Chi Alpha

Tonight I am meeting in Evansville with several local ministers. We are meeting with the regional Chi Alpha director. Chi Alpha is a ministry that focuses on college campuses.The local universities have no Chi Alpha ministry. There are thousands of students in this area that are making the most important decisions of their life with little or no spiritual influence. Chi Alpha has been proven to be effective in reaching and disciplining college students. We are getting together to discuss the possibility of starting campus ministries at USI and U of E. These are large universities that need ministries. Please pray for us as we meet tonight that God's will be done. We need unity, God's presence, and His direction.

The movie "Fireproof"

Cathy and I went with Chris & Michele to see the movie "Fireproof." It was an excellent movie. It has thoroughly christian. It gives a great gospel message. It also emphasis the importance of marriage and how to make it better. I highly recommend it.

Saturday Serve

We had a great day today. We went to Community park where we painted, trimmed trees. striped the basketball court, pulled up old bushes, trimmed more trees, cleaned up the tennis courts, raked all the play ground areas, and more. There was a big turnout and I think everyone had fun. Thanks to everyone who came out. Today Henderson is a little better place to live.

Tomorrow I am continuing the teaching series, "The Dreamer." We will learn that our dreams sometimes go in the opposite direction. Hope to see you there.

Home from vacation

I am home. We had a great time in Springfield, MO. We had a good visit with Charles & Tyler. They are doing real well. They look like they are happy. They have made several friends and everyone on the campus has been real nice. We went to a class with them on Tuesday and we visited their chapel service Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The most important thing we did was take them out to eat every night. They are tired of cafeteria food. I think they miss Mama's cooking.

In addition to seeing the boys we got to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousin. We went out to eat with them and then to their house for dessert. Tuesday and Thursday we went to Branson and Cathy and my mom did a lot of shopping. Cathy found her dress for Sarah's wedding. My dad and I got a little bored. We did read a little.

Tomorrow I am getting up early and going to community park. It is our first Saturday Serve. We are going to spend the morning cleaning up the park and making Henderson a better place to live.

Vacation

We had an incredible response this morning in our ReachHenderson service. We had Representatives from six of our ministry partners. Each gave us an update of their ministry and their present needs. We took up an offering for them and then prayed for each minister and ministry. Thanks to everyone who participated. First A/G is an loving outreach centered church.

Tomorrow Cathy and I begin our vacation. We are going with my parents to Springfield, MO to visit Charles and Tyler. We also hope to spend a day or two visiting Branson, MO. Because I will be gone I will not update the blog next week but you can keep up with me and what we are doing on vacation on Facebook. If you do not have a Facebook account, sign up and then request me to be your friend. I will keep my status up to date.

Hope you have a great week.

Busy Saturday

I have a busy day for a Saturday. I am going to the hospital. Bob Gish's mother had surgery yesterday. I am going to the funeral home in Sebree. My great aunt passed away. And finally we are going to Robards to celebrate Cathy's mothers and Katie's birthday. So I will be in Evansville, Sebree, and Robards. Don't you love these gas prices?

I am looking forward to our ReachHenderson service tomorrow.

ReachHenderson Service

This Sunday is our ReachHenderson service. Representatives from our local ministry partners will be in the service. I will give each member a five minute interview and they will give us an update of their ministry in the last year. Each of our Connection groups sponsor one of the ministries. It has been a great for our church to make a difference in our community. First A/G is committed to make Henderson a better place to live. I hope you are able to attend. This is one of the most exciting meaningful services we have.

Women's Retreat

Saturday we have our women's retreat here at the church. It is an annual event where the ladies seek God together. This year Donna Latham is the speaker. She is excellent and God uses her to minister around the altar. They are going to have a great day.

I believe we all need to set aside time to seek God. That could be at a retreat or conference setting or it could be to spend a day with God or to go away by yourself. I try to take a personal retreat every year. I go away for an evening spend the time by myself seeking God. I usually will go to one of Kentucky's state parks. I cherish those times.

Another thing I do is I go to the Leadership Summit every year. It is a conference for church leaders. It is based out of Chicago but their are satellite locations all over the country. I am to attend in Evansville. This makes it cost effective but I get challenged every time I go.

I encourage you to do something special with God. Find what fits you and what inspires you the most. Pray for our ladies Saturday as they go after God.

Financial Markets

I don't know if I understand everything in the news concerning the financial markets. I know none of it sounds good. I don't worry too much about it. I learned a long time ago who my source is. My source is not my employer, it is not the government, it is not the global economy. It is God. God has always been and will always be my provider. His provision is consistent. God is faithful in good economic times and bad. God is not controlled by the financial markets. God is not caught by surprise. God is always in charge. I encourage you to trust in your God. Be faithful in your giving. He will be faithful to you.

Wednesday Night Meals

I am looking forward to service tomorrow night. In our family meal we are having meatloaf. That is one of my favorites. Then I love the prayer service. It is good to have a time that we as a church spends to pray. Prayer is what we need to do the most. Prayer works. Prayer brings answers.

A Wild Sunday

Yesterday was a wild day. We had church in the dark. Right as service was beginning the electricity went out. We only had the emergency lighting. We had no sound and no air conditioner. It was crazy but we refused to let circumstances defeat us. We went ahead and baptized 21 and received 19 new members. The best part, even though attendance was down, is that one person was saved! God is so good.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Cathy's parents. They live on a farm and had a few trees down. We helped them clean up some and then came home to the dark. We didn't get electricity until around 7:00 p.m. It was a fun day.

This experience did help me emphasize with those who live in Texas and Louisiana. Can you imagine 100 miles per hour winds? Many of them have no power or water. Please keep them in prayer.

Prayer Request

Charles & Tyler called last night. One of their professors died in a motorcycle accident. He had a wife and I believe four children. He was the chairman of the youth ministry department. The boys were beginning to get to know him. The college campus is mourning. Please be in prayer for his family, the students, and faculty.

Trevor Foster

I went to watch Trevor Foster play football today. He lost 7-6 but played real well. Trevor likes to hit!

Tomorrow we receive new members and have water baptism. I will continue the series "The Dreamer." It should be a great day.

Tonight it is USC vs Ohio State. I will be watching (until I fall asleep anyway.)

Boys Update

We got some good news today. Tyler got a job on campus at CBC. He will make phone calls in the evenings to prospective students. It will give him some spending money and help with car insurance. Now pray with us that Charles can find an on campus job.

Weekend

I am looking forward to the weekend. This Sunday we will receive 21 new members and baptize around 30 people. It should be an exciting day.

Some of our men went to a men's conference this weekend. Pray for them. I think this will be a great time for them.

Cathy and I try to take a date every weekend. It is not much dinner or some time together but we strongly believe in spending time together alone. We need to reconnect every week in some way. Sometimes it is as simple as taking a long drive but with the gas prices we don't do that much anymore. We drive somewhere and park and talk.

Talking about gas prices I found one of our old budget sheets. It was not long ago that Cathy and I budgeted 35 dollars a week for gas for both cars. Now $35.00 will not fill up one. Times are changing.

Kingdom Thinking

I just got back from our district office in Crestwood, KY. I serve as the district mission director and twice a year I chair a committee of pastors that is responsible for promoting missions across our state. We had a great meeting today. There is something uplifting when pastors sit around a table and discuss how to promote and expand missions in the state of Kentucky. We get up to date information concerning what is happening around the world, we are told of the challenges facing our missionaries and we try to come up with solutions. I believe it is a God honoring thing to do our best thinking with God's blessings to find kingdom solutions.

Tonight's Guest

Tonight Steve Lehman is going to be our guest. Steve is the regional director of Chi Alpha. This means he oversees all the A/G college ministries in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. He was here a few years ago and did a wonderful job. I am looking forward to seeing him again.

We have our family dinner at 5:30 and the service at 7:00. Hope to see you there.

Iraq

One of my best friends is Lewis Nall who pastors an A/G church in Owensboro. His son is being redeployed to Iraq this weekend. He will have a dangerous assignment. Please keep Lewis and his family in prayer. Cathy and I have struggled with sending our sons to Bible College seven hours away. I cannot imagine sending my son to a war across the world.

This reminds me that whenever we think we have it bad, there is always someone who has it worse. Self-pity never accomplishing anything. It always makes things worse. It usually paralyzes us from the action that would make things better. Reject self-pity and get into action that matters.

Beautiful Weather

This has been the most beautiful weather. I love days like yesterday and today. The Connection group I attend joined with two other groups and had a picnic at Audubon Park. It was the perfect day to be outside. We had a great time visiting with one another and ate some great food, a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Great Day

I have good news. We had 30 people attend the membership class this morning and I think most of them have decided to join the church. Next Sunday is going to be a great day. We will baptize 20 new believers and receive around 30 new members. Can't be much better than that.

Tomorrow I will continue the teaching series, "The Dreamer, part 2" It is also our second anniversary of our Connection Groups. We will recognize and honor our Connection leaders, interns, Pace Leaders, and Host homes. It is going to be a wonderful service.

Brokenness

Tomorrow I am teaching the new membership class. I am really looking forward to it. We have over 20 signed up for the class. I have set up for 30. God is so good. I am learning that brokenness and dependence is the exact state that God wants you to be in. That is the state that God can bless you and trust you with His blessings. The Bible teaches us to hunger and thirst. Hunger and thirst are not pleasant feelings. In fact they are painful. Yet that is the condition God teaches us to be in. Hunger, thirst, brokenness, and dependence are words that describe the state you need to be in, in order to receive the blessings and abundance that God desires to pour out. Most people are not willing to pay the price. They want a quick and easy way to God's blessing. So many times spiritual principles are opposite of human principles. We must retrain our minds to think the way God thinks and to believe the way God believes. God desires to bless you today but you must put yourself in the position God can.

NFL Football

Tonight is one of the best nights of the year. It is the first game of the NFL season. I cannot wait! It has been a long time since the super bowl but it has finally arrived. Men can have the television back. I will be watching tonight. Thank goodness for something to watch other than politics. I believe in being informed so I can vote intelligently but two weeks of conventions is enough for me. Back to something really important like football.

Food Pantry

I mentioned this last Sunday but it does not get mentioned enough. Last Wednesday our Food Pantry gave food to 130 families in our community. This is incredible. In addition to the food they receive, each person attends a Bible Study and is prayed for. It is a whole person ministry.

First A/G wants to unleash unprecedented acts of compassion in our community. On September 27, we are partnering with our city parks department to refurbish a local park. This will give children and families in our community a safe and attractive place to go. First A/G is committed to making Henderson a better place to live. Join with us to make compassion a priority in our church and our lives.

Hurricane

Please pray for those hit by the hurricane. My roommate from college pastors a church in Baton Rouge, LA. It wasn't quote a "hurricane" but they experienced 100 a mile winds and a lot of damage. I am glad I do not live there. Many families are rebuilding again and churches are stretched to the limit as they try to clean up, minster to people, and reach out to the hurting. I believe we are to pray for our brothers and sisters when they are in need. In the Book of Acts there is a record of drought and famine. The early church gathered their resources and sent aid to those in need. The church today should do the same. As I receive information I will send it to you.

Louisville

We are going to visit my brother in Louisville today. It has been awhile since we have been there. Sarah and Ross are going with us. It is days like today that we miss Charles and Tyler but my parents are grandmother are going as well. Hope everyone has a good day.