The Elevate Rundown 11-15-06

Here is how Elevate went down last night, November 15th.

Worship Set:
Salvation Is Here
Take It All
What The World Will Never Take
Empty Me
This Is Life

Message:
This was a stand alone message called Decisions 2006. Our Decisions determine the quality of our life and our destiny. Therefore we must make sure they are quality decisions.

Sermon Title - Decisions 2006

Sermon Scripture - Joel 3:14

Big Idea - Our decisions determine the quality of our life and our destiny.

Statistics:
Total Attendance-54, Total Teens-48

Service Notes:
This was a stand alone message that Juno, Gilbert and I gave this night...the night went really well...our music team is sounding awesome...I am still excited about all the possibilities that stand before us...the altar was full of many teens choosing life tonight...next week we will be having our service on Tuesday and will have a guest speaker.


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Turkey Giveaway Outreach

Yesterday, our church gave out over 400 turkeys to the community. It was exciting to be able to be an extension to the community. This is the second service outreach project my wife and I have led. The first was giving out 500 backpacks to area children. We had a great team of volunteers who helped us pull this off. We had two great teamleaders, Lee Enderle and Ann Bleakney who helped organize our volunteers. Our church is really starting to rally around these projects.

Most of my ideas come from Mark Longoria at Faith Family Church who I know as one of the top outreach pastors in the country. What he has done over there with his teams is awesome. He leads over 100 volunteers and 25 outreach teams that minister to over 1,000 people a year in their community and much of what he does is getting the community behind these projects. So he is just facilitating much of the community in reaching and changing their city. That's my boy.

Outreach isn't my main thing but reaching the community is one. When I do service projects like this it really feels awesome to know we are making a difference in peoples lives.

The Mystery of Faith On The Today Show

Segment on NBC's Today Show called "The Mystery of Faith - Evangelicals in America" it has a segment on Lakewood and Joel Osteen and mega-churches.

HMMM...what are your thoughts? I really noticed how they dropped in at the end about how evangelicals are now voting democratic...Was this whole thing really a political segment or what was it?

Significant Church Pastor's Conference

Yesterday, I went back to Victoria for one night to Faith Family Church pastored by Jim Graff. They are hosting the Significant Church Network Pastor's Conference. This conference is about helping pastor's in small counties across America. More than 90 million people live in small county America. I was on staff at Faith Family for 5 years and much of my ministry DNA is due to them.

For me what makes FFC so unique is that they have been able to build a church of 4,000 in a county of 85,000, a county that is not connected to a metropolis at all...it always amazes me that I was a small part of that.

Here are some great highlights that Pastor Jim and Tamera discussed last night:

• Are we making it clear in our region that devotion to Jesus makes a life-changing difference in every life? (Acts 1:1-24)
  
• Are we maturing believers who connect with the unconverted? (Acts 2:1-4)
  
• Are we turning our church from an institution into a fellowship? (Acts 2:42-47)
• Are we focused on people more than on programs and property? (Acts 3:1-4)
  
• Do we have enough unity with God and His people to overcome problems and possess promises? (Acts 4:32)
  
• Do I have the right leaders in the right places? (Acts 6:3)
  
• Are we doing all God's called us to do in our area, our region, our nation and our world? (Acts 1:8)

One of the things he always says that has one of the greatest impacts on my ministry and thinking is, "If our church was to be closed down today would the community feel it, would you be missed by the community."

Not just by the members but is the church making such an impact on the community that it will be missed.

Grab Life By The Mane - 1

Yum, Yum, Yum…today I just got my four books I ordered from Amazon…they are going to be the latest books to add for my bookshelf…I am so excited and have been especially waiting for “In a Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day”, by Mark Batterson of National Community Church. You can find out more about the book at the Chase the Lion website.

I have already begun reading it and it has already go me thinking and I’m only on page 12. Here are some of the things I’ve underlined:

“There was also Benaiah son of Jehoida, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds…” p.9

Now I know that was just the Scripture text on the first page of Chapter One….but this got me thinking about being valiant.

Valiant means 1) boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted, 2) marked by or showing bravery or valor; heroic:, 3) worthy; excellent.

So I’m reading this and thinking does this describe me. To my kids am I marked by bravery…am I their hero… Sometimes putting aside the things I want to do to spend time with them is a heroic act. It is easy in life to run and do the things that “I” want to do but I only have one shot at their childhood. I only have one chance to truly make an impact on their life. Am I going to make that impact at work, or in the gym, or on the golf course? No, I will make that impact walking my life out in front of them. Being a hero to them is sometimes being home when the get home, cooking them dinner…jumping on the trampoline with them. (Getting off the computer sometime…LOL…that one’s mine)

So Benaiah was a valiant warrior…he did many heroic deeds. Make it your purpose to begin your start at being valiant…start at home…start at work…start at church…start in your relationships…just start… GRAB LIFE BY THE MANE!

What other books did I get today???

Church Out Of Control

That is their growth. If you haven't checked out Newspring Church you need to. They have doubled in size since January. Now that feat alone would be awesome...our youth ministry doubled since April when we came in. But this church went from averaging about 4,000 in their service to 8,000. Go check out their Pastors blog Perry Noble Dot Com and read about how they are doing it.

Awesome...

Oh So Tired

Well I am flat out tired...I spent all day Friday getting ready for our S.H.A.P.E. Conference...it is 12:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and I am forcing myself to stay up. The conference was yesterday or today, I don't even know anymore. I will try to update it tomorrow...after we give out 500 turkeys at Church of Hope.

By the way I am tired cause I was up till after 2:00 last night typing out and printing all our material for the conference. It went great and I will try to give more details on it in future blogs...

I also spent tonight getting Podcast #3 posted...I really am forcing myself to stay up right now...my eyes are getting all droppy and ..... I . .... .. am. .... a..bo..ut.... 2 ..... fall ...... aslee

Elevate Podcast #3

Here it is...Podcast #3 for Elevate Student Ministries. This week Juno Garcia, Joann Clouse and I talk about the service and we have the concluding message for our Unquenchable Series entitled "I Must Worship". Check out The Elevate Rundown 11-8-06 for service & message details.

To read all the posts on Elevate click here.

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Listen online here.

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5 Questions for Today's Youth Pastor - Tim Schmoyer

For our second installment of On The Edge With Youth Pastor's, I had Tim Schmoyer answer five relevant questions for today's youth pastor's....ok well maybe four...although I think ribs are a very relevant questions.


1. What are your details? Located, church, website, name of youth ministry, how long, etc…

Redeemer Covenant Church
Carrollton, TX
http://www.redeemercrew.com/
Name: C.R.E.W. Christians Reaching Everyone Worldwide
I've been the youth pastor here for 2.5 years.


2. What do you see as the state of youth today?

Students are searching for a place where they belong, feel safe, are understood, cared for and loved unconditionally. They'll even do whatever is necessary in order to gain that approval, which is why we see students wearing one mask at school, another at church and yet another on the athletic field, for example. They'll conform to the environment in order to feel like they fit in and are accepted. Youth ministry today needs to respond to this by creating an environment of safety, unconditional love, acceptance and a sense of belonging. So when I look at the state of students today, the only way I can see us effectively responding to this is by creating a place where genuine and authentic relationships are key and biblical community is intentional.


3. What is your unique way of doing ministry? What do you focus on the most? Examples: small group, technology, dramas, worship, speaking, creative, etc….

My style of ministry is based heavily on relationships. Almost everything we do revolves around that core value. The main context for these relationships takes place within small groups. Most of our discipleship takes place there, along with our outreach, worship, and fellowship.


4. What kind of technology do you utilize most in your services?

None. We don't have the resources to utilize much as far as video projection and sound is concerned. However, services aside, we do use our website on a daily basis, text messaging announcements, instant messaging, and other great Internet-based communication tools for ministry.


And on the lighter side:
5. Pork ribs or Beef Ribs?

Dude, beef all the way!


A true Texan all the way...beef..oh yeah baby...Thanks Tim great answers...


You can read more from Tim at his blog Life in Student Ministry.

Read all posts on this topic at 5 Questions for Youth Pastors


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Milestone #100

Wow...number 100...I guess you know your into it if you hit your first milestone...of course over the past month I have really upped my contributions to the whole world...I have been thinking about what to post for this first milestone...hmmm...since it is the holiday season and thanksgiving is right around the corner how about what I am most thankful for...

1. God...first and foremost...without Him nothing is possible.

2. My Wife...she is the sugar in my koolaid, the cherry on my sundae, the apple of my eye...my best friend...she enables me to be able to do so much in my life...I am so thankful she is there...she complements me in many of my weaknesses.

3. My Family...my children have to share their Dad with other teens...so I am so thankful that I have three of the best girls in the world...it is a joy to watch them grow up and become all God has planned for them.

4. My Parents...they were great examples to me...and it is still through their love and support that I am who I am.

5. Friends...Mark Longoria, Juno Garcia, Steve Solis, Arnie Silva: Over the years you guys have allowed me to lean on you when I needed to lean and kept my arms held high when I needed strength...

6. Pastor Ed Cann...because of his faithfulness I am saved today...he is one of my spiritual fathers and I will always be blessed because of him.

7. Pastor Jim Graff & Larry Helms...who for the past 5 years stretched, prodded and pulled greatness out of me. They helped take me to a higher level and put a desire and passion in me for excellence.

8. Pastor Rod Young...for giving me the opportunity to take COH to a higher level.

9. Elevate Team Leaders...Elevate would not be possible without you...Robbie, Juno, Crystal, Gilbert, Carolina & all the students in leadership...Together We Have Achieved More...ok so that didn't spell team but it does comes close to spelling awesome which is what you guys and gals are.

10. The blogging community...I read and track over 40 blogs that challenge me to be more strategic, creative, innovative, professional, and humorous...

To live the life I am living is a tremendous honor and blessing and I look forward to where this will take me...Everyone out there be blessed...