Sunday was a culmination of sorts of what God has done in and through City on a Hill Church for the last 15 months. We celebrated our Grand Opening of our new building with 98 people - by far the largest attendance we've ever had. Friends and families of different backgrounds and cultures came together to celebrate Jesus.
I had planned on kicking off the Wild Goose Chase series, but the Lord led me in a different direction. I preached on the four essential keys to a healthy (ie, growing) church found in Acts 9:31. It's obvious to me that a healthy church is also a church that is growing. I'm proud to say that COAHC is a healthy church.
Our King's Kids ministry was packed with kids learning about God and experiencing the love of Jesus. Our worship team did an incredible job of leading us into the throne room of the Lord. By the time it was all over, several people had responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit by rededicating their lives to following Christ more closely.
Our visitors were met in the parking lot with smiles. Everyone was welcomed with open arms and delicious refreshments (boy, did we have a lot of food!). As I looked around, it was great to see our COAHC'ers extending a warm welcome to each and every person. I'd say that everyone was touched by the love of Jesus at least two or three times before they left. I was so proud of our folks. I know some of us don't always feel comfortable talking to strangers. But it was the power of the Holy Spirit leading everyone on Sunday!
The other neat thing was that a lot of people stayed for quite a while after the service. That's always a good sign of a healthy church - relationships! Many of our visitors stayed behind to meet and talk with people. They didn't rush to leave. It was neat to simply watch ministry happening right before my eyes everywhere I turned.
I'm so thankful that God called my family and I to Culpeper. I'm so thankful for my church family. What an incredible 15 months it's been. I can't wait to see what He does in the next 15 months!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
T-minus 3 Days
Well, we were delayed by a week getting into our new facility. But this Sunday is the big day. It's our Grand Opening. From several reports, we should have a fantastic crowd of people with us to celebrate God's bountiful blessings!
Last night, we began transitioning into "clean-up" mode. While cables were being connected into this speaker and that video monitor, many were beginning to remove trash bags and boxes from the building.
It's been a long couple of months, but it's finally come together. We have a great service of praise, thanksgiving and encouragement planned. I'm confident that God is going to use everything in mighty ways. I can't wait!!
Last night, we began transitioning into "clean-up" mode. While cables were being connected into this speaker and that video monitor, many were beginning to remove trash bags and boxes from the building.
It's been a long couple of months, but it's finally come together. We have a great service of praise, thanksgiving and encouragement planned. I'm confident that God is going to use everything in mighty ways. I can't wait!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Doubts and Distractions
In 1 Kings 13, we read about a young prophet who was fulfilling God's instructions. In the midst of fulfilling the call, an older prophet entered the scene. The older prophet distracted the younger and caused him to be disobedient. The result wasn't pretty. The younger prophet ends up getting killed by a lion.
In the last two years, I, as a pastor, and the vision of City on a Hill Church have been rejected and questioned many times. Just a couple of weeks ago, my ability to lead City on a Hill Church was challenged by another pastor via his questions about my formal training as a church planter.
I could easily allow those rejections, challenges and questions to distract me. They could cause me to think, "Well, maybe I shouldn't do this. Maybe I can't do this. Maybe God was wrong in calling me."
In the midst of the doubts and distractions, the Lord's voice becomes clearer than anything in my head. "This is what I have called you to do. I called you for this task."
I'm so thankful that God's voice is the voice that I need to listen to and obey above all others. And I'm so thankful that it's God's power and not mine that has made City on a Hill Church what it is!
In the last two years, I, as a pastor, and the vision of City on a Hill Church have been rejected and questioned many times. Just a couple of weeks ago, my ability to lead City on a Hill Church was challenged by another pastor via his questions about my formal training as a church planter.
I could easily allow those rejections, challenges and questions to distract me. They could cause me to think, "Well, maybe I shouldn't do this. Maybe I can't do this. Maybe God was wrong in calling me."
In the midst of the doubts and distractions, the Lord's voice becomes clearer than anything in my head. "This is what I have called you to do. I called you for this task."
I'm so thankful that God's voice is the voice that I need to listen to and obey above all others. And I'm so thankful that it's God's power and not mine that has made City on a Hill Church what it is!
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Next Step
As I walked into the church building yesterday morning, it was unusually cold. I immediately went to the thermostats to begin getting the rooms warmed for our service. I turned the dial on one, and nothing happened. Hmmm... Flip the switch to Off and then back to Heat. Nothing. Okay, then.
We were blessed with a warm day yesterday, so the building warmed up nicely by the time everyone arrived for the service. It didn't help that we were wall-to-wall people. Nothing like body heat to warm a small room up in no time.
Yesterday was our last church service at 405 Sperryville Pike. It's been great hosting our services at that location. Being right next to Yowell Meadow Park and along a heavily-traveled Rte 522 didn't hurt our outreach events and marketing to the community.
Now it's the next step God has for us. We host our first service in our new location this Sunday, and our Grand Opening Celebration is slated for the 22nd. There is so much excitement, but yet still so much to get done. Besides the carpet going in, there's nothing but details at this point.
Gonna be another busy week fine-tuning this fine, new building. Can't wait!
We were blessed with a warm day yesterday, so the building warmed up nicely by the time everyone arrived for the service. It didn't help that we were wall-to-wall people. Nothing like body heat to warm a small room up in no time.
Yesterday was our last church service at 405 Sperryville Pike. It's been great hosting our services at that location. Being right next to Yowell Meadow Park and along a heavily-traveled Rte 522 didn't hurt our outreach events and marketing to the community.
Now it's the next step God has for us. We host our first service in our new location this Sunday, and our Grand Opening Celebration is slated for the 22nd. There is so much excitement, but yet still so much to get done. Besides the carpet going in, there's nothing but details at this point.
Gonna be another busy week fine-tuning this fine, new building. Can't wait!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Influence
Have you ever considered who or what the biggest influences on your life are? Influence is important not just for every leader, but for every believer. Having good influences in your life can help you establish a firmer stand on the Rock or help you get pushed this way and that depending on your circumstances.
Firstly, consider the people with whom you surround yourself - your friends and family. Are they the kind of people that influence you towards a deeper, richer relationship with Jesus Christ? Or are they the kind of people who constantly challenge your relationship with the Lord?
Secondly, consider the influential things in your life. These include the kind of job you have, the kind of material possessions you own, the kind of radio station you listen to in your car, the kind of TV shows you watch at home and the kind of books and magazines you read. The media influences every single person in greater ways than you may expect. Are you being influenced by a worldview or a Christianview?
Lastly, consider what kind of influence you are to others. Are you influencing those with whom you come into contact towards an authentic relationship with God or are you influencing them towards... nothing. Jesus said, "You're either for me or against me." In other words, if you aren't an influence for the Kingdom of God, you're an influence for the enemy. You can't be Switzerland in this scenario. There's no such thing as neutral ground.
Influence is important and needs our attention.
Firstly, consider the people with whom you surround yourself - your friends and family. Are they the kind of people that influence you towards a deeper, richer relationship with Jesus Christ? Or are they the kind of people who constantly challenge your relationship with the Lord?
Secondly, consider the influential things in your life. These include the kind of job you have, the kind of material possessions you own, the kind of radio station you listen to in your car, the kind of TV shows you watch at home and the kind of books and magazines you read. The media influences every single person in greater ways than you may expect. Are you being influenced by a worldview or a Christianview?
Lastly, consider what kind of influence you are to others. Are you influencing those with whom you come into contact towards an authentic relationship with God or are you influencing them towards... nothing. Jesus said, "You're either for me or against me." In other words, if you aren't an influence for the Kingdom of God, you're an influence for the enemy. You can't be Switzerland in this scenario. There's no such thing as neutral ground.
Influence is important and needs our attention.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
15 Signs That A Church Is In Trouble
Perry Noble, pastor of New Spring Church in South Carolina posted this on his blog this morning. This is just too good not to share...
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/04/15-signs-that-a-church-is-in-trouble/
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/04/15-signs-that-a-church-is-in-trouble/
#1 – When excuses are made about the way things are instead of embracing a willingness to roll up the sleeves and fix the problem.
#2 – When the church becomes content with merely receiving people that come rather than actually going out and finding them…in other words, they lose their passion for evangelism!
#3 – The focus of the church is to build a great church (complete with the pastors picture…and his wife’s…on everything) and not the Kingdom of God.
#4 – The leadership begins to settle for the natural rather than rely on the supernatural.
#5 – The church begins to view success/failure in regards to how they are viewed in the church world rather than whether or not they are actually fulfilling the Great Commission!
#6 – The leaders within the church cease to be coachable.
#7 – There is a loss of a sense of urgency! (Hell is no longer hot, sin is no longer wrong and the cross is no longer important!)
#8 – Scripture isn’t central in every decision that is made!
#9 – The church is reactive rather than proactive.
#10 – The people in the church lose sight of the next generation and refuse to fund ministry simply because they don’t understand “those young people.”
#11 – The goal of the church is to simply maintain the way things are…to NOT rock the boat and/or upset anyone…especially the big givers!
#12 – The church is no longer willing to take steps of faith because “there is just to must to lose.”
#13 – The church simply does not care about the obvious and immediate needs that exist in the community.
#14 – The people learn how to depend on one man to minister to everyone rather than everyone embracing their role in the body, thus allowing the body to care for itself.
#15 – When the leaders/staff refuse to go the extra mile in leading and serving because of how “inconvenient” doing so would be.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Come Out of the Desert
The Lord gave me a powerful Word on Sunday morning to share with our church. It has resonated so deeply in my soul for the last two days that I simply must share it again.
The Lord led me to Joshua 1 where Joshua and the Israelites were coming out of spending the last 40 years in the desert. God was leading them into the promised land. But there was hesitancy. There was fear. Why?
When we become familiar with something and it's manageable, we get comfortable - even if it's misery. That's what was going on with the Israelites. They were miserable, but they come to a place where their misery was manageable.
God had something so much more for them - a land of milk and honey and the fulfillment of a promise. Yet, they were afraid because it was unknown territory.
We are the same way. We stay in sin even though we're miserable because it's familiar and manageable.
What promised land is God leading you to today? In what desert experience have you been wandering? It's time to cross the Jordan River into the land of milk and honey and experience all that God wants for you.
The Lord led me to Joshua 1 where Joshua and the Israelites were coming out of spending the last 40 years in the desert. God was leading them into the promised land. But there was hesitancy. There was fear. Why?
When we become familiar with something and it's manageable, we get comfortable - even if it's misery. That's what was going on with the Israelites. They were miserable, but they come to a place where their misery was manageable.
God had something so much more for them - a land of milk and honey and the fulfillment of a promise. Yet, they were afraid because it was unknown territory.
We are the same way. We stay in sin even though we're miserable because it's familiar and manageable.
What promised land is God leading you to today? In what desert experience have you been wandering? It's time to cross the Jordan River into the land of milk and honey and experience all that God wants for you.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Old Yeller
Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in ministry has experienced an "Old Yeller" moment. Here's what I'm talking about...God gives you or someone else in your ministry an incredible idea. It gets implemented and is fruitful. Time goes by, though, and the fruit begins to disappear. After awhile, the idea is just stale and there either isn't any fruit at all or it becomes counter productive.
"But the Lord gave me this idea," you say. "I know the Lord led me in this."
It may very well be so. God may have given you that idea and really blessed it - for a season. Now, it's time to take that idea/ministry/life group/whatever out behind the shed and kill it.
Don't be afraid to experience an "Old Yeller" moment. Yes, that idea may have been great. Yes, it may have been from the Lord. But, if it's unfruitful (or especially if it's counterproductive), then it's time to kill it. Appreciate it. Cherish the memories. Share the testimonies. But kill it and move on to the next one. There will be others!
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