- Wow that was too much fun as we kicked off our Party series.
- I love it when things just sort of click and everything comes together.
- Even better two more people became followers of Christ today!
- The morning started out normally but something happened to my right contact during the set-up time. I couldn’t see…so I had to call Lisa to bring me a fresh set.
- Missy Kibbe did a great job of getting the refreshments set up and welcoming the early crowd to the party.
- By the time Brian got the party song started, the energy was already high.
- We’ve been wanting to do that song for a few years now and it finally made sense to do it.
- Loved seeing everyone singing, dancing, shouting, pumping their fists in the air…awesome!
- Brian and his team created an incredible stage design.
- When during the middle of Party all the lights finally came up…you could see the wow look on people’s faces.
- When it came time for the band to cover Trans Siberian Orchestra’s, Carol of the Bells, I was super nervous.
- They worked for hours on Thursday night just on that song.
- In case you couldn’t see it, Adam and Andrew were both getting quite the finger workout.
- Basically if you can pull off something like that you can do anything…both of them stepped up big time and did an awesome job.
- Thanks also to the rest of the team for their parts as well…especially Gayle who played what is meant for 4 keyboards on one by dividing our keyboard into basically two. Her left hand was playing one instrument her right hand the other.
- If you’ve ever been to or seen Trans Siberian, you know the crazy light shows that accompany their music. I thought considering our budget is a good million or two less than theirs, Brian did an awesome job creating a light show to match.
- I told the 11:15 crowd how rowdy the early crowd was and gave them a chance to outshout the early group…man I couldn’t believe the lungs you people have. :)
- I was pleased with both messages and pray that it will have a lasting impact on people.
- I also found out afterwards that over $6000 more dollars came in today to benefit needy families in our area. Thanks for stepping up to the challenge that both Earl and myself gave this past week.
- Again this year we should be able to help approximately40 families who wouldn’t have a Christmas except for our help.
- Already looking forward to next week…going to keep the Party going!
Contagious Christmas Challenge
Last year we came up with an idea called the Contagious Christmas Challenge (YouTube video with details). All told you were able to help 40 needy families have Christmas meals and gifts that they wouldn’t have otherwise. The letters we received from these families made us cry tears of joy as we realized how desperate they were and how much your generosity was able to make a difference.
Again this year we’re doing the challenge and dozens more families will be helped. However as of today we have 12 more families nominated than we currently have the funds to help. Either we’ll have to pick and choose which families to exclude or we need to raise another $3000 ASAP. This of course is where you come in. If you haven’t already, please consider making a donation this week so that we don’t have to turn anyone away.
So here’s my challenge:
I need 4 of you to commit to making a $250 donation.
I need 10 of you to commit to making a $100 donation.
I need 8 of you to commit to making a $50 donation.
I need 16 of you to commit to making a $25 donation.
I need 20 of you to commit to making a $10 donation.
When all of us pitch in to help those in need, it is easy and rewarding. Maybe you’ll want to take up a collection at your office or in your neighborhood so that others may experience the joy of knowing they made a difference this Christmas season. For those that are a part of the Chambersburg First Church of God, just bring in a check this week with a notation that it’s for the Contagious Christmas Challenge or stop by the You Matter booth. If you’re reading this and would like to mail a check, please mark that it’s for the Contagious Christmas Challenge and then mail it to:
Chambersburg First Church of God
2230 Grand Point Road
Chambersburg, PA 17202
If you have any questions please e-mail them to ccc@unitedworshipexperience.org. Thanks in advance for your help. Many people will experience not only a happy holiday but also the love of Christ through your generosity.
Inside Today’s Experiences
- I’m useless without my wife.
- What’s that have to do with today…
- She had her wisdom teeth taken out Wednesday and has been having trouble sleeping so she slept in the guest room last night so I could get a good night’s sleep.
- She’s the one who is normally in charge of the alarm clock and even though I set it and double check it last night…I still messed up.
- Imagine my surprise when she wakes me up this morning at 8:30 and says, “Aren’t you supposed to be at church now?”
- Oops…luckily the team is proficient enough to function without me during set up and our morning run-through.
- Except that someone forgot to unlock the back stage door (which I normally do) so when I went to go on stage during the 1st Experience, I was again greatly surprised to be locked out.
- Other than that it was a really good day.
- The team and both crowds were really energetic, which makes preaching so much easier then.
- Have already had about a dozen people stop me to say how convicting today’s message was.
- Andrea absolutely tore it up on the song “Battlefield”…great job!
- I think everyone had fun with the word S’mikheh.
- Aaron heard me preach a similar message to this one 3+ years ago where I talked about S’mikheh and he still says it from time to time.
- Two of the ladies back in the tech area this morning thought that it was funny that I wear stage make-up on Sunday’s.
- Hey it’s not like I’m Adam Lambert or anything, but a little foundation to smooth the skin and cut down on the glare never hurt anyone. :)
- Please pray for our bass guitarist Brett. He never showed up today and we’re hoping he just overslept since he works late on Saturday night’s. Or since we had practice on Saturday instead of Thursday because of Thanksgiving, it’s also possible that he thinks today is Friday. In any case we’re worried about him since we still haven’t been able to reach him.
- All in all I really enjoyed this series…Brian designed an awesome stage…we got to hear from Doug for the first time…many more people came into a relationship with Jesus…lives were changed…all because Jesus is a Maverick unlike any other.
- Tonight is Hanging of the Greens or HotG as we like to call it. Only time I get to hear I’m hot. :)
- Have a great week. Be sure to invite a lot of people as we kick-off the PARTY series next week.
Annual Thanksgiving Post
Since I started blogging a few years back, I’ve always done a post on Thanksgiving for the things I’m thankful for in the past year. This year is no different, so here we go…
- I’m thankful that my relationship with Jesus only gets better and grows deeper each and every year. I am nothing and would be utterly useless without Him.
- Speaking of a growing relationship, I sometimes find it hard to imagine that after 14 years of marriage that Lisa and I could love each other more than we did the day we got married, yet we do. She inspires to be all that God has created me to be and is a wonderful example of his love and servanthood to me every single day. I don’t deserve it, but yet she keeps on doing it…I love Lisa!
- I’m thankful for a family and extended family that love me and support me no matter what I do. Let’s face it…going from a professional magician to business owner, to pastor is not the most likely of career paths yet they’ve stuck by me each step of the way and support me the best they can considering the distance we live from one another. To all my family…I love you and thanks!
- I’m thankful to Andy and Gayle for making me aware of United 3 1/2 years ago and inviting to be a part of it. Wow who would have ever thought that it would be and become all that it has? Oh yeah…that would be you guys who believed in the power of God and my leadership enough to jump in with both feet despite your jobs and busy family life. Thanks for your 10+ years of friendship (our late Thursday night dinners are something I greatly look forward to)…can’t wait to see what the next 10 look like.
- Speaking of 10+ years of friendship, I’m thankful for Bill and Nicole who every Sunday take such good care of Lisa and I. Hardly a Sunday goes by that you don’t fix dinner for us and provide a relaxing atmosphere for us to unwind and enjoy your company. You’re friendship and the practical ways in which you help us has kept us sane…thank you, thank you , thank you!
- I’m thankful for the team that God has placed around me. I laugh anytime says that United is just a one man show…if only they knew the dozens of you who work so hard (mostly behind the scenes) to make Jesus name be known. I may get some of the accolades, but remember that is my reward…what you’re doing may not always get noticed by man, but God sees it and you will be eternally rewarded for your hard work and sacrifice in heaven.
- I especially want to thank our worship team and techs. As the years have gone on, my Thursday night role has diminished but yet I keep showing up anyway. Why? Because I so much enjoy my friendships with each one of you and the team camaraderie that we’ve built. I get to see first hand the amount of time and sacrifice you all give to make Sunday’s an Experience for people, not just a service we offer. Your excellence inspires me…thank you!
- I’m thankful for our church as a whole…5 Services and Experiences with 4 different worship styles could be a major trainwreck but it’s not. For the most part everyone realizes that it takes all kinds of people and services to reach our community so you’re very supportive. Thank you!
- Misc. thanks… new web-site, new blog site, new friendships, new laptop, Lisa’s surgery yesterday went well, opportunities to travel.
- Finally I want to thank God for being fully in control of all aspects of my life…God I thank you for giving it all for me, now help me to do the same for you.
Inside Today’s Experience’s
- We’ll call today a tale of two Experiences.
- The first one was terrible and the second one was much better.
- Having only 50 minutes for the first one so we could get over to the communion service was just not enough time.
- Between only doing one song and then having to do things in a different order, I was all out of sorts by the time the message started.
- I was doing so much to try to rush through that I was all over the place.
- I feel bad for Ben Meyers who had to try to follow along with me on slides…good job Ben for doing the best you could with a bad situation.
- If you attended the first Experience, I again apologize and would encourage you to listen to the online version of the message so you get a better feel for what I intended.
- Hooray for two Experiences…without the ability to go back and do it over again, I’d have beaten myself up all week.
- The other thing that made today weird was I can barely lift my left arm…it even hurt to hold my bible like I normally do, so I just sat at the table the whole time to teach.
- Getting old sucks!
- On a better note, the communion service over in the sanctuary was great…it’s always nice to bring everyone together for something as meaningful as communion.
- A few of you asked about where to find the historical context of some of the things I shared today. I have a pretty intensive computer program that helps spit out a lot of it, but you may also want to consider, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah and also the web-site www.followtherabbi.com.
- Without any guys singing today, it reminded me of when I first arrived at United and we were strictly a chick band…ah the good old days. :)
- Had some friends in today from WV, MD and WA (yep that is far away)…always nice to see peeps.
- Time for a nap and then dinner.