Top 25 Moments from 2011

It's New Year's Eve and time to take a look back at 2011. It's been an amazing year. I can't wait to see what God does in 2012.

Here's my Top 25 Moments of 2011:

25. Unexpected trip to NC to visit family.

24. Christmas Eve at FCBC.

23. Signing my son up for his first international mission trip.

22. Watching the Cowboys beat the Redskins (second time in season.)

21. Operation Christmas Child - ALL of it. It's an amazing thing to see!

20. Catalyst Conference.

19. Travelling to Nashville with Marsha for a friend's wedding.

18. Watching the Cowboys beat the Redskins.

17. Seeing all the amazing results of our Kenya Team's work.

16. Our family's visit with Mike, Alice, Daniel and Ben in England.

15. Visiting my brother and his family in Berlin.

14. Dinner with Marsha in downtown Berlin.

13. Visiting Cathy and Alex in France.

12. Having Alex give us a tour of his home town, Pavilly, France.

11. Taking a picture of the four of us crossing Abbey Road.

10. Seeing my kids faces on their very first airplane ride.

9. Pastor Charle's last minute visit from Nairobi.

8. All the weddings, baptisms and baby dedications. Those never get old!

7. Orange Conference - truly an amazing group of folks leading leaders!

6. Pappadeaux's in Atlanta. Now that's some good food!

5. Dinner and great conversation with long-lost friends in Atlanta.

4. Watching our church showing God's love to the homeless in our community.

3. Hanging out with the guys in my coaching network and learning from each other.

2. Celebrating another anniversary with Marsha - 18 years and each one gets better.

1. Baptizing Abbey!

Merry Christmas

As I'm writing this it's Wednesday, four days until Christmas. I had an interesting conversation this morning with a kid in our neighborhood. He's in the 6th grade and comes to our house each morning to have breakfast and walk to school with Abbey and me. His mom's a single parent and works long hours in order to provide for three kids. She leaves early and comes home late most days.

Last week he noticed some Christmas presents under our tree and jokingly asked which one was his. He was surprised, and thrilled, when Abbey went over and pointed to his Christmas present - it had his name on it. Everyday since he's asked "When can I open my present?"

But today, as we were walking out the door he asked a different question. He asked "Did you get me a present because I'm poor?" I have to say I was not expecting the question and something inside of me broke when I heard it. But somehow, God gave me a quick response. I said "You're one of the richest people I know."

On the walk to school he asked me what I meant when I said he was one of the richest people I knew. I told him that everyday when he comes to our house, regardless of what's going on, he always has a smile on his face and is always happy about something. I told him he was rich in joy and that everyday he makes my day better because of who he is. I'm not sure if he understood what I was saying but someday he will.

It's hard to have joy sometimes, especially when things are not going well for us but are going well for others. But if a 6th grade kid can find joy in the middle of a difficult life, surrounded by friends and peers who have so much more than him, then so can we.

I think that's a big part of the Christmas story. So many people, in difficult circumstances, finding joy because of a baby that changed the world. I hope no matter what the circumstances are in your life this Christmas that you will have an experience like mine this week to remind you of what a joyful time this is.

Merry Christmas!

What's Your Question?

We had an "all church" meeting today. The goal was to give some of our leaders a chance to share some of the things we're going to be trying or tweaking or doing differently in the next few months. The four areas we talked about were:

1. Family Ministry
2. Small Groups
3. Vulnerable Children Initiative
4. Strategic Objectives

We've uploaded the PowerPoint that we used. Click here to view it.

Our goal wasn't to answer every question that people might have about these four areas. Our goal was to paint in broad strokes and we probably generated more questions than we answered. So for those of you who were able to join us what's your question?

What questions do you have about any of these four areas or any other part of our church? If you are wondering about something chances are someone else is too.

Ask your question here, on FB or Twitter or send me an Email. We'll answer them in public forums so everyone benefits.

30-Day Scripture Challenge - Day 9

But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

Why is obedience to God's voice than sacrifice and submission to him better than our offerings? And how do we, today, play the same role that Saul played in story?

30-Day Challenge - Week 1

We've finished the first week of the 30-Day Scripture Challenge.

We started with Adam and Eve, living in the perfect environment and yet they still chose to follow their own way rather than God's. Then God blessed Jacob and set his family apart as God's chosen people - Israel. God gives Israel the Law - a perfect law given by God himself. And we see Israel time and time again not be able to keep that law.

Paul writes in Romans 3:20 "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are"

Hindsight is 20/20 and we can look back and see how right Paul was and how true is statement still is today. Israel was saved but not because they had the law of God and were able to keep it. They were saved because of the relationship they had to God. The same is true for us today.

Perspective

I just read a statistic, actually I re-read it because I already knew it. The stat was in a report from one of our church's Vulnerable Children's Task Force members concerning our work in Kenya, Africa. Here's the stat:

Across Kenya, the unemployment rate is 40 percent and 50 percent of Kenyans live below the poverty line. The World Bank defines the poverty line as people living on less than $1.25 a day.

"Less than $1.25 a day." I'm sitting at Starbucks drinking a $4 latte while I read this. Talk about putting things in perspective.

30-Day Challenge - Day 1

Our church is taking a 30-Day Challenge.  Starting today we'll be reading scripture together for the next 30 days.  If you want to join just click here to view the reading list.  I'd also suggest going to BibleGateway.com and reading from a modern translation like the New Living Bible, Message or the New International Bible.

The challenge is part of a Sunday series we're doing on 5 of the habits we need to establish in order to grow spiritually.  I'll be blogging along the way.

Today (day 1) we read about the fall of humanity in Genesis where Adam and Eve give in to temptation eat the fruit from the forbidden tree.

A couple of observations about the story:

1.  There decision affected a lot of people - actually everyone.  But one thing I think we tend to forget is how their decision to disobey God must have affected God.  I tend to forget about God's emotions.  And the fact it he created Adam and Eve out of love and he loved them more than anything else he created.  It must have been painful when they walked away from him.

2.  No one took responsibility for their choices.  Adam pointed at Eve and Eve pointed at the serpent and the serpent had no where to go.  And really we're not different.  We still tend to point the finger and blame someone else for our poor choices.

So what are your observations from this story?  Did you see anything new when you read it again?

Sacrifice

Our family's on vacation, visiting friends in France.  Yesterday we drove to the beaches of Normandy where the allies landed during World War II.  I was in awe at the sacrifice that was made by so many to regain the world's freedom.  Over 9000 American soldiers gave their lives at Normandy; most of them are buried on U.S. soil there.

This quote seemed to summed it up the best.

"I started out to cross the beach with thirty-five men and only six got to the top, that's all." - 2nd Lt. Bob Edlin

"127 Hours"

Just watched 127 Hours, the true story of Aron Ralston, a rock climber who became trapped while climbing alone.  A small boulder came loose causing him to fall.  When he landed, his arm was wedged between the boulder and the canyon wall.

It's a story of what a human being is capable of doing in order to survive.  It's not for the faint at heart but I highly recommend it.

Always leave a note.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

One of my favorite shows from the 80's and 90's is the show Cheers.  My college roommate and I used to watch it religiously every night in our dorm room.  Every episode began with Norm walking in and the entire place yelling "Norm!" followed by one of Norm's quick-witted antidotes. 


Cheers captured the idea that there's a place that's a safe haven from the world, a place where people know you and accept you for who you are, where you can be yourself.

It's a little like how I feel when I walk into the Starbucks near my house and the barista says, "Hey David.  You having ice tea or a latte today?"  I love that.   I love that feeling of being in a comfortable place, where someone remembers me and what I like, where I can be myself and there's no expectations from those around me; just acceptance.

That's what I want for the church.   And not just the church that I pastor, but for every local church and for "the church" in general - the body of Jesus followers around the world.  I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to pastor a church that's well on it's way to being a modern day "Cheers."  I'm also thankful for the the influence that I, and our church, have been given to help other churches get there.

Heroes and Villains - Hannah: Finding Hope When It's Hopeless

We're launching a new sermon series for the summer called Heroes and Villains.  Basically we'll be looking at some folks in the scriptures, mostly in the Old Testament, who God used to impact his mission in the world.

The stories we'll be looking at are some of the more obscure ones; a lot of folks have probably never heard some of them.  While they are all unique they all have one thing in common - how God worked in the story is still affecting the world, in some way, today.

This Sunday we'll talk about Hannah and a very special prayer that changed her life completely.  Her life did a 180 as a result of the prayer she prayed.  In a nutshell, Hannah was desperate.  She was at the end of her rope, hopeless and at the biggest dead-end of her life.

Have you ever been there?  Where you just didn't see how life was ever going to make sense again?  Where you were in such pain that you couldn't even describe it with words?

That's where Hannah was.  And in the middle of her pain, in the middle of this big mess, she did something very, very wise - she prayed.  And that prayer changed everything for Hannah and ultimately changed the nation of Israel.

You can check out the sermon online here.

Here's three truths from Hannah's story that we'll unpack this Sunday:

1. God's power begins to work at the point of your hopelessness.
2. God will use your suffering but don't assume you'll be able to figure out how.
3. Sometimes all we can do is just hold on!

New Dream (Repost and Update)

If I'm honest, I don't like the first couple of phases of a God-given dream. In fact, if I'm really honest, I hate them. The phases are: Dream, Decision, Delay, Difficulties, Dead-in, and Deliverance.

I can handle the difficulties, delays and the dead-ins. In fact there's a weird part of me that enjoys those phases in some ways. Given my personality and strengths, that's when I tend to shine.

But I'm not a risk taker. I like things mapped out. I don't mind challenges, but I like to see them coming so I can hit them head-on. So the second phase of a dream,Decision, is the hardest for me to move through.

For the last few months I've had this sense that God is preparing a new dream in my life. I have NO IDEA what that is, where it will take me, or what the risks will be. And that more than makes me nervous, it actually scares me.

It scares me because I know once I have the vision I will have to make the decision to go after it. And making the decision is that point where you feel like you're suspended in mid-air, 100 feet above the ground, with no net below, holding on to a rope with all your might. Not my idea of fun.But more than anything else in the world I want to be where God wants me to be. So that means saying yes even when it's scary. Even when it's uncomfortable. Even when everything inside me says "don't do it." Even when I don't know what I'm saying yes to.

Because it's not about WHAT I'm saying yes to, it's about WHO I'm saying yes to.

UPDATE:  I wrote this post 13 months ago.  I remind myself that Abraham waited 89 years to see the dream God gave him come to be.  Joseph spent years in prison before God showed him what it was all about.  And the Israelites did multiple laps around Mt. Sinai for 40 years before they entered the promised land.

Thirteen months later I'm still waiting for God to show me a bigger picture.  Several questions have been answered but it seems like with each answer comes more questions.  One thing I know, God is God and his plans will "not be late a single day."

Don't Walk Alone

Proverbs 27:16-18 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” 

For the last nine months I’ve lived out that verse through a coaching network with ten other pastors.  Our coach is a pastor in Fredericksburg name Dee Whitten.  Once a month we’ve met as a group and Dee led us in a discussion on a particular leadership issue relevant to our ministries.   And once a month I’ve met individually with Dee to talk through how to apply what we talked in the large group to my personal ministry.

We had our last group meeting today and I’ll have my last individual meeting with Dee next week.  I’ve learned a lot from this group of pastors and from the experience and wisdom of Dee.  And I like to think that some in the group have learned from me and my experiences of leading FCBC.

I’ve always tried to surround myself with people who think differently than I do, who have different experiences than I’ve had, who read things that I’ve never thought about reading and yes, people who have different political or theological views than I have.  I believe Solomon knew what he was talking about when he wrote “…people can improve each other.”

So who are you surrounding yourself with in your spiritual journey that you can learn from?  And who’s growing in their faith because they’re hanging around you?  By the way, you don’t have to be super-mature in your faith to influence someone else.  I’m constantly challenged to grow because of the enthusiasm and passion of new believers.

If you’re not in a relationship, group or network with other believers where you are growing and learning together, then I’d encourage you to find one.  Maybe it’s a small group.  Maybe it’s serving with others in a ministry.  Maybe it’s just being intentional about walking together in faith with your spouse, or your boyfriend or girlfriend or kids.  My kids challenge my faith all the time. 

The truth is you weren’t meant to walk in faith alone; none of us are.  We’ve been hardwired to need others.  If you can’t find a group or person, I’d love to help you do that.

What I'm Reading

Sometimes people ask me what books I’m reading.   I love the question because I believe in a sense we become what we read. By the way, I’m not a big reader; I never have been.  I know people who read for pleasure or entertainment, I wish I did but I don’t.  Reading for me is work but it’s a work that I enjoy because it’s more than just what’s going on in my mind, it’s shaping who I am.

So here’s a list of books I’m reading right now: 

• Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof – I recommended this book a couple of Sundays ago.  I think every parent should read this book.  It will also give you a good idea of where we are going with our family ministry at FCBC.  We’ve given away around 20 copies and still have some left in the foyer outside the worship center.

• Steering Through Chaos by Scott Wilson – Our staff is reading this book together and discussing it each week.  Scott is a pastor who writes to other pastors out of his wisdom and experience.

• Soul Print by Mark Batterson – I’m reading this with my small group right now.  This is Mark’s fourth book and he’s about to publish his fifth.  Mark has a great writing style.  He has a way of taking complicated spiritual matters and framing them in a simple, understandable way.  I’ve met Mark personally and have a lot of respect for him as a person and pastor.

• The Shallows by Nicolas Carr – This was recommended by a friend and the title sounded interesting.  It’s about what the internet is doing to our brains.

If You Must Die...

There's a great scene in the movie First Knight where Sean Connery, playing King Arthur, says "Here we believe that every life is precious, even the lives of strangers.  If you must die, die serving something greater than yourself. Better still, live... and serve."  


What do you think our communities and our world would look like if every church and every follower of Christ took that as their life goal?

One Type of Friend Everyone Needs

I think everyone of us should have at least one person in our lives that has the ability to both affirm us for who we are and what we're doing AND challenge us to be better.  My friend Rich is one of those people in my life.  You can check out his blog here.  I had a meeting with him today and as always I left feeling better about myself and the work I'm doing AND challenged to take things to a new level.

Do you have anyone like that in your life?  If not I'd suggest you ask God to send them or show you who he's already sent you.

The Power of Feedback

I love feedback.  I would go so far as to say I crave it.  Whether it's something I'm about to produce or something I've already done, I want people's input on it.  Anything I write (except for this blog) I have someone proof and edit it.  I'm fortunate enough to have a couple of people around me who know how to do that well.  They know how to, not CHANGE what I am saying, but GET what I am saying and then help me make it CLEARER.

I know a lot of people though, who see feedback or editing as a threat.  I don't get that.  I would much rather be affective than original any day of the week.  And a part of being affective is being clear.

Here's a blog post from Seth Godin.  He's very clear about being clear.  Enjoy.

Share your confusions

If you're building for digital, for a place where you can't possibly be present to guide or to answer questions, I think it's vital you have someone who can review your work. Same for instruction manuals, secret ballots and road signs.

Not to make suggestions to make it better (what do they know?) but to share their confusions.

I don't think that's a phrase, but it should be. Share your confusions is a way of asking someone to dissect your work and point out what's not totally clear.

An Update From Africa

Here's an update from Ryan in Africa.  Ryan is one of the Uncharted Waters staff that our church supports financially.  I can't wait to see what God does this summer because of Ryan's hard work over the last few weeks.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!
What a great phrase to say, because it carries in it so much meaning for us as believers. I had the opportunity today to teach this phrase to a group of pastors who had come from all over the Nyanza province to worship with us. It was a such a great experience to hear, after several practice tries, the entire body saying back as loudly as they could 'He is risen indeed!' I heard that so many times growing up, and said it so many times, I almost forgot the power that such a tiny phrase has for us, and it was great to receive a reminder. 

Things have been going well so far here in Kenya. I am not going to go into too much detail, but it has been a good trip so far, as we have been traveling all over the country meeting with different groups. It is exciting to see all these pastors coming and being enthusiastic about learning more about sports ministry and how they can use it. Since I was first here in Kenya last March, the idea of sports ministry has spread like wildfire here. We had that large training in Mombasa where over 300 churches were represented, and from there it has grown to a rather astonishing size. Literally hundreds of camps and teams have been run and put together by churches all over the country, and they are just looking for more information to help them continue to move forward. It has been a blessing to see how God has used such a simple tool as sports evangelism to change the lives of so many.  

Our trip turns south in a few days, and I mean the direction, not in a bad way. If you received my newsletter you know that Levi and I will be traveling down through Tanzania, spending a few days there, and then finishing up the trip with a week in Malawi. Please keep our travels in your prayers, as well as that God will set up the right leaders to meet with out in those areas. 

By now most of you have probably heard that I caught malaria. One of my brothers already offered to come over and take care of the mosquito for me, so that was nice to hear! Seriously, it has been one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever been in, and unfortunately it is not over. I still get really bad headaches, and I have developed some sort of back pain as well that causes a pain to shoot down my lower neck and back every time I take a step. On the positive side, after 4 straight nights of fevers and completely ridiculous sweating because of it, I have had two night free of fever. It still flares up a little during the day, but nothing like before. The rash that I got has seemed to die down a little, which is really nice because it was creeping into my face as well, but please pray that it will completely go away as soon as possible. And probably the best improvement I have seen so far is it seems my stomach is almost back to normal, and I have been able to eat meals for the last couple days, after going three days without eating a thing. 

Thank you for your prayers. God has been good, even during the malaria, as great things continue to happen in the side of ministry. One of the negative side affects of the malaria is I have times where I struggle to concentrate, but it hasn't seemed to affect me during our meetings with the leaders just yet.  

May God bless you all, 

Ryan Van Hoven

Divine Appointments

Yesterday I was sitting at a table in Caribou Coffee; it’s one of the places I like to work when I’m not in the office.  The only seat that was available was at a large table where two ladies were having a conversation and a guy was reading.  It turns out the guy was one of the veterinarians that we take our dogs to.  I reintroduced myself and then we began to chat.  He was reading about the importance of meditation, especially when it comes to reading scripture.  We had an interesting conversation about that.

The ladies sitting across from us were speaking another language.  Dr. Voell evidently recognized it as being Russian and began a conversation.  I listened as he began asking them where they were from in Russia and telling them how he met his wife while in Moscow on a mission trip with his church.  He subtly wove his faith into the conversation.  The ladies seemed to really enjoy the conversation; especially when he tired to speak the few Russian words he learned twenty years ago.  As the two of them left, Dr. Voell handed one of them a small book – the Gospel of John.

Now I don’t think Dr. Voell is the kind of Christian that goes around jumping into conversations and bombarding people with his faith.  He is, however, the kind of follower of Christ that all of us should be – one who looks for natural opportunities to share his faith and make the Gospel more appealing.  He had a connection with those two ladies; he spoke their language (literally) and had been to there country.  He had an in that I didn’t have and he saw he opportunity.

I believe those kinds of experiences are “divine appointments and we all have them, probably everyday.  But we have to look for them.  We have to slow down.  We have to be open and willing to allow God to use us wherever we are.  And yes, we have to risk getting out of our comfort zone.

Have you had an experience like that lately; an opportunity to share something that you know about God or faith with someone in a way that was unplanned and unexpected?  I’d love to hear your story.

Ordinary People

We're wrapping up our Hypothermia Relief Week ministry tonight.  I'm so thankful that the weather has warmed up; it will help make a difficult transition a little easier.

The thing I love most about HRW is it allows ordinary people to be used by God in extraordinary ways.  Our team of volunteers is made up of regular folks; none of them have any professional ministry training.  They are government workers, school teachers, contractors, accountants, IT professionals, daycare workers, at-home parents, folks who have retired, and so on.  Yet the amount of ministry they've achieved this week and the way in which it was done is simply amazing; it's a God thing.

Here's an example of God working in our team:

One of the guys in the shelter (I'll call him "W") was able to secure a job, a pretty good job at that.  He's going to be working for the DC Public Schools.  The problem is he only had the clothes he was wearing.  He was afraid to tell his new employer he was homeless; he was afraid it could cost him his job.  And he didn't want to show up everyday at work wearing the same clothes day after day.

Our team recognized that this was "make it or break it" for "W."  He needed this job and wanted to succeed and achieve something better for his life.  So our team mobilized.   By the next evening, when "W" came back, they had several sets of brand new or slightly used clothes for him.

Here's an excerpt from this morning's shift report:  "'W' got his clothes and looked good for his first day of work."  

I've got to say I got a little emotional when I read that.  It may seem like a small thing but to "W" it's huge; it's everything!

That's just one of many examples I heard of this week of ordinary people allowing God to use them to do extraordinary things.  That's what being a follower of Christ is all about.  And our church is on it's way to changing the statistics of how the world views "the church."

HRW Launch

Our team always does an amazing job as they serve during Hypothermia Relief Week.  We have folks serving around the clock from 3pm until 8am everyday for over a week; and everyone always goes the extra mile.

I loved how the kitchen crew launched tonight with homemade place-mats that our children's ministry made, real plates and silverware, and the best of all, Chipotle style burritos.  The food was amazing, as good as Chipotle itself.  Great job to Mike and his crew.

Pray for our guests this week.  It's the last week of the program so as the week goes by the stress levels will rise.

What If Charlie Sheen Were In Your Small Group?

I came across this blog post on Twitter and had to pass it on.  Enjoy!

http://smallgroupscoach.com/2011/03/what-if-charlie-sheen-were-in-your-small-group/

A Legacy of Love

Tomorrow in worship I'm going to be teaching on How To Leave A Legacy of Love.  Here's my challenge, and if you attend FCBC and you do this today, you'll already have next week's homework done.

The challenge is to take 1 Corinthians 13 and replace the word love with your name.  The passage is printed below.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Here's a couple of questions based on what we just did.  When I put my name in that passage, does is that me?  Does this describe my life?  Is this love?

Be in worship tomorrow as we work this out together and figure our how we can leave a legacy of love.

Soulprint

I just got Mark Batterson's new book Soulprint today.  I can't wait to get into it.  Mark's a local pastor (DC area), national speaker and a gifted author.  If you've never read one of his books I recommend picking up In A Pit With A Lion, his first book.  Soulprint is his fourth book and I recommend reading them in order.

"Under the Overpass" Review

I just finished reading Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski.  It's an amazing, real-life story of two friends who journeyed together on the streets for five months.

While sitting in church one Sunday morning, listening to his pastor preach a sermon about living the Christian life, Mike says "Suddenly I was shocked to realize that I had just driven twenty minutes past the world that needed me to be the Christian I say I am, in order to hear a sermon entitled 'Be the Christian You Say You Are.'"

That experience led Mike, and eventually his friend Sam, to chose to live for five months on the streets, totally depending on God and others to sustain them.  They had two purposes for the project:  Learn to trust God on a significantly deeper level and experience the realities of life as a homeless person.  It would be an experience that would change both of them forever.

Mike and Sam chose five cities to live in during the five months.  Each chapter is a gritty description of a different city.   The book is filled with story after story of the people they met and the encounters they had.  I purposely chose to read the book over a period of a couple of months; I wanted to absorb their experiences as much as possible.  By the end of the book, as Mike and Sam began the process of coming off the streets and re-entering their old lives, I found myself feeling some of the emotions that they described feeling.  Mike's writing style is so captivating it will drawn you into the experience in a unique way.

This is a book that every Christian and every church should read.  Mike and Sam visited a lot of churches on their journey.  Most of them were less than thrilled to see them walk through their doors and many of them actually refused to allow them in. Mike gives some great insights into how individuals and churches can serve those who are homeless and living on the streets.

If you want to be challenged to "be the Christian you say you are" then this book is a must read.

The Church and the U.S. Postal Service

I was at the post office today standing in line to get passports for Marsha and the kids.  Here's what I observed:

• In the 45 minutes we were there the line never got below ten people.  At one point there was about twenty-five people waiting in line.

• The people working behind the counter didn't seem to be in a hurry or really concerned about the line of people waiting.

• Things were not clear.  It was difficult to figure out which line to be in and the one guy who was trying to help just kept yelling out through out the building instructions.

• I looked around the entire lobby and couldn't find the mission of the USPS anywhere.

• The employees didn't seem to be concerned about customer service at all.  In fact what seemed to be communicated was "You need us more than we need you so you have to put up with how we do things."

Here's my point:  If that was FedX or Target, or the corner store, they'd be out of business in about two weeks.

It got me thinking about the church.  How are we doing in the American church?  Are we focused on those who need the church the most (those outside the church) or are we too busy doing things the way we know how expecting everyone else to come along?

Sunday Reflection

Great day of worship yesterday.  Lots of folks back from the holiday travels.  Awesome music and lots of energy.  It was a special day for our family because Abbey was baptized.  Extra special for me since I got to baptize her.  It's one of the best things I get to do as a pastor and as a dad.

We also launched a new series called "Legacy."  I think it's amazing how God timed it with me getting to baptize Abbey.  That was totally unplanned by our team.  We're going to be talking about how we can live a life that leaves a legacy behind for generations to come.  Can't wait to see what God does.

Wherever You Are...Be There

"Wherever you are...be there." - Wayne Elsey in Almost Isn't Good Enough.


Wayne is the founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, a non-profit whose mission is to provide shoes for people who need them.

The quote above hit me like a ton of bricks.  When I feel overwhelmed by a task, problem or challenge, my natural instinct is to withdraw when really I need to engage.  Wherever I am, I need to be in that moment - engage.  He says "Being there is about creating a new reality, better than the current situation."


"We must be the change we want to see in the world." - Gandhi