Thursday, November 1, 2012
Birthday Dinner
Steph and I just set our fall birthday dinner for 2012. Our kids love this annual event that is near all our kids birthdays because it is when we set our life goals for the year. The boys will be 10 and they already have some goals ready for the list. It is really exciting to see our kids learn to organize themselves to accomplish great things.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
New Building Update
September 27th we closed on our new building property. It is a 25,000 square foot building on 1.5 acres. We had Sunday service in it on October 21st. It was absolutely wonderful! Monday and Tuesday, October 29 and 30, we demolished the partition walls and took three and one half dump trailer loads of sheet rock to the dump.
We are working on engineering plans at this time and look forward to their completion. Our goal is to get a set of plans before Thanksgiving and have permits for work to start on December 1st.
Huge thanks go to Tim Willard, Louis and Pat Todd, Pastor John, Stephanie Scheperle, Mike Holden and Jeff Kohler who worked an entire day on the demolition and clean up Tuesday. Several others worked in the late afternoon and really helped some tired people with the cleaning.
Keep praying. We are moving forward.
We are working on engineering plans at this time and look forward to their completion. Our goal is to get a set of plans before Thanksgiving and have permits for work to start on December 1st.
Huge thanks go to Tim Willard, Louis and Pat Todd, Pastor John, Stephanie Scheperle, Mike Holden and Jeff Kohler who worked an entire day on the demolition and clean up Tuesday. Several others worked in the late afternoon and really helped some tired people with the cleaning.
Keep praying. We are moving forward.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
YouVerson
If you use YouVersion as the free Bible App on your phone or ipad, go to Live Events and type in our Washington zip code (63090). Slect the Sunday July 28 event and bring it to church for your digital notes.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Core Value #8
YOUTH: We believe that God is doing miracles in and through the next generation. We are committed to ministry to grade school, middle school, high school and college students. We have witnessed God doing miracles in you children and youth, but we have also seen God work through them in miraculous ways! We will always push to have a full nursery, full kids ministries, a full youth group and a passionate group of college students. If we are ever missing any of these, we are headed for future trouble.
We believe that the church budget should support these ministries. We do not make our youth group or our kids ministry raise their operating budget! We serve those who are younger, who do not support themselves financially, by providing for their basic ministry needs out of the tithes of the church. We believe that tithing is a Biblical requirement, and will provide for ministry to those we are raising up to serve the Lord.
We believe that youth and college students should be given ministry roles and leadership opportunities in the church. These opportunities will build the individual believer who is learning to do ministry. Beyond that, these opportunities are real ministry to our church and the world! We believe that God is using young people to change their world.
We believe that the church budget should support these ministries. We do not make our youth group or our kids ministry raise their operating budget! We serve those who are younger, who do not support themselves financially, by providing for their basic ministry needs out of the tithes of the church. We believe that tithing is a Biblical requirement, and will provide for ministry to those we are raising up to serve the Lord.
We believe that youth and college students should be given ministry roles and leadership opportunities in the church. These opportunities will build the individual believer who is learning to do ministry. Beyond that, these opportunities are real ministry to our church and the world! We believe that God is using young people to change their world.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Core Value #7 Relationships
Our seventh core value is RELATIONSHIPS. We believe that ministry happens in relationships. If I want to minister to someone, there needs to be a relationship. The closer the relationship, the deeper and more life impacting the ministry. If I want to minister along side someone, that ministry will be more powerful and more meaningful based on the the relationship I have with that person. There are some exceptions when an aquaintance ministers to another, but in the Church and in most situations, greater ministry happens in greater relationships.
If you want to grow in the Lord, then make friends at church. Women can mentor other women to be great women of God. Men can mentor and coach other men to be great men of God. More is caught than taught. You will grow more in the Lord by making Christian friends, than by attending lectures and teaching sessions.
Lastly, it is important to remember that we are created in God's image, and God is one, in three persons. His nature is relational. When God made man, he said it was not good for the man to be alone. God made us for a life filled with relationships.
I realize that in a Church, you can not be really tight with every person. You have to find friends, and choose friends. I read a few years ago, that the average person attending church in America knows 76 people at church. In churches of 1,000 and in churches of 100, the average still rang true. So, you may not be besties with everyone, but you need to be developing good friends in God's family.
If you are looking for friends at chruch here are a few ideas.
1. Be involved in a Small Group. Groups may change and evolve through growth, but friendships are found in Small Groups.
2. Attend church regularly. You can't win, if you don't enter!
3. Remember the friend vitamin, B-1. If you want good friends, be a good friend. You will only make friends that are as good as you are at being a friend.
4. Don't get frustrated if you can't know everyone. You don't have to, nor do you need to.
5. Even at chruch, be careful making friends. We are not perfect people and wisdom is always needed in making friends. Choose carefully.
6. Men make friends with men, ladies make friends with ladies. Remember that the spouse is the gatekeeper for friendship with a member of the opposite sex. If you are single, be careful in Church making friends so that the community is not destoryed by bad dating relationships and hurt feelings. You should treat members of the opposite sex like you would treat your brother or sister in your family or your mother or father, according to Paul in 1 Timothy 5:1-3.
One of the greatest things that a relationship with Jesus offers is the chance to make good friends, wh oare good people with shared values. Those relationships are forged in life and enjoyed in eternity. Let's keep the faith together!
If you want to grow in the Lord, then make friends at church. Women can mentor other women to be great women of God. Men can mentor and coach other men to be great men of God. More is caught than taught. You will grow more in the Lord by making Christian friends, than by attending lectures and teaching sessions.
Lastly, it is important to remember that we are created in God's image, and God is one, in three persons. His nature is relational. When God made man, he said it was not good for the man to be alone. God made us for a life filled with relationships.
I realize that in a Church, you can not be really tight with every person. You have to find friends, and choose friends. I read a few years ago, that the average person attending church in America knows 76 people at church. In churches of 1,000 and in churches of 100, the average still rang true. So, you may not be besties with everyone, but you need to be developing good friends in God's family.
If you are looking for friends at chruch here are a few ideas.
1. Be involved in a Small Group. Groups may change and evolve through growth, but friendships are found in Small Groups.
2. Attend church regularly. You can't win, if you don't enter!
3. Remember the friend vitamin, B-1. If you want good friends, be a good friend. You will only make friends that are as good as you are at being a friend.
4. Don't get frustrated if you can't know everyone. You don't have to, nor do you need to.
5. Even at chruch, be careful making friends. We are not perfect people and wisdom is always needed in making friends. Choose carefully.
6. Men make friends with men, ladies make friends with ladies. Remember that the spouse is the gatekeeper for friendship with a member of the opposite sex. If you are single, be careful in Church making friends so that the community is not destoryed by bad dating relationships and hurt feelings. You should treat members of the opposite sex like you would treat your brother or sister in your family or your mother or father, according to Paul in 1 Timothy 5:1-3.
One of the greatest things that a relationship with Jesus offers is the chance to make good friends, wh oare good people with shared values. Those relationships are forged in life and enjoyed in eternity. Let's keep the faith together!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Core Value #6
SERVICE: We believe in giving more to the community than we take. In 2 Corinthians 8:2-3, the Bible indicates that a group of believers from the church in Corinth gave beyond their natural ability. In a time of extreme poverty, these believers showed great generosity. They did not give like a wealthy philanthropist, but they gave beyond their ability out of their extreme poverty.
A church does not have to be rich to give more than it takes. We can give our time as well as our treasure. When we provide events to the community, we will always loose money! Why? Because we are not providing an Easter Egg hunt, a Kids Crusade, a steak dinner, a house clean-up, or a schoolyard landscaping, we want to really give it to our community our of our means. Our church has a part to play in making our school districts successful. Our church has a role to play in making our nursing homes the best that they can be by offering a protestant service and our volunteer time. In all these ways and many more, we are striving to give, give, give to our community.
This core value has shown itself meaningful in our youth ministry, kids ministry, 50+ ministry and in many of our small groups who have taken on community projects. As a core value, it is at the core of every level of ministry.
Not only is it true for our local community, but we are also giving to the larger community of believers through missionary work. In fact, we are preparing for a team to leave this week to work on a church building in western Missouri. If you think of a way to give God's love through service, then don't let me hold you back! Let me push you forward! Let me promote your cause and gather helpers to give more than we take.
A church does not have to be rich to give more than it takes. We can give our time as well as our treasure. When we provide events to the community, we will always loose money! Why? Because we are not providing an Easter Egg hunt, a Kids Crusade, a steak dinner, a house clean-up, or a schoolyard landscaping, we want to really give it to our community our of our means. Our church has a part to play in making our school districts successful. Our church has a role to play in making our nursing homes the best that they can be by offering a protestant service and our volunteer time. In all these ways and many more, we are striving to give, give, give to our community.
This core value has shown itself meaningful in our youth ministry, kids ministry, 50+ ministry and in many of our small groups who have taken on community projects. As a core value, it is at the core of every level of ministry.
Not only is it true for our local community, but we are also giving to the larger community of believers through missionary work. In fact, we are preparing for a team to leave this week to work on a church building in western Missouri. If you think of a way to give God's love through service, then don't let me hold you back! Let me push you forward! Let me promote your cause and gather helpers to give more than we take.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Core Value #5
HUMILITY: We believe that no one is too big to do little things. Our example is Jesus who is described in Philippians 2:3-4 as being a humble servant. Jesus set aside the prerogatives of being God in heaven to take on humanity, which is very limited. The work that Jesus did on the cross was the biggest thing that ever happened in the history of the planet! But, it was also the most servant hearted and most ignominious job in the history of the planet.
Following Jesus' example, we are never too big to do the little things or the things that no one else wants to do. Here is an example, many people long to be the one up front, but loath helping with building cleaning. Often, we are so busy that we simply don't realize that we are not taking time to do the little things. A few weeks ago I visited a church that runs tens of thousands. I walked into the bathroom as the Pastor of the church was walking out. When I arrived at the sink and counter top, I noticed that someone had just completely wiped down everything so that the next person would have a perfectly clean place to wash up. He knows the value of not being too big to do the little things that make for excellence.
If you are not serving your church in some ministry area, you are missing out. I want to help you live out these core values! They are worth living. Humility is not just an attitude that you keep on the inside. Humility moves us to serve others and consider their worth. Humility moves us to be a giver in our church, not a receiver of ministry only. Humility says, it may not be the greatest job at church, or my number one pick, but someone needs to meet this need and I am willing!
Following Jesus' example, we are never too big to do the little things or the things that no one else wants to do. Here is an example, many people long to be the one up front, but loath helping with building cleaning. Often, we are so busy that we simply don't realize that we are not taking time to do the little things. A few weeks ago I visited a church that runs tens of thousands. I walked into the bathroom as the Pastor of the church was walking out. When I arrived at the sink and counter top, I noticed that someone had just completely wiped down everything so that the next person would have a perfectly clean place to wash up. He knows the value of not being too big to do the little things that make for excellence.
If you are not serving your church in some ministry area, you are missing out. I want to help you live out these core values! They are worth living. Humility is not just an attitude that you keep on the inside. Humility moves us to serve others and consider their worth. Humility moves us to be a giver in our church, not a receiver of ministry only. Humility says, it may not be the greatest job at church, or my number one pick, but someone needs to meet this need and I am willing!
Back in Blog Land
I am back in blog land, but for only a brief time. Since my last post I took a week of vacation, we had a worship seminar and concert, a missions weekend, a week of youth camp at the Lake of the Ozarks, and a week of MEGA Sports camp, and in the middle of that I got really sick for five days. There has been little to no time to blog.
Summer is great and extremely busy for our church. It is like I have my school year routine and then the anti-routine of summer when no two weeks is the same for three months.
Summer is great and extremely busy for our church. It is like I have my school year routine and then the anti-routine of summer when no two weeks is the same for three months.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Core Values #4
EXCELLENCE: We strive for
excellence in all we do. Philippians 4:8 lists things that we should think
about. If anything is "excellent or praiseworthy," think on these
things. Ecclesiastes 10:10 is one of my favorite passages of the Bible.
"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but
skill will bring success." In Psalm 78:72 David is commended for leading
the people with "skillful hands."
When we work for God, the
work must be done with excellence. But, what is the definition of excellence?
In our culture, excellence is often promoted in a prideful and competitive way
that honors money, building, and position rather than the things that God is
more concerned with. Here is how we define excellence:
1. We must be excellent in
relationships. First with God, then with others. If our steps toward excellence
put relationships second then we are out of balance.
2. We must be excellent in
purity. If our culture defines the terms excellent, modern, contemporary or beautiful in
any way that is opposed to the holy nature and decrees of God in his word, then
we will not conform to that standard of excellence. We desire a Biblical holy
excellence.
3. We must be excellent at
what we do. Nobody is perfect, but if we follow the direction of the Bible to,
"strive for perfection," then we will get to excellence. In the
church, we too often resort to "good enough." We fall into the small-minded trap of being a non-profit organization rather than the family of the
almighty, ever-living, providing Heavenly Father.
4. If we cannot do something
with excellence, then we are stepping into it prematurely. It is better to do
small things extremely well, before we do a big thing poorly and sloppily. If we
can't do something well, then we won't do it. We will only begin doing what we
know we can do well. There is no need to embarrass the name of Jesus with
sloppy and disorganized service.
I encourage you to be
excellent in your service as a greeter, usher, worship team member, nursery
worker. Show up early for your time of service. Clean up extra when you are
done. Bring a smile and kindness to your work. Take the extra steps to be
beyond good and be excellent.
I urge you to be excellent in
your ministry as a Small Group Leader, Elder, Teller or ministry leader.
Schedule events properly on the church calender so we can promote it. Don't
schedule and then create a failure that we have to cancel. Don't make excuses
for why we failed, start winning. Be so excellent at your ministry task that
you are naturally creating another minister to take your place and be fully
capable of leading in your absence. Excellence draws appropriate attention.
Excellence multiplies. Excellence inspires.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Core Values #3
Our third core value is MISSIONS: We are passionate about telling people about Jesus all over the planet. Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." We believe that every church, regardless of size, can have a global reach. For believers to be healthy, they have to have a love for the world (John 3:16) like the Father has a love for the world. Our love for the world is put into practical action in four ways.
1. Pray: We pray for people to find salvation in Jesus and we pray for missionaries who we help to send out.
2. Give: We encourage every Christian to give to missions and missionary work. This must be responsible, accountable and as personal as possible. We host 12 to 13 missionary guests through the year so that our church can meet personally the missionaries we are helping to send out.
3. Go: We encourage every believer to go on at least one mission trip in their life. It can be a trip that is relatively local or it can be international. We send disaster relief teams to regional disasters. We also send youth and adults on overseas missionary jobs.
4. Serve: We encourage every believer to serve the lost in love. We are continually striving to improve ways to serve our community. Our goal in loving acts of service is to simply show the love of Jesus. The love of Jesus is powerful and makes people think about their creator, their life, and the state of their relationship with God.
1. Pray: We pray for people to find salvation in Jesus and we pray for missionaries who we help to send out.
2. Give: We encourage every Christian to give to missions and missionary work. This must be responsible, accountable and as personal as possible. We host 12 to 13 missionary guests through the year so that our church can meet personally the missionaries we are helping to send out.
3. Go: We encourage every believer to go on at least one mission trip in their life. It can be a trip that is relatively local or it can be international. We send disaster relief teams to regional disasters. We also send youth and adults on overseas missionary jobs.
4. Serve: We encourage every believer to serve the lost in love. We are continually striving to improve ways to serve our community. Our goal in loving acts of service is to simply show the love of Jesus. The love of Jesus is powerful and makes people think about their creator, their life, and the state of their relationship with God.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Core Values: Innovation
Our second core value that drives how we do what we do, is INNOVATION. If we are full of the Holy Spirit of God, then the Church should be the most creative people on the planet. If we are full of the Holy Spirit, empowered to be witnesses (Acts 1:8), then we must be creative in reaching the lost. If we value the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, then we will be creative in our worship. If we are full of the Holy Spirit, then we will be walking innovatively toward new thoughts and ideas from God in our discipleship, not just rehearsing the same truths with the same terms, but growing in understanding, beauty and definition.
I have felt this core value for a long time, but feel very poor at accomplishing it! Being innovative and creative means that we should have the best looking materials, the most inspiring music of all kinds, and the most appealing outreach methods in our region. How are we doing with that? Not so good. But this value still burns in my heart!
If you ever wonder why I am frustrated, it is not because we are failing to do something, but because we are failing to do it with the innovation and creativity with which I want to do it. I know that I drive some of you crazy, but I really think that some of our worship should have some other styles thrown in, like techno, hip-hop, jazz, classical and folk. Yes, I am eager to be far more creative than most people are likely to be comfortable with. Perhaps we may create our own new genre! I get frustrated when I don't have the resources to be as creative as my mind is dreaming. I get frustrated with, "Good enough." Honestly, I wish I was the pastor of a church with a research university churning out the greatest ideas on the planet!
I so long for creativity. I want to create this value in every person in our church. We are Spirit filled, Spirit led people. That means that we are crazy spontaneous in a perfect and holy way that makes our spontaneity, not immature and foolish, but beautiful, amazing, alluring and inspiring to the entire world.
I have felt this core value for a long time, but feel very poor at accomplishing it! Being innovative and creative means that we should have the best looking materials, the most inspiring music of all kinds, and the most appealing outreach methods in our region. How are we doing with that? Not so good. But this value still burns in my heart!
If you ever wonder why I am frustrated, it is not because we are failing to do something, but because we are failing to do it with the innovation and creativity with which I want to do it. I know that I drive some of you crazy, but I really think that some of our worship should have some other styles thrown in, like techno, hip-hop, jazz, classical and folk. Yes, I am eager to be far more creative than most people are likely to be comfortable with. Perhaps we may create our own new genre! I get frustrated when I don't have the resources to be as creative as my mind is dreaming. I get frustrated with, "Good enough." Honestly, I wish I was the pastor of a church with a research university churning out the greatest ideas on the planet!
I so long for creativity. I want to create this value in every person in our church. We are Spirit filled, Spirit led people. That means that we are crazy spontaneous in a perfect and holy way that makes our spontaneity, not immature and foolish, but beautiful, amazing, alluring and inspiring to the entire world.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Core Values: Love
It is essential that we continually restate our mission and core values. I will continue to do so until we all can recite them by heart. Our core values drive the quality and the nature of the work that we do to complete our mission as a church. Our mission is to reach those without a church, build believers, and worship together in the Washington region.
The first core value that drives how we complete our mission is the value of LOVE, we share God's love with all people. We desire to love people who feel left out in the community. We desire to love every age of person that God sends our way. We desire to show the greatest love when it is least deserved.
Because this is our first core value, our church is VERY friendly. As I look forward to our future there are three things that absolutely can never be lost. One, our faithfulness to the Word of God and Spirit of God, being Scriptural and spontaneous at the same time. Two, our friendliness and kindness in our worship and large group gatherings. Three, our deep love for one another that is built in small group gatherings.
Biblically, our love is an outflow of God's love for us. It is commanded that we as individuals in the family of God love each other like family members. Biblically, our love for each other is the mark of real love for Jesus. And finally, our love and care is the relational component that makes any opportunity to share Jesus with others meaningful.
As I walk with you through our core values, take time to pray about them. Make them a part of anything that God is directing you to do. Keep them in mind at all times. Today I encourage you to take some time to pray about your love for others. Are you lacking grace for difficult people? Ask God to give you love for them. Ask God to give you love for those who don't agree with you about God. Ask God to give you more love for your church and your small group. Pray about love and God will answer.
The first core value that drives how we complete our mission is the value of LOVE, we share God's love with all people. We desire to love people who feel left out in the community. We desire to love every age of person that God sends our way. We desire to show the greatest love when it is least deserved.
Because this is our first core value, our church is VERY friendly. As I look forward to our future there are three things that absolutely can never be lost. One, our faithfulness to the Word of God and Spirit of God, being Scriptural and spontaneous at the same time. Two, our friendliness and kindness in our worship and large group gatherings. Three, our deep love for one another that is built in small group gatherings.
Biblically, our love is an outflow of God's love for us. It is commanded that we as individuals in the family of God love each other like family members. Biblically, our love for each other is the mark of real love for Jesus. And finally, our love and care is the relational component that makes any opportunity to share Jesus with others meaningful.
As I walk with you through our core values, take time to pray about them. Make them a part of anything that God is directing you to do. Keep them in mind at all times. Today I encourage you to take some time to pray about your love for others. Are you lacking grace for difficult people? Ask God to give you love for them. Ask God to give you love for those who don't agree with you about God. Ask God to give you more love for your church and your small group. Pray about love and God will answer.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Royal Ranger Camping
Tonight is the Royal Ranger camping trip. Going with Gabe and Ben and the rest of the boys. Should be fun! It is always great to hang with the dads who go along. The girls in our family have their plans for the night too.
Prayer For Leaders
I want to encourage you to begin praying about the election in the fall. I believe that Bible beliving born again Christians have a very unusual situation in front of them in the election. In my theological oppinion, the two candidates that are set before us neither follow a Biblical form of Christianity. Both are people who claim Jesus, but inside the religious camps that they come from there are views about Jesus, humanity and God that are not Biblical.
That being said, here is my encouragement.
1. Don't you dare fail to vote. Stay in the fray and be involved.
2. Study hard. Know who you are voting for and what they say they will be doing.
3. Compare their policy plans to the standards of the Scriptures.
4. Pray for our nation, our presidnet and our leaders, even if you disagree with them.
This year, Bible believeing Christians will need to do what they should have been doing for decades and have been lazy to do, study the possibilities, pray and make sure to vote. If you find yourself complaining about the government and some policy that is on its way, I have a challenge. Spend an equal amount of time that day praying for our nation. Be the solution.
That being said, here is my encouragement.
1. Don't you dare fail to vote. Stay in the fray and be involved.
2. Study hard. Know who you are voting for and what they say they will be doing.
3. Compare their policy plans to the standards of the Scriptures.
4. Pray for our nation, our presidnet and our leaders, even if you disagree with them.
This year, Bible believeing Christians will need to do what they should have been doing for decades and have been lazy to do, study the possibilities, pray and make sure to vote. If you find yourself complaining about the government and some policy that is on its way, I have a challenge. Spend an equal amount of time that day praying for our nation. Be the solution.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Nothing Deep Today
OK, let's be honest. I have no deep thoughts today. This week has been extremely busy with two out of town trips and being out of the office for several things like National Day of Prayer and visitation. Some weeks produce many great and deep thoughts for the blog. Other weeks are all running and there is precious little time to think and study. All that is available is consumed in preparation for sermons, not the blog.
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