Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The Branches Update December 2011
Merry Christmas from The Branches Community Church!
We pray that you are enjoying the season with family and friends. The Branches is looking forward to celebrating our first official Christmas together as a church family. On December 19th we will be sharing a Christmas meal together and enjoying one another's company. The great thing about being a young church is that we get to enjoy many "firsts" together. A few weeks ago we took our first communion with one another. It was a very meaningful time for us to corporately remember the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us.
Our desire as a church is to reach out with Christ's love into our community. Frequently we do this by generously giving to others. In November we approached a local agency for names and addresses of families in need. Just before Thanksgiving we gathered at the Harris' home and put together Thanksgiving baskets to pass out to families in Escondido. Brand new festively decorated laundry baskets were brimming over with turkey, potatoes, pies, stuffing, etc. Each family who put a basket together then delivered it to families we had never met before - it was a great evening.
One of the people at The Branches that I wish you all could meet is Tom Clare. Tom and his family are a powerful team caring for the poor. Tom's first direct encounter with ministering to the homeless was on October 29th, less than two months ago. On that Saturday our church provided a barbecue meal to the homeless in the park. Tom volunteered to purchase all of the meat and to grill it. When I arrived at the park Tom was already there, I could barely see him through all of the smoke wafting up from the grill. When the smoke cleared I saw Tom's smiling face as he flipped the burgers and was making sure that the homeless who were flooding over to the table had everything they needed. Later, He told Pastor James, "I don't think I could ever throw out leftovers from my refrigerator knowing that there are people in my community who are hungry."
After the meal Tom and his wife Shellie stuck around with Pastor James in the park to minister to a gentleman who needed counseling. They put the man up in a hotel for the evening and Tom offered the gentleman his phone number in case he needed to talk again some time. God was definitely doing something in Tom's heart that day at the park.
Just a couple of days later Tom and Shellie made their way back to the park on their own with a large pot of soup and provided soup for dozens of people. He sat and talked with people in the park and simply listened to their stories. He learned that many of them could use coats as colder weather approached. That week at work Tom organized a coat and blanket drive. Within a day his truck was packed with gently used coats and blankets and shoes. Over the month of November Tom and Shellie made several trips back to the park on their own to feed those who are hungry.
A couple of days ago Tom's workplace had a Christmas party and there were 8 full trays of food left over. There was no way he was going to let it go to waste so he called Pastor James. James contacted the homeless shelter in town and told them that we had food to provide; the shelter said that it was great timing because they didn't know what they were going to do for the soup kitchen the next day.
Currently, Tom has a new project that he is inviting all of our church family to participate in. The winter season is a very difficult time for the homeless in our community so we will be collecting socks, rain ponchos, McDonald's gift cards, etc. to pass out to those in need.
Less than 2 months of ministering to the homeless and Tom is a "fireball poverty fighter"! Men like Tom humble me. A couple of weeks ago I caught Tom after church, I said, "Tom I think it is so awesome the way that you are ministering to the homeless in our community." Tom looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I want to thank you and James for everything you're doing, because up until now they were invisible to me."
Those who were previously invisible are now visible; seems to me like he is seeing through Christ's eyes. Tom's life is changing, and Tom is changing lives… and it's all because of Jesus.
Glad the manger was filled and the tomb is empty!
Kris
We pray that you are enjoying the season with family and friends. The Branches is looking forward to celebrating our first official Christmas together as a church family. On December 19th we will be sharing a Christmas meal together and enjoying one another's company. The great thing about being a young church is that we get to enjoy many "firsts" together. A few weeks ago we took our first communion with one another. It was a very meaningful time for us to corporately remember the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us.
Our desire as a church is to reach out with Christ's love into our community. Frequently we do this by generously giving to others. In November we approached a local agency for names and addresses of families in need. Just before Thanksgiving we gathered at the Harris' home and put together Thanksgiving baskets to pass out to families in Escondido. Brand new festively decorated laundry baskets were brimming over with turkey, potatoes, pies, stuffing, etc. Each family who put a basket together then delivered it to families we had never met before - it was a great evening.
One of the people at The Branches that I wish you all could meet is Tom Clare. Tom and his family are a powerful team caring for the poor. Tom's first direct encounter with ministering to the homeless was on October 29th, less than two months ago. On that Saturday our church provided a barbecue meal to the homeless in the park. Tom volunteered to purchase all of the meat and to grill it. When I arrived at the park Tom was already there, I could barely see him through all of the smoke wafting up from the grill. When the smoke cleared I saw Tom's smiling face as he flipped the burgers and was making sure that the homeless who were flooding over to the table had everything they needed. Later, He told Pastor James, "I don't think I could ever throw out leftovers from my refrigerator knowing that there are people in my community who are hungry."
After the meal Tom and his wife Shellie stuck around with Pastor James in the park to minister to a gentleman who needed counseling. They put the man up in a hotel for the evening and Tom offered the gentleman his phone number in case he needed to talk again some time. God was definitely doing something in Tom's heart that day at the park.
Just a couple of days later Tom and Shellie made their way back to the park on their own with a large pot of soup and provided soup for dozens of people. He sat and talked with people in the park and simply listened to their stories. He learned that many of them could use coats as colder weather approached. That week at work Tom organized a coat and blanket drive. Within a day his truck was packed with gently used coats and blankets and shoes. Over the month of November Tom and Shellie made several trips back to the park on their own to feed those who are hungry.
A couple of days ago Tom's workplace had a Christmas party and there were 8 full trays of food left over. There was no way he was going to let it go to waste so he called Pastor James. James contacted the homeless shelter in town and told them that we had food to provide; the shelter said that it was great timing because they didn't know what they were going to do for the soup kitchen the next day.
Currently, Tom has a new project that he is inviting all of our church family to participate in. The winter season is a very difficult time for the homeless in our community so we will be collecting socks, rain ponchos, McDonald's gift cards, etc. to pass out to those in need.
Less than 2 months of ministering to the homeless and Tom is a "fireball poverty fighter"! Men like Tom humble me. A couple of weeks ago I caught Tom after church, I said, "Tom I think it is so awesome the way that you are ministering to the homeless in our community." Tom looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I want to thank you and James for everything you're doing, because up until now they were invisible to me."
Those who were previously invisible are now visible; seems to me like he is seeing through Christ's eyes. Tom's life is changing, and Tom is changing lives… and it's all because of Jesus.
Glad the manger was filled and the tomb is empty!
Kris
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Branches Community Church Update
As a church we continue to preach the Gospel and do our best to live it out in our community. On the last Saturday of each month we have "PB&J at Grape Day". We put together sack lunches and pass them out to homeless and others in downtown Escondido at Grape Day Park. This has been a great opportunity to practically meet needs and interact with others in the community. The last Saturday in October we plan to ratchet it up a notch with a large barbecue in the park.Clean up at San Pasqual High School after the football games is in full swing again. We meet as a group at the end of fourth quarter and begin the task of cleaning up the stands when the fans leave. We generally follow up our night of service by hanging out at Chili's with one another.
Our Men's Bible Study recently completed the book of Luke (it only took us a year to get through it :) Last Monday we began our new study in the book of Acts.
The number of new faces seems to be picking up each week in our Sunday services. We have had new guests almost every week for the past several weeks; it is always a shot in the arm for us to see and connect with new folks. Most of our guests are coming as the result of fellow "branches" inviting their neighbors/coworkers/relatives to join them at church. The challenge becomes developing community outside of our Sunday morning services with those who have recently begun attending.
Our mother church, Brookville Road Community Church, will be having their annual Missions Banquet on November 16th. I will be back in Indiana from November 10-17. I would love to connect with you while I am back. I'm looking forward to catching up with many of you and hearing about what the Lord has been doing in your lives. To stay current with where I will be, please feel free to follow me on Twitter: @changeisgood4u or "friend me" on Facebook - You can also email me at changeisgood4u (at) gmail.com
Pastor James and I would like to thank you for your prayers as we are in the infancy stages of The Branches Community Church. Please continue to pray for favor for all of the families who have moved from Indiana to start this church (Pinkerton's, Harris', Canady's, & Sorensen's) Please pray that the Lord would open doors of opportunity for us as we desire to spread the Gospel to as many people as possible in as many places as possible.
Glad the tomb is empty!
Kris
Branches Community Church Update
As a church we continue to preach the Gospel and do our best to live it out in our community. On the last Saturday of each month we have "PB&J at Grape Day". We put together sack lunches and pass them out to homeless and others in downtown Escondido at Grape Day Park. This has been a great opportunity to practically meet needs and interact with others in the community. The last Saturday in October we plan to ratchet it up a notch with a large barbecue in the park.Clean up at San Pasqual High School after the football games is in full swing again. We meet as a group at the end of fourth quarter and begin the task of cleaning up the stands when the fans leave. We generally follow up our night of service by hanging out at Chili's with one another.
Our Men's Bible Study recently completed the book of Luke (it only took us a year to get through it :) Last Monday we began our new study in the book of Acts.
The number of new faces seems to be picking up each week in our Sunday services. We have had new guests almost every week for the past several weeks; it is always a shot in the arm for us to see and connect with new folks. Most of our guests are coming as the result of fellow "branches" inviting their neighbors/coworkers/relatives to join them at church. The challenge becomes developing community outside of our Sunday morning services with those who have recently begun attending.
Our mother church, Brookville Road Community Church, will be having their annual Missions Banquet on November 16th. I will be back in Indiana from November 10-17. I would love to connect with you while I am back. I'm looking forward to catching up with many of you and hearing about what the Lord has been doing in your lives. To stay current with where I will be, please feel free to follow me on Twitter: @changeisgood4u or "friend me" on Facebook - You can also email me at changeisgood4u (at) gmail.com
Pastor James and I would like to thank you for your prayers as we are in the infancy stages of The Branches Community Church. Please continue to pray for favor for all of the families who have moved from Indiana to start this church (Pinkerton's, Harris', Canady's, & Sorensen's) Please pray that the Lord would open doors of opportunity for us as we desire to spread the Gospel to as many people as possible in as many places as possible.
Glad the tomb is empty!
Kris
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Are You Kidding?
Are you kidding me!? With each trick I kept thinking, "Don't do that, you can't do that.." and he DID it!
Are You Kidding?
Are you kidding me!? With each trick I kept thinking, "Don't do that, you can't do that.." and he DID it!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
20th Anniversary
Today marks 20 years of marriage for Tammy and me. This anniversary is a little different; Tammy and Shelby are staying at Grandma J's place in Iowa. I miss them but I'm glad they can have this time to spend with Tammy's mom.
Tammy I love you, thanks for loving me back! In honor of our 20th anniversary I bought a Dairy Queen cake. As you can see I have already cut into it; the big piece on the right is mine. As a matter of fact all the pieces are mine HA!
20th Anniversary
Today marks 20 years of marriage for Tammy and me. This anniversary is a little different; Tammy and Shelby are staying at Grandma J's place in Iowa. I miss them but I'm glad they can have this time to spend with Tammy's mom.
Tammy I love you, thanks for loving me back! In honor of our 20th anniversary I bought a Dairy Queen cake. As you can see I have already cut into it; the big piece on the right is mine. As a matter of fact all the pieces are mine HA!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Branches Update
It seems like it has been a while since I've sent out an update for The Branches Community Church. We continue to meet each Sunday at San Pasqual High School and are enjoying worshipping with one another and inviting others to be part of this movement with us.
Last Sunday (6/12) we were blessed to have guests join us from Indiana. Mike & Teddy Hamilton from our sister church, Brandywine Community Church, joined us for the worship service and then lunch. The Hamilton's were out in California visiting their daughter, Kelly and granddaughter Grace, in Riverside. It was so encouraging having them spend the day with us and hearing about how the Lord continues to bless Brandywine.
If you are ever in the Southern California area, we would love to have you stop in and see what God is doing at The Branches. If you have friends or family members in the area you might share our website and contact information with them so they can check us out too.
I may have shared with you before that Nate and Kate Canady had been attempting to sell their home in Indiana so that they could move out here to California to be a part of the church plant. I have some very good news to report, their home has sold and they are now homeless! =) Nate is out here in So Cal for the next couple of weeks looking for work. Our young church is so blessed by their faith to leave everything behind and answer God's call for them to minister to the Escondido community. Please be in prayer that Nate locates the job that the Lord wants him to have. (fyi: In case you might happen to have any contacts out here, Nate is an environmental engineer)
James has been working on an initiative to have people spend one hour in their week (each week) praying for The Branches. The request went out on his Facebook page just yesterday, and as of the last count we have 21 hours of prayer in the "Prayer Bank". If you would like to jump on board in prayer with us you can hit James up on his Facebook page, email us, or text him. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.
Glad the tomb is empty!
Kris Sorensen
http://www.thebrancheschurch.com/
The Branches Update
It seems like it has been a while since I've sent out an update for The Branches Community Church. We continue to meet each Sunday at San Pasqual High School and are enjoying worshipping with one another and inviting others to be part of this movement with us.
Last Sunday (6/12) we were blessed to have guests join us from Indiana. Mike & Teddy Hamilton from our sister church, Brandywine Community Church, joined us for the worship service and then lunch. The Hamilton's were out in California visiting their daughter, Kelly and granddaughter Grace, in Riverside. It was so encouraging having them spend the day with us and hearing about how the Lord continues to bless Brandywine.
If you are ever in the Southern California area, we would love to have you stop in and see what God is doing at The Branches. If you have friends or family members in the area you might share our website and contact information with them so they can check us out too.
I may have shared with you before that Nate and Kate Canady had been attempting to sell their home in Indiana so that they could move out here to California to be a part of the church plant. I have some very good news to report, their home has sold and they are now homeless! =) Nate is out here in So Cal for the next couple of weeks looking for work. Our young church is so blessed by their faith to leave everything behind and answer God's call for them to minister to the Escondido community. Please be in prayer that Nate locates the job that the Lord wants him to have. (fyi: In case you might happen to have any contacts out here, Nate is an environmental engineer)
James has been working on an initiative to have people spend one hour in their week (each week) praying for The Branches. The request went out on his Facebook page just yesterday, and as of the last count we have 21 hours of prayer in the "Prayer Bank". If you would like to jump on board in prayer with us you can hit James up on his Facebook page, email us, or text him. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.
Glad the tomb is empty!
Kris Sorensen
http://www.thebrancheschurch.com/
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Dance
A couple of Sunday's ago we were all setting up for the morning service. While we were busy getting everything ready, Shelby climbed on stage and began dancing to the music that was playing in the background. I'm not sure if anyone really noticed what she was doing because we were all very busy getting ready. I paused and quickly pulled out my phone because I wanted to record the moment. As Shelby danced, there was something very moving happening for me. I don't think that it was just a daddy who loves to see his daughter dance. As she danced, while all of the commotion and distraction was going on, I was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is like that. Life hurries along: places to go, people to see, things to get done, etc. meanwhile, the whole time the Holy Spirit is working in the background, beautifully scripting "the dance".
The Dance
A couple of Sunday's ago we were all setting up for the morning service. While we were busy getting everything ready, Shelby climbed on stage and began dancing to the music that was playing in the background. I'm not sure if anyone really noticed what she was doing because we were all very busy getting ready. I paused and quickly pulled out my phone because I wanted to record the moment. As Shelby danced, there was something very moving happening for me. I don't think that it was just a daddy who loves to see his daughter dance. As she danced, while all of the commotion and distraction was going on, I was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is like that. Life hurries along: places to go, people to see, things to get done, etc. meanwhile, the whole time the Holy Spirit is working in the background, beautifully scripting "the dance".
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Roll with it
This morning at The Branches Community Church we ran into a little snag. The auditorium where we meet had been set up with 500 chairs for graduation events. We were told that the chairs had to stay up and couldn't be moved... :(
What to do? What to do? Well we made the best of it and set up on the stage. I think the stage worked really well. It really has the feel that we are looking for anyway. So what looked to be negative, really turned out to be a blessing. :) I wish I had a photo of what it looked like all set up... maybe next week.
Roll with it
This morning at The Branches Community Church we ran into a little snag. The auditorium where we meet had been set up with 500 chairs for graduation events. We were told that the chairs had to stay up and couldn't be moved... :(
What to do? What to do? Well we made the best of it and set up on the stage. I think the stage worked really well. It really has the feel that we are looking for anyway. So what looked to be negative, really turned out to be a blessing. :) I wish I had a photo of what it looked like all set up... maybe next week.
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Branches in the News
The North County Times ran an article on The Branches Community Church on April 29, 2011.
To read the article online you can go HERE. To read some clarification of what James really told the reporter you can go HERE.
I've posted the article from the NC Times below, enjoy...
By DAN BENNETT - For the North County Times | Posted: Friday, April 29, 2011
The beginning of an era for the Branches Community Church in Escondido started with a bang ---- an "egg-splosion," actually.
Easter Sunday marked the official opening for the new church, though Branches had some early sessions in January. The church now meets Sunday mornings in the large theater room at San Pasqual High School.
"It's been great so far," said church co-founder James Pinkerton. "We had 5,000 Easter eggs and a wonderful service."
The opening of the new church fulfills a longtime goal for Pinkerton, who grew up in Escondido, attended Grant Middle School and graduated from Escondido High in 1990. Though he went away to seminary in Kansas, Pinkerton says he always wanted to return and start a new church.
"I had been working the last three years in Indiana," Pinkerton said. "I was a youth pastor, and my wife was a children's pastor."
With Pinkerton's former classmate, friend and colleague Kris Sorensen, the three decided they wanted to move to California and open a church in Escondido.
"I've long had my heart set on a church in Escondido," Pinkerton said. "Part of the reason is that there are really not enough churches in Escondido, so when we looked at the demographics, it made sense."
What the team needed even before a congregation was a location.
"I called the local school district and asked if they ever had churches before, and it seemed they hadn't," Pinkerton said. "San Pasqual was the best place for us. There are 622 seats, so plenty of room to grow."
The church's mission, Pinkerton says, is to emphasize the Bible.
"We are a Bible-believing church," he said. "We are a non-denominational church aligning ourselves with the Bible. Our source of truth is the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus. We want people to feel they are in a comfortable place. We want people to understand that we don't have preconceived notions about what they believe, we just want them to hear the discussion. Our purpose is to love people with God's love, and understand that we all have God in us."
Pinkerton says the church emphasizes love in all lives.
"We want to speak to the love in peoples' lives, and if they never felt that love, we hope to help them start," he said. "We have a vision, and our core values speak to the mission, but people are free to use those as they will."
Service and community partnerships will become part of the church's practices. It will partner with youth groups and other service organizations.
"We want to be part of the community," Pinkerton said. "I'm a youth pastor, so we want to have youth groups soon. We hope to have Bible study every other week. We also hope to have all kinds of small groups. We want people interested in music and people interested in art to have their own small groups. Our groups will grow organically, according to interests. For now, it's a matter of growing the congregation, through word of mouth, social networking and other means."
Branches could have its own building someday, if all goes well.
"We don't necessarily want to have a large sanctuary, but a place that will service Escondido and its people every day," Pinkerton said. "Maybe it would have a food pantry and a clothing bank, maybe a cafe and a skateboard park. It could be a place bustling with activity, a place where we could minister seven days a week."
In the meantime, Pinkerton says the group is happy with the church's current home, and also happy that he has returned to his roots, this time with his wife, Tonya, and their three children.
"This is where I want to be," he said. "It's the place for us."
Visit www.thebrancheschurch.com or call 760-670-6233.
The Branches in the News
The North County Times ran an article on The Branches Community Church on April 29, 2011.
To read the article online you can go HERE. To read some clarification of what James really told the reporter you can go HERE.
I've posted the article from the NC Times below, enjoy...
By DAN BENNETT - For the North County Times | Posted: Friday, April 29, 2011
The beginning of an era for the Branches Community Church in Escondido started with a bang ---- an "egg-splosion," actually.
Easter Sunday marked the official opening for the new church, though Branches had some early sessions in January. The church now meets Sunday mornings in the large theater room at San Pasqual High School.
"It's been great so far," said church co-founder James Pinkerton. "We had 5,000 Easter eggs and a wonderful service."
The opening of the new church fulfills a longtime goal for Pinkerton, who grew up in Escondido, attended Grant Middle School and graduated from Escondido High in 1990. Though he went away to seminary in Kansas, Pinkerton says he always wanted to return and start a new church.
"I had been working the last three years in Indiana," Pinkerton said. "I was a youth pastor, and my wife was a children's pastor."
With Pinkerton's former classmate, friend and colleague Kris Sorensen, the three decided they wanted to move to California and open a church in Escondido.
"I've long had my heart set on a church in Escondido," Pinkerton said. "Part of the reason is that there are really not enough churches in Escondido, so when we looked at the demographics, it made sense."
What the team needed even before a congregation was a location.
"I called the local school district and asked if they ever had churches before, and it seemed they hadn't," Pinkerton said. "San Pasqual was the best place for us. There are 622 seats, so plenty of room to grow."
The church's mission, Pinkerton says, is to emphasize the Bible.
"We are a Bible-believing church," he said. "We are a non-denominational church aligning ourselves with the Bible. Our source of truth is the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus. We want people to feel they are in a comfortable place. We want people to understand that we don't have preconceived notions about what they believe, we just want them to hear the discussion. Our purpose is to love people with God's love, and understand that we all have God in us."
Pinkerton says the church emphasizes love in all lives.
"We want to speak to the love in peoples' lives, and if they never felt that love, we hope to help them start," he said. "We have a vision, and our core values speak to the mission, but people are free to use those as they will."
Service and community partnerships will become part of the church's practices. It will partner with youth groups and other service organizations.
"We want to be part of the community," Pinkerton said. "I'm a youth pastor, so we want to have youth groups soon. We hope to have Bible study every other week. We also hope to have all kinds of small groups. We want people interested in music and people interested in art to have their own small groups. Our groups will grow organically, according to interests. For now, it's a matter of growing the congregation, through word of mouth, social networking and other means."
Branches could have its own building someday, if all goes well.
"We don't necessarily want to have a large sanctuary, but a place that will service Escondido and its people every day," Pinkerton said. "Maybe it would have a food pantry and a clothing bank, maybe a cafe and a skateboard park. It could be a place bustling with activity, a place where we could minister seven days a week."
In the meantime, Pinkerton says the group is happy with the church's current home, and also happy that he has returned to his roots, this time with his wife, Tonya, and their three children.
"This is where I want to be," he said. "It's the place for us."
Visit www.thebrancheschurch.com or call 760-670-6233.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Serving Those Who Served
On Saturday April 16th The Branches Community Church partnered with Compact of Escondido to serve youth in our community that gathered for the National Youth Service Day. The youth tidied up one of our local parks and then we treated them to a bbq. I think we served between 75 and 100 students. We really enjoyed hanging out with some of the kids in our community and it gave us an opportunity to invite them to our Easter Egg Hunt and first church service!
Serving Those Who Served
On Saturday April 16th The Branches Community Church partnered with Compact of Escondido to serve youth in our community that gathered for the National Youth Service Day. The youth tidied up one of our local parks and then we treated them to a bbq. I think we served between 75 and 100 students. We really enjoyed hanging out with some of the kids in our community and it gave us an opportunity to invite them to our Easter Egg Hunt and first church service!
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