O.k., gotta make this quick. I'm being led to go on a hiking trail up a mountain that overlooks my house. I'll be doing some planning and writing up there.

My lunch with Todd Hunter on Friday was a mellow, good time. That guy is a real encourager - so open to others and really really honest. And man, he's smart too!

He asked me to share my story with him and as I talked, he'd stop me to ask clarifying questions that often led to rabbit trail discussions that he's done some serious thinking about. Eventually he just asked me why I wanted to meet with him. I told him I was looking for some help in knowing the right questions to be asking at this point in my thinking about church planting. So we talked for awhile about those questions. For now, though, he just encouraged me to ask and thoroughly answer the simple question of "Why?" What is it about my experience of church, life, Jesus, non-believers, that causes me to think in these terms? He told me to focus on bringing in the emotional aspects of my thought life - what makes me mad about church right now, what fires me up about my vision, what frustrates me, etc. Very simple questions, but crucially important for me to articulate at this point.

We had a little discussion about the whole entrepeneurial personality thing too. He kinda snubbed the notion that one must have entrepeneurial drive to "succeed" at church planting. Especially in the emerging culture. He said, "Now, if you are trying to go plant a mega-church, then yes, I'd agree that you need to be pretty entrepeneurial." Fortunately, a mega-church doesn't appeal to me in the least.

We also talked a little about Acts 29 Network, and the bootcamp that Michelle and I are going to in January. He said the same thing that several others have said to me about them (including an Acts 29 pastor) . . . they seem like pretty good people, as long as you don't mind them being pretty adamant about their Reformed theology. Point well taken. At this point, I am willing to listen and filter through the Reformed stuff for the sake of getting a picture of the Acts 29 vision for church planting. I respect them for being so intentionally theological in their approach . . . even if I may not line up with their theology to the letter. After talking to Todd and hearing about what Allelon is doing, I'm thinking that I might find better long-term company with that network, but that part comes later . . . much later.

See there? Famous last words - "O.k., gotta make this quick."