Well, this week I'd like to do another shameless promotion for Charting a Bold Course - the leadership opportunity that we're talking about at GPC these days. We're kicking the program off on Sept. 15 and you can get more info & sign up here. This week I'd like to let you hear from one of the guys who has been through this already - Jim Mast.

Did you have any apprehensions about signing up for CBC? Just a quick note to anyone who is thinking about joining the CBC this fall, I was very apprehensive about the time commitment, but as we got started I looked forward to going to every session as we discussed what a leader looks like. Not only church leaders but also as a husband, father, businessman or with your friends.

What were some of the highlights of the program for you? Some of the best sessions were the times we spent looking at our life’s journey to this point, helping us understand how other people’s journey might be a lot different than my own but we can still work towards the same goal.

Overall, how would you describe your experience in CBC? Some of the best time I have ever spent connecting with other guys & putting in perspective what it means to be a great leader for your family, church or business looking to the future, all of us are leaders for someone... why not be a great one?

We'd love to have you in the leadership discussion through CBC. There is no age limit. We're just looking for men who want to grow and be stretched in their leadership at home, work & the church.

Looking forward to being stretched with you,

I don't know about you, but I've found myself rediscovering some great truths in the Proverbs over the past several weeks.

One of the most profound things that has struck me is the connection between wisdom and discipline. There's a clear connection from God's perspective between the wisest people and the most disciplined people. If you think about it, it makes sense.

The people I admire most are the ones who are the most disciplined. They're the ones who have bit their tongue when they could have yelled at their kids. They're the ones who have accomplished a lot professionally because they are great time managers. They are people who have cared deeply for people because they're disciplined to make the time to do that.

I was struck this week by this passage in Proverbs 25:28...

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control."

Now we don't have cities with walls in Lancaster, but the principle holds. When a city loses its walls it can no longer function with efficiency. It is no longer respected. It's no longer a safe place to be. It does not produce the kind of growth it should. A city without walls is unsafe, unreliable and undesirable....

And so am I when I lose self-control - over my tongue, my time, my appetite, my disciplines.

The Proverbs were given in part to help us "acquire a disciplined and prudent life" (Proverbs 1:3) and to avoid the life of the fool who "despises wisdom & discipline" (Prov. 1:7).

In what areas might you need to take another look at your own wall of self-control? Perhaps you're finding yourself short with your kids, or impatient with your spouse, or complaining about work or undisciplined in personal health habits.

Living a self-controlled life is never easy. It's counter-intuitive. Our sin nature makes us want to live a self-focused, not a self-controlled life. That is why self-control is mentioned in Galatians 5 as a fruit of the Spirit.

It's hard to keep the wall built around the city. It requires routine maintenance. It requires a plan to overcome opposition. It requires commitment.

Trying to maintain the wall,

Pastor Tim

Normally, I’m the kind of person who embraces change. I look at the Romans 12:1, 2 as a biblical mandate of sorts, endorsing healthy change for our spiritual journey. But I must confess that there is a transition (or change) going on in my life right now that I am struggling with big-time.

After 29 years of kids in my home, last week, for the first time, I went home from work to an empty and very quiet environment…and I wasn’t at all happy about that. It’s all a matter of perspective, I guess. I was talking to a friend of mine who said she’d give anything to have just one day of peace and quiet WITHOUT kids around!! I thought a little and remembered those days. But, even though kids come back, the thought lingered, “it will never be the same around here…”

How do you deal with unwanted change? We can help one another with encouragement and sensitivity as we cope with a new reality. For example, I just sent off an email to a fellow member of the “City Mentoring Team” in Germany. I offered the three empty bedrooms (my new reality) in our home for use by young couples planting churches there who could use some mentoring and a break from ministry…. Maybe this won’t work out, but I know there are new opportunities on the other side of even unwanted transitions…just gotta keep prayin’ and lookin’ for ‘em!! So…do tell, what transitions are you going through?? How can we help each other?

Pastor Ric

But WHY should anyone be led by you? What is it about you that should make people want to follow you?

Is it...

... your position of authority: You're the boss, therefore they have to follow you! You're the parent, therefore they have to listen!

... your experience: You are an expert in your field therefore people come to you because you've been doing it for a long time.

... your character: You're worth following because of your integrity and honor.

... your vision: People follow you because they believe in where you're taking the company, where you're taking the marriage, where you're taking your small group.

... your faith: You have an unusual trust in God that others find inspirational.

... your money: You have the most money among many of your friends therefore you are perceived to be successful.

Why is it that anyone should be led by you? Well, this is really a question of what is at the heart of leadership? What makes a great leader?

At Grace Point we're presenting an opportunity for men to gather around this issue of leadership and look into our own lives to see how we're doing with it. What drives us? What are our hang-ups? What should we be doing at home, work & the church?

If you are interested in talking about leadership within the safety of a group of men on the journey with you, then the informational meeting this Sunday, August 15th right after church is for you. We'll meet for 15 minutes to talk about a leadership program we'd like to start in the fall.

You might not feel like a leader - but you are. You might wish you weren't a leader - but you can't stop it from happening. We all have positions of influence with friends, family and co-workers and the only question that remains is what kind of leader are you developing into? Or, "why should anyone be led by you?"

Looking forward to the conversation on Sunday,

For now, this is what we know...

We have been able to narrow down a list of 18 possibilities to 10 final choices. We have tried to keep the options diverse so as to allow the greatest involvement across the board. The trips range from Lancaster to Burkina Faso with a variety of places in between.

At this point we'd like to ask you to consider budgeting for next summer like you might budget for a major purchase. Even $50 set aside per month now will result in $500-$600 saved for a trip next summer. That kind of long-range planning will help minimize the financial burden at one point in time. We know not everyone can do this and some of course could do more. We're simply asking you to consider participating in this way and continue praying about your potential involvement.

With more people to track down, ideas to confirm, dates to plan and total costs to finalize, there is still much to do between now and September 12. If you would consider praying for the process the missions team would be honored to have your prayers.

If you have questions about the process or anything else regarding the Great Sendoff, please contact one of the missions team members: Vernon Smoker (Chair), Mary Engel, Donna Hartley, Darren Neff, Amos Ebersol, Jesse Miller, Kathy Gehman & Pastor Tim.

On behalf of the missions team,

Pastor Tim

At Adult VBS, we did something a little different. We had a discussion about the church and culture. We asked ourselves several questions: What is culture? What role does the church play in culture? How should individual Christians be involved in culture? We had Rev. Jim Beerley, Pastor of the International Church in Monaco (CrossWorld) with us to share as well. Then, the last two evenings we had our meetings at the Factory where we hoped we could interact with parents of Factory Teens. We invited Dan Karlow of Youth Advocate Programs to speak.

The one thing we concluded was that we are all very comfortable in “our culture or sub-culture” but we need to constantly move into places and other sub-cultures where we are Uncomfortable. We asked ourselves what that would look like? I want to ask it again…what would it look like for you to engage an area of our culture that you are not comfortable engaging. For example, a local pastor has decided that he should hang out in a local bar. He goes with an Elder or two from his church to build relationships with folks who come by. What would stretch your comfort zone and help you engage the culture out there that needs Christians ??

Pastor Ric

Well, it's hard to believe, but we're almost at the end of our High Seas Adventure! VBS 2010 wraps up tonight, and with it all the energies and enthusiasm that was put into this great week! After tonight ends, the memories begin.

This year Rochelle Stoltzfus and I saw VBS through the lens of our cameras. I've decided to post the top 10 pictures that I think represent the week that was. After you view them on the left side, I'd encourage you to use the comments section to share what you saw this week. What impacted you? What made you laugh? What made you pray? I'd love to hear it...

First it is time for our annual yearly commitments to be made for the members on the team. We are blessed to have many talented individuals who are willing to make the commitment to practice each week and make attendance a priority each year.

Currently we are working on providing the live music for VBS. This is always a stretching time musically for us, but we enjoy the chance to serve and opportunity to grow.

We are also putting the final touches on our first Grace Point Worship CD entitled "All because" featuring eight of our original songs. We started recording in April and anticipate a late summer release. It has been a new experience for all of us and we're excited to get it done.

After VBS we will be starting a book study by Bob Sorge entitled "Exploring Worship." This book has been a large influence on how I view praise and worship and I am excited to explore it together with our team.

We continue to pray that God will teach,direct,equip,enable, and empower us to lead authentic worship that pleases Him.

Greg Petersheim

If you would be interested in joining the ministry of the worship team you can contact me for information.

Since the announcement of the "Great Sendoff" in 2011, the missions team has been greatly encouraged by the response we've seen within the congregation. We met last night and shared stories of small groups planning to go together, a Sunday School class beginning to contribute to a fund for the project even now, individuals who are looking for opportunities to take young families somewhere and one particularly encouraging note from one of our senior citizens who promised her prayers and support to the missions team as we keep moving forward with the plans. We are very encouraged by your response so far and want to bring you up to speed on the latest on the Great Sendoff...

The missions team would like to make it as easy as possible for as many people as possible to plug into missions opportunities in and around Summer, 2011. In order to do that, we're going to be taking the next several weeks to do our homework on potential missions opportunities. The team met last night and brainstormed on opportunities for next summer and came up with a strong list of nearly 20 different options.

Our next step is to sort out what the strongest possibilities are for next summer and also to present a variety of options to you. We'd love to see several international teams as well as several local or national projects. Our hope is that in the next several weeks we can narrow down the options, get concrete information from missionaries on the field and determine which options to set before you so you can begin praying and planning what you might like to do for next summer.

Please pray for the missions team during the next 4-6 weeks. We will be working hard behind the scenes to contact missionaries, mission agencies and friends to determine what some viable options for the Great Sendoff can be.

If you have any thoughts you'd like the missions team to consider as we plan, please contact one of us. Team members include: Vernon Smoker (Chair), Mary Engel, Kathy Gehman, Donna Hartley, Amos Ebersol, Jesse Miller, Darren Neff and myself.

Thank you for your prayers and we're excited about what God can do in our lives through the Great Sendoff!

On behalf of the missions team,

Big Change At Church

The big change at church this week is that the sanctuary is getting a facelift.  New paint is going on the walls even as you're reading this.  Expect to see a new place Sunday morning.  New curtains are soon to follow.  It may not be all complete until next week but it's sure going to be a fresh and new look.  I love the change in atmosphere already.

New Teaching Series

This weekend we're launching "Street Smarts: Taking God's Wisdom Where The Rubber Meets The Road."  This summer teaching series is designed to help us think through healthy and godly decision making from the book of Proverbs.  Together we'll explore what wisdom really is, how to get it, where to find it, what common roadblocks exist, the value of wisdom and the long-term benefits of it.  We believe this series will really help us think through how to live as men & women who desire to follow God whether we're trying to decide who to date, where to invest money, how to raise kids, how to face the sunset years or how to weave my faith & life together even more consistently.  

A Tribute To Dads

Coming off our family's first summer vacation of the year Jen & I have been thinking about what it looks to parent our kids during the summertime.  I came across this video linked from one of my friend's facebook accounts and thought I'd share it with you if you have a few minutes for a laugh.  It was produced by a church for their opening to their Father's Day service.  I'm not sure it gives any great parenting advice for dads, but at least it provides a chance to laugh at ourselves!  Enjoy!

Pastor Tim

This Sunday we are going to take a look at what exactly God is calling us to do with our lives and our resources. We will hear about the senior high student ministry’s mission trip to the Bahamas. One thing that stuck out in each one of us was that the people down there have so many excuses for why they could not help others nor have God’s joy in their lives but they never used any excuse. Instead, they lived in joy, thanksgiving, and service to others despite their lack of resources. We soon realized that maybe they were not as “poor” as we thought and perhaps they were very “rich” in Christ. To them, there were no excuses for not doing what God wanted them to do.

What do you think? Let’s dialogue between now and Sunday about the excuses we use to not do what God has called us to do. What excuses do you give?

Be prepared Sunday to answer with “No Excuse, Sir!”

Chuck

A couple of friends of mine pastor a church in Southern California. Click here to visit their website and read their vision statement. Focus on the paragraph that reads “We also value being the church.”

Let’s talk about what it means to be “missional”. What does it mean to you and your family to adopt this biblical concept? What does it mean to our church? How might we rethink what we do here in new ways to more effectively “hold out the hope of Jesus…” to our community and the rest of the world? I am looking forward to our conversation!!

Pastor Ric

This week I'm pleased to introduce you to the ministry of Becky Toews. Becky will be speaking at Girls Night Out on June 29. Here's an excerpt from one of Becky's blogs - I hope it will be an encouragement to you.

Purple Heart Christians

Hebrews 3:7-8 “…Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”

How many of you have been wounded by unmet expectations?

Hit by a mischaracterization of who you are?

Have you ever had a relationship explode in front of you?

Have you experienced disappointment so strong that it has seared future hope?

Everyone needs encouragement, but Christians who have been wounded in battles such as these need a special infusing of courage in order to remain faithful and loyal to their commander-in-chief. When the shrapnel of rejection, betrayal, or disappointment hits, we have the opportunity to choose how we will respond. Will we let the wounds calcify and harden our hearts or be used to propel us on to moral excellence?

Those who receive Purple Hearts in the military are those who have been killed or wounded in battle by shrapnel, mines, biological agents, or explosions. Most who are given this Medal of Honor exhibit the same mindset as my father-in-law, who received the Purple Heart in WWII: “I was just doing my duty.”

God intends that the wounds we receive in life not harden us, but “purple” us as we listen to his voice and simply “do our duty” in the midst of battle. We are in a great spiritual conflict. If we have not been wounded in one way or another we’ve probably spent most of our time in the barracks or on KP. If we are truly engaging, we will get hit at some point or another….many times. When this happens, remember that no “damage” is permanent. We serve One whose voice will teach us how not to harden our hearts, One whose redemptive love will transform us into Purple Heart Christians.

Becky Toews is a pastor's wife and mother of two grown children. She has taught English composition and public speaking to high school students for many years, teaching more recently at Lancaster Bible College as well. She is a well-loved public speaker whose gentle manner, coupled with her wisdom rooted in scripture and deep faith, has delighted and ministered to many women's groups. Her book,Virgin Snow, addresses each person's need for significance, offering a fresh outlook on the needs or challenges of everyday life. Visit beckytoews.com and her blog to find out more about Becky and her ministry.

Pastor Tim

This week I'd like to do a collective double take with you on something we hold near and dear. Maybe you aren't going to think this is worth a second look, or maybe you'll amuse me by reading along and thinking with me...

This week I want to do a double take on a core component of our Lancaster county culture, and particularly our conservative culture. This is something we love for our kids to have, want to demonstrate ourselves and honor in certain leaders. What I'm speaking about is the value of humility.

I remember hearing about one fellow who made it clear to the leadership that he desired to be an Elder one day. Despite Paul's clear encouragement that "he who desires to be an overseer desires a noble thing" this brother was told that it was not his place to aspire to leadership... it wasn't demonstrating the necessary humility.

We love to hold up people like Moses - the unwilling leader - as the ultimate example of humble leadership. He's someone who was willing, but not desiring leadership, and that's what we need!

But what if there's more to it? What if we've pigeonholed humility? What if the angle that we look at it blocks out a depth to humility & leadership that we can only see if we do a double take?

What could we see on a second take? Certainly we could learn much from Jesus. Was Jesus humble? I think we'd all say yes to that. Was Jesus always humble? That might make us think a minute, but then we'd probably say yes to that as well. If that's true, and I believe it is, then everything Jesus did has to be seen as done in the context of humility.

Now that's where it becomes hard - was he humble when he overthrew the tables in the temple? Was he humble when he called the Pharisees a "brood of vipers" and "blind guides?" Was he humble when he purposefully broke traditional religious laws by healing on the Sabbath, eating with tax collectors, etc? Was everything always done with humility?

If so, the double take on humility might cause us to rethink how we're raised from "little on up" regarding humility. Maybe there's more there than we realize. I don't think we need to throw away what we value about humility. There's value in letting your actions speak louder than your words, and leading by example, and even being like Moses. But it doesn't stop there... there's much more to it. If we stop there we can too easily license passivity under the guise of spirituality.

Dr. Lanier Burns once defined humility this way: "Humility is aggressive service for God. "This challenges us think differently about humility - it helps us see that taking action, showing initiative, innovating and generally being a leader can all be considered genuinely humble IF it's all done with God's purposes in mind. This means that the humble person is not necessarily the most soft-spoken, or the most unwilling leader, but can be the most outspoken and the most willing leader - if it's all done for the purpose of service for God.

Considering the example Jesus set, I can't think of a better way to put it. Can you?

The last step in making our house a home is the growth of our yard. Two weeks ago a landscaping company came and seeded. We were thrilled. Our front yard had consisted of dirt mounds since October. We gladly welcomed the change. Finally, we could envision our children going out to play in the grass and not the mud.

After the seeding I was careful to listen to all the care instructions the landscaper gave me. A large part of that care is the watering process. When it doesn't rain, I need to find about two hours in the evenings to water the lawn. It's quite a process. I've grown attached to my fledgling lawn by the hours I've invested in it. The grass is growing, the rocks and sticks are being removed. Every day it seems to grow thicker and taller.

Then on Tuesday a construction truck drove right through the front yard.  I couldn't believe it. There was plenty of room on the double-wide driveway but for some unknown reason this truck decided it needed the additional three feet all across the front of the yard. When I saw the double tire impressions that sunk deep into the soggy, newly seeded lawn I was angry. We've been waiting forever for this and for some reason this guy needs to drive over the entire front section of our new yard?!

Then it hit me. I was struck by the selfishness of my heart and the self-consumed lifestyle I live. Someone at a church near me just spoke about social injustice this past Sunday. And here I am on Tuesday more concerned by the injustice done to my yard than the injustices in our community and around the world. What's wrong with me? How easily I move from great concern for injustice to great concern for my justice. It's not the first time I've been struck by my self-consumed life, and it's not going to be the last. I suppose we care much when we invest much.

Well, now there's straw lining the front of our yard. The nice man who drove through our yard came back later and re-seeded for us. The yellow straw on our otherwise green yard stands as a stark reminder to me to care about the things that are most important. I think it's going to be an ongoing struggle...

Preaching on Sundays, trying to live on Tuesdays,

Pastor Tim

The Grace Point Church Library is adding some new books and DVDs….for kids, teens and adults…check out the new offerings there soon…and don’t forget that we need new and good used books and DVDs for our library to replace worn and old videos and books…please bring them to the library any time and give them to one of our friendly staff.  

Look at the new stuff we are adding….

"What's in the Bible?" by Phil Vischer

 "Sarah's Choice" - dvd

 "Love Comes Softly" 8-dvd box collection

I'm not anti-silly bandz. Our kids have silly bandz and enjoy sharing them with friends. It can be a good way to connect with other kids. It can also be a powerful life lesson because silly bandz teach us something about ourselves that never changes whether we're 5, 15 or 50 years old... we all want to connect... we all want to belong.

But there's a deeper question to ask here and that is, "how far should we go to belong?" Or put another way, "do we risk losing part of our identity when we want so much to belong?"

You've likely heard me quote Professor Howard Hendricks before. His pithy statements like, "many Christians are like bad photographs - overexposed and underdeveloped," and "you can impact people from a distance but you can only influence them up close" leave an indelible impression on my mind. I love what he has to say about fitting in while maintaining your own identity . . .

He says, "if you're just like someone else, we don't need you." That's shooting straight. And the truth is no one is just like someone else - that's what Psalm 139 reminds us. Yet sometimes we want so much to belong and fit in and not stand out that we'll do whatever it takes to feel a part. Even if that means compromising a little bit of ourselves in the process.

I'm reminded as Jen & I parent through this stage of life that our kids need the reminders that they are uniquely created by God. Not only do they need reminders, they need a healthy context at home that drives home over and over again their identity in Christ. They are image bearers of the Creator. And they will do that in their own way.

They should seek community and there's something very human & God-given about wanting to fit in... because we're designed for community together. It's just that in that pursuit of community let's keep encouraging our kids, and heeding the reminder ourselves, that we can and should celebrate the diversity within the body as well.

"If you're just like someone else, we don't need you."

Thanks for the reminder Prof,

Tim

Peas and children are mortal enemies. This scientific fact, based deeply in my personal opinion, has been proven by generations of classic pea battles. Let me illustrate...

In order to do avoid actually swallowing peas, my cousin taught me to take a napkin to my mouth at just the right time, cough and then push the peas out with my tongue into the napkin and ask for a new one. Another family member admitted he used to throw peas over his shoulder against the wall. Unfortunately they would often stick, and well, it's just not hard to spot smashed peas on the wall.

My personal pea avoidance strategy was one I learned from chipmunks. Just store the unwanted peas in your cheek, and allow the other food to pass by it on its way down your throat. Then, after dinner, take the pea mush and, after excused from the table, just spit it in the nearest toilet or trash can.

The strategy worked perfectly... except for all the times it didn't. Which just happened to be most of the time. After it was discovered that I was trying to avoid eating peas, my parents would utter the chilling phrase that haunts little children throughout their childhood... "There are starving children in Africa and here you are throwing food away!"

The trump card. What do you say to that as a kid? You can try, "Well, I'd be happy to mail them my peas." But that generally misses the point.

What's the point parents are trying to make? Look around - don't be so selfish. There are countless people worse off than you who would love to have the things you take for granted... and even the things you despise, like peas!

As we grow older we learn to eat our peas, perhaps in some way motivated by the starving children in Africa, but truth be told, we're more motivated by the immediate threat to our well-being if we don't comply.

You may be wondering, "what in the world does this pea story have to do with anything?" Well, my pea story makes me wonder... "how truly concerned are we for those who have less than us?" "Do we take time to see the injustices around us and, knowing God's heart for love and justice, are we prompted to act?" Or, has our prosperity in America blinded our eyes to injustice, oppression, healthy leadership and even genuine worship? The great irony of prosperity is that instead of bringing greater happiness by default it brings greater selfishness.

I begin to wonder how much longer until the attraction of prosperity here in America totally consumes us? How much longer will we fail to give like we should, worship like we should, lead like we should, be repulsed by social injustices like we should?

This Sunday May 9th, we're beginning a new teaching series on this very issue. The Old Testament prophet Amos spoke to the people of Israel at a time of great prosperity but great spiritual apathy. I believe the lingering question the book leaves us with today is simply, "How much longer?" How much longer will God be patient? How much longer will we tolerate injustice? How much longer will we worship externally but not internally? How much longer will we be complacent? How much longer?

I hope this series will be a fresh take on a common temptation we will battle our whole lives... the temptation to avoid eating peas... which is really the temptation to live a self-centered existence generally unconcerned about God's heart for love & justice. I hope this will be a sobering, realistic look at where we find ourselves today in North American Christianity. I do also hope it will be encouraging... encouraging us to ask, "how much longer?"

I had the unique privilege this week of surprising both of my daughters for lunch at Salisbury Elementary School. Strangely enough, even though I'm a full grown adult, I found myself a little nervous as to what it would be like to experience such a cross-cultural event like an Elementary School at lunchtime. All these small little people eating lunch, picking their noses, talking REALLY LOUD, and having fun being kids. How would I fit in?

My nerves were calmed almost immediately after I sat down next to Liana and right across from me the boy says, "I'm Jacob. Do you haul sugar?" I smiled and said, "no, I don't haul sugar, do you?" He said, "Nope, but my dad does. And he hauls propane." I said, "Well that's really great!" From there our conversation went to licking jelly off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Tinker Bell on lunch boxes, what kind of pudding is best, favorite recess games and how to open fruit cups without the juice flying out.

All in all it was a successful moment in my life. The girls were glad to see me and I fit right in with the lunch crowd. No snide remarks, please!

I share this story with you because I realize that in many ways it represents a microcosm of what it means to be "missional." By missional I simply mean the process of a disciple of Christ carrying out the Great Commission.

Essentially we're called to "Engage Our World."  This is the theme and focus of this year's missions conference at GPC. This weekend, through the teaching of Dr. Johnny Miller to the adults, and the interaction of Bible Club Movement with our children, we hope that each of us will be challenged to engage our world with a little more intentionality than before.

We look forward to having you with us this weekend, beginning Friday night at 7pm as we together seek to be the church by engaging our world.

Pastor Tim

I am constantly asking this question about the ministry at Grace Point Church: "how are we making an eternal impact in this community and in the lives of our members?" It is never easy to answer a question like that, but it's still necessary to ask. Defining and measuring impact are often very difficult because in many cases spiritual transformation occurs in the heart and in private conversations that never make it "public."

There are other times however, when we see the church "work." By that I mean, when members of the body exercise their gifts, work together and seek to touch a life for Christ. That's the testimony of the last ten days at GPC, and in case you don't know the details, here's what I've been privileged to watch from a front row seat...

Last Monday night I received a phone call from Laura Carpenter telling me the house next to our rental property was in flames. Immediately I got on the phone with Chuck Holt who, since it was a Factory night, was on the scene already. Chuck's abilities to help people handle crises was invaluable to us on the front end of this family crisis. The Michelle Herr family survived the fire but not without loss to their personal property.

What happened next was a true testimony to the church working together. At 7:00 the next morning I met Dale Hoover, Deacon of Property on the scene and we, along with Dennis Groff (Paradise Twp) and Randy Maurer (Assoc. Building Inspectors), assessed the scene. Plans were made to try and provide a housing solution to the Herr family.

After a briefing with Ric, I talked with Ellie Oberholtzer, Deacon of Mercies and learned she was already in the information loop. Ellie immediately sprung into action thinking about meals and clothes, etc. for the family. Shortly thereafter Amos & Andrea Ebersol joined the team by offering their apartment for temporary shelter for the Herrs. That night the Herrs moved in.

Over the last 10 days GPC was able, in my mind, "to make an eternal impact in this community." The Herr family has expressed their gratitude to GPC for stepping in to help when they just could not do it.

I'm proud to be a part of a healthy functioning team of believers at GPC who want to make a difference despite the high personal cost that it sometimes requires. To everyone who helped directly or indirectly during this event: THANK YOU!! I believe we truly have made a difference in showing the sacrificial love of Christ to this family.

"The reason we love reality TV shows is how closely it mirrors our daily lives... only they do it with less clothes on." So began a Sunday School lesson about nine years ago from a seminary prof in Dallas at the church Jen & I attended.

At that point, shows like Survivor and Big Brother were hitting their stride and it showed us what we all assumed all along. Our daily lives are simply not that interesting...

Our lives consist of daily routines that require in many cases very little thought - like driving to work the same way every day, putting on the same uniform, coming home and leaving at the same time, cleaning up the daily spills from the kids, going to the same classes, the weekly meetings, three meals a day, brushing teeth twice a day, paying the same bills and on and on and on.

It is no wonder we can get depressed and discouraged and wonder if our life is making a difference. While many people and products attempt to offer a profound answer to a common malady - and that is the issue of significance and true "soul rest," I believe we can, as believers, find encouragement for purposeful living without adding another to-do to our lives.

That's the focus of this next mini-series we're going to be starting Sunday morning entitled "The Cure for the Common Life." We're going to be studying the short letter Paul wrote to Philemon and considering two different points-of-views. This Sunday we'll look at it from Philemon's point of view and Apr. 25 we'll consider it from Paul's perspective.

I'm looking forward to this quick infusion of encouragement and hope for our everyday, common lives.

Blessings,

Every year it happens. Parents dress the young kids in their matching pastel colors and head outside for pictures just before church. Dad wears a tie for the first time all year and can't quite remember how to tie it which of course reminds him why he doesn't wear a tie the rest of the year. Mom celebrates the first day of white or open-toed shoe season. And the whole family piles in the car and is greeted at church with, "He is Risen!" "He is Risen Indeed!"

It's the pinnacle of the Christian calendar - Easter. We celebrate it every year. And somewhere in the routine-ness of it all we can lose the meaning of the season.

So, I'm curious, how did Easter impact you this year? What did you see afresh this time around? Maybe it was a question your kid asked, or something you heard someone say, or something you read or did...

Post your comments here, I'd love to see your responses! Deeply profound comments are not necessary (of course they're welcome if you've got 'em)... rather, I'm interested in even the tiniest nugget of truth and refreshment you received this Easter season...

Not only is today April Fool's Day (and my son's birthday), it's also Maundy Thursday.  This day in the church calendar remains shrouded in mystery for many who have never explored its meaning. Simply put, Maundy Thursday is the day in which the church pauses to recognize the events of the Last Supper & Jesus' commands to his disciples to love and serve one another. Maundy comes from the Latin word "command" and is taken from the Latin translation of the verse in John 13:34: "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other."

So what does that mean for us today?  In following our Savior's example of love and service to the disciples (through the act of feet washing on that night), how can you love and serve someone today?  Who do you know who could use a lift?  Do you have a note of encouragement or thanks that needs written?  Today's the day.  You been thinking about surprising your wife with finishing what's been lingering on that to-do list?  Maybe this is the weekend for it.  Maybe you'll have a chance to connect with the neighbor as you do yard work this weekend...

On this Maundy Thursday it's a great day to give of ourselves again in preparation to remember our Savior giving His life for us on Good Friday.

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

21st Century parenting is a huge challenge!   Grace Point Church wants to help you  as you make it your goal to be a Godly parent and your desire to raise Godly kids!  As the weather warms, GPC parents will have a special kind of SPRING TRAINING offered by House on the Rock Family Ministries!!    Dr. Bruce McCracken, Executive Director, will speak Sunday April 11 at 10 AM as an introduction to our series which will also be led by our own Scott Phillips.  Here is the remaining schedule:

April 11 @ 10 AM -- Dr. Bruce McCracken speaking in the morning worship service...more details coming soon...

April 25 -- Session 1 (9-10 AM) ; May 09 -- Session 2  (9-10 AM);  May 16 -- Session 3  (9-10 AM);     May 23 -- Session 4  (9-10 AM)

Some 9 AM classes may wish to suspend their teaching hour and attend this as a group.   Dr. Bruce and Scott will each take two sessions.  Here are the topics:  modeling, controlling, communicating, interacting and creating character making experiences.  Please visit the H.O.R. website for more details:  www.hotrfm.org

We will be asking for a donation of $25/couple to offset the cost of this seminar.  Simply mark your offering envelope “HOR” seminar.   Set the dates aside and plan on making this a priority for your Spring training experience!!

Pastor Ric

In his book, The Prodigal God, Timothy Keller describes the two brothers in the story of the prodigal son and the two groups they represented in this way: “…tax collectors and sinners…correspond to the younger brother. They observed neither the moral laws of the Bible nor the rules…followed by religious Jews. They engaged in ‘wild living’. The second group…was the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who were represented by the elder brother. They held to the traditional morality of their upbringing. They studied and obeyed Scripture. They worshipped faithfully and prayed constantly.” (p. 8) In Matthew 21:31 Jesus states to the Pharisees, “ The tax collectors and prostitutes enter the Kingdom before you.”

Think about what you have learned from Pastor Tim’s recent teaching on the “I Ams of Jesus” …What do you think Jesus meant by this radical statement? Why was it that Jesus’ teaching consistently attracted “younger brother types” and offended the Bible-believing, religious people/leaders of His day? (see Luke 7, John 3-4, Luke 19) What message is here for us as Christ-followers and the church in general today? Is there a message here for you and me and Grace Point Church?

 Pastor Ric

When our son was not quite a year old we were told by our Doctor that in order to help his development we should tell him to "use your words" when he wanted something. Instead of grunting, kicking,crying and otherwise making a scene, he could in a calm, adult manner simply tell us what he wanted by "using his words."

Let's just say that didn't work out so well. On a few occasions when he was most out of control I would say "use your words" simply to get a laugh out of Jen. Luke however, wasn't impressed. He continued using his own means of communication whether I said "use your words" or "if you don't stop I'm going to ship you to China."He really didn't care about his words at that point in his young life.

But how things change...

Proverbs 25:11 says "a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." It's a great picture. A great reminder of the power of our words.

Now that we're adults we use words so often that we forget their power. The Boston Globe reports that women speak on average 20,000 words per day while men speak on average 7,000. Another study says we average 16,000 words per day. Point being... we learn pretty quickly to "use our words!"

The Bible is replete with warnings about the power of the tongue to destroy, but we also find within it's pages encouragements to"use our words" in ways that "encourage one another" and in ways that "bear one another's burdens."

Recently I've been reminded of the power of a word aptly spoken to encourage and that the absence of encouraging words can lead to discouragement. So my question is simply, "who can you encourage with a word aptly spoken today?"

Have you seen something in your son or daughter that you've appreciated but have not spoken to them? Have you noticed afresh all the daily stuff your spouse does to keep your home running and not stopped to speak your appreciation for them? Do you have a family member or friend who could just use a reminder that they're important and valued through a word of encouragement?

Let me encourage you to "use your words" to encourage one another this week and to find within that exercise a renewed sense of value and purpose in your own daily existence.

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

According to Websters, to inspire means to: "fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence."

Think Brad Lidge falling to his knees and all of Philadelphia in pandemonium after striking out Eric Hinske to win the 2009 World Series for the Phillies.

Think first kiss with your spouse.

Think of the first cry you ever heard from your first child.

Think of a worship service on a Sunday morning.

Come again?

Our worship services come with such regularity that humanly speaking we cannot expect each one to have the same inspirational qualities that these other one-time events have.  Or should we?

While I'd be happy to hear your discussion on that issue, the purpose of this blog is simply to let you know that there are some people at GPC who are taking an extra step toward making our services more inspirational, engaging and creative.

Marty & Jan Clemmer, Brittany Gehman, Greg Petersheim,  Deb Smoker, and myself have been commissioned by the Elders for this very purpose.  We are meeting & talking regularly not just about the worship services, but about our entire worship environment at GPC.  In the short-term this group is responsible for the props for the "I Am" series and the upcoming Good Friday service we're planning.  In the long-run, expect to see additional tweaks, ideas and improvements as we continue to aim for inspirational, engaging and creative worship at GPC.

As you can imagine, what is inspirational, engaging and creative to some might be considered contrived, distracting and unnecessary to another.  So, if you see any of them in the halls at church, be sure to encourage them for their bravery to take on such a task!  And maybe you have some creative ideas you've always wished for in worship.  We'd love to hear them!

Pressing forward,

Pastor Tim

This past weekend the The Factory Youth Center along with Cross Connection Youth Center in New Holland and our own Backstage Student ministry of GPC traveled to Camp Orchard Hill in Dallas, PA for a winter retreat.  The 70 of us were part of a bigger group of almost 250 students.

It was a weekend of very difficult yet rewarding ministry.  Let me explain...

The weekend started off as usual.  What I mean by usual is the normal culture clash that one would go through in taking a group of unbelieving students to a Christian camp.  The teens from The Factory struggled with the rules.  "Why can't we go into the guys/girls cabin?".  "Why can't I smoke whenever I want to?".   "Why do we have to be in our cabins at midnight?" .   "Are you serious that we cannot stay outside and hang out all night long?".   "Why are we singing about "eating the word" or "I just wanna be a sheep"?  "Why are these people weird"?  "Why are these sessions so long?"

While the guys were having fun being up all Friday night and enjoying getting to know the youth center from New Holland and the guys from Grace Point Church of Paradise (all the guys from our three groups stayed in one big lodge),  the girls were having a very difficult night.  Our female leaders had quite a time trying to deal with bad attitudes and a few very disruptive girls.  The next morning we were able to calm the girls down.  We anticipated that the weekend was going to be extremely difficult.   On Saturday, things were going along well until we had a guy break our smoking policy.  The teens thought we were going to send him home and drama broke out.  They were upset at us.  One teen told me that if we send one of them home then they all will go home.  Well, we were not going to send him home anyway but it was stressful.  As the afternoon went on some of them were bored and restless. The girls were cold and wanted to just hang out with the guys in the guys lodge.  By dinner time, I was stressed and starting to doubt this whole idea.

During the Saturday evening session I began to have a conversation with God (or was it the devil having a conversation with me?).  I began to wonder why I do this.  Maybe it was not a good idea to bring troubled teenagers who have no boundaries in life to a winter christian camp for the weekend.  I had all but decided that the stress was not worth it.  I began to dialogue with God and felt bad for my lack of faith.  The speaker was right on all weekend and I knew that if they were listening that God could speak. The problem was that it didn't appear that they were listening.  The speaker then gave the students a chance to respond to the love of God.  He asked them all to bow their heads and raise their hands if they wanted  to experience the amazing love of God.

I began to cry as I looked and saw 14 of our students raise their hands.  In one second, I confessed the lack of my faith, began to cry, and watched with skepticism.  I thanked God but wondered if it was all fake or not.  What I saw next truly amazed me.  I began to notice that some students  began to cry, some crying uncontrollably.  Truly God's Spirit was working in a mighty way.  One by one, the staff began to reach out to these teens and hold them, love on them, and listen.  As we listened, we began to hear things like this:

"I never realized God loves me this much.  All he wants from me is to love him back and I can't do that."  This teen kept repeating this over and over.  He was so struck by God's love and his lack of ability to love him back. He said "I want to love him like he loves me."  

"I miss my dad so much" - this girl's father died last year.

"I have so much crap in my life and I know God loves me now"  This teen has been really struggling but now wants to meet with me and talk with me about his pain

"I want to let God love me but the thought of him never leaving me is too hard to believe.  Everyone in my life has left me"  This girls situation would make any of us cry.  She wants to love God but is scared he will leave her

"I felt something tonight that I never felt before.  I don't know but it was weird.  Whatever it is, I want it.  I want to feel God's love in my life"  

There were many other conversations that night that I have not even had a chance to debrief with the staff on.   The staff and students truly believed that something weird but amazing began to happen. As I said, it was as if God took his life rotor tiller and began to really soften the soil.  PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE TEENS AND THE DOZENS OF OTHERS AT THE FACTORY.  

While the weekend was unfolding, the teens from Grace Point watched what was taking place.  In their own hears, God was also working.  Several decided to live more the way God wants them to.  One of the GPC teens commented that they felt God speaking to them about being more proactive in building relationships with the Factory teens.  A few others echoed.  The staff feels it was very moving for them to see God work in the lives of the Factory teens.  We will be helping our teens discover ways they can connect with teens they go to school with who need Christ.

Pray for the ministry of The Factory.  Also, pray for the Backstage student ministry as it seeks to build a bridge of hope and trust with the students in our community.

Chuck

There may be no greater distance between winners and losers in a sporting event than the annual Super Bowl.  

Take the example of the Saints and the Colts in this year’s game for example… the Saints get whisked off to a parade that will shut down the entire city of New Orleans.  Hundreds of thousands of people will cheer them on.  Then they’ll get whisked off to Disney World to celebrate with Mickey.  Then they’ll get whisked off to the White House.  These men will never be the same again for the experience.

What happens to the Colts?  They walk off the field, change in the locker room, send their unused, pre-printed “Super Bowl Champions” t-shirts to Nicaragua then get on a plane.  When they arrive in Indianapolis, eleven people greet them.  Seriously.  Eleven people showed up to greet the Colts team and were cordoned off two hundred feet away from the team for safety reasons. 

In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about running the race to win (1 Cor. 9:24).  Winning takes focus, dedication and, in football, a few lucky bounces.  The Super Bowl winners and losers remind me that we love to celebrate our wins and downplay our losses. 

It makes me wonder… what do I do with my “spiritual” losses?  The times I lose the battle with temptation… the times I lose my patience with my family… the times I lose hope that God can change hearts… the times I rely on my power, not his… I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to talk about them.  I have the tendency to downplay my losses as much as the next person.

But the Scriptures set a different model for us, and that is that our “losses” can and should be shared by the community of faith – sometimes through confession, sometimes by encouragement from others, always through prayer.

My encouragement to you this week is not to downplay your losses.  Don’t keep them to yourself.  Don’t believe that lie of Satan that you’re the only one struggling with the issues you’re struggling with.  Bring them to the safe light of a safe community and see God’s power become perfected in your weaknesses.

Striving with you,

Pastor Tim