Theology Pub – Can a Christian Smoke Pot?
The embedded video is part 1 of a series of videos that can be accessed here.
Earlier this month Missio Dei hosted an event, as part of our monthly Theology Pub, where we discussed the Biblical position on marijuana. It was a fascinating discussion that was not only provocative but challenging and fruitful. There were over 50 people at the event, many of whom did not share our worldview, but left pleasantly surprised as to how the discussion was led. If you weren’t able to attend the event we have provided some video footage of the discussion that can be accessed here.
Join us next month for Theology Pub as we discuss the Biblical position on homosexuality.
Video – Can a Christian Smoke Pot?
In preparation for our next Theology Pub conversation we interviewed a fairly wide cross section of Fort Collins, asking them, “Can a Christian Smoke Pot?”
Can a Christian Smoke Pot?
Each month Missio Dei hosts an event called Theology Pub at Mulligan’s Pub (a local Irish Pub).
If that wasn’t controversial enough, we’ve chosen one of the more polarizing topics facing the Church presently for next month’s discussion:
Or maybe a better question is, “should a Christian smoke pot?”
Many Christians will immediately declare, “absolutely not, it’s illegal!” Which is a great point, for the Bible is clear that we should honor the governing authorities because those authorities have been placed there by God (Romans 13:1).
But what about the 13 states (including Colorado) that have now legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes? What about cities like Breckenridge, CO. that have legalized the use and possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use?
In those cases, which will quickly become the norm rather than exception, it’s not illegal and therefore the only grounds for prohibition would be the mind altering effects that follow marijuana consumption – God’s Word commands us to be sober minded (1 Peter 1:13) and to abstain from drunkeness (Ephesians 5:18) which would certainly apply to the use of drugs. But what about marijuana use in the case of treating various illnesses and chronic pain? How is that treatment any different than mainstream prescription medications like Vicodin and Oxy-Contin? Certainly those drugs produce serious mind altering effects and carry with them debilitating side effects and result in tragic addictions, as was the case for famous radio talk show personality Rush Limbaugh.
The Church (at least in large part) does not prohibit the use of prescription pain killers, but without blinking an eye Christians forbid the use of marijuana in any instance.
Is it really that cut and dry?
It’s our desire at Missio Dei to think through difficult issues like this from a Biblical perspective, divorcing ourselves from tradition or preconceived notions.
As people who view life through a Christian worldview and a gospel grid – what should our position be on this topic?
Missio Dei Schedule
Here is a Sunday service schedule for Missio Dei from January through our Easter launch date -
All Sunday Evening gatherings are held at the Evangelical Covenant Church
All Sunday Morning pre-launch services are held at the TR Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge (more…)
Why Don’t You Go To Church?
In our latest video we asked Fort Collins residents why they don’t go to church (or why they do if they attend). This video will aide in our discussion about the Church and it’s Relevance for our next Theology Pub on January 6th at 7pm at Mulligan’s Pub.
You can subscribe to Missio Dei’s YouTube Videos here
The Scoop
Just wanted to give you a heads up regarding what is going on with The Bridge church plant.
In June I was contacted by Aaron Santini, a church planter planting “The Crossing” with CrossWay Chapel (a local church planting network associated with Mountain View Com. Church in Fort Collins), he wanted to meet like minded church planters and he had heard about me through Acts 29. After meeting a few times and discussing our vision, goals, and plans we began to discuss the idea of joining our efforts for the sake of the Kingdom. It is almost uncanny how similar Aaron and I are in theology, philosophy, and vision. So after a few months of praying and getting to know each other Aaron and I have decided to join The Bridge and The Crossing…in fairness to one another we have decided to change the name of the new church (which was really difficult for me because I absolutely love the name The Bridge =)
That is however a small sacrifice for what this joining of efforts is going to bring to the Kingdom. The new name will be “Missio Dei” which means mission of God in Latin. Both Aaron and I felt that this name encapsulates our theology and the vision of our church plant very well and will also create some great opportunities to share the gospel when people ask what in the world “Missio Dei” means. =)
The Crossing has been meeting in Aaron and Rita Santini’s home for about 6 months and they have about 40 adults and 20 children attending. Starting this Sunday evening we will begin meeting together at the Evangelical Covenant Church at 6pm. We will continue with our plan of holding a series of preview services (third Sundays of Oct, Nov, and Dec) and launching on Sunday January 17th at 10am at the TR Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge. The joining of The Crossing and The Bridge will instantly give both groups critical mass and great momentum as we will now have approx. 60 adults and 30 children to launch the church with, not to mention the multiplication of servants, gifts and leadership abilities that both groups will bring each other.
Aaron and I are a lot alike but we are also very different in our gift sets. Aaron is passionate about small groups (we will call them Life Groups), discipleship, and pouring into men (the ground war). I am gifted as the big picture guy and overseeing things like administration, media (website, audio video stuff), marketing, and our mission will be my responsibilities (the air war).
Aaron and I will share the preaching duties and work together to formulate a preaching schedule ahead of time. We will teach through books or passages of Scripture so it will be very easy to keep continuity while also creating some variety in preaching style and perspective.
Aaron and I are both passionate about church planting and our vision is to plant churches up and down the 1-25 corridor and beyond. There are approx. 4.5 million people in the front range region and we believe that church planting is the most effective method in reaching these people with the gospel. In order to make this vision happen we must train young men to be pastors and leaders and therefore Missio Dei will have a Pastor’s School where men can be equipped to lead as elders both at Missio Dei and elsewhere as church planters.
Please keep Missio Dei and all that is involved here in prayer. We have some other big decisions to make in the near future and we are excited about all that God is doing and is going to do!
Heart for the City
During our gatherings on Sunday nights we are studying through the book of Nehemiah. One of the reasons I chose to teach through Nehemiah as we are establishing The Bridge here in Fort Collins is due to Nehemiah’s heart for the city of Jerusalem. When Nehemiah heard the news of Jerusalem’s plight he sat down and wept for many days. His heart broke for the condition of his city.
When was the last time your heart broke for the condition of your city? Nehemiah was simply displaying the heart of His God. A heart that compelled Jesus to humble Himself by taking on human flesh and then willingly become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). This was Jesus’ mission…to restore humanity and all of creation back to its created goodness (Gen. 1:31 cf. Rev. 21:5).
It is my desire to plant a church here in FoCo that is on this same mission with God (John 20:21). A church with a heart that bleeds for the city, a city filled with broken and devastated people who desperately need to be restored and redeemed by their Creator.
Will you join God on this mission?
Here is a poem written by Francis DuBose that really captures the heart of what it means to be missional (Thank you to Tommy O’Keefe for making me aware of this great piece).
I choose the city…
Not simply to live in it,
to see it,
to hear it;
But to touch it;
yes, to embrace it,
to hold it,
To feel the wild glory of its
pulsating soul,
To move over its wide,
hurried broadways,
To stand stilled and sobered
at the nowhere of its dead-end streets,
To be trapped with it in its
pain and problems,
To be at once chilled by its ill
and covered with its confetti.
I choose the city because I choose God,
Because I choose humanity,
Because I choose the divine-human
struggle–
The struggle which will be won
Not in the serene path through
meadow and wood,
among the bees and birds, and flowers,
But in the city street
Made by the hand of man
Through the gift of God–
Main Street: the final battle field,
The scene of the ultimate struggle,
Where man chooses right
Because he is free to choose wrong.
Babylon, dirty and daring–
Babylon, yes–
Babylon today–
Tomorrow…
The New Jerusalem!
Update
The Couch family has now officially landed in Fort Collins, CO. Leaving Prineville with our family, friends, and amazing church family was extremely difficult. I was not prepared for how difficult it would be to drive away from those that I love so much. Now those that I hate that is a different story…Just Kidding 
Our first two weeks here in Colorado have been awesome! The weather has been great, the people are very friendly, and the city is full of lost people who desperately need Jesus and the gospel. We’ve met a lot of people in our short time here. I have visited 5 churches over two Sundays and plan to attend many more over the next several months before we begin Sunday mornings.
The Bridge will begin a Sunday evening gathering at the Evangelical Covenant Church on September 6th at 6pm. They leadership there (including Pastor Bert Wright) is very gracious to allow us the use of their facility at a very reasonable price.
The students arrived at CSU this week. I spent some time on campus this week walking around and praying for the young men and women. My heart breaks them and I long to see them engaged with the gospel. There are many great campus ministries and gospel driven college groups already happening but there are 25K students at CSU so there is a huge need. Please pray for wisdom and vision to reach into the campus and win many young people to Christ.
Andrea, the kids, and I have had many opportunities to share Jesus with people at parks, restaurants, and coffee houses. I have told many people about the church plant and we are super excited about the work that God has in store here in Northern Colorado.
Speaking of the kids, they started school last week (I know August 19th crazy!!) and they are absolutely loving it. Carson is going to Kindergarten half days and is experiencing a little bit of trouble getting along with the other kids but I think he will be fine once he gets comfortable with his new surroundings and becomes used to the idea that he isn’t at home playing by himself anymore.
I am continuing to look for part time employment and have a few really good leads that I’m looking into right now. Please pray that God provides the perfect job that will supply our needs, and still afford me the time I need to plant the church and pastor my family.
The url of this blog will be changing very soon to www.jesusfame.com, the smalltownpreacher domain will forward to that for awhile though.
Love you guys!
-ryan
Going Away Video
I hope to write a long sappy post about how much I love the people of Calvary Chapel Crook County sometime soon but I wanted to throw this video up, that some of the guys put together for Andrea and I for our going away party Sunday.
Please pray for us as we are leaving here next Tuesday and hope to be in Fort Collins Wednesday night. This is much more difficult than I ever anticipated it to be.
[vimeo 5898224]
Random Stuff
I’m reading several books right now…if you are a pastor or church planter I recommend each of them. Not because I agree with everything that’s written but because I think it will challenge you and help you to think through things that you may not otherwise.
1. Launch “Starting a new church from scratch” (Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas)
2. Lost and Found “The younger unchurched and the churches that reach them” (Ed Stetzer)
3. Planting Missional Churches (Ed Stetzer)
Rory Rodgers begins his work here tomorrow…we will introduce him to the church and then he and I will work together in transition for about a month. My last Sunday here at CCCC will be Sunday August 9th. I can hear the collective cheers from those who are excited about our departure.
Seriously we are going to miss this church, this community, and it is going to be really difficult to leave this behind. We are however confident that God is in this and that He is going to continue pouring out His blessings upon CCCC through the leadership of Rory and that He is going to begin a new work in Fort Collins through the planting of The Bridge.
On a completely different note…Riley Taylor, the son of Wayne Taylor (pastor of Calvary Fellowship in Seattle), has put together some stinkin’ hilarious videos for a teaching series in the book of Acts. Here is Acts 1…you can find the rest on youtube or around the web.
[youtube WO0PKQiZROE]
Great Trip
My family and I just returned from a quick trip to Fort Collins. Well our time actually spent in Fort Collins was short but the 18 hour drive each way made it seem like a journey.
We had a great time meeting with people, looking at homes to rent, and exploring the area. The kids absolutely love it there and Andrea and I are becoming more familiar with the city with each visit. On Tuesday we traveled up to Estes Park in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. All I can say about that is wow!
I had an extremely busy week meeting with contacts and people that are interested in the church plant. Each visit we’ve had there has been full of divine encounters that continue to serve as confirmation for God’s call upon us to pull up stakes and begin a new work in Northern Colorado.
One of the most amazing things about Fort Collins is the unity amongst the pastors in the city. I have met with a few of the pastors, and have received several emails from others, and one thing is consistent among each of them; they are Kingdom minded. Not one of them has said, “Fort Collins has plenty of churches.” or “What do you think you’re going to do that we aren’t already doing?” I applaud these men for putting Jesus and His Kingdom first…it’s sad that it’s so rare but in a church climate where pastors fight over church hoppers like two dogs with a bone, these men stand out as unique examples of what the Church should really look like. One such man is Reza Zadah. Reza is the young adults pastor at Timberline Church in Fort Collins. He has gone out of his way to welcome me to the city and offer his help in whatever way he can. Thank you Reza!
Oh…on the home front we did find a house to rent that is available at the perfect time, and the owner is allowing us to live in the house for 2 weeks rent free! The home is located in West Fort Collins…about 5 minutes from Old Town and 5 minutes from Horsetooth Reservoir. Perfect!
I anticipate that the next 6 weeks in Prineville will go by extremely fast. Rory and I will work together in transition for about a month. It should be a great time working together and learning from one another. I hope that I can pass a few things along that I’ve learned in my time here and then before you know it we’ll be off to our next adventure.
It’s sad, exciting, and scary all at the same time.
What If?
For the last few months my preaching in the gospel of Luke has centered on the concept of mission. That is being on mission with God. As someone who has been involved in pastoral ministry for over a decade now, I think it is safe to say that many Christians are not on mission. They’re on a mission…career advancement, more money, bigger house, living vicariously through their child’s athletic achievements…but it’s not God’s mission.
What if every Christian, or even most Christians, were on mission? What if Christians were as passionate about Jesus and the gospel as we are the myriad of other activities that choke the life out of us (can anyone say farmtown?).
Please don’t get me wrong…I love sports (just ask my wife). I’m passionate about the things I enjoy but what if we could direct some of that passion toward the Kingdom?
My family and I are moving to Fort Collins to plant The Bridge Church in mid-August. Part of my focus is going to be reaching young men, getting them on mission, and then setting them free to use their God given masculinity, drive, and passion to further the Kingdom of God in Northern Colorado. I’m praying for 100 young men to make Jesus famous in Fort Collins and on the campus of CSU.
Will you pray with me? Will you join us in being on mission with God in your community? Will you begin investing your God given time, talents, and treasures in things that will advance His Kingdom instead of your own? (Luke 12:13-34)
What if…
Update
Wow…it’s been two weeks since I’ve written a post here. Life is pretty much a blur right now. I returned from the Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor’s Conference Saturday evening (the conference was a blast by the way), as soon I landed we met with some friends who moved away a few years ago and happened to be in town visiting family. As soon as we hugged them and said goodbye a family who is praying about joining the church plant in Fort Collins arrived from out of town to meet with us over the weekend. We had an awesome time getting to know them and praying for God’s will for their lives. Since their departure for home, on Monday after breakfast, I have been going non-stop trying to balance pastoring Calvary Chapel Crook County, the transition of the new pastor, and preparing to plant The Bridge in Fort Collins.
Speaking of the transition, the elders and I have selected Rory Rodgers, youth pastor from Calvary Chapel Corvallis, as my replacement here. He will begin Monday July 13th; he and I will work together for about a month. During which time he will teach the Wednesday night Bible study through the Old Testament and I will continue preaching on Sunday mornings. He will officially take over as Lead Pastor on Monday August 17th.
My last Sunday here at Calvary Crook County will be Sunday August 16th. After which time my family and I will be moving to Fort Collins to begin The Bridge Church plant. We are extremely excited for all that God has in store here in Prineville, as well as the great work He is going to establish in Northern Colorado.
Please pray for my family as we make this transition. Please pray for Rory, Lindsey, and little Russell as they move to Prineville. Pray for Calvary Chapel Crook County during this time of pastoral change. Finally pray for Fort Collins and The Bridge!
Here is a link to our plan for the next 6 months of The Bridge church plant.
The Bridge Website
We’ve put up a website for the church plant. It’s real basic at this point.
Check it out at www.thebridgefc.com
Name for Church Plant
I’ve settled on a name for the new church plant in Fort Collins, CO.
The Bridge
I really like Emmaus Church but there is a Nazarene re-plant in Fort Collins called “Emmaus Road”, so that’s not going to work.
Therefore…The Bridge it is.
The implications fit very well into the core values of the church.
1. It points to our Man – Jesus…He is the Bridge that mediates God and man (1 Timothy 2:5)
2. It points to our message – The Gospel…God’s plan of redemption to bridge the gap between death and life (Romans 6:23)
3. It points to our mission – To make disciples…to bridge the chasm between the church and the lost culture it exists in (Matthew 28:18-20)
Thank You for praying for The Bridge and Fort Collins.
*I added the logo, what do you think?
Church Plant in Fort Collins
I wanted to write this post sooner but I’ve been insanely busy since we got home from Colorado Sunday night.
Andrea, Carson, and I spent last week in Fort Collins networking and meeting with dozens of people in preparation for planting a church in Fort Collins, CO.
It was an amazing trip…we made many connections, found a few families who are praying about joining us in the work, connected with a musician who is very excited about helping us in the area of worship and arts.
On the way home Andrea and I were just rejoicing at the incredible doors God is opening up for us there. We absolutely love the city and are extremely excited to establish another strong gospel influence there.
Please continue to pray for this adventure.
1. Pray for the transition here at Calvary Chapel of Crook County
2. Pray for the Lord to continue to put a team together to join us in the work there.
3. Pray for provision for this church plant.
If you would like to support this work financially you can email me at rscouch@gmail.com
Church Plant in Ft. Collins
Most of you know that my family and I are planning on moving to Ft. Collins, CO in the next 3-6 months to plant a gospel centered, Jesus focused, missional church…that cares more about God’s glory than man’s happiness. Holding tightly to the text of the Word while desiring to engage the context so as not to become an isolated subculture but a city on a hill.
Fort Collins is a city of about 140,000 people (the metro area is closer to 300K) and the home of Colorado State University.
We are going to miss the people of Calvary Chapel of Crook County, the city of Prineville, and all the friends and family we have here in Central Oregon. It’s been an amazing ride here in Prineville…we have seen lives radically changed, a wonderful church planted, we have made many friends (and only a few enemies), and added our two children to the Couch family.
Please keep us in prayer…here are some specific ways you can pray.
1. The transition of pastors here at Calvary Crook County (the search for a new pastor, his transition to becoming the lead pastor).
2. The church body (please pray that the enemy will not gain any traction in the lives of people in our body during this transition).
3. The church plant in Ft. Collins…
a. Conversions to faith in Christ in the Ft. Collins region
b. A team of like-minded Christians to join with us in this work
c. Inroads into the community and the university to engage the culture with the gospel
d. Provision
If you would like to support this church plant our contact information is in the drop down menu above.
For Jesus’ fame,
ryan