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Food Drive Update

Wow, what an exciting morning at NewPointe. I spent most of the morning sorting, boxing and counting full boxes of food. I want to thank all the great Team Members that helped out all morning. Dave & Phyl Gilmore’s Host team did a great job of directing people and even helping box up the food. Thanks guys! To all the children that helped haul the food on their wagons, way to go!

You know what, we have incredible people at NewPointe. People that understand the vision of “Leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.” People that give significant time and money to the vision. NewPointe is all about the people that are on the team, volunteering, giving, praying, and growing. I am so thrilled to know so many amazing people.

The people came through on Sunday with over 400 boxes (432 to be exact). We are nearly half way to our goal of 1,000 boxes. We handed out a bunch more empty boxes, we actually ran out. So next week should be another busy day as the “people” come through with over 600 boxes. I believe it will happen, and it will make a difference in the community.

Here are some quick stats on the Uhrichsville food pantry. They served nearly 1,000 people in June. Of that number 365 were children and they added 39 new families. So far this year they have added 189 new families to the ones they serve. I was surprised at those numbers. I hope that the people of NewPointe will continue to give to these Food Pantries throughout the year. Let’s make a difference against hunger, housing, and other basic needs people have in our communities. If you want to help make a difference in the community call me to find out how you can help. We have ongoing projects to help families in our communities. You can help make a difference year round.

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Obligation or Opportunity

I am reading a small but powerful book called “You Don’t Need A Title To Be A Leader” by Mark Sanborn. That title says a lot, and I have always believed that, but I have not always lived it out. I grew up in the corporate world of banking and consulting and titles were very important. What level of Vice President you were gave you status and power. My goal was to become President and CEO. Great titles, right, but those titles didn’t make you a good leader, it just shows who is in charge.

Some of the best leaders I have seen were not the CEO or President. Great leaders don’t wait on a title to start leading. They take initiative and help get things done. They look for ways to make a difference and improve things. They make suggestions and give their opinion. They don’t back down when confronted, but take a stand for what they believe in. They persevere and are patient when they have to. They are humble and yet persistent. They get things done and work well with other people. They encourage team members and are willing to do the dirty work.

In Sanborn’s book he talks about opportunity versus obligation. This is what he writes “How do you live your life? As an obligation, or as an opportunity? Those who see life as an obligation want the task at hand to be done with as quickly as possible, with little regard to the outcome. The people who change the world around them-for themselves, their companies, communities, and families – rarely act from a sense of obligation. In fact, the people who act as leaders almost always act from a sense of incredible opportunity. They don’t interact with the world around them because they have to. They do so because they want to.”

So how are you viewing your circumstances, your job, your marriage, your church, your community, your school? Are these obligations or opportunities? When the phone rings do you respond to each call as an opportunity to impact someones life or an obligation to answer a question. The busier you get, the more pressure you are under, the more you tend to view things as an obligation and you miss many opportunities. As you feel the pressure and the stress your motivation goes down and your sense of obligation goes up.

To change your perspective maybe you need to simplify your life. Maybe you need to narrow your focus and re-evaluate your priorities. Viewing life as an opportunity to do your part in God’s bigger story will increase your motivation and drive. You see, God has a plan for your life and my life. Every day God gives us opportunities to make a difference, to be a miracle for someone, to be a light, to be an encouragement. Begin to look for opportunities to make a difference and pray for the courage to dive into God’s story.

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Steps

We kicked off a wellness program this week for our staff at NewPointe. We are on three teams and competing in several areas. The idea of course is for all of us to get healthier. I am excited about this new program because it has already motivated me to get into better shape. I went on walks the last two evenings. I would like to invite all those fellow blog readers to join us in this wellness effort.

This week we are counting our steps for an entire day. On day one I only had 9,300, but I got my step counter after first service Sunday. Todd Colucy was the big winner on day one with over 36,000 steps, wow! Today I am at 13,000 steps.

I know we all want to get in better shape and for me I need a little motivation. This may be the catalyst that I need to get over the hump and lose the weight, body fat etc while lowering my cholesterol.

I want to challenge everyone that reads this to set some goals for the next month. Get out and walk once or twice this week. Go on bike rides, stretch every morning, whatever it is for you. Then get out and start doing it.

It is the same for us spiritually. Set some achievable goals to pray, read the Bible, listen to messages or read a book. Then start doing it. Spiritual and physical health doesn’t just happen, it takes some effort, planning and accountability. Next time you see me ask how my diet & exercise is going. You can also ask me how my prayer and Bible reading are going too. If you ask me, I will ask you.

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Vacation 101

I have not been posting much because I have been on vacation this past week. It was a week at home with my wife. We spent part of it doing day trips to area sites like the flea market in Hartville and the shops in Dresden. We even went to the Mt. Hope auction on Wednesday for produce. I love blueberries bannana’s and pineapple!

We went out with some friends on Thursday night to one of our favorite restaurants in Canton called the Sahara Grille. Blake Wood introduced us to that place a couple of years ago. The Lamb and seasoned rice are great!

We also spent two days working around the house. I finally got the mulching done and pulled a bunch of weeds. Vikki and I also like to go rock hunting. No this is not like snipe hunting, although that is fun as well.

We spotted some rocks that would work well around some of our flower beds by a large oak tree beside the road. I pass it ever day going to work. We stopped on Friday and asked the Amish family if we could take them. They said to check with the Amish farmer up the road. So off we went and asked the farmer if we could take his rocks. It turns out that I am related to this guys wife and his last name is also Stutzman. He took us back in his fields and showed us a bunch of rocks. His farm is covered with rocks. I guess that is why they call it stoney point.

We went and got my father-in-law’s pickup and started loading rocks. Three pickup loads later we were exhausted and very dirty. He was actually in the process of burrying a bunch of rock in one of his fileds. So they were exposed and easy to find. One week later and we would not have gotten nearly as many.

We also got to see his work horses up close. It was a great day, even though my back is a little sore.

We all need time off from work to recharge and reload. I have come to find out that taking vacation is critical for a few reasons. I used to not want to take vacation, because I thought I had to be at work to get things done. I think that was pride and I now realize that life and work goes on without me.

One reason to take vacation is I get to spend more time with my wife. Hanging out together and going out together is very important in our relationship. She is my best friend and I love spending time with her. Another reason is it gets my mind off of the work I focus on all the time and I can catch up on my reading. If all you do is think about work it will eventually consume you and begin to hurt your family relationships. Work is important, but family is more important. Another reason to take a vacation is to have other people cover for you at work and maybe they will appreciate you a little more, or maybe not.

Anyway, I am back to work on Monday and I am excited about diving back into some of the projects I am working on. God has answered some prayers and I can’t wait to get started.

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Personal Growth

My personal mission statement is “Growing in Faith, Character & Leadership” To me the most important part of that statement is the first word; “Growing”. Growing means that I am learning, changing, adapting, failing, planning, attempting new things, going, doing, thinking and focusing.

If I am not growing then I am declining. I want to grow in my personal faith, becoming more intimate with my Lord. I want to know Him and experience His presence and learn His ways.

I also want to grow in character, which usually happens through adversity. I want to be known for the character qualities others see in me, not the accomplishments. Qualities like dependability, flexibility, patience, responsible, determined, gentle, wisdom, discernment and courageous.

I want to grow in leadership as well. To become a better leader with the people that I have influence with. Leadership is about influence and I want my influence to grow. I want to be the leader that God created me to be. To step out and take chances and live life to the fullest.

So how do I grow? One way is I read a lot of books. I love to learn from other people. The more I read the more I grow in knowledge and understanding. I just finished three books I had been reading over the last couple of months. Each of those books challenged me in a different way. It fed my desire to become a better husband, employee, pastor, friend and Christ-follower.

Reading is very important in growing. Remember as a child how reading played a significant role in your development. In school I had to read, in college I had to read even more. Now I read because I want to. I read books on leadership, Christianity, discipleship, business and management. I also read fiction, usually stories about ordinary and extraordinary people. My favorite fiction writer is John Grisham, my favorite non fiction author is Erwin McManus.

As important as reading is in personal growth, so is going and doing what what I read. I need to put into practice what I am learning or it is wasted. If I read the Bible and don’t do what it says, all that reading is wasted. My challenge to you is to Grow. Don’t stay where you are at spiritually, emotionally or intellectually. Read, listen to Cd’s, watch DVDs whatever works for you, but don’t stop learning and growing. The more you grow the more God can use you.

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Baptism Sunday

Today was baptism Sunday at NewPointe. What an amazing morning. John Bunn talked about Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine. Great stories John about baseball and your wedding. John challenged us all to be obedient to what God is calling us to do. By acting in faith we could experience a miracle.

We also got to hear nine life change stories, it is unbelievable how God is working in peoples lives. That is why we do church at NewPointe. Our desire is that everyone that comes to NewPointe is changed forever. We call it life transformation. I am so pumped for these nine people that have publicly declared that they are followers of Jesus Christ.

They all talked about there experience of making a decision to surrender completely to Christ and live for Him. Each one has grown in their faith and trust in God. What a special morning.

Congratulations to Paul & Sharon Wolodkin, Dave Cantwell, Cheryl Warther, Dani Engstrom, Jessica Rilke, Tom Troyer, Diana Young and Benita Miller. They all took the plunge so to speak. It took courage to step forward to record their testimony on video and then get on stage in front of hundreds of people. But each one was there for a reason and had a story to tell about how God has changed them forever. I hope and pray their stories touched someone today and that life change will continue on in others.

One last thing, John also threw out the challenge for our church to fill 1,000 boxes of food for our local food banks in Dover, Uhrichsville, Newcomerstown and Millersburg. I know we can meet the challenge. I called each of the food banks and they are excited about our goal. Let’s make a difference one meal at a time.

Some great items to bring in would be dry cereal, canned soup, canned chicken and tuna. Make sure you only donate something that you would eat, no old or damaged cans please. To God be the Glory!

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Lake Kipawa

As promised, here are some excerpts from my personal journal while on my first fishing trip to Canada. We went to Lake Kipawa in Quebec Canada, about a 12 hour drive. We left Thursday June 28th after work and stayed until Tuesday July 3rd. We arrived at home at about 2:30 a.m. on July 4th.

Day One – I am on a fishing trip with Todd Kandel and his son Nick and John Troyer. Todd & John are in my small group at church. The more I reflect on life, the more I see it as an adventure that is constantly changing. I need to continue to stay faithful in my daily walk with God. If I can stay focused on God He will direct me and give me the wisdom I need to follow Him.

End of Day One – The Perfect day, almost. Today I caught my first walleye and my first lake trout. I caught a total of three walleye, my limit is six per day. We cooked the fish and ate them, wow is walleye good! It rained and stormed a while, so we took a nap before heading back out. We saw a complete rainbow across the lake. This is an amazing, beautiful place. God is Good!

Day Two – Today was cold and wet. The fish were not biting, so we went exploring around the lakes, bays and rivers. Eli is the guy that has the cabins we are staying in and he is leading us around the lake. We have two boats, Eli’s son and friend are with us as well. They are leaving Sunday. Eli is a great host.
I caught caught two more walleye, but we did not keep them. We got caught in a downpour and had to cover ourselves with a tarp in the boat until it stopped. This is really a great place. Several times throughout the day I had to smile to myself as I took in the scenery.

Day Three – Today was windy and cold and the fishing was not that good until evening. I caught three more keeper walleye. I am glad I brought long sleeved shirts and long pants. Overall it was a good day. I am reminded how good it is to relax and have fun. I have not been keeping track of time, no watch, no cell phone, no radio. We eat when we are hungry and sleep when we are tired. Today John caught a 21″ walleye, the biggest yet.
I have learned a lot on this trip so far. Like how to tie a proper knot for your jig hook, how to fish with leeches and jigs, how to cook fish and even drive a boat. All this fishing has brought back memories from when I was young and loved to go fishing. This may be a new hobby!

Day Four – Today we hiked to the top of a lookout over the lake. It was about a mile or more up hill, but was it worth it. The view was incredible. From up there we got the perspective on how large this place is. It reminds me how small we are in this huge world. Even though we are small, God knows us and loves us, WOW. I am listening to “Everlasting God” by Todd Fields, “We will wait upon the Lord, our hope our strong deliverer, You don’t grow weary, Your the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need.”

I also have been reading “This Beautiful Mess” by Rick McKinley. I am reminded that we are called to care for this world we live in and the people in it. Taking care of the less fortunate and being responsible to the earth were themes in his book. God is still working on me, pruning some of the bad branches and cleaning up areas in my heart that are not good.

We just finished eating supper at 11:45 p.m. Fish, potatoes with onions, garlic butter and cheese. John can sure eat. He ate a bowl of cereal and finished off some other stuff after eating the fish and potatoes.

Day Five – We got up early (5:30) to get out and get some fishing in before we leave at noon. It was a fun morning. The fish were biting and we were pulling them out left and right. John & I have been in one boat for all five days and Todd & Nick have been with Eli in his boat. Todd was catching the most fish, but Eli is close behind. We all have caught a lot of fish. After fishing for about four hours we head back in to get cleaned up and packed. Cleaning up means getting into the lake and soaping up. The water is a little cold, but I really needed it. After packing up and cleaning up, we are off on the trip home.
On the way home we discovered a great place to eat. Webers on Hwy 11. WOW, they have the best cheeseburgers. This place is right beside the road with a walkway across the Highway. There was a line out the door the whole time we were there. This was a great Canadian Cheeseburger experience. I also got some ice cream and coffee, the coffee was amazing! As you walk into this small place someone came down the line and took your order and collected the money before you got to the register. The music was turned up (Classic Rock) and the employees looked like they were having a good time, even though they were slammed. You could watch them grilling the hamburgers and putting it all together. I loved it, I wish I could have eaten more.
Overall this was just a great experience. Thanks to Todd for driving most of the way and for putting this trip together. Thanks to John for the entertainment and being my fishing buddy. It was fun to get to know Nick a little better and spend time with these guys. John summed it up by saying this is the first vacation he had that he did not think about work one time. He was able to completely relax and have fun. I think that went for all of us. I can’t wait to go back.
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The Amazing Trip

Some of you may be wondering why I have not blogged since June 27th. Well, I have been out of the country. I went on a fishing trip to Canada. A couple of guys from my small group and I went to Quebec Canada to Lake Kipawa.

This was an amazing trip, I will share more on Thursday. Hopefully my pictures turned out so I can share those as well. I forgot how much I love to fish and be in the great outdoors. We went to a remote area with no running water, electric etc. We did stay in an old cabin and ate very well.

Check back more to come. I kept a daily journal and will share some of my entries.

By the way Vikki and I are having a HUGE garage sale Thursday and Friday (July 5th & 6th) if anyone wants to stop by our house. We live in Walnut Creek on Township Road 444.

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Intimacy

We talk about intimacy with God a lot around here. Having a close personal relationship with God is our desire for every person that comes to NewPointe.

What about intimacy in our marriages? We all desire to have intimacy with our spouse, but how many couples out there are balanced in their marriage intimacy? And what does that look like? Most guys don’t like that word, because it is touchy feely stuff. We are not comfortable with emotions and feelings. Well guys, if you want a great marriage intimacy is important.

To have balanced intimacy in your marriage you need to address body, soul and spirit. When we think of intimacy in marriage we most often think about physical intimacy. Having a strong sexual relationship is important, but it is only one part of intimacy. If you start here you often miss out on the other two areas completely. Are you attentive to your spouses sexual needs? Are you comfortable communicating your sexual desires and preferences to your spouse? Are you good at sharing appreciation and love verbally? How often do you hold hands, hug, kiss?

You may have heard the phrase “soul mates”. That is talking about emotional intimacy. This dimension is about friendship. Is your spouse your best friend? Do you connect with each other on a deeper emotional level? Do you love to just be together, talking or not? Do you listen beyond just words? Do you freely express your feeling with each other? Can you give each other time alone or with others without feeling jealous? Do you trust each other?

The last dimension and the most important one is spiritual. A spiritual closeness comes from your own personal spiritual growth and relationship with Jesus Christ. Are you both in agreement about your values and beliefs? Do you talk about God and your beliefs? Do you pray together or read Scripture together? Are you in a small group with other Christians? Do you go to church together regularly?

So where are you at in your marriage intimacy? If your like me you have some work to do. Closeness doesn’t just happen because you have the same last name or live under the same roof. Becoming one in marriage involves the freedom to share all of yourself with your spouse – spirit, soul and body. Are you nourishing all three areas?

Remember that balance takes work and perseverance. Your marriage is for a life time, which means a life time of growing and changing together as a team. For better or worse, in sickness and in health til death us do part.

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Weekend Recap

This has been a great weekend! I will start on Friday. A young man stopped in to see me around 10:00 a.m. He had stopped in once before and we talked for an hour about some of his problems, God, church and God’s plan for his life.

On Friday I could tell things were not good. He explained some of the things that had happened to him, mostly bad, and kept saying God must have a plan for me since I am still here. He said something was missing in his life. He had tried to fill it with all kinds of stuff and none of it seemed to be helping.

He told me he believed in God, yet he thought there had to be more. I told him that 95% of the people in America believe in God, but a much smaller percentage have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I asked him if anyone ever showed him what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He said no, so I dove in.

I showed him on paper how we are separated from God by sin, and that no matter how many good things we do we can never fill that gap. How good is good enough to tip the scales? I then told him about God’s plan to send his son Jesus to be a perfect sacrifice for all our sins. I told him about the way they did sacrifices of animals in the old Testament and that Jesus was the last and ultimate sacrifice for us.

I showed him how Jesus filled that gap by dying on the cross and by being resurrected after three days, overcoming death and sin. I told him by believing in Jesus Christ and what he did for us and asking for forgiveness we can receive eternal life with God. Eternal life starts in this life for those that believe in Jesus Christ.

He said he wanted that and we prayed together and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Wow, was I excited for him. I told him about some steps he can take immediately, like getting into Starting Pointe, coming to church on a regular basis and getting baptized. He is doing all three. I was floating for a while after that.

He still has some junk to work on in his life, like all of us do. But he is a new man, a new creation and his life has radically changed forever.

I saw him in church on Sunday. I am praying for him and hope to mentor this guy in the months ahead.

Later on Friday I went through the steps to Freedom in Christ with someone. That is always an amazing time as we work through the many lies people believe and build truth into them. This person was able to face some deep fears and pray for Jesus to heal those hurts and fears from the past. After our time together their was much more peace and hope in this person. This was an encounter with God, where God touched and healed. God is Good!

On Saturday morning I met with my men’s group. We had a great discussion on what it means to be a masculine Christian man. We talked about how Jesus was not a wimp and we shouldn’t be either. We talked about being the spiritual leaders in our families and homes. We talked about how our church can reach out to men and help them get connected and engaged.

Later on Saturday I officiated at a wedding for Gary Schaffer and Angel Miller. Gary is in the Marines and Angel comes to NewPoint. It was great to see these two young people with a heart for the Lord starting a new life together. I love getting to spend times with couples at their wedding. Talking with them and praying for them. I saw them in Church on Sunday as well. Congratulations to Gary & Angel.

On Sunday, I had the privilege of baptizing two people. Alice Banks and Zack Smith. They both shared great stories about how God was working in their lives and they wanted everyone to know they are Christ followers. Way to go Alice & Zack.

That is why I love this church, because lives are changing. God is moving in an amazing way and I am so thrilled to be a part of that.

Friday morning I had prayed and asked God to use me that day. I made myself available and God did the rest.

After Church on Sunday my wife and I enjoyed a great meal at our favorite restaurant, Lams.

Pretty good weekend!