Why I Didn't Preach Last Weekend

I didn't preach at DIscovery Church last weekend. I was at the theater (and no, I wasn't just skipping to watch a movie) but others led in worship and teaching. I've been asked a few times why and here's the reason:

Reason #1: We have talented teachers who need to be given the opportunity to grow and use their gifts.
At Discovery, we've been blessed with some incredibly talented teachers. Yesterday, one of those talented individuals, Janet Oberholtzer, got the opportunity to share about the purpose of and her passion for ministry to college-students. Each time she has preached, she has done a good job...and she's grown in that gifting. Later this summer, you'll have the opportunity to learn from Matt Breivogel, another young, gifted teacher in our midst. I look forward to teaching more at Discovery (and One Life) in the days ahead. However, some times it is good for me and for the body of Christ for others to have the opportunity to share what God is teaching them.

Reason #2: I was serving in KIDS ministry.
Our KIDS ministry rocks! The team does a great job each week in preparing quality lessons that teach and grow our kids. And our KIDS ministry is growing. Sunday, I got the opportunity to pour myself into the life of the kids for one morning. They got to know that their pastor loves them, cares about them, can be goofy, and wants them to love Jesus. All very important lessons in my book. Another exciting part of leading in our KIDS ministry was the chance to teach my incredible 7 year old. Dads, it is so cool to get to lead and love your kids and set great examples for other kids at church.

Second Look @ Sunday

Thankful for another incredible (and busy) weekend. Before we jump into the highlights from yesterday, I would be remiss to not share some highlights from the past two weeks:

• Christmas Eve was incredible! Where to start....thanks to our set-up team for showing up in the midst of the first round of snow storms to unload the trailer at Bob's.
• Thanks to the band who came together to lead us in worship.
• Thankful for those who helped tear down and load up so that everyone could enjoy Christmas.
• Got a chance to worship with my sister-in-law's family last week. Got to see my oldest nephew profess his faith in Christ and follow Him in baptism. Awesome.
• It was really cool to be able to sit with Alyssa (the 6-year old) and join her in worship. She's learned to read which makes it much easier for her to sing corporately. So cool to hear her sing praises to God with me.
• Many people are ashamed or embarrassed by their in-laws. Mine are pretty incredible. Had a great time with them.
• The gym is getting busy. We closed out the month on a great note. Thankful for a great team there too.

And now yesterday's highlights:

• Loved the job the worship team did leading. If you're not worshiping, it's a you issue. Really cool to see people like Chet and Chance set free to use all their gifts and abilities to the fullest.
• Can't imagine what life would be without our Children's Ministry volunteers. Thanks for all you do!
• Guess which movie was showing in the same theater as we set up our nursery? Yep...this one.
• "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision." -- Helen Keller
• Thankful that Jesus does not go for the Dream Team, but chooses the dropout and flunkies, the less-desirables, me.
• Got a chance to talk with someone tonight about what it means to be a Jesus-follower. Praying for her as she studies Jesus, His life and ministry, and His call on her life.
• Already getting excited about next week. I've got people in mind to invite; do you?

Why I'm Excited...by Kitten McClain

Over the next six weeks, members of the Discovery Church leadership team (the elders and the staff) will be sharing some of what has them so excited about partnering with One Life. Our first installment has been written by the sweet, compassionate and talented (not to mention beautiful) Kitten McClain. Kitten serves as the Director of Children's Ministries at Discovery.

As I look at joining together with One Life, I am excited about many different things. First and foremost, I am excited to see what God will do! Discovery and One Life share a common heart to reach those outside the church. One Life states they are about “helping people far from God experience Jesus.” At the heart of all we do, I pray, we are helping people experience Jesus for the first time and then in deeper and new ways!

Second, I am excited to see One Life's commitment to children. When you go to the One Life children's page, the first statement is “kids are a big deal here.” That is awesome! Kids are a big deal; in fact, they are a huge deal! I am excited to see that One Life knows this! If we can reach children and teach them about God's love at a young age, imagine the impact they can have on Evansville and the surrounding area! One Life sees children's minstry not just as a babysitting service, but as a ministry in and of itself.

Third, I am excited about the security system in the children's area. The safety and security of our children is so important. When I visit other churches, I am hesitant to leave my children with people I do not know. God has given us two beautiful little girls that I want to make sure are safe. I hope this security system would help alleviate fears as parents leave their children with us for the first time.

Finally, I am simply excited to join with this team who is passionate about reaching the greater Evansville area. There are so many people in this community who are searching for something else. I get so excited when I think about the church coming together, across the area, to reach the Tri-state and beyond. I look forward to seeing all Christ has in store!

Second Look @ Sunday

What a great day today at Discovery Church. Some of the highlights for me:

• I'm always blown away by the faithfulness of our set-up team. Even though it was in the 30s this AM, they were there unloading the trailer and working hard.
• Got to see one of my favorite persons in the world this morning. Always awesome to see Ellen, my favorite Connecticuter.
• Our musicians are so flexible. It is always interesting to see what instruments that Dan Wilson & Nick Smith will be playing.
• Wonder what the response to the programs formerly known as the "World's Tiniest Church Programs" was?
• Our Childrens Ministry team does such a great job. And the leader is smokin' hot.
• Big idea from the sermon: What is your perception of Jesus? Because how you perceive Him effects how you respond to Him.
• Big announcement: The elders of Discovery Church have recommended that the church seeks release to independence from the EPC and then to merge into the One Life Network. We'll be answering questions about this over the next several months both in congregational meetings and via FAQs here on the blog.

From the Mouth of Babes

This past Saturday Kitten and I were driving around town with Alyssa, our amazing 6 year-old. We were talking about getting ready for Discovery Church the next morning. She said, "You guys are teachers. I am not. I cannot teach anybody about God."

Kitten quickly responded, "You teach people about God. You can tell your friends about Him. You can teach your sister."

Alyssa rebutted, "I don't know enough about Him. All I know is that He is powerful. He knows everything and everyone. He is perfect. And He loves us."

Kitten response was perfect. "Honey, you already know more about God than a lot of adults."

² Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. ³ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴ So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4)

Second Look @ Sunday

Here's a quick glimpse at some of the highlights from today:

• Our set-up team is amazing. They did a great job unloading the trailer today, even if I had booby-trapped it by switching everything around over the weekend.
• Our phenomenal drummer, Chet, found some great lights on a killer deal that we got to install on our light tree today.
• Our band has been really gelling over the last few weeks. Thanks for all your hard work.
• Saw a high-school classmate today. She and her husband came to Discovery with her sister & brother-in-law. She had no clue that I was the pastor (probably why she was willing to come).
• Alex Tindle stepped up as the host for this morning's service. It was his first time in that capacity. Excellent work friend.
• Janet Oberholtzer, our small groups guru, experienced a first as well. She taught in our Childrens' Ministry area. Thanks for filling in the gap Janet!
• Since I forgot to say it in the service this morning: Happy Birthday Zayden Harper! You're an incredible little four year old. Now keep away from my daughters.
• Got a chance to see some great friends who God is doing amazing things through also today.
• Spent the afternoon with the girls. The only downside was that Alyssa still had a smokin' hot fever.

Second Look @ Sunday

Time flies when you're having fun (and really busy). Here's some take-aways from yesterday for me:

• The Discovery band is really starting to jell. I love watching people serve out of giftedness and passion.
• We celebrated the sacrament of communion. It is incredible to join with the Church throughout the ages in experiencing the grace of God.
• Had a bit of a scare when someone passed out/fainted in the parking lot while leaving. Our volunteers did an outstanding job of being on top of the situation and immediately got emergency responders there. Not something that we ever wanted to test, but great knowing that our volunteers are paying attention.
• Speaking of volunteers: so thankful for our Childrens Ministry team. Week after week we have individuals who are willing to sacrifice their own time in worship to serve God and others. Thanks for all the hard work.
• While we were worshiping at AMC Stadium 16, Jack Young (one of our elders) was wrapping up a weekend serving with Kairos at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. Despite my testimony, they allowed him to return home.
• Talked finances during a pre-marital counseling session. Honor God by being a good steward of what He has entrusted to you (applies in so many areas of your life).
• My girls are amazing. Morgan had us cracking up after failing to get the lights turned on. "I can't. I have short arms." Too cute. She then repeated the "short arms" line a dozen times.

Second Look @ Sunday

Some quick thoughts on Sunday:

• The worship team did a fantastic job. Bummed that so many people enjoyed the free coffee and missed the first song though.
• It was neat to wrap up the book of Philippians. I always enjoy teaching straight through a book of Bible. It's great to come across powerful verses in the context that they were originally written.
• At the same time, I'm getting excited about the new sermon sermon series. We launch "At the Movies 2010" this Sunday.
• It's always awesome and inspiring to celebrate communion together as a community.
• Thanks to our Children's Ministry volunteers. You guys bring fresh excitement to kids each week.
• From what I hear, Brandi Hollen did a fantastic job of speaking on the USI campus.
• Had a lot of fun working the Discovery Church booth with Janet Oberholtzer, Martha Duckworth, Brandi, and my family following the service.
• I might have overwhelmed a student from Minnesota when I gave him a full-bag of peanut-butter cookies. Not sure he knew what to think.
• Thanks to all the cookie-makers. You're much more talented than me. I burned the chocolate.

Shh Mom. I'm Reading My Bible

Got a text message following our first week of Children's Programming at Discovery. Here's what it said:

"She (5 year-old girl) did all the homework in her Bible she was supposed to yesterday. I read it to her and she did it. She came home today from (her aunt's) and got her Bible out and sat on the couch. She told her sister and me to be quiet. She is studying and has to get it done before church next week. :-)"

What an awesome story. Love it when little ones fall in love with the great story of the Scriptures. Love the work that our Childrens Ministry team is doing.

Second Look @ Sunday

Maybe the best I can say is: "whew!" It seemed like something/someone was throwing everything in our general direction this week with fists of fury. A brief recap:

• I tried to put the finishing touches on the sermon on Friday night. One small problem: my computer contracted the antivir pro virus. Basically it is a virus that acts like an anti-virus. It completely locked up my computer for hours. If you find yourself fighting this beast, check out the great help that I found here.
• I woke up with a wicked stomach ailment. Kicked my tail until the early afternoon.
• Dan & Stephanie did a great job of trying to teach some new music this weekend. If you liked what you heard, you can find more from their inspiration, Shawn McDonald, on his website.
• Our new Childrens (K-5) theater kicked off weekly this weekend. Kitten and her team did a great job but were caught by surprise when our attendance for that theater doubled any of the preview services that we ran this summer.
• Did a dedication for an awesome young family. Love the Harpers.
• Lots of guests: that has been the theme for the past month. Really excited to see so many keep coming back.
• My softball team took another beating but at least we hit the ball this week. The next two weeks should get easier as the pros start playing each other again and we can play equally talented (or lack thereof) teams.
• Prayer request: Lots of meetings this week that I can definitely use wisdom and discernment for. Exciting things in the works at Bob's Gym and Discovery Church.