This is one of three posts looking forward to 2011 and things I am thinking about for myself and for our church community: some resolutions, some reflections and some predictions more or less off the top of my head.Today, I’m offering reflections.2010 was an amazing year. Just amazing. By any measurable standard what was going on […]
It’s Christmas time. It’s finally here. I drove over to the fairgrounds last night and as I pulled in I was wondering what was going on, the parking lot looked full. It was our own volunteer ministry staff at work on the final preparations. The place looks great thanks to them. This is our sixth Christmas […]
Christmas at the Fairgrounds is only days away, and all of us here are getting pretty excited about it. Our incredible Ops Team started moving in yesterday afternoon and should be finished set up by tomorrow. Then the tech people start installing lights and video and then the musicians begin rehearsals. On Thursday we are […]
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel which means “God with us.” Matthew 1.22-23/Isaiah 7:7.14 Back in Christmas, 1943, Bing Crosby recorded the song, “I’ll be home for Christmas” and it soared to the top of the charts and became an instant Christmas classic. That’s because Christmas, […]
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4.4-5 Today is called “Gaudate” Sunday. If you’re not Catholic, or even if you are, you probably don’t know about it. It is a real insider Catholic thing, but definitely a […]
All of us want a great holiday this Christmas and oftentimes we go out and try to buy it or find it, or create it. We want peace on earth, joy in our families, love in our heart. We want it to be a great holiday filled with family and friends. We would like it […]
The hour has come for you to wake from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Romans 13.11 When we’re not engaged with the Lord at a relational level, its like we’re asleep. Paul tells us to wake up, that this is the time to wake up. This is […]
We are celebrating Thanksgiving, so I am thinking of gratitude. I am grateful for the gift of faith, and for a Savior who who continues to save me from myself and my sin. I am grateful to God for all his goodness to me in this last year, one that has been filled with abundant grace […]
Every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving we celebrate what we call “Stewardship Weekend.” It’s the one weekend of the year when we talk about giving here to this local church community. We talk about money all the time, because Jesus did. But we only talk about giving to Nativity once a year. We don’t […]
This is an open memo to all of our volunteer ministry leaders and staff about a significant change in our program for 2011. In the past couple of years we have found ourselves struggling with the admittedly happy problem of church growth and the lack of space this creates on our campus. How do we […]
