Soulard September Saturdays!

The first 3 Saturdays in September, we have the opportunity to serve along

side others in the Soulard Neighborhood. Let me know if you would like to meet up and get sweaty, lovin' our neighborhood!!!

Sat Sep 4,11,& 18 - 10 a.m.– Beautification Work Session – Join neighbors for weeding, mulching and preparing gardens at Pontiac Park, Market Park, and the SRG building at 12^th & Gravois. Meet at the bandstand in Market Park at 10 a.m. Bring gloves, tools, water and anything else you think might help OR if you don’t have those things, just show up!! Show up for a half hour or for a few hours – whatever time you have! This effort is to prepare the gardens for a tour of AIB (America in Bloom) symposium attendees.

Much Love

Todd

I'm listening to the new Jars of Clay album today, due out in October! You can listen to it streaming right now HERE.

Its a cool concept for an album, and especially intriguing to me as we dive further into community here at August Gate. Here is what the band has to say about their pending release.

Our upcoming album, The Shelter (Oct. 5), was deeply inspired by an old Irish proverb that says, “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” Both physical and spiritual community are ideas that are a part of every song on this project. We would love to hear your stories of community: What does it mean to you? What is your community story? How are you living in community?

I would love to hear your responses to the questions they ask.... tell me about how you are engaged in community!

much love

Todd

We've Only Just Begun

I just wanted everyone to know how great it is to be a part of a community (group of people) that you really love!

The past three months, we have had people come over to our house on Monday nights to study the person and work of Jesus. It has been incredible. A group that started out with 5 people, turned into a group of around 18 people during that time!

God did some amazing things in the lives of the people in our group, and in the life of August Gate during the course of our Summer session... Can't wait to see where it goes from here!

I would love to tell you more about what has been happening in our church, but I would rather spread the love, so here you go!

Check out our house this past Monday night: HERE

Stories from a some peeps @ August Gate: HERE and HERE

Its all happening...

Todd

Sweatin' It Out...

So, blogging isn't exactly a spiritual gift of mine. You may have noticed, since most of the posts here are from my wife! But, it is incredibly hot outside, my eyes are tired of reading, and I can't bring myself to watch daytime television....So, here it goes.

I have been living practically for way too long. The past few months I have allowed my mind to disassociate from dwelling on, wrestling with, or contemplating much more than what I need to be doing in the coming half hour. If my thought didn't apply practically to what I was supposed to be doing, then I just let it slip away. This left me with tons of stories about walking my dog, places I had eaten, movies I'd seen or pop songs that sound incredibly similar (California Girls, Just Dance, Your Love is my Drug). However, it left my mouth completely vacant of anything much deeper than that.

Truth is, I had been living off of recent experiences with Jesus and not having any current conversations with him. Any spiritual conversation would have to point to what Jesus had done in my life and not what he was currently doing. Not because he wasn't currently doing anything, but like I said... I was far too busy deciphering which k$sha songs to put on my next playlist to acknowledge the amazing things that He was doing all around me!

This had a few implications...

1. I began to feel like a bad Christian.

I am a pastor for crying out loud! I'm supposed to have this stuff down right. I should know the big words, always carry my Bible, and never admit my faults... Uhhhh, oops!

2. I began to feel like a bad husband.

Being recently married, it is difficult learning how to be a husband. Luckily I have had many great examples in my life. Most of the men in my family and my close friends are have displayed what it looks like to be a Christian husband. But because I was relying on my own practical experience and not Jesus to show me how to love my wife, I began to feel the tension.

3. I began to feel like a bad pastor.

When you are supposed to lead others Spiritually but are feeling spiritually disconnected yourself, it leaves you feeling like a hypocrite. Thankfully, God has brought two solid dudes beside me (Noah and Josh) to encourage me and correct me.

The Good News

The Gospel provides a way back to being connected with God. Because Jesus came and died, I don't have to sit and marinate in hypocrisy! I can confess it to him and he is faithful to forgive me of it!

I have been having breakfast with my friend Ryan every week for the past month or so, studying what a Gospel centered life looks like. Jesus has used those breakfasts, the conversation not the food, to remind me how good it is to trust in His finished work on the Cross.

The foods not bad either... Thanks for paying this morning, Ryan!

I say this, not to focus on where my head has been, but rather to focus on God's patience with this fool that he would call his son.

Greatful for the Gospel,

Todd

What's Up W/ Us

Short personal update, for those who are new to the blog :)

Todd and I have now been married for as long as we knew each other before we got married-- 9 months! It's been awesome. My transition to St. Louis has been remarkably smooth and I think we've had an atypical first year of marriage as far as drama and adjustment are concerned. We've cried a little and laughed a LOT are so grateful for the grace God has shown to us, and given us for each other.

Also, Todd has been blessed with a wonderful new job that’s allowed him to leave Starbucks for good! He is now the Volunteer Coordinator for Mission: St. Louis; a non-profit organization that works to improve education and economic development in at-risk neighborhoods and empower community leaders and small business owners in they city. Mission: St. Louis is hoping to eventually partner with August Gate to reach a local government-housing community near Soulard-- and Todd’s boss has basically made him the point man for that venture. Todd splits his time between organizing M:STL’s current volunteer projects, and networking through August Gate to eventually reach out to the Peabody neighborhood. Even though there’s a LOT of new things to learn, Todd is enjoying his new job and becoming more friendly than he’s ever wanted to be with Microsoft Excel. :)

Working for Photogenic Inc. at the Arch, I’ve moved up into a supervisor position, which means more money and more consistent daytime hours. (Usually 7:30-2:30) I’ve also quit working as a server at Schlafly in favor of taking on short term summer promotional gigs (i.e. handing out Dentyne gum at Cardinals games, giving away Jell-o snack packs at the zoo). They pay very well hourly and it’s fun because sometimes Todd and I are able to work them together.

Our puppy, Gotham, is now eight months old, 55 pounds and a total knucklehead. But he’s a house-trained, kennel-trained, knucklehead who rarely barks and is very obedient about 87% of the time. He loves people and loves to play-- but for some reason, is scared of large plastic bags. He doesn't have a whole lot of sense, but he just recently learned how to snag a Frisbee out of the air. We’re very proud of him. :)

Also, perhaps the biggest change in our lives is the fact that we’re entering our 5th week of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. This class has turned our financial outlook upside down in the best way. For the first time since we got married, we are telling our money what to do instead of wondering where it went. Remember last newsletter when I mentioned that we’d bought a “new” Honda Element? Well, three weeks ago, we sold it. Todd and I both work just a few minutes from the house and from each other, and now that he sets his own office hours, it’s very easy for him to take me to work (I must say, I’m REALLY enjoying not having to hunt down and then pay for a parking spot) and pick me up. We’re saving $400/month by becoming a one-car family! And we are benefitting SO much from the class. July is our first month to follow a Zero-Based Budget (which basically means you give/save/spend all your money on paper at the beginning of the month before it comes in, and you don’t budge on anything). It’s a challenge, but one that will be well worth it when (Lord-willing!) we are debt free!

Community Groups

Every Monday night, after we meet up for dinner at a local pub called 1860's, we have a group of friends over for community group at our place. It's become an amazing time of fellowship, hilarious games and digging into the truth of the Gospel.

Our group tonight was perhaps the biggest one yet! We had 15 people over, including Todd and myself. I love how our group is growing and changing-- we started out as mostly married couples, a few singles and one family. Now we've got 2 single guys, 3 single girls, 1 engaged girl with a fiance serving in Iraq, 1 married girl who's husband is out of town in school till the end of the summer, 2 newlywed couples, and 2 couples who've been married for 5 years, one of which is prego with their first baby! We have ALL stages of life and experience and it's so cool to interact with everyone and hear so many completely different perspectives.

There are two other community groups in addition to the one that Todd and I lead; they meet on Tuesday and Wednesday night in different areas of the city. As a church, we've been going through a book/video study called Vintage Jesus, taught by Mark Driscoll, an Acts 29 pastor in Seattle. Since we have a lot of relatively new believers and people from all different church backgrounds and upbringings, we decided to take the summer to focus on the person and work of Jesus, so that regardless of how we grew up or what we've been through, we can all be reminded of the truth who Jesus is and how we should be walking with Him. It's been a great study that's invoked a lot of good, honest discussion-- and reminded us all of our daily need for Jesus and the gospel of grace.

I am SO grateful for our gospel community. And I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in our group (especially the girls!) better as we continue to do life together.

Movie Night In Lafayette Square

We had a wonderful night last night, serving and hanging out at Lafayette Square park!

A couple of weeks ago Noah & Heather had breakfast with Jennifer Weston, who serves as the event planner for summer activities in one of our local parks, Lafayette Square. (The Lafayette neighborhood is less than a miles northwest of Soulard.) Hoping to partner with the park to serve the community and get the August Gate name out into the area, we asked what we as a church could do to help. Jennifer gave us a phenomenal opportunity.

Last night, was Movie Night at the park. The evening began @ 7pm with food vendors, arts & craft tables, outdoor game stations and a performance by the local MUNY kids chorus. About 20 of us from AG showed up as volunteers to run the various stations. We also had an August Gate tent set up at the entrance to the park, right between a local dentist and a local food pantry. We handed out AG info cards, free jell-o cups (thank you Jell-o "Give it a Giggle" tour!) and freeze pops to neighborhood kids and parents. We also collected several boxes of canned food to donate to The Bridge (our local food pantry). The free snacks were a huge success; we saw a LOT of kids and got to talk to a few local parents too, several of whom mentioned that they'd been church-hopping or searching for a church home. It'll be exciting to see if any new families show up in the next few weeks.

Right before the movie (Shrek) started at 8pm, the emcee for the evening gave Noah a mic and let him speak about August Gate for a few minutes. It was really cool, and Jennifer was really pleased to have our help with the evening. She told us she'd like to continue the partnership, even placing the August Gate name and logo on the promotional material for the events! It's an incredible opportunity because over the course of the summer, Lafayette Square sees thousands of people during outdoor concerts and free family movie nights. We are praising the Lord for this fun, practical new way to interact with so many in our community!