THE Story round two!

Posted: February 21, 2012 by mikehanafee in Soma School, THE Story, Uncategorized
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As a young child I had Noah’s Ark themed bedsheets. Many nurseries are painted with animals on the ark. This is quite ironic, when you consider the catastrophic nature of the flood. It’s like having scenes from Hurricane Katrina on your child’s wall. And as one participant noted in Round 2 of THE Story, the great flood makes tsunamis seem like a playful splash. It is a vivid illustration of a reoccurring theme in THE Story. God, who is holy (everything He does is good, right, & perfect) must deal with rebellion. “God don’t play” was the way one guy very appropriately put it. But we also see God is relentlessly merciful. He did have an ark made after all! And years later He chooses a man named Abram and makes an incredible promise to him that is bearing fruit to this very day.

You can watch “Judgment to Mercy” below. Clete leads in scene 1, the flood, and I take scene 2, the covenant. The interaction among the 60+ attenders was great, and if you listen you’ll notice several funny moments mixed in with some serious discussion about God.

And thanks to the Pistons 20 of us were able to attend last Friday night’s game for free (& see a victory too!).

THE Story round one!

Posted: February 15, 2012 by mikehanafee in racism, Restore Church, social justice, THE Story
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Going into the first session of THE Story I had no idea what to expect. Like with the racial reconciliation celebration of January 15, I was blown away. People kept on coming in. Over sixty people (adults, teens, kids) attended and others have said they want to jump on board next week. Best of all, the participation and interaction was really, really, really good! There was also simutaneously a session for the the younger kids.

In this video I introduce the series with a brief description of our approach & the 2 basic ground rules.

Here’s the entire first session, Paradise Lost, consisting of 3 scenes – Beginnings, Separation, & Two Brothers. (I take a brief side trail explaining how this last story has been twisted to support racism.)

Please continue to pray that the God who inhabits the Story will powerfully work in these next two months for, in, & through us, and many, many others, for His everlasting glory & our increasing joy in the 48202/206 & outward!

An Analogy from Black History Month

Posted: February 13, 2012 by mikehanafee in Black History Month, Detroit Info, Friends, racism, THE Story, Uncategorized
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At the gracious invitation of friend & Detroit Library Duffield Branch manager Christine Peele I was privileged to sit on the panel of judges with Pastor Shaun Marshall (Citadel of Faith) and 3 others in the 34th Annual Albert H. Mallory Sr. Black Heroes Oratorical Essay Contest. It was a blast listening to over 20 3rd – 9th graders present essays on some of the great african-american leaders of the past 2 centuries. Wow, was it informative for me! Through the hard-work, preparation, and lips of these kids I learned a great deal not just about African-American history, but about American history in general. As a nearly 43 year old college educated white guy who reads fairly widely I was struck by how much of our American history I have not know about. I suspect my experience, as shaped & limited by my background & education, is not unique among the anglo population. Simply put, many of us are largely ignorant of the role African-Americans have played in our nation’s history. We only have part of the story.

And then I was double struck by how this is a bit of an analogy for the ignorance of all ethnicities – red, black, yellow, brown, & white –  of the ultimate story, the Story of our Creator & Redeemer. Some have never even heard of the Living God & others have heard only part of the story about Him as shaped & limited by their traditions. The ignorance many white americans have of the role of blacks in american history serves as an illustration of the ignorance that all people have of Christ until he is revealed by His word through the Spirit.

So after chowing on the delicious buffet that concluded the contest I left not only with a full stomach but also with a renewed commitment in my gut to pursue ( & help others pursue) two things — a greater understanding of the role of african-americans in the story of our nation and a greater understanding of the ultimate story, the story of God.

Here’s two tangible action steps you can take to continue on this journey with me. First, go the Duffield Branch Library and choose a book from the african-american section. My latest read, complements of the recommendation of Mrs. Peele, is The Warmth of other Suns, a book that chronicles the migration of 6 million blacks from the south. Many have been asking me for recommendations so I’ll add three more of my own. Free at Last? The Gospel in African-American Experience by Carl F Ellis Jr (who’ll I’ll get to learn from next Friday in Philadelphia for 8 hours with about 20 pastors!),  On being Black & Reformed by Anthony Carter (No, not the AC of Wolverine history. but I can’t resist – here’s one of the greatest plays of UM history.) and Liberating Black Theology: The Bible & the Black Experience in America by Anthony Bradley (you’ll need strong coffee for this informative read!). Second, participate in our interactive Bible study THE Story Sundays 3-5PM at 1926 Virginia Park Blvd. In a few days I’ll do a blogpost (& possibly post the video) from last night’s study Paradise Lost, the first of our eight sessions. We’re going to set up some more chairs so there is room for you!

THE Story

Posted: February 8, 2012 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Restore Church, Uncategorized, Vision
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What happened before time began? How did it all start? Who or what created me? How did I get here? Why do I exist. Does my life really matter? Does it have meaning? What happens after I die? Why is the world the way it is? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are not many humans that haven’t wrestled with these questions. Often we (Christians) attempt to give these answers (evangelism) through a systematic theology kind of approach (four spiritual laws or the like). That approach is not without fruit but what if we attempted to answer these questions in the way & shape Scripture does – as a great story? Non-Christians will see & hear in “technicolor & dolby surround sound” the message of restoration. And Christians will learn how the Bible is put together  - not as an eclectic set of religious teachings, but as one great unfolding story.

Along the way we will all learn great theological truths: creation, the nature of sin, atonement, grace, faith, the attributes of God, the person & work of of Jesus, the person & work of the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ, the Trinity, the Kingdom of God, the gospel, gospel identities, cultural rhythms, God’s election of the saints, Sonship (God as Father), stewardship, Biblical manhood & womanhood, prayer, social justice, the sovereignty of God, forgiveness & guilt, evangelism, & end times stuff (eschatology).

Yes, in eight interactive from Genesis to Revelation user friendly sessions, we are (no wait, God is) going to address all of these things as we tell the greatest story ever. And it’s true!  And it corrects & completes every other story.

Please pray that the God who inhabits the Story will powerfully work in these next two months for, in, & through us, and many, many others, for His everlasting glory & our increasing joy in the 48202/206 & outward!

If you live in the area we’d love to have you join us! We’ll be meeting Sundays Feb 12 – April 1 3-5 pm at Grace Episcopal Church (1926 Virginia Park Street) on the NW corner of Rosa Parks Blvd & Virginia Park St.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Thanks to Soma Communities for their great training in The Story-Formed Way.

The Story of God Blitz

Posted: February 5, 2012 by cletebontrager in Family, Restore Church
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So in a week we will be doing THE STORY OF GOD in our neighborhood.  We love this story and want others to come and embrace this story with us!

Most people have a Bible on their shelf, but unfortunately most people have not cracked open the book in a very long time.  Most could share a few stories they heard as a child, but beyond that most people don’t really understand what (& most importantly, who) the Bible is about.

Saturday February 4, 2012 we came together at my house and handed out 1600 cards in our neighborhood advertising THE Story that completes and corrects every other story, even yours!

Restore Church Card

We met at 12:00 as a family and also had the help of two students from Moody in Plymouth.  There were a total of 28 of us to pass out these cards.  Before you get all excited about the number and maybe how fast you think we handed out all 1600 cards, understand that there were 18 of our people under the age of 18.  The adults were outnumbered, but we had a great time hanging with the youth among us.  The energy they exuded at the beginning waned as each group walked approximately 4  miles.  We all had lots of fun though getting to connect with each other as well as our neighbors.

Mike giving some instructions Some of the kids ready for Mission

We prayed before we went out that God would bless our efforts and that fruit would be born from people being introduced to this Story coming up on February 12th. 

Praying for people to come to meet JesusPraying for the mission ahead

I’ll tell you a little bit about my group and what we did.  We had Kellie, Carolyn, Clete III, Javon, Avion and Jonathon.  At first the kids were crazy fast at walking, but about 2 miles in their spirits took a dip.  Tired and hungry were the words for about 10 minutes, but after a little RA RA  speech by me, they rallied like true soldiers and we all persevered to complete our mission on Chicago Blvd.

My crew resting above the Lodge freeway.

All the kids said they had a blast passing out the cards with each other.  As we walked we all all talked together and enjoyed being together.

Please pray with us that God would use even the fruit of our labors to bring people into His kingdom.  We don’t trust in our efforts, but in a God that even used a donkey to speak.  No not the Shrek donkey, though sometimes we, like him, get a big head and think we are better than we really are.  In the Shrek movie the donkey says “All right, I hope you heard that? She called me a ‘noble steed.’ She thinks I’m a steed.”  That is just like us – we do something for the kingdom of God and we think we are what gets it done. But when we remember God uses us in spite of ourselves and not  because of ourselves He gets all the glory and we get the joy!

Ready set break!

We met so many wonderful people, people from every walk of life.  I even met my first Black Hebrew Israelite.   He asked some belief questions and then said he may come to the study.  Very polite man and would love to see God break through into his heart with the truth.

So if your reading this please stop right now and ask God to work in our hearts and the hearts of those who attend the Story.  We want to see people come to know the true and perfect God.

~ Clete Bontrager

Enjoy the pics below:

A Glimpse into Restore’s Jan 15 Celebration

Posted: January 17, 2012 by mikehanafee in Gospel Identities, preaching, racism, Restore Church, social justice, Uncategorized, Vision
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Wow, Sunday was a great day! Jesus was lifted up & the Spirit moved as we celebrated the power of the gospel to reconcile people back to the Father & to one another.

The children & teens did a great job reciting Dr. King’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail, Wayne Stapleton of Grace Community Church shared some reflections, Clete lead us in a sweet time of worship, & I preached from Ephesians 2:11-22. The big idea was that the same work that breaks down the wall between man & God is is the same work that breaks down the walls between ethnic groups. Jesus is the wrecking ball for the walls of hostility! Because of this we have the responsibility of taking the steps of repentance & relational investment. And ultimately racial reconciliation is not about us at all – it’s about God & His glory!

We’re not sure how many attended as no one counted but the 80 bulletins were snapped up quickly – we estimate between 120 – 140 came out. We are really thankful several signed up for the upcoming 8 week February 12 – April 1 Bible study. Please pray that many others will join in this study as well and that God will use it in a mighty way!

We would like to tangibly express our gratitude to Grace Episcopal Church for opening up their facility to us by repairing lights damaged by an electrical storm. If anyone in the area has the skill & time to help us fix these lights please let us know.

And thanks to Gospel Life church for helping with nursery and parking security!

Interim Facility Secured!

Posted: January 5, 2012 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, preaching, racism, Restore Church, social justice, Soma School, Uncategorized
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Restore Church has secured use of a great facility located right in our community – yes, we are excited!  And we are very thankful for the people of Grace Episcopal Church (NW corner of Rosa Parks Blvd & Virginia Park St) graciously opening up their excellent building to us!  We are planning two different events.

First, on January 15 3PM we will celebrate the power of the gospel in racial reconciliation. This worship service will include music, a narration from Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, and a sermon on the vertical & horizontal reconciling power of the gospel from Ephesians 2:11-22.

Second, for 8 consecutive Sundays 3-5PM (February 12 – April 1) we will hold a Christ-centered, from Genesis to Revelation, interactive Bible study called THE Story. You may remember Clete blogging about this study here.

For the advance of the gospel in the 48202/206 & outward in 2012,

Mike

 

The parking brake!

Posted: December 15, 2011 by mikehanafee in Colossians, Core Values, Detroit Info, racism, Restore Church, social justice
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Yep, my first car was a Vette…ok, a Chevette. Driving home one night I noticed it was running more sluggish than usual. Climbing a hill was particularly difficult even with the gas pedal pegged. Then I realized I had my parking break on — I had been working against the very progress I was seeking. (and wearing out my break pads!) That’s what legalism does to our forward movement in Christ. It slows us down & wears us out. In this message from Colossians 2:16-23 I show three ways legalism is a growth stunter & grace killer. It’s through Christ we become more like Christ!

Last week I participated in a few Vision360 discussions about discipleship. The plates were small (we met at Small Plates in Ferndale;) but the discussion was big. Alex made max use of the tablecloth!  And it was great to meet some other pastors in the area.

To divorce discipleship from evangelism is to do something the Bible doesn’t. Discipleship begins before conversion. Discipleship happens though the brain, heart, & fingertips. Every believer is a disciple maker & has the Spirit to do it! What if every small group saw themselves as a reproducing organism? Jesus Christ was obsessed with His mission & to be like Him is to also be obsessed with His mission.

At last week’s Missional Community meeting Paul did a great job teaching the material from the When Helping Hurts Conference. (He even brought into our “auditorium” high tech media!) In line with this several of us attended an energetic symposium last night on Gentrification. It was really helpful. Kurt Metzger of Data Driven Detroit gave an informative presentation on the demographics of our great city. For a excellent article on gentrification from a Kingdom perspective check out this article by Bob Lufton. Well worth your read. Oh yeah, just before the symposium I was able to work on my drum skills. I’m not quite ready to join the worship team.

 

OUCH! When Helping Hurts

Posted: December 7, 2011 by mikehanafee in Gospel Identities, social justice
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Giving a buck to the guy on the corner. Blanketing a neighborhood with an ongoing cadence of quick hit mission teams. Constantly providing meals to the same people for years. To be sure all this is help…but often it is help that ultimately hurts. It’s like giving Tylenol for head pain to someone who has a tumor. It only addresses the symptoms. In their book When helping Hurts authors Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert address faulty assumptions about poverty and then commend an approach that flows out of the work of the gospel to restore four key relationships…in all of us.

Good Intentions Are Not Enough
Churches and individual Christians often have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty — assumptions that many times lead to ministry strategies that do considerable harm to poor people as well as to themselves. “When Helping Hurts” addresses these assumptions and offers several principles and strategies for poverty alleviation, including:

  • the distinction between relief, rehabilitation, and development
  • the difference between asset-based and needs-based strategies
  • the advantages of participatory over blueprint approaches

Last Saturday four of us (Kevin, Clete, Paul, me) had the privilege of attending the authors’ Helping Without Hurting Seminar in Holland, Michigan. Tonight (Wednesday December 7) Paul Hendryx will provide an hourlong overview of the book and seminar. Last night he went through his presentation with a few of us and it is going to be good stuff. Contact me if you would like to attend.

As you can see we had a pretty good time on this overnight trip – my stomach still hurts from laughing. I price-lined a one star room for $35. The beds were “full-size” so it was funny watching Clete & Paul try to maintain a 3 foot neutral zone on a 4 1/2 foot foot wide bed. We toured the host church facility during the breaks (not quite the Compaq Center but close) and were able to “go” to the beach & on a buggy ride. Well actually only Clete on the latter.

I’ve also included pics from the conference, hanging with some Free Church bros yesterday, and my corner after a recent snowfall. Oh yeah, restoration just began on the house we are purchasing! Please pray work is completed by February. And pray for the Bontrager’s closing on December 20.

 

 

Restore’s 2nd Trimester, Midrange Schedule, & an amazing gift!

Posted: November 18, 2011 by mikehanafee in Detroit Info, Family, Friends, Restore Church, Vision
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Hey all,

I like to tell people that we are entering the 2nd trimester in our embryonic stage of planting Restore Church. Hard to believe that next Tuesday (Nov 22) we will have been in Detroit one year. Wow, time has flown by! To let you know how to pray for the next few months I thought I would push out our midrange schedule & share a really cool story.

First, Sunday Worship. (We have been meeting 1st & 3rd Sundays not as “preview services” but simply to gather around God’s word as a growing community. In God’s kindness several neighbors are coming to these worship services.) The next 5 worship services are as follows–Sunday November 20, Sunday December 4, Sunday December 18, Sunday January 15, & Sunday February 5. All of these services will be at the Bontragers (1247 Chicago) with the possible exception of January 15, the day before the MLK holiday. On that Sunday we will look at two-way reconciliation from Ephesians 2:11-22 in conjunction with some special activities.

Second, our West Lodge Missional Community. Our first MC launched in July with the mission of showing & telling Jesus in a 10 block area in our neighborhood. We now have 14 adults & 10 great kids in our MC. We gather on Wednesdays for a meal, prayer, study, fellowship, & strategizing. Christmas vacation may be a good time to drop in on a MC gathering for the several of you who have inquired about coming out for a night. Also, to tap in the rhythm of celebration we are holding a New Year’s Eve Party – looking forward to ringing in 2012 with a friends & neighbors!

Third, a neighborhood bible study. Through cookouts, service projects, & just being present in our community we have had the privilege of connecting with many many people who we now have the great privilege of knowing as friends. In order to share the good news of Jesus we are launching an 8 week session through The Story of God February 12 – April 1. I’m in need of a creative graphics person to help design some materials so if that’s you & you’d like to volunteer let me know.

Fourth, Easter Sunday 2012. We are considering concluding our Story of God run with an early AM easter celebration in the Bontrager’s large side yard adjacent to the Lodge Freeway. We’d love to secure a large GP type of tent for this so if you have access to one please let us know. Also, we are thinking about including a breakfast cookout & some fun stuff for the kids.

Fifth, worship facility & community center. It seems the Foodland Co building is a no go, & for good reason (I’ll share the story with you over coffee if you’d like). There are 2 church buildings in our community that are not used that extensively and that would be great facilities. Our hope is to have a place secured & ready for use for fall 2012.

Sixth, Christmas vacation visit. Pray for a few guys who will be visiting Detroit over the holidays to explore joining the mission with Restore. We are grateful that God has lead many to consider ministry in Detroit. This is fully in keeping with our 2 Timothy 2:2 burden!

Seventh, an encouraging story. Yesterday Restore Church received $5,000 from the estate of a woman I have never met via her daughter who I have never met who is married to a friend from my college fraternity days. He & I may have been the last 2 guys in our frat you would have ever guessed would become Christians, but in God’s mercy (& humor), we both became Christians after graduation, unbeknownst to each other. What a time we had 2 years ago when we reconnected and heard each others grace stories! Well yesterday I received this in the mail from his dear wife.

Dear Mike & friends at Restore Church – As Tom probably mentioned to you I have a connection in Detroit…both my parents (and their parents) grew up in the city. My mom grew up on Bennett Street (my grandfather – a former Ford & Chrysler auto worker – built their house!) and my dad grew up near Motown and attended Northwestern HS. They lived in the city until the late 1960′s, when my dad’s job transferred them to South Bend, IN (where I was born). But we have always spent summers and holidays in Detroit visiting family who remain in the area…clearly Detroit holds a special place in my heart (and Tom’s by proxy:) – so when my dear mom passed away in August (she was a great woman of faith who came to Christ at Highland Park Baptist Church, which is now in the suburbs), we though of you and Restore Church. My mother would be thrilled to know that her money was going to a ministry such as yours that is making such a difference in the town she loved! My sincere wish is that these funds will help many people see the light of Jesus that shown so brightly in mom’s life. God bless you and the work you are doing in Detroit!

Wow, what an encouragement to us as we seek to show & tell Jesus in central Detroit! We are thankful for the many ways the Lord is enabling us to minister in our city. As we are in an under-resourced area we are continuing to raise support, especially as we are now entering a phase where we need a larger worship & multipurpose space. Let us know if you might be interested in helping us.

Finally, pray for Johnny. He is a friend & neighbor that I long to see come to Jesus. A few nights ago he was jumped going to the corner store for cigarettes and took 8 stitches on his head. As always he has a sense of humor – “I was always told cigarettes kill, I just didn’t know in this way!” I was at his house this morning and he is thankful for those of you who have prayed for him.

For the advance,

Mike

Oh yeah, meet Chloe, the newest addition to our family. We found this sweet pit mix during an alley cleanup a few months ago, full of the mange and weighing only 28 lbs. She is now healthy, sassy, & 52 lbs… and a good addition to Susan’s morning walks I should add!

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