Just Imagine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.