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
Haiti Mission Trip – Supplies & Donations Needed
Here is an updated list of supplies needed for our Haiti mission trip. At the bottom is also a list of the money for projects we need to fund-raise between now & then. We leave on Saturday Feb. 11th!!! PLEASE help us round up these supplies & donations. We need these dropped off at Eagle Pointe by Sunday Feb 5th – so we can pack everything up & have it ready to go.
Also, if you are unable to bring items to Eagle Pointe – again, donations of money are definitely needed (we will be buying a lot of needed supplies in Haiti – easier than carrying it all & supports the local economy). You can donate online HERE (be sure to select “Serve The World”) or email me.
General Items:
- Tooth brushes
- Tooth paste
- Small toys, dolls, etc to giveaway to children (LOTS of small items are easier to pack in suitcases & can cover more kids – ‘happy meal size’ is ideal)
- Candy to giveaway to children (lg bags of smaller pieces)
- Multi-Vitamins (Children & Adult)
Medical Items: (We need LOTS of these medical supplies)
- Anti-fungal medicine (Lotrimin or other otc athletes foot meds)
- Permethrin 5%
- Neosporin/polysporin
- Benadryl (tabs & children’s liquid)
- Ibuprofen (adult and children’s liquid)
- Acetaminophen (adult and children’s liquid)
- Imodium
- 1 % hydrocortisone cream or other prescription steroid cream
- Permethrin 5%
- Antibiotics by prescription (Amoxicillin, Keflex, Bactrim, Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin, etc)
- Mebendazole by prescription
- PinX (otc pinworm medicine)
- Antibiotic eye drops – by prescription
- Visine and Visine allergy
- Albuterol inhaler by prescription
- Prednisone oral tablets and liquid – by prescription
- Glucometers & test strips
- Guaze
- Medical tape
- Blood pressure medicines by prescription
- Diabetes oral medication by prescription
Money – fundraised: (Items bought in Haiti)
- $3000 – building materials for school & pastor’s house
- $600 – local laborers to assist w/ construction projects
- $2500 – food for feeding programs (local church & while we are there)
- $1000 – to bless local church in their ministry
Please help us make a difference in the lives of so many struggling people & families in Haiti & show them the real, practical, & tangible love of Jesus!
PS. If you are interested in going on our next Haiti trips (June 9-16 & Oct. 6-13) please email me.
Helping the Homeless this Christmas
Here in the Greater Atlanta area, homelessness is a serious epidemic. Experts estimate that we have approximately 20,000 homeless people in Greater Atlanta. With only 3,500 shelter beds available in the area, that leaves several thousand homeless Atlantans with nowhere to sleep at night. AND – here we are barreling full steam ahead into winter.
Many people suffer from the misconception that homeless people are too lazy to work or addicted to drugs. However, many homeless people are victims of job loss, physical illness, domestic violence, etc. In fact, statistics tell us 40% of these homeless people are women & children! Think about that! Also, approx. 50% of these homeless people work – they have jobs!
The problem is that most are earning minimum wage. One wage earner being paid the state’s minimum wage ($6.55/hour) would need to work 85 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Even with two full-time minimum-wage earners, decent housing is not attainable in most places in Greater Atlanta. Therefore, we have an epidemic of families living in their cars or on the streets.
Last night while watching my kids play in the comfort of our warm home, I thought about all those families & people living on the streets. It was cold & raining last night here in the Atlanta area. And I thought about how it wouldn’t take much in today’s economic climate for any of our families to find ourselves in the same situation.
I will be talking about some of this & how we can show care to those in need/”the least of these” this Sunday at Eagle Pointe, as we continue our “Let It Be…Christmas” series. As well, your generous gifts towards our “Serve the World Christmas Offering” will help us & our ministry partners continue to assist homeless people & families in 2012. (You can DONATE ONLINE & please check out the blog series I did… “Serve the World: Christmas Offering – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Part 4, & Part 5.”)
In addition to that, I want to challenge you to do something right now, today & this week, in order to help the homeless.
We’re collecting supplies for Winter Survival Kits for the Homeless. We need Jackets/sweaters, Ponchos, Gloves & Hats, Hand & feet Warmers, Blankets, Socks, Wipes, Batteries AA & AAA, etc. You can drop supplies at Eagle Pointe church this week from 6:30AM – 6:00PM.
This Saturday Dec. 10th at 9AM we will be putting together the Winter Survival Kits at The Extension. Then at 4PM we will be giving out these kits to area homeless people at Must Ministries.
Please contact Rusty Draper (678) 551-9736 if you would like to help on Saturday – we do need several volunteers.
Serve the World Christmas 2011 – Part 4
Happy Thanksgiving! I know most of us are very busy with family & cooking – but I thought it was worth a try to get this post out right before “Black Friday”. I pray you will help spread the word about what I’ve been sharing this week in this 4 part series.
If you missed “Serve the World: Christmas Offering – Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3” please go back read them to better understand this post in context.
I propose that we “DO” Christmas different this year. Rather than buying into the frantic, crazy, stressful, non-stop month of parties, shopping, & trying to make sure that our friends, families, & kids have lots of “stuff” to do & presents to open – let’s just SLOW DOWN! RELAX! And ENJOY what this season is really about. As my daughter Brianna says, “Christmas is about 3 things: 1) Celebrating Jesus, 2) Spending time with family, & 3) Helping those in need!” DANG! I love that girl! THAT pretty much sums it up!
BTW: That’s a lot of what our December message series “Let It Be… Christmas” is all about! We’re using the Beatles to talk about what Christmas is really all about & how God wants to use us to show that He & we care for our families, neighbors, those in need, & our world. (Also, check out our “Let It Be…Christmas promo video here). Don’t miss this series kicking off this Sunday Nov. 27th. It will run each Sunday in December & on Christmas Eve.
This “Serve the World: Christmas Offering” is ALL about Brianna’s #3 – Helping those in need. I ask that you join us in helping in providing food, immunizations, medical care, mosquito nets, Bibles, & the love of Jesus Christ in parts of the world where the average family lives on less than $2 a day.
For the month of December please pray about & consider making a special donation to this offering, which we pray will fund our mission work in Haiti & the Phillipines for 2012. Please help us provide food, immunizations, medical care, mosquito nets, Bibles, & the love of Jesus Christ in parts of the world where the average family lives on less than $2 a day. As well, this offering will fund the local mission work with Children’s homes, homeless shelters, battered women’s shelter, community service days (Faith in Actions), & benevolence assisting struggling families with financial needs & counseling. Our goal is to raise $30,000. (This is above & beyond the approx. $30,000 it takes to run our church & preschool each month) This is also a rather modest amount considering the incredible amount of work we do with this amount of money.
Please join us in praying that God will FAR surpass our goal! Please pray about cutting back on the “stuff” of Christmas – give your best gift to Jesus this Christmas – & help us truly “Serve the World” in Jesus’ name in 2012! In addition to giving on Sunday mornings at Eagle Pointe – you can also give generously towards this effort by GIVING ONLINE.
Lastly, I hope & pray that you will help us make this a Christmas to remember!
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
“iGod” Series Starts This Sunday – BE THERE!”
Is there really a God? What is He like? Well, join us as we explore these questions & more, & discover the All-Present, All-Powerful, All-Knowing & All-Loving God of the Bible.
The reality is that God wants us to know Him – God wants to reveal Himself to you. The more you know about God – the more life is going to make sense – & that’s why we are doing this series. Some of us are unclear about your future because you are unclear about God. Some of us lack direction in your life because you have a faulty understanding about who God is. A lot of people wander through life – they lack direction – they are afraid – they worry all the time because they have the wrong picture of God. If you don’t have a proper picture of God – then your life is never going to make sense.
Our “iGod” teaching series kicks off this Sunday 9:30 & 11:00AM @ Eagle Pointe Church. Not only do you REALLY need to be here this Sunday & for this entire series, but I challenge you to be a Kingdom Builder! Pray for & get busy inviting your friends & everyone God brings across your path this week. Also, please help us promote this series by watching & then sharing our 3 promo videos below on your social media.
I can’t wait to see you & those you bring with you this Sunday @ Eagle Pointe.
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)
Pizza with the Pastors – this Sunday
This coming Sunday Aug. 21st, right after 2nd service, is our next “Pizza with the Pastors”.
Are you new to Eagle Pointe Church? Interested in finding out more about the church? Maybe wanting to get involved, but don’t know what your next step is? Then join us for a brief overview of our mission, strategy, and environments to help you determine your best next step. Sunday Aug 21st immediately after 2nd service. Lunch & childcare provided. If possible, please r.s.v.p. by emailing our Church Office so we can plan food & childcare.
If you’re new or newer to Eagle Pointe this is a great environment for you to get to know our pastors, learn more about Eagle Pointe, get your questions answered, and find out how you can get more involved. Childcare and pizza provided.
I would love to see you there!
ACCELERATE Series Kicks Off This Weekend
Too often we get all fired up about our spiritual lives – we start a relationship with Jesus – we’re coming to church regularly – & we feel so good about it. For the first few months or years – we’re cruising along that race track – we’re banking & nailing those tight turns – we’re opening it up & going full throttle baby. Life is good & we feel really good about ourselves & our spiritual lives – but then something begins to happen… The engine begins to sputter a bit – we start losing horsepower – & we can’t seem to diagnose the problem.
Want to rev up & accelerate your spiritual growth & relationship with God? Want to open it up & go full throttle in the direction God wants for your life? Then join us Sundays @ 9:30 & 11:00AM at Eagle Pointe Church! Teaching series kicks off this Sunday August 7th.
We’re going to be teaching some big-time, life-changing spiritual truths in a very fun way. Put on your racing gear, invite all of your friends, & don’t miss any of this series!
Check out these 2 promo videos for our Accelerate series…
Faith In Action Sunday – Heart & Attitude
If you missed any of the important Faith In Action Updates with all the info you need to know about this weekend’s day of serving our community, here are the links to them F.I.A. Update #1 & F.I.A. Update #2 – be sure to read them.
Today I want to briefly share a few things regarding the heart & attitude we all need to have when it comes to Faith in Action Sunday – or anytime we’re helping & serving our community & world in Jesus’ name. The reality is that this should be a lifestyle for all of us, not just a couple times a year kind of deal.
1) It’s not about me! I think most Eagle Pointe’rs get this idea. (This one of the many things I love about our church family). It’s not about my goals, my agenda, my feeling good, what I want, how I like & want things to be… It’s not about people seeing how wonderful & spiritual I am. It’s not about me! It is ALL about Jesus & those we are serving in His name!
2) Meeting physical needs opens the door to meeting spiritual needs. This is the model Jesus gave us & this is the model we follow with all of our local & global mission work. Jesus met real, practical, tangible needs & then had the opportunity to address their true #1 need. He healed the sick, made the lame walk, etc & THEN shared with them about the Kingdom of Heaven. He knew what he was doing! So long as people are starving, homeless, their kids are sick & dying, etc – they do not care about their spiritual needs. Meet those physical needs & then you have a platform to address the spiritual needs. As I often say, people do not care how much I know – until they first know how much I care.
3) Some things will NOT go as planned. Sorry – but that’s just the reality of mobilizing a few hundred volunteers & having them working at 6 different locations on the same day. As much as we plan, organize & strategize – some balls will get dropped, some details will be missed, some problems will arise & some things will not go exactly as we had thought & hoped for. So, WHEN that happens – just roll with it & help us make the best of it. Jump in, take some initiative & help your project coordinator quickly solve & move forward past the problem. BTW: That’s what leaders do – they don’t complain about problems – they solve them! Again, It’s not about me!
4) We “serve the world” in order to point people to Jesus. This is the bottom line. This is what it ALL boils down to. My challenge to you is that AFTER you have served & helped – AFTER you have shown that you truly care – do not be afraid to share with those people why you are doing this… “I love Jesus, Jesus says we are to love & help one another, & we are here demonstrating the love He has for you.” Ask people if you can pray for them. Let God work in their heart & give you an opportunity to point them toward Jesus.
5) Invite your friends to join you. This Faith in Action Sunday is a HUGE God-sized opportunity for you to invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc to join you. Listen – even those who could give a rip about Jesus or church – like the idea of helping kids, single moms, homeless, etc. The idea of community service resonates with them – that’s the way God wired all of us up. Joining you this Sunday will give them the opportunity to meet & work alongside other Eagle Pointe’rs & see that these “church people” aren’t that weird 
. (At least we’re weird in a good way – right?) This may be the very thing God uses to bring down their defensive wall enough that they would be willing to give church a try. So, get busy inviting people to join you for Faith in Action Sunday!
6) Our generosity involves more than just our time & effort. Due to us not having church services this Sunday – we will also not have any tithes & offerings coming in. However, we still have bills, ministries & missions to pay for & supplies for F.I.A. Sunday to provide. Please help us make up for it by going above & beyond the following Sunday July 31st! I also encourage you to take advantage of our Online Giving.
I am SO pumped & cannot stinkin’ wait for this Faith in Action Sunday! God is going to use all of us to make a difference in our community. God is going to change lives – the lives of those that we serve as well as our own lives.
I’ll be making the rounds to all of our location & I hope to see you out there this Sunday.
Oh yeah! BTW: We will have our New & Improved Faith in Action t-shirts at each location. If you ordered them – yours will be waiting for you. Arrive a little bit early so you have time to change & wear it while you’re serving.
Last Minute Details for Faith In Action Sunday
Be sure to RESPOND to Item #5 RIGHT AWAY!!!
We announced most of this on Sunday at Eagle Pointe – but I just wanted to make sure everybody was “in the know” when it comes to this weekend’s Faith In Action Sunday. So, here’s the lowdown…
1) Sign-up for a location – we need you! If you haven’t done so yet – email our church office right away.
2) Childcare will be offered for babies through 3rd grade age children from 8:00AM – 1:30PM here at Eagle Pointe. Please pick up your kids BY 1:30PM! Don’t be late because after 5 1/2 hours of watching the little angels – our childcare workers will need a break
3) Arrive at your location BY 8:45AM. Promptly at 8:45AM each location will have a group/team meeting & prayer time before beginning our work projects. Please don’t be late & interrupt the work being done so someone can explain to you what was just covered in the meeting.
4) If you have not heard from a Project Coordinator from the project you signed up for – we may have a bad email address for you. Please email them a.s.a.p. so they can bring you up to speed as we prepare for F.I.A. Sunday. Each project/leaders email is listed below…
Flowering Branch Children’s Home - David Stowers OR Jan Roelle
The Extension - Rusty Draper
Simple Needs - Toni-Lynn Sratford
House Angels/Single Mom – Joe Melton OR Tracy Melton
Eagle Pointe Landscaping, etc – Terry Juergens
Childcare @ Eagle Pointe - Jonathan Napier @ jonathan@eaglepointe.org
5) We are going to try & get NEW F.I.A. T-SHIRTS (New color & design) for next Sunday. The price will be $10 to cover our cost. Please email office@eaglepointe.org with Qty’s & Sizes before tomorrow (Tues. July 19) @ 10AM if you would like shirts!!!
6) NO OFFERINGS NEXT SUNDAY!!! We still have bills, ministries & missions to pay & supplies for F.I.A. Sunday. Please help us make up for it by going above & beyond the following Sunday July 31st! I also encourage you to take advantage of our Online Giving.
If you have any other questions please email your Project Coordinator or our church office.
AGAIN – We need your t-shirt orders RIGHT AWAY!!!
