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.