03/31/08 UPDATE
Sunday update - we had 46 (27 adults/19!!!!!!!! children). This is the second-most children we've had. It is extremely taxing on the limited workers that we have. This area is very difficult for us at the moment. We need more workers, but can't just ask anyone to do it. There are also tons of difficult decisions, etc. to make.
There were several exciting things that took place. One is the spirit that is developing among the people. God is building community among them.
For the past several weeks, God has been giving me a renewed emphasis on praying for people to be saved and respond by being baptized. Baptism is a huge challenge for us. In Omaha, the majority of the people have been baptized (since they are Catholic or Lutheran), however, this usually takes place as an infant. It is hard to get them to understand the importance of being baptized after they make a faith commitment. I've hit it hard for two weeks now and yesterday two people indicated that they wanted to be baptized. I know there are several more who are contemplating it.
In addition, the boys started baseball. I decided to help out and have been praying that God will give me opportunities to share the gospel through the people that I will meet. Please pray that God will be present in these practices, give me open doors, and the words to share. I've already had a couple of interesting conversations.
Please pray for:
- Our Community Group meetings (small group Bible studies) that begin this week.
- Our discussions with a prospective worship leader.
- Opportunities to share the Gospel and people to respond.
- People to make their decisions public by being baptized.
- Wisdom for how to work with the children who are coming.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
03/24/08 UPDATE
I hope everyone had a great Easter. We had a pretty good one. I wasn't sure if we would have an increase or decrease from the holiday. A lot of our "regulars" were out, due to going to see family and the flu (please pray for this to break, we have families going through their second bout with it and it takes them out 2-3 weeks). We had 50 (41 adults/9 children). Of those, we had 6 first time guests and several returning for their second, third, or fourth time.
Please pray for us in the coming weeks, because I think it is a very important time. It feels like we have a lot of momentum building, but we can't seem to capture it. On April 6, we are beginning Community Groups (our small group ministry). I think this will help people to get involved in the church, grow in their faith, and build relationships. Until now, this has been a major problem spot for us. Pray that God will help us put all of this together and lead people to get involved.
Please pray for:
- Community Groups - that God will lead people to sign up and participate.
- Worship Leader - I've had some very promising discussions with a guy in town. Pray for wisdom for both of us as we continue in the process.
- Facility - It is about time for us to renew our contract with the Middle School. Please pray that we will be able to continue meeting at Beadle.
- Wisdom - I am working on our leadership structure (Constitution and By-Laws, etc.). Pray for wisdom as I study and put this together.
I hope everyone had a great Easter. We had a pretty good one. I wasn't sure if we would have an increase or decrease from the holiday. A lot of our "regulars" were out, due to going to see family and the flu (please pray for this to break, we have families going through their second bout with it and it takes them out 2-3 weeks). We had 50 (41 adults/9 children). Of those, we had 6 first time guests and several returning for their second, third, or fourth time.
Please pray for us in the coming weeks, because I think it is a very important time. It feels like we have a lot of momentum building, but we can't seem to capture it. On April 6, we are beginning Community Groups (our small group ministry). I think this will help people to get involved in the church, grow in their faith, and build relationships. Until now, this has been a major problem spot for us. Pray that God will help us put all of this together and lead people to get involved.
Please pray for:
- Community Groups - that God will lead people to sign up and participate.
- Worship Leader - I've had some very promising discussions with a guy in town. Pray for wisdom for both of us as we continue in the process.
- Facility - It is about time for us to renew our contract with the Middle School. Please pray that we will be able to continue meeting at Beadle.
- Wisdom - I am working on our leadership structure (Constitution and By-Laws, etc.). Pray for wisdom as I study and put this together.
Monday, March 17, 2008
03/17/08 UPDATE
We had 48 yesterday (34/14). The flu is still going crazy here. We have sick people everywhere. That had an impact on the service, but we still had a good crowd.
There were several really good developments this week:
I talked with one couple who was back for there second visit and they said that they were very interested in the church. I also had coffee with another guy last week who said that they want to plug in and begin serving.
I had been praying about how our church could get involved in service at an early stage, so that it won't feel like its all "about us." A lady called me late in the week because she had seen a special on the local news about a single mom with three kids who lost everything in a house fire. They didn't have renter's insurance, so she is in a really tight spot. God put the family on her heart and she began trying to get people to help. She called to ask if we could help too, so yesterday I had her share with the church. She is participating in the Experiencing God group and it really helped that concept come alive to them. Several people have responded, including one couple who had bought a new set of dishes and decided they weren't exactly what they wanted. They decided to give them to her!
One of the biggest developments is that I met with a prospective worship leader last week. He led for us yesterday and I got great feedback from everyone present. He has a lot of talent, a great voice, etc. but there are also several common areas of philosophy and church direction between the two of us. In particular, there is substantial theological depth on his part, which is exciting to me. I am looking for more than a "singer" but a worship leader - someone who understands God and can help our people see Him, value Him, and surrender to him. We will be continuing to discuss the possibility, so pray that God would lead us.
Also, Easter is coming!!! Pray for us as we make preparations this week. Pray that God will draw people to the service. We sent out a mailer to the area, so pray that people will be receptive to it and respond. Pray that I will preach the gospel empowered by the Spirit and that people will respond. We are praying for 125 and we'll see what happens!
I am also trying to plan for our community group ministry which will start on April 6th. I need wisdom!
We had 48 yesterday (34/14). The flu is still going crazy here. We have sick people everywhere. That had an impact on the service, but we still had a good crowd.
There were several really good developments this week:
I talked with one couple who was back for there second visit and they said that they were very interested in the church. I also had coffee with another guy last week who said that they want to plug in and begin serving.
I had been praying about how our church could get involved in service at an early stage, so that it won't feel like its all "about us." A lady called me late in the week because she had seen a special on the local news about a single mom with three kids who lost everything in a house fire. They didn't have renter's insurance, so she is in a really tight spot. God put the family on her heart and she began trying to get people to help. She called to ask if we could help too, so yesterday I had her share with the church. She is participating in the Experiencing God group and it really helped that concept come alive to them. Several people have responded, including one couple who had bought a new set of dishes and decided they weren't exactly what they wanted. They decided to give them to her!
One of the biggest developments is that I met with a prospective worship leader last week. He led for us yesterday and I got great feedback from everyone present. He has a lot of talent, a great voice, etc. but there are also several common areas of philosophy and church direction between the two of us. In particular, there is substantial theological depth on his part, which is exciting to me. I am looking for more than a "singer" but a worship leader - someone who understands God and can help our people see Him, value Him, and surrender to him. We will be continuing to discuss the possibility, so pray that God would lead us.
Also, Easter is coming!!! Pray for us as we make preparations this week. Pray that God will draw people to the service. We sent out a mailer to the area, so pray that people will be receptive to it and respond. Pray that I will preach the gospel empowered by the Spirit and that people will respond. We are praying for 125 and we'll see what happens!
I am also trying to plan for our community group ministry which will start on April 6th. I need wisdom!
Monday, March 10, 2008
03/10/08 UPDATE
I hate Daylight Savings Time! Seriously, did you burn less oil because we moved the times around? Ok, now I feel better.
We had 35 yesterday (27 adults/7 kids). I know at least one couple slipped in an hour late, asking if we started early:) The flu is also rampaging through Omaha, so we had a ton of people who were out sick. It has gotten so bad here that the Catholic churches were encouraging people to forego the "sign of peace" (or something like that - where they shake hands with one another) and communion.
Please pray for:
- We had our Easter mailer go out. Pray that those who receive it will be open to responding.
- We are planning our Community Groups that will kick off on April 6th. I need wisdom and direction from God as we plan it.
- Pray for God's direction as we plan for the Easter service - as I preach, the worship, and most of all for the Holy Spirit to draw the lost and convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. I feel confident that we will have several people who are not believers and I will be preaching on Jesus as the theme of the Bible.
I hate Daylight Savings Time! Seriously, did you burn less oil because we moved the times around? Ok, now I feel better.
We had 35 yesterday (27 adults/7 kids). I know at least one couple slipped in an hour late, asking if we started early:) The flu is also rampaging through Omaha, so we had a ton of people who were out sick. It has gotten so bad here that the Catholic churches were encouraging people to forego the "sign of peace" (or something like that - where they shake hands with one another) and communion.
Please pray for:
- We had our Easter mailer go out. Pray that those who receive it will be open to responding.
- We are planning our Community Groups that will kick off on April 6th. I need wisdom and direction from God as we plan it.
- Pray for God's direction as we plan for the Easter service - as I preach, the worship, and most of all for the Holy Spirit to draw the lost and convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. I feel confident that we will have several people who are not believers and I will be preaching on Jesus as the theme of the Bible.
Monday, March 03, 2008
03/03/08 UPDATE
As my kids would say, "I'm busted." It means totally worn out. I just got back in town from one of the most incredible weekends of my life, but it sucked the life out of me. We went to Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas for a Global Impact Celebration. Central is assisting us and wanted us to come and get to know their people. We were treated like rock stars from (figuratively speaking, of course) from Friday through Sunday night. We met some of the most incredible people who are fired up for missions and are actively engaged in it.
In addition, we also met some really cool missionaries from other parts of the world. God is an amazing God and He is at work all around us. I was challenged to think bigger for Redeemer Church. Not just get bigger, but have a bigger impact on Omaha, the US, and the world. I'm thinking about how we can involve our people in serving others.
The only down side is that I had a long week preparing to be gone this weekend and followed that up with a very "people intensive" several days. We never really had a moment to sit down without having someone to talk with. I'm an introvert, so I need to go sit in a dark, quiet place for a while to recharge.
Church seems to have gone well, only a few minor glitches. It was cool to see people pick up the baton and run with it while we were gone. We had 53 (38 adults and 15 kids). I'm not sure who all was there, but we had at least one couple that were first time guests and two families that haven't been in a while.
Please pray for:
- Our ability to connect with all of these new people.
- God to continue to send people and connect them with Redeemer.
- Discernment as we try to connect peoples gifts and abilities with the needs in the church.
- Our Easter mailer as it will be going out next week.
As my kids would say, "I'm busted." It means totally worn out. I just got back in town from one of the most incredible weekends of my life, but it sucked the life out of me. We went to Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas for a Global Impact Celebration. Central is assisting us and wanted us to come and get to know their people. We were treated like rock stars from (figuratively speaking, of course) from Friday through Sunday night. We met some of the most incredible people who are fired up for missions and are actively engaged in it.
In addition, we also met some really cool missionaries from other parts of the world. God is an amazing God and He is at work all around us. I was challenged to think bigger for Redeemer Church. Not just get bigger, but have a bigger impact on Omaha, the US, and the world. I'm thinking about how we can involve our people in serving others.
The only down side is that I had a long week preparing to be gone this weekend and followed that up with a very "people intensive" several days. We never really had a moment to sit down without having someone to talk with. I'm an introvert, so I need to go sit in a dark, quiet place for a while to recharge.
Church seems to have gone well, only a few minor glitches. It was cool to see people pick up the baton and run with it while we were gone. We had 53 (38 adults and 15 kids). I'm not sure who all was there, but we had at least one couple that were first time guests and two families that haven't been in a while.
Please pray for:
- Our ability to connect with all of these new people.
- God to continue to send people and connect them with Redeemer.
- Discernment as we try to connect peoples gifts and abilities with the needs in the church.
- Our Easter mailer as it will be going out next week.
Monday, February 25, 2008
02/25/08 UPDATE
I guess we're officially on a roll. Although our numbers dropped back slightly to 62. I'm not exactly sure of the breakdown, but i think it was 49 adults and 13 kids.
Of those, two families came back after last Sunday (which is much trickier than getting them there the first time). We also had two new families who indicated that they are very interested in finding out how to get connected with the church. One of our regular attenders also brought her husband for the first time. There were also several other first time guests.
After church, we went to food court at a local mall for a new school potluck lunch. Everybody got their favorite food and met at one big table. We had 13 people (my crew couldn't make it, jackson has the flu, so they were all at home yesterday). One of the families (of 5) who is really interested in the church stopped by. We had a really good time. God is assembling a pretty cool team.
The growth this month has been incredible (we went from 35 to a high of 72). The result of that is that we have basically had to blow up all of our leadership structures (which were minimal) and start over. There is just no way that a few couples can do all that needs to be done. I spent most of the week planning how to go forward and meeting with people to put these structures into place. This is difficult for me because I have a hard time "making the ask" of people. Please pray for us - that I will ask people to get involved, that they will see and hear how God wants to use them, and that we will put it together as God wants. Pray especially for our children's and small groups ministries.
Also, this week is a bit stressful for me because we will be gone to a missions conference at one of our partner churches this weekend. This will be my first Sunday away so I am working to make sure all the bases are covered. Pray that God will be at work through it - both at church and at the conference.
I guess we're officially on a roll. Although our numbers dropped back slightly to 62. I'm not exactly sure of the breakdown, but i think it was 49 adults and 13 kids.
Of those, two families came back after last Sunday (which is much trickier than getting them there the first time). We also had two new families who indicated that they are very interested in finding out how to get connected with the church. One of our regular attenders also brought her husband for the first time. There were also several other first time guests.
After church, we went to food court at a local mall for a new school potluck lunch. Everybody got their favorite food and met at one big table. We had 13 people (my crew couldn't make it, jackson has the flu, so they were all at home yesterday). One of the families (of 5) who is really interested in the church stopped by. We had a really good time. God is assembling a pretty cool team.
The growth this month has been incredible (we went from 35 to a high of 72). The result of that is that we have basically had to blow up all of our leadership structures (which were minimal) and start over. There is just no way that a few couples can do all that needs to be done. I spent most of the week planning how to go forward and meeting with people to put these structures into place. This is difficult for me because I have a hard time "making the ask" of people. Please pray for us - that I will ask people to get involved, that they will see and hear how God wants to use them, and that we will put it together as God wants. Pray especially for our children's and small groups ministries.
Also, this week is a bit stressful for me because we will be gone to a missions conference at one of our partner churches this weekend. This will be my first Sunday away so I am working to make sure all the bases are covered. Pray that God will be at work through it - both at church and at the conference.
Monday, February 18, 2008
02/18/08 UPDATE
So we show up at church yesterday and people just keep coming in. I didn't recognize most of them. Almost all of them have at least one child in tow (one family had 5 kids and two others had 3 each!). Last week, they filled up the chairs we put out. This week, we added 22 more and they filled those up too. We ended up with 74 people (50 adults/24 children).
Several cool things happened:
I prayed that God would use every means that we had attempted to draw people. We had one family that indicated that they came because they had seen the signs out by the road and had seen our ad on the back of the grocery store receipt. Several came because of the mailers.
Two in particular surprised me - one lady came because of a flier we put in her door this summer. We were advertising a block party. She came and talked to me then. That was June of 2007 and they just came this Sunday! I hadn't even been praying for fruit from that work - I had given up on it a long time ago.
The other surprise was due to the weather. It was not good. It was cold and windy and the morning began with a glaze of ice on everything. On top of that, it started to snow. (FYI, it only seems to snow on Sunday in NE.) I was irritated because people usually don't come out if its snowing. Anyway, we had a family who came this Sunday because the weather was bad and they didn't want to drive across town to another church where they planned to go.
In addition to all the new people, we had several who are "upping their commitment." One family expressed that they really want to get involved. The husband even asked how he could help set up in the mornings. We are also seeing how God is putting the Body together with all the gifts it needs. For example, Sunday demonstrated that we have a huge, tremendous, gaping need for children's workers. We only have children's classes for Kindergarten and under and they were overwhelmed (and most of the kids stayed in the service with their parents). I started asking a few of our regulars if they would be interested in helping and found one that used to work in a Day Care (and loves kids), another couple who used to teach 4 and 5 year old boys (and love working with kids), and another lady who teaches pre-K at a Day Care in town. It is amazing to see God orchestrate His plan.
Please pray for:
- God to give wisdom to those who visited. Many are looking for a new church. Pray that they will be led to Redeemer if that is where they are to belong (and elsewhere if they are not).
- God to continue drawing new people and establishing those who have already come.
- God to give wisdom as we try to put infrastructure together to handle these new people.
- God to send someone to lead worship for us on a permanent basis.
So we show up at church yesterday and people just keep coming in. I didn't recognize most of them. Almost all of them have at least one child in tow (one family had 5 kids and two others had 3 each!). Last week, they filled up the chairs we put out. This week, we added 22 more and they filled those up too. We ended up with 74 people (50 adults/24 children).
Several cool things happened:
I prayed that God would use every means that we had attempted to draw people. We had one family that indicated that they came because they had seen the signs out by the road and had seen our ad on the back of the grocery store receipt. Several came because of the mailers.
Two in particular surprised me - one lady came because of a flier we put in her door this summer. We were advertising a block party. She came and talked to me then. That was June of 2007 and they just came this Sunday! I hadn't even been praying for fruit from that work - I had given up on it a long time ago.
The other surprise was due to the weather. It was not good. It was cold and windy and the morning began with a glaze of ice on everything. On top of that, it started to snow. (FYI, it only seems to snow on Sunday in NE.) I was irritated because people usually don't come out if its snowing. Anyway, we had a family who came this Sunday because the weather was bad and they didn't want to drive across town to another church where they planned to go.
In addition to all the new people, we had several who are "upping their commitment." One family expressed that they really want to get involved. The husband even asked how he could help set up in the mornings. We are also seeing how God is putting the Body together with all the gifts it needs. For example, Sunday demonstrated that we have a huge, tremendous, gaping need for children's workers. We only have children's classes for Kindergarten and under and they were overwhelmed (and most of the kids stayed in the service with their parents). I started asking a few of our regulars if they would be interested in helping and found one that used to work in a Day Care (and loves kids), another couple who used to teach 4 and 5 year old boys (and love working with kids), and another lady who teaches pre-K at a Day Care in town. It is amazing to see God orchestrate His plan.
Please pray for:
- God to give wisdom to those who visited. Many are looking for a new church. Pray that they will be led to Redeemer if that is where they are to belong (and elsewhere if they are not).
- God to continue drawing new people and establishing those who have already come.
- God to give wisdom as we try to put infrastructure together to handle these new people.
- God to send someone to lead worship for us on a permanent basis.
Monday, February 11, 2008
02/11/08 UPDATE
Yesterday was great. We set a new record attendance - 52 (41 adults/11 kids). It was really exciting and encouraging. Just to temper things a bit though, several of those people will not be regulars because they are involved and committed to other works. It was still great to see the seats full and have to think of adding more.
Our Experiencing God had much lower numbers (9) but it was really exciting. There were several stories of God causing people to ask/search for spiritual things.
- One lady said her husband expressed an interest in coming to check things out (after previously saying he had no interest).
- Another guy mentioned studying at a restaurant and praying for a "God encounter." As he was studying, a guy came over and asked what he was reading and they talked about the church, etc.
- Someone else shared that God unexpectedly answered something she had been praying about for several months.
- Another guy had a co-worker come in and say, "So, I've been thinking I want to do this born-again thing."
In short, it was really cool to see God working.
This week, I'd like to ask you to pray for a couple of things. One, I have an incredibly busy week. I am meeting with several people to work on projects related to the church. In addition, I'm trying to finalize the upcoming sermon series. Basically, everything involves brain power from me, so it will be a long and tiring week.
Two, please pray for this coming Sunday. We have a mailer of approximately 10,500 cards going out. I also challenged everyone to give away 10 invitation cards. Pray that God will draw people as a result of this work. Pray too for "God encounters" so that people will be able to invite and share.
Yesterday was great. We set a new record attendance - 52 (41 adults/11 kids). It was really exciting and encouraging. Just to temper things a bit though, several of those people will not be regulars because they are involved and committed to other works. It was still great to see the seats full and have to think of adding more.
Our Experiencing God had much lower numbers (9) but it was really exciting. There were several stories of God causing people to ask/search for spiritual things.
- One lady said her husband expressed an interest in coming to check things out (after previously saying he had no interest).
- Another guy mentioned studying at a restaurant and praying for a "God encounter." As he was studying, a guy came over and asked what he was reading and they talked about the church, etc.
- Someone else shared that God unexpectedly answered something she had been praying about for several months.
- Another guy had a co-worker come in and say, "So, I've been thinking I want to do this born-again thing."
In short, it was really cool to see God working.
This week, I'd like to ask you to pray for a couple of things. One, I have an incredibly busy week. I am meeting with several people to work on projects related to the church. In addition, I'm trying to finalize the upcoming sermon series. Basically, everything involves brain power from me, so it will be a long and tiring week.
Two, please pray for this coming Sunday. We have a mailer of approximately 10,500 cards going out. I also challenged everyone to give away 10 invitation cards. Pray that God will draw people as a result of this work. Pray too for "God encounters" so that people will be able to invite and share.
Monday, February 04, 2008
02/04/08 UPDATE
WE SURVIVED!!! Jackson, Andrew and I made it with mommy out of town. They sure were happy to see her come home. She made it through the mess at O'Hare in Chicago (they got a ton of snow) with only a 42 minute delay. She had a good time, although it was a sad reason to be there. Funerals are odd things, there's a hugh loss, but they often become good "reunions" for the rest of the family.
Sunday was great. We had 34 (25/9). Two of our first time guests from last week came back and brought their families. One brought her husband, the other brought her mom, husband and three kids. They all seemed to really like it and said they planned to back.
We had a Super Bowl party last night. We had fun, although the turnout was low. I guess its a good thing when you have 18 for a Bible study, but only 7 for a football game:) We had fun, but I'll be eating pizza for a looooong time.
I was talking with one of our guests yesterday about how the church started and how it's progressing. As I looked around, it was amazing to see how God has brought people together. Usually, it has been in spite of me and not because of me. God is working! Thanks for your prayers - this is all happening in response to them!
Monday, January 28, 2008
01/28/08 UPDATE
This has been a crazy week. Juanita, Jacqueline, and Leighton left suddenly on Friday to go to TN. Juanita's brother-in-law (Verlin Wheeler) passed away, so they went down for the funeral. Please pray for them. Jacqueline and Leighton will be flying back in on Friday.
I stayed here with the boys and had a crazy weekend trying to juggle everything. The really cool thing was seeing all the people who were willing to help and just do the stuff that was needed. Several people at church just jumped in without even being asked and started getting it all done. At the Bible study, they just grabbed everything that was needed to serve the food, etc. In addition, several people helped me out personally. My neighbors watched Jackson while I took Andrew to a birthday party. Jeff and Kelly took both boys to the zoo on Sunday afternoon while I cleaned up and got ready for the Bible study. It was really amazing to see them all pulling together.
Yesterday went really well. We had 32 (25/7). Of those 25 adults, 4 were first time visitors. I spent a lot of time praying this week that we would have people come from a variety of means - personal invitation, an advertisement we have on the back of a local grocery store receipt, and the signs we put out every Sunday morning. Of those 4 visitors, 1 came from the receipt and 3 from personal invitations.
The Bible study also went well. We had 16. Several people spoke up to share things that God was doing in their lives.
In addition, there are several things that are really coming together for us right now. They all require a great deal of time and planning on my part, so I could really use your prayers in the next few weeks.
- We have a new sermon series starting on Feb. 17th. I'm working to develop advertising, etc. to go with it. I think it will be a big time to draw some new people in. The series will be "Snapshots: Maybe you need to take a second look at Jesus." We are really going to focus on people misconceptions about church and look at Jesus' views on those subjects.
- We are working to put together the strategy for our small group ministry. With the way the Experiencing God group has taken off, several "confirmations" i've received lately, demographic feedback from our area, and my own personal makeup, i think this is going to be a huge part of our ministry. Jeff and I are going to begin working on that this week.
- I also have several guys interested in in-depth training and mentoring. I've got to figure out what to do, how to do it, and where to go with it. I'm really excited about the prospects.
- There are several not fun projects that have to be done, such as drafting by-laws and the constitution.
Thanks for praying.
This has been a crazy week. Juanita, Jacqueline, and Leighton left suddenly on Friday to go to TN. Juanita's brother-in-law (Verlin Wheeler) passed away, so they went down for the funeral. Please pray for them. Jacqueline and Leighton will be flying back in on Friday.
I stayed here with the boys and had a crazy weekend trying to juggle everything. The really cool thing was seeing all the people who were willing to help and just do the stuff that was needed. Several people at church just jumped in without even being asked and started getting it all done. At the Bible study, they just grabbed everything that was needed to serve the food, etc. In addition, several people helped me out personally. My neighbors watched Jackson while I took Andrew to a birthday party. Jeff and Kelly took both boys to the zoo on Sunday afternoon while I cleaned up and got ready for the Bible study. It was really amazing to see them all pulling together.
Yesterday went really well. We had 32 (25/7). Of those 25 adults, 4 were first time visitors. I spent a lot of time praying this week that we would have people come from a variety of means - personal invitation, an advertisement we have on the back of a local grocery store receipt, and the signs we put out every Sunday morning. Of those 4 visitors, 1 came from the receipt and 3 from personal invitations.
The Bible study also went well. We had 16. Several people spoke up to share things that God was doing in their lives.
In addition, there are several things that are really coming together for us right now. They all require a great deal of time and planning on my part, so I could really use your prayers in the next few weeks.
- We have a new sermon series starting on Feb. 17th. I'm working to develop advertising, etc. to go with it. I think it will be a big time to draw some new people in. The series will be "Snapshots: Maybe you need to take a second look at Jesus." We are really going to focus on people misconceptions about church and look at Jesus' views on those subjects.
- We are working to put together the strategy for our small group ministry. With the way the Experiencing God group has taken off, several "confirmations" i've received lately, demographic feedback from our area, and my own personal makeup, i think this is going to be a huge part of our ministry. Jeff and I are going to begin working on that this week.
- I also have several guys interested in in-depth training and mentoring. I've got to figure out what to do, how to do it, and where to go with it. I'm really excited about the prospects.
- There are several not fun projects that have to be done, such as drafting by-laws and the constitution.
Thanks for praying.
Monday, January 21, 2008
01/21/08 UPDATE
Another great week. We had 31 (25/6) at church yesterday. That's our highest since November 4th! We had 4 first time guests, 3 of which I expect to be back (the other is a friend of the worship leader's and came to hear him). It was brutally cold and snowing. i know the morning started at -8 and was up to single (positive) digits by church time:) It was exciting to see that people still came out.
Experiencing God also went well again. We had 18. I think most everyone is keeping up and doing well with it. I know people start falling out about halfway through, but i can't help but get excited when i think of 18 people living out that message. Keep praying for the Spirit to give them insight and perseverance.
I met with an advertising agency last week about some mailers for 2008. I think it will give us the ability to do some really intriguing, catchy advertisting. We'll have to see how the "bid" comes back.
Another great week. We had 31 (25/6) at church yesterday. That's our highest since November 4th! We had 4 first time guests, 3 of which I expect to be back (the other is a friend of the worship leader's and came to hear him). It was brutally cold and snowing. i know the morning started at -8 and was up to single (positive) digits by church time:) It was exciting to see that people still came out.
Experiencing God also went well again. We had 18. I think most everyone is keeping up and doing well with it. I know people start falling out about halfway through, but i can't help but get excited when i think of 18 people living out that message. Keep praying for the Spirit to give them insight and perseverance.
I met with an advertising agency last week about some mailers for 2008. I think it will give us the ability to do some really intriguing, catchy advertisting. We'll have to see how the "bid" comes back.
Monday, January 14, 2008
01/14/08 UPDATE
We had another really great week! Momentum seems to be building again after the holidays.
We had two guy's get-togethers. They gave us some time to hang out and get to know each other better.
The service yesterday went well too. We had 25 (21/4), which is about average lately. The cool thing is that this 25 was very different than the 25 last week. There were also several who are normally there that weren't present either time. The reason I'm excited about that is that it shows we are reaching an ever-growing group of people. Although I would selfishly like them to all show up on the same Sunday so that we can have a bigger group, it's reassuring to know that God is spreading His influence through us to a larger number of people.
One prayer request regarding this is that we have many people who were not regularly attending church that are now beginning to come. We have a group of "churched" people that are there almost every week, but the other group is still making that commitment. Pray for God to continue to mature them and also help us know how to better connect them.
I think the most exciting thing of the day was the Bible study last night. We had 18 adults present. They were packed in our living room like sardines. The scary thing was that it still didn't include everyone. There are at least 4 others that I expect who didn't show up last night due to being out of town, sick, or work. It was encouraging to me but also to those present. I think it helped several people see that things are bigger than they thought. One person who hasn't been at church in several weeks came and asked, "Where did all these people come from?" The study also went well and I think people are learning a lot from it.
One lady shared that she had never been in a Bible study or anything like that before. She said it had been at least 10 years since she even went to church. She lost her husband recently and had committed to start going to church. A friend invited her to come, so she did. She's planning to come to church Sunday as well. It's really incredible to hear all the stories of how God is moving and working in people's lives - particularly ones who didn't think much about God before.
Prayer request from all of this:
- I have a major decision to make regarding how to make this work. We have too many people for our house. I have to decide if it would be better to find another location or split into two groups. Even though the group is too large, I'd like to keep everyone together so that they can keep getting to know each other.
- We have several people who are going through a Bible study for the first time. I think many of them have just made a decision to follow Jesus in the recent past. Pray for God to work in them through the Spirit.
-Pray for endurance as everyone perseveres through the study.
-Pray that we will see where God is at work and how we can join Him.
We had another really great week! Momentum seems to be building again after the holidays.
We had two guy's get-togethers. They gave us some time to hang out and get to know each other better.
The service yesterday went well too. We had 25 (21/4), which is about average lately. The cool thing is that this 25 was very different than the 25 last week. There were also several who are normally there that weren't present either time. The reason I'm excited about that is that it shows we are reaching an ever-growing group of people. Although I would selfishly like them to all show up on the same Sunday so that we can have a bigger group, it's reassuring to know that God is spreading His influence through us to a larger number of people.
One prayer request regarding this is that we have many people who were not regularly attending church that are now beginning to come. We have a group of "churched" people that are there almost every week, but the other group is still making that commitment. Pray for God to continue to mature them and also help us know how to better connect them.
I think the most exciting thing of the day was the Bible study last night. We had 18 adults present. They were packed in our living room like sardines. The scary thing was that it still didn't include everyone. There are at least 4 others that I expect who didn't show up last night due to being out of town, sick, or work. It was encouraging to me but also to those present. I think it helped several people see that things are bigger than they thought. One person who hasn't been at church in several weeks came and asked, "Where did all these people come from?" The study also went well and I think people are learning a lot from it.
One lady shared that she had never been in a Bible study or anything like that before. She said it had been at least 10 years since she even went to church. She lost her husband recently and had committed to start going to church. A friend invited her to come, so she did. She's planning to come to church Sunday as well. It's really incredible to hear all the stories of how God is moving and working in people's lives - particularly ones who didn't think much about God before.
Prayer request from all of this:
- I have a major decision to make regarding how to make this work. We have too many people for our house. I have to decide if it would be better to find another location or split into two groups. Even though the group is too large, I'd like to keep everyone together so that they can keep getting to know each other.
- We have several people who are going through a Bible study for the first time. I think many of them have just made a decision to follow Jesus in the recent past. Pray for God to work in them through the Spirit.
-Pray for endurance as everyone perseveres through the study.
-Pray that we will see where God is at work and how we can join Him.
Monday, January 07, 2008
001/07/08 UPDATE
Happy 2008!
After several weeks of limping along and trying to find the positive each week, we had a really good week. We had the best crowd we've had in several weeks - 25 (20/5). We had 2 first time guests and many of our regulars were not there, so it was an encouraging group. I had a guy lined up to lead worship and he called Saturday afternoon and couldn't talk. He wasn't hoarse . . . he could barely talk. However, I called a college student who has helped before. He had gotten back in town on Friday and was able to help us out. He did a great job. I've been amazed that we've only had one week where we did not have live music.
On that note, I hope to get Ryan and Nate (the two guys mentioned above) to lead worship from here on out. I'm trying to schedule them 2-3 times a month. That will give us some consistency and keep me from having to scramble to figure it out week to week. I know you've been faithfully praying for a worship leader and I'm hoping this can get us through until the summer.
Probably the most exciting event yesterday was our first Experiencing God meeting. We hosted 12 people at our house last night. I know of at least 6 others who are committed to it as well, but were either sick or out of town. I'm really pleased about the turnout. I think it will be an amazing time for our church and each of these people. Please pray that they will have the time and energy to complete the study. Pray too that God will do an incredible work in each of their lives. For many of them, this is the first Bible study they have ever participated in!
We spent the first hour introducing ourselves and getting an overview of the study. The second hour, Jacqueline "wowed them" with her baking skills (we had carrot cake). It was a lively time with everyone talking and getting to know one another. It was cool to see the relationships building and deepening.
Happy 2008!
After several weeks of limping along and trying to find the positive each week, we had a really good week. We had the best crowd we've had in several weeks - 25 (20/5). We had 2 first time guests and many of our regulars were not there, so it was an encouraging group. I had a guy lined up to lead worship and he called Saturday afternoon and couldn't talk. He wasn't hoarse . . . he could barely talk. However, I called a college student who has helped before. He had gotten back in town on Friday and was able to help us out. He did a great job. I've been amazed that we've only had one week where we did not have live music.
On that note, I hope to get Ryan and Nate (the two guys mentioned above) to lead worship from here on out. I'm trying to schedule them 2-3 times a month. That will give us some consistency and keep me from having to scramble to figure it out week to week. I know you've been faithfully praying for a worship leader and I'm hoping this can get us through until the summer.
Probably the most exciting event yesterday was our first Experiencing God meeting. We hosted 12 people at our house last night. I know of at least 6 others who are committed to it as well, but were either sick or out of town. I'm really pleased about the turnout. I think it will be an amazing time for our church and each of these people. Please pray that they will have the time and energy to complete the study. Pray too that God will do an incredible work in each of their lives. For many of them, this is the first Bible study they have ever participated in!
We spent the first hour introducing ourselves and getting an overview of the study. The second hour, Jacqueline "wowed them" with her baking skills (we had carrot cake). It was a lively time with everyone talking and getting to know one another. It was cool to see the relationships building and deepening.
Monday, December 31, 2007
12/31/07 UPDATE
We had a great week. The usual Christmas stuff.
Church was interesting yesterday. This is the first time that we didn't have someone to lead the music. I used some dvd's that have the singing on them, along with background imagery and the lyrics. It was a little awkward, but the good news is that there weren't many people there to feel awkward! We had 16 (13/3). I thought that the Sunday before Christmas would be the worst, but apparently I was wrong.
I'm looking forward to the New Year!
We had a great week. The usual Christmas stuff.
Church was interesting yesterday. This is the first time that we didn't have someone to lead the music. I used some dvd's that have the singing on them, along with background imagery and the lyrics. It was a little awkward, but the good news is that there weren't many people there to feel awkward! We had 16 (13/3). I thought that the Sunday before Christmas would be the worst, but apparently I was wrong.
I'm looking forward to the New Year!
Monday, December 24, 2007
12/24/07 UPDATE
Last week was full of the usual Christmas stuff - sending Christmas cards and giving out presents. We decided to use these "normal" holiday things to try and reach some new people. J'line cooked an amazing amount of cookies of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Several people didn't believe she made them because of how intricate and delicate they looked. We took a plate to everyone who has attended the church. It was a good excuse to see some that we've missed for the past few weeks. She also took a plate to everyone on our street to meet some of those we don't know yet and to build relationships with those we do.
I printed a Christmas card from the church and mailed it to all of the families that had requested information about Redeemer over the summer at our block parties. Most of these families have not attended, but I try to continue to contact them every couple of months with a letter, card, or something. Just trying to stay on their minds.
Our attendance was down a little yesterday, but nothing like I expected. We had 21 (16/5) and things went pretty well.
I'm excited as we begin moving towards the new year and begin implementing some of the plans we have. Thanks for your prayers for us, they have made a tremendous difference.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Last week was full of the usual Christmas stuff - sending Christmas cards and giving out presents. We decided to use these "normal" holiday things to try and reach some new people. J'line cooked an amazing amount of cookies of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Several people didn't believe she made them because of how intricate and delicate they looked. We took a plate to everyone who has attended the church. It was a good excuse to see some that we've missed for the past few weeks. She also took a plate to everyone on our street to meet some of those we don't know yet and to build relationships with those we do.
I printed a Christmas card from the church and mailed it to all of the families that had requested information about Redeemer over the summer at our block parties. Most of these families have not attended, but I try to continue to contact them every couple of months with a letter, card, or something. Just trying to stay on their minds.
Our attendance was down a little yesterday, but nothing like I expected. We had 21 (16/5) and things went pretty well.
I'm excited as we begin moving towards the new year and begin implementing some of the plans we have. Thanks for your prayers for us, they have made a tremendous difference.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
12/17/07 UPDATE
This week had some very important highlights.
- Jacqueline saw the doctor and was given the "all's clear" following her surgery.
- We celebrated our 11th Anniversary on Friday. We went to Carabba's Italian Grill. Wow. It was awesome (always is). We did have one interesting experience. We walked out from around the restaurant and the wind hit us - and actually took our breath. Haven't had that happen before. It was 5, with a really stiff breeze. Fun.
- On Wednesday, we had a great Bible study. We had two young guys come who haven't been before. I was excited, because I've been praying that God would give us men. We had a great study.
- Sunday went well. We had 24 (17/7). I mentioned some of our plans for the new year. One is that I'm challenging the entire church to go through the study Experiencing God. I mentioned that I had ordered the books and that they were $15 each if everyone could help with the cost. Afterwards, I had someone come up and say that they wanted to pay for all of them. . . and it was the first time they had attended. Please pray for us we prepare for the study. Pray that people will be interested and involved in the study, that they will be able to complete it, and that God will unite us all on His mission.
- After church, one of our regular attenders had everyone to their house for Christmas lunch. it was a great time to get to know everyone a little better . . . and eat . . . a lot.
- God is showing up in many ways. There are a lot of people seeking Him and asking questions. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and for the Spirit to give us the words to say and the faith to respond.
- Pray for someone to show up next week. We have a lot of people out for Christmas. It might just be the Cordell's!
This week had some very important highlights.
- Jacqueline saw the doctor and was given the "all's clear" following her surgery.
- We celebrated our 11th Anniversary on Friday. We went to Carabba's Italian Grill. Wow. It was awesome (always is). We did have one interesting experience. We walked out from around the restaurant and the wind hit us - and actually took our breath. Haven't had that happen before. It was 5, with a really stiff breeze. Fun.
- On Wednesday, we had a great Bible study. We had two young guys come who haven't been before. I was excited, because I've been praying that God would give us men. We had a great study.
- Sunday went well. We had 24 (17/7). I mentioned some of our plans for the new year. One is that I'm challenging the entire church to go through the study Experiencing God. I mentioned that I had ordered the books and that they were $15 each if everyone could help with the cost. Afterwards, I had someone come up and say that they wanted to pay for all of them. . . and it was the first time they had attended. Please pray for us we prepare for the study. Pray that people will be interested and involved in the study, that they will be able to complete it, and that God will unite us all on His mission.
- After church, one of our regular attenders had everyone to their house for Christmas lunch. it was a great time to get to know everyone a little better . . . and eat . . . a lot.
- God is showing up in many ways. There are a lot of people seeking Him and asking questions. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and for the Spirit to give us the words to say and the faith to respond.
- Pray for someone to show up next week. We have a lot of people out for Christmas. It might just be the Cordell's!
Christmas Funny
So we were doing well with our tradition of not putting up Christmas lights. We noticed how we are one of only three houses on the street that don't have lights. Yesterday, our neighbors, Tom and Kim came over and asked if they could put up some lights for us! Now, we have some lights and our string is broken. Another one of our neighbors came by during the event and said, "Oh man! Our house looks pitiful, but until now I could always say, at least it looks better than theirs!"
So we were doing well with our tradition of not putting up Christmas lights. We noticed how we are one of only three houses on the street that don't have lights. Yesterday, our neighbors, Tom and Kim came over and asked if they could put up some lights for us! Now, we have some lights and our string is broken. Another one of our neighbors came by during the event and said, "Oh man! Our house looks pitiful, but until now I could always say, at least it looks better than theirs!"
Monday, December 10, 2007
12/10/07 UPDATE
Yesterday went pretty well. We had snow in the morning again, so it was pretty messy. There were also several people sick. We had 23 (19/4).
This week is going to be pretty messy again, so we called off the meeting with the church from Wichita, KS. There are several other churches we are discussing partnerships with for 2008. I'm still preparing our plans, etc. for next year, so pray for me as I try to get it all together.
Jacqueline is recovering well. She should be "cleared" to return to life as normal on Wednesday.
Thanks for praying for us last week. I know we received word from several people that we were specifically remembered by them due to the mall shooting. We don't have anyone who was directly impacted by it, which was a blessing. Remember also the families of those involved in the church and mission shooting in Colorado yesterday. Pray for the Gospel to go forth with power to change people's lives. There are a lot of hurt and hurting people out there who are driven to do crazy things. The Gospel is the only thing that can give them hope. It truly is the only hope for the world.
Yesterday went pretty well. We had snow in the morning again, so it was pretty messy. There were also several people sick. We had 23 (19/4).
This week is going to be pretty messy again, so we called off the meeting with the church from Wichita, KS. There are several other churches we are discussing partnerships with for 2008. I'm still preparing our plans, etc. for next year, so pray for me as I try to get it all together.
Jacqueline is recovering well. She should be "cleared" to return to life as normal on Wednesday.
Thanks for praying for us last week. I know we received word from several people that we were specifically remembered by them due to the mall shooting. We don't have anyone who was directly impacted by it, which was a blessing. Remember also the families of those involved in the church and mission shooting in Colorado yesterday. Pray for the Gospel to go forth with power to change people's lives. There are a lot of hurt and hurting people out there who are driven to do crazy things. The Gospel is the only thing that can give them hope. It truly is the only hope for the world.
Monday, December 03, 2007
12/03/07 UPDATE
I was pretty bummed by our turnout yesterday. We had 25, but 8 of them were the worship leader and several of his friends that came to hear him. Our service starts at 10 and it started snowing at 9, so I think a lot of people stayed at home because of that. One good thing is that we had a couple that had come back in September come back. December is going to be challenging all the way around, since we will have a lot of people gone for the holidays, etc. We're trying to just hold it together through the holidays.
It's funny how when I have a "down note," God always seems to send some encouragement. I went into the coffee shop to type this up and a guy I haven't seen in several weeks came in. He told me that he and a friend were planning to come yesterday, but changed their mind because of the snow. We had a good talk and I got to share the Gospel. You just never know how God is working and what's going on that you don't know about. Keep praying for all the people we are "cultivating relationships" with. Pray especially for God to draw them to Himself, to give us opportunities to share the Gospel, and for Him to grant them faith to believe.
Thanks for praying for J'line last week. She had surgery and it all went well. She is still sore and tired, but getting better. She's actually recovered a lot better than I anticipated.
This week I'm going to be spending a lot of time trying to lay out our plans for next year. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as I try to do that. I'll be meeting with a church next week to discuss a potential partnership with them and this planning will be a key part of that.
I was pretty bummed by our turnout yesterday. We had 25, but 8 of them were the worship leader and several of his friends that came to hear him. Our service starts at 10 and it started snowing at 9, so I think a lot of people stayed at home because of that. One good thing is that we had a couple that had come back in September come back. December is going to be challenging all the way around, since we will have a lot of people gone for the holidays, etc. We're trying to just hold it together through the holidays.
It's funny how when I have a "down note," God always seems to send some encouragement. I went into the coffee shop to type this up and a guy I haven't seen in several weeks came in. He told me that he and a friend were planning to come yesterday, but changed their mind because of the snow. We had a good talk and I got to share the Gospel. You just never know how God is working and what's going on that you don't know about. Keep praying for all the people we are "cultivating relationships" with. Pray especially for God to draw them to Himself, to give us opportunities to share the Gospel, and for Him to grant them faith to believe.
Thanks for praying for J'line last week. She had surgery and it all went well. She is still sore and tired, but getting better. She's actually recovered a lot better than I anticipated.
This week I'm going to be spending a lot of time trying to lay out our plans for next year. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as I try to do that. I'll be meeting with a church next week to discuss a potential partnership with them and this planning will be a key part of that.
Monday, November 26, 2007
11/26/07 UPDATE
I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Ours went well, even though our kitchen sink stopped up during the preparation of the meal. We had to wash all the dishes in the laundry room sink! Fun stuff. We did get a little snow last week, which was a new twist for Thanksgiving. It was also Jacqueline's birthday, so we had a festive day all the way around.
Our crowd was down yesterday, as expected. We had 21 (16/5). The holidays are going to be challenging, but I think they will go well. We are planning a church-wide dinner on the 16th. We're also working to help a local mission as they collect gifts for families who could use a little help over Christmas. We'll be trying to collect sippy cups to be part of a package for the toddlers. Last year, this ministry, Mission for All Nations, ministered to 300 families which had 750 children. The initial response to the invitation seemed to be good.
We're also focusing on the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. I gave my usual challenge - try to give the same amount to the offering that you spend on your family for Christmas. I'm not sure how many have responded through the years, but it has been a good principle to keep our family balanced at Christmas. We figure that Jesus is the point of the holiday, so shouldn't he receive the majority of the focus.
One concern is that through this we discussed our connection with the Southern Baptist Convention. I know this is a concern for a few people, mainly because they don't know what a Baptist is other than some of the goofy stuff they hear on tv. I'll be talking through it with some people in the coming days, so pray for us in that respect.
We had another encouraging discussion with a church from Kansas last week about the possibility of parnership for next year. We'll be meeting in the coming weeks to discuss it - do we feel led to partner together? How will it work? At what level will they be involved, etc.? Please pray for guidance as we talk through it.
I also received a bill for my Doctor of Minsitry work last week. I'm at the point where I have to pay $500 every six months to extend it. I'm trying to get focused on that and see if I can get the thesis completed in the next year. It will be really trying to add that to the plate, so I'm not sure if I can/will/need to do it at this point. Will you pray for guidance for me?
Lastly, but most importantly, I want to ask you to pray for Jacqueline this week. She will be undergoing her third surgical procedure of the year on Wednesday (28th). This is the most invasive of the three and she is concerned about it. Please pray for her health and quick recovery. Also pray for us as it always adds more stress to the mix when mother is out of commission.
I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Ours went well, even though our kitchen sink stopped up during the preparation of the meal. We had to wash all the dishes in the laundry room sink! Fun stuff. We did get a little snow last week, which was a new twist for Thanksgiving. It was also Jacqueline's birthday, so we had a festive day all the way around.
Our crowd was down yesterday, as expected. We had 21 (16/5). The holidays are going to be challenging, but I think they will go well. We are planning a church-wide dinner on the 16th. We're also working to help a local mission as they collect gifts for families who could use a little help over Christmas. We'll be trying to collect sippy cups to be part of a package for the toddlers. Last year, this ministry, Mission for All Nations, ministered to 300 families which had 750 children. The initial response to the invitation seemed to be good.
We're also focusing on the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. I gave my usual challenge - try to give the same amount to the offering that you spend on your family for Christmas. I'm not sure how many have responded through the years, but it has been a good principle to keep our family balanced at Christmas. We figure that Jesus is the point of the holiday, so shouldn't he receive the majority of the focus.
One concern is that through this we discussed our connection with the Southern Baptist Convention. I know this is a concern for a few people, mainly because they don't know what a Baptist is other than some of the goofy stuff they hear on tv. I'll be talking through it with some people in the coming days, so pray for us in that respect.
We had another encouraging discussion with a church from Kansas last week about the possibility of parnership for next year. We'll be meeting in the coming weeks to discuss it - do we feel led to partner together? How will it work? At what level will they be involved, etc.? Please pray for guidance as we talk through it.
I also received a bill for my Doctor of Minsitry work last week. I'm at the point where I have to pay $500 every six months to extend it. I'm trying to get focused on that and see if I can get the thesis completed in the next year. It will be really trying to add that to the plate, so I'm not sure if I can/will/need to do it at this point. Will you pray for guidance for me?
Lastly, but most importantly, I want to ask you to pray for Jacqueline this week. She will be undergoing her third surgical procedure of the year on Wednesday (28th). This is the most invasive of the three and she is concerned about it. Please pray for her health and quick recovery. Also pray for us as it always adds more stress to the mix when mother is out of commission.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
