We’ve Got A HUGE Day Coming Up This Sunday!!!
FIRST:
Seriously, do not miss the exciting wrap-up of our “You Don’t Have What It Takes” teaching series this Sunday Jan. 29th – 9:30 & 11:00AM . My message will be on how “You Can’t Control the Future” – & why that is a very good thing.
We try to make sure that EVERY Sunday at Eagle Pointe is dynamic, relevant, & life-changing. However, I believe that this Sunday will blow your mind & that this will be the most powerful, life-changing message of this series. (and that’s saying something). PLEASE DO NOT MISS IT!
Also, if you have friends you are praying for to discover Jesus – you need to do flat-out WHATEVER IT TAKES to get them here! I believe God is going to use this message to soften & open even the hardest & most closed off hearts towards Him. PRAY & INVITE! PS. Don’t forget to bring coats & jackets for the homeless this Sunday.
SECOND:
This Sunday evening Jan. 29th at 6PM will be our Momentum Pre-Super Bowl Party & everyone is invited! Wear your favorite football team gear, bring some good potluck food to share, and join the fun! Momentum is one of the best environments for you to get inspired & equipped for ministry.
In addition to having fun & thanking all those who serve & help carry out what we are doing here at Eagle Pointe, I will be sharing something God has been showing me recently that all of our folks need to hear. If you call Eagle Pointe your church home you REALLY need to be there this Sunday evening! Please help me get the word out & get everyone in our church there on Sunday morning & evening.
Leaders are Learners – New Website
I have set up a new webpage/blog designed to help our ministry leaders of Eagle Pointe church grow in their leadership abilities & calling. As I say, “leaders are learners” and we all need to be constantly growing & stretching ourselves so that we can better serve our Lord & our church. I also decided to open this site up to everyone who might be interested. We have many ministry friends & partners around the country & world who may benefit.
Periodically, on this site (usually once a week), I will share podcasts, seminars, etc that I am learning from. Usually, when I am working out at the gym I am also listening to some audio training to help me be a better leader. As I say, working out my body & mind.
What I ask of each of you is that, as I post these, you listen to them at least 3 times. We never get everything the 1st time through & we will normally miss some things the 1st time or two. So, listen 3 times & then “reply” to that post & let me know what were your top 5 takeaways from it. I pray we all grow together to become all that God desires us to be in our leadership roles in His church.
Here is a link to the new site - Leaders Are Learners
Don’t Miss The Bus!
2012 is going to be 1 wild ride here at Eagle Pointe Church – are you ready? Have you already jumped on the bus? To me it seems that there tends to be 2 types of people in church settings when it comes to this. Those who sit back & wait. They want to observe from a distance, not get too close to the action, and wait and see if the ride, once it gets going, looks like something they want to be a part of. For whatever reason, they don’t want to jump on board too soon. Maybe they don’t want to take the risk of committing themselves, their time, talents, and resources when they’re not 100% sure what the outcome will be.
Problem! These are also the same people who usually wait until it’s too late. By the time they decide to jump on board, the bus is so far down the road that they can’t catch up. That’s the way it is most of the time with whatever it is that God is doing. God reveals His vision for something He is up to, & it’s up to us to decide if we’re willing to and going to have the faith to jump on board His bus before it departs.
I love the story of Peter walking on the water with Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). Many people chastise Peter for taking his eyes off Jesus and beginning to sink. In my view, Peter was the only disciple who had the guts & audacity to believe Jesus enough to get out of the stinkin’ boat. The rest stayed in the comfort & safety of the boat, while Peter took the leap/step of faith and went on the adventure of a lifetime with Jesus.
God wants to take Eagle Pointe Church on the adventure of a lifetime in 2012 & beyond! Are you going to sit back, observe, and wait and see if the ride looks safe? Are you going dip your toe in the water to test it out? Or are you going to take a leap of faith as Peter did? Are you going to jump on board the bus, buckle up, hold onto your pancreas, and get ready for the ride & adventure of a lifetime?
The bus is departing very soon! It’s time to decide! What will YOU do?
Can Someone Please Slow Down This Ride?
Normally I use this blog to post about leadership, ministry/church related issues, local & global mission work, etc. However, today this post is very personal.
I woke up this morning wondering – “Where in the heck did the last 13 years go???” 13 years ago I stood in a hospital holding my newborn baby girl, and there was no man-tears about it, I cried like a baby at the sight of the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. (Umm – sorry my beautiful wife – I mean next to you of course) It was truly a life-changing experience – to hold this fragile new life in my hands & realize that God had just given me one the most precious gifts in all of life.
And I was gone! Completely, utterly, head over heals in love with my little girl. I remember the first word she ever uttered – “da-da”. I remember her first wobbly steps across the living room floor. I remember her first day of school & teaching her to ride a bike. I remember putting her on a school bus for the first time & tearing up as my baby rode off. (I also remember thinking that if anything happened to my baby, I would dismember the bus driver) I remember daddy/daughter dances. I remember times she was scared & she’d take off running to daddy. She knew her daddy would protect her.
My wife, Gina, used to say that just couldn’t believe how such a little girl could have such a big man wrapped around her little finger. I am guilty as charged!
I remember playing Pretty, Pretty, Princess & my little girl putting necklaces, earrings, & make-up on me. I remember taking her to Disney World for her 5th birthday while she was in full-blown princess mode. It cost a small fortune, but that didn’t matter because this was for my little princess.
I remember her first soccer practice & how nervous she was about playing with other kids who had played longer than she had. She was afraid she wouldn’t be good enough & that they might laugh at her. I remember kneeling down, giving her a reassuring hug, & then looking in her eyes & telling her that she could do anything she set her mind to – that she was more than good enough – & to go kick some butt! And with that she was off!
I remember coaching her soccer team for a few years & the rides to & from practices where we would talk about everything – life, school, her fears, God & even lots of girl/hormonal/development stuff that I REALLY wish she would have talked to her mom about. And while it was extremely awkward to talk about these things with my little girl, I tried to never let her see it. Because I was also thanking God that our relationship was such that she felt comfortable talking to me about this stuff.
I could go on & on & on & on… but I think you catch the drift here. Well, on Sunday my little princess turns… (not sure I can actually type this)… she turns 13!!! Ummm, excuse me, but where exactly did my 5 year old little girl go? 13 years cannot possibly have gone by already! And besides mourning a childhood that is passing by —- I’m not so sure I’m ready to let her be a teenager. Really? Not yet! Not so soon! Come on God! Can’t we slow this ride down and give me a few more years?
Tonight we’re having a big party with 20-something of her friends & honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready for this. I sit with a lump in my throat & my eyes watering as I write this. (Must be my allergies!)
But let me tell you – she is one amazing young lady! God truly reached down & touched this girl — Gina & I cannot take much credit for how incredible she has turned out so far. She loves Jesus, church, ministry, & missions. She’s got straight A’s in school & is a pretty darn good soccer player. And she could be a role model for most adults when it comes to maturity, compassion, & heart for God & ministry.
I’ll also tell you that I am SO grateful for some mentors God placed in my life years ago who challenged me to find a healthy balance between ministry/career & family. (My hot-blooded Italian wife also helps keep me in check!). I’ve been criticized that I am not more “available” to people. (ie. Tues & Thurs evenings & part of Saturday are soccer time with my Bri-Girl; I don’t answer my phone at dinner time or when I’m spending time with my family; etc.) I’ve been told that our church could be much “bigger” (ministry speak for a successful church).
But here’s the reality, & this applies to any of our careers —- we’ve got lots of years & lots of opportunities to build our churches, companies, careers, etc. But please don’t miss this – we only have a very small window & one shot with our kids!!! So, I’ll take the flak & criticism – but I WILL NOT blow my one shot with my kids!
So, Happy Birthday to my beautiful, amazing, smart, & talented daughter Brianna! You Rock! You are truly a gift from God & I am so incredibly proud of you!
Oh yeah – God, any chance on that slowing the ride down thing?
Lazy/Boring Church Is A Sin!
I must confess that I got burned out on “Pastor’s/Church Conferences” several years ago & I still have not recovered. Whether it was just attending, or the times I had the privilege of being a speaker at them, I always left feeling discouraged & dejected.
The reason for this discouragement & dejection was the number of pastors & church leaders attending in hopes of finding that magic formula, pill, or program that they could just copy & paste or plug n’ play into their church back home.
The bottom line is that if a church wants to be used by God to impact a community – IT TAKES WORK!!! HARD WORK!!! AND LOTS OF IT!!!
For far too long the church has been lazy… that’s right… LAZY. We have sat back on our butt & done nothing, asking God to “do it all” and claiming to be “led by the Spirit.” And then people walk into our boring, lifeless & predictable services & we give “God all the glory” (or the blame!)
One of the things I have realized in reading Scripture though is that Jesus was far from boring – He created experiences for His followers – experiences that they NEVER forgot…do you remember…
- Jesus walking on water…don’t think for a minute that Peter didn’t think about that moment every time he walked by a lake.
- The mount of transfiguration. Peter & John were both so blown away by this that they both wrote about it in Scripture.
- The feeding of the 5,000.
- The day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
- Bringing back Lazarus from the dead.
- Turning water into wine (the Baptists hate that one!)
I could go on & on – the bottom line is that Jesus was constantly creating experiences that communicated to His followers who He was in a way that they would never forget…
AND THE CHURCH SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME!!!
Here at Eagle Pointe we meet weekly to brainstorm, plan out, & prepare for the next several Sunday’s. We have creative team meetings, as we will tonight, to think through every aspect of our teaching series’ – sets, decor, special songs, videos, dramas, etc. We are serious about Sunday’s & the experience that is created for the people coming through our doors.
I have had pastors tell me that our process leaves no room for the Holy Spirit… that we are not open to the Holy Spirit’s leading… & quite frankly to me that is a cop-out, an excuse for their laziness!
I am sick and tired of pastors & church leaders blaming their laziness & lack of preparation on the Holy Spirit!!! One of the things that I have discovered is that the Holy Spirit is always at work… & NOT just on Sunday’s – but during creative team meetings, brainstorming sessions, & even in the last couple of week’s as I fasted, prayed, & planned out our teaching series’ for all of 2012! YES – I actually believe God can speak to you an entire year in advance! (Call me crazy —- & many people do!)
If you attend Eagle Pointe – here is my promise to you. We take church seriously. Everything you see is done with a purpose. We are serious about Jesus… & serious about seeing as many people as possible meeting Him. And because of that fact we are willing to do all that we can to reach those people!
It is our desire NOT to just have a church service – but to create an experience through song, video, messages… & any other tools that the Holy Spirit might choose to place in front of us.
Sure – we’ve been accused of entertaining people… Well, I would much rather entertain you than bore you!!! Jesus didn’t mind creating experiences… and His church shouldn’t either.
We know GOD is in charge – that HE is ultimately responsible for all that is happening… but we also understand that God works THROUGH people… & that He is honored when people plan, pray, WORK… & then sit back & watch Him make up the difference.
We are serious about making His name famous… & that just can’t happen when church is boring. (Again, I believe a boring church is a sin!!!) SO… we are going to always do all we can to make sure that when you attend church on Sunday – that it is one of the BEST hours of your entire week!!!
Let me also encourage you to not miss a single week of our “Let It Be… Christmas” series kicking off on Sun. Nov. 27th! It will run Sundays in December & 3 services on Christmas Eve. We have put A LOT of time, energy, effort, planning, preparation, & WORK into this series. It will most definitely not be boring & it will be a life & eternity changer for many people. Also, go flat-out crazy inviting people to join you. Below is a sneak peak at 1 of our promo videos for this series…
*** Some ideas borrowed from Dan Southerland, Rick Warren, & Perry Noble
The One & Only Way To Do Church
I am amazed that there is still such a lively debate going on over “the right way” to do church. Especially here in the “Bible belt” of the Southeast U.S., & in particular here in Greater Atlanta where I am. But the debate is raging… traditional vs. contemporary – house church vs. mega church – postmodern vs. well… I don’t know what THEY are against –—– usually everything!!!
My point is that people get trapped into thinking that there is one way to do church – and if other churches are NOT doing church that way then they are WRONG. And to take that even further… the people in the churches that feel as if they are right openly criticize and condemn… and some have even staged protests outside of other churches.
Personally, I have been verbally attacked in person, via email, & via other blogs. Uh, somehow I am not thinking that is what Jesus meant when He called us to love one another AND to make disciples. However, I have gotten used to this – it happens all the time. It used to really bother me (I’m human) – but over the years I have learned to let it roll off my back.
People ask me, “Is the way Eagle Pointe is doing church the RIGHT way.” My response is always, “No, it is a different way!” There are so many different people in this world… and it is going to take so many different styles of church & styles of pastors to reach them. To claim that there is ONE worship style that is right is both dangerous, narrow minded and egotistical. And to attack people who ARE NOT compromising the Gospel… or compromising Scripture is both arrogant and wrong.
There are several questions that I think need to be asked when evaluating a ministry to see if it is in line…
#1 – Is It Growing?
Jesus called us to reach people–period. Healthy things grow–period. And NO ONE can make a BIBLICAL case for a church remaining small & not caring about the community in which it exists.
I hear it from time to time, “We’re small – but we love each other and it is our call to minister to one another.” That is a partial truth… it is A PART of our call… but another part is to go and reach people for Christ. A church that is inward focused & gives the community the middle finger and tells them to go to hell is not doing it right – period.
It’s not about the style of worship either. There is a baptist church near us that is growing like crazy – and they are as traditional as they come. We must be VERY careful NEVER to confuse methodology with theology!
#2 – Is It Scriptural?
I am all for doing anything & everything, “whatever it takes” to reach people for Jesus! However, Scripture must never be compromised!
Now here is where people will look at churches like Eagle Pointe and claim we are compromising Scripture by not dressing up… or they will condemn the fact that we have a rock-n-roll worship band & other things like that.
The problem is that these objections are based on personal preferences rather than precepts, and that is a dangerous line to cross.
#3 – Is It Engaging?
I think there is one word to describe a church that is boring – SIN! Look at it this way – God is not boring. He invented laughter. He invented the sunset. He’s the One who developed the concept of sex! (Thank you Jesus!)
And Jesus – He was not a boring dude. He was always telling stories… and wherever He went there was this crowd that followed Him. (So much for keeping it small!) And when He walked on the water… or turned water into wine – trust me – He engaged people.
And the Holy Spirit – one good read through Acts chapter two will highlight the fact that when He moves it is completely obvious!
And the Bible – is the most exciting book ever written. There are stories of war, romance, kings and queens, you name it – it’s in there.
Unfortunately I know too many churches who have taken God, Jesus, the Spirit, and the Bible and made them the most boring and irrelevant things on the planet.
God is NOT boring – His Bride, the Church, should not be either!
I know we are not perfect – we never will be. I tell our church often that as long as I am the pastor that things will probably be screwed up around here. However, I believe with all of my heart that we are doing exactly what Jesus has called US to do in OUR church & in OUR community… and that we are doing it exactly how He has called us to do it. And that is the conviction that every pastor and the leadership of every church must have.
So – style – doesn’t matter. Dress – doesn’t matter. Political preferences – doesn’t matter. Jesus matters! His Kingdom matters! The world around us that does not know Him as Lord & Savior matter! Let’s stop tearing down other pastors & churches – & let’s start building the Kingdom of Christ!
Those are my thoughts on the matter – what are yours?
*** Some parts/ideas borrowed from Dan Southerland, Rick Warren, & Perry Noble
IRAN: Next 24 hours critical to stop execution of Pastor Nadarkhani
IRAN: Next 24 hours critical to stop execution of Pastor Nadarkhani
Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is facing execution anytime from Thursday onwards after refusing to renounce his Christian faith. Pastor Nadarkhani has appeared in court three times this week and each time has refused to renounce his faith when asked to do so by the court.Next 24 hours critical to stop the execution of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani
The facts:
- Pastor Nadarkhani is repeatedly being asked by the Iranian court to renounce his faith in order to avoid execution, and that the last chance he will be given to do so is today (Wednesday Sept. 28th), after which he could be executed at any time.
- Pastor Nadarkhani has been charged, and faces execution, solely on the basis of his adopting Christian faith. As such, the Islamic Republic of Iran is violating its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 18 includes a provision for the right to “have or to adopt” a religion, which has been interpreted authoritatively by the UN Human Rights Committee as including the right to change one’s religion.
- Iran’s constitution sanctions Christianity as a legitimate minority faith and asserts that Christians are allowed to freely carry out their religious rites. Article 23 asserts that no one may be “reprimanded simply because of having a certain belief”.
I ask you to join me in doing 2 things immediately:
1st – Use this LINK to email the Iranian embassy, urging them not to go ahead with the execution following the trial.
2nd – Please pray for Pastor Nadarkhani, his family and legal team using the prayer points below:
- For God to stay the hand and change the hearts of the Iranian judiciary, that they would reconsider the death sentence handed down.
- That the international community would swiftly take decisive and effective action on behalf of Pastor Nadarkhani.
- That God would lift up Pastor Nadarkhani.
- For peace, strength and comfort for Pastor Nadarkhani’s family.
- For wisdom and eloquence for Pastor Nadarkhani’s lawyer who is also facing legal difficulties.
- That God would comfort members of Pastor Nadarkhani’s church and denomination.
- That Iranian Christians would not be bound by fear and would keep their eyes fixed firmly on God.
Please act now! For more info on this follow this LINK.
“WARRIOR” Teaching Series – starts Sept. 18
Our new “Warrior” teaching series kicks off on Sunday Sept. 18th – 9:30 & 11:00AM @ Eagle Pointe church. In addition to challenging you to not, under any circumstances, miss this the kick-off or any of this series – & challenging you to take advantage of a series like this & invite everyone you know – I also wanted to share with you some of the heart behind this teaching series.
In every person’s life, there is a cause worth fighting for and a victory worth claiming. Discover how to not only prepare for the battles ahead, but more importantly, how to emerge victoriously. It’s time to stop playing the role of the nice guy (or girl) & instead live as “The Warrior”!
Let’s be honest – our society has emasculated men & we are bombarded with portrayals of men as bumbling, stumbling, & inept idiots. This has ruined a generation of men & is setting a disastrous precedent/example for young men & boys growing up today.
Sadly, for years even the church has taught men how to just be “nice guys”, when what God has called us to be are – Warriors. In this series we will teach how to prepare for & win every battle that MUST be fought & challenge guys to be the Men – God created & desires them to be!
Men in our society today are bored; they fear risk, they refuse to pay attention to the deepest desires that God has placed within them. If men are going to change from a pitiful, wimpy bunch of “really nice guys” to men who are made in the image of God, they must reexamine their preconceptions about who God is, & recover their true “Warrior” hearts.
We will also address the very real spiritual battle that is being waged in our world today. Spiritual warfare is being waged against our families, homes, churches, communities, & world – whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. To quote from the movie “Lord of the Rings” – “Open war is upon you …whether you would risk it or not.”
***In addition to challenging men, we will also challenge women to be “warrior princesses”, but to not lose the God-given femininity they have been blessed with. We will also strive to help women understand the implications of authentic God-given masculinity in their relationships with men.
Again, I cannot encourage & challenge you enough to not miss any of this series, as well as, use it to reach out to & invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, & anyone God brings across your path over the next several weeks.
***Be sure to watch the 2 promo videos below for this series & share them on your social media…
How You Can Help Us Help Haiti
Our next Haiti Mission trip is coming up fast. We will head back to Port Au Prince/Carrefour on Oct. 8 – 15. Our team will be providing basic medical care in areas where there is none. We are also providing feeding programs, working with an orphanage, & building a church & school.
We need 1 more medical person for our October trip & we need some construction & medical type people, as well as, general helpers to join us for the January trip. If you’re interested in joining our team please EMAIL ME right away.
Also – here is a list of projects we need monetary donations for, as well as, general supplies & medical supplies we need to round up - Haiti – Supplies Needed – Oct 2011. Please help us spread the word to locate volunteers to go, donations, & supplies.
Pray for our teams & the people we are helping in this earthquake ravaged region. Below are 2 videos of our last 2 mission trips… Pleasse watch & pray about how you might be able to help.
“Momentum” Tailgate Party – BE THERE!!!
This Sunday Aug. 28th @ 6PM we are having our “MOMENTUM Tailgate Party”! Wear your favorite sports team gear, banners, etc – bring some good tailgate food (potluck – wings, BBQ, chili, whatever…) – and get ready to have some fun! We’ve got some BIG-TIME surprises in store for you all – that you will definitely not want to miss! Trust me!!!
In case you’re not familiar with Momentum’s – this is our bi-monthly meeting/party/event for everyone who volunteers/helps/serves somewhere at Eagle Pointe. (Also, those interested in possibly jumping in).
This is also a vehicle by which we can better communicate with our core, our stakeholders, those who make things happen here at Eagle Pointe. This is where we can have those family discussions about what we’re dreaming about, working towards, & what’s coming down the pipeline – the things we won’t dive into in our weekend worship experiences. So, PLEASE mark your calendar, clear your schedule & make Sunday @ 6PM & every “Momentum” a big-time priority & don’t miss them. ***BTW: We have some important things to share as we kick-off our 2011-2012 ministry season!!!
Strongly encourage everyone you know who is volunteering (or would like to) to not miss next Sunday evening & I can’t wait to see you there!!! (*Note: Childcare is provided)
McJesus – Would You Like To Super-Size That?
Okay – I don’t know who created this picture or why they did it – but I think it makes a very good point. In light of some of what I talked about on Sunday at Eagle Pointe – I felt that I needed to elaborate more on this idea…
Too many churches market the Christian faith as though it’s a Happy Meal with a toy inside & too many Christians act as though their faith in Jesus is like a Happy Meal.
Many of you know that I am not a big fan of Christian TV to say the least (Okay – there’s good & NOT so good stuff on there). The whole health/wealth – proclaim it & claim it – “stuff” that many are peddling makes me sick. As though God is some slot machine that you just drop in your prayer (and just so happen to send them money) then God is going to drop a jackpot in your lap. They say to just follow Jesus and God will make you healthy, wealthy, & wise – and if you don’t have those things it’s because your faith isn’t big enough or there must be sin in your life.
Even those churches/Christians who aren’t in that vein “market” Jesus similarly whether they realize it or not. “Just pray this prayer & Jesus is going to make your life so wonderful.” REALLY??? Tell that to the apostle Paul who was beaten many times, pelted with rocks, shipwrecked, starved, chained, imprisoned, etc.
Tell that to Jesus’ disciples who, with the exception of one, suffered great persecution and died horrible deaths because they followed Jesus. In fact, most every person in the Bible who God used in any significant kind of way had to face A LOT of challenges and difficulties.
So evidently, following Jesus & doing what God wants you to do – does not mean that life will always be wonderful & problem free. In fact, just the opposite is true! Jesus himself said – “In this life you will have trouble!” Accept that fact! Deal with it! Prepare for it!
In fact, I often tell people that this following Jesus stuff ain’t for the faint of heart! The closer you get to God’s will; the closer you get to doing what God wants you to do; BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES BABY!!! The storm is coming! There’s a spiritual enemy who is going to throw everything he’s got at you, trying to get you off of God’s course for your life. Besides that there’s the “that’s just life” challenges. I really believe that life is just one big series of problem solving. It is God’s way of stretching & growing us into the people He desires us to be.
But here’s the super-cool – happy meal prize on steroids… When you have a relationship with Jesus (real Christianity) He helps you through all the crud of this life – you don’t have to try & handle it all on your own. Jesus gives you the power, courage, peace, strength, stamina, etc to be able to fight the good fight & finish the race. That’s why the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 4:8-9 – “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Paul understood better than most, that “In this life you WILL have trouble!” (especially if you’re following Jesus) But He also understood better than most, that “I can do (& handle/deal with/overcome) ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Let’s be careful of what we’re “peddling” – the Good News is MORE than good enough without us trying to put whip cream, sprinkles, & a cherry on top – or an extra large side of fries.
6 Things I LOVED About Faith In Action Sunday 2011
1) Seeing God use 100′s of ordinary people, like us, to help so many people & point so many hearts towards Jesus! Through our helping people in real, practical, & tangible ways the door was opened to begin helping people spiritually. The impact of us serving our community was HUGE!
2) Seeing so many of the people we served who were moved to tears, seeing a small army of volunteers show up to help them out. I had one lady, almost in shock, say to me that she didn’t think that there were still people in our society who genuinely cared for & helped others.
3) The amazing hearts & generosity of our Eagle Pointe family. So many gave selflessly of their time, talents, & energy in order to help & serve others. At several projects, people found additional work they wanted to do & took off to Home Depot & bought what was needed. Ex) The Flowering Branch Children’s home got a bunch of extra flowers, in front of the center, we didn’t originally plan on.
***BTW: I hope that generosity continues this Sunday during our offering time. We need to make up not only for all the supplies we bought for Faith in Action, but also for us not having church/offerings this past Sunday. We still have lots of bills, ministries, & mission work to pay for 
4) The amazing attitude of Eagle Pointe’rs. Eagle Pointe’rs showed up to WORK baby! Hot – humid — it didn’t matter! When things didn’t work right, or go exactly as planned – there was no griping & complaining – people just rolled with it & found another way to get the job done!
5) Seeing so many kids participating in F.I.A. Sunday! I loved seeing so many kids & teens helping out at all our different locations & seeing them catch a passion for serving others at such young ages!
6) The insatiable passion Eagle Pointe’rs have for Loving God, Loving Others, & Serving the World! I had so many people asking how soon can we do this again??? I love that so much of what our church is & does happens outside the walls of our church bldg. BTW: We will have several opportunities coming up this Fall to do more of these types of projects. Stay tuned for more details.
I could easily do a “Top 100 Things” list – but I’ll spare you from that. Those are probably the Big 6 for me personally. I would love to hear from you… What Did You Love About F.I.A. Sunday???? (Comment below)
I have to say that our Faith in Action Sunday was a HUGE success! Thank you to all of you who participated – we couldn’t have begun to pull this off with out you! And of course – GO GOD!!!
* NOTE: We will show our “F.I.A. Sunday Day of” video this Sunday July 31st as part of our “Faith In Action Celebration”.. We will share stories & take communion/Lord’s Supper together this Sunday 9:30 & 11:00AM. I hope to see you there!
