A NewSpective from Steven J. Wales

Running In The Dark

2008-07-24T21:27:00.004-05:00

OK, so I've started running again. It's been several years since I was running on a consistent basis. I must say that it's taking me some time to get back into the swing of things and not be dieing by the end of the run.

I run the same route every day and the route has two hills. When I first started running I couldn't make it up the hills. So, I would walk up the hills and then continue the run. However, something interesting happened the other night.

It was about 9:00pm when I went out to run. It was dark and I discovered that I couldn't see the entire route. During the day, I see the hill coming, I focus on how long until I get to the top of the hill and then end up stopping to walk it. However, in the dark I couldn't see the top, I could only see a few feet in front of me and guess what . . . I ran the entire route.

Today, I went out and could not make it up the final hill. It was the same route, same person but I couldn't make it. I could see the length of the hill, I could see the top and my brain said, "you can't make it", "It's too hard", "You'll have to walk it."

This got me thinking about our lives. I know it's important to set goals. I know it's important to know where you're going. However sometimes it's also good just to take one step at a time.
It's healthy to simply trust that each step you take is taking you in the right direction. It's OK to not know what the end game is, what the outcome will be and what will happen tomorrow.

It's called faith.

G3,

Weekend Reflections

2008-06-08T21:09:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while, I take a moment to post some random thoughts from the past few days. Today is one of those times. These thoughts are in no particular order and on no specific topic.

Saturday morning was my Head Coaching debut for my youngest daughters softball team. The head coach could not be there and I was called on to lead. I'm happy to say that my head coaching record is 1-0. I'm undefeated.
It's really hot in PA this weekend.
Had a good lunch with Adam on Friday. He and Laurie are coming back to NewSpective for a while and we're happy to have them.
I'm so proud of our team at NewSpective Church. They commit their time, set up equipment, get sweaty and dirty, take down equipment, rush around trying to fix A/C adapters and set up more & more "stuff" every weekend. However, they all know what's at steak . . . the 213,000 people in Northampton County who don't know Christ.
We're getting really close to our first 300,000 piece email blast. It's going to be crazy and I can't wait to see what God does.
It's really hot in PA this weekend.
I installed the air conditioners in our house on Friday. By the time I was done, I was soaked but I'm glad I did it.
Did I mention, its really hot in PA this weekend.
One Prayer kicked off this morning and it was awesome. Steven Furtick form Elevation brought the message and it was amazing.
I'm off to Vegas this week for work. I've never been to Vegas so this should be an exciting trip.
It's really hot in PA this weekend.
My youngest daughter will turn 10 this coming weekend. Yes, both of my daughters are in double digits. . . . I'm getting old.

There you have it. Just Some Thoughts.

G3,

NewSpective Church - New Service Time

2008-05-27T22:03:00.004-05:00

2008-05-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

Big Idea: We don't fall into sin. We actually exchange God's Glory for
sin. We worship creation rather than the Creator.

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Tim Stevens

2008-05-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

Big Idea: Spiritual interest is growing in our culture while churches
are declining. Leverage the culture or risk looking your impact.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Vince Antonucci

2008-05-22T10:19:00.001-05:00

Big Idea: Do whatever it takes to seek and save the lost. The most
messed up people wanted to hang out with Jesus. Can the same be said
of us?

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Mark Batterson

2008-05-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

Big Idea: We all need dreams that are way beyond our human ability to
accomplish. 1 Cor. 8:2-3.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo is underway

2008-05-22T08:22:00.000-05:00

Arrived at WiBo and getting ready for a great day. More later.

G3,

WiBo is only a few days away

2008-05-19T21:45:00.002-05:00

This Wednesday and Thursday we're taking 5 of our leaders to Reston Virginia to experience the first ever WiBo conference. The White Board Sessions is a unique conference bringing together 8 world class communicators who each get 30 minutes to talk on 1 topic.

Tim, Perry and Mark are just 3 of the 8. These three alone are more than worth the price of the conference.

I understand there will be live web feeds and blogs from the conference. If you have a chance, tune it. It's going to be awesome.

G3,

Rock Flashback

2008-05-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

I saw the Granger Community Church did this song in their service this past weekend. It made me flash back to this band and remember how great they are. In fact their front man, recently won the Dove Award for Artist of the Year.

I went and downloaded this CD from iTunes and have been listening to it the past few days. It Rocks!

Great songs, great lyrics, great message . . . great band.

Check it out and be inspired.

G3,

The little Things

2008-05-14T22:06:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I am an assistant coach on my daughter's softball teams. Both of my girls play for the Upper Nazareth Clippers and I help out on both teams. My younger daughter's team lost their first game and then won their next 4 in a row. They've played really well, they've come together as a team and they have dominated pretty much every game they've played. That is until last night.

Last night they had the opportunity to see what it feels like to get totally spanked!! I'm not talking about loosing a game. I'm talking about an all out butt kickin'. At the end of the first inning, we were loosing 6-0 and only had 3 girls at bat . . . And then it went down hill after that. :-(

The biggest issue with the loss was the fact that our team didn't do the little things right. They didn't use two hands when catching a fly ball. They didn't keep their gloves in the dirt when trying to get a grounder. They stood and watched strike after strike sail past them without raising the bat from their shoulders. They threw the ball too much, they held onto the ball too long and ended the game with a score of 15-1.

The little things can cause big changes, failures and successes. Little things like talking with God on a moment by moment basis. Little things like celebrating who God is and who you are as a result of the blood of Christ. Little things like worshiping together with other believers. Little things like giving a hand to someone in need. Little things like inviting someone to church. Little things like telling a friend about the Hope that you have in Christ.

Like my daughter's softball game, when the little things are done well, they win. When the little things aren't done well, the score is 15-1. The same thing is true in your walk with God. When the little things are missed, people face a Christ-less Eternity and Satan has an opportunity to gain a foothold in your life. However, when the little things are done well, your relationship with God grows, lives are changed and you'll hear God say, "Well done!"

Focus in on the little things!

G3,

Emily Update

2008-05-10T20:48:00.003-05:00

I want to thank all of you for your prayers.

Emily seems to be feeling much better. The best we can tell is that she had some kind of nasty virus that just wouldn't go away. Today was the first day she ate real food and was a bit more like normal. (Although I did kick her tail in Mario Kart).

G3,

Please Pray for Emily

2008-05-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

I want to give a quick shout out and ask for your prayers for our
oldest daughter Emily. She's been sick since Sunday. After a local
doctor visit, a call to her specialist in Hershey and some blood work,
we're not sure if it's just a virus or something more serious. She's
in a lot of pain and doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Please pray for Emily and our family.

Thank you and I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Joy in the Journey

2008-05-06T07:10:00.004-05:00

As a new church start, it's frustrating sometimes when things aren't moving forward at the speed that I think they should. God is continually reminding me that His timing is perfect and mine . . . not so much.

I received a very encouraging email yesterday from one of the people at NewSpective. In this message the writer says this:

I think God is allowing me a glimpse of where we are going as a church. I am reading(madly) several books on just what we as a church can offer this new generation that is coming into the Lehigh Valley. I do believe that God is showing me that I GET IT...I SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO....so praise God.

What an encouragement. God is moving in the lives of leaders and positioning NewSpective to have an impact on the Lehigh Valley. The team is coming together and beginning to understand just what it takes to reach a lost generation. I'm excited for the growth, excited for the challenge, excited to see lives changed. God's doing some cool things and I can't wait to see what's around the next corner.

G3,

Next Steps

2008-04-30T22:08:00.002-05:00

On my way to Mars today I listened to a message by this guy. While the message wasn't really about "Next Steps", God used this message to stir in me some thoughts about my Next Steps, NewSpective's Next Steps and maybe even your Next Steps.

As many of you know, some of our NewSpective team spent some time at Liquid on Sunday. We had the chance to experience, first hand, what a move of God in a community could look like. Since our conversation with Tim and Mike and some email communication with them over the past day or so, God's been stirring up a fire inside me. He's been stoking the fire for reaching the Lehigh Valley like never before. However, this fire brings with it a fear. To move from where NewSpective Church currently is to where I believe God wants us to be, is a daunting task. Do we have the budget, do we have the volunteers, do we have the children's ministry workers, do we have the commitment, do we have the band, the greeters, . . . It's like trying to eat an elephant.

Today, God reminded me that eating an elephant is easy. It's just one bite at a time.

He reminded me of the story of Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses told the people, in his humanness, to stand still, sit back, relax, take a photo and watch what God does. And yet, God doesn't work that way. God responds to Moses by telling him to stop crying, stop standing around and take a Next Step. Raise your staff, enter the water, take your Next Step and then I'll show you my glory. You step and then I'll move.

I don't know that I've been sitting around waiting for God to move but there certainly are some Next Steps that I need to take. There are some Next Steps in my personal walk with God. There are some Next Steps to take with NewSpective Church.

Church, we need to take our Next Steps. Whatever that is for you and keep moving forward. God's going to do some crazy things in the Lehigh Valley through NewSpective Church. Let's take some steps and see what God's up to.

G3,

Weekend Recap

2008-04-27T20:44:00.007-05:00

As many of you know, Jennifer and I got away for a long weekend. We went to Cape May, NJ and spent 4 days and 3 nights in stress less bliss. Here's some random thoughts from the weekend.

I love my wife!!!
It's important to get away and recharge: Recharge your personal life, your walk with God, your relationship with your spouse and recharge your own purpose.
Yes, I actually went on the beach. Sand stuck to me like glue. However, please refer to thought number one above. :-)
The little shops in Cape May were fun. All of them weren't open but we did make a purchase at "Whales Tales." (How cool is that!)
When you view a beautiful sunset live, it really makes you appreciate the amazing creation that God put all around us.
The view from the hotel was simply awesome. Clear shot to the ocean.
I've never done a wine tasting before. I guess I never realized how many different subtleties there are in wine flavors and aromas.
Sitting on the beach, listening to music, reading "Pop Goes The Church" and hanging out with my wife . . . Priceless!
I am no competition for Jennifer when it comes to 500 rummy. She kicked my butt . . . TWICE!!!
When are they going to get one of these restaurants in the Lehigh Valley?
Why is it so hard to follow directions backward? Left is right and right is left, North is South and South is North.
The iPhone is amazing. The only technology I brought on the trip and the only technology I needed. Full web, maps, email; what more could a man need?
Returned home last night and capped the weekend off by taking about 17 people from NewSpective to experience a worship service at Liquid. Wow, Tim and his team do an amazing job. Set up starts at 4:45am and take down ends at 9:00pm. They are reaching their community and extending around the world. We spent a little more than an hour with Tim and Mike after the service. They were so encouraging and gracious. (More about Liquid in a future post)

All in all this was a great weekend from start to finish. God is Good. He's truly blessed me and my family and I'm grateful that He allows me to be a part of His plan.

G3,

Caption Please

2008-04-24T22:14:00.000-05:00

So Jennifer and I saw this live tonight. Simply Amazing!!!

Wild At Heart

2008-04-23T07:45:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I must admit, I had fun cutting a tree down this weekend. Yes, I went to Lowes, purchased a chain saw and took out this 30 foot tall crab apple tree in my yard. Wood chips were flying everywhere, I was hot, sweaty, tired, dirty, and totally worn out by the end of the day. However, there was something about working outside, using power tools, hearing that tree snap and crack as it fell to the ground and then cutting it up into little pieces that made me feel . . . Wild, Adventurous, Tough and totally like a man.

It reminded me of the book Wild At Heart by John Eldridge. About 5 years ago, God used This book and some of Eldridge's other books, The Sacred Romance, The Journey of Desire, Epic and Waking the Dead, in conjunction with personal study of God's Word to totally rock my world. Having grown up in a Christian Home and in Christian Churches, I had created a Caricature of God and my relationship with Him, that just wasn't real. God used the writings of Eldredge to expose His truth to me about why I was created, what kind of relationship God desires from us, how much Love God has for us and what God expects from His people. It has truly been an amazing journey and God has been leading the entire way.

If you've never read any of John's books, I highly recommend clicking on one or all of the links above and ordering them . . . now!

They just might change your life.

G3,

God's Church

2008-04-21T22:08:00.003-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me when God steps in and changes things at the last minute.

I'm a firm believer that it's God's responsibility to build His church. Don't get me wrong, we (Christ Followers) have the responsibility to engage in conversations and lean in to the people around us. As the Spirit moves in those conversations, we need to be listening and invite these new friends into Christ's presence by sharing Christ with them. However, no matter what we do, it's still God's deal and He's going to do His thing in spite of us.

Yesterday was no exception. By 10:00am Sunday morning, the entire band at NewSpective was either working or sick in bed. Needless to say, I had to make some quick changes to our service. With God's prompting we used a couple of Passion videos and had Charlie Hall and Chris Tomlin lead us in worship via video. When the music portion of our service was over, it was evident that the Holy Spirit was in the room and moving. In fact, I received the following note, this morning, from one of our Partners:

God really used the music selection yesterday to reach my heart…I haven’t felt impacted in worship like that in a while. He just seemed to reach down and hold my heart. So, thanks for being used by God and doing your part in that.

God reached down, stirred things up, changed our direction and impacted lives. It's so awesome when He does that and I'm so privileged to be a part of what He's doing in the Lehigh Valley.

Pop Goes The Mailbox

2008-04-15T22:14:00.002-05:00

I received my copies of "Pop Goes The Church" yesterday and I'm so excited about how this book is going to impact NewSpective Church. As you may recall, this is the book that I had the opportunity to preview before it went to print. I can't wait to read through the finished book. I purchased copies for some of our leaders and I'm looking forward to going through it together.

If you are a pastor or church leader or church attender I highly recommend this book. It is a must read if you have any desire to reach your community for Christ. Tim has great insight and speaks on a topic that is one of his passions.

You can purchase a copy for yourself here.

Access & Influence

2008-04-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

As a pastor I've seen many times, where Satan has used well meaning people to try and derail the vision that God has placed in my heart and the responsibility that God has placed in my hands. People have used phrases like, "God has a word for you" or "I feel so led in my heart to tell you . . ." or "I believe God wants you to . . ."

The reality is that God "can" use anything and anyone, to communicate His truth to His people. In fact, He can even use a jackass to communicate His will. However, I've come to realize that not everyone should have access to me or have influence on me. If I allowed everyone, with an opinion or "word from God" to influence me and the path that God has placed me on, I would be a basket case going every which way but God's.

So, I've come to realize that there really are only a few people who have access to my heart and influence on my life. I'm not going to name names but I will describe these people to you.

First, my wife. She has access to my heart and certainly has influence on my life. Of all the people on the planet, I listen and respect her opinion and observations more than anyone else. She is my life partner and there isn't anyone who has access to me or influence on me, like she does. That's the way God planned it. The two shall become one.

The second group of people who have access to and influence on me, are a few pastors who I know and/or respect. There are a couple of pastors who I communicate with on a consistent basis and if any of these men brought an issue or observation to my attention I would listen in. I would take their concerns seriously and reflect on their thoughts & opinions. There are also a few pastors who God has used, via their blogs, books, messages and podcasts, to influence me on theology, leadership, marriage, responsibility, pastoral roles and many other topics. God has and will continue to use these men to access and influence my life. These man, unknowingly, have influenced me and continue to challenge me on multiple levels.

The final group of people who have access to and influence on me are those people who I do ministry with, week in and week out. These people stand by my side. They are in the trenches with me on a regular basis and if anyone of them came to me with a concern or issue they would have my attention. They have influence on my life because I respect them. We're doing life together, we're serving in ministry together and it must be a two way relationship.

Having said all of the above, there is also a group of people who don't have access to me or influence on my life. These people are the spineless cowards who hide behind anonymous email messages, anonymous blog comments and third party hearsay. These people claim to know God and feel like that fact alone should allow them access to me and influence on me. They have some issue or concern that they want to share and completely violate scripture to get their point across. They don't care about me, they don't care about the ministry that God has called me to, they don't take the time to engage in an authentic conversation and therefore they don't have access to me or influence in my life.

It's not that I'm bitter or upset, it's just that I've come to realize there are some people who have earned the right to speak into my life and there are those who have not earned that right. While this post is stronger than a lot of my posts, it's important that people know my heart.

Who has access and influence on your life? Maybe you need to take some time and evaluate this question so that you too don't get derailed from the life God has for you.

G3,

Motivation

2008-04-10T07:45:00.000-05:00

Steven had a great post today.

Check it out HERE:

G3,

Random Thoughts

2008-04-08T21:56:00.005-05:00

Every once in a while I list some current thoughts running around in my head. They're in no particular order or on any given topic. Simply some thoughts:

I hate doing my taxes. I know I have 7 more days to finish them but I thought I'd beat the rush and finish them up tonight. Turbo Tax is your friend.
I worked from home today. I got a lot done without any distractions.
God is solidifying, in me, the vision He has for NewSpective Church. I believe He has some great big things in store for this church.
I heard a quote tonight on American Idol. One of the contestants said, "if you're going to dream, dream BIG." We've all heard it before but it's great to be reminded of it. I think God wants us to dream BIG dreams, pray BIG prayers and expect God to do BIG things.
I love the reaction I get from people when I tell them I'm a Pastor.
Had my teeth cleaned today. They feel all smooth and shiny. :-)
The book of James has been kicking my butt recently. I can't seem to get this passage out of my mind. Is "the church" simply hearing the Word or are we putting into practice? Are we "being" the church or simply "doing" church.
I heard that this church had over 600 people in church on Easter Sunday. Praise God. With over 213,000 people in Northampton County, that don't know Christ, we need every church in the area to be knocking it out of the park.
Had a good conversation with a friend of mine tonight. God's stirring up some big things in his heart and I'm excited to see where God leads.
Jennifer and I are planning a little "getaway" in a couple of weeks. I love spending time with her and I'm looking forward to a little break.
With over 3,000,000 square feet of commercial property for lease in Northampton County, why is it so hard to find 5,000 that's affordable?

Well, there you have it. Some of my thoughts.

Kinda scary, huh?

G3,

Wildness vs. Civilization

2008-04-04T08:29:00.002-05:00

I read a quote the other day from Charles Lindbergh.

"Real freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization."

I'm sure he was referring to the freedom of flying, being in the clouds, above the noise of life. However, I want to take this quote one step further.

I believe that "Real LIFE lies in Wildness, not in civilization." As I read more and more about Jesus, I realize that He was all about the Wildness and very little about the Civilization.

I mean, it's not civilized to say, this. Especially in today's world.

I don't know too many people who would think this is civilized either.

Or how about this?

What happened here is certainly not very civilized.

Jesus didn't live a civilized life. He lived a wild life. Wild for the love of His father. Wild for the love of those around Him. Wild for the return of your heart and mine. He didn't follow any prescribed rules and regulations. He looked at the Heart of every man, woman and child and loved us with a Wild, unconditional kind of love.

So, here's the question. Do you want to be Wild or Civilized? Do you want to sit back in your civilized, white picket fenced world and allow those around you to continue on their hell-bound destination. Or do you want to be Wild and do whatever it takes to bring people who are far from God, into life in Christ.

I don't believe you can be both. I believe it's one or the other. Each one of us must choose.

G3,

I'm Sick!

2008-04-01T21:05:00.004-05:00

So, I was going to post some theologically stimulating stuff tonight. You know, share a passage of scripture or famous quote and then expound upon it for a couple of paragraphs to stimulate the minds of those who stumble upon or intentionally check up on my thoughts.

It was going to be good. I had the quote all ready, I knew what I was going to say and I know it would have been meaningful to someone.

However, I have some bad news. Being a man, this news is hard for me to share. In fact, most men don't admit this and if they do, they instantly become babies about it. So, I'm going to do my best and hold back the tears as I share this information with you.

Here Goes . . . I'm Sick!!!

That's right. I thought I could fight it. I thought I could Muscle through and force myself to "feel better." I thought if I didn't say anything to anyone and "acted" normal, whatever that is, that all would be well with me and the world. And guess what ? . . . I was Wrong!

Maybe it's my schedule finally catching up to me or the fact that I sit next to someone at the office who is just getting over the flu. But whatever it is, I have that achy, stuffy head, sore throat, coughing, joint aching, head pounding, throat itching, runny nose, annoying as everything evil disease.

Or it could just be a cold. But I'm betting on the first option.

So, please pray for me. Pray that God restores my health and returns my home to normal. As I said above, most men are babies when they are sick and I am no exception. Maybe you should pray for my wife and kids as well. :-)

You keep praying and I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Big Announcement - Take 2

2008-03-31T19:21:00.003-05:00

Well, the BIG Announcement I spoke about on Friday has been put on hold for a couple more days. The T's are still uncrossed and there are a couple if I's that need to be dotted. However, that announcement will be coming by the end of the week!

In the meantime I want to tell you about another initiative that NewSpective Church will be participating in this June.

One Prayer is a prayer initiative, initiated by LifeChurch.tv. Craig Groeschel is their Lead Pastor and the author of a great book, "Confessions of a Pastor." The premise behind, One Prayer is that hundreds of churches, all across America, would join together for a four week series of talks on Prayer. I am so stoked about this series and the way in which it is coming together that I can't wait for NewSpective Church to join in this effort.

Rather than have me tell you all about it, I'll let Craig tell you directly. Check it out by clicking the Play Button on the video below.

It's going to be amazing and I can't wait.

Let me know what you think of the idea.

G3,

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

2008-03-28T14:30:00.005-05:00

I just got back from a meeting and while I can't tell you all the details yet, look for a big announcement here within the next few days.

It's going to be big.

I'm talking B I G!

In fact, I believe it's going to totally change NewSpective Church and the impact we are going to have on the Lehigh Valley.

Stay tuned.

Did I tell you it's going to be BIG?

G3,

Be Encouraged!

2008-03-26T22:24:00.004-05:00

The other day I received a Google Chat message from a friend of mine. He wanted to reach out to me and encourage me in our ministry here at NewSpective Church. While I won't go into his entire message, one of the things he said was:

We don't often get to hear from people that we are doing things right, but I just wanted to let you know that I think you are doing things right. It takes a remarkable individual to be sensitive to what is culturally relevant and biblically inspired to set tone, environment, and message.

The reason I'm telling you this is that I agree with the encourager's perspective. We don't often hear from people that we are doing things right. We don't often get encouraged and told that we are making a difference.

So, I wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to our entire NewSpective Church family. People, you're doing it right. God is blessing NewSpective by preparing our fields for His harvest. Some of you, in your last ministry post, were simply attenders. You went to the service and went home. Today, you are pulling the trailer, setting up equipment, doing administrative work, teaching NewKids, running cables, arriving early, staying late, playing music, handing out worship guides and much more. In short, you're doing a great job! I'm proud to be your pastor and pray that God will continue to use this church to reach and impact the Lehigh Valley for Christ.

Be Encouraged! God is Good!

G3,

22 Years! What a Saint!

2008-03-26T22:01:00.004-05:00

It's been over a week since my last post. I should apologize for that or try and make some kind of excuse like, Easter weekend was busy or I'm trying to finish my 2007 taxes and haven't had time to blog. However, the reality is, I was just having trouble coming up with something better than the "Steven Bauer" photo. (see post below)

I finally have it. A photo of my wife!

You see, last Friday we celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. I know what some of you are thinking. If they celebrated their 16th anniversary, why is this post titled, "22 Years!"

Well, there's a very simple explanation for that. You see, Jennifer and I dated for 6 years prior to getting married and this November will mark 22 years since I first tricked her into going on our first date. 22 years of putting up with me and my idiosyncrasies. 22 years of financial ups and downs. 22 years of job changes, ministry changes, people talking about me behind my back and 22 years of dealing with the challenges of being married to an ESTJ.

Let me just say this. 22 Years of me. . . is a challenge. Jennifer is a beautiful, caring, strong, sexy woman. I wouldn't want any one else on the planet, to have been by my side these past 22 years and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our next 22 + years.

Jennifer, I Love You!

G3,

I Want To Be . . . Jack Bauer

2008-03-17T22:37:00.004-05:00

Last January, Jennifer and I began watching the 6th season of "24." After just a couple of weeks, we were hooked. We didn't miss an episode and if we had to, we DVR'd it so that we could watch it as soon as we got home.

If you are a "24" fan at all, you know the new season was put on hold due to the writers strike and Jack won't be back until January of 09. However, Jennifer and I have been able to maintain our "24" fix, thanks to Jennifer's sister, Jovine (pronouced Javeen). She owns the first 5 seasons and Jennifer and I have been methodically watching all of them. In fact we are currently about 6 episodes away from the end of season 5 and then I'm not sure what we're going to do until January.

One of the things that amazes me about Jack Bauer, aside from the fact that he doesn't eat or use the bathroom for an entire 24 hour period of time, is his commitment. Jack has a dedication to his job, his country, his goals and his duty like no other man I've ever seen. Over the 5 3/4 seasons that we've watched, Jack has given up his family, his wife, his daughter, his friends, his co-workers and his life for his cause. He's willing to do "whatever it takes" to get the job done, protect his country and save the world.

What if we, bible believing Christ followers had this same kind of dedication to saving the world as Jack does? What if we were willing to lay down our lives, give up everything we are and all we have for the sake of Christ Jesus?

In our Connecting Point on Friday night, we are going through the book of Romans and last week we read Romans chapter 9. I was convicted by Paul's convictions in verses 1-3. What if we had this same kind of conviction and dedication to reaching those who we care about, those who are in our sphere of influence?

How much different would our world be if we were more like Jack . . . Dedicated to the cause. . . of Christ?

G3,

Snow Cones and Flood Waters

2008-03-13T07:30:00.001-05:00

When I was a kid, I used to love snow cones. On a hot Summer day, there's just nothing like a cup of pure, clean water that's been frozen and then shaved into little pieces, with the sweetest raspberry syrup poured all over it. (For those of you who prefer cherry or blueberry, I would question your salvation*.)

The snow cone is a staple at street fairs, carnivals, fireworks displays and many other community Summer festivals. While I love a good Snow Cone, when you break it down to it's simples form, it's just water. Simple, pure, clean refreshing water.

As I drive to work everyday, I follow a river along route 46 in New Jersey. With all of the rain we've had lately the river has risen above the normal bank and is dangerously close to the road. In fact there's a house along the river that has a bridge connecting the main house to a little island in the middle of the river. There is a small building on the island. As I past by the bridge yesterday I realized that about 1/3 of the bridge was completely under the water level. In fact the water was moving so fast and so powerfully over the bridge that you could see sticks and branches going across where the bridge normally is. In many parts of the river the water is moving so fast that all kinds of debris is just flying by.

As I thought about this raging river, I couldn't help but realize that in it's simplest form, it's just water. The same water, although much cleaner, that is used to create the amazing Summer refreshment that we call a snow cone.

So, what's the difference? . . . Power!

The same God who can take H2O and compress it and freeze it to make ice, can take the same H2O and let it loose down the raging river. The same God who can comfort and heal a broken heart can take that same person and let them loose to impact their world for Christ.

So, here's my question. Are you a frozen block of ice simply looking for refreshment or are you a raging river, looking to impact your world? Sometimes we need the refreshment and other times we need to be raging. However, we can't be just one all the time. All raging and no refreshing will kill a person. On the flip side, all refreshment with no raging isn't what God has called us to do.

G3,

*Please note: The cherry/blueberry comment with regards to salvation was just a joke. I realize that raspberry snow cones don't get you into heaven.

Leaving Well!

2008-02-27T22:35:00.003-05:00

If you've been a part of a church for any period of time, you know that leaving a church can be very hard. Relationships are at stake. Families are involved. Feelings get hurt. Intentions are criticized. Tempers rise. Anger mounts. Territories are defined and "true colors" are seen for the first time. In fact, many feel that if they ever left "their" church, they would never be welcomed back again.

I think it's sad and frankly unacceptable, that "the church", people who are supposed to be known by their love for one another, can't leave well.

Adam and Laurie have been a part of NewSpective Church since day one. Adam led our worship, assisted with purchasing equipment, held practices at his house, hauled equipment around, set up and packed up the church each and every week & served on our leadership team. Laurie . . . Supported Adam! Any man in ministry will tell you that support like that is a Full Time Gig.

However, God has other plans for Adam & Laurie. This past weekend we had the chance to say goodbye. We did it well. We publicly thanked Adam & Laurie for their time with us and service to God at NewSpective. We gave them a gift and prayed over them. It' wasn't a big ordeal but It was good for NewSpective to see that leaving a church doesn't have to be ugly. It doesn't have to be long and drawn out with trash talking and storytelling.

You see, when God is the focus of what you are doing, it's so much easier to accept His will. We may not understand it, we may not like it, but God is God and we . . . are not!!! God moves people from one post to another. He knows what He's doing and He's ALWAYS right!!

I wish Adam and Laurie the best and pray that God speaks clearly as to what their next post will be.

I also pray that "the church" would learn from this example and understand that Leaving Well is part of this command.

G3,

An Apple A Day . . .

2008-02-19T22:08:00.005-05:00

As many of you know I'm slowly becoming a "Mac Guy." Having lived in the Microsoft After Market for almost 10 years, even I find this hard to believe.

Today I read a quote from Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, that exemplifies where I'm at in my life and my ministry. Here's the quote:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

In my 15+ years of church ministry, I've had more than my fair share of "opinions" presented to me. It's so easy to let the opinions, comments & misconceptions of other, drown out the voice of God. It's easy to get upset and want to walk away, when people misinterpret your heart or don't care enough to find out the truth. The reality is, our time is limited. I can't afford to waste my time living someone else's life or being trapped and manipulated by what other people think.

God has given me a passion to communicate truth from His word and to Connect People with God through Life In Christ. It's really that simple. . . and . . . Everything else is secondary.

There, I feel much better now.

G3,

Great Weekend

2008-02-19T00:16:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick recap of the weekend. In no specific order.

- Our connecting point gets better each week. Patrick is doing a great job leading and the discussion has been awesome. David gets to join us this week, which will be cool.
- Holyfire Rocks
- Pulled the church trailer for the first time and our Buick did a great job.
- Our setup team is getting better and better each week.
- I didn't get to see any of the Daytona 500 yesterday but the M&M's car came in 4th. Looks like it could be a great year for Mars.
- Yesterday our service was great. Mark rocked the kit and the Holy Spirt spoke loud and clear. I can't wait until this weekend.

More later this week.

G3,

Holyfire - Be There!

2008-02-12T23:54:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite bands, that not enough people know about, is coming to Nazareth this Saturday night. I'm so pumped about being able to experience their music and worship with them this weekend.

So, here's my suggestion. If you don't have anything to do, Saturday at 7:00pm, make plans to be at The Carpenter's Church to experience the ministry of Holyfire. If you do have other plans for Saturday night . . . Change Them! Change them NOW! And make plans to be at this concert. It's going to be amazing and could be life changing.

And let me clarify one thing. Tucker did not ask me to pimp this concert on my blog. Holyfire is simply that good!

G3,

Leading By Example

2008-02-12T07:10:00.000-05:00

Steven, from Elevation, had a great post today on taking care of your staff. One day, NewSpective will be in the position to take care of our staff in a similar fashion. It's critically important.

Check it out HERE!

G3,

Eli the Church Planter

2008-02-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

With less than 3 minutes to go in the "big game" Eli Manning was given the football and began the winning drive in Super Bowl XLII. As the quarterback, the game was all on his shoulders. Standing on the 17 yard line, he had 83 yards to go. The only option was to score a touchdown. The Giants were down by 4 points, so a field goal would do no good. While the pressure was all on him, the Team needed to step up and move the ball. Every team member had to do their job. The line had to block, the receivers had to run their routes, the running backs had to move the ball and Eli . . . well, Eli had to get rid of the ball. Eli spent that last two and a half minutes handing the ball off to other people and throwing it down field.

As a church planter my job is exactly like Eli's. I have to learn how to hand the ball off. I can't score all the points, I can't pull the trailer, unload the trailer, prepare every message, produce all the videos, prepare all the graphics, send every e-mail, update the database, maintain the web site, print the worship guides, man the welcome center, teach NewKids, lead worship, preach, take the offering, set up the sound and lights, secure trailer storage, update the giving records, pay every bill and balance the check book. My job is to equip the people for ministry. When our Team all does their part, the entire team wins and God is glorified.

I received a text message from Mark, telling me that he took care of the trailer storage today, so that I don't have to worry about that on Friday. You can't imagine how that one little thing can have such a large impact on my week. It was a hand off and the team moved the ball closer to the goal line.

As each member of our Team does his/her own tasks and as I hand the ball off to those more qualified then myself, the Team will win. God will be glorified, people will come to know Christ and this valley will never be the same.

Who's ready to take a hand off? It's the 4th quarter and time is running out.

G3,
Steven

Great Stuff From Perry

2008-02-05T08:55:00.000-05:00

Perry Noble, pastor at NewSpring, had a great blog post today. I don't want to add to it or take away from it so . . . .

Click Here and read it for yourself.

Then, come back here and leave a comment and let me know what you think. I believe he and his team are spot on and every church in America should be asking the same question.

G3,

A Day Off?

2008-02-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday I kind of took a "Day Off."

What I mean is that I worked my day job and then came home and spent time with my wife and kids. We played some DS and Wii and then Jennifer and I watched a movie. The only thing I did for the church was to purchase some tickets for this conference. We're going to take 5 of our leaders and I believe it's going to sell out so I wanted to get the tickets.

As a church planter I find myself working 8-9 hours a day to make a living and then spending 3+ hours at night working on "church stuff." So, it was nice to only spend 3 min ordering tickets and then actually relaxing with my family.

Have a great week.

G3,

Man Is Born To Live

2008-01-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

Boris Pasternak was a Nobel Prize winning poet and writer. Mr. Pasternak was once quoted as saying:

"Man is born to live, not to prepare for life."

I believe that we, as Christ Followers, can learn a lot from this quote. God created us to Live Life and to live it to it's fullest. He didn't create us to simply learn about Him or His word but to allow Him to live His word through us. He created us to engage our hearts with Him. As we engage our hearts with the Creator of the Universe, we are then able to engage our hearts with those around us.

As we engage our heart with God and with Friends we will then be able to live like we were created to live. I've resolved that I'm going to take God at His word and live life to the fullest, allowing Him to direct each step. How about you?

G3,

Focus

2008-01-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, our Connecting Point started a study on the book of Romans. Let me say that the book of Romans is Not for the faint at heart. Paul starts out nice and quickly gets all up in the grill of the people and specifically the Jews in Rome.

Last week as we were discussing the end of Chapter 1 and then Chapter 2. We talked about judging others. We talked about what happens if people know Christ and yet don't live like they do. We also talked about those people who God abandon. It's been a good study so far and I believe it will continue to be.

However, yesterday I heard a message from Perry at NewSpring and he made a statement that really stuck in my head. He said,

"Christians are way too obsessed with the behavior of people who don't know Christ."

It continued to solidify the fact that our job is to connect people with God through life in Christ. We can't expect people who are far from Christ to act like they know Him. Especialy when those who claim to know Him don't act like they do. Our job is not to be judge and jury. We, "the Church" and specifically NewSpective Church needs to stay focused on Connecting People with God and Friends. That's our job. Love God and Love Others. As we connect people with God and Friends, the Holy Spirit will convict people and take care of their sin.

Just a Thought!

G3,

Pop Goes The Review - Part 2

2008-01-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

I was informed today that Tim pushed up the due date on his book review by 3 days. So, I buckled down tonight and finished my first read. I plan to go back over it again and ensure that my notes makes sense before I send it off to Tim this weekend.

All I can say is that this book has been an inspiration, a challenge, a blast to read and an eye opening look at what the church was meant to be. It has also been a sobering reality of how far away from God's plan the "church" has fallen. God never intended the church to be a Holy Huddle of the Christian Country Club where no outsider can gain access with out looking, smelling, talking and living a certain way. Jesus never exhibited this kind of thought process. Jesus met people where they were and then offered them the solution to their life situation.

Tim does a great job of illustrating, with success stories and real life examples, the importance of understanding the culture and language of those in your community. He then demonstrates how to use that culture and language to share Christ as the answer to life's challenges.

I'm not sure when the book is being released (3 days early I hope) but when it comes out I challenge every Christ Follower to read it and digest it. No matter if you work for a church, volunteer at a church or simply want to talk to your neighbor about Christ, this book will give you practical examples of ways to use Pop Culture to reach out to the world around you.

G3,

Just a Thought

2008-01-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

It's been a great weekend. So as not to bore you with all of the details, here are some quick thoughts.

Hung out with Tim Stevens, well at least his new book on Friday, which challenged me for the development & launch of our own new church.
Had a great time discussing Romans with our Connecting Point on Friday night. We missed David but it was great to have Carol join us.
Spent some time with some old friends on Saturday, celebrating their children's birthdays. It was great to re-connect.
Both teams I was routing for today lost. Is it possible for both teams to loose the Super Bowl? Well, maybe we can have some good food that night at least.
Today was the highlight of the weekend. I love worshiping with NewSpective Church and being able to share God's word with our people. We're building vision and team while taking steps forward in preparation for our Easter Launch.
God has done some amazing things at NewSpective Church and I can't wait to see what He does in 2008.
I tried a new Candy Bar tonight. All I can say is that Chocolate and Caffeine is a great combination.
Our new lighting should be in tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting it all set and ready for next weekend.
I can't believe "The Moment Of Truth" is actually coming to TV. What will they think of next?

More thoughts soon.

G3,

Pop Goes the Review - Part 1

2008-01-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

So I spent some time with a venti cup of caffeine and Tim's new book, "Pop Goes The Church." All I can say (because I'm not able to quote the book yet) is WOW. I'm only about half way through the book but Tim is hitting the nail on the head. This new book is a Must Read for all church planters and seasoned pastors alike. If only "the church" could grab hold of this thought process and put it into practice, the world would never be the same.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book and then a re-read before sending it back.

I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Big Day!

2008-01-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

Not only did I receive Tim's book yesterday (More on that later) but the new Mac Book Pro is here and running well.

Software is all installed, turn it on and . . . It works!!!

Imagine that?

I think I may have seen the light!!!

Pop Goes the Inbox

2008-01-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it arrived. I have the transcript of Tim Stevens new book, "Pop Goes The Church." I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I'll start reading later today and keep you updated. Look for some "Pop Goes The Review" posts over the next few days.

G3,

Pop Goes The Church

2008-01-15T18:50:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I follow many blogs. I read a lot and study church growth and pop culture. One of the blogs I read, on a regular basis, is LeadingSmart.com by Tim Stevens.

Tim is the Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church in Granger Indiana. Granger is one of the top 10 most innovative churches in America. Tim, along with writing partner Tony Morgan, have co-written 3 of the most practical ministry books on the planet.

Tim is currently working on a new solo writing project called "Pop Goes The Church."

Last week Tim reached out to the readers of his blog for some help with the new book. He was looking for 10 leaders to review and comment on the book prior to his final edit. Over 100 people volunteered to help and I found out today that I am one of the 10 selected to review and give input on this new project.

I'm excited about this project and while I don't need another task on my plate, this topic is critical to communicating the Gospel in today's culture. While I'm not allowed to quote from the book here, I will keep you updated on my progress. I will receive the book tomorrow and have 14 days to read it, comment and return it.

G3,

Good News!

2008-01-14T23:24:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's the 14th of January. I just realized that I've only posted 2 times in 2008 and that's unacceptable. Statistics tell me that people from 15 states and 11 different countries visited this site in 2007. To those of you who check out my thoughts on any kind of consistent basis, I say . . . I'm Sorry.

However, I have Good News!

This past weekend at NewSpective Church, I spoke about being disturbed by the status quo. The status quo on this site is that over the past year, I've posted only 91 times. That means I've posted less than 8 times per month and less than 2 times per week. If I'm going to say no to the status quo, that means I need to kick it up a notch.

One of the purposes for this site is to share what God is doing in my life and in the ministries that I'm privileged to be a part of. God is certainly more active in my life than 2 times per week. So, I'm going to attempt to carve out more time to share what's going on and what God is teaching me. I pray that as you read my musings, you too will be encouraged to be more intentional about sharing Christ with those in your sphere of influence.

I believe that God is getting ready to do something really crazy at NewSpective Church. Our partners are stepping up, giving time, volunteering to serve, giving money and taking steps to make our Easter Launch a reality. Our current series of talks called, "Facing the Giants" is really going to stretch us to prepare our fields to receive all that God has for this valley. The "Free Movie" night on February 10th is going to be a great opportunity to start creating some buzz in the community. More about that event in a week or so.

NewSpective, the next few months could get totally out of hand!!! And that's a great thing!!!!

Stay tuned. Who knows what might happen next.

G3,

Gas and Go!

2008-01-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

Wednesday morning was my first day back to work. I'm working my "day job" at the Mars Snack Food national office in Hacketstown, NJ. (They make M&M's there).

Anyway, having been off for 10 days over the holidays, I had not driven my car much at all. So, I went to get in my care to drive to NJ and the fuel light was on. You know, the one that says, "you better get gas soon or you'll be walking." Anyway, I was frustrated because I didn't know I was low on gas, I didn't plan on getting gas, so I hadn't allowed time to stop. As I headed to NJ I got to Tatamy and saw the gas station sign. The price was $3.15 for regular.

I began to have an argument in my head. Do I stop now and be sure I have enough gas to get to work or do I try and make it over the NJ border to Belvidere where I know the prices is better. Well my wallet won out and I passed right by the gas station and continued on my way. I watched the gas gauge dangerously approaching the big "E." I continued to rationalize the price savings and tried to calculate the distance to Belvidere and convince myself that at 27-30 mpg I should make it there OK. As I crossed the bridge and pulled into the gas station I was relieved. First the price was $2.89 (that's 26 cents less per gallon) and second, I made it to the fill up.

Isn't that the way our spiritual walk is as well. We get filled up, at church, during quite time with God, while listening to some music, reading a book, seeing a sunset, etc. . . and then Life hits. We get caught up in the "stuff" of life and before we know it, the gas light comes on, we're running on fumes and we didn't even realize we were getting low. We start to hope and pray that we can make it to the next filling station, the next church service, the next quiet moment to reconnect with God, the next second in our day when we can talk with God and get some insight, energy or strength. When we finally do and God in His faithfulness meets us and rejuvenates us, we smile a quick sigh of relief that we Made It. We gas up and get going all over again.

What's really awesome is that God is faithful. He does fill us. Every second as we need it. We don't have to risk waiting to cross the boarder or for the next church service. We don't have to try and determine what's the best option. We simply need to lean on Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to live though us and fill us with His Power.

Gas and Go, every moment and see what God does.

G3

What's In Store?

2008-01-01T23:29:00.000-05:00

January 1, 2008. I can't believe another year has come and gone. Like many of you, this time of year brings to mind many questions:

Where did last year go?
Why didn't I accomplish all I set out to accomplish?
What's in store for the coming year?
Will I be better off one year from now or not?

And for most of us the answers aren't easy to find. One year ago we all had plans. We had things we wanted to do, places we wanted to go, people we wanted to help, work we wanted to do and many more. Then along came . . . Life! We got busy just trying to keep up and before we knew it, the Summer had come and gone and Christmas was right around the corner.

So, here we find ourselves on January first of a new year and the same goals, thoughts, hopes and prayers are circling in our minds.

I believe 2008 is going to be an incredible growth year for me personally and for NewSpective Church. I don't have all the answers to all of the "new year" questions. I don't know if goals will be accomplished, I don't know if every need will be met, I don't know if loved ones will all survive the year or not. I don't know what God has in store for NewSpective Church. However I do have one answer. I can say with the utmost certainty that we will be better off one year from now, if we stay connected to God, through Jesus Christ each and every moment of each and every day. I believe it's impossible to walk through an entire year with God as the leader and guider of our lives and not be better off.

NewSpective Church, this year is going to be one of the most challenging and life changing years of your lives. God's getting ready to do something really powerful here in the Lehigh Valley and I believe that NewSpective Church is going to be right in the middle of it all.

We may not have all the answers but we have the God of the universe as our guide. So, this year is going to ROCK!

I can't wait to get started.

G3,

Christmas Reflections

2007-12-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas is almost over. It's almost midnight on December 25th. As I sit alone, the house is quiet, the family is in bed and I can relax, reflect and post some thoughts.

It's amazing how in just one year, life can change dramatically. One year ago tonight, I got a phone call from Tucker, that he and Cherie were on their way to the Hospital to receive their 2nd gift from God, their son Tait. It was about 1:00am on December 26th (if I recall correctly) that I received a text message and then had a phone conversation with Tucker that Tait was born and mom and son were doing fine. However, it's been almost a month since I've had the opportunity or made the time to even speak with these friends.
One year ago, I was working with one of the most excited and committed ministry teams on the plant. We were experiencing growing pains but God was working in some mighty ways. The church was growing, people were coming to Christ and following God's command to be baptized. Today, one year later, all of that is changed. God moved some of us on to other ministries posts amidst pain, heart ache and even some broken relationships. While I may not understand God's ways or timing, I do trust Him and know that He has all of us in the palm of His hand.
In the past year, God has continued to stir in my heart the passion to reach the Lehigh Valley for Him. I thought that would be in an established church with a growing staff, completed building and committed volunteer teams. However, God has decided that my role will be with a core group of committed people and a new church start. Again, I may not understand God's ways or timing, but I do trust Him and know that He has our new church in the palm o f His hand.
A year ago I was on the full time staff of a growing ministry, helping to carry the vision and lead the staff and ministry teams to carry out God's plan. Today, I'm "building tents" for a candy company in NJ and leading a team of people to dramatically, radically change the Lehigh Valley for Christ.

While I know what the last year has brought, I have no idea what the next year has in store. However I do know that God is in control, Jesus is alive and well and the Holy Spirit is directing my path. With that team of three leading the way, it's going to be an amazing year. It may not go as "I" would like but God has me in the palm of His hand and . . . I'm OK with that.

G3

WOW: Unsafe Places?

2007-12-19T07:15:00.000-05:00

Perry had a great post today.

Read it here if you dare!

G3

Deer Xing

2007-12-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

I met with some leaders tonight from NewSpective Church. We met at Wegmans, grabbed something to drink and spent some time reflecting on the past couple of weeks and making some plans for January, February and Easter. Several people couldn't be there but it was a good meeting.

On my way home I drove West on 248 into Nazareth, like I've done a million times before. All of a sudden, I looked up and there in the middle of my lane was a deer. He was just standing there minding his own business like I was in his way. I hit the breaks, swerved into the on-coming lane and avoided Mr. Deer and the on-coming traffic.

My heart was racing a bit faster than normal as I said to myself, "that was close." But then I thought, "no it wasn't. God had it in control the whole time." I think sometimes it's easy to go through near deer experiences and not recognize that God has every little detail in the palm of His hand. I'm not trying to be super spiritual but I'm simply acknowledging that I need God every moment and guess what . . . He's there every moment.

G3

Do We Trust God?

2007-12-13T23:43:00.000-05:00

I was sitting in a meeting this morning and looked out the window to see some of the largest snowflakes I've ever seen in my life. They looked like little pancakes. As I watched the snow fall God brought this story to mind.

I can just image what the Israelites must have experienced as their food came down from the sky each morning like snow on a clear day. The obvious question came to mind. . . How much do I trust God? I mean how can you read the account of God providing for the daily food needs of an entire nation and not ask how much you trust God? What's so amazing about this story is that the Israelites had no choice. They had to trust God or they went hungry. Some of them tried to store some food for the next day. Some of them didn't believe that God would provide again. However, when they did not trust God and took matters into their own hands, the food spoiled and was not fit to eat.

So here's a thought. When is God enough for what we need? What do we need to hand over to Him? What area of your life or mine do we finally need to surrender to Him? He is worthy of our trust. He will bring the manna again tomorrow!

Just a Thought.

G3

M & M's and The Church

2007-12-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

As some of you know I've been "Making Tents" by doing some consulting work for Mars Snackfood, the makers of M&M's. I recently discovered that M&M's are the number one selling chocolate candy in the world. That's right. This simple, straight forward candy coated chocolate is number one in the world.

Think about that. Candy coating and chocolate. Just two things and together they are number one in the world. Sure, I know they make several varieties. You've got dark chocolate with candy coating. You've got peanut butter with candy coating. You even have a couple of different nuts. But when you boil it all down it's just two things. Chocolate and the Candy Coating.

Isn't that what the church is supposed to be all about? Loving God and Loving Each other. Just two things.

I know there are many different kinds of churches. You've got churches that are fairly traditional and you've got churches that are extremely contemporary and there are many in between. In fact there are even ones with nuts. But here's the thing. What if churches all across this country and the Lehigh Valley would put aside their
denominational difference, personality conflicts, traditions and histories and simply preach the Gospel? What if these same churches worked together to help people connect with God, through life in Christ and then helped them connect with each other through life in community? What if Christ followers across the valley demonstrated their love for one another rather than trying to compete with each other? What if people far from Christ were able to see the simplicity of life in Christ and were able to understand Loving God and Loving Each.

Maybe it's me but I think that Christ Followers can learn a lot from M&M's. There's a reason why simplicity is number one.

G3

Weekend Reflections

2007-12-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some thoughts from this past weekend. They're in no special order just some random thoughts.

I love my wife! We spent some time together at Starbucks on Saturday and then got a ton of Christmas shopping finished. It was a great afternoon. And productive too!
I never look forward to Christmas shopping but after it's over I now can't wait to see people open their gifts.
Do you think God feels that way? He can't wait for us to accept and open His gift. Jesus!
We had our second gathering as NewSpective Church. It was great to worship together with friends and learn from God's word. I can't wait to see what God has in store for NewSpective Church.
We're looking at some meeting space this week. I pray that God provides us with the ideal location in preparation for our Easter Launch.
Kentucky Fried Chicken is awesome. It may not be the the most nutritious food on the planet, but a couple of extra crispy chicken breasts with coleslaw and biscuits make for an amazing meal.
NewSpective church is starting to create a buzz. Today at Jennifer's work, someone asked her about the new church. How cool is that?
If someone tries to give you a computer with Windows Vista on it, don't hesitate, don't think twice . . . Just RUN as far away as you can. I believe that Vista may actually be a good competitor to Windows ME as the worst operating system on the planet.
I can't wait until our new Mac Book Pro arrives.
My fantasy team won again yesterday. Can you say "Number 2 seed?"

Have a great week.

G3

WOW - God is AWESOME!

2007-12-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

It's 11:15pm. My family is all in bed and I've had the chance to catch my breath and reflect back on the day. It's been a very long day but . . . I wouldn't change a thing.

I wouldn't change waking up to the 6:30 am phone call wondering if the snow was going to stop the first service of NewSpective Church.
I wouldn't change the last minute music change due to our inability to get the drum set to church.
I wouldn't change the fact that the room wasn't ready for us and our fantastic team of volunteers had the chance to do "whatever it took" to enable us to start the service on time.
I wouldn't change the amazing crowd and the positive comments and encouragement of those who are on board with making a dynamic impact on the Lehigh Valley for Christ.
I wouldn't change the look in people's eyes as I talked about the impact that NewSpective Church is going to have on our community this Easter.
I wouldn't change the way our volunteers stepped up and began putting a plan together to make NewKids a reality.
I wouldn't change the fact that Adam and our partners took care of the break down today so that I could connect with people after the service.
I wouldn't change how God showed up and moved through our space this morning.

It was truly awesome to be a part of the first service of NewSpective Church and to be doing ministry with a great group of people. God's going to do something really amazing. I trust Him and believe that we've not seen anything like this before. I can't wait to see what He does next week!

G3

Quick Update

2007-11-30T12:55:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been almost a week since my last post so I wanted to put out an update.

God is doing some really cool things through NewSpective Church and we've not even held a service yet.
Tuesday was a Roller Coaster Ride: We know where we're going to meet . . . we don't know where we're going to meet . . . we know where we're going to meet . . . no that won't work either. In the end Adam located a great place, great environment, great location, and the best rate of any place we looked at. You can check it out here.
In preparation for our gathering this weekend, I realized how much I took Jill for granted.
Why is it that Technology seems to fail when you need it the most?
Why does Dazzle not make the "good" analog video capture card anymore?
Why does Windows Vista exist?
Pray for Emily, she's got Strep Throat and is home sick for the second straight day.
NewSpective Church is generating some buzz but watch NBC Nightly News tonight for a story about a new church plant in North Carolina. The Pastor is Todd and the church is Pine Ridge. It's supposed to be a good story about new churches in America
I'm really excited about the message for this weekend. It's going to be a great start to an exciting journey. You won't want to miss it.

Keepin' It Real

2007-11-23T23:09:00.000-05:00

I've been blogging for a little over a year now. At times I've been very diligent and post several times per week. There have been times when I've gone weeks without any post and times when I've posted several times in one day. There have been times when I've had very few, if any, people read my thoughts and then other times when the hit count seems to go through the roof. During this entire year, the look and feel of StevenWales.com has remained fairly constant.

However, I recently changed the header at the top of my site and I've had some "interesting" comments about the new photo. I've heard everything from "I laughed out loud when I saw it", to an implication that I'm hiding from something because my eyes aren't visible. Over the year I've had people comment on various post. Some people think I'm nuts, some people think I'm too deep, others think I'm not deep enough and the list could go on and on.

The reality is that I maintain this site and post my thoughts for one primary reason. I want those people whom I do ministry with to see my heart. I want you to get to know me. Sometimes I'll post about my family. Sometimes I'll post about seeing God is some strange place. Sometimes I'll post about a sports team I like. Sometimes I'll post about what God is teaching me. Sometimes I'll simply list a bunch of random thoughts and sometimes I'll post about the great taste of a Starbucks coffee.

There will be times when I simply state a thought:

The Buffalo Bills Lost again!
I love my wife!
I don't like Cold Weather!

And there will be other times when I'll post something like today's Starbucks experience.

You see I was in Starbucks (or St. Arbucks as some may call it) today for about an hour and a half. I enjoyed a Venti bold coffee. No cream, no sugar, just straight up bold coffee. When my meeting was over and my coffee was gone, I went home. But for the rest of the afternoon I continued to smell coffee. Apparently the coffee smell had penetrated my clothing and I continued to smell it long after I left the store. It made me think about how a good message or "God Experience" should stay with us long after the service is over or the study is complete. After all, isn't that the point. Shouldn't the God of the universe penetrate our being? Shouldn't the creator of the world, the Son of the living God stick with us all day, every day? I mean coffee is just coffee but God is God!!

I guess my point is this. With my goal being to expose my heart to those I do ministry with, sometimes that will be a heart in change. Sometimes it's a heart that's in a deep place. Sometimes it's a heart that's laughing out loud and sometimes it's a heart that is hurt. However, I pray that it will always be a heart focused on God and running after His purposes.

G3

Just Some Thoughts

2007-11-18T23:47:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Sunday night and it's been a long but really great weekend. Here are some bullet points:

I love our connecting point. These people are real, they care about each other and they're open and honest. I love that!!!!!
Saturday Morning breakfast with potential NewSpective Partners was great. I love talking about what God has placed on my heart and seeing people respond to that.
IKEA is great. Quality stuff, low prices.
How does The Cracker Barrel stay in business? You get a ton of great food and pay very little.
Real office furniture is great. However taking 5 hours to assemble when you don't start until 9:00pm is a real pain in the back.
Attended a Catholic Mass today. It was packed. Standing room only. In fact, 2 rows of people standing in the back. No media, no "creative relevant message", no praise band, no special lighting and a sound system that you could not hear. Makes me wonder how many people "could" be coming.
Snowy Sunday afternoons with Family and Friends is real life!

Brian Sezter put on an amazing show tonight. Being able to experience it with some NewSpective Partners and seeing some other NewSpective Partner's there was the icing on the cake.

My mind is racing with things to do and next steps that need to be taken to advance the vision of reaching the Lehigh Valley for Christ. I have some meetings set up this week and will forward more information as it happens. Stay tuned, it's going to get exciting.

Have a great week.

G3,

What is the Church?

2007-11-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

The dictionary defines "church" as:

The whole body of Christian believers

As we embark on this new adventure, this new local body of believers, I want to constantly keep the above definition in mind. We need to continually remember that it's not about buildings, governmental structure, constitutions, bylaws, denominations, rules, regulations, cultural expectations, styles, preferences or other "models". It's about the people that God is bringing together, to begin a revolution for Christ, right here in the Lehigh Valley. While those other things are all things we may need to deal with and consider. None of them come close to being on the same level of importance as the "people" that are coming together to form NewSpective Church.

It's about helping people, who are far from God, connect with God and Friends. It's about those who already know God to continually live connected to Him and actively help others connect with Him. It's about lives being changed, marriages being restored, families being strengthened, and addictions being broken all because people are authentically Connecting with God and Friends.

Imagine whats going to happen as we focus on this vision and watch what God does.

It's going to be amazing. Not easy, but amazing.

G3

New Birth

2007-11-11T10:37:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of being in the delivery room when both of my daughters were born. It's truly an amazing experience. You've waited, prepared, prayed and "think" you're ready. Then all of a sudden, in a few moments, your world is turned upside down. You're life is never the same and you find yourself experiencing a plethora of emotions.

Fear, excitement, joy, anticipation, apprehension and wonder. You begin asking yourself a few questions: Did we do the right thing? What if I'm not a good parent? What if I drop her? What happens when she gets hurt? What if she grows up and runs away from home? What if she grows up and doesn't like me? What if I screw up and then she's screwed up for life?

Last night I felt very similar emotions. A group of Christ Followers met in a living room and began dreaming about what could happen if God chose to radically revolutionize the Lehigh Valley, right before our very eyes. After several hours of vision casting, questions, discussions and prayer, NewSpective Church was born.

All the details aren't known, all of the people and plans aren't in place yet. However, God is doing something really special and it's amazing to be a part of it. I am feeling fear, excitement, joy, anticipation, apprehension and wonder. I'm asking myself all kinds of questions. But what I do know is that God has ignited a flame and what He desires will come to pass.

It's going to get really crazy, so hang on and enjoy the ride.

G3

I couldn't Have Said It Better Myeslf

2007-11-08T07:15:00.000-05:00

I read a couple of great Blog Posts this week. Rather than try and re-word them or give you my take on then, I thought I'd just link to them both and let them speak for themselves.

1) Steven Furtick: Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC.
Here it is: CLICK HERE

2) Gary Lamb: Pastor of Revolution Church in Canton, GA.
Here it is: CLICK HERE

Enjoy!

G3

Monday Morning Thoughts

2007-11-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend.

Saturday night we spent some time with our Connecting Point. We had dinner together and then watched one of my favorite movies, "Facing the Giants." If you've not seen this movie I highly recommend it. However, I'd also highly recommend buying a couple of boxes of tissues prior to pressing play.

Sunday morning we went with Mark, Heidi and their family to Liquid Church in Morristown, NJ. If you ever get the chance to go and visit Liquid, it will be well worth the trip. Tim and his team have it together and they are seeing lives changed on a regular basis. It was refreshing and awesome to just allow God to speak.

Sunday night we went to Life Church in Allentown to see Lincoln Brewster. It was an awesome evening of worship and connecting with God. The place was packed and Lincoln rocked it.

The weekend was so good that even my Buffalo Bills won. The only downside to the entire weekend was the Colts loosing.

G3

Imagine part 2

2007-10-31T21:32:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago, I asked my readers to imagine a church that was dramatically impacting the Lehigh Valley for Christ. I want to unwrap that thought process over a few more posts. I've chosen to call these posts, "Imagine."

Today, I want to ask you to imagine a church, a community of like-minded Christ followers, who:

Care enough about the people within their sphere of influence to invite them into God's Presence.
Care about the community enough that they are willing to do whatever it takes to reflect Christ to the world.
Care more about those far from Christ than their own preferences.
Care more about living God's word than simply knowing God's word.
Care so much about people far from God that they are willing to look foolish so that other's can meet Jesus.
Care about living out Matthew 22:39 even when those same neighbors have inflicted physical, emotional or spiritual pain on them.

Can you imagine a church that cares so much, no matter the cost?

I believe such a place can become a reality right here in the Lehigh Valley. . . Do you?

G3

Wii the Church

2007-10-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

Recently I read an article about the Nintendo Wii video game console. The article appeared in the June issue of Fortune magazine. I have to say that as I was reading it, I couldn't help but think of the many parallels between Nintendo's marketing philosophy and what the Church should be doing and thinking with regard to reaching the un-churched.

The one quote that really hit me was this:

"We are not competing against Sony or Microsoft. We are battling the indifference of people who have no interest in videogames."

There it was, the focus of the church. We're not competing against other churches, traditions, music styles or rules, we need to battle the indifference of people who have no interest in God and/or Church. We need to keep the Main Thing the main thing and remember that the church's purpose is to reach the un-churched. We need to continually look for ways to demonstrate the relevance or God and His Son in today's world. We need to battle the indifference of people who don't believe that God has any place in their lives.

Imagine a church that stayed focused and was more concerned with those far from Christ than their own likes, dislikes, preferences or comfort.

Just Imagine.

G3

A Visit To Liquid

2007-10-21T22:57:00.000-05:00

We took Patrick, Christa and Noah with us to experience Liquid today. It was about an hour away but well worth the drive time and trip. Tim and his team are doing things right. They reach about 800 people per week in a relevant, contemporary and professional environment. The worship music was powerful, moving and quality. Tim's message was straight up truth and they even handled their little crisis this morning very well.

Liquid is a great example of doing church right. Definitely someone to learn from and spend some time with.

G3

Just Imagine

2007-10-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to pretend we were in a band. I remember playing the keyboard from behind my mother's ironing board. I remember holding a broom or pool cue stick and pretending it was a guitar. I remember taking one of those folding metal student music stands and putting it as high as it could go, with the top folded and pretending it was a microphone stand. I remember imagining that we were playing a big concert before a large crowd.

Maybe you have images from your childhood too. What did you imagine you could be? What did you imagine you could do? What did you imagine could happen if you just put your mind, heart and soul into it?

Why do we seem to loose that imagination as we grow older? We settle into reality. We accept things the way they are. We don't question or challenge anyone or anything. We allow life's circumstances to direct our paths rather than the God given passions within us.

So, here's my challenge. I want you to imagine some things. Don't just read over this list but actually sit down, close your eyes and imagine.

Imagine what the Lehigh Valley would be like if a dedicated group of Christ Followers made a commitment to take this valley for Christ.
Imagine what would happen if God chose to duplicate this story, here in the Lehigh Valley.
Imagine what would happen if a church rose up and began actually living out the "Great Commandment" rather than just talking about it.
Imagine a group of people so committed to reaching the Lehigh Valley for Christ that they were willing to commit time, energy, talents and financial resources to see God move through this valley like never before.
Imagine a church so relevant, so dynamic & so life changing that kids, students and adults couldn't stop talking about Christ and inviting people far from Him to enter into His presence.
Imagine being part of a team that was destined to win and being on the front lines for a God sized miracle here in this valley.
Imagine reaching out to friends, neighbors, relatives, the poor, the afflicted, the widows and orphans with the love of Christ and watching God change their world.
Imagine being used by God to change our families, our neighborhoods and the entire Lehigh Valley in Jesus Name.

I believe God can and will do some amazing things right here in the Lehigh Valley. Do you?

Stay tuned, and . . . Just Imagine.

G3

Here's The Truth

2007-10-17T13:29:00.002-05:00

I've received several e-mails over the past few days questioning my status on the staff of The Carpenter's Church. It seems like the stories, rumors, e-mails and miss-truths have begun. So, it's time to stop the rumor mill and state the truth.

The truth is that as of this past Sunday, October 14, 2007 I am no longer on the staff at The Carpenter's Church. I am told there will be a public announcement at both the 9:00 am and 10:45 am worship services this coming weekend however, I will not be there.

The reason for my departure is fairly straight forward. Over the past few months it has become increasingly clear to me that Pastor Jim and I do not have the same Ministry and Leadership philosophies. There were several leadership and financial decisions made over the past few years that I believe are not in line with scripture and therefore I can not agree with. Recently there have been more questionable financial and ministry decisions. As a result, I can no longer submit myself to this spiritual or leadership authority. These growing differences were making for a tense working environment and so on Wednesday October 10, 2007 we decided as an Elder board that it was best for everyone if I was no longer on the staff. I was informed on Thursday afternoon, that I was to lead worship on Sunday and then have my office cleared out on Monday morning.

So, there you have it. That is the truth and it is consistent with my severance letter that Pastor Jim, Alan Shalosky and I all signed, no matter what you might hear.

I am truly sorry that I did not have the chance to say goodbye to the church and for you to say goodbye to me. Please know that I will continue to pray for The Carpenter's Church. God is not finished with you yet and he is certainly not finished with me either.

God is taking care of the financial and spiritual needs of me and my family. In fact I believe God is giving me a New Perspective about ministry and the church, which I will share here very soon.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or contact me via the e-mail me link above. However, comments on this site are monitored so anonymous comments will get deleted.

G3

Interesting Statistics

2007-10-13T08:29:00.001-05:00

I use Google Analytics to track the number of visits and page views at StevenWales.com. I enjoy analyzing numbers and looking at statistics, so a couple of times each month I log on to Google Analytics and check to see how many people have read my blog.

I have to say that the past 5 days has seen a flurry of activity at StevenWales.com. In fact the number of people checking out this blog has tripled in the past 5 days. What's interesting about this number is that I've not posted a single post in over 2 weeks. I've been fairly silent. However, based on the activity, there seems to be a plethora of people who either think I have something to say or that I should say something.

At this time, the wait will continue. For a little while anyway. However, stay tuned. The Journey is just beginning.

G3

Silence, Listening, Thinking, Dreaming

2007-09-27T08:11:00.000-05:00

It's been over 2 weeks since my last post. I would apologize for that but . . . well . . . I'm not really sorry.

A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks and it's been good to sit back in silence, listen to God, think about what He's teaching me and dream of what He has in store.

I turned 40 last week. While many people did and continue to call me old or make "Old Man" jokes, I don't feel any different than I did at 39. However this mile marker has forced me to think back on my life. What have I accomplished, what has God been able to do through me, what has God not been able to do because of pride or disobedience or distractions. And then there's the big question, What does God have in store for the next 40 years?

I've taken a lot of time, over the past couple of weeks, to really connect with God, plug into Him, ask some hard questions and listen to His response. While He's not laid out the next 40 years, He's starting to put the next couple of steps in front of me. I heard an illustration one time that God's will is like the headlights on your car. They don't illuminate your entire trip, they simply illuminate the next few steps. God is my headlight and is beginning to illuminate my next few steps. I'm excited about the next few steps as well as the next 40 years. As long as I'm connected with God and allowing Him to control the steps, it's going to be a crazy, exciting, challenging and totally fulfilling.

G3

Purse Update

2007-09-12T12:13:00.000-05:00

I just received a call from Emily. The purse has been found and all of it's contents are intact. Another student found it and took it to the Art Room. Praise God. No More Tears.

It was a great learning experience for all.

G3

Reflections

2007-09-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been an interesting 24 hours in the Wales household. I received a phone call yesterday afternoon from Jennifer telling me that our oldest daughter (Emily) had lost her purse at school today.

Well, since that call came in I've seen a lot of tears, called AT&T to disable her phone, seen lots of tears, watched a field hockey game (she won), seen lots of tears, tried to determine where the purse was last seen, lots of tears, tried to determine what all was in the purse (phone, keys, glasses, ID, wallet, money), again lots of tears, tried to explain 7th grade math between lots of tears, calculated the monetary loss if in fact the purse is gone, lots of tears, called several of Emily's friends to see if they saw or heard anything, lots more tears and went and met with the school principal this morning. . . . Still no purse! But lots of tears.

As I reflect on this experience and what lessons can be learned and taught through it, I'm reminded of what the important things are in life. It's not about the possessions we have or the stuff we acquire but about the relationships we form with God, through life in Christ, and the relationship we have with family and friends. My relationship with Emily and how I handle the "lost purse" incident is a million times more important than the cost of replacing the "Stuff" in the purse.

The same is true with our lives. Next week I'll reach a milestone in my own life. I'll be turning 40. As I reflect on that day, I can't help but think about what kind of a difference I am (or am not) making in the lives of family, friends and those around me. Am I living a life that is God honoring, Christ reflecting and Holy Spirit filled? Am I more concerned about what God wants for me and through me than what I want for me?

Perry Noble is the pastor at NewSpring Church in Anderson South Carolina. He had a fantastic blog post today about being "Nice Christian Boys and Girls." I'm going to link to that post below.
HOWEVER, I MUST GIVE YOU A WARNING!

Don't read this post. . . Don't click on it. . . Don't even look at it, unless you are a strong person. Not physically strong but mentally and spiritually strong. If you're comfortable in your life, if you are comfortable attending church on the weekend and then doing whatever you want throughout the week, then don't read his post. Click away, Click away now. He pulls no punches, he tells it like it is and he is leading one of the largest, fastest growing churches in America today. In fact, this past weekend they baptized 562 people on Saturday. He's a leader, he speaks the truth from God's word and he is black and white about how we as "Christ Lovers" should live.

OK, I think I've disclaimed this link enough. If you click on it, you're doing so at your own risk. Good luck and your live may never be the same again.

By the way, if you do click on the link, send me a comment and let me know what God said to you as you read it. Not what your opinion is of Perry or his post but what God said as you read it.

Here's the link. Enjoy!

Setting Sail

2007-09-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

Well, the 30 foot long pirate ship is almost complete and ready to set sail for this weekends launch of "Parents of the Caribbean." We've been working on this series for months and I'm very excited that it's finally here. The advertisements hit the newspapers yesterday, the invite cards have been out for 2 weeks and the messages are getting their final touches.

If you are a part of a family; functional or dysfunctional, then do whatever you need to do to check out either the 9:00am or 10:45am services. In fact, bring a friend or 5 and play your part in their lives.

Where's the Faith

2007-08-28T22:30:00.001-05:00

I've been reading through the book of Acts and recently read chapter 3. As I was reading the first 16 verses God seemed to convict me of my own faith.

In this story, Peter and John are about to enter the temple. They see a lame man outside the temple begging for money. They approach the man and he believes they're going to give him some money. However, rather than give him money, they heal him of a condition that he's had since birth. The man is astonished, as are all of those around him. However, Peter and John are quick to give credit where credit is due. They don't take credit for themselves but give it to God and faith in Jesus.

What's really cool about this passage is that the same Holy Spirit that empowered Peter and John, is the same Holy Spirit that is alive and well and living in us. The problem is that we don't have the faith to really believe in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Imagine what we could do if we truly had the faith of a mustered seed and believed that with the Holy Spirit in us we can move mountains. Imagine if we truly believed that what God did in Acts 2 He could do in Nazareth PA. Imagine if we truly believed that The Carpenter's Church exists to lead the Greater Lehigh Valley to Christ and that God is preparing us to do just that.

God's is working on my faith, how about you? Let's jump in the game, believe that God can do anything and take this Valley for Him.

Who's With Me?

G3

Sunday Night Mind Dump

2007-08-26T21:17:00.000-05:00

What an amazing day! I'm not sure I've ever experienced a service like we had at The Carpenter's this morning. Here are some of my thoughts on the day.

What a powerful worship set this morning. The congregation was singing louder than my ear monitors.
The two highlight songs were "Awesome is the Lord Most High" and Chris Tomlin's version of "Amazing Grace: (My Chains Are Gone)"
We had 9 people prepared to take the next step in their spiritual journey and follow God's command to be baptized.
We then took a cue from Acts 2 and asked anyone who wanted to get baptized to come forward. We were totally blown away as 8 or 9 people came forward and proclaimed their faith in Christ by following Him in baptism. It was one of the most powerful times in the church's history.
Our service was 1 hour and 40 minutes long and no one cared. In fact most people stayed around for a picnic afterward.
Thank you for the entire staff and volunteer team at The Carpenter's. You all rock! You stepped up today. It was awesome.
I'm so looking forward to the Parents of the Caribbean series that starts on September 9th. It's going to be amazing and the 30 foot long Pirate Ship is really cool.

Church, we're going to do what it takes to reach the Lehigh Valley for Christ. It is our focus and God is moving in that direction. Hang on tight because it's going to be a fast and wild ride.

G3

Shout Out to Tony and Renee

2007-08-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Last night Jennifer, Emily and I had the privilege of celebrating the 25 wedding anniversary of Tony and Renee Trinchere. It was a dinner party and a great time to catch up with old friends and celebrate what God is doing in Tony, Renee and their family.

In today's world, 25 years of marriage is amazing. Tony & Renee have reached that milestone with a commitment to God, each other and their family. If you know Tony and Renee, give them a shout out. If you don't, go ahead and visit Renee's web site (she's in real estate) and shoot her a quick e-mail. I know they'd appreciate it.

G3

Wednesday Morning Mind Dump

2007-08-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Wednesday morning and I just realized that I've not posted anything in over a week. So, I thought I'd just do a little mind dump this morning and let you know what's happening.

I was on vacation last week and it's taken me a couple of days to get back into the swing of things.
Water parks, in the middle of the Summer are awesome!
Tim did a great job leading the team and leading the congregation in Worship on Sunday. He has been a great asset to our ministry and he and his family will be greatly missed as they follow God's new opportunity in Chicago.
Tucker brought it on Sunday and lives were changed! We know of at least 2 people who made decisions to walk with Christ.
God is moving through The Carpenter's Church and the "Chase The Lion" series is having some great impact on people's lives.
This weekend is going to be off the charts. Some of us are really going to look foolish. Now that the votes are in, I can tell you that Tucker and Jim will be the first two people in the dunk tanks. :-)
If you ever wanted to see any of our staff get wet, then don't miss this weekend. We'll have (2) dunk tanks going after church. It's going to be crazy.
Make plans now to attend next weekend (the 26th) as well. We're going to celebrate with at least 8 people as they take the next step in their spiritual journey and be baptized. We're also going to do something that day that we've never ever done before in the history of our church. Trust me, you won't want to miss it.
I'm working on my message for this weekend and can't wait to preach it. I love teaching the Word of God and having it come alive in a real and practical way.
I'm also working on my message for September 30th. It's going to be awesome. Mark your calendars, you won't want to miss it.
We're announcing our major Fall Message series this weekend. It will start on September 9th and will be one of the biggest, most impacting series we've ever done. Start inviting people now, it's going to be life changing.

I don't know if anyone cares about the above, but it is what is on my mind this morning.

Discipleship

2007-08-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

I have to say, that the past few weeks here at The Carpenter's has been really exciting. 155elementary and pre-school kidz attended our Avalanche Ranch week. 11 of those kidz gave their lives to Christ. 9 adults have made Jesus the leader of their lives in the past 3 weeks during our weekend services. With 20 people accepting Christ in 3 weeks one question needs to be asked and answered.

"What is the church doing to disciple these people?"

In order to answer that question we must look at what the Bible says about discipleship. In Matthew chapter 28 verses 19-20, Jesus is talking with the disciples and gives them what is called the "Great Commission." He instructs them to "Go and Make Disciples." The King James Version of this verse doesn't use the word Disciple. Rather it says to go and "Teach All Nations." I also like what the Message Paraphrase says; "Go out and Train Everyone You Meet."

You see, a Disciple is really just a student. The American Heritage Dictionary defines disciple as,

"One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another."

As a pastor, I can't force someone to learn about Christ any more than a contractor can force someone to be a student of pouring concrete. The desire to be a student, the desire to learn must come from within. Once the desire is there, then it's my job as a Pastor to teach and provide opportunities for people to learn.

Act 2:42-47 describes the discipleship process that took place after Peter spoke and 3,000 people accepted Christ. If this process worked for 3,000 people, I think it can work for us as well. Here at The Carpenter's, we provide opportunities for discipleship in three different ways.

Weekend Service: Our weekend services provide the opportunity for a student of Christ to be exposed to Worship & Bible Teaching. Acts 2:42 talks about teaching and Acts 2:46 talks about Worshiping together in the Temple. This is exactly what happens each Sunday during our Weekend Services. We Worship together and teach the word of God. It doesn't matter how long you've been a follower of Christ, worshiping together and learning the Word of God together is a vital part of being a Student of Christ.
Connecting Points: We offer Connecting Points or small groups that meet in homes and at the church building throughout the week. It is in our Connecting Points where true community happens. Like Acts 2:42 and the end of verse 46, our Connecting Points provide the opportunity for more teaching, fellowship (hanging out with others), sharing food, prayer & experiencing joy and generosity. It doesn't matter how long you've been a follower of Christ, it is vitally important to learn from others and spend time with others in a small group. Everyone can learn from anyone and a true "Student" understands this concept.
Service: As we serve others, we grow and become more like Christ. Acts 2:46 indicates that they met in homes. That means that someone opened up their home and served their guests. Verses 44 & 45 talk about the people sharing everything they had and selling their "stuff" to take care of those less fortunate. That is Service! Service is also, greeting people as they enter our building, leading a KidZone small group, participating on the v-staff for Ignite, running sound on the weekend, folding programs and much more. As we serve together, we learn from one another and we learn how Christ served. That process of serving continues our education and continues the discipleship process.

You see, no matter if you are a new believer in Christ or have been following Christ for 30 years, the biblical process of discipleship remains the same. Worship, Connect, Serve. As we repeat this process over and over, we grow and become more like Christ. If we're not careful, this process could just change the world.

G3

Ministry Is Not Fair

2007-07-31T21:08:00.001-05:00

I read a blog entry by Tim Steven's from Granger Community Church today. I agree with him 100%. He's right. Ministry is not fair. And that's OK!

Check out Tim's entry here:

Fireworks, Cell Phones, Sundays and Tears

2007-07-23T07:39:00.000-05:00

Saturday night we went to the Nazareth Park with some friends and watched the Fireworks. This was the conclusion of Nazareth Days which is a weekend of block parties, sidewalk sales, special events and vendors throughout the town. It culminates with a big fireworks display that rivals most big cities. It really is awesome.

We try to sit in the outfield of the baseball diamond at the park. They set the fireworks off in the far out field of the park so from our vantage point they explode almost directly over our heads. As I laid on the blanket and looked up at the kaleidoscope of colors in the sky I couldn't help but notice a group of teenagers sitting near by. During the entire fireworks display they were talking with each other, talking on their cell phones, text messaging their friends and seemed to be hardly looking at the beauty all around them. It almost as if the fireworks were simply a distraction to what they came there to do.

Fast forward to yesterday morning. We had an amazing service at The Carpenter's. In fact if you missed it, please get the CD, it will rock your world. From the moment the first song started the Holy Spirit was in the room and moving. The kids from Avalanche Ranch (our VBS program) did a great job singing and doing motions, the praise team led us into God's presence and then Tucker brought it. We are in the middle of the series, "Chase The Lion" and tucker delivered the message on Overcoming Adversity. It was powerful, motivating, thought provoking and total Spirit Filled.

At the end of the service, he gave an invitation for people to accept Jesus as their Savior. We saw one woman stand up and acknowledge her need for Christ. What's interesting about this woman was that she was there just to see her daughter sing the VBS songs and then she was going to leave. She ended up staying the entire service, gave her life to Christ and stood before God and our entire congregation crying. Other people moved out of their seats and comforted this woman, prayed with here, hugged her and supported her. In fact it was one of the best displays of true "Community" I've seen in a long time.

Now, what does yesterday's story and fireworks have in common? Well, I think too often we get caught up in our own interests, focus and priorities and we totally miss the beauty of God in the sunsets, stars, trees, flowers, streams and a new believer putting her faith in Christ for the very first time. We get caught up in the details of "church" and miss the purpose of church. I think sometimes we act as if the move of the Holy Spirit is a distraction to what we came to church for.

The Carpenter's Church won't be distracted from what God has called us to do. We will communicate the best story on the planet to the Lehigh Valley. Hang on tight. As Tucker said yesterday, it's going to be an adventure.

G3

10 More Big Ones!

2007-07-20T10:52:00.001-05:00

Well, it's Friday and Avalanche Ranch is winding down. We've had an amazing week and the kids have had an awesome time. There have been over 140 kids here and they've experienced music, media, drama, crafts, service, snacks, stories and tons of fun.

However, the best part of the week was yesterday's closing session. The story of Jesus was shared clear and straight forward. At then end of the session the kids had the opportunity to accept Jesus as their forever friend. Yes, 10 kids prayed that prayer and accepted Jesus. The applause and "Yee-haw's" were almost deafening and I can't even imagine the party that was going on in Heaven yesterday about 12:00. There were several parents in the room as well.

Tonight we'll host a Family Roundup where the Kids can show their parents what they've learned this week. It's going to be awesome. Come out and have a great time, even if you're child isn't here.

G3

Weekend Recap

2007-07-16T07:17:00.000-05:00

If you were out of town, still in bed, or otherwise not at our weekend service yesterday, you missed a move of the Holy Spirit like we've not seen in a long time. Yes, God showed up in some big ways yesterday

Here are some highlights:

Tucker and the band did an amazing job leading us into God's Presence. If you want/need to know the set list, contact Tucker directly from his site.
As I got up to speak I could feel the Holy Spirit take over and He moved in the room like we've not seen in a long time.
There were about a dozen people standing at the end of the service committing their lives to Christ and to chasing their own lions.
Our congregation stepped up in a big way and committed over a thousand dollars toward helping Holy Fire get back on their feet from their bus fire.
After the service over 30+ people stayed to finish the set up and final prep for Avalanche Ranch which starts this morning.
As of last night we had almost 140 kids registered for Avalanche Ranch and we expect some 30-40 walk-in registrations as well.

Overall, it was a great weekend and all indications are that God's going to continue to move in some amazing ways this week at Avalanche Ranch. Keep praying, keep serving, keep giving and watch God keep moving.

G3

I Wonder?

2007-07-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the Roman Emperor, A.D. 161-180. He was once quoted as saying,

"Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be. Become one yourself!"

I wonder if we waste too much time trying to fix other people, rather than being the best individual we can be?

I wonder if we waste too much time trying to disciple other people, rather than being a disciple and authentic Christ follower ourselves?

I wonder if we waste too much time trying to reprimand other people, rather than taking care of ourselves and taking our concerns to God in prayer?

I wonder if we waste too much time trying to tell others what to do, rather than actually doing the best we can at what God has called us to do?

I wonder if we waste too much time trying to fix our own problems, rather than allowing God to work through us to accomplish His will in His timing.

I don't know about you but I don't want to waste time talking about great souls and how they should be, I want to become one myself and allow Jesus to be reflected in me everywhere and all the time.

I wonder . . .?

Final Thoughts on Chesapeake 07

2007-07-10T13:42:00.000-05:00

Well, it's now Tuesday afternoon and I've had a few days to reflect on last week. In case some of you don't know, I was at Chesapeake 07 last week with about 50 Students and leaders on a missions trip. We took 30+ people from Nazareth, connected with 16 people from Focal Point Church in Corpus Cristi Texas and a half dozen people form Focal Point Chesapeake to spend the week in Chesapeake Virginia.

Here are some final thoughts about the week.

Students can accomplish a ton, when they join together and focus on a common goal. In fact, maybe adults can learn something from this point.
It costs a lot of money to feed 50 people, 3 meals a day for a week.
It takes a lot of gas to move 50 people around for a week.
50 people can distribute thousands of door hangers in a relatively short period of time.
Kids love games and winning prizes. They don't have to be complicated games or expensive prizes but showing a child that they are important, valued and worthy of a gift, goes a long way. Maybe there's something for us adults to learn here as well.
Our staff and students are amazing. We spent 24 hours per day together and didn't have any major issues or concerns. We connected with total strangers and worked together to accomplish our goals. It was great to watch and be a part of.
Photos of the trip will be available soon. Keep checking, IgniteStudents.net.
Fast food, bagels and sandwiches are great . . . but not for every meal for 7 days.
Chevy and Ford vans both get almost exactly the same gas mileage.
Golden Corral is a great place for a quick meal when traveling with 30 people.
My van was fairly quiet most of the way home. I think after very little sleep all week, the students were ready for a nice long drive home.

For the most part, this was a great trip and it will be exciting to see how God uses this trip to change lives in Virginia, Texas and here in PA.

G3

Thursday Morning Thoughts

2007-07-05T09:05:00.000-05:00

OK, it's currently 10:00 am on Thursday morning. Here are some random thoughts (Random because they don't really fit with each other and they are in no particular order).

Our 4th of July started at 6:00am with our departure to Washington D.C.
We arrived in Reston Virginia and distributed about 700 fliers for Reston Community Church.
Finally arrived in D.C. about 2:00pm.
There's a reason that God has me working with Adults
If a storm comes through D.C. on the 4th of July, they close down the National Mall and that puts a ton of people in the Smithsonian.
Trying to sleep while laying on the floor of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is not really that comfortable at all.
If one does not get enough sleep, does not drink enough fluids and walks in the hot, humid weather of D.C. on the 4th of July, there is a 100% chance that they will be taken to the E.R. for dehydration and/or heat exhaustion. (Not to panic anyone in PA, but we did have this happen to one of the students from Texas who are with us)
A one block cab ride, in D.C., on the 4th of July, in a rain storm is very expensive
Watching the fireworks, from in front of the Washington Memorial, on the4th of July, with a few thousand people is really cool.
Not leaving D.C. until 1:00am (after picking up people from the Hospital) puts you back in Chesapeake about 5:00am.
Getting up at 5:00am and getting back in bed at 5:00am makes for a very long day.

It's been a good week . . . But I'm tired.

G3

Monday Night Mind Dump

2007-07-03T00:26:00.000-05:00

OK, so my title is a bit deceptive. I've titled this post, "Monday Night Mind Dump" but really . . . it's currently Tuesday morning about 1:30am. Yes, I just walked in the door at Tally's house and I'm getting ready to turn in. Here are some thoughts from the first full day at Chesapeake 07 with Ignite Students.

I love working with Adults.
Buying food for 50 people, to eat 10+ meals, takes a lot of time, two very full large Sam's club carts and a lot of money.
Today we distributed hundreds of door hangers to promote a "party in the park" tomorrow afternoon and Saturday afternoon. The student's did a great job, stayed together, didn't get lost and there were no cops involved at all.
I love working with Adults
I'm not the best drummer on the planet but I'm better than nothing.
I found out today that there were 3 decisions for Christ Sunday morning at The Carpenter's. Way to go God!!!!!!
Starbucks Coffee is a requirement on any Student Ministry Trip. In fact it should be one of the only requirements. I mean, it needs to be #1 on the list of things to have.
We worked at a house in Norfolk today doing some work and preparing to do a full day of work on Thursday. It's amazing to me, the way some people live. We have been blessed with so much and there are so many people who live with so little.
Relationships are starting to form between our students and those from Focal Point Church, Corpus Cristi, TX. It's kind of cool to see the interaction and see people start to connect as they server together. It's like watching the Body of Christ work.
People had some strange looks for us as we left Sam's Club today.
I love working with Adults!
Headache remedy #1: Take 2 ibuprofen, with 2 slices of pizza and a large coke. Wait about 1 hour and your good as new. Oh, did I mention that it helps to have an empty van too.
Wednesday is going to be a long day. Leaving at 6:00am, travel to D.C., distribute literature for Reston Community Church, watch the fireworks on the mall in D.C. and then travel 3 hours home.
I love working with Adults!
Tim's going to do a great job leading worship at The Carpenter's this weekend. Invite your friends as we launch "Chase the Lion".
It's time for bed. I'm starting to retype almost everything I type or you won't even be able to tell what I'm trying to say.

Have great week and check back often as I'll try to keep you posted.

G3

What A Week!?!?!?!

2007-06-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a long week. I'm speaking tomorrow (I'm really looking forward to that by the way) and so I've been working on my message all week. In addition, we leave tomorrow after church with 30 students and adult leaders for our Ignite Students missions trip to Focal Point Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. Therefore I've had to prepare a ton of graphics and materials that are needed next weekend when I'm not around. Needless to say my weeks' been a bit hectic.

I've felt Satan around me most of the week. You see my message tomorrow is on how to have eternal life. It's a straight forward salvation message and Satan knows it. Every time I went to work on the message I was distracted. It is currently almost midnight on Saturday night and I've just finished wrapping up the details of the message. That's OK though because with everything that Satan has thrown my way this week, I think God's got some big plans in store for tomorrow and this week's missions trip.

Check in often this week as I'll be blogging from Chesapeake and keeping everyone updated on what's going on. You can read Tucker's take on his blog as well.

G3

Nothing More To Say

2007-06-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

WOW!!!

I just read a blog post by Steven Furtick at Elevation Church in Charollete N.C.

Check out the post by clicking here.

I believe he's right! Well, I believe his thoughts are right. I've never actually eaten at Ruth's Chris so I can't verify the quality of the steaks.

G3

Summer Is Here

2007-06-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

I can always tell when Summer has arrived. My kids stay up later, sleep in later and I get up in the morning, get ready and have breakfast by myself.

Summer brings with it warm weather, sunshine, vacations, family events, carnivals, outdoor concerts and all kinds of exciting activities. As we gear up for the Summer here at The Carpenter's we are preparing for the Summer Message Series, "Chase The Lion", that launches on July 8th. This series is going to challenge each person and our church as a whole to:

"Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive SAFELY at Death."

You'll hear more about this new series in a week or so but until then I want to share with you some thoughts that Perry Noble from NewSpring Church shared on his blog today. I echo his statements and believe they should be for The Carpenter's as well.

NEVER be satisfied with where we are!
ALWAYS be thankful for what God has done!
NEVER limit what God can do!
ALWAYS dream big…and take bold steps!
NEVER stop reaching people for Christ!
ALWAYS spend money on ministry!
NEVER let the critics and skeptics silence us!
ALWAYS be willing to make NOISE for Christ!
NEVER forget where we came from!
ALWAYS celebrate where we are going!
NEVER allow creativity to trump Scripture!
ALWAYS show the world how relevant the Gospel is!
NEVER lift up a personality!
ALWAYS lift up the name of Jesus!

I believe The Carpenter's Church should hold true to each of these statements and when we do that, God is going to do some amazing things. I think this is going to be a Summer to remember.

. . . Stay Tuned!

If We Can Just Touch Your Robe?

2007-06-07T07:08:00.000-05:00

I've been fairly quite on my blog for the past couple of weeks. In fact I think it's been about 17 days since my last post. I have to admit, I've been in a little funk. I've kinda stayed below the radar and simply spent some time reading, reflecting and praying. In some respects it's been a good time and in other it's been very frustrating. During those 2 weeks, we've had 2 great services at The Carpenter's.

Chris Hull spoke on the 27th of may and challenged us all about how to handle criticism and keep Jesus in the boat. Speaking as someone who gets criticized a lot, it was a message that God spoke, just for me. This past weekend we launched the new message series "Cars." In my opinion it was one of the most well thought out, well organized, flowing and purposeful services we've ever had. The music, media, message, flow, payers, baby dedications and yes, the Austin Healey on stage all worked together to communicate the difference between an authentic relationship with God through Christ and a rules based religious experience.

However, in spite of these great services, our attendance hasn't been great and our giving is still way down. I've been spending time asking God, "what are we doing that You don't want us to be doing" (or) "what do You want us to do that we're not doing." While I've not received a clear response, I was reading in Matthew the other day and a story that I've read many times, seemed to jump off the page at me.

Matthew chapter 9 verses 19-22: tells the story of a woman who has suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding. Jesus walks by and she thinks, "If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed." She touches His robe, Jesus turns around and when He sees her He says, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well."

I felt like God was telling me, just reach out and touch my robe. Have the tiniest of faith and I'll take care of the rest. Your Faith Will Make You Well!

So, I have some questions. What if we all were able to reach out and touch His robe and believe that by doing this little insignificant act, He would change the world through us? What if we had just a tiny bit of faith and believed that God wants to reach the Greater Lehigh Valley through The Carpenter's Church and then started putting action behind that faith? What if we spent half as much time telling people about Christ as we do complaining about what we don't like in the church?

I don't know about you, but I want to stop playing church, stop accepting mediocre faith, stop allowing Satan to use good people as a distraction to what God is doing and simply reach out and touch his robe. I want to put my tiny grain of faith into action and work with God where He's already working. We've got a big job to do and God is a Big God and I believe He can explode the doors of The Carpenter's in the next 6 months.

Who's ready to go with me??????

Great Day!

2007-05-21T07:25:00.000-05:00

What a great morning we had yesterday!

For the first time in 15 years, the staff at The Carpenter's presented the church vision with video, music, graphics, audio testimony and 6 different communicators at both weekend services. It was awesome to watch people start to "get it." And it was critical to ensure that we are all on the same page, heading in the same direction, with clarity of focus and ready to impact the Greater Lehigh Valley for Christ.

If you weren't here yesterday then order a copy of the service on CD. If you were here yesterday then get ready to rock because we've got some great things lined up for the rest of the year and I can't wait to see what God's going to do in and through this church.

It's been a challenging year so far, but I believe God has been preparing us to move mountains and change the Lehigh Valley in a dramatic way. We've got His vision set. We're not going to back down and we're going to go all out to reach people and share the greatest story ever in the most compelling and creative ways possible.

It's going to be amazing!!!

Preparing for Chazown

2007-05-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

This weekend is going to be amazing! We're going to walk through the Vision or "Chazown" of The Carpenter's Church at both services this Sunday. We presented this same information to the leadership of our church about 2 months ago and so we've decided to bring it before the entire church this weekend.

In the middle of my preparation for Chazown I read a blog entry from my good friend, Tally Wilgis. Tally is the Lead Pastor at Focal Point Church in Chesapeake, Virginia. Tally and I served together at Sonlight Church when I was in Virginia as well. On his blog he wrote the following:

My passion is that we are a church where salvation is a weekly norm, baptisms are a common occurrence, the orphan and widow are cared for and poverty is defeated wherever we see it. The next level for us is to be the church that our city cannot ignore. This church cannot ever be pleased with mere existence. We must rally one another to impact our city with the gospel of Christ.

I'm often guilty however of getting caught up with other things that do not make this passion a reality.

Tally was talking about himself and Focal Point but I couldn't agree with him more. The same passion is here in Nazareth in the Staff and Leadership of The Carpenter's.

If you are a member or attender of The Carpenter's Church, please do whatever you need to do and get to one of our weekend services this week. Please forward this blog post to everyone you know and ask them to come out to one of our services this week as well. It's going to be awesome and you'll see where we are going, why we are going there, what we are doing, why we are doing it, what impact this church is going to have on the community and what part you can play in seeing this vision become a reality.

I believe this could be the tipping point for The Carpenter's Church.

Also, don't be late because the service is jammed packed from start to finish and you won't want to miss a single minute.

FX Was Awesome!

2007-05-15T07:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we launched our first ever, "Carpenter's FX" service. This is where Kids and Parents come together in one service for a "Family Experience" or FX.

For those of you who missed it, let me give you a quick recap.

Started with the Band, Vocalists, Dancers, Actors and entire cast walking through the crowd giving high fives, greeting people and creating an atmosphere of celebration to some kicking loud and bass filled music.
The service included live music, video, drama, stories, confetti, a snake in a can, props, the backdrop of a club house, toilet flushing sounds and more.
The entire FX Event was focused on Honesty and this theme was present from beginning to end.
It was an amazing way for Families to connect with God together in one room, with one theme that they can talk about throughout the week.

We had some great feedback from many people and several have requested that we do something like this again every few months. In addition to all of that, we had the second largest attendance of the year (second only to Easter Sunday). God is doing some really cool things here and it's exciting to be a part of it.

If you want to read what another church did this past weekend, check out what NewSpring church, in Anderson S.C. did. Read it Here!

Don't forget to check back here in a couple of days as I talk about Chazown and what we've got coming up this weekend. You don't want to miss it!!!!!!!!

Ice Hockey and "The Church"?

2007-05-08T09:02:00.000-05:00

Unless you are a die hard Hockey Fan most of you have no idea that the National Hockey League is currently in the Playoffs for their championship, The Stanley Cup.

When I was a kid, I used to follow hockey very closely. We lived in up-state New York (about 3 miles from the Canadian boarder) and the only sports programming we got in the winter time was Hockey. Back then I was a die hard Buffalo Sabers fan. We watched every game we could, I knew the players and followed some of them like rock stars. Over the years my interests changed and I must be honest that I don't really follow it much any more. However, I do know that the Sabers are playing really well and are currently in the hunt for the Cup.

Even if you've never watched an NHL game in your life you've most likely heard of Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky is the greatest hockey player to ever play the game. In 1978, his first season with the Edmonton Oilers he scored 110 points on his way to becoming the rookie of the year. He had four 200-point regular seasons and was a 10-time season leading scorer. This guy knew how to win, knew how to score and knew how to be successful.

Gretzky once said,

"A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."

You see in order to score and have the success that Gretzky had, you can't play in the moment you need to look ahead and be ready for what's coming next.

I think the same thing is true in the church. We can't be successful reaching people, using the same methodology that we used yesterday. We won't be successful reaching people using the same tools that we are using today either. We have to constantly look ahead to where our culture and our community will be and begin taking steps to be prepared to reach people with new technologies, methodologies and tools.

I believe we've got the best and most important message to share. Our methodologies will continue to change and morph and evolve but the truth of Scripture, the truth of the Gospel and the message of Jesus Christ will always remain the same.

If you're on board with a thought process that says, "I'll do whatever it takes to stay ahead of the culture so that we can reach the culture for Christ", then please leave a comment and let me know that you're "On-Board."