The lyric that keeps running through my head is from the Chris Tomlin version of Joy to the World: "Joy! Unspeakable JOY! An overflowing well, No tongue can tell! Joy! Unspeakable Joy! Rises in my soul, Never lets me go!"
Ever since we started working on our Christmas Eve services, that song has been in my head and heart. Unspeakable Joy! God loves us so much, He wouldn't let us alone. He gave the most expensive, beautiful, amazing, personal, thoughtful gift ever: Jesus! Angels sang because the joy is too much to just say, it had to be sung! The shepherds didn't just listen to the news, they had to see it for themselves. The Magi saw the star and didn't just imagine what it was about, they had to go see the newborn King.
So when people ask why we did six Christmas Eve services, it's simple: it's because we had to. We had to celebrate the gift of love that God gave us in Jesus. We had to share with our community the joy we feel for what God has done and is doing in us. We had to remind ourselves that it's not about us, but about the Best Gift Ever.
We had over 2600 people come to our services the last three days, including an overflow crowd of 800+ for the 4:30 service yesterday. Lots of new faces, lots of folks bringing their friends, neighbors and co-workers to come share the JOY. Such a great turn out has to be the work of tons of Lifers making the effort to invite people. Way to GO!
What I'm most proud of is the amazing group of volunteers who gave of themselves to build the sets, play the songs, usher the crowds, care for the kids, bake the cookies, serve the coffee and cocoa, play the nativity scene parts, dance their legs off, sing their hearts out and generally give of their gifts to celebrate the Gift of Jesus this year. I was so blessed and blown away by the hearts of those who came early, stayed late, sweated the details and gave their best to make the services a great experience for all who came.
To the volunteers: THANK YOU for all you gave to make it wonderful! (take the weekend off, you deserve it!!) To the staff: THANK YOU for your incredible servant-leadership. You blessed and blessed, gave and gave. I'm proud to be a part of your team! To all who came and brought friends and neighbors: THANK YOU for making the effort, taking the chance, and filling the house, just like Jesus said to!
Merry Christmas, everyone! May God's Best Gift be yours in fuller and fuller measure this year, and may your hearts be full of Unspeakable Joy!!
12.25.2010
12.20.2010
Just Got Back From Dress Rehersal
So glad we get to rehearse first, because working the bugs out is important, but after our dress rehearsal tonight, I'm excited. We're going to offer six Christmas Eve services at LifePoint Church, and the music, dancing, drama, all of it will be an opportunity to celebrate the gift of God's love in Jesus. And from the shepherds to the singers, the wise men to the tech crew, we're fired up to share God's love with the people who come.
If you are coming to our services, please get there early, bring a friend, sit up close, and be ready to enjoy the celebration! If you can't make it (all my Idaho, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington peeps!), please pray for us! We have an opportunity to share God's love with thousands of people this year, and we want to do our best for God's glory.
It's going to be great, don't miss it! I'll try to blog after each night's services and let you know how it goes.
Merry Christmas, and All God's Best!!
If you are coming to our services, please get there early, bring a friend, sit up close, and be ready to enjoy the celebration! If you can't make it (all my Idaho, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington peeps!), please pray for us! We have an opportunity to share God's love with thousands of people this year, and we want to do our best for God's glory.
It's going to be great, don't miss it! I'll try to blog after each night's services and let you know how it goes.
Merry Christmas, and All God's Best!!
12.14.2010
Giving Myself a Gift This Christmas
I figured out what I need for Christmas. I'm not sure what I want (I want a lot of things, but they are just that... wants. And not many are going to fit in the budget, but that's a post for a different day), but I know what I need.
I need permission.
I have some feelings. I'm a guy, so I have a harder time verbalizing them or even recognizing them, but I recognize the symptoms of having them. I'm feeling those symptoms today, so I know that there are some feelings rattling around in my life.
So I was talking to a friend today, and they said that I needed to give myself permission to feel those feelings. It was the most simple thought, but it was huge for me, an epiphany, "like lightning hit my brain!"
I am going to give myself permission this Christmas to feel my feelings. I'm going to be okay with having them, with acknowledging them, and with dealing with them. Period. It will be the best present I can give myself this year. Permission to feel? GRANTED! I can feel what it is like to be in a new place for Christmas, what it feels like to miss my friends, what it feels like to want to be with my family and know that I can't. I can feel anticipation for Christmas and the little nervousness of wanting to do well my first time at LifePoint Church on Christmas Eve. I can feel the awkwardness of new friendships and the distance of old ones. I give myself permission.
I was reminded that emotions and feelings are all over the Bible, even among leaders of God's people. So I'm in good company. Moses, David, Jeremiah, even Jesus had feelings. Mary was scared, so the angel said, "Don't be afraid." Peter got mad, Paul got frustrated, and on down the list. We all have feelings.
Do you need permission to feel this Christmas? It's okay, give yourself the gift of feeling your feelings. Then, each time you do, say a prayer and ask God to show you if there is bitterness, or fear, or unforgiveness or something else under those feelings that needs to be rooted out and dealt with. Because the greatest gift you could give yourself is the freedom that comes from allowing God's help into your life to deal with difficult emotions, feelings and situations.
This Christmas, enjoy the gift of feeling. Feel all of it: the wonder, the love, the grace, the amazement of the gift of Jesus Christ. Feel it all. Take it all in, and give great thanks to the giver of all good gifts.
I need permission.
I have some feelings. I'm a guy, so I have a harder time verbalizing them or even recognizing them, but I recognize the symptoms of having them. I'm feeling those symptoms today, so I know that there are some feelings rattling around in my life.
So I was talking to a friend today, and they said that I needed to give myself permission to feel those feelings. It was the most simple thought, but it was huge for me, an epiphany, "like lightning hit my brain!"
I am going to give myself permission this Christmas to feel my feelings. I'm going to be okay with having them, with acknowledging them, and with dealing with them. Period. It will be the best present I can give myself this year. Permission to feel? GRANTED! I can feel what it is like to be in a new place for Christmas, what it feels like to miss my friends, what it feels like to want to be with my family and know that I can't. I can feel anticipation for Christmas and the little nervousness of wanting to do well my first time at LifePoint Church on Christmas Eve. I can feel the awkwardness of new friendships and the distance of old ones. I give myself permission.
I was reminded that emotions and feelings are all over the Bible, even among leaders of God's people. So I'm in good company. Moses, David, Jeremiah, even Jesus had feelings. Mary was scared, so the angel said, "Don't be afraid." Peter got mad, Paul got frustrated, and on down the list. We all have feelings.
Do you need permission to feel this Christmas? It's okay, give yourself the gift of feeling your feelings. Then, each time you do, say a prayer and ask God to show you if there is bitterness, or fear, or unforgiveness or something else under those feelings that needs to be rooted out and dealt with. Because the greatest gift you could give yourself is the freedom that comes from allowing God's help into your life to deal with difficult emotions, feelings and situations.
This Christmas, enjoy the gift of feeling. Feel all of it: the wonder, the love, the grace, the amazement of the gift of Jesus Christ. Feel it all. Take it all in, and give great thanks to the giver of all good gifts.
12.10.2010
It's the Waiting...
I'm excited for this weekend. The second in our Thoughtful Gifts series is coming (aren't you at least a little curious what Frankincense is all about?), the announcement I get to make about the food pantry is so cool, and the song right before the teaching will be...
But it's Christmas, so we have to wait. No peaking! No hints, no pinching the presents, no shaking the packages.
That's one place where Easter and Christmas are so different. Easter is a weekend, perhaps a whole week. Christmas is a season. It is weeks long, even if you have the patience to wait for Thanksgiving to be over before you start. We have a whole season of Christmas, which means a lot of waiting until the big day.
In some churches, they celebrate the waiting with the tradition of Advent, the time right before Christmas, leading up to and waiting for the coming Savior. Can you imagine, celebrating waiting? But we wait at Christmas. We wait through the season to the celebration. We wait to unwrap the gifts under the tree. We wait.
Just like the world waited for a Savior. Just like Israel waited for Messiah. Just like we wait today for the return of our triumphant King of Glory. Waiting isn't my favorite part, but it is a big part of Christmas and following Jesus.
Merry waiting. May the time we spend be time not wasted, but time invested in the now and coming Kingdom of God.
But it's Christmas, so we have to wait. No peaking! No hints, no pinching the presents, no shaking the packages.
That's one place where Easter and Christmas are so different. Easter is a weekend, perhaps a whole week. Christmas is a season. It is weeks long, even if you have the patience to wait for Thanksgiving to be over before you start. We have a whole season of Christmas, which means a lot of waiting until the big day.
In some churches, they celebrate the waiting with the tradition of Advent, the time right before Christmas, leading up to and waiting for the coming Savior. Can you imagine, celebrating waiting? But we wait at Christmas. We wait through the season to the celebration. We wait to unwrap the gifts under the tree. We wait.
Just like the world waited for a Savior. Just like Israel waited for Messiah. Just like we wait today for the return of our triumphant King of Glory. Waiting isn't my favorite part, but it is a big part of Christmas and following Jesus.
Merry waiting. May the time we spend be time not wasted, but time invested in the now and coming Kingdom of God.
12.05.2010
Weekend Wrap
Some thoughts at the end of a great weekend at LifePoint Church:
- I love Christmas! (not news, but I just like saying it!!)
- I love the Christmas platform set! The great volunteers, under the direction of Wanda and with great leadership by Sunny have transformed the platform into a warm and inviting, fun place to share Jesus.
- I loved the worship this weekend! I don't normally look for more banjo in my life, but this weekend's set was both spectacular musically AND deeply worshipful. It can be hard to enter into worship with Christmas songs, but the team did a fantastic job of leading us to do just that.
- I saw the ushers setting up more seats in the back. Just sayin...
- I thought the Spirit was great this weekend, lots of people stepping up to volunteer to help with Christmas Eve services, lots of great conversations, and new faces all over the place.
- Hearing great things about our Home Warmers delivering fire wood and inviting people to church.
- LOVED sharing the Food Pantry stats: 39 families per month, 9 new families per month, and almost 2800 people fed this year. Going to break 3000 with YOUR HELP!!
Alright, I'm done. Heading for bed. God is working, Lives are changing, Jesus is coming!!
12.02.2010
Christmas Time Is Here...
All day, that song from the Peanut's Christmas special is in my head. I've always been a "no Christmas until after Thanksgiving" guy, but this year is different. First, all the prep work for Christmas had to be started on much earlier for me than I'm used to, and second, the constant unpacking of boxes in our house has meant that its felt a lot like Christmas for a while anyway.
One of the boxes we have unpacked is the gift my staff and elders in Pocatello gave us as a going away present. It's a wonderful nativity scene, with wise men and shepherds, cows and baby Jesus. Beth collects nativity scenes, but this one is obviously special to us. The staff each wrote a message on the back of bottom of the characters, and I purposely didn't read them until we pulled the set out this year. I wanted to save some of the joy for later, and now it was suddenly later. It was good to think about my friends back in Idaho, and to remember their generosity and grace to us.
All of Christmas is like that. We spend a lot of time being nostalgic, thinking back to Christmases past, remembering friends and loved ones, sharing thoughts of good times we had. And hopefully, we also spend a little time thinking about the greatest gift we've ever received, Jesus Christ coming to Earth to be our Savior. Maybe, in all the hustle and bustle, above the nostalgia and the memories, we can also take some time to think ahead to the day we get to unwrap the rest of the gift of Jesus, the day we see Him face to face. Maybe in the midst of it all, you and I can find some time to think about what waits for us in the future, too. All the generosity of God's grace isn't contained in the past, or even in the present. There's a future to grace, a future with Christ in Heaven, looking at Jesus the way the shepherds did, singing to Him like the angels did, and touching His had like Mary and Joseph must have in that stable.
Just a Christmas thought to start your month.
One of the boxes we have unpacked is the gift my staff and elders in Pocatello gave us as a going away present. It's a wonderful nativity scene, with wise men and shepherds, cows and baby Jesus. Beth collects nativity scenes, but this one is obviously special to us. The staff each wrote a message on the back of bottom of the characters, and I purposely didn't read them until we pulled the set out this year. I wanted to save some of the joy for later, and now it was suddenly later. It was good to think about my friends back in Idaho, and to remember their generosity and grace to us.
All of Christmas is like that. We spend a lot of time being nostalgic, thinking back to Christmases past, remembering friends and loved ones, sharing thoughts of good times we had. And hopefully, we also spend a little time thinking about the greatest gift we've ever received, Jesus Christ coming to Earth to be our Savior. Maybe, in all the hustle and bustle, above the nostalgia and the memories, we can also take some time to think ahead to the day we get to unwrap the rest of the gift of Jesus, the day we see Him face to face. Maybe in the midst of it all, you and I can find some time to think about what waits for us in the future, too. All the generosity of God's grace isn't contained in the past, or even in the present. There's a future to grace, a future with Christ in Heaven, looking at Jesus the way the shepherds did, singing to Him like the angels did, and touching His had like Mary and Joseph must have in that stable.
Just a Christmas thought to start your month.
11.30.2010
Out Of Context
After a week of stay-cation (and a great celebration of Thanksgiving, coming from my heart full of gratitude for ALL God has done in my life), I got to go to another church last weekend. Pastor Roy Conover was teaching at LifePoint Church, I was on vacation, so I went down the road to another church in the valley to see what was going on there. Saw some cool stuff, heard a message on praising and giving thanks to God, and went home encouraged. God is doing good work in churches in the Carson Valley.
Now, as I write this, I'm in a hotel room in Minneapolis, MN, waiting to meet with Pastor Leith Anderson of Wooddale Church. I'm here with some other leaders from Growing Healthy Churches, a network of folks committed to seeing the message of Jesus spread across our region, our nation and our world. There were seven of us at dinner tonight from very different churches in very different situations and cultures, including one from Napa, CA, and one from Charlotte, NC.
What I love about these types of experiences is how great it is to get out of my own context and see what God is up to in other places. I learn boatloads from pastors in different places, doing different types and styles of ministry. I learn from seeing the place where it happens and, whenever I can, experiencing worship with a church family that is not mine, just to see how they bring their worship to God. Those kinds of "out of context" experiences teach me lots of lessons: I get to see what is going right in other churches, and what answers other wise folks have gotten to the questions of how to love like Jesus in their community. I also get a fresh perspective on my own church family, what we're doing really right and what needs work. If I never go anywhere or experience another church doing the ministry God gave them to do, then I miss out on all that God can teach me in another context.
So if you're out of town on a weekend, let me encourage you to stop in an experience another church family. When we at LifePoint Church do our Thank You Weekend on December 25 and 26, take advantage of that Sunday to go explore what other churches are doing. Don't miss the chance to learn something new, or get a fresh perspective on what God is doing back home in your church. It won't matter if the experience is great or awful, exciting or boring; in the experience, God will have an opportunity to show you something. Take Him up on the offer!
I'll tell you what I learned from this trip later this week. (yep, I'm getting back in the blog habit...)
Now, as I write this, I'm in a hotel room in Minneapolis, MN, waiting to meet with Pastor Leith Anderson of Wooddale Church. I'm here with some other leaders from Growing Healthy Churches, a network of folks committed to seeing the message of Jesus spread across our region, our nation and our world. There were seven of us at dinner tonight from very different churches in very different situations and cultures, including one from Napa, CA, and one from Charlotte, NC.
What I love about these types of experiences is how great it is to get out of my own context and see what God is up to in other places. I learn boatloads from pastors in different places, doing different types and styles of ministry. I learn from seeing the place where it happens and, whenever I can, experiencing worship with a church family that is not mine, just to see how they bring their worship to God. Those kinds of "out of context" experiences teach me lots of lessons: I get to see what is going right in other churches, and what answers other wise folks have gotten to the questions of how to love like Jesus in their community. I also get a fresh perspective on my own church family, what we're doing really right and what needs work. If I never go anywhere or experience another church doing the ministry God gave them to do, then I miss out on all that God can teach me in another context.
So if you're out of town on a weekend, let me encourage you to stop in an experience another church family. When we at LifePoint Church do our Thank You Weekend on December 25 and 26, take advantage of that Sunday to go explore what other churches are doing. Don't miss the chance to learn something new, or get a fresh perspective on what God is doing back home in your church. It won't matter if the experience is great or awful, exciting or boring; in the experience, God will have an opportunity to show you something. Take Him up on the offer!
I'll tell you what I learned from this trip later this week. (yep, I'm getting back in the blog habit...)
11.21.2010
Weekend Wrap
Some thoughts at the end of a snowy weekend at LifePoint:
- Weather or not...: We had a great turn out for the first snow weekend of the year. Saturday night was a lively bunch, and 10:45 was pretty full this morning. 9 AM is a little early for dealing with snow, but for all who made it, God showed up this weekend. Thanks to all who could make it for showing up and bringing your worship!
- Group Sighting: Pastor Mark Marsella had more than two dozen small group leaders meet for training, encouragement, and some vision casting. I poked my head in, and there was great energy, passion and focus in the room. Hearing good things coming out of that meeting, looking forward to God unleashing in our small groups!
- Sporting a 'Tude: Great feedback today from folks about the teaching - lots of folks catching on to the idea that a generous attitude is a part of God's work in us and through us. Can't wait to see how this impacts our church over the next few years. Yeah, I said it, we WILL become the MOST generous church in NEVADA!!
- One More: Next week, Pastor Roy teaches on Gratitude. Lots of great pieces in place for that service, DO NOT MISS IT!!
- Construction Starting: I've been getting updates from Sunny Cain that the Christmas set is starting to come together. There's a LOT of excitement building for our 6 (SIX) Christmas Eve services, and all the great stuff leading up to them. The theme: Thoughtful Gifts. Bring your friends and family to hear about the best gift ever!!
- 'Thank You Weekend': We announced that the weekend of Christmas (Saturday the 25th, Sunday the 26th) we will be honoring our hundreds of volunteers by giving them the weekend off (they will need it after the 6 (six!!) Christmas Eve services). No services that weekend, so our volunteers can spend time with their families. And from all of us to all the volunteers, "THANK YOU!!"
That's all my brain can do right now. have a great Thanksgiving Holiday if I don't see you, and All God's Best to you!
11.17.2010
Catching Up
Okay first, thanks for hanging in and being patient with me. Things have been intense lately, and I haven't had moments to read blogs, much less write one. So, here's the update, and the plan going forward:
After a process that tried my patience to the MAXIMUM, Beth and I were able to purchase a house last month. It's a very nice three bedroom home with a great kitchen, and a back yard full of... potential. It was bank owned, so the yard was abandoned months and months ago, leaving the grass and most of the trees dead. It will be a project for the spring, but some nice folks from church put in new grass in the front yard, so the neighbors like us right away. The house is closer to the church and in a nice neighborhood, close to Rachel's school and Mac's best friends. I just tried out the walking trail this morning, it is in great shape. I, however, am not.
We have spent the last month packing up, moving our stuff over, unpacking and setting up the new house, so workouts and just about anything else has been on the back burner. Other than cheering the SF Giants to the World Series win (while unpacking boxes), there's been little on the 'fun' side of the ledger. I'm so tired of cardboard right now...
Also while all the packing and moving and unpacking has gone on, we've been working on the budget for LifePoint Church. We're changing our fiscal year to start in July, so we're doing a 'mini-budget' for January through June. It's been a challenge to change how we think about budgeting and to try to forecast our congregation's giving going into the New Year. What's the economy going to do here? What's the excitement level going to be for what God is unveiling to us about the future?
The move of placing Pastor Mark Marsella over our small group ministry and take him out of Worship Arts has already paid dividends. We're seeing a huge influx of people wanting to be in groups, and we're praying and looking for leaders to rising to the surface to take on those groups. Mark and Gayle just went to a training event in Stockton this week, so progress and a plan for the future are both being made.
I'm excited about the current series, "Name That 'Tude," and Pastor Roy gets another opportunity to teach in this one. The Christmas series, set design, Christmas Eve services and all that are coming together very nicely right now, and the energy is building. I'm fired up to see what the end of this year and the start of 2011 have in store for us in God's plan.
Okay, that will get you (mostly) caught up. I'm going to try to blog two to three times a week, and we'll see what comes out of it. God is teaching me some great lessons, reminding me of some more great lessons I learned along my journey, and preparing me for more lessons to learn. It's an exciting time, and a time to learn to trust God more and more.
After a process that tried my patience to the MAXIMUM, Beth and I were able to purchase a house last month. It's a very nice three bedroom home with a great kitchen, and a back yard full of... potential. It was bank owned, so the yard was abandoned months and months ago, leaving the grass and most of the trees dead. It will be a project for the spring, but some nice folks from church put in new grass in the front yard, so the neighbors like us right away. The house is closer to the church and in a nice neighborhood, close to Rachel's school and Mac's best friends. I just tried out the walking trail this morning, it is in great shape. I, however, am not.
We have spent the last month packing up, moving our stuff over, unpacking and setting up the new house, so workouts and just about anything else has been on the back burner. Other than cheering the SF Giants to the World Series win (while unpacking boxes), there's been little on the 'fun' side of the ledger. I'm so tired of cardboard right now...
Also while all the packing and moving and unpacking has gone on, we've been working on the budget for LifePoint Church. We're changing our fiscal year to start in July, so we're doing a 'mini-budget' for January through June. It's been a challenge to change how we think about budgeting and to try to forecast our congregation's giving going into the New Year. What's the economy going to do here? What's the excitement level going to be for what God is unveiling to us about the future?
The move of placing Pastor Mark Marsella over our small group ministry and take him out of Worship Arts has already paid dividends. We're seeing a huge influx of people wanting to be in groups, and we're praying and looking for leaders to rising to the surface to take on those groups. Mark and Gayle just went to a training event in Stockton this week, so progress and a plan for the future are both being made.
I'm excited about the current series, "Name That 'Tude," and Pastor Roy gets another opportunity to teach in this one. The Christmas series, set design, Christmas Eve services and all that are coming together very nicely right now, and the energy is building. I'm fired up to see what the end of this year and the start of 2011 have in store for us in God's plan.
Okay, that will get you (mostly) caught up. I'm going to try to blog two to three times a week, and we'll see what comes out of it. God is teaching me some great lessons, reminding me of some more great lessons I learned along my journey, and preparing me for more lessons to learn. It's an exciting time, and a time to learn to trust God more and more.
11.06.2010
Life Update
Hey!
Yeah, this hasn't been my hangout of late, but here's the deal: we've bought a house, we're moving into it, and my life is in boxes. On top of that, some of the heavy lifting work of setting up our future ministry and how it's going to look at LifePoint Church has coincided with this move, so my life is full up with transitions, planning, and unpacking in all directions!!
That said, I'm going to do my best to get back on the blog-waggon here around Thanksgiving, when all this has settled down and we're on the run to Christmas.
Thanks for your prayers and for checking back, and we'll have some great, roof crashing stuff here in a bit.
Blessings,
Bill
Yeah, this hasn't been my hangout of late, but here's the deal: we've bought a house, we're moving into it, and my life is in boxes. On top of that, some of the heavy lifting work of setting up our future ministry and how it's going to look at LifePoint Church has coincided with this move, so my life is full up with transitions, planning, and unpacking in all directions!!
That said, I'm going to do my best to get back on the blog-waggon here around Thanksgiving, when all this has settled down and we're on the run to Christmas.
Thanks for your prayers and for checking back, and we'll have some great, roof crashing stuff here in a bit.
Blessings,
Bill
9.19.2010
Thoughts From The Weekend
I'm very excited by what God's doing at LifePoint Church, and before I fade into my bed tonight, here's a sampling:
- I had dozens of people come find me after services this weekend and tell me they were done 'hiding in plain sight.' Folks were looking for places to serve, connect and show that their relationship with Jesus is real to them. There were expressions of generosity and folks making sure to tell me they were working through their issues to be ready to serve. God promises that His Word will accomplish what He intends. This weekend is proof!
- There were a couple dozen people raise their hands to accept Christ as the Leader and Forgiver of their lives - that NEVER gets old!!
- I am loving the response to the whole No Perfect People Allowed series. From the video (the 'confessional' landed on some folks, for sure!) to the responses afterward, people are hearing from God, and I am fired up to see what He does next!!
- Despite some setbacks this week, our Worship Department created an experience for people to enter God's presence and give Him our full attention. Great job, team!
- We had a group of youth and leaders go to the Thriving Musicians Summit in Roseville, learning and growing in their musical abilities and worship leading. Can't wait to hear how this shows up in our Student Ministries.
And as excited as I am about what's going on right now, I can't wait for the Assessment process to let us know what we're doing well and what needs work. Have you taken the survey yet? In my 'end-of-the-weekend-exhausted' state, I just finished it. It won't hurt a bit, and it will help your church to be more effective in the future, so take a few minutes and get this done.
Taking the day off tomorrow, then right back to another week of making Jesus famous in the Carson Valley!! Goodnight!
9.18.2010
The Week That Was
I love this time of year. Selfishly, it's partly because of my birthday being mid-September, but there are other reasons:
In Sports: Baseball becomes meaningful in late August and into September, with pennant races, playoffs on the line, and late season call ups to see how next years rookies are going to look. Basketball talk starts to warm up and preseason camps will start to open soon. But the most important, like changing event is the beginning of football season! (HALLELUJAH CHORUS!!) My heart beats faster at the thought of pads popping and all the sights and sounds of football. It brings me back to many great memories on the field and in the stands. I. LOVE. FOOTBALL.
In Family: The kids are back in the swing of school, they are connecting with friends, doing homework, getting smarter and finding themselves a bit more every day. I am in awe to see the growth and development of my son as he becomes a young man and finds his way around the world. He's making good friends and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. My daughter is showing off her brains again, accepted into a competitive math team (math? really?), and doing great in school.
In Church: All the ministries that lay dormant over the summer spring back to life: kids midweek stuff, Adult Bible study stuff, Women's ministry stuff... all of is comes back like the flowers in spring, only on the other end of the calendar. I love the energy, the excitement of seeing the life changing message of Christ shared in so many venues. It's invigorating, like the crisp air we are beginning to notice in the mornings.
I love this time of year! It is my absolute favorite. Do you love it, or do you prefer something else?
In Sports: Baseball becomes meaningful in late August and into September, with pennant races, playoffs on the line, and late season call ups to see how next years rookies are going to look. Basketball talk starts to warm up and preseason camps will start to open soon. But the most important, like changing event is the beginning of football season! (HALLELUJAH CHORUS!!) My heart beats faster at the thought of pads popping and all the sights and sounds of football. It brings me back to many great memories on the field and in the stands. I. LOVE. FOOTBALL.
In Family: The kids are back in the swing of school, they are connecting with friends, doing homework, getting smarter and finding themselves a bit more every day. I am in awe to see the growth and development of my son as he becomes a young man and finds his way around the world. He's making good friends and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. My daughter is showing off her brains again, accepted into a competitive math team (math? really?), and doing great in school.
In Church: All the ministries that lay dormant over the summer spring back to life: kids midweek stuff, Adult Bible study stuff, Women's ministry stuff... all of is comes back like the flowers in spring, only on the other end of the calendar. I love the energy, the excitement of seeing the life changing message of Christ shared in so many venues. It's invigorating, like the crisp air we are beginning to notice in the mornings.
I love this time of year! It is my absolute favorite. Do you love it, or do you prefer something else?
9.14.2010
Has It REALLY Been Six Months?
I was asked by the Accountability Team here at LifePoint Church to give a six month overview of our ministry at our last meeting this past Saturday. In all the preparation for it, I rushed past the most important part: I've been on the job here for SIX MONTHS!! In one of those "time/space continuum" issues, it feels both longer and shorter than that for me.
It feels a lot longer than six months because I've really come to love this church, the people here, the staff and the leaders. I am drawn more and more to the calling God has placed in my life to be here and lead this church family, and I keep finding new reasons to know in my heart I'm supposed to be here. The hard things as well as the good things connect me to this place, these people and this ministry. I want more than anything to see this church succeed, to prosper in God's plan, and to make Jesus famous in the Carson Valley.
It feels a lot shorter than six months because I still feel like we just landed. I still miss my friends in Idaho, I still feel like there is so much to see and do in this area, and I still feel like I'm learning at a ridiculous pace just to keep even. I constantly need to ask for a history lesson when ideas, suggestions, or issues come up, so that I don't pass over too quickly what I might need to know to make a good decision even better.
I know I'm not alone in this odd, long-and-short-time conundrum. I'm sure that for some, it feels like I've been here forever, and for others, like I just got here yesterday. I think God must laugh at us humans trying to wrap our minds around time and our perception of it. It must be a much better vantage point to be outside of time, look in, see the beginning and the end simultaneously, and know how it all plays out before it starts. I'm glad to know that God knows all, sees all, and is still willing to walk through the middle with us.
In the middle with you,
Bill
It feels a lot longer than six months because I've really come to love this church, the people here, the staff and the leaders. I am drawn more and more to the calling God has placed in my life to be here and lead this church family, and I keep finding new reasons to know in my heart I'm supposed to be here. The hard things as well as the good things connect me to this place, these people and this ministry. I want more than anything to see this church succeed, to prosper in God's plan, and to make Jesus famous in the Carson Valley.
It feels a lot shorter than six months because I still feel like we just landed. I still miss my friends in Idaho, I still feel like there is so much to see and do in this area, and I still feel like I'm learning at a ridiculous pace just to keep even. I constantly need to ask for a history lesson when ideas, suggestions, or issues come up, so that I don't pass over too quickly what I might need to know to make a good decision even better.
I know I'm not alone in this odd, long-and-short-time conundrum. I'm sure that for some, it feels like I've been here forever, and for others, like I just got here yesterday. I think God must laugh at us humans trying to wrap our minds around time and our perception of it. It must be a much better vantage point to be outside of time, look in, see the beginning and the end simultaneously, and know how it all plays out before it starts. I'm glad to know that God knows all, sees all, and is still willing to walk through the middle with us.
In the middle with you,
Bill
9.09.2010
A Powerful, Peaceful Thought
I am always looking for people who are doing better and smarter work than me so I can learn from them. I listen so I can maybe shave a few extra steps off my journey where possible, and overall grow as a person, leader and pastor. I know that if I am limited to using only my own ideas, not only am I in trouble, but so is my church.
So when I got the opportunity to visit with a prominent pastor (name withheld by request), I took it. A small number of other pastors got to hang with him for a day, pick his brain, watch his process, and basically soak in whatever wisdom, leadership and spiritual growth we could carry away. I learned a great deal in that day, and I'm already putting some of it into practice in my life and in my leadership, but one nugget for sure is worth sharing.
He said that one of the thoughts that he holds onto every day is this: "I have nothing to prove and no one to impress."
Seriously, read that again.
This is an impressive guy. He's got an impressive church. He's doing impressive ministry on a national stage, and making a HUGE difference in his community. But his ministry has been built on this idea. He's made choices to not grow his church as fast as it possibly could grow, in favor of sustainability, sanity and health for him and his staff, volunteers and the rest.
When I took the role of Lead Pastor at LifePoint Church 6 months ago, I realized that I could easily fall into the trap of pushing to 'earn' what I had been given me. Much like grace, sometimes we want to earn what God has freely given us by our own good works, even though the Bible teaches we cannot add anything to what Christ has done for us. As a pastor, it's easy to think to yourself, "I'm saved by grace, but I minister by works" as if God will not love me if I'm not killing myself, over-committing, and burning the candle at both end's and in the middle, too. There's always something to do, always someone to talk to, always one more box to check. But who am I trying to impress with my schedule? What am I trying to prove with my hectic, worried pace? Does it make me a better pastor? A better leader? A better Christ-follower? I don't think so.
Hearing this obviously successful leader admit that he's trying to continue to live by this axiom, and hearing how he succeeds at that most of the time, I was able to take a huge, deep breath of peace. I do not have to impress anyone, either. I don't have to earn what has been given to me. I didn't hear this as a call to be a slacker (Proverbs calls them "sluggards"). Certainly, I must do what I've been called to do, and do it to the best of my abilities. But no more than that. I have no one to impress (meaning if God is happy with me, who else matters?), and nothing to prove (I can't add to what God has done for me, so what else is there?)
I feel like I'm giving my best to God in this new adventure, and I feel like I'm honoring Him with my time. At the same time, I am feeling a peace with myself and my life that can only be explained as supernatural. God is giving me peace, because I'm able to say: I have nothing to prove, and no one to impress.
This thought has layered peace on my heart. I hope it does the same for you.
So when I got the opportunity to visit with a prominent pastor (name withheld by request), I took it. A small number of other pastors got to hang with him for a day, pick his brain, watch his process, and basically soak in whatever wisdom, leadership and spiritual growth we could carry away. I learned a great deal in that day, and I'm already putting some of it into practice in my life and in my leadership, but one nugget for sure is worth sharing.
He said that one of the thoughts that he holds onto every day is this: "I have nothing to prove and no one to impress."
Seriously, read that again.
This is an impressive guy. He's got an impressive church. He's doing impressive ministry on a national stage, and making a HUGE difference in his community. But his ministry has been built on this idea. He's made choices to not grow his church as fast as it possibly could grow, in favor of sustainability, sanity and health for him and his staff, volunteers and the rest.
When I took the role of Lead Pastor at LifePoint Church 6 months ago, I realized that I could easily fall into the trap of pushing to 'earn' what I had been given me. Much like grace, sometimes we want to earn what God has freely given us by our own good works, even though the Bible teaches we cannot add anything to what Christ has done for us. As a pastor, it's easy to think to yourself, "I'm saved by grace, but I minister by works" as if God will not love me if I'm not killing myself, over-committing, and burning the candle at both end's and in the middle, too. There's always something to do, always someone to talk to, always one more box to check. But who am I trying to impress with my schedule? What am I trying to prove with my hectic, worried pace? Does it make me a better pastor? A better leader? A better Christ-follower? I don't think so.
Hearing this obviously successful leader admit that he's trying to continue to live by this axiom, and hearing how he succeeds at that most of the time, I was able to take a huge, deep breath of peace. I do not have to impress anyone, either. I don't have to earn what has been given to me. I didn't hear this as a call to be a slacker (Proverbs calls them "sluggards"). Certainly, I must do what I've been called to do, and do it to the best of my abilities. But no more than that. I have no one to impress (meaning if God is happy with me, who else matters?), and nothing to prove (I can't add to what God has done for me, so what else is there?)
I feel like I'm giving my best to God in this new adventure, and I feel like I'm honoring Him with my time. At the same time, I am feeling a peace with myself and my life that can only be explained as supernatural. God is giving me peace, because I'm able to say: I have nothing to prove, and no one to impress.
This thought has layered peace on my heart. I hope it does the same for you.
9.07.2010
LifeNight at LifePoint
I'm wired and wiped at the same time. We held a night of worship and praise at LifePoint Church tonight, and it was AWESOME! We called it LifeNight: A Divine Appointment, and I think it more than lived up to it's name.
I'm all for any extended time of singing praise and worship, but because I know it's not every one's cup of tea, we don't do it every single week. Personally, I've always enjoyed concerts of praise, sing-a-longs or whatever will allow for a long musical worship experience (I even sang in cantatas back in the day...), so I was pumped for this. But it was more than just the worship music that made it special:
I'm all for any extended time of singing praise and worship, but because I know it's not every one's cup of tea, we don't do it every single week. Personally, I've always enjoyed concerts of praise, sing-a-longs or whatever will allow for a long musical worship experience (I even sang in cantatas back in the day...), so I was pumped for this. But it was more than just the worship music that made it special:
- There was much prayer - Before, all during the preparation, all during rehearsals, from people on the platform and off, there were lots of prayers going up for this event. Then during the event, people willing to pray with folks, folks coming to the steps of the stage to pray, and leaders praying from the platform all made it a prayer concert as much as a musical one.
- One of the best testimony videos I've seen - six Lifers shared their stories of God's redeeming work in their lives. From drug addiction to gangs, from marriage issues to unemployment, the stories were real, raw and relatable. I watched the audience dial into the narratives and no one budged. The gasps as one woman shared that she was healed of a debilitating disease were audible. The joy of a soul set free was infectious. It was the shortest 8 minute video I've ever seen, and it was WORSHIP!! The rescued voices lifting their stories to the glory of God!!
- The sweetest sound ever - The sign of a good meeting/service/event is always the same: how long do people stick around afterward and talk? If everyone bolts right away - fail. If people stay until the last possible moment, wanting to soak in as much of what they experienced as possible - epic win!! Tonight = epic win!! I finally left to take my kids home about an hour after the ending, and there were STILL people talking about what they experienced. The buzz of people talking and sharing, loving and fellowshipping is the sweetest sound at the end of the night.
I'm so proud of the LifePoint team for all the parts and pieces that went into this. This was a big win for the kingdom tonight!! Can't wait to see what comes next!
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