New Name for a New Day

In 1953 Christ Memorial was started with a total of 6 people as a mission outpost to Madison. 2009 marks another huge step forward in that story. It is a new day of personal ownership and individual responsibility in connecting people to life in Jesus! This new day necessitates a new name. Yesterday we were excited to share this new name. We believe it is a name that (is):

Biblical – It is a name that is rooted in Scripture.
Missional – It is a name that is intrinsically connected to our missional mandate (connecting people to life in Jesus).
Contextual – It is a name that fits our geographical context. It will resonate with the people we are trying to reach.
Marketable – It is a name that is easily marketed. It will give us a competitive edge with a creative expression. It is memorable and concise.
Portable – It is a name that will be able to migrate and expand with us as we plant additional sites.
Lasting –It is a name that will hold up over time.
Unique/ Original – It is a name that effectively communicates our uniqueness and signals that we are an original creation of God’s hand.



This proposed new name is that we would be known as …“the church at Christ Memorial.”

And, that our emerging work in Verona be named “the church in Verona”

And, as we expand our impact into other regions throughout Madison, we would also incorporate “the Church” as the identifying primary name together with the decided local name.


Every single one of us is the church. God’s name is glorified when the church shares Jesus’ transformation story as it unfolds in the lives of people everywhere, in every region, in every city, in every nation.

We rejoice that it is “God’s purpose in all of this to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety…” Ephesians 3:10

Impossibilities??

Reading Exodus 14:5-18 the other morning, I got a sense of what Moses could have been feeling. OK, on a little smaller scale, but still, I could relate. I was able to enter the story.

We have been pursuing a vision to transform the spiritual landscape of Madison since the vision became clear in April of 2008. We call the vision "One Church, Regional Impact," and even though we have been making progress in so many exciting ways, daily there is this overwhelming sense of impossibility. Just like Moses and the children of Israel, there is this impossible barrier in front of us. Transform the spiritual landscape of Madison? Yeah, right!

And then, on top of the impossible barrier in front of us is the enemy bearing down on us, pursuing us, dominating the landscape--600 chariots!

Think about what it must have been like for the children of Israel, for Moses, in that moment. Put yourself there. Families all around you. Children. Helpless. Scared. No army. No defense. No escape.

Ever feel that way?

But consider this: you are there (we are here) because God has gone through considerable effort to bring you out of Egypt. You are God's people. God has promised you a new life. He has promised you a new home. And then He says, "Do not be afraid."

But it is so easy to be afraid, to fear, to become anxious, to worry, to fret, to obsess. It's so human.

And in that moment, is an opportunity to trust God and His promises!

That's where I am today. Sunday I will share the proposed new name for our ministry; a name that I believe will actually contribute toward our vision! Even the name change thing has seemed like an impossible barrier, and so my natural tendency is to worry. But, then I remember how much God has done. I remember the considerable effort He has made to bring us to this day. We are God's people. God has promised us a new life. He has promised us a new home. And He says, "Do not be afraid."

God is unchanging! God is enough! Be patient. For with God in your heart, nothing is lacking! let nothing distress you!

Clarity in Communication

Reading a book called "Made to Stick"

Here's what I'm processing so far:
1) What is my core message?
2) Why isn't it already happening naturally?
3) What is the "win" in terms of my core message? And how do I make those "wins" more concrete?
4) What are our "milestone moments"?

How would you answer these questions?

Nothing Is Lacking

I love what I heard this morning! I really needed to hear it!

God is unchanging. God is enough. Be patient, for with God in your heart, nothing is lacking! Let nothing distress you.

A New Name for a New Day

Why would you ever consider changing the name of a church? Here's three answers that we think are worth considering:

1) God changed names to signify a New Day.

• Abram to Abraham
• Jacob to Israel
• Simon to Peter
• Saul to Paul

2) God is changing the scope of our mission.
Christ Memorial is moving from being a church that is located at 2833 Raritan Road in Fitchburg, WI to a church that is distributed into the neighborhoods, communities, and regions throughout Greater Madison. God is leading us to greater intentionality and individual ownership in "connecting people to life in Jesus" right where we live!

3) We desire to bring our name into alignment with our distinctive identity.

A New Name for a New Day --July 26th!!

On July 26th we will be sharing a proposed new name for our ministry at Christ Memorial. We'll be voting on that name on August 9th. It's been quite a process that started back in September of 08.

I thought maybe we could have a little fun with this. What are some of the greatest name changes you can think of?

I'll get you started:

Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul Jabar