August Update

Well, it’s August and we’ve been back in Denver for almost 8 months. Time sure has flown! We continue to love what we’re doing and are very grateful for all those who are supporting us and praying for us. Here’s an update on what’s happening in our lives.

Back in June, Janis and I had the chance to get away from the kids for almost a week and go to Portland for a ten-year anniversary get-away. It was a great trip. Spent time in downtown Portland, perused books at Powell’s, caught up with old friends at Pok Pok (the best Thai food around), played in the snow at Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge, ate fresh cherries on the Hood River Fruit Loop, hiked in the Columbia River Gorge, and finished off the week at beautiful Cannon Beach. And we brought back some goodies from Trader Joe’s (yes, you guessed it, the one and maybe only thing Denver still doesn’t have is Trader Joe’s). Thanks to Susan (Janis’ sister) and her friend Cathy for watching the kids while we were gone.

Speaking of the kids, they are doing great. Townsend is now 3 years old. He’s quite a big boy and if life wasn’t chaotic enough for us, we took the plunge and potty-trained both Townsend and Ellory over July 4th weekend. Amazingly, they picked it up for the most part after about two days. Elmo and Thomas the train were big helpers (“you don’t want to pee pee on your Elmo underwear do you?”). So, no more washing cloth diapers for Townsend and Ellory! And hopefully Marin isn’t close behind. For lots more about the kids’ latest exploits (including our recent camping trip), check out our family blog.

We like to read. And in the last few months, we’ve read some really good books. Here are a few recommendations. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan: it will change the way you think about food and the food industry. The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay: it will change the way you think about church. You may not agree with everything they say (neither do I), but Hugh and Matt’s church is just a few miles from us here in Denver and they’re doing some pretty innovative things to reach people out here (more on that below). Picking Cotton by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton: an amazing story about injustice, forgiveness, and grace. And Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: the best novel I’ve read in a long, long time; incredibly vivid characters, grand themes, masterpiece storytelling.

As we continue to plant New Denver Church, it’s becoming more clear that it’s going to take some different methods to reach people in Denver. Don’t get me wrong, people are still people wherever you go; they have bills to pay, families to raise, and from time to time think about the big questions of life. That said, Denver is definitely different than Atlanta, Austin, or the North Carolina where I grew up. And I’m not just talking about the absence of sweet tea and barbeque. Religion/Christianity is a substantial part of the culture in NC, Georgia, and Texas. Not so in Denver. Many people here did not grow up going to church. Some did (usually in the Midwest), but they usually just drifted away. Not because they had a bad experience or hated it and now hold a grudge against God or organized religion. To be sure, a few do. But most Denverites simply don’t care. They moved to Denver to ski, snowshoe, hike, kayak, backpack, and camp (and who can blame them?) Their leisure and hobbies are the most important thing in their life. And church is really low on the list. For those who would consider themselves “mature Christians,” they might come to church once or twice a month at best. Seriously. And for the other 95% of people in Denver, well, church, religion, and Christianity is to them like cross-stitching is to me. It’s simply not even on their radar. They’re not hostile to it; it just never even crosses their minds.

What that means for us is that it will be quite a challenge to inspire the average person in Denver to consider following Jesus, reading the Bible, going to church, or having anything to do with “organized religion.” Putting on a “cool” worship service with a rock ‘n’ roll band probably won’t do it (though we do hope to have an amazing worship service!) Having great preaching or great childrens programs won’t do it either (though excellence will always be our standard). In the end, we’re becoming more convinced that it’s just going to take time and relationships. Intentional investments in people like our neighbors, or the woman who runs the food co-op that we’re part of, or parents of the kids that our kids play with. It won’t be fast or easy, but if we can make that commitment–to prioritize relationships over the long haul–and inspire others in our growing little community to do the same, we believe that’s how God is going to start re-creating a New Denver.