Billy Hornsby 1949-2011

Yesterday was a sad day in many ways. I spent the day at the hospital with one of my dear friends and leaders in my church Peter Collén who just had recieved the news that the doctors could do nothing more for his cancer and the he now just have weeks to live (we are praying and hoping that that report will change!!). The same day another man of God stepped over the threshold of heaven as a consequence of cancer; Billy Hornsby.

Billy Hornsby was a great man of God and the architect behind the great success of ARC! Everyone who knew Billy loved him dearly and spoke only highly about him. He was extremely generous and accessible.

I only met him and never got to know him personally. But he had an impact on people. So also on me!

The loss of Billy is a great loss to the body of Christ. But when I saw the ten years anniversary and the "tribute to Billy" at Church of the Highlands I was amazed over the way that Billy could end his life! He did it a like a true general, apostle and man of God!

Thank you Billy, your legacy will live on!!

Of to C3 Church, Clayton, NC

Tomorrow I head out to US and C3 Church in Clayton, North Carolina. Pastor Matt and Martha Fry visited us last summer here in Stenungsund when we had our Church Planters Roundtable (CPR) and our summer conference. Our hearts were really knit together. I love pastor Matts casual and down to earth kind of way. They are great examples who are building a great church in North Carolina. Pastor Matt who is one of the lead team members of ARC has also gotten a passion of planting churches in Europe and especially Sweden. Thats why we are so excited to be able to connect and work together in planting a church i Gothenburg.

So this trip to C3 will be very important for the planning of our Gothenburg church plant. I will be there for ten days before we head of to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the big ARC conference "All Access".

I have planted a number of churches and worked in some great church planting organizations. Yet I have never seen anything like ARC! Thats why its so important for me just to lay aside all my own experience and come to learn! I see these ten day in Clayton as a time to pick up as much of the anointing and DNA that flows throw the ARC veins. We really want to plant a church in Gothenburg that to a 100% has the ARC DNA! We want to see the same Life -Giving anointing and the same growth that we see the ARC churches has.

So this is really not a preaching trip, but a connecting, building relationship and learning trip! I am so looking forward to just hang with Matt and the C3 gang! We are just starting something together that will grow and become something awesome!

Building a core team within the launch team

Its exciting to see how people are gathering from all around to join up for our launch of the new church in Gothenburg. People from different ethnic groups, old friends, new friends and of corse those that just want to check it out and see whats going on. I know that the excitement of something new will not last. I know that some people will come excited and promise their commitment and loyalty to the vision and then after a while they will fade away or jump the ship because it wasn't what they expected. But even if I know that I don't want to exclude anyone. I believe that a church should believe in people and include rather than exclude. But the launching team is something special. its a very delicate time where the DNA, the vision, the dreams and values of the church are being shaped. Thats why I think its important to build a core team within the launch team. Who do you know has grasped whats in your heart. Who do you have that you know that does not have their own agenda. I like the three C's Bill Hybels use for looking for leadership. Character, Competence and Chemistry. But many times its seems that chemistry in the relationship is the most valuable and important component of building a core team. We will need competence for sure. Lots of churches has just build their teams on friendship. But the chemistry has to work! When I look for the chemistry in people I don't look for yea sayers. But rather what happens when you start to talk visions and dreams. Does it ignite energy in the room. Does it produce new ideas and creativity? Do I feel lifted up and motivated? Those people that makes that happen when they talk to me about building something great in Gothenburg, those are the ones I want in my core team.

I love what Chirs Hodges called his launch team when they started Church on Highlands. He called it his dream team. Not just because it was the best team, but because they gathered to dream about what kind of church they wanted to build. The two people that has influenced me more than anybody in the ARC is Chris Hodges and Dino Rizzo . Its that generosity that includes people that also attracts people. That extreme generosity that gives out all the time. Its like it builds an exclusiveness that makes people feel special by being very including and generous.

So in building a launching team its important to find the balance in building a core team but in the same time including everyone to dream and shape the church we want to build. Casting vision is not showing the people the road but including them on the journey!

My dream church

I am actually surprised on the extremely positive response I have got from all the pastors in Gothenburg that I have told that I will plant a new church in town. It is just the right timing. Just a few years ago it might have created a lot of church politics and problems. But now everyone seems to see it as something good! Nobody has ask me why I want to plant a new church. Well, in my book its quit obvious. In a city with 500'000 people (1 miljon in the greater Gothenburg area) there is still a great harvest that needs to be taken in. There are thousands of people that never have had anyone inviting them to a church or a small group of any kind, presenting them with the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ! So there is a need of many more life-giving churches in this town!

But still the question "why" can be a legitimate question. Well, if my first reason would be all people that needs to hear the gospel, my second reason would be "I have a dream"!

The church in Sweden is not progressing as it could. I do not think I have all the solutions to that problem but I do have a conviction. I have a dream about building that kind of Church in which I really believe in. I am sick and tired of a lot of religious, introvert christianity. Super spooky, over charismatic that only have their eyes on them self and their own spiritual needs. We have build a closed environment and culture that alienates us from the world we are suppose to love, serve and win!

I honestly dont know exactly how to build the kind of church I dream about. But I do believe that God dreams the same dream. And if so he will guide us and make it happen.

I dream of a church that is understandable, accessible and attached (not detached) to the world, time and society that we live in. The word "relevant" can be a word many christians think means compromise or focus on the worldly things. But it is of corse a question of definition. But for me it is a very important word that means we actually care that the folks out there understand what we are talking about.

"Attractional" is another word some seems to think is opposite of missional (attractional church draws people to church, the missional church - the church goes out to the people). Don't fish in your own bathtub somebody said. You got to go out to where the fish are. Well, of corse!! But it does not matter if you win them on the street if the church is so introvert and boring that it does not attract them. If the church is without power, love and compassion nobody wants to go there! And for me building an attractional church is an important act of compassion for a lost and dying world. That we actually care for them so much that their culture and way of communicating is important to us.

I see a lot of churches that think that if they modernize their stage with some lights and try to use power points they will attract new people. Thats good, but thats not what will make churches grow. True genuine compassion, real interest in people and a love that want to give more than it wants to get. Thats what I think will attract the modern Swede that never has set his foot in a church before. Lets make it modern, cool, relevant etc.. with all the media tools we have! But in the end it is a living Jesus full of compassion, that does not judge people but embraces them and welcomes them that will attract the world!

Lots of churches starts to understand all of these things but they try to change it on the surface. Thats one of the reasons I want to plant new churches. Because we have the chance of changing our thinking and the way we do church from the very foundation. We can start from fresh and build something new. I love and bless all the churches in Gothenburg. We have some really great churches here. But I do think we will build something different. A church that does not have a vision for all the christians that just wants a new place to hang. But a church build from the very foundation for those that has never sat their foot in a church before.

Of all my heart I do believe it will be awesome:-)

Planting in Gothenburg

Last saturday we finally launched the plans of planting a new church in Gothenburg (Göteborg) to KCV, our church here in Stenungsund. The response has been amazing and I feel so excited to be able to start working on the launch team openly now. I have carried the dream of planting a church in Gothenburg since 1993 so the waiting has been long. But on the other hand its well prayed through :-)

When I was in Kenya, Africa for the very first time in 1993 with my wife and her family (we where not married at that time) God spoke to me about Gothenburg. It was very early in the morning when I walked out to pray about me and Ann-Margréths future. Ann-Margréths father had been murdered on the mission field and now I was asking God if He wanted us to move out to Kenya and Maasai land to finnish what he started. That morning I was standing there watching the blood red sun rise over the amazing landscape, and asking God if He wanted me to work in Africa, when I suddenly was struck with a vision or a dream. I can honestly say that during my 20 years in ministry I have never before or after had a vision so strong, real and impacting as this. I saw my self standing in front of a huge audience in a church in Gothenburg. I instantly knew that this was my church and I was the pastor. By that time I belonged to a church in Gothenburg and I loved my pastor John Brandström who was my spiritual dad in many ways! I looked around in my dream for pastor John but he was nowhere. So I had a hard time receiving the dream since I never wanted to do anything on my own or that pastor John was not a part of. But the dream was so real that it has been following me since that day. I do not think that there has been a single day during these 18 years that I have not been reminded to pray for the vision that God laid in my heart that day in Kenya. (By the way. Pastor John tragically died of Cancers a some years ago).

Today I can see how God has taken us on a journey preparing for this day. The years in Africa working in the bush learning to be content with the simple things. Our time in Mombasa in the revival working with a mega church of 25'000 members, getting faith for the big. Training pastor and learders in Africa. Working 9 years with pastor Ulf Ekman in Word of Life learning excellence and order, but also seeing real break through anointing in action! And now the last six years in Stenungsund building the church were we now are! It has been an amazing journey with so many bits and peaces all coming together to prepare for something we believe is going to be absolutely awesome!

Our dream has always been to see a big church in Gothenburg. That we now can plant this church with ARC behind us is amazing. We believe that the same DNA and anointing that is over the ARC churches in the US is going to be multiplied here in Europe. ARC has become known for the fastest growing churches in US, so thats what we are aiming for here in Sweden too:-)!!

Behind us we have pastor Matt and Martha Fry, C3 church in Clayton, NC . They have a huge heart for Gothenburg and has made it one of their main focuses for this year! I am going over to C3 church next week to spend ten days there before the All Access Conference in Baton Rouge. We know some more ARC churches that will jump onboard to see an amazing start here in Gothenburg.

Our goal is to launch the 11 of november this year. Pray for us that we get the launching team together and that all preparations goes according to the plans. We will post the progression as we go along here on the blog!

Here are some good links with info on the city of Gothenburg:

http://www.ilovegoteborg.se/default_en.asp

http://www.goteborg.com/en/

http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Regions--Cities/Gothenburg/

It really does not matter how much you do for Him if you don't spend time with Him!

Everyone that has children has most likely gotten the same revelation on the Fathers love. Its just something that strikes you when your overwhelming love for your children hits you over and over again. And through that experience we can get a little idea of how God must feel towards us. Today I left my oldest daughter at the church and my youngest daughter got me for herself. Non of her toys or stuff is interesting when she gets to be with me without her sister or mother or anything els for that matter. Its just her and me. That time is so precious its like there is a bond that builds in those moments that never can be build any other way. The love that flows and are given and taken.. its magical! When I look into her eyes I feel like time stops and that if I just get to spend time with my children nothing else matter. They are my everything and that this moment we now have with each other is the most precious time in the world!

Again it strikes me that our personal time with God must be the same for God our Father. How important it is to get that quality time when all our toys (you guys know what I'm talking about) is not interesting. But we just want to spend time with our heavenly Dad.

I don't compromise on my prayer time. But it is something different when it comes to the time you just spend with God. No agenda, no prayer request, no hurry and no worry. Just you enjoying the presence of God. And Him enjoying you just giving your quality time.

Sometimes when you are in ministry your are so busy doing Gods business that you forget to spend time with Him. Now I have my iPhone and my iPad and I constantly communicating with my co-pastors, workers and leaders etc.. I am constantly on the go and fighting the short 24 hours we have to work with. But in all this my relationship with my children will become unsound if the quality time is not prioritized and spent. Same with God... If we don't get the quality time with God our relationship with Him will become unsound. It really does not matter how much you do for him if you don't spend time with him!

When we spend time with God we can go through any thing. Whatever comes against you, in His presence all of those things get very small and unimportant. The perspective of eternity and our Fathers total love just makes everything else fade away. If the whole world would fall apart it will not matter, for I am in my Fathers safe and loving hands, looking i presence nto His eyes, forgetting time, enjoying His! Thats powerful!!