Paul Stewart

Meet Chris & Es

A couple months ago I received a really encouraging note from Steven Brewster:

I can not wait to see what happens with you guys. I am watching and and cheering you on from a distance. If there is anything I can do to assist you guys, please let me know.

Hmmm… Well since Steven is the Senior Director of Marketing for Integrity Music and we were looking for a Worship Arts Director I figured he might have a few ideas.

The next day Steven posted this on his blog:

Do you want to lead worship as a profession? Paul Stewart is developing a dynamic ministry and is looking for a little help. Check this link and hit him up. Game On.

After this post I received quite a few resumes. One of them was from Chris Kretzu. Chris was in transition from his previous dual role as Worship & Arts / College Pastor at South Hills Church in Corona, CA.

After a few phone calls we decided to fly Chris and his wife Es out to Des Moines.

It was an incredible weekend.

Chris did a wonderful job connecting with our launch team and leading us in worship (you can read his thoughts here) and they were really impressed with some of the more progressive technology they discovered in Des Moines. 

Most importantly Chris and Es are an incredible couple with a passion for Jesus and his mission.

I am so happy to announce that after much prayer and consideration Chris and Es (who has never lived outside of Corona, California) will be moving to Des Moines to help us launch The Gateway Church!

Chris and Es are a huge piece of the church planting puzzle. Chris will oversee the music, art and technology in the main auditorium and help to create expressions of worship that lead people into tangible encounters with God.

I can't tell you how exhilarating it is to watch God put all of these pieces together. September 13th is going to be amazing!

And thanks again Steven Brewster!

Food, INC.

I watched Food, INC last night. I don't think I will ever eat the same way again. 

There is so much injustice in modern food production and ultimately our entire planet is suffering because of it. Plants and animals, immigrants and farmers, the rich and the poor and most of all our children. 

This film raised all kinds of important questions for me. What should I be eating? What should I be feeding my kids? And as a pastor in Iowa, the 'bread basket of the world', what is my role in bringing change to the system?

These questions do not have easy answers. It will certainly take a lot more work than just watching a single, obviously one-sided documentary. All I know is that last night I went in to the theatre with the understanding that the film I was about to see had a blatant agenda, and I walked out wondering why its agenda should not be on mine.

Half Day at the Zoo

My wife is out of town this weekend. She took our oldest daughter Sophia with her so I’m flying solo with George (2) and Evelyn (7 months).

Today I bravely decided to take the kids to the Blank Park Zoo. We have a year-long membership, the zoo is only 15 minutes away and it is a beautiful day. Besides, how hard could it be for a “single” father to take two kids to the zoo?

I thoroughly packed the diaper bag taking precaution for every conceivable dilemma, focusing primarily on those that include leaking body fluids.  I timed our trip perfectly between lunch-time and nap time. And yes, Jessica, I even packed sunscreen.

However…

• About half-way to the zoo I realized that I had forgotten the stroller.
• About half-way through the zoo I realized that we had lost Evelyn’s pacifier.
• And about half-way home George realized that we had forgotten to see the Elephants.

Needless to say, I miss my better half. 

Bullet Points

Life has been crazy the past few weeks so unless you’ve been following along on Twitter you probably have no idea what I’ve been up to. Sorry about that.

There is really no way to sum everything up in one blog post, but with the help of bullet points, I am going to give it a try. Although limited in their ability to convey the depth of each of these experiences they are somewhat appropriate in that it seems the life of a church planter is lived in bullet points and to-do lists.

• A few Sunday’s ago I had the privilege of speaking at Oak Hills Church. Jessica and I spent our first six years in ministry at this incredible place. It was such a joy to share our vision for Des Moines with the people who gave us the ability to dream these kinds of dreams.

• Spent the Fourth of July downtown Des Moines at 80/35. We had a booth in the “Do More Village” which highlighted charities/non-profits in the city. We distributed almost 500 invitations, talked to dozens of people about the church and had some really great spiritual conversations. 

• Last week I attended Rob Bell’s “Poets, Prophets, & Preachers” seminar in Grand Rapids, MI. It was Excellent! Simple, informative, practical, provocative, inspirational and refreshing. Best takeaway: There is no such thing as a good preacher, just a good person preaching.

• On Wednesday I hopped on a private jet with some members of First Assembly’s mission team to visit my friend Tanner and his ministry Life in Deep Ellum, a church/ cultural center in the artist district downtown Dallas. They have an incredible facility and I picked up a ton of ideas for The Gateway (plus I was home in time for dinner!)

• On Sunday we had our first gathering downtown on a Sunday morning. It was incredible. We were in our brand new (unfinished) office space at the Foundry. Currently it is just a big warehouse with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Perfect. Our new friends Chris and Es Kretzu from Corona, California led us in a wonderful time of worship and we ended by taking communion together for the first time.

• On Sunday night we held another picnic at Grays Lake Park, our third outreach event of the summer. The rain cleared and over 45 people showed up for some great BBQ and Bocce Ball.

More than anything I am so thankful for the way our Launch Team has been coming together the past few weeks. Everyone has stepped up to the plate and began taking ownership in The Gateway Church. I am amazed and humbled by the incredible people God has sent us to make this vision a reality.

There are some big things at work right now as we prepare to launch in just nine weeks! Please pray that God continues to help us with our fundraising, staffing and marketing/outreach. We can not do it without you!