Vacation Bible School

We just finished our Vacation Bible School. It was for ages 2 year old through 6th grade. The youth group from Westside in Midland, Tx came down and did a fantastic job. The youth group door knocked the entire town, then decorated. On Sunday we had 23 kids, Monday 57, Tuesday 46, and Wed night for our final program we had 65.
The teens form Midland did a wonderful job doing service in the community. They picked up trash at the park, served at the nutrition center, cleaned a studio that is going to be used for ballet, tap dance, karate for the youth of the community, and cleaned windows for businesses in town.
They ended the week by going tubing in Juction at the Llano River. The group was such a blessing.
I met alot of parents and have 50 contacts to follow up on.
Isn't great to see that youth groups aren't just about fun and games but about service. As a former youth minister it is great to see that youth still have a heart of Christ when it comes to service. Teens are often sterio-typed as being lazy, complainers, these teens proved that sterio-type wrong.
I am so thankful to God for this week and know he is going to bless Westside and Rocksprings.

How has VBS made a difference at your church?
Do you have any memories of VBS? Stories? Testimonies?
Is VBS a good tool for evangelism?
Does it make a difference in the lives of the kids who are unchurched? How?
Did your kids go to VBS this year?
Let me know what you think?

Vacations, Even Jesus Spent Time To Renew

I took a 3 day vacation. My family and I went to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas. Monday we spent the day at the beach and ate at a sea food place that dumps the food (shrimp,crawfish, crab, corn) on your table. The boys had a great time with the little wood hammers they gave them. Tuesday we went to the beach for about an hour or so, then went to a mall in Corpus Christi that had a carousel that they got to ride, played video games, shopped a little, then went to the Texas State Aquarium. Later we went and ate at another seafood place and then ended the evening on a sunset cruise watching the dolphins. The boys even got to touch some sea creatures (starfish, hermit crabs, etc). Wed morning I woke up and watched the sunrise over the ocean and spent some time with just me and God. I enjoyed the time with my family, allowing them to create memories that will last a lifetime. I neglected my family in the past I am not doing it anymore. As a minister I thought I had to be working all the time, churches that I worked for pressued me to work all the time, 60-80 hours a week. My family suffered. As ministers it is easy to neglect what is the most important. I know understand that it is God, family, then church. I let the church know that that family was important and that I would need at least 2 days off to be with my family. The church I am at know is the most wonderful church in allowing me to spend time with my family, take kids to Dr. appointments, take care of them when they are sick, etc. I am blessed.
I needed this weekend and I feel renewed, refeshed, uplifted.
Jesus when he needed time away from his work, a break, spent time alone with God. And that time alone with God renewed Him so he could continue his ministry.
Why is it that so many people especially ministers think they can't take a break? Could that be the reason so many ministers get burnout and leave the ministry?
How has vacation and time away helped you renew?
We must understand that even Jesus himself didn't work 24/7 and He was the son of God.
Is there anything we can learn here?
What do you think?

The Grace of God

Can we get our human minds around the grace of God? How wonderful is the grace of God. We are saved by it. Read the entire bible from the fall to the last word in revelation and you see that God is such a gracious God. It is His nature, His character. It is what he is about and what the ministery of Jesus was about. It is what we as Christians and the Church should be about too. In the past we have heard numerous sermons on hell, works, etc...But I truely believe that it is grace that the world needs to hear. It is grace that it needs. It is grace that will change lives. Turn on the news and see the state of the world, without mercy, grace. I believe most people are hungery for it. And my Christians who have denied it in their churches are hungry for it too. As you live out the Christian life understand that you are saved by the grace of God and live a life of thanksgiving by doing His will. The grace of God should motivate us to do the good that God wants from us.

God thank you so much for you saving grace. May the entire world be open to it. May we as Christian extend that grace to others and as ministers of the good news preach it with passion.

How has God's grace touched your life? How has it made a difference in your church? How has God's grace made a difference in your ministry?
To me it has made all the difference.

Emerging church, Purpose Driven, What's Next, Help!

Let me start off by saying that I am so gald Italy won! Wow. What a game! What a game! I thought Italy played friendly the entire time. France on the other hand...Did anyone see wht Frances captain did to get the red card? Crazy. I am glad Italy won. I have some Italian food to celebrate.

On another subject, as a minister I want to do the will of God when it comes to church, worship and ministry. I understand that God is the one that has called me, I serve Him, He is the one I long to please. It is His chruch bought with the highest price of His one and only. So I want to do my ministry the best I can. Pleasing God. I am sure ministers understand what I am saying. I was looking at a lot of blogs that talk about he emerging church and how the emerging church is a good idea. What is it all about really? Will someone explain it. I try to find what it is about and can't really understand it. Will it work in most churches? What about churches who are Purpose Driven can they adopt the emerging church idea without changing? A few years ago it was the Purpose Driven church? What is next? Will there be a new trend of doing ministry down the road? As ministers does this make you frastrated? When we learn one way to do church another idea comes along...what should be our pattern or our guide to doing ministry and church work? What do you think?

Italy or France?

Who will win the world cup? Italy or France? I hope Italy wins. I think it is going to be a great match tomorrow. I plan on watching it. Both teams high energy soccer, could it end in a shootout? I hope not. I hope Italy dominates the entire game. I think it will be Italy 3 France 1 in regulation play. What do you think? What a world cup it has been this year. Wow, who would have thought that Brazil would not be in the final, Germany defeated, and England, what a disappointment. After tomorrow it is back to watching EPL. Go Italy!

What Is The Center

There are many blogs I enjoy reading. I love blogs that make you think and are challenging. One blog I recommend and think it would be good to visit is Wade Tannehill's blog. Wade is a true scholar, minister, and personal friend. On his blog he is discussing what is the center of what we believe? What is core? What matters? Wade's blog is www.wade.typepad.com I hope you join the discussion and enjoy his blog as much as I have.

Questions Concerning Our Feedom In Christ

With the fourth of July next week, I have been doing something thinking concerning the freedom that we have in Christ. The Bible teaches us that Christ has set us free (John 8) and that we have freedom in Christ(Romans7-8, Galatians 5, and other passages). Why is it then that so many Christians and Churches enslaved to legalism? Do we live like we are free? Do we enjoy our freedom in Christ? What can we as Christians, ministers, church leaders do to free Christians and chruches who are enslaved to legalism? Is there hope? How? If you have seen someone or a church freed from legalism, love for you to share if you like. How can we appreciate the freedom that we have in Christ? Feel free to answer any of these questions.

What do you think?

God open the eyes of those who are blinded by legalism. May they see that they are saved by your grace and not works. May they enjoy the freedom that they have in you. Help us as Christians, ministers and church leaders spread your message of freedom and grace. Thank you God for you mercy, grace and freedom that you allow us to have in your son Jesus Christ. Let us live like free Christian men and women every day. Amen.