We "Got Your Back" Poconos!

PCC is hosting the 7th Annual Back To School Back Pack Outreach!

But this year its going to be bigger and better than ever.

Join us on August 25 from 10-2 at Pocono Community Church to receive free:

• Backpacks filled with school supplies for elementary age kids
• Hair cuts
• Dental Care kits and screening by Pocono Medical Center
• Eye exams and screening by Northeastern Eye
• Oil change for single moms and active duty military families
• Clothes distribution for people of all ages
• Food distribution for children's lunches as they go back to school
• Fire safety training and smoke house by the local fire company and Tobyhanna Army Depot
• Identify kits provided by Pocono Regional Police Department
• Face painting, games and more...

Again, this is a free event for the community. Hope to see you there! Bring a friend. 

Sports Camp 2012

A huge thanks to all the volunteers and coaches for investing in kids here at PCC! You made a huge difference in changed lives! 

Voices Roll In

Voices- PCC Sermon Series Teaser from Creative Arts PCC on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

• This weekend I shared why Jesus is the only way to heaven based on John 14:6 and Romans 6:23
• We used a cool teaching illustration of a plexiglas smart board with LED lights and liquid chalk. It looked awesome on camera with the black background. I'll post it later this week on video.
• A huge thanks to Simon Castro and the creative team for building the smart board! You guys did an amazing job! Thanks!
• We introduced a Live Event on YouVersion. So now everyone who brings their smart phone or tablet to church can follow along with my notes digitally on YouVersion. Very cool. Thanks so much to LifeChurch.tv for giving this technology away free to churches around the world. 
• We did something this weekend I haven't done in a long time. I actually gave people the opportunity to come to the front of the church at the end of the worship experience to declare their faith in Christ. Old fashion altar calls still work! Very cool to see tons of people come forward in each experience to receive Christ.
• The worship band did an amazing job with a song they wrote and produced just for the Jesus Is series. Thank you Lori for writing the lyrics and song and for Derek and Filipe for producing it. Wow! So blessed to work with you all. I'm going to post a link to the song this week.
• Attendance seemed to be down a bit due to the Run For the Red. It was a gorgeous weekend in the Poconos and I trust the Red Cross had a phenomenal turn out for their marathon. We support The Red Cross financially and with an annual blood drive. 
• I announced the transition of Pastor Brad and Denise Wicks this weekend. They are moving back to Kansas to pastor a church. We are going to miss their family. Please come to a going away celebration on June 2nd following the 5pm worship experience.
• So grateful to lead such an amazing church. Looking forward to all God has in the days ahead!

First Tuesday

Dont' miss the heartbeat of PCC ... First Tuesday.

Join your church family for a free meal (Italian) beginning at 6pm.

Then move into the auditorium for a powerful time of worship, prayer, the act of communion and an inspiring message.

Childcare is available for kids 0 to 5th Grade. Don't miss it.

Weekend Highlights

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

*I met a former Muslim who recently converted to Christianity since coming to PCC. Amazing to see how Jesus is changing lives right before my eyes.

*I met two couples over the weekend that said the Holy Spirit has been speaking to them and they have decided to stop living together until they get married. Both couples recently started attending the church and have become followers of Jesus. Crazy cool stuff happening.

*My good friend, Charlie, was in church after having a miracle baby this weekend. Charlie and his wife were medically unable to conceive. They came forward for prayer to have a baby and the Lord blessed them with a child. Talk about God moving in signs and wonders! Amazing.

*I met another girl named Samantha who first attended on Christmas Eve and gave her heart to Jesus. She now attends our Spanish campus regularly and she is growing in Christ.

*Great to meet Anthony Evans Jr. this weekend. What an amazing talent and singer. Truly enjoyed his ministry. The concert was awesome.

*I'm really enjoying the Jesus Is series. This week was especially powerful as we talked about how Jesus is our protector. You can listen to it here.

*I was incredible impressed with the opening act for the concert, 4 Trinity. These guys were off the hook musically and more importantly, anointed young men of God. The anointing of God on their ministry was undeniable. Look forward to having them back to PCC very soon!

*So cool to see over 3,000 people in attendance this weekend. God is giving us some good momentum as a church.

*I met a little boy on his way out of the 12:30pm worship experience and he was crying his eyes out because he didn't want to go home. Priceless!

*One of my friends in my small group brought her entire family to church this weekend. What an answer to prayer. God is going to do something huge in that family.

*The friend I invited to come to church bailed on me in the last minute. It makes me so mad when the Devil tries to mess up God's plan. I'll keep inviting my friend and praying against the enemies work.

*I'm really believing God to move in our First Tuesday prayer meeting this week.

Anthony Evans @ Pocono Community Church

Contemporary Christian Gospel artist, Anthony Evans, will be at Pocono Community Church live during the weekend worship experiences:

Saturday @ 5pm and 6:30pm

Sunday @ 9:30am, 11am, and 12:30pm

Also, comeback Sunday night for a free concert with Anthony Evans. 4Trinity will be opening the concert with a blend of Christian hip hop and rap. You don't want to miss it. 

This concert will not only entertain you, but edify you in the Lord. 

Jesus Is Promo

This is the new "Jesus Is" video promo for a seven week series on the 7 "I AM" statements of Christ. If you want to know about who Jesus is and what he came to do, this teaching series is for you.

Jesus Is Series Overview:

April 14/15 My Provider – How Jesus Supplies All My Needs

April 21/22 My Guide – How Jesus Helps Me Make Wise Decisions

April 28/29 My Protector – How Jesus Protects Me and My Family
(Special Musical Guest: Anthony Evans)

May 5/6 My Healer – How Jesus Heals My Deepest Hurts

May 12/13 MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL WEEKEND

May 19/20 My Savior – Why Jesus is the Only Way to Heaven

May 26/27 My Victory – How Jesus Helps Me Get the Most Out of Life

Brian Keith Daniels Paints Jesus

Brian Keith Daniel is a Visual Worship Artist based out of Atlanta, GA. He began using his gift of painting as a form of worship in April of 2007 and has had the honor of painting alongside musical artists such as Grammy Nominee and Tony Award Winner Heather Headley, Dove Award Winners Michael W. Smith, Mac Powell of Third Day, 33 Miles, Seth Condrey, Charles Billingsley and Newsong.

Join us this weekend as we welcome, Brian Keith Daniel, live in all our weekend worship experiences.

Eggstravaganza Video

Over 12,000 people from the Greater Pocono Community came out to PCCs Easter Eggstravaganza. What a super fun way to celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. A huge THANK YOU to the hundreds of PCC volunteers and staff that helped make this special day possible. You guys are amazing!

Easter 2012 @ PCC!

Celebrate Easter with the people of Pocono Community Church!

The Eggstravaganza kicks off on Saturday, April 7th at 10am with the largest Easter Egg Hunt in the state of Pennsylvania.

We will drop 100,000 plastic, candy-filled eggs from helicopters! I've even heard rumors of a skydiving Easter Bunny!

This will be a fantastic time for the entire family. There are tons of prizes and giveaways. The egg hunt will take place right next to the church at the Pocono Mountain Municipal Airport.

Also, please join us for 1 of 6 identical Easter weekend worship experiences. Pocono Community Church values creativity and the arts. This Easter proves to be one of the most creative worship experiences ever. You don't want to miss it. Bring your friends and family.

Worship Experience Times:

Saturday April 7 - 5pm & 6:30pm

Sunday April 8 - 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm and 5pm (Spanish)

Come celebrate the hope we have in knowing and following Jesus!

2011 Annual Report

We are celebrating the many changed lives at PCC in 2011 Annual Report.

To view the report, please click here.

I want to personally thank that Elders, Leadership Team, Staff and hundreds of volunteers that make PCC what she is today. Without all of you my prayers would have gone unanswered.

While I'm thankful for what God did in 2011, I'm believing for greater things in 2012.

40 Days In the Word

Our new series, 40 Days in the Word is off to a great start.

We are partnering with our friend, Rick Warren and Saddleback Church and thousands of other churches around the country in a cooperative effort to grow spiritually this Spring.

Here are some highlights so far:

*we launched 116 new small groups

*we have a record attendance in small group participation which is up over 50%

*we baptized 24 new believers

*we had 69 first time guests last week

*we dedicated 16 new babies and hosted our first-ever baby dedication baptism celebration

I'm praying that God will put a hunger in our hearts for His Word through this series. I'm reminded from the book of Ezra and Nehemiah that when the community of faith has a renewed passion for His Word and the things of God that revival often follows.

May God revive our passion and make us people of the book!

A Night of Blessing

Tonight is the culmination of our 21 days of prayer and fasting. Here's some information that you need to know:

• We are breaking the fast together at 6pm with a church family breakfast.
• Breakfast literally means to break - the - fast.
• So we will be serving pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit and much more.
• Dinner starts at 6pm. Bring your kids and friends It's FREE!
• After dinner, we will move into the auditorium for a time of prayer and worship.
• I have a special message entitle The Blessing.
• We will be blessing men, women, families, youth, and businesses and more.
• I will teach people how to bless each other. It's going to be powerful.
• Please make every effort to be here!!!

Weekend Highlights

Here are some highlights form this past weekend:

• Despite the first snow storm in the Northeast, we had great services. It affected our attendance somewhat but not the spirit of those that made it to our worship experiences.
• The worship was off the chain. Love that new song "You are Good" by Ricardo Sanchez. The worship team simply rocked this weekend. So proud of them!
• Spoke on anger and used the Angry Birds app as the metaphor. Had a lot of fun for my message opener by launching angry bird plush dolls into the audience with a two man slingshot launcher. What a good time!
• Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be angry, do not sin and don't let the sun go down on your anger so you don't give opportunity to the devil."
• It's not a sin to be angry. Jesus was angry. It was a righteous anger (Mt.21) as opposed to the anger of man that doesn't lead to the righteousness of God (James 1:20).
• Anger is a choice. No one makes me mad. I make me mad.
• Whatever is on the inside eventually shows up on the outside.
• We need to open our hearts to the infilling of the Holy Spirit so he will exchange my hatred with his love, my depression with his joy, my turmoil with his peace ... Galatians 5:22.
• Going into the weekend we had 121 people signed up to HOST a community group this Spring for our new series, 40 Days in the Word. What great spiritual momentum.
• Really close to meeting our goal of 200 groups!
• I have a HUGE announcement for the kickoff weekend of our 40 Days In the Word weekend February 18/19. Unreal!!!
• Had a college girl ask me if she could lead a group in her dorm back in IUP. That's huge. She's already got her dorm friends and suite mates signed up to be part of her group. We will send her the material and she will host the group.
• Had another girl tell me God set her free from unresolved anger and bitterness today. She spent her entire childhood being physically abused by her father. She forgive him today and is getting right with Christ. That's awesome!
• Had another guy tell me he's tired of blowing up in his anger. He showed me his bruised and bloodied knuckles form punching things. He said he doesn't want to live that way anymore. We prayed together for God to set him free!
• Another brand new believer signed up to HOST a community group but she can't make it to the training this Saturday from 9-11. So her unsaved friend from work who agreed to come to her group is actually coming to the training! That's unreal. Unsaved people who haven't ever been to church are coming to a 2 hour training to lead a group about studying the Bible. God is moving!
• Don't miss this Tuesday Night Prayer meeting where we will break the 21 day season of prayer and fasting with "Breakfast" (literally means to break the fast) at 6pm (it's free and childcare is available) and then at 7pm we will move into the auditorium for a night of Blessing!
• We have a special presentation this Tuesday for a family in the church. We are going to give honor to whom honor is due. Don't miss it.

Are We Having Church Tonight?

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!

Tonight is going to be a great night for church. The snow storm has passed through and the church parking lot is plowed. The sky's and the road will be clear tonight.

So, if you've been cooped up in your house all day ... go shovel your walk, clean off your car and get the kids together and come on out for church tonight!

I'll be sharing a powerful and practical word on how to deal with anger!

See you tonight.

Faith and Healing Nite @ PCC

Tonight @ 7pm we will meet together for a night of worship and prayer. We welcome special guest speaker, Austin Jones, a young missionary-evangelist with a passion to reach the lost and elevate the name of Jesus.

Austin is a dynamic, anointed preacher. Also, God has blessed him with the gifts of faith and healing. If you need a miracle or know someone who does than do whatever you have to do to get here tonight.

God has been moving in a tremendous way in our church during the season of fasting and prayer.

Tonight promises to be a little time of heaven on earth. I hope to see you there.

Please come expecting God to do something big!

3 Things Every Leader Must Do

Below are 3 essential elements of every leaders life.

1. Evaluate

• leaders are responsible to ensure that the right people are in the right place within the organization
• leaders help team members to lead from their strengths and play the appropriate role that will best help the organization advance the mission

2. Equip

• leaders make sure their team members have the necessary tools to complete the task
• leaders resource their team with coaching, development opportunities, educational experiences so that they can function to the best of their ability and beyond

3. Encourage

• leaders exude encouragement into everyone on the team by believing in the people they lead
• leaders help team members build an unwavering confidence that they can fulfill their dreams and organizational goals

A Prayer For Our New Campus

PCC is launching a new church plant this year in the Stroudsburg / East Stroudsburg area. That means we are going multisite. We will continue to be one church but will meet in two locations: Mt. Pocono and Stroudsburg/E.Stroudsburg.

Here are some specific things you can pray for as we prepare for this bold initiative for the glory of God. Thank you for your partnership in prayer.

Leadership

Pray for God to raise up Godly leadership to lead this new campus: specifically for a campus pastor, a kids ministry director and a worship leader. These leaders will in a large degree determine the success of this endeavor.

Laborers

Pray for God to raise up hundreds of volunteers who will be willing to serve and sacrifice for the cause of Christ at this new campus. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few ... So pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers.

Location

Pray for God to go before us and open up the doors for a facility where we can meet, worship, pray, grow and introduce people to the transformative power of Jesus . Ideally, we would like to rent a permanent facility. We are also exploring portable options such as meeting in a school or theater. We need God to direct us and give us favor with a facility.

Lost

Pray for God to give us a great harvest of souls for this new church plant. After all, this is what the church is all about ... people. Please agree with us in prayer for an avalanche of unchurched people to collide with love of Christ in this new church and forever be changed.

New Message Series

This weekend we kick off a brand new messages series called d"Yeah, There's An App For That..."

It's going to be a fun, practical and insightful look at the life apps God wants us to download in order to be successful in 2012.

This weekend is "You Version" and we will looking at the value of committing to a daily Bible reading plan.

You don't want to miss it! Bring a friend!

Promises, Promises, Promises

"Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, "If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there." Nehemiah 1:8

During this pivotal time, Nehemiah reminds God of the promises He made concerning the people of Israel. What an audacious thing to do!

Does God need to be reminded of His promises? Does he struggle with amnesia? Is He a forgetful Father? Absolutely not.

But we see all the greats of the Old Testament offer these prayer-reminders to God. Abraham did it. Moses did it. David did it. All the prophets did it.

My daughter recently reminded me of a promise I made to her. I love that my kids remember the words I speak into their life. It does my heart good to keep a promise. As a father, nothing makes me happier than to bless my kids and make good on my promises.

Our Heavenly Fathers feels the same way. He's not a distant or detached father that forgets His promises. No. He's trustworthy - worthy of our trust. And He always delivers.

Did you know the Bible contains over 7000 promises from God? Claim the promises of God for 2012. Pray the promises. Speak the promises over your life, family, business and future.

Don't forget: For every problem in life, there's a promise from God.

Spiritual Emphasis Month

This January we kick off our annual Spiritual Emphasis month here at PCC. (That's not to say we don't emphasize spirituality the other eleven months.) Rather, we dedicate ourselves to seeking the Lord in a season of 21 days of fasting and prayer at the start of the year.

Here are a few benefits of Spiritual Emphasis Month:

1) Clarity - Extended seasons of fasting and prayer help to eliminate distractions and unnecessary activity. This yields greater clarity and focus for important future decisions and direction.

2) Unity - Prayer binds the hearts of people together. The church or family that prays together, stays together. United we stand but divided we fall. Prayer unites.

3) Humility - The spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting are incredibly humbling. You quickly realize just how little control you have in life ... whether its with a fork or an act of faith. God blesses the humble.

4) Productivity - Fasting and prayer brings a supernatural level of success and productiveness into your life that otherwise would be lacking. God grands success to those that seek him.