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!!

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.

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!!!

Tahoe Baptisms

Trying to get back to the blogosphere...

Today, LifePoint Church held it's 10th annual Tahoe Baptism service. We went up to the lake after church, there was food, lots of folks hanging out and having fun, and laughter filled with joy. Then we gathered by the side of the water and began to sing some worship. It was amazing to watch people's faces as they sang to the God of Creation by the side of one of His most beautiful creations.

Then, after a quick talk, a quick game of 'dunk the pastor,' and some instructions, people started coming forward to be baptized and make a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. I was struck by the way the crowd celebrated and cheered for each one, but what really touched by how special it obviously was to each person being baptized. There were real tears, and shouts of real joy. God has changed these people's lives, and they were ready to celebrate it with their LifePoint family! There were 35 people who went public with their faith today, on a public beach in the most public way. And I am so humbled and blessed to be a witness to it, much less a part of it.

Hours later, people were still milling and talking and laughing and playing on the beach when I packed up my family and started for home. My first Tahoe Baptism, the church's 10th, and such an amazing preview of coming attractions. The fellowship was deep, and the joy was real. So good to be a part of this!!

After I got home, ate some pizza and reflected back on what we experienced today, I am again blown away by God's amazing love and grace. That I get to be a part of a ministry like LifePoint, where God's hand of favor is obviously on us is a blessing beyond words. In a season of transition, while we work to clarify the next steps in the life of this church family, to see and celebrate so much life change is a rare and beautiful thing. All praise to God for His abundant blessings!

I'm going to bed here soon, exhausted from a great day, full of joy for the ministry God is doing, and more excited than ever before about what He has in store for us next!!

Is It Okay To Feel Good?

Just got done with an amazing weekend at LifePoint Church. Some pieces:

• Over 170 women came together for the Beth Moore simulcast. I stopped in to see the crowd, and what an amazing sight. Heard nothing but great comments about the teaching - what would happen if all 300,000 women who were watching around the country started living without insecurities and taught their daughters and sisters how to do the same? I love the thought of that! I'm excited for what's going to happen when the women of the Carson Valley get it going on like that around here!
• We got to celebrate 15 baptisms this weekend! That has to get your pulse pounding! I love seeing the faces of people when they come up out of the water and hear their church family cheer for them, there's nothing like seeing the joy on the faces of people going public with their faith. I LOVE MY JOB!
• I'm hearing that the men's groups are filling up and getting ready to launch new groups. I'm so glad to hear the Spirit moving in the lives of guys, it's always good for the church family when men are getting lined up with God's plan.
• There's a group of people getting ready for their trip to Africa next month. God is already teaching and growing the team as they are preparing to go, and we'll get to pray for them and send them out next week. What I'm really looking forward to is the stories of what God does in them and through them while they're there.
• Invisible Children are going to be here on Wednesday night. I know the youth staff are fired up about having them come, and hearing from one of the child soldiers that was rescued out of that awful situation should be powerful.
• Last but not least: THRIVE is next week! This is my first one, so I'm extra excited. I'll be blogging about that more later, but just know that I'm fired up to learn, grow and see what's working at other churches next week.

So, is it okay if I'm feeling good about what God's up to these days?

I know that there are ups and downs on the journey of following Jesus, but right now, let's ride the high! Let's enjoy the excitement and the energy of the momentum God is building. Let's build on the good that's happening and push out in faith toward what Christ is calling us to next. What do you say?

Breaking The Silence

Okay, I'm back! After an out of town wedding and a couple other trips out of state, I am back to business here at Roof Crashers. There are big things brewing, but I'll get that to you in another post. In the meantime, let me update you on some wins:

• January saw 6 baptisms at FBC!!! Three were in response to Karl's message on baptism, and then more a few weeks later. So good to see people obeying God's clear call to go public with their faith.
• Two Sunday's ago, we talked about generosity, and I put the challenge out for folks to give an offering that very day so that we could send 10% to Haiti to help out after the earthquake. We ended up sending $1000.00!! Sure, we rounded up on the 10%, but I don't think that's going to get us in trouble with God. :)
• Financially, the church is back in the black, and giving is coming up! Keep praying, we want to continue to follow God on the path to His vision for our church, and the generosity of His people is a big part of how we get there.
• One of the baptisms this past month was of a student from the student ministry. The extra cool part: she was led to Christ by one of her friends from here at FBC. Yes, teens leading teens to Jesus. How great is that!?!

We're staying in the Signs of Life series until the end of February, so keep praying and keep inviting your friends to hear about what happens when God's life begins to flow out of our lives.

More later, just getting warmed up!

Still Thankful, Even On Tuesday

The drive home from my parent's house in Oregon seems to get longer every time we're on it, which is a mystery of physics and geography, rolled into the time/space continuum. If it weren't for the many Starbucks along the way, it would only be longer. Some things I'm still thankful for, even five days after the official day of giving thanks:

• My family back home. All are healthy, gainfully employed, growing in Christ and serving in His church. It was great to see everyone, share good news and prayer requests, and be all together for the first time in years. I'm grateful for the legacy of my parent's, and the way my siblings are turning their trials into ministry. It was a good trip.
• My Linfield Wildcats are 11-0! I got the rare privilege of being at a Linfield College playoff game on Saturday (BIG props to my main man, brother-from-another-mother, 'Diamond' Dave Dillon for getting us tickets!!)(okay it was really his mother-in-law Joanne that got us the tickets, but I love saying 'Diamond' Dave...), where my purple-clad 'Cats erased a 14-3 deficit and blew out some team from Texas 53-21. Super fun to be at the scene of so many of my college memories with my kids, my wife, my folks and my friends. Gratitude abounds!
• My wife has a job! I'm about to go pick up a paycheck from Beth at her work. She has a job that pays her real money, and she's doing a great job at it! It's cool to see prayers get answered: we prayed for a job, with benefits, with reasonable hours, with good money, that uses her gifts. BINGO!! God came through!
  
• My kids are growing. Report cards came home before we left, and I'm so glad to see my kids learning to work hard and get rewarded with good grades. Add to that Lego Robotics for Mac and Basketball for Rachel, and the minds, hearts and bodies are growing and being pushed to new heights. Thank God for my kids!
• I belong to a great church! I was glad to hear the reports of a great service while I was gone, to hear that the Project House is being finished, and that ministry continues to happen all over the place. Our Community Groups are growing, our Toddler/Crawler room is ready for it's grand re-opening, and the Christmas Series - Thoughtful Gifts is about to launch! After 118 years of ministry, there's still more to come!
• And did I mention BAPTISMS?!?! We'll be having baptisms on Sunday, Dec. 13, so make plans to be there for that service, and if you're one of those people who are waiting to get baptized, wait no more! Get this thing done before the end of 2009, you'll be glad you did! I'm glad we get to celebrate that important faith step with people!

I guess we don't have to stop being thankful just because we ran out of turkey...

Today Is A Day To Get Excited!!

I'm fired up today, which for a Tuesday, is a special feeling! Here's why:

• Sunday was an amazing worship day! Baptisms are always a great time at FBC, and our two candidates were excited, nervous, and blessed! Their friends and family that they invited were able to see them go public with their faith, and we as their church family got to welcome them with cheering into the family! Can't wait for the next one! (Thank you to everyone who serves, prays and gives to the ministry at FBC, we see the hand of God moving, and it's because of your faithfulness!)
• The message was a tough one for some folks, bringing up some of the struggles and brokenness in some people's lives, but pointing them toward God's grace and healing. Celebrating the forgiveness of Jesus in the elements of communion was a holy moment, especially for those who were connecting that their sexual past is something that God wants to forgive. It was tremendously powerful.
• Monday was an amazing ministry day. Aaron and Janaye Floyd welcomed their brand new son, Issac, into the world, and I got to go see them at the hospital and hold their blessing in my arms for a moment. Love that new baby smell! Big brother Micah has his work cut out for him. It was fun to see both sets of his grandparents in the room and think about the spiritual legacy that Issac will inherit. Generations of Christ followers loving, teaching, modeling and praying for him.
  
• I also had the privilege of standing with a family that Beth and I know as they said goodbye to their husband/brother/friend. A long battle with cancer finally took the life of a warrior. But Jesus was there, the Holy Spirit bringing comfort, and God the Father taking Shane by the hand.
• I'm fired up today with the opportunity to work on my message for Sunday. Finishing up the Beautiful series strong and setting up the next series - 40 Days of Prayer that starts October 4. God has been working through the messages and the conversations that they have sparked. Praise God for the women in the church, and for the women in my life.
  
• The bonus of today is that the staff is having lunch with our Senior Saints! Just a relaxed, no agenda, sit down and touch base conversation at a local restaurant. (Seniors: If you can make it, give the office a call and let us know you're coming before noon. If you can't make it, we'll do it again soon!)

God is working in our midst, and the fruit is getting ripe! Fall is the time of harvest, and we're starting to see some. Can't wait to see where this is all going!!

Why You Should Bring a Friend This Sunday

The deal with church is as simple as it gets: people are more willing to come with someone than they are to come alone, and survey after survey tells us that people would attend church if someone they ALREADY KNOW invited them to come. So if you're fired up about what God is doing in your life, or if you're fired up about what God is doing in our church family, or if you are fired up about the people in your life finding forgiveness and a fresh start from Jesus, here's three reasons why you should target this Sunday to invite a friend and bring them with you to FBC:

1. Baptisms - We have three people lined up to get baptized this Sunday!! Three people who have found Jesus and are going public with their faith, three people who have been nurtured and encouraged by our church family, and three people that are ready to celebrate the life change that God is bring in their lives right now! As a church, we do and AWESOME job of celebrating people stepping from death to life, and this Sunday will be no different. Bring a friend to come see the celebration of changed lives!!
2. Grace - the message will be about grace. God's grace in our lives, the amazing, wonderful, powerful, life changing grace of Jesus for all of us who have ever blown it in our lives. The message will be clearly about the forgiveness and restoration that Jesus wants to bring in the lives of people, and your friends who need to know that God loves them and wants to forgive them NEED TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE!! Especially the woman who has something in her past that is haunting her today. God wants to set some people free from the guilt of their past this week. Bring a friend to hear a message of freedom!
3. Jesus will be there!! The truth is, none of the 'events' of the day are more important than the presence of Jesus. The music, the message, even the baptisms are nothing without the living presence of God in the room. And He has promised to be there!! Your friend that needs hope, help or healing in their life needs a touch from Jesus, and the Bible promises that Jesus is there when we gather in His name.
   

I'm fired up about this Sunday! I'm fired up about the lives God is changing, the work He is doing in my life and the lives of others, and whatever surprises He has in store for us along the way. Bring a friend and let them see and hear the truth of God's grace this Sunday. You won't regret it, and maybe someday soon, you'll be the one lighting a candle for them (or even getting to do the dunking!) when Jesus changes their life forever!!

See you Sunday!!