Soldier, Athlete, Farmer?

This past month has been an amazing journey for our new church. People are coming to Christ each week, new locals are connecting and wanting to become members, our membership is stepping it up in their faithfulness, and our attendance has shot up to around 100 people each Wed Night. We are going to have to launch our Sunday morning service about a month early because we have run out of room. I am so humbled and excited to be a part of this movement in Uptown. Christ is amazing!

We have been journeying through the book of II Timothy this past month. Our text last night was II Tim 2:1-7. As I shared in the message last night, Paul encourages Timothy to have the focus of a soldier, commitment of an athlete, and hard-work of a farmer. As I went to bed last night after preaching this text, I was once again reminded of God's grace upon our new journey in New Orleans. I am so grateful that God has brought us a team of people who live and serve Christ and Vintage Church as soldiers, athletes, and farmers.

To all the faithful members and friends at Vintage Church, I love you and I thank God for you. To the soldiers...keep engaging the spiritual battle for souls. To the athletes...keep training and conditioning as you live out the Word. To the farmers...don't stop laboring and getting dirty for Christ. Continue to Be the Church. For those who are struggling in the battle, I offer you the wisdom of Paul in Philippians 3:12-14:

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Grace and Peace.

Vintage Podcast

When our church (Vintage Church) launched in January, we began a series through the books of I & II Timothy. Our series is called "Advice". It has taken around 20 messages for us to get through I Timothy. This past week we launched our journey through II Timothy.


As II Timothy starts, we have launched our church podcast. Included in our podcast will be weekly messages and announcements. We will also upload some special events, messages, interviews, and songs from our church team. This podcast will be a great way for you to keep in touch with what God is doing in New Orleans.

Subscribe to the Vintage Podcast by clicking on this link. Our podcast will also be posted on iTunes soon.

A Superior Calling

PRAISE REPORT:

Below is an article that my good friend (Dr. Jeff Cook) wrote for the Louisiana Baptist Magazine about our church. When I was interviewed for this article I shared about an experience of having dinner with a couple in Uptown. I have amazing news! Two Wednesday nights ago, my dad (Dr. Don Wilton) preached at our church about the importance of the family and the church. The couple that is mentioned in the article came to church on that night for the first time. Our friend surrendered her life to Christ and her husband is asking some great questions. Pray for us as we disciple this couple and their little girl.

God is doing a great work in New Orleans through Vintage. Thanks for your prayers and support!

"A Superior Calling"
by Dr. Jeff Cook

When you visit New Orleans, everyone knows to ask where to eat. Most people know to visit some very special eating establishments like Café Du Monde. But if you live in Uptown New Orleans, you frequent places like Buddha Belly, Ignatius, Storyville, Slim Goodies, or Fuel Coffee House. Walk down Magazine Street to visit one of these eclectic locations and you will discover Vintage Church, another new church plant in Uptown.

Rob and Annabeth Wilton were in Seminary when Katrina hit New Orleans. They moved to South Carolina, then returned to serve with the MissionLab program at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. When they moved back to live in a very different New Orleans, they began to realilze that God had prepared them for a different kind of ministry in the new, New Orleans. Rob and Annabeth Wilton were meeting with friends at Superior Grill Restaurant in Uptown New Orleans when their conversation began to be about Jesus. As the friends were eating and talking, "It just clicked." We fell in love with the people of Uptown." When Rob and Annabeth left that meal, they realized they could minister to people like their friends, and they knew that the best way to do that was through a local church.

They began to pray that God would help them start a new church. After a few months, Rob and a core team launched this new church in the heart of Uptown. Vintage Church currently meets Wednesday nights above Temple Gym. More than 50 people attend and the group ranges from "church hoppers to bar hoppers." Sunday Services and Life Groups will launch in the fall of 2008.

Rob (who is the lead planter/pastor of preaching and vision) is joined by Page Brooks and Andrew Ogea. Page is the pastor of teaching and strategy for Vintage and Andrew is the pastor of worship leadership and discipleship. Page and his wife Ashley have a daughter (Karis) and he serves as Professor of Theology & Islamic Studies at NOBTS. Andrew and his wife Amy are newlyweds and he has served over the past six years as worship leader at Northshore Church in Slidell.

When you come to New Orleans, order a poboy at Masparo's, ride a trolley car down St. Charles, come grab coffee at Fuel and then look for Vintage Church and be blessed.

Bolt Arrives!

I know that I haven't written this week, but I have a pretty good excuse. Annabeth went into labor this past Wednesday morning around 5:00am. After a long day of struggle but amazing joy, Annabeth gave birth to our son on Wednesday night at 8:48pm.


I have a lot of friends that have kids. They have all told me that watching your wife give birth to your first child is one of the greatest experiences of your life. After Wednesday night I join the list of daddy's around the world. There is absolutely nothing that compares with the experience of kissing your wife and looking into the eyes of your child. Thank you Jesus for giving me such an amazing blessing. I know that this little man is going to teach me so much about the love Christ has for us.


I love my wife so much! She pushed for over 3 hours. I kept giving her ice chips and washing her face with a wash cloth and she never slowed down. Finally, after a long battle our little man made his entrance into this world. At that moment I was utterly speechless. The only thing that I could do was cry and kiss my beautiful wife. His name is Robert Bolton John Wilton. We are calling him Bolt. He has four names just like his dad (Robert Edwin John Wilton). Bolton is my mom's maiden name, so we are going to carry on my grandpa's (who we call "Bumpa") name. John is the name of my other grandpa (who we call "Papa"). He is a big boy and fits his nickname "little fatty" well. 9lb 3.8 oz and 21 1/2 in tall! His head is huge like his daddy (14 1/4cm).


Enjoy the pics. Thanks to all our friends and family for your prayers and support.

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG

This question has been digging into my soul over the past few months. I haven’t posted anything for a while for a number of reasons.

#1: Who the heck wants to read what I write.
#2: I hate writing a journal, I would rather read or listen to a podcast then write my own
#3: I would rather talk to people than write
#4: Between being a camp speaker, pastor/planter, small group leader, husband, soon to be dad, and friend...who has the time. Seriously, all of you committed bloggers...get a life. Just kidding...but seriously.

I had concluded that because of these reasons, I would end my short but good attempt at infiltrating the blog world. But then God began to speak. I have learned over the past few months that when God acts, you react. GOD'S CALL TRUMPS ALL.

Over the past week, I really don’t think God could have been more straightforward with me. I first listened to a podcast from the Dwell Conference in NYC. Driscoll spoke about the book of Nehemiah and how it is basically a journal account of his experience of following God’s call. He encouraged new church planters to blog, even if it only blesses your mom.

Then my wife, whom I love and has carried our son with absolute perfection, kept asking and reminding me that it has been a while since I had written anything. Thanks babe.

I also came across a blog by John Piper’s son (Abraham Piper) stating reasons why a pastor should blog. Click here for the entire blog, but here are his points:
1. to write
2. to teach
3. to recommend
4. to interact
5. to develop an eye for what is meaningful
6. to be known

This morning God finally confirmed his desire. Andrew Ogea (new co-pastor of Vintage) and I meet with a church plant mentor once a week. We usually get to discuss one basic idea each meeting. This morning we talked about keeping a journal (of course). He emphasized how he wished he had kept a record account of his spiritual journey in New Orleans over the last 9 years. When I got home I went for a run to the gym, worked out, and then ran back. On the way back you would have never guessed what was on the podcast. Blogging.

Alright God, I surrender. “To blog” I go.

Right now I am sitting in my kitchen, cooling off from the run, throwing down a glass of peach tea, eating toast and peanut butter, and of course BLOGGING.

Here is my plan. Mama, hold me accountable to this. I will write a blog about my spiritual journey once a week. It might not be long, but I will write something (even if I had a bad Chinese food experience). My first blog will be a catch up of my journey since the end of last summer. See ya at the next post.

Sex, Sushi, & Salvation

We are excited to welcome my friend Christian George to Vintage Church as he discusses his new book. Here is a brief description of this book:

There’s more to life than computerized slippers and sexy ring tones. The world revolves around something greater than ourselves, and we all burn for intimacy, crave community, and struggle for eternity.

This is a book about sex, sushi, and salvation – a book of snapshots – the ups and downs, the failures and fortunes.

If you hunger for a raw faith that satisfies the soul, this book is for you.

Since humans were made in the image of God, we have three basic passions—intimacy, community and eternity. We burn for them, save for them, pay for them and pray for them. But only the God who fulfills these desires within himself can perfectly fulfill them in us. This is a book of snapshots—the ups and downs, the failures and fortunes, the smiles and trials. In these chapters, I retrace my travels around the world, from pagan temples in Greece to Transylvanian mountains in Romania. I confess my lust and love, my struggle with truth and my quest for Christ. Fasten your seatbelt. It’s going to be a wild ride. And along the way we just might discover that the God who satisfies us with himself joins us for the journey.

I just finished reading this book this past week. Christian has an incredible gift and God is going to use this book in a mighty way. I especially loved reading about his journey with his wife, Rebecca. I grew up with Rebecca in New Orleans and even spent some time together in South Carolina. I think it is absolutely incredible that she married an author. When she wasn't beating me up or roller-blading, she was reading a book. Christian and Rebecca are a brilliant and loving couple that love Jesus.

God used this book to inspire me to be a better husband.....travel the world in pursuit of what God has done in the past and what God is stirring up for the future.....and even start to like sushi a lot more. If you are in New Orleans next Wednesday, join us at Vintage Church for a great night of jazz, sushi, and great teaching. See you there!

To Arms!

I love hanging with studs! They spur me on toward the mission of Christ.

This past weekend I got to preach for a DNow in MS. We had a blast digging into I Timothy. On Sunday, one of my buddies came and spoke for the Youth Sunday School. His name is Luke Johnson. Although he is a bit of a Pharisee (LOL), God has used him in a mighty way to preach the Word of God with great boldness. God's hand is all over his ministry. In his spare time he likes to write. Check out one of his latest poems.

“To arms! To arms! Church of God"

To arms! To arms! Church of God
Eternity soon draws near
For showing forth in judgement rod
The Son of Man will soon appear.

To arms! To arms! Preachers together
Repent of the status quo
Unless in unction we work forever
Our converts to hell will go.

To arms! To arms! Evangelists many
Lay aside your fire insurance plan
And in the spirit of Preacher Charles Finney
Use the Law to confront every man.

To arms! To arms! You Church Planter
Felt needs never save a soul
Make the Biblical Gospel Your banner
To save the lost and make them whole.

To arms! To arms! Intelligent Professor
Let mere academics not become your love
Don't waste life loving what is lesser
But teach endued with Heaven's Dove.

To arms! To arms! O servant deacon
Fulfill your call to the bride
Give your tough ol' ego a beatin'
Seek humility not power and pride.

To arms! To arms! Christians alike
Get busy while time allows
For you know not the day or night
When that blessed trump shall sound.

Get busy Church! Time ticks away
There are lost sheep to be found
Before the coming judgement day
To arms! To arms! Let it sound.

- L.J. - 2/24-25/08