Summer Ministry Environments for Families

We are very excited about what's happening this summer at Campbellsville Christian Church! 


I want to tell you about our Children's and Student Ministry opportunities. Our Student Ministry Environment (for Middle and High School) is called Summer XP: TRIBES. Tribes will meet on Wednesday nights this summer! Check out the video below:




For our Children's Ministry (Preschool - 5th Grade), Sunday nights are all about the family! Everything starts June 1st...



If you'd like more information, contact Logan or Kari Jo!

Every Life Has a Story (Inspiration from @chickfila)

Full Disclosure: I love Chick-Fil-A. I love their sandwiches, their nuggets, their sweet tea, biscuits, and their milkshakes are out of this world! I was thrilled when Campbellsville University got a Chick-Fil-A on campus. I love Chick-Fil-A. It's more than just their excellent food that I love about Chick-Fil-A though. I love their approach to customer service; to excellence from the moment you step foot on the parking lot to the time you step back into your car. I love that they give me the impression that they care about my kids while I'm there. (As a parent, ignore me all day long and pay attention to my kids and I'm hooked. If you're a parent, I suspect you know what I mean.) 
I watched this video this week that Chick-Fil-A made for their own team members that was a call to remember who they are there for:
You are probably aware that the people behind Chick-Fil-A are Christians. They don't hide it, nor do they rub it in your face (another reason I love Chick-Fil-A). As I watched this video I wondered if Chick-Fil-A isn't more like the church should be than the church is, at times. Chick-Fil-A strives to make constantly remind their team members of who they are there to serve, that each person is more than an obstacle to the end of your shift, but a human being who has a life experience and a story to tell. That person who is a total grouch and unpleasant has a story behind his grouchiness. In church world we often focus on the other team members, most of the time we focus on one primary team member...ourself. We focus on what we like, what we don't like,  what is inconveniencing us, etc. We, and I mean we because I am included here, often overlook those not on the team when they walk through our doors, when they cross our paths elsewhere, preferring rather to socialize with the other team members. 
Imagine walking into a restaurant where all the staff couldn't pay attention to the customer because they were so busy talking with themselves! I bet you wouldn't come back, would you? Me either. Honestly, I probably wouldn't stick around to see how long it would take for them to notice me. 
You know where I'm going with this don't you? I am reminded of Matthew 9:36:

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

1. Jesus saw the crowds. So often, I don't even notice people. 2. Jesus had compassion on them. 
If we don't keep at the forefront of our minds why we are here (individually, and as a congregation): "to lead people to Jesus Christ and to a growing relationship with Him" we will miss out. Someone will be your mission: others or you. When we lose sight of our mission we turn inward and we no longer see. We no longer see past our own circles, our own desires. 
I don't want to be a restaurant that serves only themselves. I want to be like Chick-Fil-A, a company that sees value in their customers beyond the money they will contribute to the bottom line. I want to be a place where all people, especially "outsiders" feel welcomed, appreciated, encouraged, engaged, and most of all loved. 
I want the Church to be a place unlike any earthy organization. I want us to look at the world, not with disdain and discouragement, but with compassion. I want us to see each individual as a person with a story, realizing that they are part of a larger story that God is telling in their lives; a story they may not even realize that God is telling and that we -- you and I -- get to be a part, even if it is a small part, of that story God is telling through their life. 
That's enough for now...I gotta find some nuggets. 

One last reason I love Chick-Fil-A...they have a page on their site with free Daddy/Daughter Date Night Ideas. Wow.

Groundbreaking for a new future!

Last week got a little crazy and I failed to post this last Monday...

75ish people gathered on Sunday afternoon, April 27th at the site of the new Habitat for Humanity house. A well-deserving mother and her son broke ground on what will be their new home. 

Habitat for Humanity has an excellent history here in Campbellsville/Taylor County. This is the first house of a total of five new homes on this street.


How is this a "win," you ask? It's not, at least not yet. Here's how you can make it a win...

In a week or so, if you're a member of Campbellsville Christian, you'll be receiving a series of emails as this building project moves forward informing you of opportunities to literally get your hands dirty as you provide not only a home, but hope for a family in this community. You may not be a plumber, electrician; you may not have any business handling power tools at all, but you can serve. I can't wait to see the "wins" that come from this wonderful opportunity! 

Opportunities...

Being "rooted" happens through taking advantage of opportunities God gives you as you seek to grow in Study, Prayer, Stewardship, Discipleship, Community, and Service. 

OPPORTUNITIES SEIZED

A few weeks ago I mentioned the power of a dress...as a result of the Prom Dress Giveaway event some of the Campbellsville Christian Church folks had the idea that they would like to offer a free Prom Dinner for the recipients of the dresses. Click here for more photos.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BE TAKEN

Watch for details on being a part of the building of the new Taylor County/Campbellsville Habitat for Humanity House. Around 50 people gathered yesterday to break ground for the new Habitat House on Wickcliffe Ave. We will be using our church email list to alert you of work opportunities. This will be a great chance to get together with your Sunday School class, Small group, or a group of friends to be the hands and feet of Christ in a real, practical way.

White Mills Christian Camp 

Since 1949 thousands of young people have encountered the life changing message of Jesus Christ through the ministry of White Mills Christian Camp. Campbellsville Christian Church will pay 1/2 of your camp registration if you submit it through the church office. Simply download and fill out the registration form below and turn it in to the church office. 

REGISTRATION FORM    CAMP DATES FLYER

82%

Easter is 6 days away. 82% of people who are invited to church will say yes. Or at least that's what statisticians say...




There's no better time than Easter to invite someone to church. Understand this, church is not the answer...Jesus is. If you're part of Campbellsville Christian Church, we are unashamedly about leading people to Jesus Christ, and a growing relationship with Him. There is nothing better to invite someone to than that!

A couple of notes for our church members:

• Consider attending the early service as an act of love to make room for the guests who will be attending at 11:00 AM. Our 8:45 & 11:00 services are identical each week.
• If you are able, consider parking at the back of the parking lot to make room for others. 
• Scoot in, scoot over, and greet someone with a friendly face and make them feel at home. (It's the worst to have to climb over people you don't know to find a seat.)
• We will have Children's Worship for the full hour during both services. Children (birth - 5th Grade) will have a special time of worship designed specifically with them in mind. 

We've set the goal at 525 people in attendance...I think we can far exceed that! It's not about a number, but about presenting the hope of the world to every soul. 82% say yes. 

Rooted & Established

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Being rooted in God's love: Loving God and Loving Others is an ongoing journey. There is no magic formula that helps you get it right. Becoming rooted, like anything worth having, takes patience and discipline. Quite honestly, it looks different for every person. The reason for this is simple: God made you uniquely with unique gifts for a unique purpose in your unique place for this specific time. The leadership of Campbellsville Christian Church wants to walk alongside you in your journey. We have created personal spiritual development goals based on what we call the 6 Expressions of God's love: Study, Prayer, Stewardship, Discipleship, Community, and Service. 

As a supplement to that, we have created a self-evaluation for you to help you evaluate your progress on your journey. It is completely anonymous, unless you want to receive feedback from myself or one of the staff for input or guidance into your life. If that's the case, simply include your email address. These evaluations are comprised of 7 questions each. You can find the evaluations below by clicking on the corresponding Expression of Love below:

Loving God:
STUDY
PRAYER
STEWARDSHIP

Loving Others:
DISCIPLESHIP
COMMUNITY
SERVICE

We are so excited to see what God will do in the lives of His people who are committed to be "rooted in God's love." Again, we don't strive to be "rooted" to draw attention to ourselves or anything we've done, but to the only One who matters, Jesus Christ. It all rolls back to our mission: to lead people to Jesus Christ, and a growing relationship with Him. 

** Unsure of what I'm talking about? Listen to the April 6th sermon to find out more.  Listen on the church website.
**Photo Credit

BOOK REVIEW: Alas an Atlas that Outlasts: Essential Atlas of the Bible by Carl Rasmussen

Rasmussen's Atlas is unlike other atlas' filled with maps of places you may or may not understand. Rasmussen has created a Bible atlas that is beautiful, easy-to-read, full of full-color images and uses current mapping technology to create a resource tool for pastors and individuals for personal and congregational Bible study.  

I love this. Honestly, I never thought I would say that about an atlas. This particular one, Essential Atlas of the Bible, provides not only the map, but charts, Biblical references, provides the context of what was going on in the world surrounding the names and places of people you encounter as you read God's Word. 

While most people would not consider sitting down to read an Atlas, with Rasmussen's Essential Atlas you could do just that and enjoy every minute of it. This atlas will prove to be an invaluable resource for me as a minister, but also for me personally as I seek to understand God's Word more fully. 


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What are we here for?

That is more than a philosophical question, but an imperative question for any organization, church, or individual to answer. What's is my purpose in life? The Campbellsville Christian Church leadership has been wrestling with that very question for a number of months. For years, we've had a beautifully crafted mission statement. The problem was, that no one could remember it, much less recite it or communicate it to someone else.

We've been discussing how to narrow our focus. There are so many wonderful things a church does, but what is most important? Here's where we've landed:

Campbellsville Christian Church exists to lead people to Jesus Christ, and a growing relationship with Him. 

That's it. That's the Great Commission fulfilled. (Matthew 28:19-20) The two most important things a church does is to lead people to Christ (evangelism) and to lead them to grow in that relationship (discipleship). For the church, if something doesn't lead to that end, then it probably isn't worth doing. 

Then I asked myself, "What's is my personal mission statement?" What is my focus? There are many things I hope to do as a Christian, a husband, father, minister, and community member. Ultimately, I hope to leave a legacy that points to Jesus. I don't care if I am remembered; I do care that people remember Jesus. 

If the mission of the church is unequivocally, unwaveringly, unapologectically to lead people to Jesus Christ, and a growing relationship with Him, then shouldn't that be my personal mission as well? After all, I am a branch of the church whether I am in the building or not...and so are you. So, what's your mission? Do your day to day actions and attitudes agree with you? If not, what are you going to do about that?

**Photo credit

About Tiling and Keeping Things In Perspective

 Well, here it is. This is my basement prior to starting my recent home improvement project, tiling. We had a concrete floor that was stained and had a pattern cut into it. It was fine. It just wasn't what we had hoped for when we set out to finish the basement a few years ago. 

As I spent three weeks working on this project, I had a lot of time to reflect on many things. I won't bore you with a series of "things I learned while tiling," but I will do just this one. 




My friend, who does home renovations, advised me on how to get started and how to use patterns to divide the basement into two sections: the family room and the rest of the basement. I have tiled before, but never this large of a space. Anyway, I set out on the project and, with the help of my wife measuring and marking tiles, got the basement finished! As I cleaned the tile, I noticed something....my spacing was off in some spots. "Oh no!," I thought. "I've messed everything up." I was so frustrated. I took the time, did the research, was careful in my cutting and I still failed. Then I stepped back to get a different perspective. You know what I noticed?
 It didn't stand out so much when I stepped back. I couldn't see it so clearly. 

I heard an illustration about a pebble recently. Basically the speaker said if hold a pebble 1/2 inch away from your eye, the pebble will completely obstruct your view. You will see nothing but the pebble. If you hold the pebble 18 inches from your eye, you will see that it isn't so big. However, if you'll throw it down onto the beach, you will see it for what it is...nothing more than a piece of dust.

I think our failures, our sin, our disappointments, and our struggles can become like a pebble or a closeup look at my basement floor. When held up close, it is all we can see, but when we take a step back and put it against the light of God's grace and mercy we see it for what it is. It is a part of our ongoing journey to something more beautiful. Thinking like this doesn't make it hurt less or make us feel less guilty, but we are all on a journey. I hope your journey is one that leads you to become rooted in God's love. I am reminded of Isaiah 41:10, 

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Remember, you are on a journey. Your current circumstances, good or bad, are part of your journey. Embrace them. God will sustain you through it all, and you look back and see something more beautiful than you could have imagined. 

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV)

The Morning Monster

I am probably posting this at the wrong time of the day. It's okay. I will set it to repost later tonight also. 

You know what has always bugged me to no end? Morning people. You know, those people who are so perky and bubbly and are awake before 8:00 AM? You know what else always bugged me about those people? They were the ones who would always tell me that the only time to have a quiet time (aka Bible Study and Prayer) was in the morning before everyone wakes up and the house is peaceful. They would even try to play the "Jesus card," saying that Jesus even had HIs quiet time with God in the morning. (See Mark 1:35) I could always fight that off because I am most certainly not the Son of God. "These people" would drive me nuts.

Gag. I am most decidedly not a morning person. I'm not a late night person either. I'm a mid afternoon guy. An early quiet time has never worked for me. Journaling has never worked for me. However, and this is the most frustrating thing, mid-afternoons were never consistent enough to work for me either. So, at the end of the day when I am about to crash, I would reach for my Bible or devotional book, when I would remember. I would read it and start to pray, most of the time falling asleep before I ever got into anything significant. Honestly, "these morning people" never shoved it down my throat, nor were they trying to make me feel guilty, I just simply knew that my time with God wasn't what it should be and I was attempting to deflect my conviction and guilt by pointing out how annoying those people were. 

Recently, a perfect storm of things happened. I've mentioned them recently and will finish writing about them next week. First, I had to tile my basement. I had time to do it and needed to get it done two years ago. Second, the Winter Olympics. In this I was convinced there was nothing on television I couldn't live without and certainly nothing worth watching after 10:00 PM. And thirdly, I read an article by Michael Hyatt entitled "How to Become A Morning Person."

Here's what I've done*: 

1. I go to bed at 10:00 PM. As much as possible I try to lay out my clothes, get my coffee cup out, set my Bible out on the table, all the night before.
2. I wake up an hour earlier. I get up at 6:00 AM. It makes sense, when I go to bed at 10, 6:00 AM doesn't seem so early. I had to overcome that mental barrier.
3. I make my coffee. Apparently there is something to this. Quiet time with a cup of coffee makes everything a little easier. It's weird, but true. 
4. I have a companion text that I use as I study the Bible that includes questions. If you are interested in some resources, please contact me. There are some great ones, no matter where you are on your walk with Christ. 
5. I pray that God would speak to me and then I read the text for the day. So far, I've been able to get through Judges, 1 Peter, and now I'm in Romans. 
6. After I read through the Biblical and companion text I will deal with the discussion questions, and then
7. End with Prayer. I don't journal. It just doesn't work for me. I have a list. I have a long-term and short-term list. I add and remove freely from the short-term list. My long term list includes: my wife and children, other family members, some friends, the church, the church leadership, the church staff, our missionaries, and finally myself. Yours doesn't have to be that long. But make a list. 

That's it. Then I go get ready for my day. Now, I have to admit something to "those people" who are perky and bubbly so early in the morning. You were right. No, morning isn't the only time that works, but I am growing to believe now, after almost 40 straight days, that this has been the best for me. It has changed my attitude for my day, I am studying God's word with more alertness, I am retaining more of what I read, and, as a side perk, I am finding myself much more productive during the day. A verse keeps coming to my mind in regards to all of this. The writer of Lamentations wrote:

Because of the  Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The  Lord  is my portion;  therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24, NIV)

Try it out. I dare you. 


*I tell you all of this not to brag, but hopefully encourage some of you who struggle with a balanced quiet time. You can do this. It's not that hard. Just a little determination is all it takes. 

*Photo Credit