The Best Chrstimas Gift Ever

As many of you are aware, I have dropped off the blogging scene for the past few days. I have a good reason: my wife, Rebekah, gave birth to our third child, Henry, on Christmas Eve.

Henry was born on 12-24-07 and weighed 8.3 pounds and measured 20 inches in length. Both mom and baby are home and doing well.

There is nothing like having a baby at Christmas - it's definitely the best gift ever! Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Gathering

To all the local blog readers (PCC family) ... please join me this evening for a special time of prayer and worship at The Gathering.
We need to come together and cry out to God for a miracle this Christmas season as it relates to:

• Those in our community that are far from God - that we can reach them for Jesus this Christmas
  
• Families in our church that are struggling in their relationships/marriages
  
• Singles in our church that are dealing with loneliness
  
• Physical issues for those that are sick
  
• Financial blessing for the church and church family
  
• The construction project for our new facility
  
• Our nation as it prepares for an election in the coming year

I will be sharing an encouraging message on how God's presence is presents enough at Christmas.

Hope to see you there,

Pastor Dave

Don't Worry - Be Happy

OK. So it's snowing again. The weather forecasters are calling for a foot of snow today in the Poconos and possibly another 2 feet of snow on Saturday night into Sunday. For a church planter - snow on the weekend is killer. Honestly, the snow has been absolutely destroying the momentum at the church. Four out of the past five Sundays we've had snow and ice just wreck our attendance by 30 to even 50 percent. Of course, that impacts our budget too.

Well, instead of sitting around whining about it (and yes, I've prayed and asked for God's intervention) I've decided to redirect my negative thoughts and sophomoric whining into a more positive outlook.

So, here are 7 things I am happy about today.

1. My wife is pregnant and ready to deliver any day. We love being parents and another child only means more great times in the Crosby house.

2. I'm working from home today. Not only because of the snow storm, but now that we have a home with an office. I am able to spend one day home a week working on my message for Sunday. After slugging it out in an apartment for the past 4 years - living in a home is really sweet.

3. My wife just made a fresh batch of Christmas cookies. That makes me really happy! They are cream cheese cookies with a little walnut on top. Yum-o-licious.

4. I've got a great family. Honestly, I'm so blessed. I married way over my head. I've got two great kids and one on the way. I live in a comfortable home. We all genuinely love each other and enjoy hanging out and spending time together.

5. I get to lead a great church. Pocono Community Church is not normal. It's a dynamic church family where we see lives changed every week. It's so cool.

6. I've got a great staff. The team at PCC has been through a lot of transition this year but we are starting to gain momentum as we work hard to build a culture of excellence and fun.

7. Today I don't have to shave. That makes me happy. Oh - and it really makes me happy that I get to be used by God to help others.

2008 Goals

Goals are faith statements. As we approach the new year, here are a few of the goals I shared with our staff at a vision talk yesterday.

1. Reach the lost at any cost. We want to see 500 new salvations for Christ this year.
2. Make disciples by challenging people to grow to spiritual maturity through the daily disciplines.
3. Recruit, equip and train 200 new ministry volunteers.
4. Break the 1500 barrier in attendance.
5. Grow our monthly prayer meeting, "The Gathering", to 500 in attendance.
6. Sucessfuly move 70% of our Sunday morning crowd from the large group environment to a community group that meets during the week for prayer, bible study and fellowship.
7. Move into our new building.

Christmas Advice

As we gear up for the final days before Christmas, here are some thoughts to help you reduce the stress of the season.

1. Remember that Christmas is all about Jesus. It's way too easy to get sidetracked by all the materialism of our culture - the presents, parties and pastries. Don't lose sight of the fact that we are celebrating Jesus' birthday. You got something for everyone else, what did you get for Him? Give him your commitment and time and energy this season.

2. The best gifts are not always the most expensive. You don't have to spend a lot of money to express your love or appreciation to someone through a gift. In fact, it's been my experience that the best gifts don't come in colorfully wrapped packages. It's when we give of ourselves that we give the best gifts. Don't go into debt for a gift that's going to end up in a yard sale in less than 10 years. Give the gift of self this year.

3. Don't eat too much - exercise more. I don't know about you, but I end up going to a ton of Christmas parties. I love cookies and egg nog way too much. Spend some time on the treadmile this Christmas or park a little further from the mall entrance. Go outside and play in the snow with your kids and make a snow man. Get the old ticker going and focus on healthy eating and sleeping patterns.

4. Be thankful. Break the grip of greed this Christmas by expressing your gratitude to God and others for what you already have. Tell you spouse or kids how thankful you are for what it means to have them in your life. Spend time with God in prayer and give him thanks for what he's done in the past year.

5. Reach out to others. Christmas is a great time of the year to express the love of Christ in practical ways. Most people are even open to an invitation to go to church this time of year if you will just ask them. Reach out through acts of kindness. Serve in a soup kitchen. Get some friends together and go Christmas caroling. Invite someone to church - who knows, you could be the star in someones life this Chrsitmas that leads them to Jesus.

Staff Expectations

One of the key responsibilities of leadership is to lay out clear expectations. You cannot have accountability without clarity. Earlier this week I sat down with PCC's pastoral and support staff and discussed some of the high expectations I have of our staff.

1. Maintain a vital and growing relationship with Jesus. I want to know that my staff is cultivating an intimate walk with Christ. If you don't have character, you don't have anything. I heard one pastor say, "I was so busy doing the work of God that is was destroying the work of God in me."

2. Tenacious loyalty. The trenches of ministry require absolute loyalty. I want to create a culture where we all will take a bullet for each other. I tell my staff that I will always defend them even before I have all the facts. That's loyalty.

3. A commitment to excellence. Ultimately, everything we do is for Jesus. So, if we are doing it "as unto the Lord" it better be done to the best of our ability. There is no room in the Kingdom for a half-hearted commitment. Either give your best or don't give at all.

4. A positive attitude. I can't stand being around negative people who suck all the fun and joy out of life and ministry. Life is way too short to not have fun. And although ministry is very difficult and draining - it should still be one of the most fun things you can do with your time.

5. Failure. That's right - I want each of our staff to fail at least once a week. What? Listen, if we aren't failing that means we are trying new things and taking steps of faith. Playing it safe is way too risky. If handled correctly, failure can teach you much more than success. Here's the key though - just don't make the same mistake twice.

Ring Tones

I've got the coolest ring tones on my cell phone. In fact, I set special ring tones for the people that call me most. For example, my wife's ring tone is digital recording of her voice telling me to pick up the phone. It's actually quite funny. I know it's her calling before I even pick up the phone.

When God wants to call us, He's got some cool ring tones too. Jesus said, "My sheep will know my voice." If we listen carefully to the call of God, we can find guidance and direction on the journey of life.

Here are a few of the ones I've noticed in my life as it relates to the call of God in ministry.

1. A Call to a Place - This is a geographical call. Much like a missionary is called to a specific nation or a church planter to a strategic city.

2. A Call to a Position - This is a vocational call. Some of my friends in ministry a called to do something specific for the Kingdom. This could be a call to the worship or creative arts (music or video editing) or student/children's ministry.

3. A Call to a Person - This is a personal call. Sometimes God calls people to serve specific leaders much like the "mighty men of David" in the Old Testament were called to serve him.

Weekend Update

Incredible! That's the one word to describe the Take 6 Christmas outreach concert last Saturday night. I'm not even sure that one word does the outreach justice. The house was packed and everyone enjoyed an awesome night of music and fun. Although we didn't do a formal invitation for salvation, I know many hearts and lives were changed by God's presence in that theatre. We will hear many stories of life change in the days and weeks to come.

Let me just brag on PCC Worship team that opened for Take 6. We are so blessed to have such awesome worship leaders in Derek and Nadeen Edwards. They rock the house and get everybody into God's presence when they lead. What I love about them most is not that they are just the best musicians in the Poconos, but that they have the most humble hearts too. I was so proud of our worship and creative arts teams who did a phenomenal job.

About Take 6 ... these guys were literally off the charts. Their manager said in the 20 years that he has traveled with them that they never had a night like the one they had with Pocono Community Church. I was privileged to meet the guys and pray with them before the concert and I just enjoyed their spirit and their ministry.

Last of all, I want to thank the rest of the team at PCC for everything they did. From Kevin and Mary Ellen and Erin and the rest of the gang who played such a critical role in pulling this outreach event together - you all are awesome.

Snowy Forecast

As you may already know, they are calling for our second snow storm in the past 3 weeks here in Pocono. The snow and ice is supposed to start on Saturday around midnight.

Please join me in prayer today and tomorrow and ask God to delay the storm until Sunday evening. This snow storm could kill our Christmas outreach concert with Take 6 and also our Sunday morning services.

Planting a church in the Northeast is hard enough without all the snowstorms! If God can make the sun stand still he can redirect a snow storm. C'mon God, do your thing! Help a brother out.

Christmas Outreach

This year PCC hosts its annual Christmas outreach concert with Grammy Award winning artists Take 6. The concert promises to be the best ever Pocono Christmas.

I've got 25 FREE TICKETS for the first 25 people that email me after reading the blog. Just send me your first and last name via email at dcrosby@poconocc.com and let me how many tickets you need and I'll have them at the box office for you. The concert is this Saturday night at the historic Sherman Theatre in downtown Stroudsburg. The show starts at 7pm and the doors open at 6pm. Bring your unsaved friends and share Christ this Christmas through this unique outreach.

Merry Christmas to my blogging friends : )

Day Dreamers

T.E. Lawrence wrote, "All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of day are dangerous men, that they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible."

Are you a day dreamer? I understand Lawrence to mean that we must be people of action, not only wishful thinking. Action, according to Lawrence, occurs under the light of the day. The path to mediocrity and underachievement, on the other hand, is paved with drowsy dreams concocted under the cover of darkness.

Here are some things I'm working on this week to get my dreams down in the daylight.

1. Be clear. Write out my dreams for 2008 with clarity.
2. Think big. If resources were no option, what would I want to accomplish.
3. Get help. List the people who I will need to find to help me accomplish my goals.
Accomplishing the impossible is a team sport.
4. Break it down. Set smaller objectives for each main goal. This helps make progress in incremental
steps.
5. Evaluate as you go. Keep tabs on how you are doing.

So, what are your dreams? How will you seem them come to pass?

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Today I'm officiating a funeral for one of the family members in my community group. Losing a loved one is tough, especially during the holidays. Of course, death has a way of making you deal with life. And if handled correctly, death can teach us a lot.

I'd like to write a Thanksgiving Prayer today and share it with you.

Dear Father,

Thank you for your love and grace that is new every morning. In the busyness of the holiday season, I am reminded today of how fleeting and fragile life really is.

Teach me today to make the best use of my life and time by loving You and loving others. Your Word tells me to make love my highest goal. Help me love You and others today.

I thank you for the fact that you love me and have blessed me so much. Thank you for my wife, my kids, my family and our health and home. Thank you for filling us with peace and serenity. Thank you for our ministry and for PCC. May you continue to put your hand upon it and bless it.

Be with me throughout my day and help me add value to others. I don't want to take my life or time for granted. It's a gift you've given me. Let me be a clear reflection of your love to others today. Amen.

Let It Snow

Yesterday the Pocono Mountains came to life when unexpectedly over a foot of snow fell in our area. Naturally, that made it very difficult for many of our regular attenders to make it to church. However, I was surprised to see 700 people show up. So, if you missed church yesterday, you can listen online to the message (it will be posted later this evening).

Today was the opening day of bear season in Pennsylvania. I went out at the crack of "O dark thirty" (4:30am) with a couple buddies from the church.

Here is some friendly bear hunting advice for someone considering giving it a whirl:

1) Don't eat a big breakfast and go into the woods unprepared (yeah, it's what you think - not good.)

2) It's more fun hanging out with your friends and getting some exercise than actually killing something.

3) 4:30 am? What are you kidding me? I didn't even know there was more than one 4:30 on my clock!

4) Does bear meat even taste good? They tell me it's great if you cook it like a pot roast. Anytime you have to cook something that simmers so long with other ingredients that it takes on the flavor of those ingredients to cover its own taste - it can't be very good.

5) What would you do with a bear once you shot it? I think it cost like $500 bucks to mount one of those things. I'd rather get a new 46 inch High Def LCD flat screen.

Anyway, can't wait to get up tomorrow morning and go out in the woods!

Ouch

I heard Ed Stezer share this week regarding the epicenters of Christianity throughout history. The heart of the church moved from Jerusalem to Antioch and then to Athens and Rome. From there it has moved throughout Europe, Southern Asia and then to America and now it is largely a movement in the Southern Hemisphere.

Just moments after hearing Ed share this, I received this email from my friend Chrsitopher Alam.

"Christianity began as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
When it went to Athens, it became a philosophy.
When it went to Rome, it became an organization.
When it went to Europe, it became a culture.
When it came to America, it became a business."

Ouch.

Grace Wholesalers

My new friend Vince Antonucci spoke yesterday about being grace wholesalers. Vince is one hundred percent high octane adrenaline. Vince lives and breathes a compassion to reach lost people. And by the way, the dude is also flat out funny. What a riot.

Vince planted Forefront Church about nine years ago and he's reaching tons of lost people who are far from God and bringing them into closer proximity with the God who loves them.

Grace is what we get when we don't deserve it. A wholesaler makes huge amounts of products available to the market. Vince says we need to wholesale God's grace to a lost and hurting world.

How to be a grace wholesaler:

1) Prayer. Ask Jesus everyday for opportunities to interact with someone who needs God's grace.

2) Platform. Build a relationship with lost people. Trust always proceeds truth.

3) Process. It takes time to get involved with people who need God's grace.

4) Patience. Remember that it is the patience of God that leads to repentance.

5) Pain. Become a wounded healer.

I can honestly say I feel completely inspired to keep PCC passionate about reaching the lost. God help us from becoming some spiritual country club for casual Christians.

People Power

Helpful Principles in Hiring Staff

1) The people you surround yourself will either make you or break you.
2) Hiring the right people is a learned skill.
3) Timing is everything.
4) Fully engage yourself in the process.
5) Hire staff in your weakest areas.
6) When it comes to top staff, hire leaders, not doers.
7) Go for the absolute best. Never apologize for shooting high.

Church Planting

I love church planters. They are some of the most dangerous people on the planet.
If you have ever considered planting a church, here are a few things you might want to make sure you have built into your DNA:

+a radical faith
+an uncommon commitment to a cause
+an entrepreneurial spirit
+a dedicated prayer life and the ability to hear God's voice
+a vision for what God wants to do
+a love for people, especially the lost
+a belief that playing it safe is risky
+a ferocious tenacity to never give up
+a love change
+the ability to lead and develop leaders

Planting a church is the most difficult, yet most rewarding thing I've ever done. There's nothing I'd rather do and no place I'd rather be.

Boot Camp

I'm in Nashville, TN this week presenting at a national church planters boot camp. The room is packed with passionate church planters that are gearing up to launch a new church somewhere in the US within the next 12 to 18 months.

This week I'm going to share some thoughts regarding church planting and give you some notes from the variety of speakers like Ed Stezer and Todd Wilson.

Right now, Pat Ferguson, from Passion For Planting, based in Washington, DC, is explaining how his ministry serves local church planters. Essentially, Pat's organization acts as an Executive Pastor for a church planter. They help the church planter organize, adminstrate and plan the logistics involved in the first year of church planting. They help you nail down your mission statement, purpose statement and they also help you set up a 501c3, marketing and advertising plan and so on.

Man, I wish I would have known about them 4 years ago when I planted. To all you church planters out there that read the blog, check out http://www.church-planting.net - you won't regret it.

Forgive Me Dog' 'Gonit

One of my favorite shows on TV is "Dog, The Bounty Hunter." The Dog is a bail bondsmen in Hawaii who spent the first 25 years of his life on the wrong side of the law. Now, he's committed the rest of his life to being one of the good guys.

Last week, however, one of Dog's own kids released a secretly recorded private conversation (he was paid big bucks from TMZ) where Dog used a racial slur. A&E immediately pulled their number one show, Dog's show, off the air.



Dog is doing some major soul searching and repenting. Dog claims to be a born again Christian, however, he has a filthy mouth. I've watched him share his faith and pray in the name of Jesus with people he's arrested on his show and almost simultaneously use profanity in the same breath. His language is obviously something he struggles with.

He's been an extremely forgiving person on his own show and now it seems he needs some forgiveness in return. Jesus said that by our words we will either be acquitted or condemned. I've watched several interviews where Dog has publicly confessed and asked for forgiveness. He appears to have a contrite spirit and has committed to change his ways. I guess God only knows his heart and motivation. But from where I stand, I say forgive him. You never know when you might need the same forgiveness in your own life.

Also, I am reminded what the Bible says about that which is done in secret will eventually be brought to light. Let's take a lesson from the Dog today and commit to living right regardless of whos watching or listening. After all, God knows and hears and sees everything.

Weekend Update

Sunday was an awesome day at PCC. The extra hour of sleep seemed to have everyone in especially good spirits.

We had 23 people their hearts to Christ this weekend. What a testimony of God's faithfulness.

The offering was the one of the largest ever at PCC. And from what the bookkeeper tells me, there was not one huge gift. It was just everybody doing their part. Thankyou PCC for being such generous people.

Tonight the PCC family meets together for an evening of prayer and worship. You don't want to miss this evening. We will be taking communion together as well as hearing some phenomenal testimonies.

Look Who's 2

Two years ago today I took Bekah to the hospital in Scranton to deliver our first son, David III. The labor was intense and Bekah didn't actually give birth until November 3rd.

To celebrate David's second birthday, we're going to take him to Chuck-E-Cheese and play games, eat some greasy pizza, blow out 2 candles on his Elmo Cake (David says Melmo) and just have some relaxing family time.

I thank God everyday for my family. My wife and kids are precious gifts and I enjoy every minute.

Church Planting Bootcamp

Earlier this week I was invited to go and speak to a group of pastors who are getting ready to plant new churches throughout the US. My new friend, Bob Harrington (church planter and coach), is hosting the church planters bootcamp in Nashville, TN.

Bob founded Church Coaching Solutions with the purpose to raise up new church planters and connect them with professionally trained coaches in hopes of empowering them to to excellence and success. Bob is also partnering with CoachNet and Stadia, two incredibly powerful ministries that help church planters prepare and launch new churches.

I'm both humbled and honored to go and teach with Bob, Ed Stetzer and hopefully add some value to the lives and ministries of these new church planters. I believe in the power of reciprocity that basically says, "What you give out will also come back to you." As I invest my lives in others, others will invest their lives in me.

Spiritual Survey

This past Sunday we conducted our annual church wide survey. You can download a copy of the survey here or go online and complete the survey if you are a member/attender of PCC.

Here are a few reasons why we do this survey:

1. It helps us learn more about who is attending our church - their likes, dislikes, personality, demographics, etc.

2. It helps us learn if we are reaching the unchurched or if we are just ministering to those already saved.

3. The demographic information and preferences information will let us know if we are being effective in our outreach and marketing strategies (i.e., newspaper ads, radio, events, etc.)

4. The survey gives me invaluable information for preparing my 2008 Preaching Calendar. When I ask the question about specific struggles people are having it will give me good insight for upcoming series.

5. It gives people an opportunity to express their opinion in a constructive form. Church is a team sport and this collaborative effort gives everyone a chance to offer some input.

Leadership Blog

Recently I was asked to be a blog contributor for a group of pastors that are passionate about reaching this world for Christ. Yesterday I made a post where I shared some thoughts about reaching the lost.

Check out the post, "Reflections of a Consumer" by clicking here.

I feel humbled to contribute and hopefully add value to other pastors as we partner together to depopulate hell and populate heaven.

Weekend Reflections

1. The services went really well this weekend. The fall series, Disciple, is challenging a lot of people to give up being a "Christian" and start being a "Disciple." Unfortunately, we had a problem with our digital recording yesterday and I will need to rerecord the message in the studio this afternoon. It should be posted by late tonight.

2. Our attendance was off by about 30% yesterday due to a major stomach virus that is affecting our entire community. We've had half our staff get the virus too - myself included. I'll be praying for everyone to recover quickly. Don't forget to wash your hands regularly.

3. Over 100 new volunteers signed up to start serving in ministry in the past 2 weeks - 17 of which were in the children's ministry area. That's awesome.

4. Grammy Award winning artists, Take 6, is going to be with us for Christmas on December 1st. You don't want to miss this great opportunity to bring your unchurched friends to a cool Christmas concert where they can hear about Christ.

6. Results from our annual spiritual life survey are being compiled this week. I'm really interested in learning the results so that we can discover new and improved ways as a church to partner with you in your spiritual growth.

6. The pain from the Penn State loss on Saturday was eased by the Steeler's beating up on Cincinnati yesterday. Go Big Ben!

Setting Goals

This week the staff at PCC is getting together for our annual staff retreat to set goals, discuss strategies, develop the budget and plan the master calendar of ministry events for 2008.

Here are a few thoughts I have regarding goal setting:


1) Goals are good. They are statements of faith.

2) We should dream big when setting goals. Jesus said, "According to your faith (goals) it will be done unto you."

3) Don't make your goals into gods. Sometimes you hit them and sometimes you miss. Brett Farve just broke the NFL league record for all-time touchdown passes. He also holds the record for most interceptions. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Throw it up there and see what happens.

4) Put your faith in God, not your goals. If you have a big God, you should have big goals.

5) God gives goals to leaders.

6) Goals help you build structure. Structure helps you determine what you need to accomplish your goals. You might have to ask, "What do I need to change, add, or do differently both personally or organizationally to achieve this goal?"

7) Be careful who you share your goals with. Not everyone will agree with your goals.

8) Goals should be out of reach, but not out of reality. Set big goals, but not too big that you demoralize your team if they can't conceive it or achieve it.

9) Goals are good for your soul. The motivate you to go for it.

10) Big goals makes us depend more on God. I've got BIG goals for PCC in 2008. Some people may say, "Dave, who do you think you are?" I say, "who do you think God is?"

Out of it

Sorry for dropping off the radar screen for the past week or so, but I've been out of it. I started feeling sick about a week ago and it finally caught up with me on Tuesday around 2 am. Oh well.

I've actually started feeling like a human being again about 3 hours ago. I've missed two days in the office this week. BUT, I've been getting a lot done from home.

Tomorrow morning the staff and I are headed for our annual staff retreat. Please pray for us as we dream together and set goals for PCC in 2008.

Practice #2 - Stay Humble

Disciples practice humility. Humility is necessary for a thriving relationship with Jesus because we only walk this walk of faith by the gift of God's grace. Grace, the Bible says, is reserved for the humble. If there's anything I need more of on a daily basis, it's the grace of God.

It's so easy to rely on yourself. We do this unintentionally all the time in the our marriages, work, ministry or any area in our life that requires specific abilities. I heard one preacher describe pride as having a big ego. The ego he was referring to was not defined by a Freudian pop-psychology. Rather it was an acrostic that defined EGO as Edging God Out.

Disciples keep Jesus at the front and center of their lives. Don't push God to the periphery of your life. Stay humble every day and put your trust in Him.

Disciples Recalibrate Daily

It's a known fact that before something becomes a habit, it first must become a daily discipline. These disciplines or daily practices will be the foundation upon which life-changing habits will be built.

This week I want to share some practices that will help you develop a closer walk with God.

Practice #1 - Get Alone With God

Life is noisy. Kids. Work. House chores. Ministry. And the list goes on. You've got to develop the practice of solitude or getting alone with God each day to quiet your spirit and reflect on your life. The most healthy and mature disciples I've met find time each day to get alone with God and contemplate where they are in relationship to God, their faith, their family, friends, etc.

Jesus daily recalibrate his life and ministry. Reach Luke 6:12, Mark 1:35 or Matthew 14:23 and notice what Jesus did to help him find focus and clarity in order to accomplish the mission of his heavenly father.

What can you do today to get alone with God? How would that impact your life?

It was a "First"

My son, David, got his first hair cut today. He was so cute sitting there in the chair. He never cried once. I must admit that I was a very proud dad. David turns two in just a few weeks. The older you become, the faster time moves.

I started to think about all the "firsts" that my son is going to have:
*first tooth under his pillow
*first day at school
*first encounter with a bully
*first broken heart

Of course, the biggest first ever will be the day he decides to be a Christ follower. As a parent, I want to be there for every "first". I want to be there to give a "high five" or a "hug". There is no substitute for the power of your presence in the life of your child or family. Spend time with your family and loved ones every day. You'll never regret it.

Creating "Wow" Experiences

One of our goals here at PCC is to create 52 unforgettable experiences in an effort to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We call it the "Wow" factor. Each weekend we purpose to go well beyond our guests expectations of what Church can and should be. This not only demonstrates that people matter to us, but more importantly, that people matter to God. It shows that we value everyone that makes an effort to draw nearer to God.

Here are just a few ideas to create "Wow" factors:

• Parking lot attendants who greet guests, help them with umbrellas if it is raining, assist the elderly, special parking for expecting moms and first time guests
• All first time guest receive a personal note from the lead Pastor and a $5 gift card to Dunkin Donuts and a follow up call from a staff member
• Provide clear internal signage in the lobby for guests
• Greeters at all doors welcoming guests into the facility
• Hosts in the lobby attentive to needs of first time guest who "look lost" or others that may need assistance
• Volunteer central / Information Kiosk staffed with a friendly volunteer who can answer questions and provide direction
• Upbeat music in the lobby and parking lot for guests as they arrive
• Exciting children programs with activities such as: multimedia, story telling, bounce houses, games, crafts and more
• Uplifting music to begin the adult service with multimedia
• Practical teaching with life applicable points

These are just a few ideas. If you are not in the ministry, perhaps you can think of creating some "wow" factors in your own home or at work.

Distrub Me!

Last week my friend went to Catalyst, an innovative conference for next generational leaders. One of his favorite speakers was Craig Groeschel who spoke on the issue of practical atheism. I thought it was so powerful that I needed to share his notes on the talk.

Practical Atheism in the ministry is...Believing that God exists and yet behaving as if everything depends on me.

I was told in Seminary to protect my image, specifically to 'guard the pastor's mystique.' The idea is that pastor's should not share their weaknesses, struggles, or deal with their issues. The former generation thought that this was too risky.

Therefore, I began playing the pastor's role', buy my heart drifted from God. I began to serve with my lips but not with my heart. I had become a full-time pastor and a part-time follower of Christ. I began to think that my ministry was dependent on my efforts, my creativity, and my ability to get it done.

Here were the signs of my condition:

I started to believe that my efforts were more important than God's power.

I began believing that my private life did not affect my public ministry. I started neglecting the condition of my heart.

I was believing that it was more important to please people than to please God.

What did God do to deal with me? HE DISTURBED ME! I became bothered by my lack of compassion, my pride, my shallowness, and my lack of real tangible result.

We need to pray this regularly...God Disturb Me! Awaken me to the condition of my heart. Awaken me to condition of the world around me. Make me a full-time follower of Christ.

Weekend Update

This past weekend was phenomenal. Here are some of the highlights:

1. We had an all-time, non-holiday record attendance with 991 people.

2. We had 52 salvations.

3. We could account for 70 first-time guest adults.

4. We had over 130 volunteers serving in ministry.

5. Last Wednesday night, we had 265 people attend "The Gathering" - our new monthly night of prayer and worship.

5. The worship team did a great job leading us into God's presence.

6. It was almost as if a "holy hush" came over the people during both services during the message where I challenged the church to give up nominal Christianity and start being authentic disciples of Christ.

7. Community Groups kick off this week with dozens of groups meeting through the Pocono area.

God is doing great things in and through us at PCC this fall. We thank God for the opportunity to be part of this unfolding miracle in this mountain. Let's continue to ask God for his help as we humbly do His work.

Why Pastors Fall

In H.B. London's address yesterday, he discussed several reasons for moral failure in a pastors life. Recent statistics show that 1500 pastors leave the ministry each week. Over 50% of new pastors resign within the first 5 years of ministry. Yet, others leave the ministry because of a moral failure.

Here are some reasons why great men fall.

1. Fatigue and Burn-out.

When you are depleted of energy, you need something to fill you up. Many pastors fall prey to carelessness. They allow themselves to slip in very subtle areas.

Three things observed in every pastoral moral failure –

• Very limited time alone with God.
• Unresolved conflicts at home.
• No one holding them accountable.

A second observation noted in pastoral failure include:

2. An over-abundance of pastoral counseling.

Pastors must have a good referral system – people who you can refer your parishioners to who are better than you are at counseling. This is no indication of weakness on your part. An overabundance of pastoral counseling can lead to spiritual burn-out. When you see the same people, saying the same things, with the same problems, and you begin to wonder if anything ever will change. You keep getting beat down, and you spiritually burn out.

3. Loneliness and isolation.

Pastors and/or their spouses feel isolated and under appreciated. You seek affirmation in other places, and this leaves you vulnerable.

Ephesians 5:3 – let there not even be a hint of immorality. We need to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6)·

4. The inability or unwillingness to identify areas of weakness.

We need to do everything we can to avoid all areas of personal weakness. You need to have someone to whom you are personally accountable. Someone who you allow to ask you the hard questions. Build safeguards into your life.

If there are unresolved issues from the past, they must be resolved, or they will come back to haunt us.

What is the solution to these things?
1. Intimacy with God
2. Right relationships
3. Adequate rest
4. Honest accountability
5. Meaningful ministry
6. An attitude of joy and thanksgiving
7. A vigilant spirit

Guard your heart, stay pure, love your family, stay very close to God.

Joy Suckers

One of the most memorable things H.B. said last night was that every church has joy suckers. Joy Suckers maintain the uncanny ability to find something wrong with just about everything. Nothing is every good enough. They constantly complain to the pastor and are always finding fault.

If you are not careful and spend too much time around the joy suckers, you start to buy into their negative perceptions and ideology. Pastors must intentionally surround themselves with positive people who are full of faith. It's not that you want to live in a bubble, but you must choose to think positive thoughts. Paul said "whatever is noble, pure right ... think on these things."

Paul also said, "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice." It's hard to rejoice when you are walking around with your head down. You can't smile with a frown on your face. You can't rejoice when you are being critical of others. Paul said, chose to be positive. Don't let your circumstances, regardless of how negative or difficult they may be, determine your outlook. When you walk into a room, you should light it up not empty it out. Don't be a joy sucker. Be a joy giver. Thanks H.B.

H.B. London

Today I am at a conference with a special guest speaker H.B. London. H.B. has become a pastor to pastors across the nation. It's so important to find time to be renewed in your mind, body and spirit. I'm actually sitting in the session right now and I'm really looking forward to what H.B. has to say.

I look forward to sharing some of his thoughts with you this week. Please pray for me as I find some time to get away with God this week in preparation for an amazing season of ministry this fall. I'm so looking forward to what God is doing in and through PCC.

SYATP '07

Tommorow hundreds of thousands of teenagers all accross America will gather together around the flag poles at their schools and pray. On the official See You At The Pole website it says, See You at the Pole™ isn't about groups, grades, clothes, or churches. It's about praying. It's about all of us coming together and laying aside all the labels for one day, simply to call out to God, just as Jesus did in John 17 and
say, "Lord, may we be one in you--whether jocks, preps, geeks, Pentecostals, Baptists, Catholics, freshmen, or seniors--may the world believe that You are real and have sent us to touch other through you, regardless of the dividing lines drawn by a broken world!"

This is not a demonstration or a political rally. It is simply an opportuity for students to pray for their friends, teachers, community and nation.

Let's remember to pray for our students and this generation of young people who desperately need a move of God in their day.

Update

Here are some highlights on recent events at PCC:

1. We voted unanimously as a church family to move forward with the construction loan on our new facility. It's awesome to be part of a church family that is experience unity and oneness in purpose.

2. Sunday's service was awesome. Special guest singer, Kelly Shannon, did an awesome job singing and sharing her testimony.

3. Community Groups are getting ready to launch in October. EVERYONE needs to be in a community group. This is where we can grow closer to God and to one another. Get involved today!

4. Prayer Meeting begins on October 3! Our weekly prayer meeting is moving to a monthy prayer meeting which will be held on the first Wednesday of every month. Please mark your calendar now.

5. I'm headed into staff meeting right now. I love our team.

Puzzle Pieces

My daughter is a whiz at putting puzzles together. What she's not too good at is making sure all the pieces get back into the box once she's done playing with it. I try to tell her all the time how important it is to make sure all the pieces get back in the box so that the next time she wants to put the puzzle together she will have a complete picture.

Tonight PCC will hold a special business meeting at 7pm at the Pocono Summit Fire Hall. The purpose of the meeting will be to make a decision as a church family on the construction line of credit for our new church facility.

We need you there tonight to give us the complete picture of PCC. If you are a member of PCC, please make every effort to attend this special meeting. Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated. Don't be the missing piece.

Refreshments will be served.

Groundbreaking Thoughts

I've been reflecting for the past couple of days about breaking ground on our first facility. This is an historic moment for us as a church.

Here are a few things I sense the Lord speaking to my spirit in regards to reaching this milestone of ministry:

1. If God's your partner, dream big.

2. It's never too late to start something new.

3. God becomes real when I trust Him for the impossible.

4. It takes a team to accomplish the dream.

5. When I pray, God works. There is no substitute for crying out to God who is rich and mercy to all who call upon His Name.

6. Fear paralyzes progress. Faith makes things happen.

7. Together is better.

8. Enjoy the moment. Don't always live in the future.

9. Success is being faithful, working hard, and ultimately trusting God with the outcome.

10. Never quit on your dreams.

Church Finds New Home

This past weekend was awesome! We broke ground on our new facility. What a great day! We had phenomenal weather - the sun came out right at 4 in the afternoon and it warmed up at least 10 degrees. God is good.

We had over 450 people come out and celebrate this historic day at PCC. Thanks to all of you who showed up and mega thanks to those of you that served and volunteered to make it a special occasion. The Pocono Record did a story on our groundbreaking. Please read it and post a comment too!

Again, thanks for being such an awesome church. I know that many times as the pastor I receive the public recognition for the great things that are happening at PCC. But you are the heroes! You are the best. I count it a joy and privledge to lead this great church!

If you have any photos from yesterday, please email them to the office. Thanks!

It's Official

Well, Bekah went to the doctor yesterday for her ultrasound and it looks like we are having another boy! We are thrilled! Our daugther, Kate, was hoping for another girl. She said, "Well, the next one will just have to be a little girl!" Next one? Poor Bekah. : )

Anyway, mommy and baby are doing well. However, the doctor said that Bekah has to take it easy. She's been having way too many contractions this early in the pregnancy. She works so hard on the weekends, setting up and tearing down the nursery, overseeing the pre-school, and then just being there for people in the hallway.

Something cool happened earlier this week. One of the ladies in the church (Robin) who is already serving in the children's ministry team realized (actually, she felt the Holy Spirit revealed this to her - and she was right) that Bekah needed to take a break until after the baby was born. She offered to serve in Bekah's place until she and the new children's ministry director could raise up more leaders. That's awesome!

That's what church is all about. It's sticking together and looking out not just our own interests, but also to the interest of others.

Who can you look out for today? What ministry can you get involved in this weekend?

PS? Any suggestions on names for the boy?

Leadership Meeting Update

Last night the leadership team of PCC gathered to pray, celebrate and dream together. I thank God for our leaders and volunteers. We had 70 people carve out precious time from their schedule to invest in this unfolding miracle we call Pocono Community Church.

I challenged our leaders to a life of greatness. God has not called us to live mediocre lives or a status quo existence. Why maintain an attitude of survival, when God wants us to thrive. Jesus gave his LIFE for me. The least I can do is give my best for him.

I don't want to be good. I want to be great. I don't want to pastor a good church. I want to lead a great church. I don't want a good marriage. I want a great one. I don't want good kids. I want great kids. Whatever we lay our hands upon, we are to do in excellence "as unto the Lord."

Here are some of the highlights from last nights meeting:

1) Ground Breaking Ceremony - This weekend we'll gather at 4 PM to celebrate the beginning of construction on our new facility. A BBQ picnic will be held so please bring a side dish.

2) Membership Meeting - A membership meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, September 19th at 7 PM at the Pocono Summit Fire Hall to decide on procuring the necessary funds to finance the construction project. Please make every effort to attend. All are welcome.

3) Prayer Meeting /"The Gathering" - Our weekly prayer meeting will be changing to a once-a-month prayer meeting beginning in October. The reason for the change is that we are going to focus on our community groups that will be meeting weekly this fall beginning in October as well. So, everyone will meet weekly in their community groups 3 times per month. On the first Wednesday all community groups will come together at "The Gathering" (formerly known as the prayer meeting) and celebrate and pray together.

All Elders, Ministry Team Leaders, Community Group Leaders and staff will attend as we celebrate in worship, communion, testimony and of course, passionate prayer. The prayer meeting, known now as "The Gathering" will be held at the Pocono Mountain West High School. The Student Ministry teens will also join us in this monthly prayer gathering. Childcare for infants through grade 5 will be offered too.

4) Friend Day - Friend Day is scheduled for September 30. Please begin inviting your friends for this special day where we will have awesome music, worship and a message geared to reach the lost.

5) Community Groups - Community Groups are kicking off in October. If you would like to host or facilitate a community group, please contact Pastor Kevin.

Weekend Update

This past weekend was historic! Not only did we announce our groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for this coming weekend, we had an amazing service. Here are some random thoughts from the weekend:

• Thank you to the 125 volunteers that faithfully served in ministry this past weekend. You guys are the true heroes of PCC!
  
• A special thank you to the nursery volunteers who had 27 babies to care for and diapers to change!
• The worship team did a great job too! Thanks for singing and playing for Jesus.
• We've had over 50 salvations this summer! We baptized 26 people two weeks ago and 53 are signed up for Membership Class this Saturday. Good things are happening.
• The new JHigh6.8 ministry kicked off this Sunday and they had 52 junior high students. What an awesome start to an exciting new ministry.
  
• Nearly 850 people were in church this Sunday.

God is truly moving at PCC! Thank you so much for being part of this church family and for your "can do" spirit to make this portable church happen each and every weekend.

Hope to see you all tonight at 7 PM at the Leadership Meeting on the Third Floor Annex of our office building. Call the church office at 839-3459 for more info.

Together is better!

Ground Breaking!

Get ready, PCC! After almost 5 years of meeting as a portable church, the day we've all been waiting for is here! We are going to break ground on our new facility this coming Sunday. The DEP approval permit arrived last week we are ready to begin clearing the land this fall and preparing the site for construction.

I would like to invite everyone to come for our ground breaking ceremony at the new church property this Sunday @ 4pm and celebrate this momentous occasion for PCC. We'll have some bulldozers ready and start moving some dirt! I might even be able to operate one of the big pieces of equipment! This will be a wonderful time together to give thanks to God for all that He has done and is yet to do through PCC!

We're also going to have a family-style BBQ. We'll provide the burgers and hot dogs. Please bring a side dish to share. Also, feel free to invite your friends to join in the celebration.

I'm so excited about the days ahead. Thanks again for being faithful and for serving, giving and inviting your friends to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Hang on for the ride of your life.

Holy Discontent

If you're only going to read one book the rest of this year, I suggest you read "Holy Discontent" by Bill Hybels. I just finished Hybels latest work during my break at the beach and I've never been more inspired to go home and change my community for the better.

Hybels argues that there are certain things in this world that we cannot stand. Once confronted with these social ills or human suffering, we have the potential to respond like Popeye and say, "I've had all I can stand, I can't stands no more." These firestorms of frustrations catalyze the insight and iron will needed to make things that "are not" as they "should be."

Here are some of the things I can't stand:

1)People who are beat up in this world because they have yet to experience the love of God.

2)People that have to go to bed hungry in my community.

3)Marriages that are being ripped apart because of selfish and sinful behavior.

4)People who live purposeless lives because they have yet to find their purpose in Christ.

5)Kids that have to go to school without decent school clothes and supplies.

6)Needless commercial debt and unwise financial stewardship that wrecks marriages and lives.

7) People who live lives of quiet desperation because they've yet to experience Biblical community.

8) Churches that are boring and irrelevant.

9) Struggling pastors who quit the ministry because they don't have a friend or coach that is encouraging them and helping them in ministry.

10) A wasted life without passion to change the world and make a significant impact for good.

Chillin' @ The Beach

This week I'm with the family on the Jersey Shore soaking up some sun and fun. Today my daughter and I played in the sand and surf after going on a long walk down the beach early this morning. We are having a great time making sand castles and enjoying some down time before the fall season of busy church life kicks in.

I've got two racks of ribs in the oven and Bekah is making some of her special corn bread. After dinner we are headed to the board walk to eat some junk food and go on some rides.

I've got a philosophy about taking breaks from life in the ministry. The longer you are in ministry and the larger your church grows, the more time you need to get away. Time away gives you an opportunity to think, dream and just pray, as well as spend some much needed time with your family.

If you don't take a break from your schedule, eventually your schedule will break you. There is a rhytem to life in ministry. Jesus often took schedule breaks when he got away from the crowds to pray and spend time with His Heavenly Father. If that was important to Jesus, how much more do you and I need that precious time to take a break and be with those who matter most.

Mike Huckabee responds to evolution question

While this is in no way a political plug for any specific candidate, I found Mr. Huckabee's answer to the Creationism question refreshing.

Family Day

I took today off. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the Poconos. My family and I went out for breakfast at our favorite spot, Cozy Corners. Kate and I had a relaxing tea party while Bekah and David enjoyed some delicious pancakes.

After breakfast we went to a petting zoo and almost scared a horse to death. That was interesting. Then we made our way down to Country Junction, the worlds largest country store. We picked up some fall fest costumes for the kids. They look adorable.

We spent the afternoon working around the house. I piled up sticks from our back yard for about 3 hours and Bekah made a phenomenal meal - pork chops with rice and black beans and homemade salsa. Mmmmmm.

I got the kids showered and to bed and just watched a little of the US Open. I'm a huge tennis fan. Well, the wheels are about the fall off so I'm headed to bed.

I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to spend an entire day with my family and enjoy every minute of it. Life doesn't get any better.

Back To School

Last week while visiting my family in Harrisburg I took my 10 year old nephew out for a hair cut. While we were walking through the mall he wanted me to buy him a toy at his favorite store. As we entered the store I saw these cool backpacks hanging on the wall.

Instantly I was transported back to my childhood days where I proudly carried my lunch and drink and books in my Charlie Brown lunch box and Snoopy back pack. I sensed the Holy Spirit say to me, "Dave, buy 100 back packs for needy kids in your community and present them to the church and ask the congregation to take them, fill them up, and bring them back to the church so they can be a blessing to those in need."

I thought, "that's crazy." But I listened and obeyed and I'm proud to say that last week our PCC family took all 100 back packs with excitement. In fact, they were upset that I didn't buy more. So, we had about 100 more people commit to go out and buy a back pack on their own and fill it up with the suggested supplies.

I'm so proud of you PCC. You are a generous and loving church. I'm looking forward to seeing all those kids with smiling faces sporting their new back packs. I can't wait to see what God will do through this simple act of kindness. As Christians, we are called to show the love of Christ in practical ways. Perhaps God will open a door for you today to demonstrate His love to those in need.

What a Journey

This past weekend I spoke at The Journey Church in NYC for my friend Nelson Searcy. God is doing awesome things at the Journey. Nelson and his team are some of the greatest people I've met in ministry. They started a multi-site ministry almost 6 years ago and now they have grown to over 1000 people in attendance. The average age of the congregation is 29. The Journey is full of seekers and new Christ-followers.

I also spoke on Saturday for my good friend Pastor Emilio Quinterra at Elim Ministries. Pastor Emilio planted a Spanish speaking church in the Poconos 5 years ago. This past weekend they had a young adults retreat with students from NY, NJ, Maryland and PA in attendance. They are doing a fantastic work for God here among our Spanish-speaking community.

What a thrill to be used of God and to rub shoulders with great people. After speaking 6 times this weekend I'm exhausted. But God is refreshing me moment by moment. Have a great week.

This Weekend

This weekend is going to be awesome at PCC! Here are some of the highlights:

• Pastor Kevin will be speaking on "Willing and Able" - Part 10 our "Do It" Series on the book of James.
• Special Children's Team Guests "Crosswalk" will be presenting a fun, high-impact experience for our children's program. You're kids are not going to want to miss this. There will be lots of great music, games, and Biblical stories through drama and video.
• A special opportunity will be shared to help some needy families in a creative way as families get ready to send their kids back to school.

Please remember to invite your friends to church this weekend and get involved by serving in one of our weekend ministry teams.

212 Degrees

I just finished reading "212: the extra degree" by S.I. Parker. Parker's premise is that people often give up to too early in life. The extra effort, says Parker, will push you over the edge to your dreams. For instance, at 211 degrees, water is just hot. But at 212 degrees, water boils. Parker says, "applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine."

I've found that in life, it's often the small things that make a big difference. The extra study time on a message makes a good message a great one. The extra effort in trying to communicate effectively with my wife transforms our good marriage into a great marriage. Working out just 5 more minutes on the treadmill builds stronger muscles and greater endurance.

God calls us to excellence in this life. We are told to do everything as "unto the Lord." Jesus gave me His best so He deserves my best. I refuse to settle for mediocrity and perpetual half-hearted commitment. The greatest things in life (marriage, business, church, relationship, education) will always cost you something. And that little effort in the end - just when you feel like quitting and giving up - will help you realize your dreams.

Study Day

I've been hard a work all morning preparing for this weekends message, "Fight Club." I'm really excited about to be speaking this weekend, especially on such a hot topic. I meet so many people who struggle with conflict in life. This Sunday we are going to look at James 4:1-12 and learn together what God has to say about how to effectively handle conflict. Perhaps you might want to read through those scriptures this week and prepare your heart for what God might wish to communicate to you this weekend.

I'm also having lunch today with a church planter in Philadelphia. God has opened the door for me to work with church planters all across the country. I really feel honored to have the opportunity to speak into the lives of other pastors and help them avoid making a lot of the mistakes I've made in ministry.

In fact, tomorrow I'm flying to Nashville for a one day seminar to finish up my national certification for church planting/health coaching with Church Coaching Solutions and CoachNET. I'm excited about investing in God's Kingdom. I also think that there is a spiritual principle at work when you give your time and resources away to someone else for the sake of the Gospel that God will pour back to you.

Letting Go

Last night I performed a memorial service for a young man named Dan. The funeral home was packed with Dan's close friends and family who had to let go of a friend way too early. My heart really goes out to all those that are struggling with having to go through such a difficult time.

Death has a way of making you deal with life. If we handle death correctly, it can actually be a great teacher. Here's a few life lessons that that I shared last night:

• the highest use of life is to love - John 3:16 - "For God so loved."
• the best expression of love is the gift of you - "...that he gave his Son"
• the best time to love is now - "Today is the day of salvation."

If you want to leave a lasting legacy that will far outlive your life, than commit yourself to love. Paul said in 1 Cor. 13 that "three things will endure: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love."

Spend time today loving God and loving others. You won't regret it.

Do It

This summer we've been taking a journey through the book of James in a series we've been calling, "Do It." It's been exciting to see so many people come to Christ and grow deeper in their faith as a result of this series.

Rudy did an awesome job today speaking on wisdom. Here are a few of my take aways:

• wisdom and knowledge aren't the same thing.
• knowledge is based on information and it comes from earth
• wisdom is based on a relationship with God and it's a divine gift
• wise people experience peace in their life; unwise people experience conflict
• wise people can learn from anyone
• wise people are open about their weaknesses

My prayer this week is that God would help me to walk in wisdom.

Elder Brother Spirit

I'm at a leadership seminar this week in Indianapolis and one of the speakers, Dary Northrop, of Timberline Church, spoke about the fact that it gets really messy when you are reaching people for Christ.

He told the story about this woman stripper who got saved in his church. He explained that on her first Sunday in church she was not exactly wearing "church clothes" and despite that fact, the Lord touched her heart and she gave her life to Jesus.

He reminded us of the story of the Prodigal son and the fact that if he would have ran into the elder brother first he would have never made it back into the father's house. Unfortunately, too many of our churches display the spirit of the elder brother. We want everyone to clean up their life before we welcome them in the church.

Our heavenly father calls us to love EVERYONE. Dary challenged us to love people before they change or clean up their life. That was worth the entire trip this week!

Let's Pray

Prayer changes things! At PCC, we believe in the power of prayer. The Bible says that the prayers of righteous people are powerful and effective! It's through prayer that the lost are saved, sins are forgiven, illnesses are cured, and wounds are healed.

Please join us tonight at our Tuesday night prayer meeting held at 7PM at the Pocono Mountain West High School in Parking Lot C. We will have a time of worship and testimony along with the opportunity to call upon the name of the Lord!

If God has recently answered your prayers, I would love to hear your story. Please post a comment and share the good report.

Weekend Update

Here are some highlights from this weekends service:

• 15 people give their hearts to Christ! (that's almost 30 people now in the past 2 weeks)
• over 100 people were serving in ministry from setup/tear down to children and music and multimedia and first impressions teams
• i don't know the numbers on first-time guests, but there were a lot!
• a gentleman named Gonzalo gave his heart to Christ yesterday - he was visiting family from Columbia and he responded to the altar call with the ASL translator - i'll never forget that moment
• 2 teenage girls visiting from France gave their hearts to Christ yesterday
• the worship band and singers were kickin' yesterday - they rock!
• the testimony Doug shared about his mother being healed on her death bed was simply miraculous. God answers prayer!

I was just so proud of everyone at PCC yesterday. I just can't believe what an awesome church we have. Thank you so much for serving and being part of this unfolding miracle on this mountain. I sense a wave of God's Spirit begin to move in our church. The past few weekend services have been phenomenal. I've noticed people genuinely crying out to God in prayer and worshiping with greater levels of passion. Those are great indicators that God is definitely up to something!

If you have a story to share or a cool testimony about what God is doing in your life through PCC, please post a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

I love you PCC!

"Resisting A Rest..." Guest Contributor, Kevin Weaver

When I was 12 years old my dad had to rescue me from the undertow in the ocean right off of a Tampa, Florida beach. I remember the power of the water as it tossed me back and forth with no regard for my need to breathe. It was a very scary experience...no matter how hard I tried I could not break free to make my way to shore. At the point of total exhaustion I finally just gave up.

The next thing I remember was my dad grabbing on to me and pulling me toward a breaker wall. At first, I didn't know what was happening and I found myself fighting his efforts to save me. But, through a series of frantic commands compelling me to relax and let him do the work we found ourselves on the breaker wall, finally reaching a point of safety.

It seems that my near-death experience as a kid has some similarities to our everyday experiences with people who are spiritually drowning. They are caught in an undertow of sinful deception and God has called us to help them. But, what about those people who don't want help. You know the ones - you grab onto them and instead of allowing you to bring them in the boat, they fight you with all they've got! What now? Let me give you a couple of practical things to ponder.

• Don't give up! When we come across these people in our lives, it is so important to remember that we can't let go...we can't give up. No matter how much they fight God's saving power coming into their lives, perhaps because they are blind to the perils that are all around them, we have to hang on tight! As hard as it might be at times, never let go!

• Be relational! We have to continue to nourish the relationships we have with people. One of the most important lessons we learn from Jesus is that He was a friend to those who were lost. People want to know that you care before they care what you know. We should respect them seeing them as people created by the Father, not succumbing to petty disagreements about doctrine. Remember, it's not about who's right, but rather, it's about them discovering righteousness.

• Be prayerful! Praying for them on a daily basis. Ask God to not only give you wisdom as you spend time with them, but also, ask Him to give you opportunities to speak into their lives as they experience the waves that make life so difficult at times. And when we do get those "divine appointments" making sure we are mindful to turn our conversation towards spiritual things, in creative, non-threatening ways. Listen, you don't have to be outgoing or even articulate...you just need to be available as a friend who loves God and prayerfully communes with Him. Just be the person God has made you, because it's really hard to argue with someone's testimony.

• Be patient! Hang on, don't give up, and always keep in mind: the ocean is big, and some rescues take a little more time. I know that we get tired too, but our Father has promised that He would always strengthen us in our time of need.

This little list is certainly not an exhaustive one, but maybe it can serve to give you a "push" to get your feet wet in rescuing the parishing!

"Cruising for Jesus?" Guest Contributor, Kevin Weaver

Back in January of this year, KyAnne and I had the exciting opportunity to go on our first cruise. It was a fantastic experience cruising to the Bahamas, enjoying the warm weather and hanging out with our friends who joined us on the trip.

I have to admit that this experience in contrast to the metaphor of "rowing a boat" that I have been sharing this week, is certainly much more desirable. But, should it be?

It seems that there are so many believers in Christ who really love the thought of God's grace, mercy and power being made active in their lives, and yet, "cruising for Jesus" is the attitude that prevails as a lifestyle instead of "rowing for Jesus". I wonder if there are many who think that the ocean of blessing is found lounging on deck sipping God's gifts at our leisure. Of course, it's true that there are times when God gives us opportunities of rest and relaxation, but how fulfilling would our life be if all our days were spent on a cruise? Consider this before you answer:

The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:10-11, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Paul's implication is that the most fulfilling experience on this earth is found in giving our all for Christ, even if it means living a lifestyle that is counter to our flesh! It's then that we experience the life giving, resurrection power of God in our everyday living.

Now, don't get me wrong, taking a vacation is great. In fact, it's essential to make time to get away and be refreshed. But, it might serve us well to remember that the greatest gifts in this world are not found on the "Lido Deck" of life, but rather, on the quiet waters of steady rowing.

If you've been cruising and haven't been rowing...why not give rowing a try? You won't be sorry!!

"All Aboard" Guest Contrubutor Kevin Weaver

As we really begin to discover God's plan for our lives it doesn't take too long to find that His purpose includes an ongoing partnership with Him.

One of the great mysteries of our walk with Christ is found not just in what Jesus did for us, but what He now wants to do through us. I am so glad that I can have the assurance of salvation and that God has pulled me out of the water and into the boat. But after we're rescued is there something more?

The question now is, "What's next!"

Well, I know I need to "Keep Moving", but why? Where does God want me to go? What does He want me to do? What's His ultimate plan?

I think the answers to those questions can be found at the point of our own salvation. How fortunate we all are to have someone who was rowing their boat, who came our way and picked us up along their spiritual journey.

For me it happened while in high school. Ed, a friend who had been rescued by God the summer of our sophomore year "rowed" right to me and began to tell me about the change that had occurred in his life since he had entered into a relationship with Jesus. Long story short, with God's help he pulled me into the boat of life and my life has never been the same.

So, where does God want me to go? He wants me to row to those lost in the water. What does He want me to do? He wants me to partner with Him in reaching and rescuing those who are drowning. The greatest thing of all...He promises to give us the strength and ability to do it.

Maybe the final question for us is, "Can we see ourselves as lifeguards instead of passengers on a cruise?" Just a thought!