflowing with people (and warm too, I might add). My sister told me later that my jaw dropped open and I said, “Oh my gosh (I try not to say that around my kids).

Long story short, we had 625 people come to our launch, standing room only. (We’d have never fit in our building…God is so sovereign). We had to add 200 chairs all around the tent to our 300 inside. 44 people checked off on a communication card that they were choosing to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of their life! It was the most amazing God moment of my life.

What should have been an awkward experience with a bunch of new people upset for sitting in the cold turned out to be an unforgettable adventure. People walked away exhilarated. The Spirit of God moved in an amazing way! I asked how many people would come back next week. Everyone raised their hand, so we announced we’d have two services next week!

I am on my face praising God. This is not a story of success. This is a story of brokenness. Eighteen months ago, I shut my first church plant down. It was the most painful time of my life—worse than losing my mother. I felt like a complete failure. I had people blog about our church shutting down (maybe that’s why I still hate blogging). It was the lowest point of my life.

A few faithful friends, Shawn Lovejoy at Mountain Lake Church, Brian Bloye at Westridge and Bil Cornelius at Bay Area Fellowship, wrapped their arms around us and believed in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves. God poured down His grace on me and my family! I had read about grace, talked about grace, preached about grace, but I had never personally experienced God’s grace (other than my salvation). God broke my spirit and filled me up with His grace. I would choose the pain all over again to get to experience God’s love that way again.

I love my first church. Hundreds of people came to Christ there. Many of those people helped us launch MyChurch. It’s as much theirs as it is ours. I’m so grateful for all they sacrificed with us.

One thing I have learned, “God does not delight in sacrifice, He delights in a broken spirit.” The guys at ARC and DCN who partnered with us on round two, told us that God is using guys my age who have fallen down and gotten back up. I wasn’t sure whether or not to believe them. Now, I want every pastor and every church planter who is experiencing pain to know…relish in it. Let God break your spirit. He is preparing you for the next great thing.

So don’t call me and ask me how we did this launch. I’ll have to tell you to go out and fail at something or choose the most painful circumstances you could imagine. I have no talent, no good strategy, no superstars in the wings…I only have the power and grace of God. Praise God for using broken people like me! You broken guys out there, get up off your face and do what God tells you to do, even if you think it’s impossible. There are millions of people out there who need God’s grace, and you’re the only guy who can really authentically pass it on!

PS – I don’t have time to do links to all these people I mentioned. But they all have great websites and blogs, you should look them up!

Yes I know I have not blogged for a while…. Everybody is busting my chops. “If your going to be a real blogger you’ve got to get serious about it. Blog more often, put in more pictures, say something relevant”. 

So here it is for today.

I’m in Orlando with the Mountain Lake team getting geared up for the Xponential conference.  Looking forward to learning some good stuff, hearing from God and meeting up with some friends.

We ate an early dinner and are getting ready to go for a jog.  All of us. Shawn Lovejoy, David Putman, Paul Peterson and myself.  I got news for them—-Everybody is going down!!

Hopefully I’ll be back again someday soon to say something relevant…

If you are preparing to plant a church or are in a start up now,  you need to be in a coaching network.   Listening to a speaker at a conference is great– you’ll walk away motivated and ready to change.  Problem is how?  Coaching is the next– needed step in putting feet to thought.  It’s dialoguing with 12 guys through the important things that we all could use feedback and instruction on. 

 I can’t say enough about the churchplanters.com coaching network.  Shawn and David who regularly lead our group have really been hitting home runs!!  I am looking forward to next month when we meet again.

bio bullets

• Born & raised in Ft. Lauderdale
• Met my wife Christy Hindson at Liberty University
• Loved & lived student ministry for 10 years, primarily in Columbus, GA
• Led hundreds of students to Christ
• Went back to seminary & became a min. of ed. at a mega-church (Lord, help!)
• Planted our first church in north Atlanta 2002
• Grew to 400 in 4 years and led hundreds of people to Christ

       recent highlight: When we moved into our cul-de-sac in 2002, our neighbors were so mad that a “preacher” was moving in they threatened to line up and moon me. Five years later, every family on our street had accepted Christ and was serving in our church. current calling Within about three months, every one of those neighbors we led to Christ relocated. So, we started to ask the natural question—“God, who do you want us to invest our lives in next?” Christy and I are wired for personal, relational ministry. It’s very important to us to have our family intentionally engaged in reaching and discipling people around us. After a year of prayer and a series of defining moments, we knew God was calling us back to Columbus, Georgia. We believe God’s desire is to use our influence in Columbus from our student ministry days with our church planting experience in Atlanta to maximize our impact for His Kingdom. When we finish this incredibly valuable residency at Mountain Lake church and ChurchPlanters.com (highly recommend it), we will move to Columbus with a goal of launching a new church by January ’09. Columbus, GA stats The city of Columbus is the third largest city in Georgia, located 1 ½ hours southwest of the Atlanta airport. It is adjacent to Phenix City, Alabama, which doubles the potential for outreach and multi-site ministry. According to the 2007 demographic reports…

• Almost 300,000 people live in Columbus and its tri-county region.
• The population doubles to 600,000 if you include the Alabama counties and the entire Columbus Valley region .
• 86% of those people are unchurched.
• The majority of unchurched people are ages 11-39.

 new church plantAccording to the stats, the people in Columbus, GA not only need a new church—they need a new kind of church. They need a church on a mission to reduce lostness. They need a church who will break down the barriers of traditional religion and connect with the younger generations. They need a church who will actively demonstrate grace and hope in the community. They need a church who will do whatever it takes to open the door for people who “don’t do church” to find Jesus Christ.  The Murphys are ready to lead this adventure in Columbus! Our dream is to raise up leaders and plant missional churches in our 16 surrounding counties. prayer & partnerships We can’t do this alone. We need you to pray for us and partner with us! Here’s how…

1. Sign up for the blog
2. Send us your email/address at jmurphy@mountainlakechurch.org
3. Join our team! (Columbus is a great place to live!)

 We’d love to hear from you!

I came across these Stats(By Dave Early) today and thought they were amazing.

I am more excited then ever to not just plant a church– but to begin a movement!! I beleive we can Change the World!!!!   Who wants to be apart of that??   I know I do…

Observations on Church Planting.

1. There are 195 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the top f

our largest “unchurched” nations in the world.

2. In spite of the rise of mega-churches, no county in America has a greater church population than it did ten years ago.

3. During the last ten years, combined communicant membership of all Protestant denominations declined by 9.5 percent (4,498,242), while the national population increased by 11.4 percent (24,153,000).

4. Each year 3,500 to 4,000 churches close their doors forever; yet only as many as 1,500 new churches are started.

5. There are now nearly 60 percent fewer churches per 10,000 persons than in 1920.

• In 1920 27 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.
• In 1950 17 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.
• In 1996 11 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.

6. “Today, of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining.”

7. One American denomination recently found that 80% of its converts came to Christ in churches less than two years old.

8. Hence the claim of many leaders: “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches” (Peter Wagner).

Wednesday was an amazing day. Shawn Lovejoy, Paul Peterson and myself took a road trip today to visit Steven Furtick at Elevation Church.  Much Like Moutain Lake Church they have some great practices that they work. The things that stuck out most about the Elevation team were there Honor for each other, there desire to hear from God and constantly positioning themselves around great leaders for there own personal growth.  

I am excited about all that God is doing to prepare me for his work. 

We made it all the way from Atlanta to Charlotte and back in time to do some trick or treating with my family. We had a blast. I love my wife and kids they are awesome!!!a

Recently Shawn Lovejoy, Paul Peterson and I did a podcast on the importance of being prepared to Launch.  You can check it out at churchplanters.com under podcasts. I think its some pretty good stuff. Not because of what I know but because of what I’m learning!!  I am grateful to Shawn and the Mountain Lake team for the opportunity to learn from and with them.