Anyone been invited?

I am studying for this weekend's talk at the gathering and I am going over some research that discusses how many active church goers actually invite their friends and co-workers to church.

"Only 21 percent of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year. But only 2 percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church." (The Unchurched Next Door, p.25)

This is a staggering statistic that needs to be reversed. Any thoughts on how we can do this?

Summer Schedule

In the past 9 months, the gathering has grown really fast...we are seeing more and more people come every single week! This is definitely a God thing, but there are a few opportunities that we need to address so we can continue to see the growth we desire.

The biggest issue that we are facing is that there are a few people that are failing to make a connection when they come to the gathering. We can't tell who is a guest or who is a regular attendee. Our welcome team does a good job most of the time, but there is always one or two that come that we don't get a chance to meet. There are also some who come weekly because they enjoy the music or teaching but they have yet to connect with another college/young adult.

So this summer, we are going to focus our attention and resources on building healthy relationships. We are going to have multiple events/activities with the sole purpose of getting to know each other better. Please check this website and our facebook page for the summer schedule so you can connect with other college/young adults in our community and church!

Do You Have Vision?

Dwight Smith had this to say about people with crystal clear vision:

"There is an itch about something that must be done that animates their lives. They cannot let it go! It is important to emphasize that such a vision does not come from trying to have one. In all of these people, it simply comes! God has so demonstrated Himself that they are filled with a picture of something that must be done." (www.scpi.org/index.php?page=peopleofvision)

Is the vision for your life self-centered or is it God-breathed?

Cell Phone

My phone is broken and I will be without a cell phone for a few days. I guess I will be able to enjoy some quiet evenings. I'm just glad I'm not the pastor on-call this week! ;)

HIllsong London

On Tuesday night, the band from the gathering went to Hillsong London at Granger Community Church. Needless to say, the concert was incredible and many people trusted Christ.

I heard this quote that night from the lead singer of the band and I have heard my father say this before: "Stop asking God to bless what you are doing. Find out what He is doing because it is already blessed."

There is some major truth to this quote! What do you think about it?

Leadership Proverb

I read this proverb from a Chinese philosopher some time ago and have been pondering it ever since. What do you think about it?

A leader is best when people are hardly aware of his existence, not so good when people praise his government, less good when people stand in fear, worst when people are contemptuous. Fail to honor people, and they will fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who speaks little, when his task is accomplished, his work done, the people say, "We did it ourselves!"

Out-of-balance

Many of us are out-of-balance. We do not recognize who God is, and we don't recognize the critical balance between fear and love.

If we focus our attention on the fear side, we become legalistic. Christianity becomes nothing but rituals and regulations. "I must jump through this hoop, I must do this and do that, or else God might punish me."

On the other hand, we can go in the opposite direction when we take too many liberties with God. We think that since God loves us unconditionally, it does not matter how we live our life. Yes, God does love us unconditionally; but His judgment is connected to our love for Him. We should obey Him because we love Him, but a part of that love is a fearful realization that God is an awesome and powerful judge who will hold us accountable for our actions.

If we fall too far on the side of love and liberty, we can become lazy about our Christian commitment. Achieving this perfect balance between fear and love is one of the greatest goals of spiritual maturity.