The Barbarian Way

This morning at about 8:30 I grabbed a book and drove to the newest restaurant in Little Falls. Pizza Ranch was offering a large pizza, once a month, for a year, to the first 50 people in line. With four kids who love pizza, this was an offer I had to get it on. When I arrived there were about 20 people in line. YES! I called my staff and one of them was also able to get there. We had a brief staff meeting in line and then continued it over lunch. By the way, the book I was reading, and nearly finished, is called "The Barbarian Way", by Erwin McManus. Erwin serves as lead pastor of Mosaic, in Los Angeles.

"The Barbarian Way" is a challenge to "return to the ancient, primal, and dangerous faith of Jesus and His early disciples. Let go of a sanitized Christianity and get back to the powerful, raw, and ancient faith that chooses revolution over compromise, peril over safety, and passion over lukewarm and watered-down religion."

I have 40 pages to go and I am anxious to devour them all. I love a book that you can't put down and that challenges me to move out of the status quo.

Lake Geneva

I want to share with you about a place that has been a special part of my life since I was in junior high. Lake Geneva Christian Center is the Assembly of God Bible camp located in Alexandria, MN. It was at summer camp prior to my freshman year of high school when a counselor shared with me about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (For more info. Read Acts 2 or go to the ag website). That evening I found myself anticipating, even anxious, for the speaker to finish because I was so ready to get to the altar to seek this gift from God. After praying at the altar for only a few minutes, the power of God came upon me and I began to speak in a language that I did not understand. That night I was filled with such joy that I could hardly sleep. Wow, what a difference that has made in my life. The Holy Spirit gave me a whole new desire to share my faith.

It was two years later that I again found myself at the altar, responding to an invitation to find God's will for my life. After praying for a while, two friends from church came behind me, laid their hands on me and began to pray for me. It was at that moment that God spoke to my heart and called me into full time ministry.

Two reasons why I share about Lake Geneva today. The first one is that I was thinking about camp today because my two oldest children are their, attending the Minister's Kids Retreat. I am praying that there lives will be touched as mine was. I just remembered how my daughter was called to be a missionary to Africa this past summer at camp.

The second reason is because I am serving on the Executive Committee for Lake Geneva's capital campaign. We are attempting to raise around 4.5 million dollars to renovate the Lakeview center and to build a new cafeteria that will also have meeting rooms, snack bar and youth game room. If you would like to donate to this "life impacting" project, just send me an email. I would love to visit with you regarding your involvement.

Contagious!

This Wednesday, September 12 we are going to be starting a new topic for our adult study. I am really looking forward to it. The reason why may shock you. Even as a pastor, I do not really enjoy the stereotype evangelism style that most of us think of. Door to door, talking to a person I have never met. I know that some people love that and that it has its place in reaching the lost. The thought of that makes me want to run.

In this new series we are going to be talking about communicating our faith in a style that fits who you are. In a way that you will enjoy. Now that I can handle. That, I WANT TO DO!

"Being a contagious Christian does not mean becoming something odd we do not want to be, or something great we may never be. Rather, each of us can be ourselves and let God work through the natural styles He has given us." p. 54, "Becoming a Contagious Christian"

JOIN US ON WEDNESDAYS AT 7 PM!

Church Managment Software

If you are aware of good church management software, please let me know. There are so many options out there. I would like to hear from people that are using a product they really like.

Do Not Give Up

At 10 AM on Tuesday mornings we have a prayer meeting at the church. Over the years it has been mostly ladies and the senior pastor. For the most part, the ladies have been the "grandma's of our church". I can't tell you how my life has been impacted by these "saints". One lady was in her upper 90's and still faithful to pray every week. I'll never forget when I became the lead pastor and began to attend this time of prayer. When these ladies pray, they pray! They have been a great source of strength for me and for Living Hope. We will never truly know the full impact of their investment in prayer. Throughout the thirteen years as pastor I have lost some of my prayer warriors. My loss has been heavens gain. There is still one lady who comes on Tuesday's who has been a part of this group since it started years ago. Marion has been so faithful to pray. I know there are many moments that she misses her long time friends and yet she keeps on pressing on. When I think of Marion, this verse from Galatians 6:9 come to mind. " Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up". (NIV)

I pray that God will richly bless Marion for her faithfulness and will spread the desire for prayer to some more men and women of the church I pastor.

No prayer, no power!

"REACH"
the current series at LIVING HOPE

aug. 26 Reach Up (Our relationship with God)
sept. 2 Reach In (What's in your Heart?)
sept. 9 Reach Over (Your relationship to others in the church)
sept 16 Reach Out (Missions)

I'm Back

Sorry I haven't written for a while. I just returned home from being gone for two weeks. The first week I attended the Assemblies of God General Council in Indianapolis. The second week my family enjoyed in Branson. When we returned to the Twin Cities we were able to attend a Minnesota Twins game. Santana pitched a record setting game. 17 strike outs. Cuddyer hit a home run that was one row ahead of us and six seats over. That was pretty exciting.

It's always good to have a little time away, but it's equally as good to get home and back into the saddle. There are a lot of things coming up at Living Hope. Over the next few days I will try and highlight a number of them.