This week has been another great week...
> Monday was spent doing a lot of administrative tasks and studying for upcoming messages
> Tuesday was my day off, election day. After I waited three hours to vote I took miriam out to lunch at Golden Corral. Election day wasn't all that eventful. We knew who won by 10-11 PM.
> Wednesday I was at the Virginia Vision meeting in Rochmond. It is always exciting to hear about how other church plants are growing and how they are reaching out in Jesus name. Our church plants are doing really well. I did hear news of another brother in arms who fell to moral failure. Satan has a big gun there and he's firing at will. Pray for me and our staff for protection from the evil one. I also had our Life Group Leader meeting at night. We are going to be starting several new small groups. It was exciting to have all the new leaders there!
> Thursday was spent in in message writing. I call Thursday my Holy Day becasue it's just me, God, his word, and a blank sheet of paper.
> And today is Friday... today will be spent preparing for the delivey of the message, powerpoints, praying about the budget meeting, a wedding rehersal, and small group in the eveining. I'm covering for a preacher in a wedding on Saturday. pray all goes well...!
> What have I learned this week... I learned God is in control... and always will be incontrol... no matter how much O want to be in control. I can fool myself and thinkk I'm in control, but I'm not. I must learn to lean on God all the more.
>
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sunday Night Mind Dump
Here are some thoughts and musings about services today...
* It was great to see Sid and Chris playing on the praise team today. That was awesome.
*I wish I could have seen the video in color. I know the guys worked really hard to fix the problem. Even so, it was good to see it.
* DePAula came up to me today and said they have designs for a rockin' new website. I'm anxious to see it.
* I am thankful for Rick and his leadership of the Missions Team. He is really helping our church not only reach beyond our roles, but beyond the borders of our country to reach in the name of Christ.
* I am thankful for people like the Coopers who are dedicating their lives to get the Word of God to people who do not have it. God is so good!
* We are definitly on the up curve in attendance! More chairs anyone? Keep inviting people to come Celebrate!
* Lisa came home and said youth group tonight was off the chain! That's exciting.
* The ladies who went to Women of Faith had a great time too.
* Lastly, I am really excited about preaching this Sunday. I've had a couple Sunday's off and I'm anxious to share God's word again.
Peace, Kirk
* It was great to see Sid and Chris playing on the praise team today. That was awesome.
*I wish I could have seen the video in color. I know the guys worked really hard to fix the problem. Even so, it was good to see it.
* DePAula came up to me today and said they have designs for a rockin' new website. I'm anxious to see it.
* I am thankful for Rick and his leadership of the Missions Team. He is really helping our church not only reach beyond our roles, but beyond the borders of our country to reach in the name of Christ.
* I am thankful for people like the Coopers who are dedicating their lives to get the Word of God to people who do not have it. God is so good!
* We are definitly on the up curve in attendance! More chairs anyone? Keep inviting people to come Celebrate!
* Lisa came home and said youth group tonight was off the chain! That's exciting.
* The ladies who went to Women of Faith had a great time too.
* Lastly, I am really excited about preaching this Sunday. I've had a couple Sunday's off and I'm anxious to share God's word again.
Peace, Kirk
Friday, October 31, 2008
Some things I'm Learning
I heard a minister speaking that had an interesting thought which shed new light on a sector of American Christianity that has always troubled me. He looked at it from the perspective of child psychology.
He noted that as children we are very needy people and we constantly ask our parents for everything. Preschoolers are extremely self-centered creatures. The entire world revolves aroud them and many parents will atest that their world revolves all around them.
But sooner or later we expect that child to grow up. We expect them to walk for themsleves and eventually we start giving chores to them. You have to make the bed, clean your room, wash the dishes, mow the yard. If you have a child that isn't taught that they need to take care of themselves what do we call that child, a spoiled brat. They never grew up.
This is how the minister characterized the health and wealth preaching and teaching you see so much on television and why it is popular. It is infantile in it's appraoch to the Bible. it neglects the fact that we called to leave our spiritual milk and bite on real food. We called to mature in Christ, to made perfect in him. We are called to work out our salvation in Christ.
In the health and wealth camp you don't hear to much about how we, who have been so richly blessed by Christ's grace, are to give to the needy, the poor, the oppressed, the widows, and the poor. Health and wealth teaching just assumes that you are are the poor and the oppressed. It never asks you to look beyond yourself, until it's time to give in the offering. Anyone ready to plant a seed! My thought on that is if I believed that I would be giving my money to you instead of me asking for your money.
Also, be careful of just accepting any kind of teaching you hear. We are called to put the teachings of others to the test to be sure they are from God. How do yo know that it is of God? Test it against God's word. Are they being held accountable by reputable men to the word of God? Any ole guy or gal can attach Bible verses together to make his case. You need to be sure those scriptures are being used correctly!
He noted that as children we are very needy people and we constantly ask our parents for everything. Preschoolers are extremely self-centered creatures. The entire world revolves aroud them and many parents will atest that their world revolves all around them.
But sooner or later we expect that child to grow up. We expect them to walk for themsleves and eventually we start giving chores to them. You have to make the bed, clean your room, wash the dishes, mow the yard. If you have a child that isn't taught that they need to take care of themselves what do we call that child, a spoiled brat. They never grew up.
This is how the minister characterized the health and wealth preaching and teaching you see so much on television and why it is popular. It is infantile in it's appraoch to the Bible. it neglects the fact that we called to leave our spiritual milk and bite on real food. We called to mature in Christ, to made perfect in him. We are called to work out our salvation in Christ.
In the health and wealth camp you don't hear to much about how we, who have been so richly blessed by Christ's grace, are to give to the needy, the poor, the oppressed, the widows, and the poor. Health and wealth teaching just assumes that you are are the poor and the oppressed. It never asks you to look beyond yourself, until it's time to give in the offering. Anyone ready to plant a seed! My thought on that is if I believed that I would be giving my money to you instead of me asking for your money.
Also, be careful of just accepting any kind of teaching you hear. We are called to put the teachings of others to the test to be sure they are from God. How do yo know that it is of God? Test it against God's word. Are they being held accountable by reputable men to the word of God? Any ole guy or gal can attach Bible verses together to make his case. You need to be sure those scriptures are being used correctly!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sticky Churches
What makes a sticky church?
People.
A sticky church is a church where people come and they start developing into disciples of Christ.
So what makes a sticky church? Again people. Environments where new people can have a fun relationship with others.
Our weekend service should be a sticky environment. Small groups are other sticky environments.
What are some other sticky environments? Fun stuff like the church picnic we did last month, bowling, or whatever is fun.
I think another sticky environment is service. Service to the church and to others.
These are some thoughts I've been thinking on as I've gone through my day. If we wnat to reach 10,000 disciples then we need to be a sticky place.
Oh yeah... I drove a golf ball 327 yards the other day... totally awesome! - At least according to the yardage chart...
Kirk
People.
A sticky church is a church where people come and they start developing into disciples of Christ.
So what makes a sticky church? Again people. Environments where new people can have a fun relationship with others.
Our weekend service should be a sticky environment. Small groups are other sticky environments.
What are some other sticky environments? Fun stuff like the church picnic we did last month, bowling, or whatever is fun.
I think another sticky environment is service. Service to the church and to others.
These are some thoughts I've been thinking on as I've gone through my day. If we wnat to reach 10,000 disciples then we need to be a sticky place.
Oh yeah... I drove a golf ball 327 yards the other day... totally awesome! - At least according to the yardage chart...
Kirk
Sunday, October 26, 2008
What a day today!
Today was an awesome Sunday. It was youth Sunday i really appreciate how y'all came out and supported our youth. They did a great job too. I was really proud of our teens and children displaying their love for God. Way to go! Also, I am thankful for Paeeny's and Scott's leadership. You can see their efforts reflected in our youth.
Also, it was great to see Brittany, Kendall, and Sophia come forward this morning. It truly is awesome to see how God is changing lives. THis is why i preach and why we do church!
I've learned a few things aoong the way today...
> God is unexpected.... He fits all patterns and he fits no patterns. I'm learning in many ways that God can exist as a paradox.
> It is awesome to see people's lives changed by faith in Jesus. There is nothing like it in this world.
What a great Sunday! Give praise to God!
Also, it was great to see Brittany, Kendall, and Sophia come forward this morning. It truly is awesome to see how God is changing lives. THis is why i preach and why we do church!
I've learned a few things aoong the way today...
> God is unexpected.... He fits all patterns and he fits no patterns. I'm learning in many ways that God can exist as a paradox.
> It is awesome to see people's lives changed by faith in Jesus. There is nothing like it in this world.
What a great Sunday! Give praise to God!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Conversations
Something I really enjoy is an engaging debate or conversations where people can share ideas, even competing ones, and enrich each other in the process. I am an egghead and I love considering other ideas. Even one's that I disagree with. I like to ask why do they think this view is legitimate? Why do they disagree with me? Is there something I hadn't thought about? How does this fit into my worldview? How does this affect my preaching?
After all preaching has some kind of bias behind it and effective preaching instills a mental conversation between you and me. The purpose of preaching is to persuade you to take action on God's word.
I enjoy conversations where opposing views are thrown around becasue many times they challenge my bias, my understanding of God, or what I think is right or wrong. These kind of conversations sharpen my thinking and really get me to take the time to know where I stand on issues. As someone said to me this week, "As iron sharpens iron..."
I know for some people discussing different ideas just makes them mad. They know what they think and they don't want to change what they think. I appreciate that kind of thinking too.
In one conversation I had this week is I learned the church is a place that demands unity, but not uniformity. The church must unite around the message and ministry of Jesus Christ. On this we must be united. But the church is not to be a place of uniformity. Uniformity is when everyone else is like you. They dress like you, they are the same skin color as you, they all have tattoo's or don't have tattoo's, like the same kind of worship music as you, and so on.
What's amzing about the church is not it's uniformity, but it's diversity. In church you will have CEO's sitting with people on welfare. You'll see the straightlaced praying with the ex-con. You'll see people from many different races worshipping God together, proclaiming his name to all.
Our world in contrast, loves to be uniform. Police have a uniform, doctors have a long white coat, ministers have the collar, sports teams have their colors.
The church is not like that. We have the suits and dudes in T-shirts in the same room. What brings us all together?
Unity in Christ. All is level ground at the foot of the cross.
Amen.
After all preaching has some kind of bias behind it and effective preaching instills a mental conversation between you and me. The purpose of preaching is to persuade you to take action on God's word.
I enjoy conversations where opposing views are thrown around becasue many times they challenge my bias, my understanding of God, or what I think is right or wrong. These kind of conversations sharpen my thinking and really get me to take the time to know where I stand on issues. As someone said to me this week, "As iron sharpens iron..."
I know for some people discussing different ideas just makes them mad. They know what they think and they don't want to change what they think. I appreciate that kind of thinking too.
In one conversation I had this week is I learned the church is a place that demands unity, but not uniformity. The church must unite around the message and ministry of Jesus Christ. On this we must be united. But the church is not to be a place of uniformity. Uniformity is when everyone else is like you. They dress like you, they are the same skin color as you, they all have tattoo's or don't have tattoo's, like the same kind of worship music as you, and so on.
What's amzing about the church is not it's uniformity, but it's diversity. In church you will have CEO's sitting with people on welfare. You'll see the straightlaced praying with the ex-con. You'll see people from many different races worshipping God together, proclaiming his name to all.
Our world in contrast, loves to be uniform. Police have a uniform, doctors have a long white coat, ministers have the collar, sports teams have their colors.
The church is not like that. We have the suits and dudes in T-shirts in the same room. What brings us all together?
Unity in Christ. All is level ground at the foot of the cross.
Amen.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Church Budgets
Church budgets are tricky animals. On the one hand you want your budget to step out in faith. On the other hand you don't want to go so far out that you it just seems ridiculous to try and acheive it. I for one believe in God-sized goals and God is pretty big!
In order tohelp our church to think big and realize what God can do through us let suggest to you a tool to that with with. Simply add a zero to the church budget. Our budget for 2008 was 136,000. What of we added a zero? 1, 360,000. What kind of ministry would we have if we did that?
You can do that with attendance too. Right now we average about 113 people. Add a zero. 1,130 people. What kind of facilities, staff, volunteers, would we need if we became a church of 11oo people?
This kind of exercising faith helps us prepare for the future. It helps us be ready for the growth God has planned for us.
This is why I appreciate our elders. They are going to be presenting the budget to you soon. When i found out about the budget I was amazed. We have men who are expecting God and us to see this church grow in in it's ministry in an effective way. it really is exciting. I am truly blessed to be serving with them.
I know ecenomic times are down, but our God isn't. We may have two fish and five loaves to offer, but our mighty God can multiply our faith!
In order tohelp our church to think big and realize what God can do through us let suggest to you a tool to that with with. Simply add a zero to the church budget. Our budget for 2008 was 136,000. What of we added a zero? 1, 360,000. What kind of ministry would we have if we did that?
You can do that with attendance too. Right now we average about 113 people. Add a zero. 1,130 people. What kind of facilities, staff, volunteers, would we need if we became a church of 11oo people?
This kind of exercising faith helps us prepare for the future. It helps us be ready for the growth God has planned for us.
This is why I appreciate our elders. They are going to be presenting the budget to you soon. When i found out about the budget I was amazed. We have men who are expecting God and us to see this church grow in in it's ministry in an effective way. it really is exciting. I am truly blessed to be serving with them.
I know ecenomic times are down, but our God isn't. We may have two fish and five loaves to offer, but our mighty God can multiply our faith!
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