Icy Weekend

What can I say but this has been a crazy weekend. We lost power on Saturday around 10:30 a.m. and we are yet to have power. I am currently staying at the church with my family because there is heat and power there. (I love my job but this gives living at the church a whole new meaning.) One of things I hated most about this weekend is canceling church. This is twice this year that we've had to cancel. I hate missing the presence of God and the people of God the most. For now its just me and the family hanging out and playing monopoly. Hoping to get the power on soon so we can get back to normal life!

Happy Reunion

The last few weeks have pretty crazy. As many of you know Josh came home Saturday night to do a free concert at his old high school in Martensdale. Nashville Star got a hold of my sister and said they wanted to do a reunion with him and his mom. All I can say is God is good as we got to see Josh for the first time in a long time. I was thankful to the Nashville Star staff as they were very gracious to us and giving us time to spend with Josh. You can see some of the footage Thursday Night at 9 p.m. on the USA Network. God is good and I'm especially happy for my sister.

http://www.archive.org/download/CommunityHopePauseWars/Pause_Wars.mpg

For those that missed the video on Sunday I decided to post in on the blog. Hope you enjoy and may the force be with you.

Leading

I was reading Craig Groschell's blog the other day about why some churches make it and some don't. Here is what it said:

Some church plants make it. Some don’t.
Some ministries grow and reach people for Christ. Some slowly die.
Some student ministries explode. Others implode.
I’ve often wondered why. What’s the difference? While only God can sort out the details, I’ve noticed one phrase that leaders of struggling ministries often repeat. If a leader says this phrase too many times, worse yet, believes it, the ministry or organization will likely struggle or fade away. I call it the “phrase of death.” What is this deadly combination of words?
“The people won’t…”
Here is what someone might say:
“The people won’t bring their lost friends.”
“The people won’t tithe?”
“The people won’t get into small groups.”
“The people won’t serve.”
“The people don’t care about the poor.”
“The people won’t come to the prayer meeting.”
“The people won’t do what I want them to do.”

There’s a fine line between asking someone to do something and leading them to do something. If we just ask a crowd of people to do something, they probably won’t. But if we lead them, chances are much better they will.

8 Responses to “The People Won't

Perhaps we should concentrate of or better yet begin to state these words “I will…”
• I will go• I will give• I will create a small group• I will serve that small group• I will care about the poor• I will pray for all• I will do what others won’t do

Perhaps the answer lies in what each of us “Will Do” not so much in what we say … the scripture does teach that we are to let our light so shine that they see our “good works” and glorify our father which is in heaven.

Crazy Ride and Nashville Star

Well just an update on what is happening with my nephew Josh and Nashville Star. My sister got a call last night from someone from the show and Josh wants to see her. He is coming in this weekend and he is going to do a free concert in Martensdale High School on Saturday night. They want the whole family there for a sort of reunion and its all going to be taped. It will be a late night on Saturday and then get up to preach on Sunday but I want to be there for my sister. My prayer is that this will be a new beginning and fresh start for my sister who hasn't seen her son in over fifteen or so years.

Yesterday our ladies wrapped over 80 valentine plates full of cookies and cupcakes for absentees and prospects for our church. I was amazed by all the plates that were made! I had the chance to deliver a few of them last night and I know everyone was truly grateful. It's amazing what a little plate of cookies can do. We prayed before we delivered the plates that when the people take a bite of cookies they would be reminded of God's love for them.

For those that watched Nashville Star last night, you heard Josh's song that was written for his mom which is my sister. Lots of emotions running last night since it's been ten years or more since I've seen Josh. I know Josh has been hurt by a lot of things in the past and it's really too bad. Divorce can be an ugly thing and Josh does not know the entire story. I know his mom dearly loves him and would like nothing more to connect with him. None of our family has known for years where he has been until all of a sudden he shows up on t.v. This really reminds me of the power of forgiveness and the words of Jesus. We all make mistakes and none of us are perfect and so I'm glad for the forgiveness of Jesus and I'm glad that I can then offer that forgiveness to others. My prayer is that someday Josh will come around and really want to connect with his true mom. I know that our side of the family would want nothing more then to accept him back no matter if he is a Nashville Star or not.

Turning 30

This Saturday I officially turn 30. I remember when I was kid 30 seemed really old but now since I'm turning 30 it doesn't seem so bad. I guess my twenty-something years are over and for awhile I had a hard time with that but now I'm coming to grips with it. Jesus was thirty when He started His official ministry and David was thirty when he became king. My prayer is that the next few years will be a year of getting to know God more, growing more in wisdom and faith and being used by God in a great more powerful way!

This Sunday we are starting a new series called "Pause." We will be dealing with how to fight temptation and the devil. Sometimes I think we take the devil and temptation too lightly. Jesus has called us to defeat temptation and He has showed how we can stand over the devil. Over the next four weeks we will be learning how to do just that and learn to pause before we give into temptation and the devil. Make sure you plan to attend church the next four weeks!

Celebrating 3 Years

We had a great service Sunday. I can't believe it has been three years since Community Hope started as an official church. Gary Smith started out talking about how it doesn't matter how we start the race but how we finish! I am thankful for Gary and his family for starting Community Hope. Cary Vankampen spoke next about the first days of him coming as the launch pastor. Cary told how the Lord spoke to his heart that Community Hope would be unlike any other church but to let God lead and for him to get out of the way. Cary and I spoke on the same scripture verse in the book of Matthew. Cary and I had not spoke to each other about what we are going to say. God's Spirit was trying to tell all of us the same things.

1. Jesus went to the people/ To be the church, we must go to the people!
2. Jesus had compassion/ Jesus had compassion for the sick and hurting
3. Jesus told us to pray for laborers into the harvest/ Word in the verse is send out which means eject. We need to eject out of our comfort zones and go spread the message of the kingdom.

I am so thankful for Mike and Ann Emheiser who was there to lead us in worship Sunday. Ann gave her testimony of how she had not played the piano since they left. It was very moving and powerful way to end the service. I am thankful for three years of ministry at Community Hope, but I am even more thankful the years and the things to come!

Prodigal Sticky Notes

Sunday I talked about the importance of being a prodigal friendly church. It is important that to remain kingdom focused, we must be about seeing the prodigals come home. In the story of the prodigal son we see the spirit of the elder brother who did not accept his brothers homecoming. It is important that we do not allow the spirit of the elder brother to come into our church. I was deeply moved to see all the names on the sticky notes that are stuck all along the steps on the stage. We will be praying for those names on Thursday Night at 7 p.m. My prayer is that we will see many of those prodigals come home and be welcomed back to the family of God.

Membership Classes

Just a reminder that tonight and Saturday is our first membership classes. This is an exciting time for CommunityHope because in July we will be officially a soverign church and no longer under District supervision as a church plant. We will be discussing what it means to be a part of the local church in the membership class. Make plans to attend one or the other.

ACMR Report

Every year the Assemblies of God has you fill out a ministries report of your average attendance in various ministries. Here are the numbers for 2006:

Average Attendance- 116 (previous year was 90)
Sunday School- 60
Sunday Nights with Celebrate Recovery and Youth is a combined 37.

To God be the glory for all He has done!

SNOW DAY

I love snow days, EXCEPT ON CHURCH DAYS! I hate making the decision to cancel church. It could of went either way but the DOT was saying not to travel on the roads. I love church, I love the people and I love the Spirit of getting together and worshipping. When we don't have that, it just seems like something is missing during the week. I guess that means I will just be twice as pumped next Sunday.

Sectional Meeting

Thursday we had our pastors sectional meeting here in Montezuma. The pastors in our section were here to check out the church and all that is going on. They had a lot of questions about the church and what has happened here the last three years. I give God total credit for what has happened here in Monte. It is truly incredible to see the growth and God's awesome power displayed. This last Sunday was a great example of that. God's spirit was strong during our time of worship that I was just in awe of Him. Let us continue to keep God at the focus of everything we do and as long as we do that, I believe God will continue to bless.

Proactive with the Kingdom

I was listening to a church planter in Illinois this week that started a church over five years ago. One of the things he said was that when they started the church, they decided to be proactive instead of reactive. In other words, they decided to be on the offensive instead of the defensive. He said that when they started two services, it wasn't so much that the sanctuary was totally full but they had decided as a church that if they were going to reach more people, that was a way to do it. This church has also started multi-site ministries in other towns as well. They did this to be on the offense. The more I look at the Kingdom of God, the more I see that Jesus talked about being proactive with the kingdom. Jesus told Peter that He would build His church and that the gates of hell would not prevail. The church is not in a defensive stance against the gates of hell but we are rather on the offensive battling against the gates of hell. What would happen if the church took an offensive stance this year and actively pursued the kingdom of God? I believe that great things could happen!

Nashville Stars

What an incredible day its been. I got a call from my neice about my nephew Josh being on Nashville Stars tonight. I havn't seen my nephew for ten years due to some unfortunate circumstances. Anyways, she told me to check out an article on the Des Moines Register. I couldn't believe it. I'm trying to get in touch with Josh just to let him know that we support him. You can check him out tonight on the USA Network at 9 p.m. And oh yeah, give him a vote as well!

Kingdom Focused

I am really excited about our new sermon series called "The Kings Kingdom". I really believe that there is a move of God that is happening in pockets around the world. This revival of sorts is something that we may not recognize because this revival is unlike any revivals from the past. This revival is a Kingdom revival. Over a year ago, I heard the Lord speak to me about Community Hope being a "Kingdom Focused" church. At the time I wasn't for sure what that meant but over the year I have studied what it means to be about the Kingdom. Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom of God and what it means to be kingdom people. Jesus even said that we should pray "His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven." What does the kingdom on earth look like? For the next few weeks we will be discovering more about the Kings Kingdom at CH, don't miss it!

2007 is here!

Just want to wish everybody a Happy New Year! I am excited to see what the New Year is going to bring. God always goes beyond our expectations. I believe that a good way to start your New Year right is through prayer. Let us all be on our knees for the New Year and praying that God will begin to do a New Thing in our midst. Remember that we have prayer on Thursday Nights at the church. All revivals of the past have come through men and women on their knees. God moves when His people pray!

I love Christmas but what I don't like is cleaning up after it is all said and done. I think I broke down over 100 boxes this weekend. All and all it was a great time of celebration. I feel our Christmas Eve services went really well. I love the feel of a Christmas Eve night services. I love the candles and the carols. It was a little different this year as we had candles representing each person in the Christmas story. We blew out all the candles except for Jesus and lit our candles through His. The point was that Christ's light lives within each of us as we carry His light to others.

Our kids had a great Christmas as well as Ethan was really cute trying to open the presents for the first time. Olivia and Caleb were fun as well. I had a blast putting together toys and it gives me an excuse to be a kid. I hope everyone else had a great Christmas as well and I'm looking forward to the New Year and all that God has in store.