Monday Morning Reflections

Wow, it was so great to be back in our church on Sunday morning! What was even better was the fact that our staff has been working really hard in getting our First Impressions teams up and going. They hit a home run on Sunday morning!! The band rehearsed at 8 a.m. and were finished and ready to go at 9 a.m.!! That is when about 40 people started showing up to our new prayer time at 9:15 a.m. Heather Payne has so graciously volunteered to watch kiddos for that 45 minute time so that our other teams, First Impressions, Worship team, Sight & Sound, Cafe, Children’s Ministry teams could pray for the services!! Thanks Heather!!

We had several first time guests that I think are going to come back because you guys did such an awesome job in making them feel at home!! Way to go!!

We also had our first experiment in water baptisms here at CFC. We baptized Cody in some very cold water! Sorry Cody! But look on the bright side, you will definitely remember your baptism!! We borrowed a portable swimming pool, but there was no heater with it. Our little 10 gallon water heater just wasn’t able to give us enough warm water. So, we are going to go back to the drawing board on getting us some warmer water. If any of you have suggestions, let us know! We are going to investigate the fiberglass cattle feeder route at the farm store. Sounds like there is a definite market out there for church planters to have a portable baptismal!!

How ’bout Hayward Barnett, my 7th grade Earth Science teacher bringing it during the message on Sunday?? How about an 80 year old man still seeking out his purpose for his life? I want to be that way when I am pressing on . . . to have a sense of calling and urgency on my life. So many times I catch myself saying, “not now Lord, I have this and that to do. I’ll get to it later on.” I don’t want to be caught at the end of my life wondering why I didn’t do more for God because I was just “too busy.” (Just between us girls, he is praying that we double in attendance . . . soon! And hearing all of the stories from people, I believe it is going to happen!) How great is that? A man that has so much wisdom and years behind him that wants so badly for our kind of church to reach tons of people. I am really encouraged by his testimony. Thank you Hayward. I agree with you on your heart valve replacement as well . . . what a waste of $25K if God isn’t going to have you around to expand the Kingdom! I hope and pray that you stay with us and serve alongside us in the Kingdom for many more years to come!

Our Community Group was great on Sunday night. We are going through the book “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” by John Ortberg. Great book on spiritual disciplines. I highly recommend it to your group. It is very convicting, but at the same time not preachy. You really feel like you can have the spiritual life you have always desired–that it is truly attainable.

What a great weekend! From the 24 hour Scripture reading on Friday and Saturday to the awesome prayer time at The Core on Saturday night; it was a great, great weekend for our church and for me personally. God is teaching me so much lately that there is so much more to life than the surface issues in my world of “did the sermon come off well, how many did we have, what was the offering, etc.” My time on Saturday morning of reading the Scripture for an hour that just “flew by” and an unbelievable time seeing our people praying all over our property on Saturday night; God really taught (is teaching) me that it really doesn’t have too much to do with me, but a whole lot to do with Him and His power to “draw men to Himself.”

Have a great week!