Happy Reformation Day . . . and Halloween!!

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Most of us know of Halloween being the day before “All Saints Day.” (See John’s blog for a nice little history lesson!) Sidebar: By the way, if you haven’t heard John’s act, you need to!! He did an awesome job for us at Blowout! He really connects with people . . . and is a great magician. You can see his act tonight at South Gate Baptist Church in Springfield.

Besides being Halloween, October 31st is Reformation Day–the anniversary of 225px-luther46c.jpgMartin Luther, a Roman Catholic monk, nailing his “95 Theses” to the Castle Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany. It was common in that day that the Church doors would be a place of public notice, much like our modern day bulletin boards. This public display began a debate of doctrine–specifically the Roman Catholic practice of indulgences, the granting of penance of sin. Luther’s argument was that the church had gone away from the central idea of Christianity of justification–God’s act of declaring a sinner righteous–by “Faith Alone,” not by anything any human can do. This act began what is now called the Protestant Reformation and a breaking away from the Roman Catholic church.

All this talk about Halloween being a terrible thing is funny. I really think it is a great opportunity to reach out to be a good neighbor. Here is a good perspective about Halloween I read today:

This year we?re doing something else. We?ve invited all of the neighbors over for dinner before the festivities begin. We?ve got at least 40 or 50 people who are planning on coming by for a barbeque. We?re doing this simply because we enjoy our neighbors and love to spend time with them. Halloween evening can be hectic, with parents getting home from work and then rushing to prepare their children, so we thought we?d attempt to relieve one burden by taking care of dinner for everyone. It should be fun and we?re looking forward to it.

My encouragement to you today is to think and pray about this issue so that you can do what your conscience dictates for that day. I do not see Halloween as a great evangelistic occasion and this is where some of my thought on the issue has probably developed most. In the past I may have tried to convince myself that Halloween would offer occasions to share the gospel, but I don?t think this is usually the case. Nor does it have to be. I think Halloween is a time that you can prove to your neighbors that you care about them, that you care about their children, and that you are glad to be in this world and this culture, even if you are not of this world or this culture. Aileen and I feel that God has deliberately placed us here and among these people. We want to celebrate with them, even on an occasion of such dubious importance as Halloween.

Have a Great Halloween . . . and Reformation Day!!

Why we do what we do!

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We had our 5th annual Harvest Blowout banner-07-web.jpgon Saturday.? It was really great . . . but not for the reasons most people would say it was great.? We didn’t have near the crowd of people there that we have had in years past.? We had WAY too much food left over.? We had less people come to church on Sunday than the week before.? All of those things can really bum you out–if you were strictly evaluating an event by just numbers and things you can measure.? But we HAVE to evaluate everything we do by numbers AND intangible ways as well.

One of our teenagers was so excited to help at Blowout.? You know why?? Because he came to our church for the first time last year at Harvest Blowout.? His mom works with one of our members and was invited with an invite card (like these for KidStuf.) invite-cards.jpg The mom has yet to attend any services that I know of, but this student and his older sister got plugged into our church.? He went to camp with us this summer, volunteers in the cafe most Sundays he is here, and is really growing!? It is awesome to get confirmation from the Lord that He is really doing something in people’s lives–something that we often don’t get to see, much less can we quantify it or put a statistic on it.

Just one more reason why we do what we do here at CFC–Life Change.? We want people to come to an event like Blowout and realize that church can actually be fun and come back for a regular service or for another fun event like our monthly KidStuf.? Then they start to get plugged into small groups and service and God begins to change their heart.? Then they begin the process over again and invest in people’s lives that they have influence with and invite them to CFC to experience the same amazing God that they experience!

Just thought I would share with you the GREAT THINGS going on in my life.? Especially after the last post.? With a post like that, sometimes people think they need to keep me away from sharp objects!!

God has done some AMAZING THINGS the past week and a half that I HAVE TO SHARE!? More on that next time!!

Difficult Times

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I haven’t really been in the blogging mood the last couple of weeks. Honestly, it is difficult to really focus on this type of medium when things are not going well in your life. I think that there was this naivety that thought that since we have been doing this for almost 5 years now, that the “hard part” was over. Now that we are at this point, I am hearing and reading that there is a “wall” at about year 5 for most church plants. Naive indeed!

It sure seems on the surface that things are good at church . . . on the surface. We, like many churches in this area, are struggling with finances. I think it is a matter of trust (sounds like a Billy Joel song!) We really do have a hard time “waiting” on Him as the Scriptures tell us. However, in the midst of these difficult times, there is a sense that God is really moving in a powerful way! We have always prayed that God would allow us to be a part of something only He could do–and as Bill Bright says, “God, you’ve got a problem.”

I think we have exhausted all of OUR resources and God is going to have to provide HIS resources. As if we really have much of anything to offer to the God of the universe. I often wonder if He kind of sits back and smiles as we do all of our stuff and really try harder to do things “for Him.” I think there are times, like these, when He simply says, “Are you finished?” Then He comes in and does what He wills to do.

In the midst of a pretty dark time, I am reminded of what a cool people we have at Finley Crossings. Jenny and I got this email today and was a HUGE encouragement to us both!? Here is the prayer/email.

God I pray right now that you would reach down and wrap your arms of Love around David and Jenny.

I pray that you provide for their every need. I ask you to give them peace that passes all understanding.

God I ask that you give us wisdom, discernment, vision, and clarity. I ask that you provide us with every thing we need to complete the task you have placed before us and that you would make it completely clear what that task is. God may we be disciplined in being on our faces before you, that as we seek you, you will be found by us. Fall on us. Do a work. Provide our needs. Move in a way you have never moved before. With everything that we have Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. where there is doubt, grant reassurance. where there is pain, grant comfort. where there is confusion, grant clarity. where there is pride, purge us. Break us of everything that is not of you and rebuild us resting solely on who You are. It is not about us God. But about You, and glorifying your name. Glorify your name in us and through us. Make us rest in your strength alone. Not in our capabilities-but in yours. Without you, we can do nothing.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Thank you for the encouragement!!? The Lord really knew we needed it!!

Disturbed

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Just read this post from Sam Shaw. I absolutely love to read his blog. I had a really good friend that was on staff with him at Germantown Baptist Church outside of Memphis, TN and heard him preach on a Sunday night and it was probably one of the best messages I had heard in a long time–and on a Sunday night!! I absolutely love his heart . . . it really comes out in his blog. Enjoy.

Here is the great quote from Sir Francis Drake circa 1577 (emphasis mine):

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

I pray this would be our prayer at Finley Crossings as we continue to reach out to an unchurched world the life changing message of the Gospel–especially when it seems we are dangerously close to becoming just like the words of this poem!

KidStuf is COMING SUNDAY!!

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kidstuf107.jpgWe had a great Tech Rehearsal last night and we are going to have an awesome KidStuf on Sunday!! Please pray for us as we have our official Kickoff of KidStuf on Sunday.

Here is what I put in the Current to be prepared for Sunday.

 


A few things before Sunday . . .
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Great Quote

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I don’t pretend to understand the universe – it’s much bigger than I am. –Albert Einstein

I think that is the way it is for me. The longer I am on this planet, the less I really know anything. I remember a little refrigerator magnet on mom and dad’s fridge growing up that said, “Hire a teenager while they still know everything.” I am finding that is so true. I don’t know near as much as I thought I knew even a few short years ago. Read more

The Day America Went to Church, Part 3

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I don’t where I heard this, but I heard it was said that America indeed did go to church on 9/16/2001, but they looked around and found it was just as they left it and so never returned again.? Basically, Americans were coming back to church for answers and got some answers–just not to the questions they were asking.? I know Barna did some research and found that church attendance grew a little bit the months following 9-11, but went back to it’s “normal” trend of decline the subsequent years following the tragedy.

So who’s fault is it? Read more

Monday Morning Reflections

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kidstuf916.jpgWe had an awesome Sunday yesterday as we had our first KidStuf! It went really well and I think it did all that we wanted it to do and more! We really just wanted it to be a “promo” for our church family to see first hand what it was about and invite people to the next KidStuf. We had a really great crowd about 120 people in the sanctuary, not including those in the nursery! We were talking this morning, I think we are going to have some space issues on October 7th!! What a great problem to have!

All of the actors, hosts, dancers, singers, and kids did an awesome job! I can’t be more proud of the production!!

  • The set looked awesome! Margaret Dollarhite did an excellent job cutting and sewing yards and yards of black fabric for the curtain!!
  • Patrick Chandler and Jim Price helped us frame in the door! Great job guys!
  • Eric and Kris did an awesome job in hanging the curtain and signs.
  • Josh Harrold did a great job running the computer. He came for the tech rehearsal on Thursday night to “watch” and learn for next time! But because of some schedule problems, he needed to do it on Sunday morning!! He did an awesome job in such a short amount of time. The learning curve is quite steep on that stuff and he did a great job.
  • The drama was excellent!! Chris Jones, Mark Wofford, and Kalynn McMurray did their best presentation yet! I was so proud of them!
  • Chris Hatley has grown so much in the past 3-4 years since they have been here at CFC! I was teary when Kenzie was so proud of her daddy! Chris, you did such a great job teaching us the Bible!! Awesome!!
  • Jenny had the singers ready to go–Great job Wes, Jill, Becky, and Jenny. It sounded like the background vocals on a professional CD! I got “ants in my pants” just thinking about it!!
  • Kim Scott and the dancers have worked so hard and it showed! The routines were awesome!! Great job Schawo, Eric, Tracy, Tabby, and Katy (and Wes on one song).
  • It is always great to see people laughing and enjoying being at church of all places. I know that God smiles when His people are telling others about His Son–and having a great time in the process!

A huge thanks to EVERYONE who had a part in making this first KidStuf a HUGE success! I know I am forgetting some people, but I am so proud of EVERYONE! You will want to see next month’s production–it is going to be “off the hook” as the kids say!

One tease . . . Gordo returns to make his actual KidStuf debute! Get your pocket protectors ready and invite your friends and family to the next KidStuf, October 7th!

The Day America Went to Church

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I was reminded of the 9-11 tragedy again last night as MSNBC had the day “as it happened.” I can still remember sitting with Jenny and Taylor (about 5 months old) in the living room before leaving for church. At the time I left for church, the towers had not yet collapsed.

I remember that event quite well because it matches up with my calling to plant this church. We had been struggling with a calling to start a new church that would be focused on those outside of the church–not necessarily ignoring those inside the church, but basically reaching those who don’t have a “place” in the current church landscape. Read more

Monday Evening Catch-up

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I intended to get around to this a whole lot earlier, like last Monday, but here’s what’s been going on lately.

  • Taylor headed to 1st grade on Thursday! Wow, I am feeling quite old now! He had a great time. (He didn’t want to go this morning, but didn’t want to leave this afternoon–go figure.)sunday-best.jpg
  • The ol’ alma mater, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is back in the embarrassing news–again. There was a segment on the Today Show on Friday telling about the new “homemaker” degree Paige and Dorothy Patterson instituted. Fellas–need not apply. Unbelievable. And we wonder why people don’t want to come to our churches anymore. Just google “Southwestern homemaker” and look at all of the blog discussions. A really funny post on the degree program here (ladies need not apply for this one). Someone needs to get the idea that it isn’t 1955 like this picture. . .
  • The cable internet is in at the church!! It is WAY faster than the poor DSL. The manager/installer of the contracting company was an awesome guy that really displayed some great customer service after the mother company dropped the ball big-time! Thanks Jason!
  • We gave out journals to everyone this Sunday! I am really excited to see what can happen in our entire church family decides to get on board with God and meet with Him daily to have devotions!!
  • The band was really awesome on Sunday! Great time of worship!
  • KidStuf is really looking great! I’m in on anything with a “dance team”(Kris Schawo included) and a “comedic host.” September 16th is going to be AWESOME!!
  • It was really great to see everyone having a great time hanging out before and after church . . . reminds me of the “old days.”
  • I think I have some guests coming on Sunday!! I am really excited to see them at CFC! They are perfect people for our church–unchurched and overchurched!