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Helping Hands Project

This past Saturday our Helping Hands ministry worked on Rosemary Haugh’s garage in Dover. The Helping Hands ministry is a group of volunteers that reaches out to the church and community through home improvement projects. This ministry takes on work projects for people in our church and community. Together we can make a difference by showing the love of Jesus Christ.

So far this year we have completed 7 projects with approximately 54 volunteers. We have three more projects pending. As this ministry grows more people will be impacted up close. After returning from several trips to the Gulf Coast for disaster relief, I felt we needed to continue that spirit of helping people in need locally.

It is a great feeling to see 18 men come together to serve and help on a project like this. A huge thank you goes out to Keim Lumber for allowing us the use of their Boom truck. Marvin Yoder operated the Boom and did a great job. Dave Marzilli brought his Bob Cat and Frank Myers let us use his dump truck. Other guys brought their own tools and we all worked together to get it done.

A special thanks goes out to Bob Barbee who has been the point person on most of these projects. He is using his gifts and talents to help people with home improvements. Butch Price has also been very involved. Thanks a bunch guys!

Here are some pictures from Saturday!





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Marriage Problems?

Today I spent time talking with four different men about marriage and relationship problems. All of these guys are struggling with their marriages. One just finalized his divorce, another has a divorce pending and the other two are trying to make it work.

Why is marriage so hard? I know there are many more out there that are having significant problems in their marriage. The statistics show that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. It really doesn’t make much difference if you are a Christian or not. The rate of divorce is just as high.

So what is going on and how can you divorce proof your marriage?

Here are a few free thoughts:

* Start with a good foundation. Couples that go through a pre-marital mentoring program reduce their risk of divorce by nearly 75%. A good mentoring program will help to bring to the surface issues that you have not talked about or that you are in disagreement over. It allows you to think about and talk about these differences before you get married. It helps you to understand what it takes to make a marriage work by spending time with a healthy married couple. It is life buying insurance for your marriage.

* If you’re already married and having some difficulties, invest in your marriage. We spend a lot of money on our homes, cars, clothes and other stuff. Why not spend some money on your marriage. Some ways to do that are going to a marriage retreat or seminar, you can buy a book on marriage and read it together, you can go see a Christian counselor, you can buy Cd’s or DVDs about marriage. My point is that you need to invest time and money, if you want your marriage to improve.

* Get involved in a small group. Life change happens best in a small group environment. Find a group of other couples that you can connect with, pray with and learn from. You could also do a women’s group or men’s group to build friendships and have some accountability. When we are struggling we often think we are the only ones and we tend to isolate ourselves. In a small group you soon find out that no one has it all together. You can encourage each other and care for each other.

* The most significant thing you can do to divorce proof your marriage is to pray together. The statics show that couples that pray together on a regular basis reduce their risk of divorce by over 90%. Wow, I learned that from a DVD training I have been studying and it really blew me away. Most Christian couples do not pray together. When you pray with each other it builds spiritual intimacy and helps you become one flesh.

How do you start praying together? One simple thing you can do is to hold hands and pray silently for each other or for whatever is going on in your lives and then squeeze each others hand when you are done. Simple, safe and a great way to strengthen your marriage.

* Another simple and effective way to improve your marriage is to read the book of Proverbs together. Read one chapter a day for 31 days and meet to talk about what you are reading either every day or at least every three days. If you do that diligently you will see a drastic improvement in your marriage.

If you work as hard on your marriage relationship as you do your work or hobbies you will see significant improvement in a short period of time.

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Vision

I was talking with a friend of mine this week about church stuff. He was sharing many frustrations with the way his church did things. He talked about not reaching the youth and being irrelevant. He said what it really boiled down to was this; they have no vision! He said that no one from his church could tell him what their vision was, why they existed or who they were trying to reach. In an environment like that there is always decline. People will not follow a leader without a vision. People will not be attracted to the church without a vision.

I am so thankful that at the church I attend, NewPointe Community Church, we have a vision. If you ask anyone on staff or in a leadership position they would say the same thing. Our vision is to “Lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ”. We will use whatever means is necessary to bring people to Christ and then help them grow in that relationship.

We talk a lot about what your next step is spiritually? We try to always make it clear what their next step could be. Then the person has to make a choice to either take that step, wait, or not take that step.

I felt bad for my friend, because he was at the end of his rope. He had tried to bring about change, but got very little help and a bunch of resistance. Changing a church is difficult as is changing people. However that is what God has called us to do. Transform ourselves and the church, so that we can be salt and light to the world.

My pastor wants to change the world! I love that and want to be a part of that. I want to be part of a movement that God is creating. A movement to impact our counties, our state, our country and our world. The local church is the hope of the world. Unfortunately many churches choose to ignore the world and circle the wagons and put up do not enter signs.

Where their is no vision there is decline or death. The Bible says with no vision the people perish.

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Life & Death

This has been an interesting week for me. I officiated at two funerals this week. One for a 54 year old man that had cancer and the other for a 68 year old woman that had several health problems. Both of them professed to be Christians and we were able to celebrate their lives and share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone that came.

Funerals always remind me how short life really is. We don’t know how old we are, you could be 30 years old and be an old man if you are going to die next year. You could also be 60 years old and be young if you are going to live another 30 years. My point is, we only have so much time on this earth.

The thing that I was reminded of the most was how important our relationships are with people. When I do a funeral, I am reminded to make sure I have all my relationships in order. Have I worked at building the relationships that are important to me? Am I spending time with the people that I love? Do I need to ask anyone to forgive me?

I also went to see two young men that were life flighted to Akron General Hospital this week. Both in separate accidents. Both of these young men (22 & 17 years old)look like they are going to make it through and recover. They were covered with lots of prayer. Sometimes things like this can be a wake up call for us to follow God’s plan for our lives and not do our own thing. It is so easy to get off track and get caught up in this world.

These young men have another chance to make a difference in this world. To grow in their relationship with Jesus and influence people in a positive way. These life and death situations are a reminder to make sure we have our priorities straight. What is really important in your life? Think about that and make sure you tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Don’t wait to reconcile relationships or tell your family you love them. You may not get the chance to later.

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Impacting Haiti

Here are some pictures from Kevin Kate’s trip to Haiti. They drilled a well for a village. It supports nearly 2,000 people.







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Amazing Stats

I just watched an eight minute video that gave some amazing statistics. It talks about how fast things are changing and how different today’s world is. As I watched the information it made me wonder how we as a church should use this information. How can we stay in touch and reach this ever changing rapidly developing world. The church should be out in front on this. The church should be the most exciting, changing, dynamic place on earth. We need to understand the changes that are happening in our world so that we can connect this world with the greatest news ever. All of these changes are a huge help to the church if we approach it correctly. Are we open to dramatic changes? Are we connecting with the younger generation or expecting them to get things like we did? Are we using technology to our advantage? Are we thinking about two three or ten years from now when technology has tripled? Are we willing to shift?

Watch the video and let’s have a discussion on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

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Attitude isn’t Everything

I came across an incredible thought today. I was listening to a leadership lesson by John Maxwell. John has influenced my leadership greatly over the last 10 years through his books, tapes and seminars. The quote that got my attention was from an unknown source.

“Attitudes are when we learn to think correctly without acting. Habits are when we learn to act correctly without thinking.”

I used to think that attitude was everything. If I had a great attitude things would go my way. I have found that is not true. A great attitude definitely gives you an advantage in life, work and relationships. However without great habits the best attitude in the world won’t get you through the hard times. It really takes both.

I try really hard to have a good attitude, but sometimes find myself with a bad attitude because of circumstances or people. In those down times I need good habits that will carry me through.

Some of those habits include:
prayer, time alone with God, reading my Bible, fasting, silence, solitude, rest, journaling, confession, listening, worshipping God, seeking wise counsel, serving someone else, giving, going to church, community, exercise, focus, organizing and planning.

Not all of these things are habits for me, but some of them are. I am working on it, along with my attitude. Often I find that when I am getting discouraged or down I have strayed away from some of these basic spiritual habits. As I get back into them I experience God and that changes everything.

If you are experiencing a hard time in life look at some of these habits and start to work on them. As you do, you take the focus off of your hard times and onto growing in your relationship with God. Your attitude and habits will keep you centered. Your habits determine what you are centered on. Are you centered on Jesus Christ or yourself?

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Life Change

The reason NewPointe Church exits is to lead people every where into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. That is a big vision. In a nut shell we exist for life change, to be the catalyst for people all over the world to grow closer to Jesus Christ.

Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing six different people share their life change stories with me. All six are going to be baptized in October. I sat down with them and listened to them share what God has done and is doing in their lives.

Nothing charges me up more than hearing people talk passionately about their relationship with Jesus. Tears came to their eyes as they talked about how God drew them to himself and how they were able to overcome sin and difficult circumstances because of God’s strength and courage.

These six people have experienced a change. They have experienced God and they don’t want to go back to the old way of life. I can’t wait for their stories to be played on the big screens for everyone to hear. They are going public with their faith. Way to go Angela, Amy, Steve, Jillian, Jason and Christen!

Each one was nervous and unsure about be video taped, but they knew this was a step God wanted them to take. Often times if we can face a fear and do what God calls us to there is a spiritual breakthrough in our lives. For these six people they will never be the same. They are standing tall for Jesus Christ and following Him.

What is holding you back from following Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind? What is your next step in your walk with Him? For some it is baptism, for others maybe getting in a small group, for some it may be leading a small group or serving in an area of ministry. For others it may be taking on a leadership role in ministry or going on a mission trip. For others it may mean getting help for your marriage and reconciling your relationships. For some people it may mean being a better steward of your money. For someone it may be giving a large chunk of your resources to God’s work. I don’t know what your next step is, but God is calling you to it.

Step out in faith and begin living fully for God!

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Trip to Haiti

A good friend of mine, Kevin Kate recently went on a mission trip to Haiti. Kevin is in my men’s group and has a real heart for missions and outreach. I know he had been praying for an opportunity to GO and make a difference. Here is what he did:

Kevin was part of a team that fixed a water well that had caved in. They went to Terre Blanche in Haiti. The well will serve a school of a bout 600 students, the local trade school, local church and the clinic which will serve 1000 people when the medical team from the U.S. goes there. The local population can also use the well. The local people had to travel a great distance to get water and this is a huge blessing to that entire community. On average the well will provide clean fresh drinking water for nearly 2,000 Haitian people each day.

Kevin had some great stories about how God provided what needed to make this project happen. When people like Kevin take a risk and GO out into the world, God does amazing things. I know there are more people like Kevin that God has been calling to take a risk and jump into something bigger than themselves. Start praying today that God will give you direction and then Courage to go and do it. It may be in Haiti or Egypt or maybe in Mississippi or Dover or Millersburg. You can make a difference just like Kevin did.

Way to go Kevin!

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Big Saturday

This Saturday marks the second month of Angel Food Ministries. Once again we will distribute frozen and non-perishable food to hundreds of people. The neat thing is anyone can participate. There is no minimum income levels, so anyone that wants to save some money can join in. I don’t know about you, but I like saving money.

For Vikki and I it has caused us to cook more meals at home, which means more leftovers for lunch and other meals. We all spend money on food every month, Angel Food allows you to save money, plan your meals and help the church. You help the church by ordering, because $1.00 from every order goes into our Helps Fund.

On Saturday night is Group Link. This is an environment for people wanting to check out or get into small groups here at NewPointe. We have around 100 people registered. After this weekend we should have close to 100 active small groups at NewPointe. That represents around 1,000 people in community.

Vikki and I are excited about starting our new group and adding a few new couples. Our small group has been a lot of fun over the last couple of years. We have developed friendships and grown relationally and spiritually.

I believe we are designed to be in community. When we are isolated just in our immediate family we don’t function like God designed us. We find it harder to trust people, to serve people and to love. You see, on our own we become an easy target for the enemy. We are isolated and can easily fall into sin, loneliness, depression and hopelessness. But if we are connected in a community where we build relationships, learn about the Bible, pray together, care for each other, have fun together and serve together, then we are stronger. It does not mean we won’t struggle or fall into temptation or hopelessness, but it means we don’t have to face that alone. We have friends that can pray for us, listen to us, help us and just be with us if needed.

If you are not in a small group, I encourage you to start to pray that God will provide a way for you to experience community. Pray that God will open an opportunity and then for courage to go ahead and jump in.