Celebrate Christmas Eve @ PCC

Please join the Pocono Community Church family this Christmas Eve and celebrate the birth of Christ.

Come out and enjoy:

*Singing your favorite Christmas carols

*Candlelight ceremony

*Live Jazz Band

*Fun creative elements in the service

*Inspiring video story of faith

*Hot chocolate and cookies and more...

We have 3 Christmas Eve Services to choose from: 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm.

It's going to be a lot of fun for the entire family. Please make this part of your Christmas tradition and celebrate Christmas Eve with the people of Pocono Community Church.

The Christmas Spirit

Someone asked me today if I was "getting in the Christmas spirit." For many the Christmas spirit is:

• Baking cookies
• Singing carols
• Sending cards
• Planning parties
• Buying presents
• Sipped from a glass

But no one demonstrates the Biblical "spirit of Christmas" more than Mary, the mother of Jesus. Consider Mary, this teenage girl who's life is turned upside down as the sovereign plan of God unfolds around her. She never asked for a miraculous, Holy Spirit empowered, virgin conception, but God trusted her with it anyway. Instantly, she's confronted with private and public humiliation. She comes dangerously close to losing the love of her lifetime. Can you imagine what she told her parents?

Yet amidst all chaos and confusion that first Christmas, Mary surrenders her will to the will of the Father and simply says, "Let it be." In other words, I choose to worship and obey the Father even when it doesn't make sense or seem to be working out the way I planned.

The true Spirit of Christmas is surrender. In essence, that's worship. The first time worship is used in the Scriptures is to describe Abraham's decision to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the mountain altar. It says that he went out of obedience to worship the Lord. Worship is obedience.

Mary, in the same spirit of Abraham, worships the Lord and surrenders her plans, expectations and will to the work of the Father. That's the real spirit of Christmas.

G Willie

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15

My grandmother, Willie Mae Brumback, at the age of 90, went to be with the Lord last Friday morning at 12:30 am.

In a letter she wrote me some years ago she asked me to preach her funeral. Of course, I agreed to my grandmother's wish and am humbled that she would even ask.

I want to thank many of you who are praying for my mom, Betty, and family during this time of sorrow. We know grandma is in heaven now and reunited with her husband Tweed Dale. More importantly, she's with Jesus for "to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord."

And while it's never easy to place a final kiss on cold lips that will not kiss in return, we can take comfort in the fact that there is life beyond the grave for those who die believing in Jesus.

Sunday Night Download

This week was an awesome weekend at PCC. Here are some of the highlights:

+The Creative Worship Arts Team did an amazing job. Worship was awesome. You totally rocked the "Mighty God" song.

+The laser light show and the Mannheim Steamroller song was crazy!!! Thanks CWA Team for your creativity and commitment to excellence. Wow!

+Saturday night service was awesome. We were just shy of 600 people! Saturday PCCers are doing a great job inviting their friends. That's why we announced this weekend that WE ARE STARTING A SECOND SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE IN JANUARY 2011.

+Beginning the weekend of January 8/9, 2011, we will offer 5 WEEKEND SERVICES AT Saturday night 5pm & 6:30pm and Sunday at 9:30am, 11am, and 1 PM (Spanish). I can't wait to see how God is going to help us reach more people who are far from him by making more room in our weekend experiences.

+I need 200 people in the Sunday morning crowd to move to Saturday night. Please make a 6 month commitment to come to one of the services on Saturday night beginning in January. Let's make more room at the table!

+The story of PCC is really a story of sacrifice. Sacrifice is when I give up something I love for something that I love even more. We love lost people more than anything at PCC!

+The series, He Shall Be Called, is going very well. This weekend I spoke about the El Gibbor, or Mighty God. It was one of the most fun and memorable messages of 2010 for me. Lots of history, which I love. We looked at the geo-political landscape of the original hearers of the prophecy to help us better understand the prophetical context which in turn makes the message even more real and relevant to our lives today. Great stuff!

+Saturday night we held the last Membership Class of the year with about 100 more members added to the roster. it's crazy to think how much the church has grown in the past year. And the wild thing is, the best is yet to come!

+I had a great time preaching in the Spanish service today. I love Pastor Emilio and the Spanish congregation. We sang my favorite song of the year, Cristo Yo Te Amo. Love that song!

+The Spanish congregation prayed for me at the end of their service as Pastor Emilio informed them that I was traveling to Washington, DC to preach my Grandmother's funeral on Monday. I appreciate their love and prayers more than words can adequately express.

+A huge thanks to many that are praying for me and my family as we say goodbye to one of the matriarchs of our family, Willie Mae Brumback. I'll share more about my "G Willie" tomorrow.

+Time to review my message notes for tomorrow and call it a day.

+I love you PCC and am so honored to be your pastor.

Apple Christmas

Check out this creative approach to opening up a Northpoint Church service with Christmas music played only on iPad and iPhones. Crazy cool.

New Christmas Series

I'm really excited about the new series we are kicking off this weekend, "He Shall Be Called." It's based on the Isaiah 9 passage that describes not only the fact that Christ would be born, but what kind of man he would become.

Hopefully, this series will give all who know Him a greater appreciation for who Jesus really is. And more importantly, it will give those who have only known him from afar an invitation to know him personally.

Week #1 - Wonderful Counselor

Week #2 - Mighty God

Week #3 - Everlasting Father

Week #4 - Prince of Peace.

Remember all you PCCers, do not come alone this weekend! Invite your friends to join you and let's celebrate Christmas together as a family.

Sunday Night Download

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend at PCC:

*It was my first time back in the pulpit after two weeks off. It felt great to preach again, but the rest really did me well.

*I preached a looooooooong sermon. I went 55 minutes Saturday night and 40-45 minutes in the Sunday services. God bless the PCC attenders who listen for that length of time without walking out on me.

*We baptized lots more people this weekend. It was one of the coolest baptisms ever. Pastor Brad and Pastor Andre did all the baptisms. Great job guys! Andre actually lost his footing and he and one of the guys both went under. Priceless baptism moment!

*So far, the PCC family has given over $25,000 in the

special Christmas

offering. What an amazing act of generosity. We are well on the way to reaching the $150,000 goal.

*The Christmas Offering will be used 3 ways: $25,000 to feed the poor, $50,000 for children's ministry expansion and decor upgrades, and $75,000 for media enhancement to launch an online church and additional PCC campuses in the Pocono area.

*I'm really excited about the new Christmas series starting next weekend, "He Shall Be Called." Don't come alone!

* The PCC Christmas Choir will be singing your favorite Christmas songs next week. You don't want to miss it.

*The church family decorated the building for Christmas today. It took them all day just to get the 27 foot Christmas tree up in the lobby. It looks awesome! Thanks to the 80 plus volunteers who showed up to serve!

*The worship team wrote and performed a special song for the series. It was awesome. So thankful for the great team of volunteers we have at PCC that are willing to use their gifts to glorify God.

*We God thanks today for: the healing of a man who had bleeding and swelling behind his eyes (totally healed), a restoration of a couple who have been separated for 12 years, and a teenager who recently wanted to commit suicide has now found faith in Christ and reason for living.

Sunday Night Download

Here are some thoughts from this past weekend:

1. I took a few days off this past week and took my family to Great Wolf Lodge. We had a great time celebrating Williams first birthday. We also drove down to see my family in Harrisburg and enjoyed just hanging out with them. My dad made homemade pasta, bread, butter (yes, he churned his own butter ... I know), apple cider, cinnamon rolls and sticky buns and more. I gained a few pounds : (

2. I got the weekend off from preaching - the first one in 17 weeks! Pastor Brad, our new executive pastor, spoke for me and did a great job. You can hear his message on "The Family That God Blesses" here. It should be posted by Monday afternoon.

3. Since I didn't have to preach this past weekend I did a lot of thinking and planning for 2011. I've got my preaching calendar lined out through Easter and I also did some major work on the 2011 budget too. I'm so excited about the vision God is given me and PCC for the next year of ministry.

4. Instead of going to PCC this Sunday, me and friend went to Liquid Church in Morristown, NJ. The founding and lead pastor, Tim Lucas, is a good friend. He is doing an amazing job building a great church that is reaching tons of lost people for Jesus. I learned a ton from Tim and Liquid today and look forward to synthesizing some of those learnings into the culture and flow of PCC.

5. I'm headed to NYC tonight to leave for Haiti early in the morning. It's a vision trip with my friend and founder of Convoy of Hope International, Hal Donaldson. Convoy is an international disaster relief and compassion organization. They feeds thousands of children all over the world, including over 40,000 kids per day in Haiti alone. I'll be visiting their feeding programs as well as the new distribution warehouse that is currently under construction. This new facility will enable Convoy to feed almost 80,000 kids per day by this time next year. Please pray for my safe journey to Haiti.

6. I'm totally excited about the Thanksgiving Outreach this week to need families in the Pocono Mountains. We are reaching out to 100 families in our community and providing them with a full course Thanksgiving Meal.

7. This weekend at PCC we will be participating in the special One Day to Feed the World offering. We are encouraging all PCCers to give one-day's pay to help feed needy children through the Convoy of Hope feeding programs. Please pray that that God will move on our congregations heart to birth a spirit of generosity the likes of which we have never seen before.

8. This weekend my good friend, Michael M., will be speaking at PCC. He was a former assassin with the IRA in Ireland. Now he has given his life to Jesus Christ and he has become a missionary serving all throughout Europe, working closely with Convoy of Hope outreaches. You don't want to miss this amazing story of redemption and life-change.

Happy Birthday David III

In honor of my oldest sons 5th birthday, David III, I want to share the top 5 things that I love about him.

1. I love David's infectious laugh.

David is the funniest little kid you've ever met. His laugh is infectious. It can soften even the hardest heart and lift even the heaviest burden. One of our favorite things to do together as a family every Sunday night is watch America's Funniest Home Videos. David's laugh is actually funnier than the videos.

2. I love David's teachable spirit.

Just like any other preschooler (or adult for that matter), David can have "his moments." But even when he misses the mark and suffers at the "seat of learning", David has the ability to adjust his attitude and make things right. What a valuable character trait that I admire in my son.

3. I love David's tender heart.

David has a tender heart towards his family, especially his mother. He drives her crazy sometimes but he's certainly a momma's boy (just like his daddy). He loves his brothers and sister too and has a sweet spot in his heart for the things of God. I pray that God nourishes his heart for people.

4. I love David's competitive nature.

He loves to compete - whether that's me timing him running laps around the kitchen to the living room and dining room or even racing him on his bike. He wants to win. That desire to always be the best will take him far in life.

5. I love David's desire to be with others.

David hates to be alone. In fact, he refuses to be alone. He always wants someone close by to wrestle, snuggle, tease or talk to. I'm a lot like him. I love to be with my family and spend time with close friends. I pray that David's community-mindedness will always help him make room for others that don't like to be alone either.

Weekend Highlights

It was another great weekend at PCC. I feel like a broken record but I just can't believe what God is doing in and through this great church. Here are some of the highlights:

+We wrapped up the End of the World message series with a special illustrated message that included a funeral, coffin, and hearse. The Creative Worship Arts team did an amazing job!

+The reality is that our world will never end. We will all live forever in one of two places - heaven or hell. Many chose life this weekend at PCC.

+Thank you Lori and Derek who wrote and produced a special song for the funeral performance today. Crazy good. Can't wait for you guys to record it.

+My friend gave his heart to Christ today! I've prayed for and invited him to come to PCC for the past 5 years. God is faithful if we do not give up!

+We had over 2000 people in attendance this weekend - that's almost 1000 more people than this time last year!

+Our PCC Kids Team did an awesome job with the PCC Kids Fall Bash. They gave away bikes, candy, Nintendo DS's, and most importantly - Jesus.

+Alexis, thanks for singing "People Get Ready" at the end of all 4 services this weekend. It was awesome. I couldn't think of a better way to wrap up the series than that.

+I can't wait for next week for our new series, "Blessed". I'm kicking off the series with a special message titled "The Church God Blesses."

+This week is First Tuesday - a night of prayer, worship and communion. God's really given me an encouraging message for the service. Can't wait to share it.

PCC Kids Fall Bash

This weekend @ PCC we are celebrating Children with our PCC Kids Fall Bash. During each of our weekend services there will be:

* Candy

* Games

* Bounce Houses

* Prizes

* Music

* Bible Story

and much more. So don't miss this opportunity for your kids. Bring your friends too!

I will also be wrapping up our End of the World Series with an illustrated message. This is perhaps one of the most creative and important services of the year. If you have friends that are far from God - this is a great weekend to bring them to church!!!

Politically Speaking

Since the political season is in full swing (I received like 10 flyers in the mail yesterday alone!), I thought I'd share some of my current thoughts on politics:

• I'm not called to follow a blue donkey or a red elephant, but a white Lamb.
• Do you really believe if you could get more donkey's or elephants in Washington DC that we would have revival in America? Seriously?
• Jesus didn't commission 12 politicians, he commissioned 12 disciples.
• Real change comes from a radical follower of Christ who serves their community with sacrificial love.
• The answer for America lies not in the white house but in the church house.
• Since Christians do hold a dual citizenship, we should be involved in politics. But the local church should not be campaign headquarters.
• Base your vote one the values of the Bible.
• Christians are called to carry the cross of Christ, not the sword of Caesar. Let's not give a first class allegiance to a second class cause.
• America's problems will not be solved by a politician or a political party, but by a local church that is filled with the love of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
• If we spent more time praying for our elected leaders instead of criticizing them we would probably have better leaders and more righteous decisions.
• I would rather be known for what I'm for rather than what I'm against. I'm for Jesus!

Weekend Highlights

Here are some highlights from this past weekend at PCC.

+I gotta give it up for the PCC Dance Team! They blew it up! Thanks so much to the team and the team leaders. Your creativity, innovation and commitment to excellence is greatly appreciated!

+The Saturday evening service was one of the best ever. We were just at 500 in attendance and the night was filled with great energy and enthusiasm. Thanks to all you PCCers who come out every Saturday to worship and serve.

+Overall the attendance was close to 1900 people. We had lots of first time guests and the message seemed to be received very well. Lots of people made commitments to Christ. Can't wait to get the final number of salvations tomorrow.

+We had a new bass player and drummer on the worship team on Saturday night. They were awesome musicians. Thanks guys! Welcome to the PCC family.

+I'm really looking forward to this coming weekend where we will wrap up the End of the World series with perhaps the most creative service we've ever done. If there was ever a weekend to bring your unchurched friend - this is it!

+The PCC Kids Fall Bash is this weekend during all our services too. There will be lots of games, prizes, candy and fun for everyone during each of the weekend services.

This Weekend @ PCC

This weekend we continue our series, End of the World with a special, first-of-its-kind, hip hop dance routine by PCC's very own! You do NOT want to miss this weekend. This is going to blow your mind!

Also, I'll be preaching through the ENTIRE book of Revelation. It should only take me 2 hours : ) Just kidding. Seriously, if you've ever wanted to know more about the book of Revelation and what the end of the world will be like, then come out this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Eat The Frog

This week I've been listening to "Time Management Principles For Busy Pastors" produced by my friend, Nelson Searcy. Nelson delivers some practical ways to save time and thus get more done. One principle in particular that really caught my attention was "Eat the Frog."

It goes like this: if you knew that you had to eat a frog, you would most likely delay that task on your to-do list until the end of the day. However, you would be filled with frustration, anxiety and distraction as you worked on your other tasks rendering you less productive.

The solution: eat the frog first. Deal with what you don't want to deal with on the front end and get it out of the way. Once its checked off the list, you will be more effective and productive throughout the day.

Tony Campolo

Listen to this amazing story told by Sociologist/Preacher Tony Campolo.

Weekend Highlights

We had a great weekend at PCC. Here are some of the highlights.

+Hip Hop Artists Exodus Movement performed in all of our services. They were so good. Thanks guys for being here this weekend.

+Our worship team introduced a new song today called The Stand. They put their own PCC flavor to it and tore it up. They also did an cool arrangement of Sing Sing Sing with an old hymn "When we all get to heaven". Very cool.

+While I was preaching in the second service a fly was buzzing me. I went to swat it away and I actually caught the crazy fly in my fingers. It was hilarious and bar far the funniest thing that ever happened to me when I was preaching. Mr. Miagi has nothing on this preacher!

+I met so many people this weekend going through a world of hurt. One woman told me her husband was just diagnosed with cancer and only given two months to live. Another teenage girl came up to me after the Saturday night service and asked to pray for her because she can't shake off severe sadness. Another man asked to pray for him as he was just diagnosed with global cognitive impairment as a result military service.

+Lots of people committed their heart to Christ this weekend. It always amazes me at how the simple preaching of the gospel plus the work of the Holy Spirit yields a life forever changed.

+I can't wait until next weekend when the PCC Dance Team will be performing in all the services. It's going to be awesome.

This Weekend @ PCC

This weekend PCC welcomes hip hop artist, Exodus. They will be performing in all of our english speaking services. Exodus is a Christian rap group that actually wrote a special song for our series, End of the World.

You don't want to miss this weekend. Be sure to bring a friend with you!

I'll be finishing up last weeks message "How to Survive the End of the World." We'll be looking at what Jesus said to the 7 churches in Revelation chapters 2-3. It will prove to be a practical and powerful word to prepare our hearts for the second coming of Christ.

Sunday Night Reflections

Below are some highlights from another great weekend at PCC.

*Buzz and Woody showed up at PCC this weekend and made many little kids extremely happy. A huge THANKS to all our dedicated PCC Kids volunteers that make the weekends a fun place to learn about Jesus and make new friends.

*The PCC worship team did an amazing job with the special song "End of the World" by P.O.D. They totally rocked it! And the video was awesome too. Thanks CWA Team. You guys are amazing!

*Tons of people committed their life to Christ this weekend - including this 13 year old girl and her mom who came up to me after the 11:30am Sunday service with tears in their eyes and asked me, "What can we do to be saved?" Dude, that's like totally NT kind of stuff. I led them in the sinners prayer at the altar and the peace of God just flooded their hearts. It was so humbling to do God's bidding.

*The Parking Lot Team did an extraordinary job this weekend and were able to move lots of cars in and out of the lot 4 times without any major traffic jams. Thanks for tweaking the system and your relentless pursuit of constant and never ending improvement.

*We introduced Pastor Brad Wick's family this weekend and Brad hosted all the services. He did a great job.

*Looking forward to next weekend at PCC with special guest, Exodus. Exodus is a hip hop group that is going to blow it up next weekend. Start inviting your friends now!

This Weekend @ PCC

This weekend Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story 3 will be at PCC. All you moms and dads out there don't want to miss all the fun and excitement. Make sure you bring the kids and a camera.

Also we continue our new series, End of the World. This week we begin to look at the Book of Revelation and what Jesus has to say to people in order to get them ready for his soon coming return. We will be studying Revelation chapters 1 -3 if you want to read them in advance.

This weekend is a great opportunity to bring your friends. So be sure to invite everyone you know.

A Leaders Constant Companion - Pt. 3

3. Embrace your threshold for the pain of pruning.

• Elijah was pruned prior to his Mt. Carmel experience. God was preparing him by cutting stuff out of his life that would slow him down on the day of battle.
• It's painful when God cuts or prunes things from our lives and ministries.
• Sometimes it's a relationship that isn't healthy. Sometimes it's a time-consuming hobby that's not necessarily bad - it's just not what's best for my life and ministry in this season.
• When attendance dips and I lose people in the church because they no longer jive with the vision. I need to remember that sometimes I have to go backward in order to move forward. This is the "Gift of Gideon."
• Don't blame yourself for the declines because if you do you will be tempted to take credit for the increases.
• Everyone leader needs to "push through the pain."
• The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain you are unwilling to endure. Never give up.

A Leaders Constant Companion - Pt. 2

2. Embrace your pain threshold for making difficult decisions

• If you are a leader, you have to make difficult, painful and often times unpopular decisions
• Perhaps it's killing a ministry that is no longer effective at accomplishing the vision of the organization but still enjoyed by only a few.
• Or maybe it's confronting, rebuking or even removing someone in a leadership position and you will have to deal with major flack and even risk the possibility of them leaving the church and taking people with them.
• Sometimes it requires the leader to even change an employees portfolio that is in the wrong position.
• One of the most painful decisions is having to fire someone for insubordination, character issues, or flat out laziness.
• When you are unwilling to make the tough call you always end up causing more damage to people and the church in the long run.
• Sometimes leaders wait to pull the trigger on painful decisions until the pain of the present situation becomes greater than the pain of making the decision. That's been my achilles heel for far too long. You always end up in more pain.
• The key to making painful decision is to always do what's right in the eyes of God and trust him with the outcome.

A Leader's Constant Companion

I just finished listening to a leadership talk by Craig Groeschel at the Hillsong Conference in Australia. Craig titled the talk, "A Leaders Constant Companion" which he defined as pain. Instead of running from your pain, Craig encouraged leaders to embrace it and increase your capacity or threshold for more pain.

Pain is a constant companion in ministry. In fact, if you aren't experiencing pain, than you probably aren't really leading anyone. It's also true that the difference of where you are and where God wants you to be may be the pain you are unwilling to endure.

Craig encouraged me to do three things with my pain. I'll share them with you this week:

1. Embrace your pain threshold for unjustified criticism and the desire to please people.

• I've realized that the more our church has grown the more I have been personally criticized as a leader.
• This week I've been called "a blasphemer", "a false teacher", "one who speaks with a forked tongue", that I have "the spirit of lucifer", "that we have en graven images in our church", that "I'm a deceiving shepherd", that we use propaganda and marketing to increase our attendance", that we aren't a deep church, ad nauseum - and that was just this week :)
• Paul endured ridiculous amounts of pain to promote the gospel. Read 2 Corinthians 11:16ff.
• If you aren't hurting then you aren't leading.
• If you aren't experiencing criticism than you aren't preaching the Gospel because the Gospel if offensive - especially to those with a self-righteous, Pharisaical spirit.
• The reality is that you can't please everybody.
• The quickest way to forget what God thinks about you is to be consumed with what others think of you.
• I can't please everyone, but I can please God.

More tomorrow...

Weekend Highlights

We had a great great weekend at PCC. Here are some of the highlights.

*Amena Brown's poetry was AWESOME. So looking forward to having her come back to PCC again in thefuture.

*Saturday night service was packed with over 500 in attendance.

*We had tons of first time guests this weekend. I'll get the actual number tomorrow. I heard that we had 31 first time guest in our kids ministry alone. Thanks for inviting your friends PCCers.

*We kicked off our new message series, End of the World. It's a a study on eschatology and it was really well received. I want to thank my friend Herbert Cooper and Peoples Church for hooking me up with some of the creative elements for the series. Thanks bro!

*We got some hate mail and phone calls from people who didn't like our advertising campaign for the new series. That's fine with me. If you aren't offending Pharisees and religious folks than you probably aren't doing the ministry of Jesus.

*The parking lot was packed this weekend at all of our services. We have to fix that problem quickly.

*The worship and creative arts team did an amazing job this weekend.

*I said the word "Schmuck" from the pulpit in the Saturday evening service. I was searching for the world "charlatan" and somehow my brain defaulted to schmuck. I feel really bad I used that kind of a word from the pulpit and I certainly apologize. No one told me they were offended but nonetheless I wouldn't want to do anything to tarnish the reputation of Christ or His pulpit at PCC.

*We welcomed new staff member Brad Wicks to the church family this weekend. Brad is going to lead the spiritual development ministries of the church. His wife, Denise, and their children are driving 18 hours this week to Pocono from the midwest. Please pray for their safe arrival.

*Super excited about First Tuesday Prayer meeting this week. Pastor Brad and Denise will be sharing their story of how God worked a miracle in their marriage and family. You don't want to miss it.

Big Weekend

With the kickoff of our new series this weekend, PCC welcomes special guest Amena Brown. Amena is nationally acclaimed poet and she has a special way with words. Below is a sample of Amena's ministry. Please INVITE ALL YOUR FRIENDS to be at PCC this weekend. Remember we have service on Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 9:30, 11am and 12:30pm (Spanish). Don't you dare miss this weekend. Its' going to be awesome.

End of the World

This weekend we kick off our new fall series, End of the World. For the entire month of October, we are going to take an in depth look at what the Bible says about the end times. This series is going to be full of practical Biblical insights as well as creative elements every weekend.

This weekend we will be studying what Jesus had to say about the end of the world in Matthew 24.

You don't want to miss one weekend. Please continue to invite your friends and I'll see you this weekend.

Fusion Event Rocks PCC

Last night PCC's Student Ministry, Underground, hosted the first-ever Fusion Outreach Event. Special guest hip hop artist, Flynn Adams, from LA was in the house laying down some serious beats and unbelievable rhymes. I was so proud of our youth pastor, Andre Anderson and his team of dedicated volunteers and students who invited all of their friends. This was the largest youth event in the history of PCC with 345 people in attendance.

It's so great to see a student-led youth ministry reaching their friends for Jesus. Way to go Underground!!!

Weekend Update

We had a great weekend at PCC as we wrapped up our Gospel series. We baptized tons of new believers and celebrated the changed lives that are happening right here in our house. Man this never gets old watching people turn from their old life and commit to following Jesus.

We were just shy of 1900 in attendance and are experiencing a great wave of momentum as we get ready for the our new series this weekend, End of the World. You don't want to miss this weekend. Invite your friends to come!

Here are a few picture highlights for this past weekend.

iPAD Solo

The group Squeeze appeared on Jimmy Fallon's show and performed "Pulling Mussels from a Shell." What's pretty cool is that during the song the keyboardist rips a mean solo on an iPAD. Check it out around minute 2:32 in the song. Very cool! I wonder if or when we'll have a guy play a solo in church on an iPAD.

Gospel Day #19

"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14

Jesus loves kids. He said heaven is for people who are just like kids. When I think of my kids I would describe them as: trusting, in need of care and protection, sometimes helpless, full of love, painfully honest about their emotions and unpredictable. Thank God heaven isn't for perfect, well-put-together, in need of no-one and nothing, kind of people. What a relief.

"Father, thanks for making heaven for someone just like me - a big kid. I need your grace, mercy and help to make it through another day."

Sunday Night Download

What a crazy weekend! Here are some of my highlights:

• I preached 7 different times and I'm totally wiped out. But its a good tired. I don't know how some of these mega church pastors preach 5 to 7 times a weekend. They are insane!
• My good friend, David Kim, leads the second largest 2nd Generation Korean ministry in Queens, NYC. He asked me to speak at their fall retreat. My family and I had a blast with David and his family and ministry team.
• We had an amazing move of God during the retreat and literally spent hours at the altars in the presence of God. Times of refreshing!
• I preached via video in the Saturday night service at PCC for the very first time. We got a lot of great feedback. My church loves change and they are so flexible. Love you PCCers.
• My wife and kids and I are all feeling better. We've all been fighting colds this week. Thanks for praying for our complete recovery.
• The PCC worship team did an amazing job with leading the worship this weekend. I loved the arrangements! Powerful praise!
• A man sitting on the second row of the 9:30am service today passed out due to low insulin from his diabetes. It was unsettling to say the least but I was so proud of our ushers and security team who took care of the gentlemen and his family.
• I spoke in the Spanish service today and had a great time with our Latino brothers and sisters. Marisella did an amazing job interpreting. So excited about what God is doing in our Spanish ministry.
• We prayed for a brother named Pedro this week who was just diagnosed with Stage IV liver cancer. He needs a miracle. Please keep him in your prayers. God is able!
• Next weekend we are baptizing almost 100 new believers at PCC. We love people and changed lives at PCC.
• Our special musical guests this weekend is the Latino Band Salida7. Check them out at www.salida7.com
• In two weeks we kick off a brand new series on the Book of Revelation called "End of the World." Begin inviting your friends now.

Laying Low

This week I've been laying low due to sickness. I've hardly been out of bed for the past 3 days. As you can imagine, it's been difficult for me to blog or even read much this week. I appreciate your prayers and look forward to sharing more of my insights from the Gospel reading next week.

Gospel Day #9

"And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everyone." Luke 9:6

It seems that everywhere the gospel is preached it is accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders. A blind man is given sight. A demoniac is set free. A man born lame walks. The simplicity of the gospel message changes lives. Marriages restored. Sins forgiven. Jesus and his Kingdom is not just a matter of talk, but of power. It would stand to reason that where lives are not being changed the gospel is not being preached.

"Father, help me to keep the gospel message - Jesus Christ and him crucified, the main message of my ministry. Please demonstrate your power in my day to change lives and destinies for your glory."

Gospel Day #8

"But say the word, and let my servant be healed." Luke 7:7

The words spoken by the Centurion filled the air with faith. In fact, Jesus said his faith was unusual - like nothing he had ever seen. He simply asked Jesus to heal his servant by just speaking a word. This audacious faith captured the attention of Jesus and he responded to it. What would my life look like if I operated with that kind of faith? Instead of second-guessing, or worst-case-scenario planning ... today may I be guided by a "just say the word" kind of faith that fills the atmosphere with expectancy and anticipation.

"Father, I thank you for reminding me today that you have been given all authority in heaven and in earth. May I trust in you and live with audacious, bold faith today. Amen."

Staff Picnic

Yesterday we had a great day at our staff Labor Day picnic. I'm so blessed to serve with some of the greatest people in the Kingdom. Here's a few snapshots.

Gospel Day #5

"But at your word I will let down the nets." Luke 5:5

Jesus was calling his disciples to follow him. He went to the wharf and met some fishermen who had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Without hesitation, they obeyed and caught a huge catch.

Instant obedience to the word of Jesus bring instant success. When Jesus speaks, I must obey without hesitation. A simple "I will" reply is all that Jesus asks. An obedient and submissive spirit that follows Jesus without delay will yield great joy and satisfaction in life and ministry.

"Father, help to obey your Word today without hemming and hawing or questioning or complaining or second-guessing. I want to follow you with first-time, cheerful obedience, knowing full well that you will weigh down my life with your blessing."

Gospel Day #4

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness prior to the beginning of his preaching ministry. While there, Jesus fasted for forty days. Satan tempted Jesus three different times. On each occasion, Jesus responded with "It is written." The Word of God is the only offensive weapon we have to fight the devil (Eph. 6). Every time the devil opens his mouth, we should simply open the Word.

"Father, thank you for your Holy Scriptures that not only comfort me in times of trouble, but also defeat the work of the enemy in my life and ministry. As I study it and memorize it, please sear it on my heart and conform me to its likeness."

Gospel Day#3

John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

John was preaching the gospel and baptizing people in water. After he baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, Jesus himself began baptizing people. Many of John's followers began to follow Jesus.

Instead of flying into a jealous fit of rage and envy, John simply recognized that everything he had received was ultimately from God. And that his job was to make the name of Jesus famous, not his own. Sometimes life in the limelight can make you blind. It's good to remember that it's never been about me, but it's always been about Jesus.

"Father, thanks for reminding me to not be a diva. And if I ever start to show diva-like tendencies, kick me in the butt and remind me that it's only about bringing glory to one name - Jesus."

Gospel Reading Plan and Online Forum

Here's a copy of the 30 Day Gospel Reading Plan. If you haven't received one, go ahead and print this out and start reading today.

Also, if you would like to join the online Gospel reading forum at PCC, go here and jump into the conversation.

One last thing, check out the practical tips below on how to spend 30 minutes

with God each day as you read through the Gospels.

Gospel Day #2

Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."

As a result of Jesus' submissive spirit to the authority in his life, namely his earthly parents at the time, Luke tells me that he grew in wisdom and favor with God and man. The key to spiritual growth is a submissive spirit. Jesus walked this earth with a humble heart.

"God, give me a submissive heart to the leading of your Spirit. May I live in such a way that I can learn from anyone. Lead and guide me today through your Word, your Spirit, and others that I encounter. I humble myself and ask you to help me grow and give me your favor with everyone I meet."

The Gospel in the Old Testament

Check this awesome video out by Tim Keller. It's about how to preach the gospel message from the Old Testament. Great stuff. Thanks Levon for sending me the link.

Impossible

Day One

Luke 1:37 "For nothing will be impossible with God."

In Luke 1 we find a string of miraculous events surrounding the birth of Christ: a barren woman named Elizabeth conceives (mother of John the Baptist), angelic appearances, an understanding husband, a mute husband (both would be miraculous events in my house) and most notably - a virgin birth.

The very birth of Christ reminds me that nothing is impossible with God. In fact, it appears that God specializes in taking seemingly impossible situations into possibilities laden with unlimited potential.

Areas for God to work the impossible in my life this week:

• my unsaved friend who is seeking Jesus / Lord save her
• another friend who's marriage just ended in divorce / that God would heal them and put the pieces of their life and marriage and ministry back together
• for God to heal my friend who just found out she has breast cancer
• for supernatural provision of staff, leaders, volunteers and finances for our church

God, nothing is impossible with you. You are a God of miracles. Please work miracles in my life, church and family for your glory. Forgive me for my doubts and strengthen me in my faith.

Gospel

This past weekend we kicked off a brand new series at PCC called Gospel. In addition to the weekend services, we are reading through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in thirty days. I'll be sharing some of my personal thoughts as I make my way through this reading plan. I'm excited about how we are all going to grow closer to Christ and develop an increasing hunger for his Word during the next month. If you missed this past weekend services, check back later and I will post a copy of the reading plan and some practical tips on how to spend time with God each day through Bible reading, journaling and prayer.

Belfast, Ireland

Jim Collins on Church Leadership

Check out this video from Catalyst Leadership Conference where Andy Stanley talks with Jim Collins about life in the trenches of church leadership. Great stuff!!!

National Fine Arts Festival Winner!

Last week, Kaela Edwards, one of PCC's own, won the National Fine Arts Festival Merit of Honor Award for Female Vocalist. She competed in Detroit, Michigan along with thousands of other contestant and represented Christ and PCC with class.

We are so proud of Kaela and her accomplishment. She is a sophomore at Stroudsburg high school and the daughter of PCCs worship leaders, Derek and Nadeen Edwards.

Kaela has a special anointing on her life and it's exciting to watch her blossom in God. She not only has a great voice, but also a sweet spirit.

To watch Kaela's performance, go here.

(Fast forward to the last 5 minutes of the video to see her.)

Weekend Update

Here's an update on what's going on at PCC:

• I'm really enjoying our summer series, SEVEN, which is a creative look at the 7 deadly sins. Yesterday we spoke about how God wants us to slay SLOTH and instead be people of diligence.
• When it comes to work, it's not just about how much money I make, but about what I will become.
• God uses my work to develop my character and spiritual maturity. Col. 1:10
• Yesterday Kirk Graham led worship at PCC and he did an outstanding job. What an anointed man of God. I can't wait until he comes back to PCC in August.
• We had 72 people in our membership class held last Saturday night following the service. The Spanish membership class is coming up this weekend. Vamos amigos!
• I dedicated Olivia Block, daughter of Dan and Sarah, during the 9:30 Sunday service. She is precious. Dan and Sarah just adopted 'Liv from Ethiopia. We now have over 40 nations represented here at PCC. What a diverse and cool church.
• I'm taking off a couple days this week to go to the shore with my family. We are definitely in need of some time away. Thanks to my friend who is giving us their time share. You are so generous! Love you guys.
• I volunteered at the Mt. Pocono Carnival last night which raises much needed resources for our local fire department. I really enjoy volunteering and serving my community. I worked the french fry stand.
• A young man in our church told me yesterday that he just found out his mother has breast cancer. I'm praying for that family. You just never know what people are going through.

Dad Life

Decisions That Define Your Church #2

Decision #2 - What's the vision?

Every church has to decide why they exist and how they are going to accomplish the God-given mission. The mission has already been decided in Matthew 28 when Jesus said "Go ... and make disciples." But how a church does that is up to the local leadership ... that's called vision.

The great thing about Christianity is that it can be contextualized. God built this into the fabric of our faith. Yes, there are certain non-negotiable beliefs and practices but there is enough flexibility for the faith to thrive in any culture or generation.

While there are a million different ways to "do" church, there is only "one" way to do it at PCC. Whenever you have more than one vision - that's called division. Churches that don't stand in unity around the vision will eventually implode and crumble.

Decisions That Define Your Church

Decisions determine our destiny. Like it our not, our lives are the sum total of the decisions that we make. Every day we live in the wake of the consequences of our choices.

I want to share some thoughts about decisions that define our church.

Decision #1 - Deciding Who Decides

There are hundreds of decisions that are made in a church every week: financial decisions, strategy decisions, staffing decisions, ministry decisions, facility decisions and the list goes on.

At PCC, we understand that God is the leader and that God has chosen to lead through leaders. That's the Scriptural pattern. As the leader of PCC, I have chosen to lead through two teams of people: the Staff and the Elders.

In my opinion and experience, collaborative-team leadership is more effective than unilateral-dictatorial leadership. It allows you to get the perspective of other leaders and than filter that information before making the decision. Sure, not everyone is going to agree with every decision that is made. But then again, that's why God raises up spiritually mature leaders that make decisions based not on what is popular or easy, but on what is honoring to God and His Word.

If you want to help make decisions in the church - become a leader. If you want to lead - the first requirement is being willing to follow.

NBDC Graduation

Yesterday New Beginnings Day Care graduated their very first class of students that are moving on to kindergarten. Congratulations graduates! You all are awesome.

I want to thank Dr. Janet Shelton and her staff for providing an excellent education and environment for the children of our community to grow socially, spiritually, intellectually and physically.

These first 5 graduates are off to a great start in life. The Bible says, "Don't despise the day of humble beginnings." This school and our children are full of phenomenal potential and will accomplish great things for God! I look forward to many more graduation ceremonies in the future and watching these kids grow up!

Leadership Principles #3

#3. Your Pain Threshold will determine your Growth Threshold

Yes, growing churches are led by growing leaders. But all growing leaders carry a serious amount of pain. Don't be naive and think that just because a pastor has a large church that their life is a bed of roses. Here's what I mean.

It's painful when ...
+Your church outgrows your ability to know everyone and you feel like a jerk when people meet you in public feel like they know you as their best friend and you barely recognize them.
+You pour your life into people and you watch them blow up their marriage and ministry.
+Critics misrepresent you and your church just because it grows.
+You have to fire a staff member because that's what's best for the church
+People leave your church because it got "too big." You can know everybody or everybody can know Jesus. You can't have both!
+Some of your best friends chunk their moral character and then blame the ministry
+You have to make serious changes in order to help the church grow to the next level and people get mad and hate on you.
+You take some audacious leap of faith to reach people for Jesus and you fall flat on your face. But you'd rather do that than settle for a comfortable ministry and take home a paycheck every couple of weeks.
+You confront people who aren't with the vision and you hold them to a high standard.

Listen, I love what I do. But it's hard. Ministry is tough. And many pastors are not willing to face the pain of change and therefore sacrifice maximizing the full potential of Gods ultimate plan for their ministry. How much pain can you take?

Leadership Principle #2

2. Growing Churches are Led By Growing Leaders

The growth of a church is greatly determined by the growth of the leader. When you are growing, your church is growing. Conversely, when you are not growing, your church will not grow either.

Here's the wrong question, "What can I do to make my church grow?"

Instead, here are some growth questions I ask myself all the time:

-how am I growing in my prayer life? how's my quiet time - am i spending regular time in God's presence and in his Word?

-how am I growing in my marriage? what am I doing to grow my relationship with my kids?

-how am I growing as a leader? what models of ministry am I studying? who's coaching me right now? who am i investing in right now? what books am i planning on reading this month? what conferences will i attend or watch online?

-how am I growing as a communicator of God's word? what am i doing to be a better preacher?

Leadership Principle

I wanted to share leadership principles this week to help sharpen your leadership IQ. Here we go:

1. Do for ONE what you can't do for ALL

Often times leaders are reluctant to do anything when they cannot do it for anyone. This is a recipe for mediocrity in your organization and it will ultimately remove the leader from the very things that they need to be close to.

Here's how I apply this principle:
*I went and visited a church member in the hospital this morning even though I can't visit every member. I did for one what I can't do for all.
*I will perform only 5 marriages this year but that's all. I'll do some, but not all.
*I once gave a staff member a car who was in desperate need of transportation. I can't give all my staff vehicles, but I was in position to give one to one of them.

These are just a few examples of how this principle works. Don't let the naysayers and the masses determine what you do. Do for one what you can't do for all.

Resurrection by Rob Bell

Check out this Rob Bell video on the resurrection. Rob is one of the most creative communicators in the church today. Listen closely to the content of his message - it just might change your life.

Weekend Update

Here are some highlights from this past weekend at PCC:

+I took the weekend off and spent some time with my family while recovering from a bout with laryngitis.

+My friend and former NASCAR driver, Rich Fogel, shared his story of life in the racing community. You can listen to his story here. Thanks Rich! You did an amazing job.

+We had a guest worship leader, Mark Evers, from Reading, PA. I listened to the recording and Mark and the band sounded great.

+The Creative Worship Arts Team did an amazing job with the creative elements. The stage looked awesome. My favorite element was the actual back end of a race car built out of the right stage wall. Wow! Great job guys. You rock. Oh - and I loved the band and singers all in the pit crew jump suits. And the fact that you actually have The King, Richard Petty's, signed door handing from the pipe grid is stinkin' cool too.

+Many people made decisions to receive Christ this weekend! Go God!

+The Saturday night service is still going strong. Thanks everyone for being faithful to attend this service.

+My son, David III, and I went to the race on Sunday. We flew up to the track in a helicopter and had pit passes. What a blast. David still wants to be a motorcycle racer when he grows up though.

+I spent some time with Chase Mattioli, a driver in the ARCA series (a step below the NASCAR Sprint series). What a nice young man and future star in NASCAR. I'll certainly be praying for him as he races next weekend up in Michigan.

+Glad to be back in the office this week after being out sick last week. Still got a lot done from home though.

+Really busy week ahead. Facing another surgery tomorrow though. Please remember me in your prayers.

This Weekend at PCC

This weekend we kick off a brand new teaching series at PCC called "The Race." My good friend and former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver, Rich Fogel, will be sharing his story of life on the track. You don't want to miss this weekend. Rich has an amazing and inspiring story. I can't wait.

The Creative Worship Arts team did an amazing job with the creative elements for this series. The entire church is totally NASCAR'd out - wait until you see the stage decor. Crazy cool.

So, don't miss this weekend and don't come alone. Be sure to bring a friend. You won't regret it.

Book Recommendation

My friend, Dick Hardy, recently released his new book, 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask. This is a must read for those in the ministry trenches. In his easy-to-read style, Dick lays out road-tested, practical advice for just about every situation ministers face, such as:

+the 7 things church receptionists do to turn people away

+how to define and deal with staff disloyalty

+the 3 foundational elements necessary for a church to grow

+6 reasons to copy another church

+and much more.

If you need some sage advice in ministry, read the book or better yet, call Dick and talk to him one on one. He has a great ministry called The Hardy Group where he helps pastors with everything but preaching. I've talked to Dick on several occasions about real life issues I've had to face and I always come away with a fresh perspective and a positive set of next steps to take. Thanks again Dick for all you do!

New Staff @ PCC

This past weekend I announced that our current student ministries pastor, Matthew Davis, will be transitioning to our executive team as the Development Director. He will be overseeing all of the discipleship and spiritual growth ministries - ie., Membership, New Believers Class, Assimilation, Pastoral Care, Benevolence and Community Groups.

PCC began a nationwide search for a new youth pastor 6 months ago and we are excited to introduce you to Andre and Mandy Anderson and their 6 month old son, Isaiah. Andre and Mandy are currently living in Chicago and will be moving to Pocono in a couple weeks to join our church family as the new Student Ministries Pastor. They are a a fun-loving couple with a passion to reach this generation for Christ. Please keep the Anderson's in prayer during this time of transition.

Parking Lot Paved @ PCC!

Typically I don't get too excited when it comes to brick and mortar stuff in ministry - i.e., buildings, parking lots, etc. Why? Because those things are simply tools to reach people. The ministry begins and ends with people. It's all about people. However, like it or not, love it or hate it - it does take money and material assets to do ministry.

So, today I'm really pumped up about the fact that PCC's parking lot is getting paved. For the past year, we have been in our building and didn't have the money to pave the parking lot. BUT, because of the faithful givers at PCC - we accomplished yet another milestone of our ministry. PCC - I want to thank you for your generosity and continued commitment to reach this community for Jesus. This physical building we have built with God's help is a statement to our community that we are here to stay and that we do things well - all the way to the finish. So, be sure to be here this weekend. But come early, because the paved parking spaces may already be taken. : )

No Limit Living

The Race

Here's a copy of the video our Creative Team put together for our upcoming series called "The Race."

Weekend Update

We had another great weekend at PCC. Here are some of the highlights:

*Alvin Slaughter was amazing. What a humble man of God! He operates under a great anointing of God. So great to have him with us for the weekend.

*Each of the services were totally different. Alvin just flowed with the atmosphere which I really appreciated.

*Alvin's son, Sean, did an awesome job ministering through rap. His rap on parenthood was so timely with our series. Thanks Sean. Looking forward to having you back soon.

*The weather was HORRIBLE. It was so foggy you couldn't even see the church building from the parking lot. And it was raining on top of that.

*We still had a great attendance with almost 2000 people and 50 first time guests.

*What's more, almost 50 people made a decision to follow Jesus.

*I'm so totally psyched up about our new teaching series starting in June called, "The Race." I'm actually going to the Pocono Raceway tomorrow on video shoot for the series. It's going to rock.

*We had a great lunch with Alvin after the services on Sunday. Tony, our PCC chef, made some delicious homemade meat loaf and mashed potatoes (Alvin's favorite). Thanks "T". You are da man.

*We had 182 volunteers servine in ministry on Sunday. We were down about 15% but those that were here covered all the bases. Thanks for doing such a great job PCC volunteers!

*This weekend we conclude the Parenthood series with a message entitled, "What Ever Kid Needs From Their Parent." You don't want to miss it. Don't you dare come alone either. Invite your friends.

*I'm so pumped up about the future of our church. This is only the beginning PCC! God is on the move.

Alvin Slaughter @ PCC!

Speak the name Alvin Slaughter and visions of dynamic worship songs and lively praise tunes rush to mind. The Dove Award and Stellar Award nominee has been a pivotal part of the growth of praise and worship in the Church. The former lead male vocalist of the multiple Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is known for his cross-cultural songs and a smooth blending of gospel and contemporary Christian music, creating a style that's uniquely his own.

You're invited to experience ALVIN SLAUGHTER as he shares his music and talks about his new book, "Reinvent Your Life" at Pocono Community Church. This will be a powerful event for the whole family, so please invite your friends! Space is limited, so please arrive early!

We look forward to seeing you there! Service times are this Saturday @ 6pm, and this Sunday @ 9:30 & 11 AM and 12:30 PM Spanish Service. Alvin will only be ministering in the English speaking services.