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.

Sunday's Coming!

In life, you have to laugh at yourself. If you don't, you'll end up going crazy. To me, this video post is hilarious as it pokes fun at churches like PCC. What makes it so funny is that it was produced by a church that shares a similar ministry style to PCC. So, for all you pastors out there, have a good laugh.

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Weekend Update

Here are some highlights from PCC this past weekend:

*The "Run for the Red" marathon was Sunday morning which means they shut down the highway in front of our church. So, we had to cancel our 1st Sunday morning worship experience. They had 800 plus runners this year since the race is now a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

*Our 10am service went extremely well considering most of the volunteers couldn't even get into the church until about 20 mins before the service started. It was a herculean effort by our staff and volunteers to pull that service off and I was so proud of how everyone worked together. PCC volunteers rock!

*We had almost 400 people in our Saturday night service. I'm loving Saturday nights at PCC. It's a really laid back vibe - people show up in shorts and sandals and hang out before service in the cafe and lobby. Love it.

*Rachel did an awesome job singing for the first time at PCC. She is a teenager who recently gave her heart to Jesus in our student ministry. She has an amazing story and she has such an amazing voice. Thanks Rachel! God is going to do great things through you!

*The Parenthood series is going well. We've received so many stories of how God is healing entire families and bringing people back together. Go God!

*I preached on Luke 15 and The Prodigal this weekend and there were 48 people who gave their heart to Jesus and decided to come home! That's so cool.

*We've had reports of numerous physical healings take place since our Healer series. In fact, we've had 3 documented reports of cancer patients being declared completely healed. That's a miracle!

*One of the members from the worship team, Lori, led worship Saturday night. Lori, you were great! Thanks so much for letting God use you at PCC. Can't wait to you lead again!

*ALVING SLAUGHTER is coming to PCC next week! He will be ministering at all of our English speaking services. Be sure to bring your friends! Pastor Emilio will be sharing a special message for the Spanish service.

*Our NEW SERVICES TIMES go into effect next weekend - Saturday at 6pm; Sunday at 9:30am, 11am, and 12:30pm (Spanish).

*I'm totally psyched about our new series starting in June called THE RACE. It's going to awesome.

MBWA

The power of a leaders presence can never be underestimated. Just showing up and rubbing shoulders with those you lead makes a huge statement. Many leaders want to isolate themselves from their staff or organization and only talk with those they summon. I think that's a huge mistake.

There's a management principle I came across some years ago known as MBWA or Manage By Walking Around. MBWA is an effective way to keep your finger on the pulse of your organization and those you lead by simply cruising through the office and saying "hi".

When you offer your time as the leader to your staff and make yourself accessible, it's one of the greatest gift you can give. Don't wall yourself in. Make time for those you lead - even if it's only a quick stroll.

If you are the key decision maker in your organization and yet remove yourself from the context and community of those that your decisions effect - it will hamper your ability to make wise choices.

As a pastor, this means I walk slowly through the crowd on Sunday mornings and greet people in the lobby and spend as much time with people as possible (of course, this becomes increasingly difficult with 5 services a weekend. So I can't do this every service, but I can do it at least once a week.) As a boss, that means I walk through the office and greet the staff and ask them about their family.

So don't hunker down in your office all week. Get out there and get your MBWA on.

Ignite 2010

To all my pastor friends and church planters out there that read my blog, I wanted to let you know about a one-day conference coming up called Ignite 2010.

My friend, Jeff Leake, is hosting this roundtable for young pastors in the NE area. Jeff has done a phenomenal job the past 10 years planting churches and developing the MCM Network of church plants and church planters in the Pittsburgh & Philadelphia area.

If you are thinking about planting a church or going multi-site, you should definitely attend this roundtable.

To register or for more information, go here.

Thanks Jeff for your leadership and vision for the Kingdom.

Weekend Update

Mother's Day weekend at PCC was great! Here's some of the highlights from my perspective:

+My wife, Bekah, did an amazing job preaching the Word! I married way over my head. She's not only a great wife and mom but an awesome communicator.

+The 15 year old daughter of our worship leaders (Derek and Nadeen), Kaela, sang an amazing song. What an anointed young woman of God. I'm so proud of you Kaela.

+It was so cute to have my daughter Kate sit with me on the front row during the 4th service as she watched her mom with wide eyes preach the Word.

+We celebrated Mother's Day with sushi and ice cream tonight.

+It was so much fun to give away gifts to moms in each of the 5 services today. The Bible says to "give honor to those whom honor is due." We owe so much to our moms.

+The Spanish service was off the hook today. The worship was so inspired and Marisella did a great job preaching. So excited about what God is doing in our Spanish ministry.

+We had 256 volunteers in ministry today. So thankful for all the volunteers that make PCC such an awesome church!

Why I Like My Denomination

I admit it. I don't talk a lot about the denomination that I belong to. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm just not into religious labels and partisan spirituality. In any event, this week I'm attending our District Council meetings in Camp Hill, PA. and I thought it might be interesting if I shared a few reasons I appreciate my denominational affiliation.

1. The Relational Network - many of my best friends in ministry are also part of this denomination.

2. Accountability - my denomination holds me accountable financially, morally, ethically and theologically. That makes me feel safe and secure to know that I don't simply answer to myself. I have protective ally's that are looking out for me.

3. Resources and Support - my denomination loan fund loaned our church lots of money to help us purchase property and build our first building. For that, I am eternally grateful. It makes me also feel good that the minimal interest we are paying on our loan is being redistributed to other churches for future loans. We are using kingdom resources for kingdom purposes. That's way cool.

4. Ancient-Future Connectedness - the fact that I have chosen to align myself with a denomination connects me with almost 100 years of like-minded followers of Christ that have been experiencing a phenomenal move of God's Spirit. It reminds me that God is doing a new thing in my generation but yet connects me to the God of history.

5. Global Expansion - my denomination has missionaries in over 200 nations of the world with tens of millions of adherents. The ability to partner together for a common cause creates exponential growth opportunities.

Weekend Update

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

+We kicked off our new series, Parenthood, with a special message, Parent Traps. Listen here.

+The Creative Arts Team did an amazing job with all the graphics, stage decor, music and video. Thanks so much to that cool team that makes the services so relevant and life-changing.

+Attendance was still near 1800. That's crazy! Lives are being changed and guests continue to come back and bring their friends.

+I loved the new song "Glory To God" that the worship team led. I've been singing it all day.

+Psalm 127:3 says, "Children are a heritage of the Lord." Parents, don't forget your kids are a blessing.

Parenthood Series

This weekend we are kicking off a new series at PCC called Parenthood. If you are a parent or you will be one in the future, this series is certainly for you.

We will discuss biblical principles of parenting that will help us make sense of our God given duties as parents... and teach us how to raise our children for success in today's world.

Invite your friends and family for this relevant and practical series. That's this weekend, Saturday, May 1st and Sunday, May 2nd. Our service times are Saturday 6pm, Sunday 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am and 1:00pm (Spanish). See you there!

What To Do & What NOT To Do

We stumbled on a leadership principle last week at PCC during the water baptism services. After the water baptisms (which occurred during the 5 weekend services), I had to go backstage to our green room to change and then come back out on stage to preach. The services are 65 minutes long and I had only 3 to 4 minutes to change out of the wet clothes and get back out there to preach.

The baptismal candidates entered onto the stage through the green room and were told to exit through the auditorium and then change in the restrooms in the lobby of the church. However, one of the girls decided to go back to the green room and change there - not technically her fault because she was never told not to do that.

Well, you could imagine my surprise when the door to the bathroom in the green room was locked because there was a girl changing in there. We acted quickly and my friend who was with me asked her to remain the bathroom until I finished changing in the green room itself. She was embarrassed and I felt really bad for her too. When I asked my staff pastor what happened his response was, "It's my fault ... I told them all what TO do, but I didn't tell them what NOT to do."

That's a powerful principle of leadership. You need to always tell people you lead what they should AND shouldn't do. Clarity is essential when it comes to setting expectations.

We see this demonstrated by God himself when he placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He told them that they could eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told them what to do and what not to do.

The next time you lead people, remember this lesson and it could save both you and the people you lead from some potentially embarrassing situations.

Haiti Revival

Weekend Update

Celebration Weekend at PCC this past Saturday and Sunday was amazing. We baptized 76 new followers of Christ. Watching people completely surrender to Christ through baptism never gets old. It was so cool to see entire families make a decision to live for Jesus.

We also wrapped up our series, Healer with a time of prayer for healing at the altars. Each of the 5 services was packed with people calling on Jesus for healing. It was inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. As a pastor, our calling is to see the great needy of people and also to understand the great capacity of God to meet the needs. It's quite humbling to be part of a move of God here in the Poconos.

I want to thank all the hundreds of volunteers who are making PCC what it is. Your dedication to serve Christ by serving others is phenomenal. Thanks so much for loving the people of this community and for playing a huge part in bringing them to Jesus. So many lives are being changed and transformed by God's grace and mercy. I can't wait to see what God does next.

True Love

I came across this video on my friend Jeff Leak's blog. It was the resignation speech by the Robert McQuilken, President of Columbia Bible College. He stepped down in order to care for his ailing wife suffering from Alzheimers. This is what true love is all about.

Leadership Secrets

"And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem." Nehemiah 2:12

Nehemiah was preparing to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem. God had put a great vision in his heart that would result in a nationwide spiritual, economic, political and social renewal.

This move of God was going to be huge and Nehemiah knew it.

But wise leaders know when to speak and when to be silent. Every leader must keep leadership secrets. Nehemiah was careful to investigate and gather the facts and pray about the situation prior to inspiring people to join the cause. He showed leadership restraint in not speaking too soon or sharing too much.

Not everyone can handle the vision that God puts in a leaders heart. Sometimes the plans that God has for us seem overwhelming and require too much sacrifice.

Has God put a vision in your heart for the future. Be careful when and with whom you share it. Investigate and study how to make the vision a reality. And when the time is right - cast that vision and watch God bring it to pass.

Pirate Monk

Below is a video by Nate Larkin, author of Samson and The Pirate Monks. Nate's story of healing and recovery is nothing but supernatural. His book is also a must read by all men, especially those in ministry.

Weekend Highlights

This past weekend God did some amazing works of grace and mercy at PCC. Here are some of the highlights:

+ Darryl and Tracy Strawberry were awesome. I've never met such humble and authentic people.

+Go here for the most recent news media coverage of last weekend. There are some really cool photos too.

+ There wasn't an ounce of pride in Darryl. God has rebuilt this man's life from the ground up. It was so cool to stand next to this man during the worship services and hear him sing and praise God.

+ Tracy is a dynamo. She's an anointed preacher of the Word. We have to have her back and do a women's conference.

+ I stand amazed at what God can do through a totally surrendered life. More people need to learn the Lordship of Christ and live it on a daily basis.

+ I was so proud of our staff and volunteer teams this weekend. You all did an amazing job. We had almost 2500 people here this weekend. That's over 1000 people larger than the same Sunday last year.

+ The altars were completely packed each service with people crying out to God for forgiveness and healing.

+ Our God is Jehovah Rappha - The Lord who heals!

+ The worship experience in the 1pm Spanish services was totally off the hook. The Latin rhythms were so cool and the presence of God was so real it literally brought me to my knees. God really ministered to me in that service.

+ I was so happy to see so many in the Saturday night service - over 400+. I love Saturday nights at PCC!

+ The Creative Arts Team did a great job this weekend with the sound, video for Darryl and the stage decor. Thanks!

+ We have tons of people are going to get baptized in a couple weeks. I can't wait to see and hear these stories of life change.

+ We are literally seeing a move of God in our community. I feel so humbled that God would allow us to be part of one of the greatest moves of his Spirit in the history of our community. What a treasure and honor to be part of this generation and witness this move of God firsthand.

+ I can't wait for next week. God has given me a powerful word on healing and restoration. I can't wait to preach!

Darryl Strawberry @ PCC

Former MLB All-Star and Champion, Darryl Strawberry will be speaking at Pocono Community Church this weekend.

Darryl's achievements on the field were often overshadowed by his struggles off the field. This weekend he will recount the highs, the lows and the lessons of hope and survival he learned along the way.

Once a superstar for the NY Mets (the best baseball team in NY) in the 1980s, Strawberry has since faced many personal challenges, including drug use, tax evasion, solicitation, rehab, and treatment for colon cancer.

His life changed course dramatically in 2006 with his wife Tracy, when they devoted themselves to Christ and to his work. Now, in his own words, Darryl delivers his inspirational narrative.

You don't want to miss this event. Darryl will be with us during the Sunday services at 8:30, 10am and 11:30am services. Be sure to invite your friends!

For those attending the Saturday evening service, we will be giving away a huge flat screen TV and hundreds of other prizes. I will also be sharing a special message entitled, "How God Heals Our Hidden Wounds." I'll see you then.

Here's an article from the Pocono Record.

10 Questions the Unchurched ARE Asking

One of my "mentors from afar" is Perry Noble, Lead Pastor of New Spring Church. He recently posted on his blog 10 Questions that the Unchurched are NOT asking - a reality check for most church leaders. Great stuff, Perry.

In response, I came up with another question: What ARE the Unchurched Asking?

10 Questions the Unchurched ARE Asking:

1. Is there anyone in this church like me?

2. Will they accept me here?

3. Is it going to be a long and boring service?

4. Can I make a difference with my life and counteract injustice through this church?

5. Are they going to judge me at this church?

6. What do they have for my kids?

7. Will I find meaning and purpose for my life here?

8. Will the roof cave in or lightning strike when I walk in this church?

9. Can I ask hard questions about God in this place and feel safe sharing my doubts?

10. Will someone teach me about the Bible - it's principles and stories - and show me how to apply it to my life because I'm really interested in what it says and I really want to know more about Jesus - who he is and what he's all about.

Little Big Things

I just ordered Tom Peters new book, "Little Big Things". Tom is an amazing leader and business strategist. I've benefited greatly from his insight for many years. Here's a short video based on one of his chapters in his new book. If you are in business and struggling through this recession, this is a must watch video. Be warned though, there is one minor use of profanity.

First Tuesday Prayer Meeting

To all you PCCers out there I want to remind you that tonight is our First Tuesday prayer meeting and worship service. We had to move to Tuesday nights because the Wednesday night youth service and prayer service grew too large and we aren't able to hold both services in the new building on the same night anymore. That's a good problem to have!

Tonight we are going to celebrate all that God did in and through PCC this past Easter weekend. We are going to sing, testify, pray and be encouraged by the Word of God. Remember, much prayer means much power. Please join me and the staff and volunteers as we cry out to God in thanksgiving and prayer.

Easter Update

This Easter weekend was nothing short of amazing. Here are some of the highlights:

• The Friday Come and Go Communion was inspiring. Although we had 400+ people come to receive communion, it felt incredibly personal and intimate. Bekah and I really enjoyed connecting with singles, couples and entire families on a very personal level.
• PCC set another Easter weekend attendance record with 2998 in attendance. Although we missed our miracle goal by only 2 people we are all incredibly pumped.
• Saturday night service was crazy! We had almost 900 people showed up and over half the adults in the auditorium stood to receive Christ. Amazing!
• Between the 5 weekend services, over 400 people received Christ. Miraculous!
• I loved the Saturday night atmosphere. The crowd was early and full of energy. I think Saturday nights at PCC are going to be a huge success!
• PCC gave a record non-building fund offering! What a great testimony of this church's generosity. Off the hook generous.
• The creative worship arts team did an amazing job. The music, sounds lights and video was awe inspiring.
• The Spanish service had almost 300 in attendance. Pastor Emilio and his dedicate team of volunteers did a phenomenal job. Also, 56 people gave their heart to Christ in that service alone. Wow! Yeah God.
• A huge word of thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who served this Easter!!!
• Also, thanks to all of you selfless PCC regular attenders who came to Saturday night and the 8:30 Sunday service to free up seats for guests. You are my heroes.
• Please continue to invite your friends to come back this weekend to hear Daryl Strawberry's story of hope and healing. You don't want to miss it. Come early to get a good seat.
• This weekend we are giving away over 1,000 gifts this weekend worth $4000 dollars including Sony Playstations 3s and Flat Screen TVs.
• A huge thanks to all the volunteers that were in the office today doing follow up on hundreds of first time guests.
• Don't forget tomorrow night is our First Tuesday prayer meeting. Please come out and celebrate with us all that God has done!

PCC it is such an honor to lead you and be your pastor. I'm truly humbled to be part of this great move of God in the Poconos. And here's the coolest thing - this is only the beginning. The best is yet to come. God has been revealing more and more of his vision for our church and I'm so excited about what the future holds.

Easter 2010

Celebrate Easter with the people of Pocono Community Church this weekend. We are going to have a great time together. Each of the 5 services will have great music, singing, special media presentations, inspiring and practical preaching and much more! You don't want to miss it.

Also, as an act of incredible generosity and just because we love our community, PCC is giving away over 1,000 prizes this Easter at all of our services - including flat screen TVs and Sony Playstations. Don't miss out on all the excitement.

Service Time are Saturday, April 3rd at 6pm and Sunday, April 4 at 8:30am, 10am, 11:30am and 1pm (Spanish).

There is still time to invite your friends. This could be the weekend that their life could be changed by the power of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. See you there!

Easter Confusion

Here's some interesting facts about Easter from H.B. London.

We all know that Christmas falls on December 25 and that our Independence Day celebration always takes place on July 4, but why do we observe Easter anytime from March 22 to April 25, and why is Easter usually after Passover, but sometimes before? And, to add to the confusion, for over a thousand years, the Western Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have seldom celebrated Easter on the same day.

While both branches of the church calculate Easter as the first Sunday after the first full moon — on or after the Vernal Equinox (first day of Spring) — the Eastern Orthodox Church bases the calculation on the Julian calendar, while the Western Church uses the Gregorian calendar. The date of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is not based on the Julian or the Gregorian, but on the Jewish calendar, which places the beginning of Passover on the 15th day of the month of Nisan. As a result of the differences in the rules between the Hebrew and Gregorian cycles, Passover falls about a month after Easter in three years of the 19-year cycle.

Because of the changing date for the observance of Easter, some Christians feel that, for the sake of unity within the church around the world, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ should take place on the same day each year — such as the second Sunday of April. In 1963, the Second Vatican Council agreed that Easter should become a fixed holiday and, in 1997, the National Council of Churches proposed that the Western and Eastern churches find a unified method of calculating the date of Easter. This year and next, Easter just happens to be celebrated on the same day in both the Western and Eastern Church, but that is not scheduled to take place again until 2014 and 2017.

Living a Life Filled With Joy - Video Testimony

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!

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.