Update

This Sunday was really good. The YMCA hosted a triathlon and asked us to host a service for any of the participants who wanted to attend, although the triathlon ended early enough for all of the participants to get to their own churches. We got to get just a very small taste of what it will be like at launch. When we Launch, we will have a lot more set in place. I really enjoyed actually having a sound system. We have been meeting without any sound and this week we will go back to that format until we get closer to launch. I think the biggest thing that we saw was that we will need more people to keep from draining our core group. We only set up a few things and I must say that it is draining... but very exciting at the same time. The folks we had setting up did an amazing job. You are an amazing Core Staff! I want to say thank you to the YMCA yet again for their amazing partnership. Please continue to pray for us. God is going to do an amazing work through Oasis Church. Please don't forget that now is the time to give financially with many purchases for Launch coming up soon.

Columbine Anniversary

Monday will be the 10 year anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings. I can only imagine the pain the Columbine classes of 1996-1999 still deal with to this day. Take a minute right now to say a prayer for those affected there and the emotions and memories that they still deal with today. Being a teacher reminds me of the fragile lives of teenagers. We can all look back and remember the things that we experienced that shaped us in middle and high school. There have been many school shootings over the years, as a matter of fact you can click on this link here to go to a map of the US with all the school killings since 1983. Note that our own Oakland Elementary in Greenwood is on that map. There are a lot of students who have been and will be hurt in their adolescent years that can only be healed by a miracle working God. Please pray for the church, that we will be a healing ground for hurting people, an avenue through which people meet an amazingly loving and gracious God. Pray for Oasis Church, that we will have a heart of compassion for hurting people. The church is the only hope for a dying world. Let's act like with know that is true!

Update

This Sunday we will be hosting a service at the Y for all of the triathlon participants. I am so excited about it. The service starts at 11 and we will be setting up in the back of the Y in the Exercise room. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to see just a tiny little bit what we will look like on launch day. We are going to set up the pipe and drape and we will actually have a sound system this time. We are going to need some help setting up, so anyone who can come and help needs to be there at 9:30. We will be loading in from a back door on the Y, so just come to the back and look for Rick's truck. Anyone who can't help at 9:30 needs to be there by 10:30 to help greet people. You are an awesome Staff.

Mmmm

Nope, that's not blood. Just ketchup. She's not a vampire.

Jesus ain't no Boy Scout!

I never got to be a boy scout, but I think that I would have really enjoyed it. What boy wouldn't enjoy being outside camping and building fires and learning how to do all sorts of cool stuff? The boy scouts are nutorious for being prepared, and being prepared is not really a bad thing. I think about this being prepared mentality in the ministry quite often. I often feel like we as Christians should always be prepared because it is the responsible thing to do. Shouldn't we as Christians be responsible? Sure, that sounds right. I wonder though, is this being prepared a biblical model? I've always assumed that it is the biblical thing, but most of us know what assuming does... As I have grown in Christ I've come to the harsh reality that the biblical model is not always the "be prepared" model. If you don't believe me, then just read this scripture where Jesus tells his disciples to take NOTHING on their journey. Luke 9:3 "take nothing" Wow! now that's intense. Why would Jesus tell his disciples to do such a "foolish" thing as we see it. With this type of journey there is a required level of trust in God that few of us will ever experience. I think that many...most every.... almost all Christians in America miss out on some great blessings simply because we convince ourselves that Jesus is a boyscout when in all reality he more resembles a vagabond. If God calls you to do something, then do it. Especially if he calls you to "take nothing." I really think that we have a long way to go before we even come close to what it means to be believers.

Blogging....more...maybe....

Well, this is the very first blog that I will have written from my house. We finally have internet at home. I'm not going to say that I will blog a whole lot more because I just don't want to commit to it until I know how much I will be able to get my wife off of the computer yet. I must say though that it is so very easy when I have a computer at home and I can get online. thank you so much to all of you who have been so supportive. I am so excited about core group tomorrow. We will be talking about guest services and how extremely important it is to what we will do in the church. God is amazing and He is very much capable of doing some absolutely amazing things.

Bowling with the family

For some reason I feel like it's been a while since I've gotten to
just hang out with my precious family. Any church guys out there
reading this, we have got to slow down and see the miracles that live
in the same house with us!