Weekend Update

Okay, after a weekend like this, I couldn't pass up a chance to share the great stuff God is doing at LifePoint Church right now. Too fired up to sleep, so blogging commences:

• Loved the way the crowd responded to Matt Hein and company this weekend in worship! Lots of energetic singing to some juiced up Christmas carols. It can be a challenge to worship to some of the carols, but the arrangements and the spirit of the leaders and the crowd made it a spiritual moment each service!


• Great to hear the response to the picture of Sunny and Jaxon (and Gracie, of course), and to share the joy of that family's new addition, as well and let folks know she's going to be back in February.


• Yes, there was a Josh Uht sighting in our 10:45 service! He, his wife Johanna and his mom Mary were here for a quick visit. If you haven't heard, Josh is our new Worship Pastor, and he's going to be starting in January, so pray for them as they prep for their move here from California.


• Heard great updates about the 12 Ways Of Christmas, SO pumped to hear that we had OVER 400 ORNAMENTS come off the Legacy Tree and turn into presents for people all over our valley. Lots of folks are going to get a gift of love this Christmas, thanks to generous people at LifePoint!


• And the Great School Bakeoff was a hit! 17 schools worth of teachers received goodies and encouragment this week from generous Lifers. NICE!!


• Can't wait to hear the total for the caroling parties this week!


• Lining up for our 5 Christmas Eve services, we've got literally 100's of volunteers ready to share God's love at our services. Can't wait to see what happens there! (Who are YOU going to invite??)


• Hearing a lot of folks taking up the challenges of the these past few weekends to allow God to mess up OUR plans in order to get in on HIS plan which is ALWAYS BETTER!!


• Bonus! Hanging with my small group tonight, we were working on how we can jump in on some more of the 12 Ways Of Christmas and share some love. It's great to be in a group with committed Christ-followers who are willing to get involved!!

Okay, for a blog that wasn't going to fire up again until January - That Looks Fired UP!!!

A reset for the New Year

If anyone is STILL looking at this sight, you have noticed my total lack of attention to this blog. Here's the deal: I've been locked out due to some frustrating interweb stuff (don't want to get all technical on you...), and hopefully I've gotten the bugs out of this now, so we're good to go.

My goal is to start regular blogification in the new year, but for now, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good blog!

Weekend Wrap

A great weekend at LifePoint Church!! Some highlights:

• A solid and lively crowd on Saturday night! That's the LOUDEST I've heard you sing in a while, folks! Glad to see so many there, and new faces, too!


• Saw at least 20-25 people raise their hands during the invitation this weekend. Praise God for people crossing the line of faith!!


• Walked through a small group leader training Pastor Mark was holding on Saturday night, that's so cool! New groups launching here soon, can't wait!


• Speaking of groups, got together with mine after a vacation induced hiatus. Good to catch up and get connected again.


• Hearing great buzz about Tahoe Baptisms! Don't miss it, it was a highlight of last summer, and it will be amazing again this year!


• Our guest worship leader got a lot of positive buzz. More on that down the road.


• Had a lot of folks tell me Pale Rider is a movie with a great portrayal of a tough, good hearted, man's man of a preacher. Yep. Love that movie. Wish there were more like it. With manly, tough, good preachers in them that don't die half way through. (If you missed the teaching this week on What Would Jesus Say About: Cowboys & Aliens, you didn't get this one) :)

Gotta go crash, it's been a long week. Looking forward to what God has next!!

A New Start

This was the week I had intended to have a new "social media strategy" in place, linking up my twitter, Facebook and blog to help me to communicate what God has put on my heart and help me lead, serve and share better. It was all a part of the grand design, waiting until I got my vacation out of the way, and things had settled for a moment before we hit Fall.

When men plan, God laughs.

The past two weeks have been more than what I bargained for in the "get caught up after vacation" department. But now, I believe, we've seen a crest to the wave of 'stuff,' and I can start getting posts up, tweeting and (I can't believe I'm saying this...) regularly updating on Facebook.

I'm going to let you in on a couple of the thoughts that have been rolling in my head the last few months, and then move on forward with the part where my social media opportunities can be used to lead, serve and share better. I'm actually looking forward to it, as much as it has been a hit and miss thing for the last 6 months or so.

I'm taking the advice of CJ Alvarado and Margaret Feinberg, the two of whom spoke at a workshop at the Thrive conference last May. They gave all of us some pointers on the best way to leverage social media for the Kingdom of God and the ministries we've been called to serve. I'm going to try it out, and I'll let you know if it goes.

Meantime, check back here for more regular updates on life, LifePoint, leadership and most importantly, Loving God, Loving People and Leaving a Legacy.

Talk soon,

Bill

Friendship Friday

There's always a lot going on at a dynamic church like LifePoint, but in the midst of it all this week, I had a few moments to savor the gift God has given me of friends. There were several conversations this week, some face to face, some on the phone, some via text or email, that reminded me that I am rich in one of the only measures that matter - I have great friends. I have friends both near and far that love me in spite of who they know I am, who aren't in relationship with me just to get what they can from me, and who are willing to both listen to my life and tell me what I NEED to hear, not simply what I WANT to hear. That is such a blessing. Proverbs 17:17 is a verse I memorized in college (thanks to a friend...), "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Yes, family is supposed to have your back, and I know mine does. But I have lived far from my family for 20+ years, so I have had to rely on friends who are like brothers (and sisters) to me. In the struggles of leading churches, pastors tend to not make friends, or at least not many. I've tried my best not to become jaded by the experiences and stay open to the God-honoring friendships that have come my way. Yes, there have been false friends along the way, and people who pretended to be my friend for the benefit of being close to the pastor, or for the opportunity to try and influence the direction of the church by bending my ear. But after a few rounds of walking through adversity with people, you figure out motives and meanings eventually. I don't always get it right, but I've learned. So this week, when I needed some friends, they were there. This is my tribute to them, and to the ones who I didn't get to talk to, but I know are still there. And to the ones that I have yet to make, but in God's timing and with His grace, I know I will. And to all my friends, I love you, I honor you, and I will continue to try to be there for you, just the way you have been for me.

On the road to Easter

This past week reminded me that Easter is on it's way. Not the Cadbury Egg commercials, not the previews for "HOP" on TV, but the fact that so much is happening at LifePoint Church. Just a few of the challenges/opportunities around here:

• Jeremy and Amy Malekos announcing their departure from our church staff has been a mixed blessing. Of course we're excited for their next adventure, and we know God has something for them in California, but it hurts to see them go after all that they have invested in ministry here. They will be missed, and they do leave a whole that God will need to fill.


• One of our facilities staff, Dave Henry, has also tendered his resignation. He's taking a position at a local coffee roasting plant (and he better get me a tour...). We wish Dave all God's best in his transition, too.


• We're working to hire an administrative assistant in the church office about now, and that process is underway.


• We're still looking for a Worship Pastor, and are hoping to have one this summer.


• We're going to break ground this spring on a solar collection system that Nevada Energy is giving us for FREE that will power our campus almost entirely, giving us a huge cost savings each month.


• We continue to see new people connect to our church, and people in our church connect in small groups, and our small groups connect to serving in the community. NICE!!


• Included in that small group movement is our Senior Thursday group, just getting off the ground, but growing in enthusiasm and momentum.


• We baptized 22 people this weekend, 18 in regular services, and 4 more as a part of Jeremy and Amy getting some 'last chance' opportunities.

That's not even the complete list! There's much more happening around LifePoint, but it all reminds me that while there are hard things, there are also good things that God is doing all around us. And Easter means that we will need to ramp up everything: serving, helping, loving, inviting, giving, and most especially PRAYING!!!

Pray for your church, for the leaders, for the folks who are working to make Easter a special, hope-filled event, and for the thousands of people who will come through our doors looking for hope. Now is the right time to pray, and I hope you'll join in as we follow the road to Easter.

It Will Feel Better (When It Quits Hurting...)

The announcement this week that Pastor Jeremy Malekos will be leaving our staff and taking a position in the power industry in California was greeted with mixed emotions. For some, there is sadness over losing Jeremy and Amy from our staff, and their family from our LifePoint family. For others, the joy of knowing that God has laid out a plan for their lives that will put them in position to continue to serve God, learn and grow, and be better prepared for the next ministry calling God would put on their lives in the future. There are also some feeling confusion about what this means for LifePoint, for our Student Ministries, and for our own personal lives and relationships.

So before we make any other public announcements about this transition, let me say this: we will all need space to process this both mentally and emotionally, so let's give ourselves and each other permission to grieve and walk through this loss. We all will need time to process all that this will mean in our lives and our church, and no one is in a rush to 'just get over it.' We need to move intentionally to deal with all the feelings and aspects of this loss.

A friend of mine used to joke whenever someone stubbed a toe or hit their thumb with a hammer: "It'll feel better when it quits hurting!" That's actually true. It won't feel better before the hurting is done, so you can't rush it. Some things just take time, and as Pastor Roy Conover likes to say, "There's no substitute for time." But when it does quit hurting, when the grief and grieving are past, it will feel better. We will have a fresh perspective on our lives, our church and the steps God has ahead of us, and we will be able to appreciate where we've come and get excited about where we're going.

I just want everyone to know that the leadership at LifePoint is working on the details of moving forward in this transition time, so you don't need to worry about that just yet. Focus on loving the Malekos family through their transition, and then on healthy processing of this whole deal. If you need to grieve, then do so without feeling pressured or rushed. Just walk it through, and let God's wisdom and grace (along with His family, the church) help you through it.

And trust in the promise that God has our church right where HE wants us. It's going to feel better...

Why we own a house

We held the first 'official' event at our home yesterday, and it reminds me of why we bought a house in the first place.

Yes, we've had a few friends over, and yes, we're not counting those as 'official' events, because we just called some folks and invited them to hang out. Yesterday was an Open House for our Senior Adults at LifePoint Church, and we had over 20 people fill up our living room with smiles, conversation and laughter. It was great!! We're launching a new Senior Adult ministry next week (we're looking for a cool name, don't have one yet...), and Beth and I wanted to take the opportunity to invite these precious folk over and let them see us in our 'natural habitat.'

It was great fun to talk to the folks, get to know some new people and enjoy some goodies, but the best part was hearing how they were so excited about where we are going as a church family and how they are looking forward to having their own ministry as Seniors, complete with small groups, Bible study and outreach projects to do. These folks have more experience and more time than working folks, and combined with a real desire to follow God, this is going to be the beginning of something great!!

The whole event reminded me why we own a house: it's a tool to do ministry. We live here, yes, and we raise our kids here, which is a ministry unto itself, but like everything God has given us, it's a tool for Him to use to serve His Kingdom. I love it when we get to enjoy the gifts God has given us with other people, and to use them to see His church grow. Our house is God's house, and His gift to us is a place to live and a base for ministry.

Here's to the good gifts God gives, and the opportunity to use them for Him!

Year One: Transition with a Captital T

This month marks the one year anniversary of my family leaving Idaho, our home for 14 years, and moving to Minden, Nevada, to LifePoint Church and to a whole lot of...transitions. Change is another word, but people don't like it much. Transitions - the moving from one idea/reality/concept/place/way of thinking to another. That's all we've done for a year.

We've sold and bought a house, moved twice, engaged in negotiations about real estate both personally and on behalf of the church, and learned a lot about banking, loans and customer service. Learning is a huge part of transition, because what got you to where you are won't get you where you want to go next.

There's been staff transitions of all kinds, and changes in relationships all around. There's been much growth and learning all around, and I'm very proud of the folks who have engaged in the transition with open hearts and minds to what God is doing here. It's been hard on some folks, and some haven't managed the transitions as well as others. It's the same back in Idaho where we left: some have managed to transition gracefully and others without much grace. People are people, and we deal with the changes in life the best we can. I'm learning that.

I've transitioned my leadership style to fit the new adventure of LifePoint Church (and I'm still learning this one, too!), and I've spent the last year leading a cultural shift, because as I've come to learn recently, "Culture eats strategy for lunch!" (That might be a Peter Drucker quote, no one seems quite sure. I know it's true, whoever said it.) The culture was ready for a change, but had we started with strategy, we'd have been in trouble.

We have even now begun to transition into more strategic initiatives, like our Project 40/40, our attempt to do 40 missional projects in the community in the 40 days before Easter. The buzz is palpable! People are getting into small groups just to be a part of this opportunity to show God's love to our community with no strings attached. It's exciting to hear the projects that our groups are planning, and I can't wait to see where this ends up.

But God has orchestrated all this transition, and the ones that are coming. It has been a wild ride, with ups, downs, spirals and loop-the-loops, but God's hand has been in it all, making the transitions, however challenging, all work into HIS ultimate plan. Praise God in the transitions!

Gratitude Abounds

A weekend to remember: first, after a week of snow and ice, we held our Volunteer Appreciation event, and our staff took the time to thank, encourage and entertain our amazing volunteers. It was so fun to see the smiles and hear the laughter of the folks who do the bulk of the work to move the ministry of LifePoint Church forward. If you missed it... all I can say is... You. Missed. It. If you're someone who likes to laugh until your sides hurt, then you will want to make plans to volunteer this year, and show up next year. And whether you were there or not, let me say it again: thank YOU for all you do to serve Jesus at LifePoint!!

Then, we celebrated our thirteenth birthday at LifePoint church. In 1998, a small group of people, full of God's vision for a church for people who didn't like church, launched Carson Valley Christian Center, now LifePoint. Dr. John Jackson and his wife, Pam, led the charge to launch the new church, and over the past 13 years, God has done AMAZING, life changing ministry. This weekend, Pastor John and Pam were here, and Pastor John taught about having the faith to keep going forward into the next chapter of the future of our church.

I am so excited about this crossroads between our past and our future. The celebration of the current ministry through our volunteers, then a look back and forward this weekend was a great opportunity to stop and reflect on where we are. I'm going to do a couple posts on this, but right now, it's a moment to celebrate and be thankful. Thankful for God's grace, thankful for God's vision, thankful for people like the Jacksons, Conovers and Negrettes listening to God's voice and thankful for God's hand of blessing on LifePoint. I am grateful to God for the people on who's shoulders we stand to see the future. And thank God for the future we have in front of us!

Getting Excited...

Much to be excited about these days, I just need to share:

• LifePoint Church got to celebrate 13 baptisms this past weekend, including three from one family that just started coming in the past few months. So honored to share these milestones with everyone! And Pastor Jeremy got to do three of them, so bonus!!
• Week two of the Restructure series had more people in attendance than week one, which has me fired up! Folks didn't run away from hearing God's wisdom on finances, they came back and brought friends!!
• Speaking of finances, more people buzzing about the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class, can't wait to see what happens when some of THAT wisdom drops on people.
• Children's ministry is bursting at the seams! If you are a family with kids and you attend the 10:45 service, and you can AT ALL jump to 9 am or Saturday night, it would help a bunch if you would, we are getting too full in our kids ministry at that hour.
• Read that last one again... WHAT A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE!!!!
• Hearing buzz about fresh ministry for Senior Adults... stay tuned!!!
• Pastor Mark is telling me we've got 46 small groups in our system, plus a few more that are not yet in the system - look at what God is doing there!!
• Tuesday Nights started up again, and over 80 people were there for worship, groups, classes and recovery. Pastor Roy was fired up, and word is, more folks are coming!
• Cool stuff getting planned for the run up to Easter this spring... you won't want to miss this, trust me!
• Birthday weekend is coming February 19-20, celebrating the 13th birthday of LifePoint, and our founding pastor, Dr. John Jackson is coming back to teach that weekend!! Don't miss it!

And there's more yet to come, because God is stirring things up around here. So thanks again to all who are praying for LifePoint, serving as volunteers, and giving to see God's Kingdom move ahead in this area. It's WORKING!! Keep GOING!!!

Chocolate Vitamins

I have a friend or two that don't like chocolate. I'm not sure how this is possible, but it's true. I can't imagine life without chocolate, and I don't want to. Even with lactose intolerance, I just switched from milk chocolate to dark chocolate and kept going. I love chocolate.

I have learned that taking a regular multivitamin is important for my health, especially my heart, so I'm in the habit of taking one each day. I want to be more healthy and fit in my life, so a vitamin makes sense, and every night before I go to bed is a good time to be sure to take one, so that's when I grab my vitamin.

Encouragement is chocolate vitamins: taste good and it's good for you. Humans work better if they have a regular supply of encouragement in their lives. Normally, they respond positively to it, but some folks will squirm or avoid being encouraged. It's weird, but it happens. Just like people who don't like chocolate: I don't get it, but it happens. Some folks don't want to be encouraged. I believe it's a false, insecurity-turning-to-pride thing some folks get going with, like if I say stop you'll keep telling me how great I am, so... Stop, stop, stop!! But I'm off subject.

People need encouragement. Leaders need encouragement. Pastors need encouragement. Learn how to be an encourager and you'll never run out of friends. I've had the privilege of having some encouragers in my life over the years, and they have helped me survive the pitfalls and pain of serving in church. There are lots of people who will throw a wet blanket on the fire of your passion to serve Jesus, so you need some folks who will stoke that fire instead. If you have discouraging people in your life, find some encouraging people NOW and hang out with them. We all will have folks who want to tell us we'll never make it, we'll never succeed, we're not good enough - everyone has those folks in their lives, so don't try to avoid them all, just avoid being around them all the time. Make sure you're being encouraged (not lied to, encouraged... big difference!), because that will keep you in it when the going gets tough.

If you're a pastor: encourage your people! Find any excuse to tell folks they are doing a good job. They may argue and fight you on it, but it's still the right thing to do. Don't let them think that the only time you talk to them is when something is wrong. Lift them up, charge them up, fill them up with encouragement! Make it a daily habit to encourage someone.

If you have a pastor: encourage your pastor! It's a lonely job, it's a difficult job, and it's one that follows you home most days, so any time you hear encouragement, when you hear someone thinks you're making a difference or doing something well, it's a lift to the spirit, so lift up your pastor! If you got something out of a message, let them know! If you heard something good in the community about your church, let them know! If you were blessed by something they said or did, let them know! You will have a better pastor for it! It's good for their heart.

And encouragement works well in other places, too. Husbands: encourage your wife! Catch her doing things that are good and tell her about it! Wives: encouragement works better than nagging for any man I know. Parents: when you encourage your kids, they remember if far longer than the lecture. Kids: when you encourage your parents, you help them see what you want and need from them, and it works better than the silent treatment.

Encourage someone today. Then, do it again tomorrow! Make your world, your church and your family a better place!

Fear, Feelings and Finances

I started a series on finances at LifePoint Church tonight, and it caused a stir. It always does.

I've been a teaching pastor for over 15 years, and it never ceases to amaze me how it creates so much fear in people when we talk about money in church. I've gotten the gamut of responses over the years, which I'll talk about in a sec, but let's start with me.

I used to be so afraid to talk about money. I avoided it for the first few years of my teaching ministry, just out of self-preservation. I was so scared that I would offend someone, make someone angry and they would leave the church, or any number of awful outcomes. So I did what a lot of pastor's do: I stayed away from it all together.

Later, after some conviction from the Holy Spirit and some encouragement from some great church leaders, I started teaching on it, but I kept feeling like I was annoying people with it, like it was a biblical inconvenience, or a necessary evil. But here's where it changed for me: when someone who actually gives spoke up.

A couple friends in church heard me apologize for the upteenth time for teaching on money, and they each separately pulled me aside and told me to stop apologizing. When people get God's plan for money, they said, they will thank you. Don't let anyone rattle you, don't let anyone scare you, and if they don't like hearing about it, remember: it's not about you. God has smart things to say about money, so stand behind God's word and let 'er rip! That was good advice.

So Pastors, if you're worried about teaching on money and what people will think, remember this: smart people will thank you for the help and/or encourage you to keep teaching the truth (in love, that's important!!) no matter what anyone says or does. Listen to some good teachers teach on it, learn from them, and then share God's truth about this touchy subject. I've loved Rick Warren's messages, and Andy Stanley does a great job. Of course, Dave Ramsey is the MAN on this topic, so any of his stuff will help, too. Don't be afraid, get some help, then get after it. Your people are drowning in debt, feeling the pressure, crying when no one is looking, fighting and divorcing over finances. Don't let that continue!!!

For everyone else, hear me say this: ENCOURAGE YOUR PASTOR!!! If he or she is teaching on money, go out of your way to encourage them. It is scarier than it looks, and they need to be reminded that God is with them and you are, too! If you are a committed giver, let them know that they are helping others to get this important part of spiritual growth. If not, then listen, learn and grow, but don't rain on the already difficult work your pastor is doing. Encourage your pastor to take on difficult subjects that have the power to help lots and lots and lots of people, both inside and outside the church. Pour gas on that fire, not ice cubes!!!

God has a plan for money in our lives. Pastors need to talk about it, people need to hear it, and we all need to grow in this area of life and faith.

What a Week!

So, as weeks go, this one was amazing!

I got to talk to a friend from Idaho, encourage him and get some encouragement. That was good.

My beloved Seattle Seahawks won not one, but two games, including a huge playoff win as serious underdogs. That was amazing.

My daughter's basketball team won their first game of the season. That was huge.

My church gave over 940 items, from coats and sweatshirts to gloves and blankets, to give away to folks in need in our valley and maybe even up at Lake Tahoe. I am SO EXCITED about that!!

We learned a lot in the process, and we got to see three dozen volunteers step up to sort, fix, count and bag the gifts. It was amazing to see the whole lot of them across the front of the platform last week, but I got to see the excitement of the folks sorting and fixing zippers. The enthusiasm of folks knowing that they were helping our church to be generous to others, and that we were going to help hundreds of people be warm through that generosity - I could see on their faces how much they were enjoying the experience.

As a pastor, I was blessed, blown away, and fired up for what this means for the future of LifePoint Church. God is moving, I'm so proud of our folks, and can't wait to see where this all goes next. Just a great week!!

Remembering 2010 - Part 2

I've been having this ongoing nostalgia for where I was this time last year, both physically and emotionally, and it got me thinking. For those who are newer to Roof Crashers, this time last year I was in the beginning stages of interviewing for the job of Lead Pastor at LifePoint Church, and was wrestling with God about the call to leave a place I'd been for 14 years as Senior Pastor at FBC Pocatello. It's been a year of constant transition (we've had three home addresses, two moves, and bought one new couch), and like I said, it got me thinking.

Before you move, you should always decide on what goes with you and what you sell, give away, throw away or otherwise leave behind. We did that with furniture, mattresses, clothes, papers, etc... in each move this year. So I was thinking about what I would want to take with me and what I want to leave behind as we moved from 2010 into 2011. When I tweeted about it, I got some good responses. Here's what I've been thinking:

I want to leave behind 5 things:

• My insecurity as a leader - I'm here because I've been called by God, and affirmed by prayerful people. I have nothing to prove and no one to impress. Thanks, Larry Osborne, for that great quote and lesson!
• My fear of failure - I don't have to be right all the time, and I don't have to be perfect. I just need to try my best to hear from God and do what I hear Him say. Failure is a great teacher.
• My 'people pleaser mode' - Moving to a larger church has taught me quickly that there is no room for being a people pleaser. I thought I could please everyone in my life before, but couldn't, and it befuddled me to no end that I couldn't do it. Now, I know I can't do it, so I do my very best, trust God for the results, and leave the people pleasing in the past.
• My resume' - What got me here isn't what's going to get me there, so I need to put aside the 'gold stars' on my past resume' and focus on what I need to learn to move God's church ahead here and now.
• My fantasy job - There is no church with too much money and not enough problems. Bigger isn't better, it's just bigger. It's not worse, it's just bigger. A church is people, and people have both problems and potential. There are more opportunities for both, so don't waste time dreaming of somewhere else, make the Big Dream happen here.

And 5 things I want to take with me into 2011:

• A hunger to know God more - I am more aware of my need for God than ever before, and I want to know and hear and obey more and more the God who holds all things in His hands, who pours out Grace and Mercy from His heart to mine.
• A closer bond with my family - this move has opened up more avenues for the four of us to connect, grow closer and listen to each other. I never want to lose that.
• A deeper respect for the past - both mine and that of LifePoint Church. I see over and over again the amazing work that God did through Dr. John Jackson, his wife Pam and the founding families here at (CVC) LifePoint. This is a hard, hard area to do ministry, but God used them all to break through, and now, ministries across the valley are more effective, while this particular church continues to thrive and lead. This year has also taught me that God has been preparing me for this time, this calling, this place. All the difficult ministry of my past nearly 20 years as a pastor have been preparing and building me to face the challenges of "such a time as this." So humbling to follow a great leader, and to know that God has been preparing me to do just that.
• A deeper appreciation for my friends - the move has helped me to reconnect with some friends, deepen bonds with others, make new friends, and see the value in friendship in a fresh way. Nothing like starting over to show you that you never really start over when you have real friends in your life.
• Special memories - the last weekend in Pocatello, the send off party for the ages, the gift of a beautiful nativity set from my FBC staff, the drive to Minden, the first weekend at LifePoint Church (thanks again to Curt Harlow!!), the first staff meeting, the Easter blackout, the first Tahoe Baptism, the help of the church family to move (again), the amazing Christmas season... just a sampling of what I don't ever want to forget about 2010.

What are you taking/leaving from 2010?