 
 From the Appalachian Trail 8/24 | • I woke up this morning next to my best friend whom I have been married to for 38 years today. We had a 7:30 p.m. wedding, August 26, 1972, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. I love you, Carolyn!
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• Carolyn and I spent my 59th birthday on Tuesday hiking in the North Georgia Mountains. I started out with the objective of spending at least half of the day working on my book, Christmas Is Not Your Birthday. I received so many Facebook greetings reminding me that it was my birthday “so go and celebrate,” and we did. Thank you for all the birthday messages of encouragement! • We are heading to Park City, Utah, on Sunday to meet with 90 pastors from the largest United Methodist Churches (UMC) and 33 active UMC bishops. Our goal is to work together for the revitalization of our denomination. I am giving a presentation on Wednesday morning with Bishop Stanovsky from the Denver area on Creating Outwardly Focused, Missional Churches. Please keep this important meeting and the future of the United Methodist denomination in your prayers. God bless… 
Congratulations! Good job. (I was just 5 when you two got married so, I'm feeling young today:)
Some hiking trails can be steep. I know you two work out, but be careful out there and God bless.
Posted By: Helen Combs on Aug 26, 2010 12:54PM
I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1972 with my boy scout troup of ten people. We hiked from Clingmans Dome to Fontana Dam. I am planning to go back there in April with the same bunch of guys. I love that trail. The trail is like life you never know what is around the corner, a valley or mountain. We are training our bodies for this event, but we must use the Bible to us as our trail guide for life. Congratulations on your marriage. God Bless
Posted By: Craig on Aug 26, 2010 01:21PM
Mike,
Thanks for blazing the trail for those who are following. Not only do I get to learn how to lead a great missional church from you but I also get to learn how to develop relationship that will last. Thanks for running out ahead of me and challenging me to keep up!
Posted By: Dave Hood on Aug 28, 2010 02:29PM
My mom and dad were married 58 years when daddy passed away. There was a time when their marriage also almost didn't survive. It was clear the last 30 years or so more than made up for those bad years, they were absolutely best friends. When daddy was sick, I remember mama telling me during those last few years when he woke up, her name was the first word he spoke. Those words were precious. I love your post Mike. Congratulations to both of you and to Carolyn! I think maybe there are times the best serman you could give the congregation is one like this. Just telling your wife how much she means. That's a lesson in itself. Praying for you both.
Posted By: Suzanne on Aug 29, 2010 09:50AM
It is so good to see you and Carolyn with your family...I worked with Carolyn for a few years in Adult Discipleship before we moved back to IN 8 yrs. ago. Oh, how I miss Ginghamsburg and the many lessons I learned and shared re: discipleship and serving! But God has put me in a place to attempt to share this message to 115 churches in a district that needs revival desperately! Working with my DS is possible because of my experience with GUM and I'm always greatful for you and Carolyn for your tireless work re: discipleship. I am constantly amazed at how far we as churches have moved away from "the mission and message of Jesus" but your leadership in this area constantly encourages me to keep pressing on...hoping that at least 1 church catches the vision and becomes the model to watch in this district. Am also looking forward to attending the leadership conf. at Church of the Resurection in KC and see Sue. Thanks again for all you and the people of GUM are doing! And happy anniversary! Enjoy your beautiful granddaughter...I have 3 myself now..6,4, and 2... what a blast!
Posted By: Ann Handschu on Aug 31, 2010 08:21AM
Utah...Canyonlands area near Moab is a very spiritual place (not all of its good)...awesome overlook in Canyonlands called "Island in the sky overlook"...Red rock Canyon country..
Posted By: Kevin L. on Sep 02, 2010 03:39PM
Kids are heading back to school, Friday night football games…where has the summer gone? Carolyn and I are anticipating and praying for this coming fall season and the focused work of God’s Spirit in the life of God’s people. In the vernacular of my grandparents, we are praying for revival!
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One week ago lightning struck our well during a brutal thunderstorm. We were thankful that it missed our house. Our granddaughter was sleeping only 15 feet from the point of impact. A gracious neighbor is allowing us to run 200 ft. of hose from his well, which has been our only source of water for the last eight days. How easy it is to take the daily necessities of life for granted until they are suddenly lost. I am so thankful that Ginghamsburg Church and our partners have been in the business of bringing safe water to people in Darfur who lack this necessary resource. Since 2007 we have completed 15 water yards serving almost 100,000 people. Jesus used water, the most basic essential element of life, as a metaphor for our relationship with him. We all fail at times by seeking life and meaning from other sources than through a relationship with God. Loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength becomes a second, third or even a lesser priority. Notice the sobering words of God given through the prophet Jeremiah: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). We all fail way too often in keeping the main thing the main thing. I have to be intentional, on a daily basis, in practicing this directive of Jesus: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else will be taken care of” (my paraphrase of Mt. 6:33). The fall season is an opportunity for new beginnings, to get down to business and get serious in Jesus’ school of discipleship. Life is way too short to waste another year. Carolyn and I enjoyed time with our children, who stayed with us in the mountains last week. I hope you have had some meaningful family times this summer. Family is truly a God gift! I have been praying for those of you who are dropping your kids off at college for the first time. I cried like a baby for both of ours. I am currently spending my days working on my next book, Christmas Is Not Your Birthday, due to be released by Abingdon Press for Christmas 2011. I would appreciate your prayers! God bless…
Posted By: Pastor Mike Slaughter on Aug 19, 2010 10:00AM
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I am currently reading Untamed: Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship, by Alan and Debra Hirsch. Alan grew up in a Jewish family and was born and raised in apartheid South Africa (he is also keynoting our CHANGE the WORLD Network kick-off event in October). Deb found Jesus in her twenties along with a cousin and sister, "while living reckless lives of drugs, sex, and partying." Deb is a minister at Tribe of Los Angeles, an eclectic bunch of missional artists and vagabonds in downtown L.A.
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I first became aware of Alan as I read Exiles by Michael Frost, who served as Alan's co-author on ReJesus and The Shaping of Things to Come. Alan's first book that I read was The Forgotten Ways – reactivating the missional church. Alan and I then later connected through my book, Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus. In Untamed, Alan and Deb cut to the quick of Jesus' Kingdom of God missional focus and the foundational work of discipleship. "The fact that discipleship in the church is considered a somewhat lost art ought to disturb us profoundly. On the odd occasions we have actually managed to engage in some form of discipleship, we have tended to limit it to issues of personal spirituality (prayer times, Bible study, God's leading, tithing, etc.) and not conceive of it as something that has direct ramifications beyond the individual's privatized religious sensibilities." They articulate Jesus' focus of discipleship that is much more comprehensive and life demanding. They rightly challenge the Jesus follower to go beyond orthodoxy (right belief) to orthopraxy (right practice). "Serious believers who want to go deeper in their discipleship must be willing to constantly critique both personal and cultural assumptions [I would add political] for the sake of becoming more like Jesus." Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, which I read four decades ago, and Leroy Eims' The Lost Art of Disciplemaking and Robert Coleman's The Master Plan of Evangelism, three decades ago, were the last books on discipleship I've read that I would place this high on my list. Carolyn and I are going to use Untamed this fall with our Tuesday evening discipleship group. It is time for the professed to get serious! What are you reading this summer? God bless…
Hey Mike, thanks for continually sounded the horn for the missional church. Are you familiar with Mike Breen, former Anglican vicar or the Sheffield parish, who has been on the cutting edge with missional communities. Mike, who now lives and works world-wide out of S. Carolina, had Alan at one of his learning communities earlier this year. (BTW, under Mike's leadership, the Sheffield Church grew to be the largest Anglican parish in England.) He's very much checking out. Peace
Posted By: John Longard on Aug 11, 2010 04:56PM
Thanks Mike I will check "Untamed" out. I'm reading "10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe" by Larry Osborne. It has helped me deal with the tragic loss of Brandon. Hope all is well with you and Carolyn.
Posted By: Jay Meyer on Aug 15, 2010 07:32AM
The worship planning team has been spending the week in the Western Carolina - North Georgia Mountains working on sermon series for the coming months. We begin each morning in Bible study and prayer. The remainder of the morning is spent outlining weekly themes from Jesus’ five sermon discourses in the Gospel of Mathew. We have been focusing on the first, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, for the last 3 months. We will move into his second discourse in September. The team also worked on this coming weekend’s worship celebration. Pastor Brian has a great message on persistent asking, seeking and knocking. You won’t want to miss it! Afternoons are team building times for mountain hiking and boating on Lake Chatuge. Ask Pastor Dave and Jason Moore about waterfall rock climbing, and ask Catherine Crowell how she cut her foot slipping off a rope swing too soon before dropping into the lake.
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I will be spending most of the rest of the month working on my next book project, CHRISTMAS IS NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY. I would appreciate any personal stories concerning how Christmas has become more meaningful for you by your sacrificial giving for the Sudan Project or other missional focuses. We will also have some time with our family next week (picture with Poppa and Nana with our granddaughter to be posted soon). God bless…
For our family, we just kinda stopped buying all the presents. I started thinking quite a bit about it a couple of months ago, and ultimately decided to give to Sudan through Ginghamsburg, and to give to some of the Dayton initiatives, etc. I am really looking forward to focusing efforts toward doing for Christ on His birhday. It's quite a blessing to invest in the lives of others who are in such need.
Posted By: Helen (Michaiah) Combs on Aug 06, 2010 01:44AM
There were technical difficulties with my last post and I had to post this one to finish sharing how this year has changed my view of Christmas. We used to not even keep it at all. We then went to the opposite extreme and bought more for each other than we should have. Now, I let family and friends know that their birthday will be when I would give them a card and/or a gift, but that at Christmas, I was giving to the purposes of Christ' birthday. People didn't really seem to mind. Everyone looks as though they had an enjoyable time during the activities in the mountains. There is definitely something refreshing about being in nature. It's has a medicinal effect. God bless.
Posted By: Helen (Michaiah) Combs on Aug 06, 2010 02:13AM
This is a short story of four men. One is my father, one is my uncle, one was a close family friend and pastor, the other was just a close family friend. The last two family friends during the 70's became very weatlhy and retired in their 40's. Greed over took both of them and they left GOD,they both lost their families and the children lost touch with them even today. The family friend died a few years ago very wealthly but had not seen his son in over 25 years and died not seeing his son or grandchildren. The other wealthy friend and pastor also lost his family and is living with his girl friend, as he has no money. My dad and uncle on the other hand stayed close to GOD, have wonderful families and have wonderful retirements. We must do what GOD calls us to do. My father and uncle both gave their tithes and worked in the church. When we give our time and finances, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. People TODAY are like thoses in Moses day with the MANNA. We must take care of the poor and give what GOD has giving us to use and do it smiling so GOD will be smiling back at us, but do it with a cheerful heart.
Posted By: Craig on Aug 10, 2010 03:19PM
In my message on “Why Give” in worship on July 24/25, I asked you to be in prayer for what God is calling us to do in the Sudan in 2011 and beyond. In the past six years, God’s blessings through this congregation have impacted nearly a quarter of a million children, women and men. Almost 22,000 kids have enrolled in our schools, more than 80,000 have been fed, and over 100,000 of our Sudanese sisters and brothers have benefited from our safe water projects. Currently in Darfur, 22 percent of all United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) projects are 100 percent dependent on Ginghamsburg Church. That means if we stop our investment at the end of this December, 22 percent of the lives being served will be drastically impacted—no schools, no food, no hope. Our faithfulness is keeping people alive. This is all the more critical since the Sudanese government in 2009 kicked out half of all aid agencies and is not permitting new ones in.
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After six years there, we have also earned the opportunity to plant our first church in Aweil, South Sudan. I can state unapologetically that the world needs Jesus. God has promised the rain of the Holy Spirit, and by faith we have been preparing the ground to receive the rain for the last six years. On September 27, three of us will travel to UMCOR’s offices in New York City to meet with the head of UMCOR and other key staff, as well as a specialist on church planting in Africa from the Mission & Evangelism arm of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, to map out strategies for our projects in Darfur and the first church plant in Aweil. I’ve been thinking about this incredible God opportunity while also asking, “Lord, how can we do this thing?” considering the difficulty of financial sacrifice during the midst of the economic crisis. The other day when I was looking through the newspaper, I kept noticing the Christmas in July strategy of many retailers as they try to give the economy a shot in the arm, and it occurred to me that we needed to do our own Christmas in July with the goal of finding 1000 of us who are willing to make a commitment to raise $1000 for God’s work in Sudan by Christmas, starting in July. Sound irrational? Maybe. But we have a God who says all things are possible. If you give $45.50 a week toward an interest-bearing Sudan Christmas Club contribution plan, you will total $1000 by Christmas. For some of us, it may mean giving $100 per paycheck for the rest of the year. I remember in the past hearing the great servant stories of cell groups or individuals who held garage sales or cleaned houses to earn extra income to keep people alive in Darfur. If 1000 of us bring $1000, that is one million dollars to save lives in Darfur while also planting our first church. All we need to do is to trust the promise of the Lord, to seek first the Kingdom of God, knowing in full confidence that all else will be fully provided. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously…And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." -2 Corinthians 9:6, 8-9 Please pray for me as I continue to pray for you and for the people of Sudan…
Okay. I don't know how I'm going to do this but I'm in. Mike, last week I ordered the Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that you have mentioned so many times and yes the first thing I read in the foreword is "When Christ Calls a man, he bids him come and die". I don't know why but that just seems so frightening to me. When I read it, I was reminded of how many times I've heard you say that. When I first started to read this post I didn't read it all the way, I just closed the page and didn't finish it. But then i haven't been able to get it out of my mind, all last night and this morning I've been wondering how I could make this happen. So this morning I read the whole post and you can sign me up. It will be interesting to see how this is going to happen and at the same time it will be wonderful to be part of something that's bigger than myself. Peace!
Posted By: suzanne on Jul 31, 2010 09:04AM
It is a bit steep, but I've spent on occasion and see others spend more than $45.50 per week on things that aren't really needed at the grocer's or some other store. It's very doable for many people. Not just the high-rollers. And, people who have a more restricted budget can at least give something on a regular basis; at least until the Church is operational. It's a worthwhile endeavor. I hope quite a few are up to the challenge.
Posted By: Helen (Michaiah) Combs on Aug 02, 2010 12:54PM
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