Sunday Night Reflections

Today was yet another amazing and dare I say - an historic day at PCC. Here are some reflections and thoughts on Palm Sunday 2010.

• The early morning prayer with all the staff and volunteers was awesome. It's so inspiring to do ministry with such committed and selfless people. We had over 170 volunteers in ministry today.
• Worship was crazy awesome and God-anointed. I am so grateful for our band and singers who bring it every week. You guys rock!
• Last week 67 people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Many people responded in faith in Christ today as well. It never gets old watching people surrender to Christ!
• The video story of Michael and Diedre Castle was awesome. What a story of joy in the midst of a difficult circumstance (Michael is currently on dialysis after 2 failed kidney transplants that stemmed from organ damage following a stroke).
• I met two ladies after the third service that are also on dialysis and they were first time guests. They loved the service and were so inspired by the Castle's story.
• We wrapped up our series on the book of Philippians, "Fill it Up." Really enjoyed this series and learned so much about true joy.
• Today well over 1400 were in church! Go God! Thanks for inviting your friends PCC!
• We piloted the new 1pm Spanish speaking service. It was awesome. They had 174 poeople in attendance. Pastor Emilio did a fantastic job preaching the Word and the band and creative arts team were awesome, as well. I can't wait to see this ministry grow.
• Can't wait to launch the Saturday night service this Easter weekend and to attend the Spanish service as well. PCC will offer 5 services each weekend!
• Don't miss the Come-and-Go Good Friday Communion service this Friday. What a great way to kick off Easter weekend.
• I had 4 couples ask me to perform their weddings today. Spring is here and love is in the air. Unfortunately I'll probably only do one of the weddings myself because of scheduling but we'll get them all married one way or another. I'm thankful for a great staff where we share the ministry responsibilities.
• We need 200 people to commit to attending the Saturday at 6pm service! If you normally attend the 10 or 11:30 Sunday service, please switch to Saturdays and then come back and serve on Sunday.
• We handed out really cool water bottles today with our PCC logo on it and an invite card inside. We are going to fill them up with candy or gift cards or other kind sentiments and hand them out to our friends this week and invite them to Easter Sunday at PCC. I think that's so much cooler than giving out palms on Palm Sunday.
• Can't wait for Easter Sunday!

March Video Update from Pastor Dave

How To Get The Most Out Of Easter

Easter is right around the corner. Here are 6 ways to get the most out of Easter!

1. Remember Good Friday Communion – Let’s give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus this Easter Season at our Come-and-Go communion from 5 to 7pm on Friday, April 2^nd. Receive communion with your family.

2. Celebrate Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - The Resurrection is the central doctrine of our faith and reminds us that we serve a Risen Savior! Please consider attending Saturday night service in order to make room for the unchurched guest on Sunday.

3. Invite your friends – Bring your friends to PCC this Easter to one of our 5 weekend services: Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am and 1pm (Spanish). Use the included card to invite your friends. Bring a friend to each of the services!

4. Serve – This Easter, please serve during one of the Easter services. We need extra volunteer help in our children’s ministry area and the parking lot. Discover the joy of serving God and his people this Easter.

5. Fast and Pray – A praying church is a powerful church. Please join me and the staff and leadership by continuing to fast and pray for God to do a miracle this Easter. We are believing in God for hundreds of people to come to Jesus this Easter.

6. Give a special Gift – Please give a special Easter offering this year. We are only $75,000 away from being able to pave our parking lot. What a great way to give back to God for giving us His Son – the ultimate gift of sacrifice and love. Thank you!

I look forward to seeing God do miracles this Easter at PCC. Join Rebekah and me as we reach out with the love of Jesus to our community!

New Spanish Ministry @ PCC

10 Stupid Things That Keeps Churches From Growing

I'm reading Geoff Surratt's book, Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing and I'm feeling like a complete idiot because I've done just about all of them.

Here are some of the highlights:

*Trying to do everything on your own

*Not taking care of my family

*Weekend worship services that are not done with excellence

*Promoting talent over integrity

*Staying in a bad meeting location for too long

*Copying other successful churches and their programs or styles

While I thank God for the growth we've experienced at PCC, I'm reminded every day that it's only because God's grace that we are where we are. On the flip side, I think one of the stupidest things a leader can do when his/her church grows is believe that they actually had something to do with it. This isn't false humility here. This is dealing with the reality of pride that comes with success. I pray for a continued God-dependence and God-inspired risks that keep me on my knees in prayer for the future of our church.

Why Large Churches Don't Grow

Thought this was an interesting read from Dan Reiland. You should check out his website here. He offers road-tested leadership advice from deep inside the ministry trenches. I receive Dan's monthly Pastor's Coach email. Thanks Dan for challenging me to stay on mission!!!

"Why Larger Churches Don't Grow "
by Dan Reiland

The names are changed, details protected, stories true. Hey, we can have a little privacy in the church! Redemption Church, in Windsor, Oregon grew at a steady pace for thirteen years to an attendance of about 1400 including kids. The worship auditorium seats 400 so they struggled a little with building capacity and parking. They continued to add services, growing from 2 one hour services to 3 on Sunday and then added 1 on Saturday night. They are prepared to go to a 2nd on Saturday night or a 4th on Sunday or both. So space is not an issue until well past 2,000 in attendance. Redemption has a strong local compassion ministry in the community and has a steady stream of visitors but hasn't grown in a year. A couple church board members think it's related to the economy, but the senior pastor assures them that while that might affect the income, it wouldn't prevent them from growing. There is no apparent reason for Redeemer to have stopped growing.

2nd Baptist in Norman, Virginia has averaged just a little over 3,000 for almost three years. They shot up quickly as a very successful church plant. 1st Baptist launched them with staff, money, and a huge building they renovated in a strip- mall. The building was formally a grocery store with lots of traffic in the area. The other businesses are still successful and pull in large numbers of people during the week. The parking is great and the renovation, now seven years old, has been well taken care of. There has been a little staff turnover, but nothing unusual. The worship services are amazing and the children's ministry is strong. Their small groups are above average. The church has a little coffee shop with a friendly vibe to it. The senior pastor is focused on evangelism. There seems to be no reason for the church to have stopped growing.

So what's the answer? How can these larger churches figure out the code to grow again? It's complicated, but not an unsolvable mystery. Prayer and fasting is required. Diligence is demanded. But these churches can grow again. If your church is anything like Redeemer or 2nd Baptist, your church can grow again as well. It's not easy, but absolutely doable.

The following are five possibilities for you to consider. The list can be longer, but these should be among the first things you have candid conversations about. Jump in, talk honestly, and see what you discover.

• Have you forgotten where you came from?

There was a day when every large church was small. The leaders chased every creature that breathed who showed any interest in attending. They also chased people who showed no interest in attending. Every individual mattered! The leaders were relentless in their pursuit of new people. Repeated phone calls and contacts were made with zeal. There was little money, lean and often inexperienced staff, and faith-filled vision was the best thing you had to offer. Zealots with vision and a promise!

Now, there are people everywhere you look. The church is strong. You have resources. You don't have time to mess with everyone's questions and concerns. You can't. If they leave, its not that you don't care, but there are twenty other people who want your time who are waiting in line. Success mixed with pressure can change your perspective in the wrong direction. You can forget where you came from.

You can't do ministry the same way in a larger church as you do in a smaller church, but your heart and passion must remain the same. Humility, zeal, and a spirit of hospitality are vital to continued growth. There is something about gratitude for people and dependence upon God that is critical for churches to grow. If that begins to slip, take some time to reflect on your humble beginnings. That may free up something deep within you that unlocks a key to your church growing again.

• Has innovation taken a back seat to excellence?

Doing things with a world-class bias for excellence is good, but not if you burn all your energy in doing things right, rather than doing the right things. Excellence is important but not if it stifles innovation. Innovation in some ways is counter-intuitive to excellence. Innovation is messy. It requires change. Innovation doesn't always work right the first time. But innovation is essential. Innovation keeps churches alive, healthy and growing.

I have a deep affection for small group ministry. In fact, I invested a tremendous amount of energy into small group leadership as part of my Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Seminary. At that time, and for many years after, I possessed an unalterable belief that small groups could only be successful if done within a certain reproductive model involving apprentices and a certain time frame. Innovation has allowed me to discover, consider and implement something new. At 12Stone Church we now do small groups in a semester system. We had the previous system down to a near flawless science, but as good as it was, it wasn't keeping up with the needs of the church. Innovation got us to something new and improved. How you do small groups is not the point. Innovation is the point. The thing is that the process was messy, and we still don't have the semester system down to a science. But it's the right new thing for now, we have more people in small groups than ever. I suspect that when it's "perfected" it will be time for innovation! Get the point?

So what in your church is excellent but needs innovation? Is it your worship service, children's ministry, or world mission strategy? How about your efforts toward compassion and justice? Maybe its leadership development or your staffing systems. Always press toward innovation.

• Has the primary leadership become distracted?

Believe it or not leaders in large churches can get bored. Not because there isn't enough to do, but because they've been doing the same thing over and over again for years. This "boredom" leads to the potential to be distracted by other endeavors that appear more exciting and challenging. These "other endeavors" by themselves can be good, but perhaps need to be set aside until the church is growing again.

Distractions can also come in the form of pressure. Finance is a common source of tremendous pressure. If the financial problems of a church become so overwhelming that the key leaders can't help but be consumed by them, it is easy to see how they might lose sight of the vision. That's the primary definition of distraction. The leaders have taken their eyes of the main thing! The scary thing is that the leaders are working so hard in the midst of it all that they often can't see that they have become distracted. Asking the question is a good start and having outside help come in with fresh eyes is beneficial.

Distractions can come from a number of others things such as personal issues, discord in the church, lack of focus, unclear strategy or spiritual attack. How about your church, are you distracted or on target?

• Does the machine override the mission?

At 12Stone Church www.12Stone.com where I'm part of the leadership team, "mission over machine" is one of our mantras. At somewhere between 9,000 and 10,000 in attendance the machine has shown up and it's hungry. (It really kicked in at about 4,000). It demands all our attention and it's never satisfied. The machine always wants more but never gives more. We understand the need to be organized, to have policies, and the complexities of communication at this level. This is no longer a mom and pop deal. Life in a larger church is different. That's part of the price tag of reaching people. But you can never give in to the monster called "machine".

Mission must always come first. Hire for mission, organize for mission, invest financially for mission. Make the machine suffer on occasion. Make sure the machine serves you, not you serve it. For example, always hire for growth (first) over maintenance. The pressure to hire staff to help you with the "stuff" of the church will always be with you, and you will have to make some of those hires. But stay tough. Hire staff that help you reach the mission over staff that help you maintain what you have. You do, however, have to learn to live with the tension. Larger churches without good machinery fall into chaos. The machine is not going away, just keep it tamed. Show it whose boss. Mission first!

• Has a God-dependence been replaced by self-sufficiency?

No leader means to do this, but it happens. It is never a pastor or board member or small group leader's intent to take God's place, but it happens.

It's a strange process but easy to see how it happens. You trust God when there is little, because there is no option. The resources are few and you say: "Help me God because I can't do it without you." And God provides. Then there is more, perhaps even much more. Pressure exists when there is little to work with, but there is far more pressure when the resources are greater. This is true because there is so much more at stake. So you, or I, or anyone in leadership is tempted to take back the reigns of leadership because we can't risk that God will continue to be in control and take care of what is at stake. In your mind you know that is dumb. But in your everyday leadership you are tempted to step in and attempt to make things happen yourself. On paper it's crazy, but it's possible for leaders to get a little crazy.

For me, when I have too much work to do I'm tempted to pray less and work more. It's the same thing. Crazy! So the spirit of God prompts me to stay faithful in my prayer time and remain dependent upon the Father. This pattern always works, self-sufficiency never works.

I encourage you to take these five questions and take a close look at your church. Talk with your team and I trust that you will discover something that helps your church grow again. If your church is growing, these questions can serve as preventative medicine and help keep your momentum going.

Bet The Farm

Sometimes in life you have to bet the farm. You know, empty the bank account and invest in a God-inspired idea and pray, work like crazy and hope for the best.

That's what God did at Easter. He sent his Son to start an entirely new approach to how people would relate to Him. After Jesus raised himself from the grave and conquered sin and death, he commissioned his follower to go and make disciples. In essence, he bet the farm. What if they failed? What if they chickened out? There was no built-in contingency plan. No back up plan B, C or D if the original A plan fizzled out. God bet the farm on Easter.

That's what we are doing this Easter at PCC. Here's part of our go-for-broke-or-die-trying plan:

1) Fast and pray like crazy.

2) Invite as many people as possible through a radio ads, newspaper, billboards, 50,000 piece mailout, personal invite cards and more.

3) Providing 5 different worship experiences to choose from including starting a brand new Saturday evening service at 6pm and a new Spanish speaking venue at 1pm on Sundays.

4) Encouraging the people of PCC to personally invite as many of their friends as possible.

5) Giving away thousands of dollars worth of prizes the weekend after Easter to provide our Easter guests an incentive to come back and worship with us again.

6) Kicking off a brand new series on Easter called "Healer" that will address how Jesus heals all our hurts in life.

7) Going on prayer drives and prayer walks in our communities.

8) Putting door hanger invites on our neighbors houses to invite them to church.

9) Giving away a special gift on Palm Sunday to all our attenders that they in turn can give to their friends and invited them to Easter.

10) Did I mention tons of prayer and fasting?!?!!

What are you doing this Easter to make the central teaching of our faith - the resurrection of Jesus from the dead - undeniable in your community?

UBU by Ed Young

Marriage Seminar @ PCC

Workin it Out

Last weekend we kicked off our new, four-part series on the book of Philippians called, "Fill It Up".

This week we will be studying the text Philippians 2:12-16 where Paul says, "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

I can't wait to preach on this portion of scripture. God has been challenging and confronting me with this passage as I've been studying this week. You don't want to miss it.

We also have a really cool, hard-hitting creative element that we will be doing in each of our services. My prayer is that God is going to do a new work IN all of us as we work FOR Him in this community. You can't work out what God hasn't worked in. So be here this weekend!

Sunday Night Reflections

God never ceases to amaze me in what He is doing at PCC. Here are some of the highlights of this weekend.

1. We started a new series on the book of Philippians called "Fill it Up." Today's message was entitled "How to Live a Joy Filled Life." To listen to the message, go here.

2. Here's how we defined joy: Joy is NOT what happens to me, but what God is doing in and through me. Joy is internal, not external. Joy is based on what is happening inside of me, not outside of me.

3. Easter is April 4th - hundreds of PCCers have committed to fast and pray for our church and community as we reach out with the love of Christ during this strategic time of the year. Please email me at pastordave@poconocc.com to join the army of prayer warriors. I will send you email updates over the next 4 weeks as we prepare for Easter.

4. To reach more people this Easter, PCC is starting a Spanish speaking service/ministry at 1PM on Sunday's. My friend, Pastor Emilio Quinterros, is going to join our staff and lead this ministry.

5. This Easter, PCC is also starting Saturday night services! What a great opportunity to reach more people for Jesus. The Saturday night services be held at 6pm beginning April 3rd and run for six straight weeks. This will be a test drive to see how we like Saturday services at PCC. I need 200 people to commit to attending Saturday nights at PCC.

6. The Creative Team did an phenomenal job this weekend. The music, stage decor, program design, video production were awesome. Thanks so much for all you do! I especially enjoyed the gospel rendition of "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven.

7. Many people made commitments to follow Jesus today. It was incredibly humbling to be used by God to introduce people to Jesus. Ministry is incredibly rewarding.

8. One of the quickest ways to lose your joy in ministry is to listen to naysayers and critics. Don't be sidetracked by that negativism and navel gazers. Just make following Jesus your priority and let God take care of the critics.

9. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

10.God always as a purpose behind every problem.

Marriage Seminar @ PCC

On March 12/13 PCC is hosting Mark Gungor and the "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" seminar.

This is a wildly entertaining and informative marriage event designed to bring hope and positive change to marriages. It creates better communication in marriages, helps spouses better understand each others’ needs, and rekindles romance in marriage relationships. Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage appeals widely to husbands, even those who may typically resist marriage ministry!

To register online, go here.

This is going to be one event you don't want to miss. Bekah and I will see you there.

Samson and Delilah

Here's a video we showed at PCC during the last weekend of our Sexual Resolution series. Tim Hawkins is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh, Tim.

Porn and Pancakes

"Porn, Temptation, Lust ... All Men Struggle with it .... Some Men are Dominated by it ... Few men ever talk about it. Porn and Pancakes is all about the conversation. So let's have it.

You are invited to the greatest men's breakfast ever at Pocono Community Church this Saturday, February 27th at 9am. Nationally known guest speaker and former porn producer, Donny Pauling, from XXXChurch.com, will speak about pornography and how it can dominate our lives. Discover how to fight for the integrity of your family and marriage and walk away with hope for your future. Bring a friend and enjoy a free breakfast on us.

Check out this article in today's Pocono Record about Porn and Pancakes! This is buzz-worthy stuff and it has already captured the attention of the community.

Pure Fun

During the month of February, the Student Ministry of PCC, Underground Fellowship, has been in a series called Pure. Pure is all about learning how to live a life of sexual purity in a sin-stained, polluted culture.

Tonight, UF is hosting a night of Pure Fun. Especially designed for parents and their teenagers, Pure Fun, is all about helping teens and their parents open the door to the conversation about sex. Special guest speaker Paul Abner, will join us and the night will include a special opportunity for teens to make purity commitments before God and their friends and family.

Parents and teens, this is a must-attend event. What could be more important than fighting for the integrity and purity of your heart. God told us to "guard our hearts, for it is the well spring of life."

I Do: Take Two

One way to fight for the integrity of your marriage and purity of your home is to keep the romance alive with your spouse. To help couples fan the flame of romance in their marriage, I led an impromptu marriage vow renewal at PCC. It was amazing to see hundreds of couples stand at the altar and recommit themselves to loving each other the way that Christ loves us. Many PCCers have requested a copy of the vows I wrote, so I've included them below.

“I DO: TAKE TWO!”

Marriage Vow Renewal || Valentine’s Day @ PCC

February 14, 2009

Renewing wedding vows can be a meaningful, touching and reviving ceremony for you and your spouse and family. As a married couple, it is a time to pause and reflect on where you have been and where you are going. It is also a wonderful example to set for your children as you join hands and hearts to reaffirm your love for each other. Fellas, it’s also very romantic.

So, whether you have only been married for a month, a year, 10, 20 or 50 years, I want to give couples here today an opportunity to renew their love and vows today. Perhaps you’ve been through a crisis in your marriage or you are in the middle of one now, this is a wonderful opportunity to start anew and ask God for a fresh supply of his grace and mercy for your marriage and family.

So, here’s the altar call today: I’m inviting you now to step forward and come to the altar and give me the privilege of renewing your vows.

STATEMENT OF INTENTION:

When you first joined hands and hearts, you did not know where life would take you. You promised to love, honor and cherish one another through all things. Life has surely brought you both wonderful blessings and difficult tribulations. So, as you stand here today to and as you reflect back over time as husband and wife, do you reaffirm your vows today? Please answer: “We do.”

VOWS: Gentlemen please turn and face your wife & repeat after me:

Once before, I have stood with you, before family and friends; once again, I take your hand as my wife. I take you this day, and for all days, as my wife. I believe in you and in this marriage more strongly now than ever. It is with joy born of both experience and trust that I commit myself once again to be your husband.

I reaffirm my love for you today. I believe our love for each other will continue to grow and mature through the years. I want to be a Godly and trusting husband. I will love you as Christ loves you. From this day forward, I recommit myself to you until death separates us.

Ladies, repeat after me.

We begin anew today, a life-long oneness. I ask you to continue to be my husband. I have always loved you and I always will. My love doesn't change with health or circumstance. I want to be a good and trusting wife. I want to continue to grow with you in oneness. You are part of me and I am part of you.

We have endured together, laughed and cried together. You are my heart, my best friend, my life. I reaffirm my love and renew my commitment to you today. I promise to cherish you, respect you and grow with you for all the days of our lives.

With you as my husband, the best is yet to be. Once again, I proudly accept your love and give you mine, for the rest of my life.

Samson and David

Yesterday I preached about the devastating effects of sexual sin and the power of God to heal us and help us recover. You can listen to it here. I juxtaposed the stories of Samson and David. Two great men. Two great failures. Both were incredibly blessed and gifted by God. But at the age of about 40, both men fell into sexual sin.

You can read Samson's story in 4 brief chapters beginning in Judges 13. His sin left him in a state of blindness and bondage. He became the laughing stock of a pagan nation and never fulfilled his God-given potential.

King David on the other hand, emerged a better man in the wake of his fall from grace. You can read his story 1 Samuel 11ff, Psalm 51. He repented, changed his ways and sought God's mercy. As a result, his legacy would be summed up as a "man after God's own heart." Unlike Samson, his final days would be spent building a temple, not tearing one down.

If you are dealing with sexual sin, ask yourself, "Do I want to end up like Samson or David?" What are you going to do about it? What kind of plan can you put into place to produce your desired results? How can you live a life that is pleasing to God (1 Thess 4:3ff)

We will talk more about it this week.

The Key To Learning

Anyone in education will be able to recite this academic axiom from memory: "Repetition is the key to learning." Samuel Johnson is famous for saying, "People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed."

The power of repetition and reminders cannot be underestimated when it comes to preaching. Here are some questions I ask myself when preparing a message:

*What do people already instinctively know about this truth I am communicating?

*How can I encourage them to apply this knowledge in their everyday life?

*What stories or symbols can I use to reinforce this truth?

I'm looking forward to this weekends message and hopefully it will help people grow a little closer to God and become more like his son, Jesus.

Ed Young: A Class Act

This past weekend a national Pastor, Ed Young, of Fellowship Church in Grapevine Texas, was blasted by a scathing television news piece questioning his character and integrity as a man of God. You can read the report and view the video here.

When I was getting ready to plant PCC 7 years ago I visited Fellowship Church and had the opportunity to spend some time with Pastor Ed. Since then, he's been a source of inspiration and knowledge for me personally and for our church.

From what I know about Pastor Ed, albeit from a distance, he's a great man of God who loves Jesus, his family, his church and his city. I've seen his Constitution and By-Laws and know for a fact that he has gone to great lengths to set up appropriate checks and balances in his ministry.

Yes, he makes a lot of money and has a big house and even flies chartered air planes due to his demanding international travel ministry schedule. But I also know is an incredibly generous man, as well - giving his entire net worth to his church more than once. How many people or pastors can say that? Not many. I know of only one other, Pastor Rick Warren.

As I've watched Ed navigate this difficult moment in ministry, here are a few things I've learned in the form of personal questions:

• Is there anything in my life and ministry, that if put on display for the entire world to see, that would bring me or my family or our church public embarrassment?
• Do I need to establish even greater measures of accountability into my life and the life of our church to ensure that we are living a life above reproach?
• Do I have friends and leaders that would stand by my side and personally defend me like they defended their friend Ed?
• Would I respond with class, grace and forgiveness and stay above the fray in the face of such harsh, unwarranted allegations and malicious attacks?

These are personal and vulnerable questions every leader should ask of themselves and the organizations they lead.

Recovering

I had surgery today on a precancerous mass behind my left year. Apparently, it was a birth defect that had remained latent for most of my life and surfaced about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, like most men, I procrastinated for a decade and never had it examined. I won't make that mistake again.

Fortunately for me, the doctor still caught it early enough and removed a good portion of the mass. The doctor said is was much deeper and more widespread than he expected. So it's going to take a few more surgeries and possibly a skin graft to finalize the process. But all in all, I feel very blessed. There should be no long term problems once this process is complete.

The book of James says "the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective." I want to say a special word of thanks to the Elders, staff and church friends and family for praying for me. I'm resting at home tonight and on some pretty strong narcotics. I don't like how they make me feel but it certainly takes the edge off the pain in my ear and head. There is still a drain in my ear and it will be removed tomorrow. PCC, I want you to know how thankful I am for each of you and honored to be your friend and pastor. My prayer has always been to lead one church with my one life. Yesterday I turned 38 years old. Here's to growing old together with you! Love, Pastor Dave

New Sex Series

This Sunday is a BIG DAY at PCC and we are kicking off a brand new series called "Sexual Resolution." This is going to be one of the most practical, yet provocative message series we've ever done at PCC. You don't want to miss it. The creative team has also put together some incredibly fun, light-hearted, yet power illustrations for each week.

Take advantage of this great opportunity to invite your friends to check out PCC during this series. I promise you they will never experience church like this. It's my hope and prayer that the result of this series is for everyone to resolve to follow God's blueprint for sex.

First Wednesday

Tonight is our First Wednesday celebration and prayer service. You don't want to miss this opportunity to worship God, receive community and most of all - pray! We are going to be praying for our church and surrounding community.

Also, just before the prayer service, we will be holding our Annual Business Meeting at 6:30 in the Multi-Purpose Room. I was just handed the 2009 Annual Report hot-off the press and it looks great. What a night we are going to have giving thanks to God for a great 2009 and praying for an even greater year of ministry in 2010.

A Leadership Lesson from Lincoln: Listen to and Value Others

Hey everyone.....this is Ronnie, the creative worship arts pastor at PCC. I thought I would share an article I read some time ago about one of the great presidents of the United States...Abraham Lincoln. As leaders we could learn a great deal from the leadership style of the man that led during one of the turning points in our nation's history.

"Lincoln led by listening. A leader must not only have the skill to share their ideas, but to cultivate the ideas of others. This often includes the quality of empathy.

Lincoln took the time to cultivate personal relationships with his subordinates so he could learn from them. He showed them respect even when their opinions differed and he made it clear that he valued their opinions. Lincoln's emphasis on soliciting the ideas of others and his concern for them is illustrated well in a story that Paul Johnson records in his book Heroes .

“After the fall of Richmond, the Confederate capital, and on the same day Robert E. Lee finally surrendered, Lincoln went to see his secretary of state, with whom he often disagreed, and whom he did not particularly like. Seward had somehow contrived to break both his arm and his jaw. Lincoln found him not only bedridden but unable to move his head. Without a moment’s hesitation, the president stretched out at full length on the bed and, resting on his elbow, brought his face near Seward’s, and they held an urgent, whispered conversation on the next steps the administration should take. Then Lincoln talked quietly to the agonized man until he drifted off to sleep.”

Johnson concludes, “Lincoln could easily have used the excuse of Seward’s incapacity to avoid consulting him at all. But that was not his way. He invariably did the right thing, however easily it might have been avoided. Of how many other great men might this be said?”

Lincoln found time for individuals."

the day after submerge.2010

we kicked the night off with our very own underground drum line. they were going so crazy that we couldn't even keep them in focus. WAY COOL!

the house was PACKED! [500+]

so proud of our underground staff for the countless hours of hard work to make this possible!

so proud of our underground students for blowing this event up!

thank you God for allowing us to experience this!

God will cast our sins and shortcomings to the bottom of the ocean floor... a place we can't go to, and a place He won't go to. He forgives our sins, so we can forget them. we wrote them down, and watched them vanish because of His love!

79 decisions to follow JESUS!!!

grab the glue, because your face is about to get rocked off!

thank you ABANDON for partnering with pcc and underground fellowship for our BIGGEST event yet.

the beatles came out for an ENCORE!

can you pick out the newbie?

submerge.2010

hey there, this is matthew, the student ministries guy here at pcc. one of the biggest underground events EVER will take place on wednesday of this week. submerge is slotted to be a high energy / high impact night. hours of planning and preparation have been geared toward this event, and we are anticipating an incredible night.

a few of the highlights will be: a student led drum line, some fall-out-of-your-seat funny skits, some crazy games & giveaways [including an ipod touch], and a rock your face off band: ABANDON. but if you had to nail down one reason that submerge has been created, it is so our friends can be introduced to the message of God's redeeming love for them.

LEADERSHIP ISSUES:

what i want to throw out into the blogosphere today is this: big events are great opportunities for the lost to be found. no doubt, Jesus lived out a tight-nit kind of relational evangelism... but He was also into the big event setting [feeding thousands, and stuff like that]. so there should be no shame in creating over the top events for the glory of God. the key is to stay true to the purpose. when mapping out one of these big events, simply remember that the main thing is not some crazy giveaway or a goofy skit. the main thing is the message of God's love for His creation. Jesus made a habit of taking the time to tell of God's love to the crowds that gathered around Him. we should do the same. so, create some time for those unforgettable fun moments... but don't you dare forget what the people who came need the most!

Guest Bloggers

I'm taking some time off this week so two of my team members will be guest blogging regarding all things about life and ministry here at PCC. Ronnie Jordan is the Creative Worship Arts Director at PCC and Matthew Davis is the Student Ministries Pastor. I'm sure you'll enjoying hearing from these guys this week.

Hiring Myths

I'm in the process of hiring new staff here at PCC and I'm working hard on learning as much as I can about how to develop a strong hiring system that attracts and finds superior talent time and time again. I've made a lot of mistakes along the way when it comes to hiring and here are some stupid myths I mistakenly believed in the past:

1. The best applicants / interviewers make the best employees. Wrong! I've discovered that its usually the exact opposite. People who interview best are usually those who have done it most. Hmmmm. They know how to tell you what you want to hear.

2. The person responsible for doing the hiring knows exactly what they are looking for and what the job entails. Wrong again. Most pastors/managers doing the hiring don't even have written job descriptions or performance profiles. They fail to define the job and to describe the individuals personality, experiences and skills that will best accomplish stated goals and strategies.

3. You can't get references anymore. That's not true.

4. As the leader, I should do all the hiring by myself. It's more effective to build a multi-staff level involvement in the hiring process. Don't hire in a vacuum.

5. I can't make the process too hard or the best candidates will drop out. Don't believe it! The best applicants will rise to the occasion

6th Dimension of a Team

My friend and former professor, Earl Creps, shared his thoughts on team building this week. Earl and his wife Jan are now planting a church on the campus of Berkeley, CA. I thought it was a good read and wanted to pass it on to you. It's helping me as I rebuild the team here at PCC. Thanks Earl, for being a leader worth following.

Good teams are where you find them. And these days they are everywhere--at least in name.

For example, I've witnessed many churches transition to "team-based" ministry simply by applying the word as a suffix to their existing groups (e.g., "The Ushers" become "The Ushering Team").

This trend is indicative of just how easy it is to get a really important idea really wrong. In his classic book, Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni outlines the primary ways in which good intentions turn into bad teams. The five include:

1. absence of trust
2. fear of conflict
3. lack of commitment
4. avoidance of accountability
5. inattention to results,

As our church plant in Berkeley transitions from the resource-development phase to the team-building phase I am in the process of reconsidering all of these issues.

My conclusion is that Lencioni basically has it right, even if some of his conclusions are a bit more complicated to apply in the non-profit sector with its volunteer staffing.

However, at least one potential issue could be added to his list of five dysfunctions: the misplaced belief that my next team must be like (or unlike) my last team. This is the sixth dysfunction.

An effective pastor friend, for example, recently mentioned frustration with his inability to replicate a very positive 1980s staff experience in the groups he led in later decades, despite repeated attempts. I suspect he speaks for many others.

Looking back over my own experience, I feel very fortunate to have worked with some really great people in team settings, but only recently began to think about how radically different all of these groups were from each other.

My training taught me to beware of looking for teammates who were too much like me. And that's good advice. But no one ever warned me about two other temptations: (1) if my last team experience was positive, I may attempt to recreate it even if it does not apply, or; (2) if the preceding team environment turned out poorly I may overlook assets I need in my new situation just because they resemble some bad memories.

At first it seems easy to see why a new team should be quite distinct from the last. After all, the new task likely has requirements, goals, resources, and infrastructure that are unlike what I've experienced in the past. So putting together a completely new kind of team seems like the logical thing to do.

Until you try it. Then my last team easily becomes the standard of measurement by which I evaluate prospects and procedures for the new group.

Consequently, I can be blinded to the very people I need to recruit while bringing in those who remind me of my last positive experience. Working with those people can force me into the same pattern, substituting a sequel of my last leadership role for the fresh ways of working that are probably necessary to function in a new context.

All this to say that perhaps the first step in forming a new team is a funeral for the last one. Not that the relationships or the fruitfulness or the good memories are lost, but those things are deprived of excessive influence. Being informed by experience is fine. Being controlled by it is not.

A new team's life depends on a fresh start in which it is not compared to a group that no longer exists. In truth, our memories of the past can be as much mythology as history so their navigational value is questionable anyway.

So to build the next group, let the last one go. Pray for the laborers to be thrust into the harvest field. And ask the Holy Spirit for the discernment to see who they are and how to work with them in new ways.

Be a leader worth following,

Earl

Weekend Update

• Yesterday was part 3 of our, We Fit series, and we looked at the importance of getting "Emotionally Fit".
• Emotionally Fitness is characterized by peace.
• Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts."
• The opposite of peace is stress. Too many of us have more stress than peace in our lives.
• We had a great attendance in our services even though we had an ice storm begin at 11:30 before 3rd service.
• Many came forward for prayer at the altar following all three services. I'm confident that we are going to hear great reports in response to our prayers.
• I prayed for those in our church that lost loved ones in the Haiti earthquake.
• Because of the kindness of those in of our church demonstrated yesterday in the special offering to Haiti, we are going to send a very generous offering to Convoy of Hope for relief efforts.
• Today I'm feeling pretty exhausted. I've preached 10 times in the last 8 days. Need a day to recover.

Help Haiti

By now I'm sure you've learned of the devastating earthquake the leveled the island nation of Haiti. My heart is so heavy with sadness for the people of Haiti today and the grief they currently suffer.

While viewing the horrific images online, instinctively I was compelled to get involved and help alleviate their suffering and pain.

Here's how we can respond at PCC to help Hait:

PRAY

"The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective," says James. Tonight we are gathering for our all-church prayer meeting during our spiritual emphasis week. One of our church members will share a personal testimony of family members that are missionaries in Haiti. You don't to miss this story. We will have a special time of prayer for the people of Haiti.

GIVE

Even though many of us are experiencing difficult economic times, we need to be generous and give toward relief efforts. This Sunday we will give a special offering for the people of Haiti. Please come prepared to give.

TELL

Cataclysmic events such as these remind me of the preeminent return of Christ. In response to his disciples asking for signs of his second coming, Jesus said, "For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains." (Mt. 24:3-14) Now is the time to share your faith with your friends and invite them to church. People need the hope and assurance that Jesus has to offer.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Losers

Dr. Colbert's new book, "I Can Do this Diet" offers up 7 Habits of Highly Effective Losers. For those of you trying to shed a few pounds this January, heed this advice:

1. Modify your food intake.

2. Increase your activity level.

3. Eat breakfast everyday.

4. Monitory your weight regularly.

5. Stay consistent with your eating.

6. Control your portion sizes and your environment.

7. Be accountable.

Spiritual Emphasis Week @ PCC

Today we begin our first ever spiritual emphasis week at PCC. This promises to be a powerful week of prayer and fasting.

Here's the plan:

Monday - I will be going on a personal 24 hour prayer and fasting retreat. Please be in prayer for me as I seek God's vision for the next 12 months of ministry here at PCC.

Tuesday - The Staff and Elders will meet for a time of prayer. Please pray for the Leadership of PCC all day on Tuesday.

Wednesday - All-Church Prayer meeting at 7pm at PCC. (Youth will also have their service)

Thursday - All Church Prayer meeting at 7pm at PCC with a special emphasis for divine healing. If you need prayer for healing or know someone who does, please be sure to come Thursday night and bring your friends.

Friday - A Sacred Assembly at 7pm for the entire family. You don't want to miss this service.

Sunday Night Reflections

We had an awesome day at PCC. Below are some of the highlights from my perspective:

• Early morning prayer with the volunteers set the tone for the entire day. We spread out through the auditorium and called out to God. He answered. Thanks to all those who come each week for early morning prayer.
• Our new series, We Fit, is off to a great start. Today we talked about getting in shape physically. Hundreds made a commitment to honor God by taking better care of their bodies.
• Our bodies house the presence of God - "temples of the Holy Spirit." Don't put anything in your body that would be harmful to you or the Spirit of God living in you.
• Physical health also promotes spiritual strength. The converse is true too. A tired and worn down physical condition will set you up for a spiritual downfall.
• God really moved in the 3rd service with a special word of encouragement for someone who was struggling with an eating disorder. I don't know who that was for but I'm praying for you this week!!!
• Worship was crazy good - huge props to the Creative Worship Team for leading us into the presence of God. You guys rock!
• We ran out of parking and seating in the 2nd service. Great attendance in 1st and 3rd services as well. All you second service attenders please consider going to 1st or 3rd next week and make room for our guests who don't know Jesus.
• I announced that our 2009 financial reports were in and PCC grew by 33% in giving last year. What an amazing stat that reveals the blessing of God on this church. To grow by 33% in an down economy is just miraculous.
• Also, $116,000 has been given towards our Christmas Offering. We decided to extend this special offering through January since many wanted to give a portion of their year end bonus or stock options/dividends that they will not receive until this month. Thanks for practicing radical generosity PCC.
• Today begins our week of spiritual emphasis. Look for my blog post tomorrow for more info. This is going to be a powerful week of prayer and fasting for our church.

e100 Challenge

PCC is taking the E100 Challenge together in 2010.

Hundreds of PCCers made a commitment to read the Essential 100 stories of the Bible together during the next 100 days.

We have made a commitment to give God the first part of every day by spending time with him in Bible study and prayer. The Bible says that Abraham went early in the morning and stood in the Lord's presence. As we commit to get in God's presence and talk to Him, that will influence every other conversation we have throughout the day.

Hands down, the best decision you can make is to spend quality time with God every day and read His Word and pray. If you missed church on Sunday and want to take the e100 Challenge with us, please email me and we'll send you what you need to join us and get started today.

I'm looking forward to this journey and know that the benefits will be huge for us as individuals and corporately as a church family.

Gorilla Playing Phil Collins

My friend Jeff posted this on his blog. Thanks for the laugh Jeff. I really needed one after this week. Plus, I was a huge Phil Collins and Genesis fan.

Best Moments of 2009

Family

*The Birth of William our fourth child and third son

*Celebrating 12 years of marriage to the love my life, Rebekah

*Morning Devotions around the breakfast table with my family

*Our family vacation to historic Williamsburg, VA

*Bringing home Holly (our puppy) on Christmas Eve

Church

*Moving into our first facility

*Breaking the 2000 attendance barrier 3 times

*Baptizing my childhood teacher and a friend from the gym

*The success of our fall Community Groups

*The Back To School Outreach/Teacher Appreciation Day

Miscellaneous

*Losing 10 pounds and getting in shape

*Shooting a 6 point buck

*Teaching my first graduate level course at AGTS seminary

*Teaching my first undergraduate level course at Valley Forge Christian College

Lessons I'm Learning ...

This latest episode with my son Will shook me up pretty good. Here are a few lessons learned through this unnerving last couple of days:

1) Much of life is beyond my control. I'm somewhat of a control freak. But it's situations like this that remind me that God is the One that is ultimately in control. So whether it's my family, the church or ministry or the future - my trust is completely in God.

2) Adversity can foster intimacy. My wife and I are never closer than when we are going through a difficult time. It's the unexepected and unctrollable circumstances in life that bring you closest to those that you love.

3) Problems create perspective. Life gets simple and clear during challenging times. When you go through something like this, everything else that you think was such a big deal is put into perspective.

Pray for Will

If you were not aware, our newborn son, Will, was airlifted last night to Lehigh Valley Hospital with a severe case of RSV and pneumonia. He spent about 20 hours in the Pediatrict Itensive Care Unit where he received world-class care from the doctors and nurses.

I wanted to thank all of our friends (literally all over the world thanks to Twitter and Facebook) that have been praying for Will. His condition is now stabilized and he is improving.

Rebekah and I appreciate your prayers and emails of encouragement. We will continue to keep you posted regarding Will's condition. As always, circumstances such as these remind us that ultimately God is control. Our faith remains strong as we rest assured that God works all things for the good (Rom. 8:28).

Holly Crosby

I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Crosby family, Holly. She is a 9 week old, Cockapoo - a mix between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle.

As a first-time dog owner, I must admit that I know very little (next to nothing actually) about dogs. All I know is this little bundle of joy puts the poo in Cockapoo.

Actually, Bekah is just as smitten with Holly as the rest of the family. It's just a bit overwhelming trying to potty train a dog in the dead of a Pocono winter. Also, adjusting to life with a 5 week old baby doesn't make it any easier.

One healthy piece of advice I've learned already when it come to dogs is this: it's really a good idea to consult your spouse BEFORE buying the dog and bringing it home to your kids on Christmas Eve. If you are looking for me this Christmas vacation, you'll find me in the "dog house."

Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus

The Spirit of Christmas

I've been thinking a lot lately about the spirit of Christmas and asking this question, "What is the spirit of Christmas?"

• To the liquor industry, it comes in a bottle.
• To Scrooge, it was a ghost.
• To Hallmark, it comes in the form of sending a card. (Some 5 billion cards will be sent this year.)
• To some, it's all about friends and family and sharing a meal together.
• To many, it's giving.

Biblically, I've come to discover that the Spirit of Christmas is WORSHIP. All throughout the Christmas story, you read how people extemporaneously explode into worship for God.

• Elizabeth worships God when Mary visits her.
• Zachariah erupts into worship at the sight of his son, John, who would prepare the way for Christ.
• Mary worships God when she resolves to carry out His purpose.
• Angels worship. Shepherds worship. Wise men worship. All creation worships.

So, this Christmas, I've determined to see everything I do as worship unto God.

• My time with my church family this Christmas Eve at our services will be filled with worship to God.
• My time away from work with my physical family is going to be worship unto God. My family is a blessing from God.
• The gifts I give to loved ones will ultimately result in worship ... because I recognize that I can only give because God has given to me.

Everything we do can be worship unto God if we keep Christ at the center.

Weekend Update

This past Sunday was a lot of fun at PCC. We are in week three of our series, Radio Christmas. Even though we had to cancel our first service due to the snow, we still had a great time and many people committed their life to Christ.

I want to take a moment to thank all of the Creative Arts Team for doing such an awesome job with this series. The music and worship has been nothing short of inspirational.

Also, the Children's Ministry Team did a fabulous job with the PCCKids Christmas program. You guys knocked it out of the park. It was the first Christmas kids program we've done in many years and I was so proud of all our kids and their teachers. Thanks!

This week don't forget to invite your friends to our Christmas Eve Services. We have two great services planned f0r 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Also, please bring a plate of your favorite Christmas cookies to share.

Radio Christmas

We kicked off Radio Christmas this past Sunday. It was awesome. I was really surprised to have almost 1200 people in church considering the fact that we had 6 inches of snow late Saturday night.

The church decorations look awesome. I want to thank all the volunteers who came to put up the 22 foot Christmas tree which has 3000 lights on it. You guys are awesome.

We had 90 people make a decision to follow Christ as their Lord and Savior this past weekend. That's incredible. And we only had one person stand up during third service and scream blasphemy when the band performed the U2 song, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for." Those are pretty good stats if you think about it.

The band did an awesome job with the U2 song. I was so proud of them. They rocked the house. And God obviously used it for his glory.

I can't wait for this weekend. The band is doing the song, Eleanor Rigby by the Beetles. They've got some really cool creative elements that they are going to add this weekend too. You don't want to miss it.

New Christmas Series

This weekend we begin our new series, Radio Christmas. In this creative series, the band is going to perform some of the top hits on the music charts and then I'm going to preach on the theme of the song.

So, this weekend, the band is doing a song by U2, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" and I'm going to preach a message titled "Searching." We're going to talk about what people are looking for this Christmas and wrap the message around the Magi.

This is one of the most creative message series we've ever done and I'm totally psyched up about it. Please be in prayer this week for our weekend services. Invite your friends that are far from God and I promise to deliver a message (with the help of the Spirit) that will guide them to God's love in Jesus Christ.

First Wednesday

Tonight is our monthly First Wednesday service at PCC. I'm looking forward to getting together for a time of prayer, worship and the act of communion.

James 5:13, 17 says, "Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise ... The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

Here are some of the things we will be praying about tonight:

• For peace in Afghanistan
• The kick off of our Christmas series this weekend, "Radio Christmas"
• Help in reaching the lost and those far from God in this Mountain
• The Christmas Offering
• The Christmas Outreach (Winter Warm Up)
• For healing from sickness

Please come anticipating God to do something special tonight. If you are in need of a miracle, come to First Wednesday!