Last post of 08

Can you believe that 2008 is over? What happened to the year? It was a great year for me personally and for us as a church. Here are some of the highlights from 08:

- Our whole church went through the New Testament and fasted one thing to the Lord in the month of February leading to Easter
- Was able to raise $80,000 less then 6 months and pay off the expansion for the new building!
- 2008 Easter Egg Hunt saw over 300 people attend from the community
-May went to Drive and got to experience North Point up and personal.
- Started our Breakfast Clubs when the school year started to try to bridge a way to the school and church.
- Jennifer and I celebrated 11 years of marriage and went on a cruise.
- Catalyst 08 was a turning point for me spiritually.
- Partnered with Meadowlarks, Grinnell College ministry and Chris and Shawna Mann for monthly missions support.
- Gave away lots of turkey's on Turkey Sunday
- Partnered with all the other area churches and helped almost 120 children with Christmas presents.

These are just a few highlights. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in 2009. I am so blessed to be a part of a great church.

Iced in

What a weird weekend. We were with family in Des Moines for the Christmas holiday and planned to come back Saturday and then we had all that ice hit our area. We thought about coming home but decided and it wasn't safe. Thankfully we did stay home as we found out later that I-80 between Grinnell and Victor was at a stand still for three hours because of semi's that had jack-knifed. I then called Pastor Jim Snare to fill the pulpit for me but the leadership decided the parking lot was way to icy so we decided to cancel church.

Sunday morning we went to Christian Life Assembly and listened to Pastor Dobbie Weasel and had a great time of worship but when we came home we found a flooded basement. Our sump pump had froze and backed up. WHAT A MESS! All day yesterday we spent cleaning up. Thankfully we had sump pump coverage.

That pretty much sums up my weekend. I am hoping for a less exciting one this coming weekend and looking forward to worshipping with everyone on Sunday.

Merry Christmas

Just finished with this years Christmas Eve service. I love Christmas Eve! There is something about coming together as a church family and worshipping together the day before our Savior was born. I love the atmosphere, the carols and the candles. Tried something different this year by splitting up the service into several parts. We sang a couple songs, I intro the message, choir sang and we interspersed scripture, song and the message throughout. We ended with candle light and sang Silent Night. It was a great evening and we had a great crowd. I hope everyone has a great tomorrow and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Crazy weekend and weather

We had a crazy weekend of weather that affected church and our musical. We had to cancel Saturday nights performance and Sunday night's performance was down as well with the musical. Nothing we can do about the weather except take it as it is. We live in Iowa and it is December. Thanks to all those that worked hard the last month practicing and taking time to use their gifts for the Lord. You will be rewarded for your time. Special thanks to Gala DeJong who worked especially hard organizing and planning all that went into the musical. You all did a great job and I am grateful for you all.

We are gearing up from an incredibly busy week. Make sure you plan on attending some of our Christmas events in the next few days:

Child of Wonder Musical

December 20th at 7 p.m.

December 21st at 6 p.m.

Christmas Eve Candles and Carols

5 p.m.

Christmas Joy

Was at the Memorial Hall most of the day for Christmas Joy distributing presents to people in the community. I believe we were able to help 118 children. I am so thankful for all the churches that came together that made this project happen. It is amazing to see the people's faces as they saw the presents that were given. I will never forget the face of a single mom that came in and when she saw the presents for her son, she broke down in tears. It is awesome to see God's love in action. Thanks to everyone who was a part of Christmas Joy. We surely brought joy to some children's lives this Christmas.

Missionary Support

This past weekend our missions team approved the support of Chris and Shawna Mann who will be new appointed missionaries to Israel. I can't say enough of how important missions is to the growth of our church. In tough economic times, everything would say to hold off supporting missionaries. I would disagree! In tough economic times, the best thing to do is support missionaries. God's Word never changes no matter what the economic situation is. His Word tells us that if we give, He gives back pressed down and shaken together. We already know God's heartbeat for missions so giving to missions aligns us with what God cares about. When we do this, I believe He will bless. My prayer is that someday we will support all Iowa Assembly of God missionaries. It is a big goal but I know with God, all things are possible.

Kids Christmas Program

We had our kids Christmas program on Sunday and it always amazes me how cute the kids can be when performing. You never know what to expect. We had instances of one walking head first into the microphone, one falling off stage (intentionally) and others waving at their parents as they performed. Kids are truly a blessing and it is awesome to see our the kids use their talents for the glory of God.

Top 8 of 2008

Here is the list of my top 8 favorite book of 2008. Most of these are ministry related.

1. IT- By Craig Groschell/ The last few chapters of this book really shook me. After hearing Craig at Catalyst I have been praying that God would break me and heal me.

2. UnChristian- By Kinnaman & Lyons/ This book was so insightful of how the unchurched views the church. We really need to rethink how we do ministry.

3. Communicating for Change- By Andy Stanley/ This book has changed the way I preach every Sunday.

4. No Perfect People Allowed- By John Burke/ What a great book of what the church is really supposed to look like.

5. Wild Goose Chase- By Mark Batterson/ This is a great read for anyone who wants to get out of the rut of every day spirituality

6. Crazy Love- By Francis Chan/ Very challenging book about our spiritual walk

7. Fusion- By Nelson Searcy/ Book about turning guests into members, 2009 we will be putting some of these ideas into practice.

8. What got you here won't get you there- By Marshall Goldsmith/ This is a business book but I found many the things Goldsmith said to be very applicable. I love the idea of "FeedForward" instead of "Feedback." Many churches could use this idea to look to the future.

So there it is, the top 8 of 2008. I already have a list of books I need to read for 2009. I have heard it said many times that "Readers are Leaders." It is good to get insight from others and be challenged to take it to the next level. If you have any suggestions for a good book to read next year, go ahead and post a comment and I would like to pick it up.

Ice and Snow

School was cancelled again yesterday and we have another late start today. I hope this isn't a sign of what the rest of the winter will be like. Last December was a crazy with all the ice and now this year we have snow. What happened to Global Warming? Maybe we should ask Al Gore that question.

Sunday reflections

Here are some thoughts from Sunday....

- Started a new message series called "Stories of Christmas from the book of Luke." Talked about Zachariah and Elizabeth yesterday and how they held on to the promise of God even though they hadn't seen the answer. The big idea for the day was to trust in God's promises even when things don't make sense. John Bushong did a great job with communion and I took a step of faith by playing my guitar and playing the song "How He Loves." I have had this song in my spirit since October at the Catalyst conference.

- Finished our night with a Christmas Party at Diamond Life. It is always fun to hang out with the residents there. They are always so appreciative when we come. We sang Christmas carols and served some snacks. I had this thought this morning as I reflected on our time together at Diamond Life, "What if the church would start being the church instead of just coming to church?" I know there is a big debate in the Assemblies of God right now about Sunday night services. Twenty years ago, Sunday night services were hopping and many people attended them. Today there are not many churches that have a thriving Sunday night. Some complain about those who have decided to forgo the Sunday night but here is an idea, if we really want church then let's go outside the church doors and be the church. Opportunities like serving at a care center like we did last night is a great way to have church. I think God is pleased when we get our minds off ourselves and serve others who are more needy then us. This is truly having church. That's just my opinion.

Christmas Saturday

Today was a busy day as we started out by decorating the church Christmas tree. It is definitely the biggest tree I've ever put together. Barb Long made her yummy cinnamon rolls and man were they yummy! We then headed to the Memorial Hall for the community's Hometown Holiday. The church had set up Plinko and we played a little Price is Right. All the kids were hitting the 100 slot and we gave away all our pop in an hour. I tried to hand out flyer's for our Christmas events but it got way to crazy. There were a lot more people then I expected. Next year I will try to be more prepared and will probably need more help. All in all it was good day. Looking forward to spending time with my kids this afternoon and evening.

Snow Day and Breakfast Club

Today was a crazy day. We started out with the Breakfast Club and we had seventeen children that attended this time. As the children started coming so did the snow. Half way into our time together we got the call that school was canceled. With all the craziness of the morning I think we handled the situation pretty well. We entertained the kids and everyone got home safely. I even had a nice phone call from the Elementary Principal telling us he appreciated us doing the Club for parents who had to work. Great job to all who helped make it happen!

December is here!

Wow, December has crept up on us already. I look at my calender and I wonder how in the world did it get so full. I think starting next week I have something going almost every night. With the snow on the ground it is starting to feel more and more like Christmas. The main take away from this busy season is that we don't get too busy to forget the real reason for it. Remember that Christmas is about Christ and His birth and how God loved us so much that He gave His Son. And oh yeah, if you are in a store and someone says "Happy Holiday", respond by saying "Merry Christmas." Last I checked December 25th was Christmas day not Holiday day.

Happy Thanksgiving

We are headed to Des Moines this afternoon to spend time with family for Thanksgiving. It is that time again to stuff ourselves full of food until we are sick. I can't wait! Seriously though I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Remember to be thankful for all the blessings that God has given us this year.

Pop, Soda or Coke?

We have some friends visiting us this week from Texas and I got in an interesting discussion about soft drinks. I have always grown up calling it pop and I have heard many people call it soda but in Texas they call it Coke. This confuses me! So when you go to a restaurant, what do you say, "I want a Pepsi Coke?" or a "Doctor Pepper Coke?" Coke is Coke, there is regular Coke, Diet Coke and Cherry Coke and that is it. Anyways, what are your thoughts? Do you call it Pop, Soda or Coke?

Goble, Goble

We had a great Turkey Sunday yesterday. We gave away fourteen turkeys to guests and had great services. Thanks to Cody and Derek for the skit. They did a great job and it was quite humorous. Also thanks to everyone who invited someone to church. Outreaches like these wouldn't be a success if it wasn't for everyone coming together and inviting people in our community. Way to Go!!!

Turkey Sunday

Turkey Sunday is this Sunday and it has always been a great outreach for us as a church. We will be giving away turkey's to every guest in our church so make sure you invite a friend. Tomorrow we will also be going door to door to some of the areas in our community so we also could use the extra hand. We will meet at the church at 9:45 a.m.

Celebrating Wins!

This past week I have received a very encouraging card and email from some new people that have been attending our church. Here are a few things they said.....

I have finally found my perfect church home and best of all through you, a rewarding relationship with God that I never had before. I always 'thought' I had a relationship with God, but not like I do now. ..........Three Sundays ago I did raise my eyes to you when you asked us to and it had a powerful effect on me since then. You and your church seemed to come along for our family when you needed us most. Unhappy where we were, I felt myself beginning to drift away. Now we are anchored, and it feels so good!

Here is another message I received this week as well.....

What a tremendous blessing each Sunday service has been for us, attending Community Hope! We thank you for the warm welcome and your prayers! We feel God's leading in requesting to become members.

I share these letters with everyone because these letters represent victory for all us! Every person who volunteers at Community Hope from the greeters, worship team, to the nursery and Sunday School teachers to the ushers all play a part in these letters. We are all a team and we are making a difference in this community and lives are being changed! Thanks to everyone for helping make these type of life transformations happen.

Browns win on Monday Night

My Cleveland Browns are not having a great season but last night they won their second Monday Night Football game. I think Brady Quinn will make a good quaterback someday but he still has a lot to learn. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out.

Healing the broken

We continued our message series yesterday on "Heaven." We talked about the importance of the resurrection and what that means for us today. I know growing in church I was always confused about the resurrection. Not the resurrection of Jesus but the resurrection of the believer and how that whole heaven, resurrected body, new earth thing fit. It wasn't until I took some classes to get my credentials that I understood it. I hope I didn't confuse anyone yesterday with a bunch of theology. My prayer is that through resurrection we understand God's heart. God's heart is to restore the things that are broken as a result of sin and the curse. When we understand God's heart the resurrection gives us a whole new understanding. It is not just information but transformation. We are transformed in the light that God wants to heal the things that are broken which should move us to heal the broken things around us. That is why Paul closed the chapter in 1 Corinthians 15 on the resurrection to tell the people that their work was not in vain.

I think Operation Christmas Child is a great example of healing things that are broken. Our church partnered with Christmas Child and we are giving away shoe boxes to kids that who would probably not have a Christmas if it wasn't for the shoebox. When we see the world through God's eyes we are moved to projects such as these knowing that our work is not in vain. Thanks to everyone who participated in healing something that is broken.

Day in Des Moines

Spent the day today in Des Moines with other pastors at our Next Generation meetings. We are reading a book called "Leadership Challenge." This is definitely a great book for any type of leader not just ministry. Today we talked about the four key things that people look for in leaders. Here are the four:

1. Honesty
2. Forward-Looking
3. Inspiring
4. Competency

Great things that all of us should aspire too.

Convention and Sunday

We took ten kids to youth convention this weekend. It has been awhile since I've been to Youth Convention so I expected to pretty much get no sleep but out teens actually went to bed around 2 a.m. I was pretty surprised. It was a great weekend with some great services. It is so important that we get our kids to events like these where they can get away and experience God. It was at a Youth Convention that I was called into the ministry. I know that some of our kids were really touched this weekend. Looking forward to Spring Convention as they are moving it to HY-VEE Hall and bringing in KJ-52. Pretty cool!

Sunday we continued our series on heaven and in week three we covered 'hell.' This was a heavy subject and definitely not an easy subject to preach on but it is so important that we understand the reality of hell. Hell is a real place, so much so that Jesus talked more about hell then He did heaven. My prayer is that we will be burdened like never before to reach our community knowing that hell is a real place. I closed with the challenge to make a "heavens top ten list" of people you want to see come to know Christ in the coming months. Let's pray that their hearts will be opened to receive the message of God's love. Jesus said that He would build His church on the gates of hell and that promise I am standing on for our church.

Breakfast Club and MA Meeting

Had another busy day today as we had our second Breakfast Club at the church. The Breakfast Club is an outreach we started on late start days at the school. We had fourteen kids today as we cooked pancakes and had cereal and juice for them. Thanks to all those who helped out this morning.

I also had our monthly community ministers meeting today. It sounds like we are going to do a community memorial service for the first time this year in December. We are going to hold it at the funeral home and light candles for those who have passed on this year. We also talked about the Christmas Joy project. It looks like we will be helping over 100 children this year with presents. CH will be taking 25 of them to sponsor. Look for the angels in the foyer in the coming weeks. It is great to work with a bunch of guys in our community that is Kingdom Focused.

Time to Vote

Today is finally election day! I can't say enough about how I am so glad this is finally over. I have never seen our nation so divided over the last year. People get hot tempered when you try to talk about politics and don't always agree with their views. The one thing I challenge us all with this election is this-GOD IS IN CONTROL! I really believe that there is a spirit of fear racing through our country and especially Christians with this election. Remember that fear is not from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 clearly teaches us this principle. God has not given us fear but a spirit of love, power and a sound mind. These are the three things that should guide us as believers. Let me break it down for you:

1. Love-We should love everyone, including those of the opposite party. Some believers really believe it is ok to gossip and accept slander against politicians. I don't see that in the Bible. I know some people would not agree with me but there will be republicans and democrats in heaven. Jesus won't ask us at the gate what political party we are a part of, rather He will ask us if we have accepted Him as Savior and Lord.

2. Power-God has given us the power through the Holy Spirit to overcome fear. We shouldn't live everyday with this fear of what will happen if a certain candidate gets elected.

3. Sound Mind- God has given us a mind that can reason and know what to do. That sound mind should guide us, even when we go to the polls. The sound mind should also help us to decide which candidate best stands for moral and biblical values. Where do the candidates stand on issues of abortion, marriage, the elderly and compassion for the poor? These are important issues as believers.

I hope that that these three things will guide us today and the months ahead. Believe that God will still be on His throne after the election process is all over. Jesus Christ is the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Heavenly Tension

We had great services on Sunday. We continued in our series on heaven and talked about "What heaven is like." We talked about what will not be in heaven and what will be in heaven. The main take away was that God has called each of us to live with a heavenly tension. The heavenly tension comes from Philippians when Paul said, "To die is gain but there is still fruitful labor to be done on the earth." Paul knew that heaven was going to be great but he also knew all the work that still had to be done in his ministry. God wants us all to look forward too and anticipate heaven but at the same time, that anticipation should cause us to want to do more for God while on the earth. Each of us should look at how we are spending our time and how we are spending our resources. Are we spending those two things with eternity in view? When we get to heaven I want to know that I did all I could do while on the earth. Let us all live with this type of tension while we still have the time.

Night at the food pantry

We took our our teens last night to the food pantry to stock some food and hang some clothes. We have been talking about what angers God over the last few weeks and I thought this would be a great idea to actually put actions to our faith. One of the things I believe more and more is that our kids need to start being the church instead of just coming to church. We need to find opportunities for them to be used by God. It may not seem like much to just stock some food but it is an opportunity to for them to go outside their comfort zone and know that they can make a difference. We had lots of fun and I know Virgil, the food pantry coordinator was blessed by us being there.

I hate flat tires

OK, so since I live on a gravel road I have had more flat tires then anyones business. This week coming to church I had a flat tire, got a newer tire and had it replaced and three days later my newer tire is now flat. Jen has been dropping me off at the office as I haven't had the time to go and get it fixed just yet. You would think that with all today's technology that they would have come up with an indestructible tire by now. If they ever do, I will be the first buy.

Weekend thoughts

We had another great weekend, here are a few things things that went on:

-Saturday we had our "Fall Fun for Food" kids event. My wife did a great job organizing this event as the kids had a blast decorating gourds, cupcakes, coloring pages, spitting pumpkin seeds and playing pumpkin soccer. We had a lots of guests and some good help as well that made this event a success.

-Sunday we started our new series on "Heaven." We took a look at the John 14 and dissected it verse by verse. I had a lot of fun with this message and if you missed it you can check it out on the podcast at www.communityhope.org

- We also launched our new "Crown Club" ministry for 50's plus group. Thanks to Pastor Jim Snare who has done a great job leading this new ministry. They watched a video together and ate some "Hobo Stew." Very interesting, but I've got to say it wasn't so bad.

It was another great weekend, I can't believe next week is November already. Times surely flies when you are having fun.

We start a new sermon series this Sunday on "Heaven." I can't say enough about what a great opportunity this will be to invite someone in the following weeks. We will be discussing these issues when it comes to heaven:

1. Truth about heaven

2. What is heaven like?

3. Truth about hell

4. What about the resurrection?

Make sure you come the following weeks and make sure you bring someone with you.

Olivia turns nine

I can't believe my baby girl turns nine today. It seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. We are having a family party tonight and girl sleep over on Thursday night. (Please pray for me.) Lots of fun and activity this week.

Weekend Reflections

We wrapped up our Missions Weekend tonight and here are some thoughts:

- Saturday night we had some great Mexican food and the Meadowlarks Ministry did a great job sharing in song and testimony of what God is doing in Mexico. What is neat about Meadowlarks is they are from our area and it is neat to partner with someone who has been called to Missions that is so close to home.

-Sunday morning we had the Women's Teen Challenge and I don't think there was a dry eye in the building. If you went to one service and missed the other you missed out on some of the girls testimonies. It was great to hear what God is doing in some of these ladies lives. One lady had only been there four days while another was getting ready to graduate from the program. It is exciting that we have a program like Teen Challenge to help ladies with addictions and hurts and to have a place of refuge for them.

- Sunday night we concluded with Paul York. Paul was a missionary child and missionary himself for many years. He now teaches at Central Bible College and is teaching students to go and be missionaries themselves. I was really blessed by Paul as he challenged us from God's Word for the purpose of Missions. I was reminded that Missions starts at home and each of us can reach someone and disciple them for God's Kingdom.

It was a great weekend and we were truly blessed as a church to have all these ministries represented. One of our core values is Missions Minded. Let's continue to be Missions Minded as a church and do what we can to reach our community and reach our world with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Missions Weekend

This weekend is always a great weekend for us as a church as it is our annual missions weekend. This year we are doing a few things different as we are adding a Missions Dinner on Saturday night with a Mexican theme. The Meadowlarks ministry will be back with us and ministering in song and testimony. Bring some pinto beans and rice as they will be taking these things back to Mexico. On Sunday morning we have the women's Teen Challenge sharing with us and on Sunday night we have a dynamic speaker in Paul York sharing on Missions is a central theme in the Bible. This will be an awesome weekend so make plans now to attend.

Catalyst thoughts

As promised, here are some take aways that I received from Catalyst. For those that don't know Catalyst a young leaders conference that is held every year on Atlanta GA. John Maxwell was the one who actually started Catalyst almost 10 years ago but it has now developed into its own thing. Lots of great leaders spoke and lots of great information. Here are few things I wanted to share:

Andy Stanley on leadership: Moral Authority is the best authority. In order to be a great leader I must have character and lead by example. That includes in the area of forgiveness, family and finances.

Jim Collins from Good to Great: So much good information from Collins that it would take forever to explain. My main take away is as a leader I need to have the right people on my team. Jim calls it the bus. We need to find the right who's before the whats. He also nailed it when he talked about focusing on one big thing. The big thing is; 'what are we passionate about', 'what can we do better then anyone else', and 'what are our resources to fund it?' Good stuff from Collins

Steven Futrick from Elevation Church: Steve is 26 years old and is pastoring a church of 3500. This guy blew the top as he preached from 1 Kings 18 about the small cloud that Elijah saw. He talked about staying with your dream and being faithful in the process until you see it come to pass.

Craig Groeschel: I have never seen Craig so passionate. Craig talked about the "It Factor" and why some churches have it and why some loose it. The difference comes from those who try to build God's church from those who try to build their own church. Craig challenged us to pray two prayers that I have begun to pray: 1. God stretch me 2. God ruin me

Dave Ramsey: Dave talked about the ememies of unity. I didn't know Dave Ramsey was such a great spiritual leader. I love what Dave said about the state of our economy. We must realize that fear is a spirit. What is going on in our country right now is a spirit of fear. This fear is not from God. As believers we should not panic. If we have done things God's way from the beginning there shouldn't be any problem.

Billy and Franklin Graham: Billy Graham could not be there due to his health but Franklin spoke and talked about the power of the Gospel. I thought his word was good as in today's culture in church we can get caught up in all the trivial things of the worship service but we must realize that it is only the Gospel that can change lives. We must not be ashamed to preach this message. It is the power of God and salvation to all who believe.

There were a few other workshops but these are the highlights. Like I said in an earlier post, God really shook me last week and I am seeking Him for a specific word for us as a church in the coming year. I am thankful for all these great leaders and their investment to speak into our lives this past week.

Browns win!

What a day yesterday! I found my ipod which I have been missing since last April. I thought it got stolen when I was in Des Moines. It happened to be in a bag in my office when I purchased a print cartridge awhile back. WhooHoooo! To the end the day off my Cleveland Browns were featured on Monday Night Football. It has been five years since the Browns have been on Monday night and they faced off the undefeated NY Giants. No one gave them a chance including myself. What a game! The Browns pulled it off with great offense from Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. There may still be a season left. Go Browns!

Myths Conclusion

We wrapped up our series yesterday on "Mindset Myths Busted." We wrapped it up with a talk on the myths of sex. Our culture today is filled with different mindsets on sex. If we fill our mind with these myths it will lead us to the wrong actions. Our big idea for the message was "What we do today affects our tomorrow." We may not realize it but our actions today do affect our tomorrow, especially when it comes to our sexuality. Satan is the author of lies and wants to believe in the myths of sex. David is a great example of one who gave into the myths when he slept with Bathsheba. David tried to cover up his shame but David found out that there are always consequences for our actions. David ended up loosing his kingdom for a time and the baby Bathsheba was carrying died. Thankfully in the story of David, he repented and God gave him back his kingdom and a son. The point is, when we give into the myths we will always regret it later. There are three commitments that we need to make as believers when it comes to this important subject:

1. Honor God- Put God first before any relationship
2. Honor the other person- If you love the other person then honor them by waiting to have sex until marriage. If you are married, then honor your spouse by being faithful.
3. Honor you- Don't settle for less then God's best! Too many ladies settle for some jerk who treats them like an object instead of a person. YOU ARE BETTER THAN THAT!

Don't give into the myths of sex. Know if you do things God's way there is always blessings involved.

Back from Atlanta

Just got back last night around eleven. It is good to be back home and with the family. Catalyst was awesome. It was great to be with other pastors and build some relationships with these guys. Sometimes pastoring can be a bit lonely so it was good to share ideas and stories. I don't think I have laughed that much in a long time. I will post over the next few days some of the workshops what I learned. God definately rocked my world this week and I am excited to share some of my thoughts. For now it is time to study for tomorrow.

Headed to Catalyst

I will be gone all this week as I am headed to Atlanta for Catalyst with a bunch of pastors from Iowa. I know it will be a great week and I'm looking forward to some learning and spending some time with a great bunch of guys. Please pray for safety on my trip and I will post when I get back.

Supernatural

We talked about the supernatural today in church. The Myth we busted is 'God doesn't need or do the supernatural today.' We went back to the 30's when Morris Plotts came to Montezuma. I hope to get the video posted on either here or the website. Morris Plotts is known for his tent revival meetings around this area. When he came to Monte he was imprisoned for 30 days for being a public nuisance to the community. When Morris left it was said that he put a curse over the town. The myth of the curse has been busted because seventy four years later Community Hope is a thriving church in Montezuma. GOD IS BIGGER THEN OUR THOUGHTS AND IMAGINATIONS! One of the ways that God often works is through the supernatural. Many of the old tent revivals were known for supernatural occurrences. What about today? Does God want to work the supernatural today? I believe so and as we approach these last days I believe we will see more and more of the supernatural. The supernatural is simply something that we cannot do ourselves and can only come from God. In the Bible there is a pattern of supernatural things that happened. I believe that these things can happen for us today. What are they?

1. Power of the Spirit with a supernatural language given as evidence- Acts 2
2. Healing
3. Signs and Wonders
4. Gifts of the Holy Spirit-1 Corinthians 12

These things are not given for theatrical sensations but they are given to glorify God so that people can be drawn to Him. That is always the purpose of the supernatural. If you need the supernatural, don't limit God to what He can do. Know that He is the same today as He was in the Bible. Go to Him for your needs and believe that He is a supernatural God!

E2

Just got back from E2 last night in Des Moines. Once a year our District hold meetings for area pastors and it is always good to get together and get refreshed in the Lord. This years speaker was Denny Curran from River of Life AG in Cold Springs MN. Denny was very encouraging because Denny is a pastor in a community of only 3000 people. Denny has been used by God to do some incredible things in this small town. Since he has been there, his church has grown to over 600 people. That is not only the incredible thing about his ministry. His church has planted five other churches in other small towns. Denny is doing big things in a small community. God really challenged me the last two days to think outside the box. I know God has already done some incredible things in our church but I really feel that God is not done. I feel in my heart that the best is yet to come and seeing what God has done in Denny's church encourages me to know God can do it here too!

Amazed by God

We had great services once again yesterday and I think the worship team was right on. The special they did from Casting Crowns was amazing. It also good to see some visitors in church yesterday as well. What I was most amazed about was our baptism service last night. We baptized three people at the Jackson Church and I always love baptisms because you get to see and hear what God is doing amongst people. I also found out some pretty crazy things as well about how small our world is. Come to find out that a new family in our church, one who got baptized last night has connections with Jen's family. Jen's real dad used to work for this family's parents at one time. Here is the crazy thing- Jennifer was born in Fairfield, Iowa and this is the area that that Jen's real dad used to work as a hired hand on the farm. Now we all have ended up in Montezuma. It even gets crazier, the brother of this new family has connections with Jen's step dad and mom through a church in Adel Iowa. They knew each other though church and when they showed up last night all the connections came together. (Are you confused yet?) Small world huh? What was also cool is another man that got baptized last night was the original owner of our building. Through the testimony of one of our men in our church, he has now given his life to Christ and now is serving God. God amazes me! It is truly cool to see God at work . He is alive and changing lives!

Proud Hubby

I am a proud husband this week! My wife Jennifer finished her book, "In the Rain." It has been a long journey and a dream of Jen to be a writer. I know there is a still a long road ahead but the fact that she finished the book is totally awesome. I am proud that she is chasing her dream and finding her gifts that God has given her. One of my pet peeves is the expectations of the pastors wife. Some people believe the pastors wife needs to lead the choir, lead the women's ministry, play the piano, etc. Let's just be honest, not everyone has those gifts. It is a huge burden to carry if that is not your gift. My wife is not the type that is real comfortable getting in front of people and speaking. It is not her gift. She would rather be behind the scenes and helping in ways that many don't know about it. Her main calling is that of mother. We have three precious little ones at home and that is a great responsibility all to itself. She is also called to be my help mate. I know that there are times in ministry that I couldn't do it without her. Thirdly, she is now found her gift in writing. This is exciting because it is something God has gifted her with. It is her passion! I am excited to see how God is going to use her in this gift. Please be in prayer as we look to the second step in this road of finding an agent and publisher. Who knows where God will take us next!

Danger of Routines

So I have convicted as of late about routines. Not all routines are bad of course like brushing your teeth which I hope you all did this morning but some routines can actually stump our creativity. As of late I have been stuck in a rut. I'm not for sure why and I can't put my finger on it. As I was reading a quote from Mark Batterson a light bulb when on in my head. Here is what he said. "Change of place + change of pace =change of perspective". Isn't that the truth. How many of know when you simply change the place you are at and change your pace you gain a new perspective on things. Yesterday I decided to go the lake and pray and read my Bible instead of spending my prayer time at the church or at home. What a refreshing feeling to be outside in God's creation and read His Word. I am going to make it a habit to change my place and change my pace. Whether that's studying somewhere other then my office, have meetings other then the church, do something with the family that is unexpected. I am going to try hard to not get stuck in a routine. I have found that God often speaks in times when we are not in our routines. I have heard God speak at camps, retreats, missions trips, etc. It is not that these places are all that special but it simply the action of getting out and getting a fresh perspective on things. If you are stuck in a routine and feel like you are going no where, take the challenge of doing something different. You never know, you may gain a new perspective on something and God may speak to you in whole new way.

Umbrella of Authority

Started our series yesterday on "Busting Mindset Myths." We talked about a difficult subject yesterday as we busted the myth of authority. Many people have given in to the myth that we don't need to listen or be under any authority. This is such a deception in our culture today and as we found out it is also a lie of Satan. God is the one who established authority and as Romans 13 states if we go against authority we are going against God Himself. The only time we are given permission to go against authority is if the person in authority is asking you to go against God's Word. Other than that we are told to be under authority. We also looked at the story of David and Saul and how David had two chances to take Saul's life but chose not to because Saul was the king that God had chosen as the authority. I truly believe that authority is like an umbrella. If we are under God's umbrella of authority, God's blessing and protection will follow. I have seen it time and time again that when people go outside the umbrella it always cost them something in the end. Let me recap the three ways we can get under the umbrella:

1. Pray for those in authority- We need to be praying for those in leadership.
2. Honor those in authority- Romans 13 tells us to give respect and honor to those in authority.
3. Submit to those in authority- This takes humility on our part but it is always God's way.

Let's not give into the myth that we don't need authority. Look to God's Word and know that authority is for our good and has been given by God.

Wild Goose Chase

Just picked up "Wild Goose Chase" by Mark Batterson this week. Many don't know this but Mark is an Assembly of God minister in Washington D.C. He is one of the most creative guys I've ever met and God is using him to influence thousands of people. They currently have church in Union Station at the theaters there and on Saturday nights they have church in a coffee house they built. I got the chance to meet Mark personally last year and take him out for some Starbucks and got the chance to have some one on one conversation. He is an extremely nice guy and has a heart to see the church go outside its walls to reach the unchurched. The "Wild Goose Chase" is definitely going to be a good read and I'm only in chapter four but I think this book is better then his last, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." The "Wild Goose" is what the Celtic Christians used to call the Holy Spirit. The whole idea of the book is that as believers we need to listen to the Spirit, get out of our cages and begin to pursue God. When we begin to truly listen to the Spirit, life becomes an adventure. I know I have a few cages I need to get out of so I'm ready to get out and let the Spirit lead. Awesome thought!

I am really excited about our new message series starting this Sunday on "Mindset Myths." There are so many people that have different mindsets when it comes to spiritual and cultural topics. For the next four weeks we will be tackling four topics that I believe people have certain myths about. This will definitely be four weeks you won't want to miss so I will see you Sunday and invite a friends as well.

Heath and a cold night

We had great services yesterday as we were blessed to have Heath Adamson back with us for both services. If you were at the second service and missed the first, Heath preached a different message and you can check it out on the podcast. I am so amazed how God is using Heath to reach the public schools and using him in the area of signs and wonders in the church. Heath and I went to the same high school, was in the same youth group and even served together on staff at Berean Assembly of God in Des Moines. Heath has always had a passion for God and has been used by Him in incredible ways.

Last night we also had our annual picnic. It felt more like late October then September. It was cold and rainy but we still had a good turn out. We had some great food and wonderful fellowship. I also learned that I need to get in shape as I played basketball with some of the college guys and teens. Needless to say, I was out of breath.

Yesterday was a great day of being in the presence of God and hanging out as a body!

7 comes to town

What a great week we had with the Seven Project. Heath and his team did a great job speaking in the school and the night time rally was a huge success. We had 94 commitments to Christ at the night rally and over 126 teens attended. We had an arm wrestling contest between the schools and Monte won. It was a great time of fun and most importantly seeing teenagers come to know Christ. I was so proud of all the help we had at the evening rally. It went very smooth because of all the great help we had. Thanks for your prayers for this project and let's continue to pray that we will see many of these teenagers discipled for Christ.

Sunday

I think all the summer plans and vacations are over as we had a lot of people back this past Sunday. It was good to see the sanctuary full again! Sunday was once again a whirlwind of day, so here are my thoughts and reflections:

- Wrapped up the 'Move' series yesterday. I changed my message the last minute as I felt God wanted us to talk about the topic of faith. We took a look at the life of Abraham and how God took him to the very point of uncomfortable faith. The story of Abraham is amazing as you see how Abraham was moved from one faith to the next. Through and through Abraham learned to depend on God even when it was uncomfortable. My challenge to us all is, "What are we doing right now in our life that requires faith?" Good question for all of us to ask.

- Had nursing homes yesterday and it is always a joy to minister there. I had the people pick out the songs and I am embarrassed to say I didn't know half the hymns they chose. ( I just faked the words.) I need to brush up on my hymns!!!!

- Went to Diamond Life and grilled out hot dogs for the residents there. It was fun time to build relationships with the people at Diamond Life. They are truly special people.

- Went home after Diamond Life and watched my Browns get destroyed! The offense didn't look so bad but these guys are going to have to get some defense by next week. The Cowboys had their way on the offensive end.

7 Project Countdown

We are now less then a week away from the 7 Project coming. We start Monday at BGM, Tuesday to Tri-County and Wednesday here in Monte. We still need lots of help for the huge event. Here is the run down of what we need:

Set up Crew- Be at the school on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m.
Prayer buddies- These will be people that will lead the kids in the salvation prayer on Wednesday night. Please be at the school no later then 5:45 p.m. for training.
Registration help- We need people to sign the kids in for the evening rally.
People to represent CH- We need people wearing our blue and white t-shirts to hand out information about our church and new youth ministry.
Tear down crew- About ten volunteers to help tear down the equipment.

If you can help in these areas, please let us know. We can use all the help we can get. If you can't be there, please be in prayer. Pray that God moves and that many teens receive Christ into their lives.

Breakfast Club

We kicked off the Breakfast Club yesterday morning for the late start at the school. We had some great help and lots of cereal for the boys and girls. I think this is a great idea and a good bridge to build with the local school. Many parents don't have a place to take their kids during a late start so what an opportunity for the church to open their doors. By the time the kids ate their breakfast and watched Underdog it was time to take them to school. I'm looking forward to doing this again and looking for other opportunities we can build bridges into our community.

Past Sunday

Labor Day is over and it is back to the office. We had a good time with our family as we went to Des Moines and grilled out with my family this weekend. I don't get the chance to hang out with my sisters that often so it was good to see them. If you missed this past Sunday due to Labor Day plans, I want to encourage you to check out the message on www.communityhope.org. This past Sunday we continued our "Move" series with a message on 'service'. I really believe in the power of the body and how much we could accomplish if we all engaged our gifts together to expand the kingdom of God. At the end of the service we handed out cards with specific ministries that we could use help in. Again I want to thank everyone who already uses their gifts to help the church. We couldn't do what we do on a weekly basis with out you!

Are you ready for some football?

I'm getting excited for this years NFL season. I watched a little pre-season ball last night after Bible Study. Of coarse my favorite team is the Cleveland Browns. What is funny is I was never a football fan until we lived in Cleveland for a few years. I decided to start watching the Browns so I would have a conversation starter with some of our people. (Everybody was a Brown fan) What can I say, but I got hooked. I love football! Looking forward to crashing after church and watching some games on Sunday. Go Browns!

Doing what is right

I was reading in my devotion time this morning from 1 Kings 22 and I wanted to share with everyone a few things I got from this story. It is a story of a man who does what is right even when it is not popular. Here you have a story of two kings wanting to go to war because one feels a neighboring country belongs to him. Jehoshaphat king of Judah is very smart in saying, "We should inquire of God before we go to battle." The problem was the prophets that were chosen to speak for the Lord were prophets who didn't listen to God but listened to man. They wanted to make the kings happy. They gave a favorable report to the kings that if they went to war they would surely win. Thankfully there was one prophet who didn't listen to people but God. His name was Micaiah. Micaiah had a reputation of not always listening to people. Ahab didn't even want him called upon because he knew of this. I love what Micaiah says in verse fourteen, "As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me that I will speak." Micaiah was not concerned about what others thought. He was more concerned about what God thought. Micaiah spoke God's Word even though it was very unpopular.

There are times in life in ministry where I must speak what is unpopular. Whether that is speaking against sin or standing up for things I know that are unpopular. What is important is, is that I hear from God. I cannot be a people pleaser in my life. My tendency is to want to make everyone happy. Reality is, this is impossible. The same can be said for all of us. We must all realize that God's Word always comes first in our lives. Don't always listen to people's opinion or do what everyone else is doing. This can sometimes be unpopular with your family, co-workers and friends. But we must remember that God will bless when we do what He says.

Work Nights

We are back to work nights once again here at that church. Our new building is almost completed as all we have to do at this point is paint, stain and put in flooring. It is really cool to really see the end in mind. Just over one year ago this building opened up to us as a concrete building, garage doors and all. Now it is being used for Sunday School, fellowships and eventually our new youth ministry. We saw the miracle of God providing the $80,000 in just one year to pay this building completely off. God is surely amazing. I want to encourage you to be a part of putting the last pieces of this building together by joining us at our work nights. Our next one is this Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. Get there when you can and we will give you your own paint brush. Pretty cool huh?

Sunday Reflections

Here are some thoughts from yesterday:

- It was great to get back in the pulpit. I really missed not preaching for three weeks.
- Started our series yesterday called "Move." My prayer over the next few weeks if for us to get out of our comfort zones and do something on purpose for God.
- My wife is now teaching children's church. She really has a gift in this area as we did kids stuff for the first eight years of ministry. Who knows, maybe we will see the return of Giggles the Clown?
- I have had a lot of comments about worship during the second service. God's presence was truly among us.
- Change of plans with the Back to School 7 Rally. Pastor Keaton made his return and did a great job filling in for the 7 team. We gave away a whole lot of Action Boxes. Now it is up to our teens to win their school for Christ. It is really cool to get together with other churches and team together so Christ can be exalted.

My timeline

This past Tuesday I was in Des Moines for a meeting with area pastors. For the next twelve months I will be learning about leadership and pastoring headed up by Tom Jacobs our District Superintendent. This past meeting we talking about how our past experiences affect how we lead today. This was an exercise I had already went through once with the breaking the 250 barrier group last Spring but it was good to once again see how my past affects how I lead today. I have been very blessed with a lot of good things in my life. I've had some hard times as a teenager and have had a season of lows in ministry but yet I have seen how God takes those things and molds us into the people He wants us to be. I have also learned that I hate conflict because of my past and I tend to be a people pleaser. I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO LOVE ME! I know that is impossible in ministry and I know God calls us to do things that not everyone will agree on. For example, God called Moses into the promise land and all his followers except for two said it couldn't be done. One of things I am learning is I have to be confident in myself and my leadership and what God is calling me to do and how to lead this church. If I am confident in this and I obey what God is telling me, He will do the rest. If you have never done a life assessment, I challenge you to do so sometime. Just start with your birth and start writing in the highs in your life and the lows in your life. It will reveal a lot about why you are the way you are.

First day of school

Today the kids are back in school. It is amazing how fast the summers go. Both our kids were pretty excited about going back. Olivia had her backpack packed all up on Monday. It seems to get easier and easier dropping them off. Jennifer didn't even cry this year which was a first. It is hard to believe that Olivia is now in third grade and Caleb is in first. Time goes so quickly! I'm just reminded how I need to cherish each moment with my kids because I know some day they will be gone and living their own lives.

Starting this Sunday we begin our new series called "Move". It has been three weeks since I've preached and I'm a little pumped about getting back in the pulpit. I'm very excited about this series as I really feel that these are messages God has laid upon my heart for us as a church. God is calling us to get up and move!

Farewell to a Friend

Today was Pastor Keaton's last Sunday with us and it was definitely a Sunday filled with a lot of emotion. I thought Keaton did an excellent job with his message just sharing from his heart what it means to have intimacy with God. The thing that stuck out the most is how we need to start seeking God's face more then His hand. As we begin to seek God's face, His hand will come naturally. I totally lost it at the end of the first service as I saw my daughter Olivia crying as she will miss Keaton dearly. Keaton will be missed by us all and we appreciate all he has done for us the last two years.

Prodigal Friendly Church

I was reminded once again this week by an article by Dary Northup why it is important that we should be a prodigal friendly church. You may know the story from Luke 15 where the young son runs away from home and ends up spending his inheritance. This son finally comes to his senses and decides to come home thinking that he will work for his father as a servant. To his surprise, his father welcomes him with open arms but yet his elder brother would not even acknowledge him as a brother. We must remember that Jesus was talking to the religious leaders of his day. They were the picture of the elder brother. This spirit of the elder brother is still amongst us today. It is important that as a church we do not allow this spirit amongst us. We must be a church that welcomes all no matter what their spiritual background is. Here are five things Dary Northup says is a important to a prodigal friendly church.

1. Appreciate diversity- from clothing, hairstyles, etc. Sometimes as Christians we get a cookie-cutter mindset of what a Christian is to look like.

2. Respect the spiritual journey of every person in the room- The church should be a safe place to ask questions, to disagree and to share opinions. We are all on a different journey with our walk with God.

3. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead people in lifestyle changes- Remember that we are not called to be the Holy Spirit in a persons life. When we try to clean a person up, it just brings confusion.

4. Church must understand the differences between absolutes, cultural expectations and preferences. Some Christians try to make our preferences Biblical absolutes then they are not. When churches place cultural expectations or personal preferences on a prodigal or the unchurched it places an undue burden that they may not be able to carry.

5. Prays for an authentic move of God in people in every church service- There are no gimmicks in the world that can compete with God's Spirit moving in the heart of a person. The prodigal friendly church prays for that move of the Spirit in people's lives.

Let us not have a spirit of the elder brother but continue to be a church that welcomes people and allows God to move in their lives.

Focus

Back in the office today and my prayer for today is "Lord, help me to focus." Being gone for seven days on a cruise and looking out at the beautiful ocean and now I'm looking out my window and seeing LP tanks. Quite a difference! In all seriousness, I have a lot to focus on right now. Please be in prayer for the following:

1. The future of our children's and youth ministries
2. Seven Project is just around the corner is so is our Back to School Rally
3. Wisdom and guidance for the direction of our church
4. Find and recruit new leaders for ministry

I know God is in control of it all but my prayer is that I can be the vessel that He can work through to see it all accomplished.

We're Back!

Just got back late last night from our trip. It was a great time of relaxing and enjoy God's creation. The service on the cruise was amazing and the islands were beautiful. I will have to say it is good to be back and see our kids. Seven days a way from them was a little hard. Here are some pics of the scenery.

Vacation

Jen and I will heading off on Saturday to celebrate our 11th anniversary. We will be going on a seven day cruise to the Caribbean. We have never done any thing like this before so it should be fun. By the way, no kids, just the wife and I! John Bushong will wrap up our series on the "New You" on Sunday. I can't wait to listen to the podcast and watch the last video. Who knows what Jason will end up looking like? I will try to post some pics of the beautiful sites if I can, I am not for sure if Internet will be available to us or not. I will see everybody in a couple weeks!

No one stands alone

I was reading in John Burkes book "No perfect people allowed" and he said that they have statement they use quite often in their church which is "No one stands alone." In other words, their congregation is trained to know if they see someone standing alone in the parking lot, foyer, or sanctuary, to go and stand with them and engage them in a conversation. As I was thinking on this statement I thought of how powerful it would be if we would embrace this same statement. I know that we are known as a friendly church but my concern is that we can easily just be friendly to those we know and are close too. It is very uncomfortable when a person walks into the church for the first time and doesn't know anyone. Jen and I have friends in Des Moines who were looking for a new church. We told them about a church that we know and seems to have a great reputation. I know the pastor personally and he is a great leader and a great teacher. The church even has outstanding worship. When we talked to the couple after Sunday services they made it clear that they probably wouldn't be back. Their decision was not based on how nice the building was, how great the worship was or even how good the preaching. In fact, they enjoyed the service aspect. But what made their decision not to come back was that no one was friendly. They said the greeter greeted them at the door but other then that, no one said a word to them. In other words, they were in a room full of people yet they felt all alone. This is an eye opener for me as a leader. I can be the greatest preacher and we can have the greatest worship, but if someone feels alone, they are not going to come back. That is why all of us need to embrace this value. Next time you see someone standing alone or even sitting alone in our church, make the move towards them and engage in conversation. If they have kids, tell them about our children's ministry and help them where they need to go. Let no one at Community Hope stand alone!

I just bought a Wii

I was at Walmart tonight and in the video game section noticed that they just got in some Nintendo Wii's. If you are video game junky (like myself) you know that these systems are hard to get. I thought it would be great to give one of these systems away for the 7 project night but didn't know if we could get a hold of one. I went ahead and picked one up for our grand prize. Now the temptation is to open it up and just play once.

Dead to sin

We continued our message series on the "New You" yesterday at church. We continued this idea with the topic, "In Christ, I am dead to sin." Sin is something we often don't like to discuss. We often get very uncomfortable when we start talking about particular sins as well. The truth is, sin is there and it must be dealt with. If we don't deal with it, it will easily master us. Paul says in Romans 5 and 6 that when we are "In Christ" we are no longer enslaved to sin. You and I can have the power over sin when we are "In Christ." Before we came to know Christ we were "In Adam." Because of the first sin, every generation has to deal with sin. The results of sin is death and condemnation. The good news is God didn't leave us "In Adam." Because of what Christ did on the cross, we can move from "In Adam" to "In Christ." When we make this move, we are immersed the Bible says into Christ's death and resurrection. In other words our sin is crucified at the cross and we are given new life through the resurrection. In other words, I am not the same person that I once was. Because of what Christ did, Romans says that now we have been given the power to be dead to sin but alive to God. This is powerful news for each of us. "In Christ" I am no longer a slave to whatever it is that is holding me down. There are many Christians today that are under the bondage of sin. It's not God's will that we live this way. It's God's will that we have victory over sin. This does not mean that we will never be tempted to sin or sin does not exist, but "In Christ" I can have the victory over it. In order for us to do this, we must believe that God has given us the power. Believe who you are "In Christ." Believe that "In Christ" you are dead to sin but alive to God.

Men's Shooting

Went to Big Springs today with our men and shot some clay pigeons. I've got to say, me with a gun can be quite scary. I've only shot a few times and that is only at pop cans. I was highly impressed with the facility at Big Springs. It hard to believe we have such a place right here in Monte. I had a great time with the guys and I didn't do so bad for my first time. I even hit a few! We will see how I feel tomorrow as I'm feeling the affects of the kick back on my gun. ( I see a big bruise coming.) Thanks to Royce for putting this event together. He even grilled hamburgers and brat burgers for us after we were all done. Yum!!! It is always good to fellowship with other men.

Share your faith

I was really challenged this past Sunday by Daren's testimony of sharing his faith with his boss and co-worker. Earlier that week he told me that he felt God was leading him to ask them if they wanted to receive Christ but he didn't know what to say. My advice was simply to open your mouth as the scripture says and allow the Holy Spirit to speak for you. When he came up to me early Sunday morning and told me that he led both of them to Christ, I was so excited that God had used him in this way. I knew God wanted him to share this with the whole church. I love Daren's challenge to each and every one of us to try to win one person to Christ in the next few months. If everyone could win one, God could do some awesome things in our community. Daren shared last night that his boss and co-worker are asking questions and have a hunger to get to know Christ more. I gave him some materials last night and a Bible to help. Let us all be bold and look for the divine opportunities to share our faith with those around us. Believe the promise that if you open your mouth, the Holy Spirit will speak for you. Let's go and share our faith!

7 Project

As many of you know the 7 project is coming to Monte on September 10th. It is also coming to Tri-County on the 8th, BGM on the 9th. For those who are not familiar with 7 I thought I would give you a run down.

Heath Adamson is the 7 project director. He will come to the school on the 10th and give a school assembly. He will talk about character issues like bullying, peer pressure or drugs. Heath is a Christian and what he will do is invite the kids back to an evening rally where he will share his faith story. The evening rally will also be at the school and this is where we will have an evangelistic event. He will give a simple salvation message and call kids to receive Christ. The 7 has had some unbelievable results. Thousands of kids have been saved all across Iowa through this event. This is an incredible opportunity for us as a community to see kids won to Christ.

I would like you all to be in prayer for this event in the following weeks. Please pray that God would open the hearts of the students and teachers of our community. Let's believe that souls will be won through the 7 project.

Bold Prayers

This past Sunday we continued to talked about who we are "In Christ." I find it amazing all the scriptures that talk about who are "In Him." I think it is important that we begin to see ourselves as God sees us. As we begin to see ourselves as God sees us, it will allow us to live as children of God and as children we are then heirs and co-heirs with Christ. Ephesians and Hebrews tells us that as children of God we have every right to go to God with boldness and confidence that we can come to Him by faith and ask anything in our time of need. I was reading this morning from 1 Samuel 7 and even David had this type of relationship with God. David prayed some pretty bold prayers. He didn't always get everything he prayed for, but he prayed with a boldness. He knew that God was All-Powerful and was capable of doing anything. This week here are some bold prayers I am praying for our church:

1. God, double our church in the next year, not for numbers sake but to expand Your kingdom.
2. God, let every person in our church find a ministry so that they can be used by You.
3. Bless our finances so we can do more for Your Kingdom
4. God, use the 7 project to reach our school and community for You.
5. Continue to give us a spirit of unity so we can be a reflection of You to those outside our church.

These are just a few bold prayers I have been praying. What bold prayers are you praying? Feel free to post a comment on the blog.

New You Video

If you are interested in seeing part one of our video from last week Vic has posted it on our website. Just go to the media section and click on the link. Can't wait for part 2 this week!

What do you do?

As a pastor I don't know how many times I have been asked this question. "What do you do all week?" To be honest, every week is a little different. Every week I have a to write my sermon, make my outline and powerpoint. This takes a bulk of my time as writing the message for Sunday is my number one priority. I also have to write a Bible Study for Thursday night as well but other projects usually differ. Here is an example of what this week looked like:

Monday: Follow up and review from Sunday, hospital visits, getting ready for finance meeting. In the evening we had our finance meeting that starts 6:30 p.m. and lasts until around 9 p.m.

Tuesday: This is my study and writing day. I try to spend most of my day studying, praying and writing my message. Tuesday nights we usually have our team meeting with our worship leader and children's/kids pastor.

Wednesday: I wrap up and finish my message for Sunday. I also work on projects this day and schedule meetings. This week I had three meetings with different people on Wednesday.

Thursday: In the morning I write my Bible Study for Thursday night. Getting ready to get back into the book of 1 Corinthians. I also wrap up my projects (This week would include the 7 project, Back to School Outreach and Missions items.) This particular week we had a member have surgery so I will go to the hospital and pray and sit with the family. I also put together my powerpoint and write the outline that is inserted in the bulletin for Sunday on Thursday. I also email any new bulletin items so that the bulletin can be put together.

Friday: This is my day off to spend with the family.

Saturday: I usually head to the church for a few hours, make sure we are Sunday ready and study my sermon.

Sunday: I'm usually at the church between 6:30-7:00 a.m. We have the two services with Sunday School in between. I am physically and mentally exhausted after Sunday service. I don't know if I'm the only pastor that feels this way but after church, I crash.

This is a typical week for me. Every week looks a little different but I hope this gives everyone an idea of what I do.

It is Good to Pray

I spent a good portion of this morning in prayer and I've got to say to is good to pray. There is something about prayer that allows you to release your burdens and just give them to God. I always feel so much better after spending time with God and I always feel so much worse when I don't. When I don't pray I feel spiritually drained. Prayer allows my spiritual tank to be refueled. Here are some tips when you pray:

1. Find a place with no distractions- I find that I need to find a place where I am away from the phone and when I am at home behind a closed door so I will not be interrupted.

2. Have a Bible with you- I sometimes read the scriptures out loud when I pray. This allows the Word to speak to me in a personal way.

3. Be vulnerable to God- In other words, be yourself. You don't have to pray in the King James language. God wants us to come to Him as we are and share whatever is on our heart.

4. Take time to listen- This is hard because our minds are constantly filled with thoughts but I find it good to sometimes just be still and allow God's Spirit to speak to me.

Sunday Reflections

Here are some thoughts from Sunday:

- I thought the worship team did a great job with the song "I know who I am" by Israel Houghton. Our worship team is going through some huge transitions right now and they are doing a great job using the talent they have.

- I enjoyed Jerry Minner and Brenda Smith's special music. I am excited to add some specials to our services. I had one gentlemen I took to lunch tell me that out of our whole service, he enjoyed their song the most.

- Our first video of the "New You" was a home run. Vanna Bushong is AMAZING with video editing. Thanks to Derek, Amber, Katy and of course Jason for being a part of this video series.

- Our attendance was really low considering all the promo work we did for this series. We are definitely feeling the affects of summer.

- It was great to preach this Sunday after having two Sundays of not being in the pulpit.

- I am totally excited about recording our messages now on Sunday. After church I went home and listened to the CD of the message. ( I know that may sound weird but I am constantly reviewing my self)

Officially Podcasting

Today we recorded our first message and we are up in running with our podcast. It sounds really good besides the worship song in the end. You can listen on our website or subscribe with I-Tunes. I am totally pumped about using this as an outreach tool. Make sure you tell everyone you know!

We are starting our new sermon series on Sunday called the "New You." We will be talking about who we are "In Christ." I am really excited about this series as we will be having special videos that will go along with each message. I will try to post the videos if the files are not too large.

Keep Shining!

I was over to my friends house Sunday in Des Moines and he shared some exciting news about a friend we both had in high school. My friend recently gave his heart to the Lord and got baptized and I just found out that he is now a deacon in the church and even leading Bible studies. What is so cool about this is in high school he didn't want anything to do with God. I remember praying for him and inviting him to church. Now almost thirteen years later he is serving God and his church. Almost five years ago I ran into him and he told me that I made an impact on him in high school and that he was searching. I had no idea that I had made an impact during those years but something was working on his heart. My point is, don't give up on those you are praying for and those you are witnessing too. You never know when their heart will open. Keep shining your light and continue to be salt. It could be a week, a month or even years before you see fruit but remember that your witness does count and you are making a difference!

Website

Our website is officially up and running. You can check it out at www.communityhope.org. I encourage everyone to use this as an outreach tool. If someone isn't quite ready to walk through our doors they can check us out on the web. They will even be able to listen to the messages if they would like. Thanks again to Victor Bushong for his hard work on this project.

Happy 4th

Celebrated the 4th yesterday in Des Moines with a parade, bbq and fireworks. Always fun getting with the family. Today was Monte's 4th activities. We walked in the parade and handed out candy as a church. It seemed like there were more people this year then years past. Thinking maybe we should do something on the square afterwards as well. Tomorrow is the community service with all the other churches. It is always neat to get together with the other churches and celebrate not only our freedom as a nation but our freedom in Christ. See you at the courthouse!

Kids Crusade

We finished our Transformers Kids Crusade last night. Pastor Keaton did a great job teaching transforming truths of the Bible to the kids each night. We wrapped up with an offering contest between two teams of the autobots and the decepticons. I was representing the decepticons and Pastor Keaton was representing the autobots. Whoever lost the offering contest got slimed at the end of the week. As you can see, I lost and got slimed. This was the first year my team lost. It was all worth a good cause though and the kids had lots of fun seeing me covered in slime. Pretty disgusting to get off though.

Question of Discipleship

I just got done reading Perry Noble's blog on "The question of discipleship?" This is a great article and I encourage everyone to read it. Perry's blog is on my blog list so just click the link. I have had the question thrown at me many times about how Community Hope disciples people. This is a very difficult question and I like Perry's insight to this question. Let me know what you think.

Coming Soon

I'm really excited about some new tech things coming up for us as a church. We are working on a new website that will allow you to listen to my messages on the web. Also if you have an ipod you can subscribe to the churches podcast. We will also be recording the messages on CD in the coming weeks. The website will be communityhope.org so stay tuned as we will be up and running soon. Thanks to Victor Bushong for all his hard work on this project.

Camping Reflections

Just got back camping with the family. We had a great time at Yogi Bears Campground in the Wisconsin Dells. Did a lot of swimming, played mini golf and went to Story Book Gardens and actually got to pet a giraffe. Pretty cool! My favorite part was stopping at the Cheese Factory and getting some Wisconsin Cheese. Now I understand why they call them cheese heads. Wow, that was some good cheese. It is always good to get away, clear the head and get a break.

Off to Camp

We are off to Wisconsin today to go camping for a few days. We will be camping at Yogi Bears Campground in the Dells and also going to Noah's Ark Waterpark. Lots of fun and the kids are really excited.

SIMPLE part 4

Today we finished our series called "Simple". We wrapped up with the teaching on the Holy Spirit. I know that there are many misunderstandings when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Many choose not to talk about Him while others associate things they have seen or heard with the Holy Spirit. As you look at the scriptures the scriptures are quite clear when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said wait until you receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses. First of all Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a gift. He is a gift for us to receive. Second He said that gift gives us power. The word means ability. What is that ability for? That power and ability is for enablement. I am so thankful for the power of the Holy Spirit upon my life. I can honestly say that without the Holy Spirit I wouldn't be where I am today. There are times when I don't know how to lead a church, pray for someone or counsel someone in their need. But with the power of the Holy Spirit working in me, I can pray, speak and lead knowing I am doing these things in His Spirit and power and not my own. That is so gratifying to me to know this. If you have not received this supernatural power that the Bible talks about I encourage you to read the scriptures especially Acts, begin to pray and seek the Holy Spirit. If you do these things I believe the promise of Luke 11 that says that if any ask the Father in heaven, He will give you the good gift of the Holy Spirit.

Indy Cars

Today I got the chance to hang out with the kids and the Bushong family and go to the qualifying races for the Iowa Corn Indy. I was never a race fan and I have always been one of those that said 'how in the world can you sit for hours a watch a bunch of cars go around in circles?' Now after two years of watching a few races I would have to say that it is pretty cool live. I will probably not be an avid fan of watching NASCAR on television but the whole feel of being there and hearing the sounds and being a part of the live action is pretty cool. It was definitely a fun day at the races!

One Prayer

On Thursday nights we are doing something little different then we've ever done. We will be showing the One Prayer videos that thousands of churches are showing across the nation. The purpose is for churches to be united all across the world. Each video has a pastor who answers the question, "If you had only one prayer, what would it be?" Last week we showed Craig Groschell from Life Church. Craig had an awesome message about the his prayer of the church being one. If all the churches came together in the world we would see God do some awesome things, for example we would be able to end starvation and poverty to name a few. Pretty cool if you think about it. Instead of churches competing against one another, let's unite together so that the unbelieving world would see what the body of Christ is really about. Looking forward to hearing the others messages in this series. Tonight we will be showing Ed Youngs video.

New Camera

Just used our new video camera on Sunday. It is a Sony HD Handycam. It has a pretty decent picture and I'm really excited about using more video in our services. We have even talked about the possibility of doing our announcements on video. We live in a generation that is used to visuals. As a church we must keep up with the times without watering down our message. I believe that if Jesus was alive today and preaching, He would probably use video as well to get His message across.

Sunday Thoughts

Had a great Sunday today. Chad Varga really hit a home run in service this morning. Chad is obviously very passionate about reaching the next generation for Christ. We were very blessed to have him in service today. What I enjoyed most though is the opportunity to sit down with him at lunch. It is awesome to talk with like minded people when it comes to the future of the church. One of the things we talked about is simply our mindset to reaching people. The only way we can reach today's generation is through building relationships and being truly authentic. Some where along the way Christians have got a mindset that we should live in a bubble and get as far away from the world as possible. When I look at the ministry of Jesus and how the first church in the books of Acts ministered it was far from that. Chad is effectively reaching teenagers and business people today by going into the public schools and also speaking to highly influential business people. He is an example of building the bridge and thinking outside the box. I was truly blessed today and how you were too.

Visioneering

I am currently reading "Visioneering" by Andy Stanley and I just got done reading his chapter on warding off criticism. There are a few things that really hit me hard as I read this. First of all, every vision will have criticism. Whether that's vision for a church, vision for your relationships, vision for your future, etc. Vision is usually something that is not yet but someday will be. People are sometimes uncomfortable with change and the unknown. The Biblical example in the entire book of "Visioneering" is the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah knew what the walls represented to God's people and he had a dream of what should be. With Nehemiah's vision came criticism. People in the surrounding nations did not want the walls to be rebuilt, it was a threat to them. Even though Nehemiah faced criticism, he remained vision centered. The reason Nehemiah was able to remain vision centered was he prayed. Every time a criticism came to Nehemiah he went directly to the Lord. Here is what Andy says in his book,

"Our natural response to criticism is to defend ourselves. This is especially true when our vision is under attack. We are tempted to begin a dialogue with our critics or with those who are parroting their criticism. Consequently, we waste energy and thought trying to answer questions for people who are not really interested in the answers. Without realizing it, our focus begins to shift. Instead of being vision centered, we slowly become critic centered."

Ouch! I know for me personally my first response is to defend myself and try to dialogue with the criticism. The better thing to do is to pray and give it to my heavenly Father. That's what Nehemiah did. Because Nehemiah gave it to God, he didn't loose sight of the vision God gave him and eventually he was able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. If you are facing criticism today for a vision that God has birthed in you, give that criticism to God and keep moving forward with the vision God gave you. It's not easy, but its God's plan that you stay on course!