Category Archives: jeremy

Why I Started Recycling

02 Tuesday Dec 2014

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Our IMPACT Campaign, “Building a Place for Imperfect People” is off and running and it is changing the way we look at things.

I was reading through Acts 4:32-37 where Barnabas sold a field and brought the money to the disciples. I don’t have a field I can sell but I have continued to consider what God would have us do as a family in terms of sacrificial giving and how it will change our lifestyle.

Something our consultant Bob said recently stuck with me when he talked about our giving testimonies. He mentioned we need to share how we are sacrificing for the Lord to get our church home. Not just that we are going to give and that we are tithing, etc… It was such a good reminder because this campaign isn’t just about giving. But, this whole idea of stewardship and sacrificial giving means our lifestyle will change. It means we will live differently because of what God is calling us to do for Him, for our community, for our Oikos and for those who aren’t here yet.

So, my wife and I have scrutinized our spending, found areas where we can cut and found areas where we can save. AND, found an area where we can put even more toward the IMPACT campaign…. so, yes… I’m recycling… Ok, now, first of all, I’ve always recycled… well, I mean I’ve always put the recyclables in the blue recycle bin the trash company gives me. But, I’ve always hated the thought of taking the smelly, sticky, and ant and fly infested cans and bottles to the smelly, sticky, ant and fly infested recylcle company to get my CA CRV back! But, for IMPACT I will get smelly sticky and ant and fly infested to get more cash to put toward our goal of seeing our church have a home!

It’s just another way our lifestyle has changed as God continues to show us the really important things in life are not things. What we are attempting is historic and will have an IMPACT for generations to come.

Join our journey at http://www.7sd.org and click on IMPACT to see a glimpse at what our future home may look like.

P.S. attached is an actual picture of my most recent trip to the recycler which netted me $15.78. However, including my last trip of $38.18 that’s an additional $53.96 of real money toward IMPACT! —can’t you just smell the awesomeness!

recyle.jpgrecyle

Your Wedding Is Still Something Worth Wanting

19 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by in 7SD, jeremy, jeremy mcgarity, pastor Jeremy, seven church

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I do a lot of weddings. I am really thankful to be a part of someone’s BIG DAY! I love being around joy and weddings are always full of joy. Weddings are a BIG DEAL, and they are a BIG DEAL to God. I found this article by Marshal Segal to be a good one on why your wedding is still something worth wanting. The target audience is those who are single but anyone can get something out of the article.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/your-wedding-is-still-something-worth-wanting

Hell on Earth- Pastors Burning Up and Flaming out

31 Saturday May 2014

Posted by in 7SD, Church, Church Leadership, God., jeremy, jeremy mcgarity, leadership, mcgarity, pastor Jeremy, patience, retreat, seven church, seven sd, sevensd church, Uncategorized

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I’m currently attending the final residency phase of my Doctor of Ministry program and I’m working on my final Doctoral Project. I’ve been digging in to research on pastoral burnout and how it effects churches all across the nation. With 80-85% of churches declining or dying across America and with pastors leaving the ministry every day– there is a clear correlation between pastoral burnout and church decline . I’ve been shocked to read the latest research and find that last year over 1,700 pastors quit or were forced to leave the ministry every month…I’m gonna say that again…every month. That number is rising…

My project is focusing on the causes and correlations between burnout and decline in churches and the correlation between healthy pastors and healthy growing and multiplying churches. If we lose our leaders the research is showing we lose our churches. Since we trust Jesus’ words that his “yoke is easy and his burden light”
— what is causing such burnout among church leaders? So far, the research is that crushing expectations, no time off, always in “crisis mode”, wanting to please people and wanting to always be “On” and the pressure of putting together a good message for Sunday are all factors in burnout, moral failure and quitting amongst pastors in America. My goal is to help pastors and churches and find preventative methods and cures.

Here’s where you can help. If you know of a burned out pastor- either currently out of full time ministry or formerly burned out but back at it- please let me know by emailing me jeremy@7sd.org. I would like to interview pastors and leaders and draw some conclusions and provide some solutions.

Gracias and peace,

Silence, "The Language of God"

22 Monday Feb 2010

Posted by in God., jeremy, jeremy mcgarity, language of God, pastor Jeremy

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“Silence is the language of God”- Thomas Keating

I’m learning about the importance of silence and solitude. I’ve taught on it for years and I’ve practiced it periodically. I want to flip that sequence.

God will not compete with our noise. He will not shout above the constant barrage of electronic stimulants and information overload. He does not push His way in to get our attention. He waits. Think about that. God waits for you and me.

He waits until we’re quiet enough in mind, heart, and soul, and then He speaks. 1 Kings 19 always reminds me of this….God speaks in a whisper.

He waits until we’ve prioritized Him. He waits until we’ve cleared our cluttered schedule to carve out space for Him (that sounds so ridiculous when I realize HE IS THE ONE WHO GIVES US TIME IN THE FIRST PLACE). Still, He waits.

So often, in my hurry, it’s as if God is speaking another language. I can’t translate the dialect He’s speaking.

It takes pure discipline as I’ve focused my time in silence before Him. Every thought must be held captive and pushed aside so I can have a clear mind, no distractions. My mind goes so many places for several minutes until finally it gets quiet. It’s in the next several moments that I meet with my Lord. These are good times. These are soul healing times. These are times of refreshing.  It’s in these moments of silence that I can translate the language of God

In these moments I am reminded that I am not God, He is. I am not in charge, He is. All my hurry and all my worry is just me taking charge, it’s just me taking control. I need silence as a constant reminder that God is God and I’m not.

So, I’m learning. I don’t want to burn out, soften up, or lose to the enemy. So, I’ll do the waiting. I’ll listen to Psalm 37 and wait on the Lord, it’s the least I can do, He’s waited on me for so long.