Getting Started & Baptism

Wow!  I can't believe I'm doing this - blogging.  But for several months now I've come under the influence of my fellow staff talking about Dave's blog and Jon's blog that it's become a bit contagious.  So here I am, blogging for the very first time, only I hope this blog will be different from all the other blogs floating around Community Christian Church.

This blog, fergusonfree, is intended to give everyone who loves Community Christian Church (like I do) a behind the sceens and ferguson-free perspective of how things really work and really get done around here.  You see, I think many of us read Dave or Jon's blog because we love the vision they cast, and the stories they tell of people finding their way back to God, but behind that vision and those stories of changed lives is the story of how it happened, the internal stuggles it took to make it happen and from my perspecitve, how it got paid for.  So while I hope you all continue to tune into their blog sites each week to learn what's happening here at CCC, I hope you'll also check in to this site from time to time for the real story; "What Dave and Jon will never tell you."

So here's my first entry on What Dave and Jon will never tell you...

I just read on Dave's blog that we baptized some 40+ people this past weekend across all eight locations.  I agree, that's awesome!  But did you know that it was Tim Bakker, our Naperville Campus Pastor, who had the idea two years ago to decentralize baptisms to every location?  Yep, it sure was and that was a bit counter culteral at the time.  You see for years we had a monthly gathering at our Naperville Campus called Commitment Celebration.  It took place the 3rd Wednesday of every month.  It worked great for the first several years, but when you get to eight locations, we found that it became a barrier to people getting baptized - either they didn't want to drive to the yellow box, or had to work that night or didn't feel like the yellow box was "home."  So it was Tim Bakker who challenged our culture and the "one church" concept with what we affectionately call a renagade or unsanctioned baptism at the Romeoville Campus (that's while he was the Romeoville Campus Pastor).  But after a severe flogging and tongue lashing by his fellow staff, we all agreed that his idea was brillant and investigated how to buy portable baptistries.

We purchased 4 portable baptistries in 2005 at a cost of $4,000 each.  Yes, it was a lot of money, but if you consider the number of people who have taken their faith public in the last year alone, I think it was well worth it.  And just in case my fellow staff read this and plan to use this against me by purchasing additional baptistires that are not in the budget, let me remind you of our new expense reimbursement procedures (I can't figure out how to put a smilely face here, but it belongs here).

Comments

[Dave Ferguson]

It's all lies!!

[TJ]

I am totally reading this blog from now on. Velocity and Viscosity that!

[Jon Ferguson]

Total falsehoods!

[Bill Carroll]

That is actually untrue about who started the de-centralized conversation or baptisms, but I love that you are blogging!

[Amber]

Wow! A new perspective to the place we love! Thanks John!!
Great title!

[rachel]

John is your glass half empty?

[Kristine D. Knight-Holzwarth]

Wow, John welcome to the world of "Blogging". Please know how grateful so many are for your love, grace, and the ability to lead CCC/Shorewood. Hats off to your wife who is a perfect role model for so many. Can't help but love those little boys "J" X3. See you soon!!!

[eric metcalf]

sweet!

[Lundie]

Welcome to the blogosphere! I've already got you logged in my Sage toolbar! Very cool

[lorinda]

Thanks for keeping it real, John. Should we take up an offering so you can afford spell check? ;)

[serenity_chick]

All right!!

I'm lovin' it!!(McDonald's can't sue me because they don't use 2 exclamation points.)

Someone who's brave enough not to dish out the usual
(propaganda)--there--if it's in parentheses--I didn't really say it

really I love what everyone writes--but this is refreshing

You go, John!!

[BK]

imagine my dissappointment, when upon making it to fergusonfree.com, the very FIRST thing I see are a big picture of Jon and Dave! What's up?!

Nice post and YEAH Tim Bakker and YEAH God!

[BK]

PS....gosh, I hope Jon and Dave don't read my last post!

[Brian Zehr]

Guess what we need to purchase downTOWN?!!!

[Laura]

You're in our favorites now.

[Paul Sutherland]

Welcome to the Blog world ... I'll watch and see.

[Jeff]

I better get the real dirt here, or I will be forced to delete the bookmark.

You do know what a bookmark is, don't you John?

[David]

Welcome to the blogosphere