Monday Morning Rewind #10

Photo credit: alvimann from morguefile.com

And now for another list of my thoughts on the past weekend.

• Did everyone have fun at the Christmas Dinner on Thursday?  I had an amazing time.  The best was being able to walk around and talk to everyone.  I know I missed many people, but I did my best to juggle helping Bridgett set everything up while also mingling.
• The Christmas Talent Show was off-the-hook (yes, I’m from the 90′s), and so fun to be in.  I especially enjoyed pranking Jason and Doug, and getting Dylan involved was a special treat.
• Let me give a big thank you to Jimmy and Pat Ray from Restoration Ministries.  They served LGM by being our Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at the dinner.  They were truly a blessing.
• I was at the Robbies’ house Friday evening for pizza and to watch the St. Stephen Christmas Parade.  It was cool watching LGM being represented by our Puppets Praisin’ Jesus team, but the really special moment for me was listening to Lexi practice songs with Doug to perform with the Praise Team for Youth Sunday.  Truly a moment that a pastor cherishes.
• Speaking of Youth Sunday, how awesome was it to see our teenagers serve along side us throughout the morning service?  I was at a loss for words, but I had to find some because I was scheduled to deliver the message yesterday.  I’m still in awe of what God has done in the Beyond Youth Ministry and in the lives of it’s students, and I’m so proud of my students.
• To let you know, the students who helped us yesterday are: Tad, Gary, Kinsey, Macie, Alexis, Melissa, and Dylan.
• Thank you, Mrs. Jenean, for bringing up the terrible facts about hunger.  And when you brought up the Backpack Buddies program, I almost cried, because Bridgett and I helped in this program at our last church, and the best part about it is that it is free of charge.  The only cost is 10 minutes per month.
• Oh, and the Moncks Corner Christmas Parade was an awesome feat.  How the town organizes this thing every year is beyond me, but they did a great job.  And once again, LGM was represented in a great way.  Ms. Peggy gave me Max (the furry green puppet) to ride with in my dad’s truck, and he was a hit.  People saw him bouncing with the music and waving to everyone, and they thought he was so cute just chillin’ and ridin’ along.  It was a blast.
• Thank you to everyone for the kind remarks about my first message at LGM.  My only prayer is that in some way, God touched your hearts and it will help you change to be more like Jesus.
• Finally, I’m so very excited about where God is taking Life-Givers Ministries and the Beyond Youth Ministry, and am honored to be a part of it all.  Thank you to everyone for welcoming Bridgett and me into your family with open arms.

Monday Morning Rewind #9

Photo credit: alvimann from morguefile.com

Man, oh, man am I tried this morning, but here I go.  My thoughts over the past weekend.

• Do you know what Jehovah Jireh is?  It is a name for God meaning, “The Lord my provider.”  And, God did just that this weekend.  Just when Bridgett and I thought we were going to have to scrap by financially due to an unexpected mechanical bill, God showed up and helped Bridgett find $150 that we thought we lost AND gave Bridgett a photography job.  HE’S AMAZING!
• Thanksgiving is officially over, as well as Black Friday.  I still find it amazing that immediately following the one day we set aside to appreciate and give thanks for what we have that we crave and fight for more stuff while saving a buck.  Which leads me to two more thoughts.
• The key word to Thanksgiving is giving.  As Acts 20:35 states, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.“  How many of us would rather receive thanks than give it?  Do you know what that’s called?  Pride.  Even though we’re finished with the Thanksgiving holiday, be sure to give thanks to the people around you.
• I would like to give thanks to God for something I don’t have?  Condemnation.  Sure, I’m a sinner, but I have been forgiven by God through Jesus, and as Romans 8:1-2 states, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.“  AMEN & HALLELUJAH!
• There were 12 students in the Beyond Youth small group yesterday.  Awesome!  Bridgett and I are having a blast, and I know it will only get better from here.
• As was taught to the Beyond Youth yesterday, everyone at some point in their lives deals with a negative self image.  We don’t think we live up to everyone’s expectations of us albeit physically, intellectually, socially, etc.  Instead of comparing ourselves to others we should instead find our value as a person by knowing that we are created by God to be ourselves, not someone else.  If we were meant to be someone else, then we would be.
• We had a blast at the Crossover Drama Team practice.  You’ll have to be at the Christmas Dinner this Thursday at 7pm to see what fun we’ve created.
• I love my Beyond Youth Team.  After dropping off a couple of girls from our drama team, we got back together to discuss some things, and it proved to me that they are dedicated not to just advancing Life-Givers Ministries and the Beyond Youth Ministry, but also to helping each student become a better person.  They are dedicated, and as the Mickey D’s slogan goes, “I’m lovin’ it!”

So, there are my thoughts.  By-the-way, and, um, no pressure, but you might want to be at Life-Givers Ministries this Sunday.  Not only am I delivering a life changing message, but it is Youth Sunday.  Some of the Beyond Youth Ministry students will be participating in the various ministries that participate in our Sunday morning gatherings.

Monday Morning Rewind #8

You thought I was going to miss it.  Ha ha!  Nope.  11:45 A.M.  Still time to post my Monday Morning Rewind post for the week.  So, we interrupt this normal Monday morning to bring you all sort of awesome-ness.  My thoughts for the past week.

• Once again, it was awesome to be at church yesterday.  I love that God sent Bridgett and me to Life-Givers, and I couldn’t ask for a better church.  He is really doing something divine.
• Did you see the children and the youth that were waving the flags during the worship portion of the service?  Sure, they do it from week-to-week, but there was something about it this past Sunday.  We were singing how amazing God is, and something struck me that these kids are huge illustrations of God’s amazing-ness.  Hmm, remember Genesis 1:26?  I stood and sang in awe as I watched them.
• There were 13 students in the Beyond Youth small group. That’s are average, but that’s great.  We’re slowly growing, but Bridgett and I have only been the youth pastors since October.  Wait until we get a permanent building and are able to do more things.  Maybe youth services?  Hmm.  I don’t know.  Maybe.
• You have to see the pictures of games we played today.  The blanket pull was the funniest.
• The Beyond Youth t-shirt sale is going great.  A few more were requested bringing us to 54 shirts, but only 33 are paid for.  Pretty good, but let’s get this thing over with so we can actually order the shirts.  By-the-way, have you seen the design?  Check it out here.
• The Crossover Drama practice was hilarious.  We are preparing a funny performance for the talent show at the LGM Christmas Party, and some of the performers were cracking us up.  I can’t believe some people who won’t be named (ahem: Stephanie N., Robbie Girl, & Bridgett) didn’t believe that I would do my part.  Shoot, I taught Justin Timberlake the meaning of sexy.  Booyah!
• I want more time before and after service to talk to people.  Sundays are a great time for me to spend time speaking to parents, students, and others by just making small talk, hearing praise reports/prayer requests, etc., but I’m setting up the small group before service and tearing it down after service.  It isn’t too hard to find time before service, but afterwards can be very difficult.
• It’s great that I’m at the same church that my parents and brother and sister-in-law attend.  For 3 and a half years, it was hard going to a different church than them; hearing about what was going on and not being involved was the hardest.  But that’s changed, and I love it.  I love my family.

There you have it.  My MMR for the week.  Now back to your regularly scheduled Monday.

Monday Morning Rewind #7

As I do every Monday morning, here are my reflections of the past weekend.  This one will be relatively short.

• It was odd being at Life-Givers’ Sunday service without Bridgett.  I lean on her for so much that it makes me value her even more when she’s not helping me.  I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful wife.  As Proverbs 18:22 states, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
• Not sure how many people were at LGM yesterday, but it looked like a lot.  In the end, it doesn’t matter.  God is in control, and is doing great things in and through us.
• There were 6 students in the Beyond Youth small group.  Many were out of town, sick, or visiting other churches nearby, and that’s cool.  I’m not jealous when some of the Beyond Youth students are out or visiting other churches.  They’re not my students.  They’re God’s.
• What’s this about a permanent building for LGM?  Sure, I knew about it, and even toured it a few weeks back, and it looks great, and has a lot of potential.  In fact, I’m already lobbying for a side of the building for the Beyond Youth Ministry.  We’ll see what happens, but it would be awesome if God granted us a large enough space for a time of small groups and a possible youth service.  Maybe?  I hope so.
• I spent the day with Robbie Odom.  He’s become a great friend and a valuable asset to LGM, Beyond Youth, and the Crossover Drama Team.  We talked all day about LGM, Beyond Youth, ministry in general, family, and shared stories.  It was one of the best days I’ve had in some time.  Just being able to share with someone is cool and a great gift.
• Speaking of Robbie, I gave him an exciting assignment for the Beyond Youth Ministry, but I can’t share the details right now.  All I can say is watch out.  Some great things are on the horizon, and I’m expecting God to bust forth with this one.
• One of my students spoke to my brother, Doug (our Associate Pastor and Worship Leader), about becoming a permanent singer on the LGM Praise Team.  Really?  Could this be?  I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard it.  Go Lexi!!!
• Finally, with all that went on, yesterday was an extremely long day.  It seems that Saturdays have become my day of rest, and I’m fighting to keep that.  I almost called out of work this morning I was so tired, but alas, I didn’t.  Everyone needs at least one day of rest each week.

I hoped you enjoyed this week’s Rewind, because I’m enjoying sharing my thoughts each week.

 

Grocery Shopping To Reach People

This is one of the greatest examples of innovation and fund raising that I’ve seen in a long time.  It ties together the habit of buying groceries with the simple act of raising money for a missionary and his family.  Pete Wilson really outdid himself this time.

Here’s the quick details:

1. People fill out a webform to receive a Kroger reloadable gift card via mail with $5 preloaded on it.
2. After receiving the card, they call in and pay to have more money loaded onto it.
3. Then they use the card at any Kroger.
4. 4% of every $1 (i.e. 4 cents) will be given to the missionary and his family.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 to keep reloading and using the card while sending more money.

Truly an awesome idea.

Monday Morning Rewind #6

It’s that time again. Another Sunday has come and gone, and now Monday has rapidly come upon us.  So, for my thoughts on this past week:

• Two people asked God for his forgiveness of their sins. In other words, they became our brother and sister in Christ.  THAT’S AWESOME AND WORTH CELEBRATING!!!
• There were 106 people at our Sunday morning worship gathering.  Remember that there were 104 last week.  So, God just keeps expanding us numerically.  Did you know that we are one of the largest churches in the South Carolina Conference in terms of average attendance?
• Along with that there were 13 students in the Beyond Youth small group.  A few more stayed out front to hear Pastor Jason’s message, but I’m cool with that.  It’s just nice knowing that they enjoy coming to church.
• Speaking of Pastor Jason, how cool is it that he was able to address everyone with his first message since his accident.  I know he’s been chomping at the bit lately to get back in front of everyone because he enjoys being a pastor.  I wish I could have been able to hear it.
• How about that drama?  I’m not bragging since I played a character, but the Crossover Drama Team did an outstanding job.  It really set the tone for the remainder of the service.  And everyone did an amazing job.  Isn’t it amazing how God can use one simple thing to make a difference in our lives?  And don’t let Bridgett get off of the hook.  She may not be acting in the dramas, but she picks them, and somehow it’s exactly what God wants.
• Speaking of the drama, I ended up hurting my shoulder in the process.  It’s not too bad, but it’s extremely sore.
• The appreciation dinners for the Puppet Team and the Hospitality Team were great.  It’s always fun to be able to spend time with everyone.
• The Beyond Youth students learned the lesson that life is hard, but no matter what happens to never give up on their dreams and life goals.  Even when it seems like their lives are getting to hard, God is there to take the weight off of their shoulders.
• I’m excited about some of the upcoming events for the Beyond Youth Ministry including our first Christmas Party and an event to be announced later to help support a local food bank.
• I now have a syndication plugin installed on the Beyond Youth website.  Now, any posts on my personal blog that I choose will also be posted on the Beyond Youth website.

Because of the new syndication plugin, Monday Morning Rewind posts will now be published on my personal blog, All Signs Point 2 God.

Beyond Youth Apparel Design

Ever since Summer Camp 2009 in June, Bridgett and I have been wanting to get some custom designed shirts for our youth ministry, but we ended up relocating from Restoration Ministries to Life-Givers Ministries before we were able to get the process started.  Now, we have done so for our Beyond Youth Ministry, and let me say, James at ThePlowShare.com has done a fantastic job creating a custom design for us.  This has been coming, and we are extremely excited.  James provided us with a design that fits the Beyond Youth Ministry perfectly.

So, without further ado, here’s the design.

As you may be able to point out, there is a target in the middle of the design to go along with the target that is in our logo.

We are definitely selling t-shirts, but are also looking into selling long sleeve shirts and hoodies.  There are 7 colors available: white, orange, grey, yellow, light blue, pink, and dark blue.  Pricing will vary, and will be announced as soon as all of the information has been verified.  I can assure you that the prices are very low and within the range of many people’s budget.

Once we have worked out all of the necessary information, we will post the information to Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to take orders as well as announcing it at our Sunday gatherings.  If you’re in a hurry or overly-excited, you can let us know what you’d like in the comments below.  Just tell us which how many shirts you’d like, in what colors, and sizes.