Latest Poll

The results of the latest poll (see left hand side of this blog) are in... "American Idol" narrowly edged out "The Biggest Loser" as the favorite reality TV show.

Be sure to check out the latest poll and cast your vote.

Latest Poll

The results of the latest poll (see left hand side of this blog) are in... "American Idol" narrowly edged out "The Biggest Loser" as the favorite reality TV show.

Be sure to check out the latest poll and cast your vote.

Building to Bless - Celebration

This weekend was our "Celebration Weekend" for our Building to Bless...Another Generation campaign. We celebrated the commitments made by many families within our congregation to the dream that we have to remodel and build on to accommodate the growth that God is, and will, be sending our way.

Thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for this effort and thank you to those who sacrificed so much to make the dream a reality. Next weekend I will be announcing the "to date" totals... I can't wait!! This is a 3 year campaign, so the total will always be on the rise as more and more people are invited to get in on the "blessing".

Building to Bless - Celebration

This weekend was our "Celebration Weekend" for our Building to Bless...Another Generation campaign. We celebrated the commitments made by many families within our congregation to the dream that we have to remodel and build on to accommodate the growth that God is, and will, be sending our way.

Thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for this effort and thank you to those who sacrificed so much to make the dream a reality. Next weekend I will be announcing the "to date" totals... I can't wait!! This is a 3 year campaign, so the total will always be on the rise as more and more people are invited to get in on the "blessing".

Bowling with The Teshuva

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday because at the last moment I decided to head out with our youth group (The Teshuva) to go bowling. We got back around 1:00 a.m.

Before we hit the bowling alley over in New Castle we stopped off at Taco Bell - here are some pictures of what over 30 teenagers in Taco Bell looks like...











I had a great time hanging out with Pastor Pink and all the other volunteers i.e. drivers/bouncers/etc. that helped out yesterday (today!? - 1:00 a.m.)

There are some things that will never change in this world: the sun will rise tomorrow, God is good, and I will always stink at bowling. Pastor Pink , Aaron Black, Derek Chalfant, as well as many teenage girls, gave me a good dose of humble pie when it came to my bowling score. ;-)

Bowling with The Teshuva

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday because at the last moment I decided to head out with our youth group (The Teshuva) to go bowling. We got back around 1:00 a.m.

Before we hit the bowling alley over in New Castle we stopped off at Taco Bell - here are some pictures of what over 30 teenagers in Taco Bell looks like...











I had a great time hanging out with Pastor Pink and all the other volunteers i.e. drivers/bouncers/etc. that helped out yesterday (today!? - 1:00 a.m.)

There are some things that will never change in this world: the sun will rise tomorrow, God is good, and I will always stink at bowling. Pastor Pink , Aaron Black, Derek Chalfant, as well as many teenage girls, gave me a good dose of humble pie when it came to my bowling score. ;-)

Free Book!

Any of my fellow bloggers out there want a free book? Check this out: Craig Groeschel has a new book coming out in October called "Going All the Way". FYI: the book is about marriage and sex. Craig is giving a free book out to anyone who is willing to blog about it. (This is an excellent marking strategy by the way!)

You can go HERE for the link to his blog post about the free book.

See, reading this blog has finally paid off ;-) I'm always looking out for you.

Free Book!

Any of my fellow bloggers out there want a free book? Check this out: Craig Groeschel has a new book coming out in October called "Going All the Way". FYI: the book is about marriage and sex. Craig is giving a free book out to anyone who is willing to blog about it. (This is an excellent marking strategy by the way!)

You can go HERE for the link to his blog post about the free book.

See, reading this blog has finally paid off ;-) I'm always looking out for you.

Grace Grow Go - Logo

I've been meaning to post this for a while now. Within the leadership of the church we have been working on our "discipleship process". Our process is described simply by our statement "Grace - Grow - Go". In order to help bring a visual example (metaphor) to illustrate this process a very generous person within our congregation hired a professional this summer to help us out. A local graphic artist named Arrick Garringer did a fantastic job of giving us a metaphor. You can check out more of Arrick's work at his website - http://www.arrickdesign.com/

This is only one image of what Arrick sent back. I'm going to try to figure out how to get the animated GIF file (which awesome) posted onto this blog. For now, this gives you an idea of the metaphor we will be working with...

Grace Grow Go - Logo

I've been meaning to post this for a while now. Within the leadership of the church we have been working on our "discipleship process". Our process is described simply by our statement "Grace - Grow - Go". In order to help bring a visual example (metaphor) to illustrate this process a very generous person within our congregation hired a professional this summer to help us out. A local graphic artist named Arrick Garringer did a fantastic job of giving us a metaphor. You can check out more of Arrick's work at his website - http://www.arrickdesign.com/

This is only one image of what Arrick sent back. I'm going to try to figure out how to get the animated GIF file (which awesome) posted onto this blog. For now, this gives you an idea of the metaphor we will be working with...

An Interview With: The Preacher's Wife

I'm beginning a recurring series of blogs that I will be calling "An Interview With:" I begin the series with my wife, Tammy Sorensen. Tammy and I have been married for 16 years now and have one daughter, Shelby.


Me: Where did you live when you were younger?
Tammy: Many places around Iowa. Where I can remember...Des Moines, Albia and Northwood.

Me: How did you and Kris meet?
Tammy: At Shopko (basically like Wal-Mart) where we both worked.

Me: Did you ever imagine you would be a pastor’s wife?
Tammy: No.

Me: What is the most challenging thing about being a pastor’s wife?
Tammy: I can't think of anything in particular. I don't feel any pressure to be something I'm not and I don't feel like I should be doing something I'm not. Maybe I should?? I don't know.

Me: What do you like most about being a mommy to Shelby?
Tammy: Can't name just one.....Being with her everyday to see all the changes in her, to see how much she learns and to be there for the ups and downs of her life so far!

Me: Tell us just how awesome it must be to be married to Kris.
Tammy: There are no words to describe it!!

:-)

An Interview With: The Preacher's Wife

I'm beginning a recurring series of blogs that I will be calling "An Interview With:" I begin the series with my wife, Tammy Sorensen. Tammy and I have been married for 16 years now and have one daughter, Shelby.


Me: Where did you live when you were younger?
Tammy: Many places around Iowa. Where I can remember...Des Moines, Albia and Northwood.

Me: How did you and Kris meet?
Tammy: At Shopko (basically like Wal-Mart) where we both worked.

Me: Did you ever imagine you would be a pastor’s wife?
Tammy: No.

Me: What is the most challenging thing about being a pastor’s wife?
Tammy: I can't think of anything in particular. I don't feel any pressure to be something I'm not and I don't feel like I should be doing something I'm not. Maybe I should?? I don't know.

Me: What do you like most about being a mommy to Shelby?
Tammy: Can't name just one.....Being with her everyday to see all the changes in her, to see how much she learns and to be there for the ups and downs of her life so far!

Me: Tell us just how awesome it must be to be married to Kris.
Tammy: There are no words to describe it!!

:-)

Building to Bless Update

I forgot to mention in my blog post on Sunday evening how much the Leaders have pledged toward our Building to Bless...Another Generation campaign. I told you on Friday night just how blessed I was to hear what at the time 40 households had pledged. To date 42 households have pledged $695,000! I was blown away by the amount of sacrifice represented by our leaders.

please be in prayer that we (FFC) will reach (or exceed) our financial goal this weekend. I believe we can do it - I really think that we can blow our goal of $1,556,000 out of the water. But the only way that will happen is with much prayer and sacrifice on the part of all of us. And when all is said and done the only thing we will be able to say is, "Only God".

Want to read what others have been saying about the Building to Bless campaign? Check these posts out...

onedumbsheep 1 2 3
frombehindtheguitar 1 2 3
simply stuff
What R U Missing?
etherealnonconformity 1 2
Early mornings.....with kids. 1 2

Building to Bless Update

I forgot to mention in my blog post on Sunday evening how much the Leaders have pledged toward our Building to Bless...Another Generation campaign. I told you on Friday night just how blessed I was to hear what at the time 40 households had pledged. To date 42 households have pledged $695,000! I was blown away by the amount of sacrifice represented by our leaders.

please be in prayer that we (FFC) will reach (or exceed) our financial goal this weekend. I believe we can do it - I really think that we can blow our goal of $1,556,000 out of the water. But the only way that will happen is with much prayer and sacrifice on the part of all of us. And when all is said and done the only thing we will be able to say is, "Only God".

Want to read what others have been saying about the Building to Bless campaign? Check these posts out...

onedumbsheep 1 2 3
frombehindtheguitar 1 2 3
simply stuff
What R U Missing?
etherealnonconformity 1 2
Early mornings.....with kids. 1 2

2 Great Things About 9/24/2007

A couple of great things occur tomorrow: first; I pick up Tammy and Shelby from the airport. They've spent several days in Nashville, TN. with Tammy's mother. It will be nice to have them back in the house, I've missed having them around, our dog, Caedmon, has been missing them too... see his sad little face :(

Secondly, tomorrow begins the new season of Heroes! I've waited 123 days and 23 hours for this! Anyone else going to be watching "Chapter 2" of Heroes with me?

Get this widget!

2 Great Things About 9/24/2007

A couple of great things occur tomorrow: first; I pick up Tammy and Shelby from the airport. They've spent several days in Nashville, TN. with Tammy's mother. It will be nice to have them back in the house, I've missed having them around, our dog, Caedmon, has been missing them too... see his sad little face :(

Secondly, tomorrow begins the new season of Heroes! I've waited 123 days and 23 hours for this! Anyone else going to be watching "Chapter 2" of Heroes with me?

Get this widget!

Blogs of Note

Every blog link that you see to the right is someone who is on staff at FFC or is an attender of FFC. Any time these individuals upload a new post I receive it via my RSS feeds in Microsoft Office. We have some very thoughtful and many times humorous bloggers. (Keep up the great posts ya'll - I love reading them!)

Let me take this opportunity to point you to some recent blogs of note:

onedumbsheep - You will need to read this blog while listening to Queens classic: "We Are the Champions"

The Preacher's Wife - From the ever thoughtful "Preacher's Wife" (Who is this person anyway? She never identifies herself.)

What R U Missing - Yep we're a competitive bunch.

Pastor Pink Thinks - From the "are you kidding me" bag.

Be sure to check out the other blogs and swing by and let them know you appreciate their perspectives and letting you see a little bit into their lives... I'm sure they will appreciate that you stopped by... By the way thanks for stopping by here.

Blogs of Note

Every blog link that you see to the right is someone who is on staff at FFC or is an attender of FFC. Any time these individuals upload a new post I receive it via my RSS feeds in Microsoft Office. We have some very thoughtful and many times humorous bloggers. (Keep up the great posts ya'll - I love reading them!)

Let me take this opportunity to point you to some recent blogs of note:

onedumbsheep - You will need to read this blog while listening to Queens classic: "We Are the Champions"

The Preacher's Wife - From the ever thoughtful "Preacher's Wife" (Who is this person anyway? She never identifies herself.)

What R U Missing - Yep we're a competitive bunch.

Pastor Pink Thinks - From the "are you kidding me" bag.

Be sure to check out the other blogs and swing by and let them know you appreciate their perspectives and letting you see a little bit into their lives... I'm sure they will appreciate that you stopped by... By the way thanks for stopping by here.

Building to Bless - I Think I Need Oxygen

We had our "Leadership Commitment Event" for our capital campaign this evening at church, and I am completely and totally PUMPED!!! We have been talking about "getting into the game" and everyone taking part in what God is doing in our church. And tonight we had 42 households get into the game - if this were an athletic game we would have clobbered the competition. These 40 households stepped up and gave BIG time! I will be announcing the total this weekend at church, you don't want to miss it. I'm so excited I think I need some oxygen.

In all my years of being raised in the church and leading churches I have never seen a group of people step up like I did tonight. Words can't express just how proud of these leaders that I am right now. I am so privileged to be their pastor. After tonight I have absolutely no doubt that FFC can accomplish our goal of raising $1,556,000 to build our new facility and be debt free in 3 years. I'm now looking forward to our "Celebration Weekend" on September 29,30 where everyone in the congregation will have the opportunity to get into the game. I've got to end this blog post so I can keep bouncing off the ceiling!!

Building to Bless - I Think I Need Oxygen

We had our "Leadership Commitment Event" for our capital campaign this evening at church, and I am completely and totally PUMPED!!! We have been talking about "getting into the game" and everyone taking part in what God is doing in our church. And tonight we had 42 households get into the game - if this were an athletic game we would have clobbered the competition. These 40 households stepped up and gave BIG time! I will be announcing the total this weekend at church, you don't want to miss it. I'm so excited I think I need some oxygen.

In all my years of being raised in the church and leading churches I have never seen a group of people step up like I did tonight. Words can't express just how proud of these leaders that I am right now. I am so privileged to be their pastor. After tonight I have absolutely no doubt that FFC can accomplish our goal of raising $1,556,000 to build our new facility and be debt free in 3 years. I'm now looking forward to our "Celebration Weekend" on September 29,30 where everyone in the congregation will have the opportunity to get into the game. I've got to end this blog post so I can keep bouncing off the ceiling!!

Building to Bless - Leadership Commitment

Tomorrow night is a very important night in the life of our church. Tomorrow evening many of the leaders of the church will be gathering to make their three-year pledges toward our Building to Bless...Another Generation effort. I've been looking forward to this time for many months now. I'm anticipating a great evening, with some wonderful people, and for God to just amaze us with the way that our leaders will step up and sacrifice to bless the next generation.

This has been a challenging and stressful time for so many in our church. It seems that any time we try to advance The Kingdom the enemy is just around the corner doing his best to distract and discourage. I'm confident that by the end of this campaign we will look back and the only thing we will be able to say is "only God". "Only God could have done something so amazing at Farmland Friends church!"

Building to Bless - Leadership Commitment

Tomorrow night is a very important night in the life of our church. Tomorrow evening many of the leaders of the church will be gathering to make their three-year pledges toward our Building to Bless...Another Generation effort. I've been looking forward to this time for many months now. I'm anticipating a great evening, with some wonderful people, and for God to just amaze us with the way that our leaders will step up and sacrifice to bless the next generation.

This has been a challenging and stressful time for so many in our church. It seems that any time we try to advance The Kingdom the enemy is just around the corner doing his best to distract and discourage. I'm confident that by the end of this campaign we will look back and the only thing we will be able to say is "only God". "Only God could have done something so amazing at Farmland Friends church!"

Tammy & Shelby's Mini Vacation

Not a lot to post this evening. Tomorrow I will be taking Tammy and Shelby to the airport in Indy and they will be meeting Tammy's mom, Linda, and all three of them will be flying down to Nashville, TN. Tammy will be trying to launch her country music career and has a gig in downtown Nashville... just seeing if you were really reading this :-)

Actually they will be staying at the Opryland Hotel for a few days, (I'm a little jealousy, I've been wanting to stay there, it's a great place) and they will do a lot of shopping at the Opry Mills Mall. Tammy and I have been to Nashville several times now; this will be Linda's first trip and I'm sure she will enjoy it.

Since I didn't have a lot to post this evening I'll leave you with this little video. Enjoy...

Tammy & Shelby's Mini Vacation

Not a lot to post this evening. Tomorrow I will be taking Tammy and Shelby to the airport in Indy and they will be meeting Tammy's mom, Linda, and all three of them will be flying down to Nashville, TN. Tammy will be trying to launch her country music career and has a gig in downtown Nashville... just seeing if you were really reading this :-)

Actually they will be staying at the Opryland Hotel for a few days, (I'm a little jealousy, I've been wanting to stay there, it's a great place) and they will do a lot of shopping at the Opry Mills Mall. Tammy and I have been to Nashville several times now; this will be Linda's first trip and I'm sure she will enjoy it.

Since I didn't have a lot to post this evening I'll leave you with this little video. Enjoy...

My Youth Website Can Beat Up Your Youth Website

You know how you always think that your child is the smartest, cutest, most talented, etc. Or, remember how you thought that your dad could beat up the other dad's on the block. That's the way I feel about our new Youth Group (The Teshuva) web page. I think it is the best youth website I've ever seen. Pastor Pink and the fine people at TrueWell, Inc. partnered to create an awesome website. If you haven't checked it out yet, head on over to www.theteshuva.net

By the way Teshuva is Hebrew for "return"/"repent".

"Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty." Zech. 1:3

My Youth Website Can Beat Up Your Youth Website

You know how you always think that your child is the smartest, cutest, most talented, etc. Or, remember how you thought that your dad could beat up the other dad's on the block. That's the way I feel about our new Youth Group (The Teshuva) web page. I think it is the best youth website I've ever seen. Pastor Pink and the fine people at TrueWell, Inc. partnered to create an awesome website. If you haven't checked it out yet, head on over to www.theteshuva.net

By the way Teshuva is Hebrew for "return"/"repent".

"Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty." Zech. 1:3

Today’s Completely and Totally Useless Facts

A blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant.
Sound travels three times faster under water than it does above?
The billionth digit of pi is 9.
A group of twelve or more cows is called a flink.
400 quarter-pounders can be made out of 1 cow.
Howdy-Doody had 48 freckles.
"Sun sneezing (Photic sneezing)" often runs in families, and occurs in around one in four people.
"Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.
The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

You're welcome :-)

Today’s Completely and Totally Useless Facts

A blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant.
Sound travels three times faster under water than it does above?
The billionth digit of pi is 9.
A group of twelve or more cows is called a flink.
400 quarter-pounders can be made out of 1 cow.
Howdy-Doody had 48 freckles.
"Sun sneezing (Photic sneezing)" often runs in families, and occurs in around one in four people.
"Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.
The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

You're welcome :-)

To be Blessed or to be a Blessing

Some phrases or thoughts really stick with me during the week and I know that I need to pass that thought along to the congregation on the weekend. This week the phrase was, "We want to be blessed by the church but we don't want to be a blessing to the church".

Too often we are not willing to use our time, talents, or treasures to bless the church; but we sure want the blessings that the church can offer us. When I find that unwillingness creeping its way into my life that's the moment I have to pray; "God I'm not willing; would you make me willing?" I've got to fight past the desire to be selfish and pray that God would give me the willingness to be generous and to share.

1 Timothy 6:17-19, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

To be Blessed or to be a Blessing

Some phrases or thoughts really stick with me during the week and I know that I need to pass that thought along to the congregation on the weekend. This week the phrase was, "We want to be blessed by the church but we don't want to be a blessing to the church".

Too often we are not willing to use our time, talents, or treasures to bless the church; but we sure want the blessings that the church can offer us. When I find that unwillingness creeping its way into my life that's the moment I have to pray; "God I'm not willing; would you make me willing?" I've got to fight past the desire to be selfish and pray that God would give me the willingness to be generous and to share.

1 Timothy 6:17-19, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

My Blender Can Beat Up Your Blender part 2

If you've ever held a hockey puck you know just how substantial they are - it would seem pretty tough to blend... not for our blenders though. You need to come back to Higher Ground (our coffee shop at FFC) and check these blenders out for yourself - only we'll make you a blended ice drink not blended hockey pucks.

Check out this video...

My Blender Can Beat Up Your Blender part 2

If you've ever held a hockey puck you know just how substantial they are - it would seem pretty tough to blend... not for our blenders though. You need to come back to Higher Ground (our coffee shop at FFC) and check these blenders out for yourself - only we'll make you a blended ice drink not blended hockey pucks.

Check out this video...

An Exercise in More Patience

If you read my last post you read about how I've been trying to get my home theater sound system repaired for months now. After 3 months of go around I was called by the company and told that they couldn't fix it and that I could expect a phone call from the Circuit City I took it to. After not hearing back from that store - I called them and they said they had received my old unit (again) and that I could come in and exchange it. Tammy, Shelby, and I made the trek to the store looking to exchange the unit.

I went in hopeful that my marathon was over and that I could bring home my new sound system; but deep down I was expecting something to go wrong. When I explained who I was and that I needed to make the exchange the customer service rep told me "we don't have any of those in stock". *?!?!* You know what I did? I smiled. I couldn't help but laugh.

The customer service reps were nice and said they would locate one and have it shipped to their store - I smiled and said, "That would be great". It should be at their store in 2 weeks... we'll see :-)

An Exercise in More Patience

If you read my last post you read about how I've been trying to get my home theater sound system repaired for months now. After 3 months of go around I was called by the company and told that they couldn't fix it and that I could expect a phone call from the Circuit City I took it to. After not hearing back from that store - I called them and they said they had received my old unit (again) and that I could come in and exchange it. Tammy, Shelby, and I made the trek to the store looking to exchange the unit.

I went in hopeful that my marathon was over and that I could bring home my new sound system; but deep down I was expecting something to go wrong. When I explained who I was and that I needed to make the exchange the customer service rep told me "we don't have any of those in stock". *?!?!* You know what I did? I smiled. I couldn't help but laugh.

The customer service reps were nice and said they would locate one and have it shipped to their store - I smiled and said, "That would be great". It should be at their store in 2 weeks... we'll see :-)

An Exercise in Patience

Almost 3 months ago now I blogged about my sound system that broke and latter I discovered that I had purchased an extended warranty. The very next day I drove to the closest Circuit City, which happens to be in Indianapolis because the one in Muncie just couldn't seem to stay open (go figure!?). Well here we are almost 3 months latter and after Circuit City misplaced my sound system for a month (eventually they found it behind some pop bottles in the back) and the company calling me and saying that they can't fix it; I'm finally going to drive back to Indianapolis and exchange my system for a new one. This has been an exercise in patience for me.

Through the whole process I called and spoke to numerous people in several different departments and locations around the United States and with each call I had the opportunity to be very polite in the face of something that I could have been very angry about. After explaining the situation to each person they were shocked at how calm I was being.

I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow morning when I drive to Indianapolis and exchange my system; all I know is that I may have the opportunity to show a lot of grace and show some folks some love when they may not expect it. Should be fun.

An Exercise in Patience

Almost 3 months ago now I blogged about my sound system that broke and latter I discovered that I had purchased an extended warranty. The very next day I drove to the closest Circuit City, which happens to be in Indianapolis because the one in Muncie just couldn't seem to stay open (go figure!?). Well here we are almost 3 months latter and after Circuit City misplaced my sound system for a month (eventually they found it behind some pop bottles in the back) and the company calling me and saying that they can't fix it; I'm finally going to drive back to Indianapolis and exchange my system for a new one. This has been an exercise in patience for me.

Through the whole process I called and spoke to numerous people in several different departments and locations around the United States and with each call I had the opportunity to be very polite in the face of something that I could have been very angry about. After explaining the situation to each person they were shocked at how calm I was being.

I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow morning when I drive to Indianapolis and exchange my system; all I know is that I may have the opportunity to show a lot of grace and show some folks some love when they may not expect it. Should be fun.

Completely and Totally Random Thoughts

• Still only one chargers fan on the latest poll- go figure.
• I have an interesting idea for some future blog posts - stay tuned.
• We are down to one fish in our aquarium now - I've killed 5 fish (not on purpose)
• Our youth group "The Teshuva" is going to have one kickin' website! - it's one of the best youth group sites I've ever seen.
• Our blender at church is 1,500 watts - just thought you'd like to know.
• My blender at home is 450 watts - again, just thought you'd like to know.
• Just one of Miss Teen South Carolina's video on YouTube has been viewed nearly 15 million times!
• It will be at least 2 weeks before I get a full day off - start the violin music for me.
• There's still nothing on TV for another 11 days and 22 hours.
• In October I get to hang out with some of our staff at an awesome conference.
• "Building to Bless... Another Generation" is really stretching me - I can't wait to see how much glory God is going to receive after our church steps up and does something BIG to bless the next generation and our surrounding community!

Completely and Totally Random Thoughts

• Still only one chargers fan on the latest poll- go figure.
• I have an interesting idea for some future blog posts - stay tuned.
• We are down to one fish in our aquarium now - I've killed 5 fish (not on purpose)
• Our youth group "The Teshuva" is going to have one kickin' website! - it's one of the best youth group sites I've ever seen.
• Our blender at church is 1,500 watts - just thought you'd like to know.
• My blender at home is 450 watts - again, just thought you'd like to know.
• Just one of Miss Teen South Carolina's video on YouTube has been viewed nearly 15 million times!
• It will be at least 2 weeks before I get a full day off - start the violin music for me.
• There's still nothing on TV for another 11 days and 22 hours.
• In October I get to hang out with some of our staff at an awesome conference.
• "Building to Bless... Another Generation" is really stretching me - I can't wait to see how much glory God is going to receive after our church steps up and does something BIG to bless the next generation and our surrounding community!

Polls, Blogs, & Tears

Thank you to everyone who shared their fashion advice with me regarding what to wear or not wear to church on the last poll. I believe the final total was 23 votes for "No Suit Coat" and 14 votes for "Suit Coat". I double checked the votes early Sunday morning just in case someone thought they'd be funny in the last moments of the poll and make me wear a suit coat... I thank you for your mercy ;-) Be sure to check out the new poll on the right hand side of the blog. I'm pretty sure I can guess who the 1 Chargers fan is.

Also, I've added two new blogs to my links. Dwayne and Cari Lott have entered the blogging neighborhood, be sure to stop by their blog - and tell them Kris sent ya'. ;-)

We had a great time this evening at our "Family Life Legacy" event. Tonya Pinkerton blessed us with her awesome voice and Richard and Dawn Waters shared their testimonies with us. I always get choked up when I hear about the powerful way that God moves in peoples lives and brings about transformation (thank you Richard and Dawn for blessing me this evening)... it's all about changed lives!

Polls, Blogs, & Tears

Thank you to everyone who shared their fashion advice with me regarding what to wear or not wear to church on the last poll. I believe the final total was 23 votes for "No Suit Coat" and 14 votes for "Suit Coat". I double checked the votes early Sunday morning just in case someone thought they'd be funny in the last moments of the poll and make me wear a suit coat... I thank you for your mercy ;-) Be sure to check out the new poll on the right hand side of the blog. I'm pretty sure I can guess who the 1 Chargers fan is.

Also, I've added two new blogs to my links. Dwayne and Cari Lott have entered the blogging neighborhood, be sure to stop by their blog - and tell them Kris sent ya'. ;-)

We had a great time this evening at our "Family Life Legacy" event. Tonya Pinkerton blessed us with her awesome voice and Richard and Dawn Waters shared their testimonies with us. I always get choked up when I hear about the powerful way that God moves in peoples lives and brings about transformation (thank you Richard and Dawn for blessing me this evening)... it's all about changed lives!

Henry Street Heritage

Tonight I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with some very special people in our church. As part of our Building to Bless effort we invited all of those individuals who were a part of our Henry Street Campus (our old church building) to come for a service that we called "Henry Street Heritage". We spent the the time singing, listening to testimonies, and talking about the past, present and future of our church family. We have been blessed as a church family to have so many self-sacrificing and faithful people go before us. We are really just building off of their faithfulness. We had a great time strolling down memory lane and then dreaming about the future together.

A big thanks goes out to Amy Chamberlain and her team for organizing such a great event this evening! Tomorrow night I get to meet with another special group; tomorrow we will be gathering those whose children have been blessed by our second building project, the Family Life Center.

Henry Street Heritage

Tonight I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with some very special people in our church. As part of our Building to Bless effort we invited all of those individuals who were a part of our Henry Street Campus (our old church building) to come for a service that we called "Henry Street Heritage". We spent the the time singing, listening to testimonies, and talking about the past, present and future of our church family. We have been blessed as a church family to have so many self-sacrificing and faithful people go before us. We are really just building off of their faithfulness. We had a great time strolling down memory lane and then dreaming about the future together.

A big thanks goes out to Amy Chamberlain and her team for organizing such a great event this evening! Tomorrow night I get to meet with another special group; tomorrow we will be gathering those whose children have been blessed by our second building project, the Family Life Center.

A Fish Called Shelby

Last Sunday I used a prop on stage, an aquarium with 5 fish at the Saturday night service, and 4 fish on Sunday. I had a little impromptu funeral early Sunday before the 8:30 service =( I promised Shelby that she could have the fish after I had used them on Sunday morning which included: the goldfish, the aquarium, the fish food, the rocks for the aquarium, the tablets that remove chlorine, the drops to remove "cloudy water", the newly added filter, and a little treasure chest for the fish to play with (this turned out to be an expensive prop for me).

So I brought 4 fish home from the church last Sunday. Shelby named each fish, and she named one of the fish "Shelby". By the next morning we had lost another fish (Que the funeral music). Now we were down to 3; fortunately, "Shelby" was still living. And then it happened - today after our walk around Parker City (I'd post a link for Parker City, Indiana, but alas we have no website - surprise!) we came home and I found "Shelby", the fish, dead and sucked up against the filter... and then there were 2.

I stepped outside and broke the news to Shelby that another goldfish had died; Shelby asked in a questioning and faintly terrified voice, "Was it 'Shelby'?" "Yes, honey it was 'Shelby'", I said. For a moment Shelby seemed distraught and it appeared that she was going to cry -- but then her little brain kicked in and she said, "Can I name the other one "Shelby"? I said, "You sure can." and a smile returned to her little face. It looks like we will be doing pretty good with all the fish I'm knocking off just as long as we have back up "Shelby's" =)

A Fish Called Shelby

Last Sunday I used a prop on stage, an aquarium with 5 fish at the Saturday night service, and 4 fish on Sunday. I had a little impromptu funeral early Sunday before the 8:30 service =( I promised Shelby that she could have the fish after I had used them on Sunday morning which included: the goldfish, the aquarium, the fish food, the rocks for the aquarium, the tablets that remove chlorine, the drops to remove "cloudy water", the newly added filter, and a little treasure chest for the fish to play with (this turned out to be an expensive prop for me).

So I brought 4 fish home from the church last Sunday. Shelby named each fish, and she named one of the fish "Shelby". By the next morning we had lost another fish (Que the funeral music). Now we were down to 3; fortunately, "Shelby" was still living. And then it happened - today after our walk around Parker City (I'd post a link for Parker City, Indiana, but alas we have no website - surprise!) we came home and I found "Shelby", the fish, dead and sucked up against the filter... and then there were 2.

I stepped outside and broke the news to Shelby that another goldfish had died; Shelby asked in a questioning and faintly terrified voice, "Was it 'Shelby'?" "Yes, honey it was 'Shelby'", I said. For a moment Shelby seemed distraught and it appeared that she was going to cry -- but then her little brain kicked in and she said, "Can I name the other one "Shelby"? I said, "You sure can." and a smile returned to her little face. It looks like we will be doing pretty good with all the fish I'm knocking off just as long as we have back up "Shelby's" =)

"Wishing" vs. "Willing"

Someone who loves me (my Mother-in-law, Linda) bought me a book I had been wanting. I'm not looking to loose a lot of weight I just need to be proactive about staying in shape. Living on the inside of me is a fat man just wanting to get out. Seven years ago I weighed 35-40 pounds more than I do right now. If I'm not careful it's easy to slip back into the old habits and end up out of shape again.

I've not read through the entire "Abs Diet" book yet but today was my first full day of applying some of the principles. If it works I'll be sure to let you know - if it doesn't work you'll probably never hear another word about it :-)

I'm not big into dieting: I think that unless the diet brings about lifestyle changes it's a bunch of baloney. Getting into shape comes down to hard work, discipline, and determination... much like anything else you want in life. It comes down to a mindset; at some point you've got to stop saying "I wish I was in better shape" and you've got to start saying, "I will get in better shape."

"Wishing" vs. "Willing"

Someone who loves me (my Mother-in-law, Linda) bought me a book I had been wanting. I'm not looking to loose a lot of weight I just need to be proactive about staying in shape. Living on the inside of me is a fat man just wanting to get out. Seven years ago I weighed 35-40 pounds more than I do right now. If I'm not careful it's easy to slip back into the old habits and end up out of shape again.

I've not read through the entire "Abs Diet" book yet but today was my first full day of applying some of the principles. If it works I'll be sure to let you know - if it doesn't work you'll probably never hear another word about it :-)

I'm not big into dieting: I think that unless the diet brings about lifestyle changes it's a bunch of baloney. Getting into shape comes down to hard work, discipline, and determination... much like anything else you want in life. It comes down to a mindset; at some point you've got to stop saying "I wish I was in better shape" and you've got to start saying, "I will get in better shape."

My Blender Can Beat Up Your Blender

Our coffee shop blender can kick your coffee shop blender's butt. Several months ago our Higher Ground coffee shop at church purchased a couple of commercial blenders that are awesome. The company is Blendtec and these babies pack a punch; don't believe me check this video out...



That's right - don't mess with our blenders! There's more where that came from...

My Blender Can Beat Up Your Blender

Our coffee shop blender can kick your coffee shop blender's butt. Several months ago our Higher Ground coffee shop at church purchased a couple of commercial blenders that are awesome. The company is Blendtec and these babies pack a punch; don't believe me check this video out...



That's right - don't mess with our blenders! There's more where that came from...

Don't Forget to Vote

Time is running out to vote on my clothing attire for this Sunday. So far it looks like no suit coat (whew thank God ;-) Sometime I may really have to spice this thing up and have people vote on whether or not I should wear a tie... but I'm not the brave ;-)

Don't Forget to Vote

Time is running out to vote on my clothing attire for this Sunday. So far it looks like no suit coat (whew thank God ;-) Sometime I may really have to spice this thing up and have people vote on whether or not I should wear a tie... but I'm not the brave ;-)

Sprint then Rest

This month I'm reminded of the fact that ministry is a series of sprints followed by a time of rest followed by sprints and then a rest, etc. This month I think I could give Carl Lewis a run for his money. This is a very busy month for myself and my staff... Our capital campaign, "Building to Bless... Another Generation" is consuming a lot of time and energy.

The interesting thing about ministry is the fact that while there is very little physical effort the emotional, mental, and spiritual effort is exhausting. I know that is hard to understand in our culture of "it's only hard work if you are sweating and using physical energy" but there are days I'd prefer the physical effort over the spiritual/emotional energy.

I'm looking forward to the month of October and am praying that it will be a season of "rest" for myself and our staff so that we can catch our breath for the next sprint.

Sprint then Rest

This month I'm reminded of the fact that ministry is a series of sprints followed by a time of rest followed by sprints and then a rest, etc. This month I think I could give Carl Lewis a run for his money. This is a very busy month for myself and my staff... Our capital campaign, "Building to Bless... Another Generation" is consuming a lot of time and energy.

The interesting thing about ministry is the fact that while there is very little physical effort the emotional, mental, and spiritual effort is exhausting. I know that is hard to understand in our culture of "it's only hard work if you are sweating and using physical energy" but there are days I'd prefer the physical effort over the spiritual/emotional energy.

I'm looking forward to the month of October and am praying that it will be a season of "rest" for myself and our staff so that we can catch our breath for the next sprint.

FYI

Hey just a heads up... Clicking the "Next Blog" button at the top of this screen does not take you to my next blog entry, it takes you to another blogger's page. I wouldn't suggest you click the "next blog" button, it's like playing Russian Roulette with the internet; you may get a decent blog or you could be taken to a place you don't want to be.

If you want to see other pages or entry's that I've done in the past please check out the "Blog Archive" at the bottom right of this page. Or to search for a specific topic within by blog pages you can type your search term in the box on the top left of the web page and click "search blog" and it will search only this blog for what you are looking for.

The search feature is actually kind of fun; for instance if you type in the word "toilet" you will see that I've never used that word.... well until now. Try the word "hamsters" and you will find a plethora of entries. Or try the word "plethora"... you get the idea :-)

FYI

Hey just a heads up... Clicking the "Next Blog" button at the top of this screen does not take you to my next blog entry, it takes you to another blogger's page. I wouldn't suggest you click the "next blog" button, it's like playing Russian Roulette with the internet; you may get a decent blog or you could be taken to a place you don't want to be.

If you want to see other pages or entry's that I've done in the past please check out the "Blog Archive" at the bottom right of this page. Or to search for a specific topic within by blog pages you can type your search term in the box on the top left of the web page and click "search blog" and it will search only this blog for what you are looking for.

The search feature is actually kind of fun; for instance if you type in the word "toilet" you will see that I've never used that word.... well until now. Try the word "hamsters" and you will find a plethora of entries. Or try the word "plethora"... you get the idea :-)

Vision and the Battle

I am totally stealing this post from Ben Arment. It really resonated with me today and I can identify with his comments.

"Vision is dangerous for leaders
Where there is NO vision, the people perish. But where there IS vision... the leader gets beat up.
I've discovered that when I'm not casting vision, life at RCC is easy. I'm the guy walking the halls in a white jump suit pointing and winking at people with "Staying Alive" playing in the background. Of course, our church doesn't go anywhere during these times. We're like the fun-ship carnival cruise. Just tell me when the buffet opens.

But when I'm casting vision, there's tension... there's diversion of eye-contact... some folks are trying to decide if this is the church for them... I hear more complaints about my preaching... some even wonder if I'm old enough to lead a church. Suddenly, I'm fly paper for criticism.
Vision is the most powerful tool in the church outside of the Holy Spirit. It moves people toward what is right, what is biblical, what God wants for our lives. But the very nature of vision puts a big ol' bull's eye on the leader's chest."

I liked Ben's insight on vision. Not only is there a "human side" to the bull's eye on the leader's chest, but there is the "spiritual side" and the fiery darts that come at you from the evil one. Vision places the leader right in the middle of the battle.

Vision and the Battle

I am totally stealing this post from Ben Arment. It really resonated with me today and I can identify with his comments.

"Vision is dangerous for leaders
Where there is NO vision, the people perish. But where there IS vision... the leader gets beat up.
I've discovered that when I'm not casting vision, life at RCC is easy. I'm the guy walking the halls in a white jump suit pointing and winking at people with "Staying Alive" playing in the background. Of course, our church doesn't go anywhere during these times. We're like the fun-ship carnival cruise. Just tell me when the buffet opens.

But when I'm casting vision, there's tension... there's diversion of eye-contact... some folks are trying to decide if this is the church for them... I hear more complaints about my preaching... some even wonder if I'm old enough to lead a church. Suddenly, I'm fly paper for criticism.
Vision is the most powerful tool in the church outside of the Holy Spirit. It moves people toward what is right, what is biblical, what God wants for our lives. But the very nature of vision puts a big ol' bull's eye on the leader's chest."

I liked Ben's insight on vision. Not only is there a "human side" to the bull's eye on the leader's chest, but there is the "spiritual side" and the fiery darts that come at you from the evil one. Vision places the leader right in the middle of the battle.

Children's Museum

I took a lot of photos of the Pinkerton/Sorensen outing to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. We had a great time, and we started the day off right with a stop early in the morning to Starbucks -

mmmmm a tall raspberry mocha latte

Here are some pictures I took at the museum...

Shelby is very obedient; Daddy told her to stick her finger in her nose for the picture and she did it ;-)

Lucas took this picture of his parents.

Amazingly we bumped into Pastor Jeff and his family at the Children's Museum, had I been thinking I would have snapped a picture. We had enough pastors at the museum today we could have had a staff meeting ;-)

Children's Museum

I took a lot of photos of the Pinkerton/Sorensen outing to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. We had a great time, and we started the day off right with a stop early in the morning to Starbucks -

mmmmm a tall raspberry mocha latte

Here are some pictures I took at the museum...

Shelby is very obedient; Daddy told her to stick her finger in her nose for the picture and she did it ;-)

Lucas took this picture of his parents.

Amazingly we bumped into Pastor Jeff and his family at the Children's Museum, had I been thinking I would have snapped a picture. We had enough pastors at the museum today we could have had a staff meeting ;-)

Labor Day Excursion

Tomorrow, for Labor Day, we are heading out with the Pinkertons to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Believe it or not, after living in Indiana for 9 years we have never made it to the Children's Museum. We hear that it is great. I'm looking forward to watching the kids have a great time. I plan to take plenty of pictures. Enjoy your Labor Day!!

Labor Day Excursion

Tomorrow, for Labor Day, we are heading out with the Pinkertons to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Believe it or not, after living in Indiana for 9 years we have never made it to the Children's Museum. We hear that it is great. I'm looking forward to watching the kids have a great time. I plan to take plenty of pictures. Enjoy your Labor Day!!

No Fish Were Harmed in this Sermon

For the sermon this weekend I have a very special prop - I've got several goldfish on stage in an aquarium.

The aquarium represents how churches become self centered and isolated from the rest of the world. They don’t worry about people going to hell, they don’t worry about people outside the family of God. We worry about our little aquarium, our little deal, our little fish, our little sub culture. We know everybody; and we have our own little holy huddle.

God has called us not to be selfish and isolated but to be selfless and Christ-like. For a complete explanation of this prop be sure to make it to church this weekend or catch the service live at 10:30 Sunday morning.

No Fish Were Harmed in this Sermon

For the sermon this weekend I have a very special prop - I've got several goldfish on stage in an aquarium.

The aquarium represents how churches become self centered and isolated from the rest of the world. They don’t worry about people going to hell, they don’t worry about people outside the family of God. We worry about our little aquarium, our little deal, our little fish, our little sub culture. We know everybody; and we have our own little holy huddle.

God has called us not to be selfish and isolated but to be selfless and Christ-like. For a complete explanation of this prop be sure to make it to church this weekend or catch the service live at 10:30 Sunday morning.