Youth Kick Off

Stopped by our first Youth event yesterday and I was blown away! There was at least 25 youth there. What makes this so amazing is that when we started the church we only had four at most. We have grown is this area by leaps and bounds and the cool thing is that God has blessed us with the workers. The Tefts and Aguilars did an incredible job of putting this event on. Good job.

Women’s Study Podcast Online

We are beginning to Podcast our weekly Women’s Study. They are studying a book by Dee Brestin enititled “Women of Worship; a Study through the Psalms.” If you were unable to make the study you can download it here or subscribe to the podcast here.

Poured Out Like Wine

Really been chewing on 2 Timothy lately.

2 Timothy 4:1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.(nlt)

I have always been compelled to preach the Word of God without compromise but it was the correcting, rebuking, and encouraging that I struggled to balance.

One of the biggest struggles of any pastor is to keep his mind clear of distractions. There are so many good things which aren’t the best for you to do.

Finally to be poured out like a drink offering to God has so much more depth than I realized. It is all invasive. When God is doing something in you it consumes you beyond exhaustion. I am learning this.

Buttoned Up

We’ve finally finished up all of the major projects on the church. Took a month but I think I am done meeting people early at the church so they can work on it. Had the carpets cleaned yesterday and the place is looking nice. can’t believe it only took a month.

What excites me most is that I can focus more attention on my regular duties and some exciting things that are on my heart. I have three staff members that I want to pour into, some planning to fulfill our vision, and some future dreaming that I am realizing that we are closer to than  thought.

Reading some really good books right now. Really pushing me to where I need to be right now and in the future. Be in prayer for The Village Chapel as we have some big decisions that we need to address in the coming months.

I am also looking forward to a regular day off (wednesday) and getting out on my kayak. As soon as Greg finishes this Triathalon we will be on the water a lot. This is a good thing because it is kind of prayer closet for me. Very serene and peaceful.

Spirited Leaders Wanted

I watched the movie Eragon today. It was a fun movie which was perfect for my day off. There is a great line in the movie said by Jeremy Irons character. “Spirit is 1/4 bravery and 3/4 follishness.”

There is some truth to that. Leadership takes courage (Joshua 1) but it also takes some risk taking which some would call foolishness. You have to be able to stick your neck online to accomplish something great.

We are looking for some Spirited Leaders at the Village Chapel. We can handle the mistakes if people are willing to do something brave. Failure isn’t an option it is a reality and the best classroom you can attend. Are you brave enough to step up and lead?

Staff Meetings

I love good staff meetings. Emphasis on good ones. I have been to some real stinkers. Today we had our first official staff meeting for the Village Chapel. Tom, Christin, Joe, and I met this afternoon to discuss leadership, Church Stuff, and ideas. We’ve got a really good team. Lots of energy and drive.

In our meeting I discussed what it means to be a leader. We discussed delegation and the importance of face to face meetings. I know in the future we will be having some heated meetings as we discuss what is going on at the church as well as what needs to go on. Lots of ideas and input which is always an ingredient for a good staff meeting.

Carpet is Down

Yesterday we tore up the old carpet and today the new carpet was installed. I gotta say it looks pretty good. We are so close to buttoning up the building. That will be a nice change of pace.

So many people have done a great job over the last month. I was just thinking that it was a month ago today that we started tearing out the booths and making way for our new sanctuary.

Now it is clear

Just read a great post from Steven Furtick who pastors a church in North Carolina that has exploded in the fourteen months since it started. His post You want to know the secret hit home with me. He details why his church has grown so much..its the people.

I agree. The reason that the Village Chapel has grown so much is its people.

Its people like Christian & Mary Anne Andresen who come early and leave late to set up and clean up our coffee area.

Its contractors like John Singh and Ernie Anaya who step up and use their skills and resources to turn a restaurant into a sanctuary.

It people like the Greeks who use their financial expertise to chart a course of security and expansion.

It also people like Dennis and Adam, single guys, who are there each week doing what they do well without any fanfare.

Remember that God does the growing but he uses all of the people to plant, water, and harvest.

One Last Funny

This picture was sent to me by Camille Lopez.

Incredible Baptism

Today we held our first baptism and it was a blast. I will post pictures once Kevin sends them to me. In all we baptized 18 people! In spite of it pouring rain during the service we were able to pull it off. It only sprinkled a few times and by the end the sun was coming out. Kind of symbolic considering how baptism is a sign of new life. The hotel pool was a little dirty and really cold so we sacrificed and moved it to the Jacuzzi.  We had a potluck between the service and baptism and the food was off the charts! We used every table and all of our rooms. The sanctuary was full, the Apollo room was full, and the bar area was standing room only.

Our second service was packed with family members who came to watch. I felt todays services went really well. In fact the second service rocked. The music was incredible. Joe is hitting it out of the ball park. I was told our children’s ministry was busting at the seams and our students ministry had three new students in their new room. I felt really good about the message. It feels like we are starting to fire on all cylinders.