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.