Why I Love PCC

Every Sunday I stroll around our campus and building just to soak it all in.  It’s exciting to see so many hundreds of people pulling into the parking lot, families walking up the sidewalk and being greeting by smiling hospitality servants, the gathering in the atrium and loud conversation, the pre-service countdown, and finally,  the call to worship as service begins.

It is a pure joy for me to see so many happy members, expectant visitors, and cheerful volunteers at their post of duty diligently carrying out their tasks.  From the parking lot to inside the building, there  is so much laughter, excitement, and enjoyment that fills the air.  Something is really happening in our midst.

Though I am a bit biased, here are a bunch of reasons why I love PCC:

--Lives are being changed by God’s power – specifically the Word, which is the power of God unto salvation.

--There is a sense of excitement and anticipation the moment you walk onto campus.

--We have more than just members.  We have enthusiastic members who love their church, their pastor, and their fellow family members.

--Our children’s ministry is one of the best.

--Our band leads us into vertically-focused worship of God each Sunday.  Plus, we have the added feature of mixing it up, showcasing new talent that demonstrates the diversity of God in different ways in different lives using different gifts.

--I know it’s not about the building or the campus, but man what a campus and building we have.  And thanks be to God for the dedicated volunteers who maintain our campus grounds and building cleanliness each week.  This involves about two dozen people.

--I love PCC because the greeters and parking attendants actually love to greet people and interact with them.

--This church is headed somewhere.

--I love the fact that we have enough Biblical knowledge and conviction that we don't have to resort to gimmicks (snow cones, egg drops from a helicopter, or free pony rides) to get people to church.  We honor God through His Word and the people come.  Nuff said. 

--I love my church because we still sing “Amazing Grace” and other oldies - particularly timeless sacred hymns of the church that are chock full of good theology and are endearing to the heart.

--I love my church because we sing Chris Tomlin songs.

--I love PCC because of the steady kingdom impact we've had for almost 15 years, and all the miracles of life-change during that time.  BTW, most new church plants don't make it past the five-year mark.  We're here to stay.

--I love my church because we honor the sacraments and ordinances – Communion and Water Baptism.

--I love PCC because we are progressive enough to think outside the box, trying new methods, but never abandoning the sacred traditions that keep us anchored to the past. 

--I love PCC because kids actually enjoy attending our church and want to come back.  Plus, we have a team of dedicated children’s teachers who actually love interacting with children.

--I love being part of a group of people who will go out of their way to help others who are sick, hurting, or in need.

--I love PCC because we have the best Care Team that I have ever seen - (they respond to benevolence needs in a way that I have ever seen in any church I have ever served in).  Hands down.  I’m not politicking.  I mean it.  Hands down, they are the best.

--I love PCC because the congregation actually loves learning the Word of God.  That’s why I teach is systematically most of the time.   i.e.,  - We cover the most difficult topics in the Bible and I say some pretty challenging things from the pulpit, yet people people keep coming back for more.  That is very, very encouraging.  Such people are the "people of God."

--I love PCC because we are the perfect church for people who aren't.

--I love PCC because my best friends attend PCC.  They are not perfect people; just people like me.  Most importantly, they give ME enormous amounts of grace overlooking my imperfections.  Also, they don't have unrealistic expectations of me as a pastor - their expectations are "right sized."   As the Bible says, "love covers a multitude of sins."  We don’t pretend to have it all together, so are free to admit to one other when we don’t hit a double or triple every time at bat.  But we DO grow together as a band of brothers as we progressively turn from sin and closer to God.  And BTW, I experience more spiritual growth when I am with people like this, (i.e., safe people), than I can sitting in a circle with strangers taking up prayer requests for Aunt Bertha who lives Kalamazoo Michigan. 

--I love PCC because I have a close group of confidants who will get in my face and tell me to get over myself… and are strong enough to let me say the same thing to them in return - which I do.  You better have thick skin (alligator hide) if you want to be in the ministry.  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

--I love PCC because we are the Body of Christ – a real NT church – an authentic group of believers – the Bride of Christ.  It is a privilege to be part of this great ministry that God began fifteen years ago – it’s just getting started – and I am blown away to be a part of it.

--I love my church because the ministry leaders in key positions don’t expect me to interact with them minute-by-minute (which I don’t’ have time for).  They do their job with a standard of excellence, handling all the details, and approach me only when something actually needs to be brought to my attention.  Such people are pure gold.

--I love PCC because there are so many happy people in our congregation who are satisfied with their church and its leadership - some 350 to 400 of them.  That counts for something, you know.

--I love PCC because it is one of the best things that has ever happened in my life…..

 

Sunday Mind Dump - Sept 3, 2012

Good service today.  Super proud of everyone who makes our services so uplifting.

Yes, it was Labor Day weekend – a weekend that we typically experience a drop in attendance – but our attendance was up and so was giving.  Very strong and very solid on both counts.

We concluded the Elijah series this morning - it’s been ten weeks and a very fruitful journey – covering a lot of material and a variety of topics.

Today’s message – The Next Generation – was a perfect way to conclude the series. 

This was one of the most important messages I have ever taught at PCC.  And if you have the ability to read between the lines, you can draw obvious conclusions from it.  Today’s message was not just a sermon; it was about our future.

Where else does a pastor have the undivided attention of everyone all at once, other than the Sunday morning service?  Nowhere.  I use the pulpit deliberately and on-purpose.

I talked about age-segregation verses age-integration in church.  It’s very important that the generations mingle – closing the generation gap.

If every person at PCC would assume the responsibility of taking just one person under their wing of influence (as a mentor or discipler) and training them towards godliness, more would be accomplished in one year’s time than all our programs combined.

Everyone seemed to be in such a good mood.  After service there was a lot positive feedback.  People talked about the message series, today’s service, and the impact that PCC has had on their life.  What a great day.  It makes my job worthwhile.

I can tell you for certain, there are a lot of happy people at PCC.

Rebekah Peacock hit it out of the park with her acoustic number.

I read this comment on a twitter account I follow:  “Only in a Sunday School class will you find that one person who is ‘smarter’ than the teacher, but refuses to teach.”

I’ll have to remember that one :-)

This Sunday – “The Next Generation”

Sunday’s message is the conclusion of the Elijah series and is entitled, “The Next Generation.”  We’ll be looking at the story of when Elijah passed his prophets mantle to Elisha, his successor.

The emphasis of the message will be on the importance of the older generation co-mingling with the younger generation so that their accumulated wisdom may be passed along.  Both generations are needed in the church and everyone benefits when the two mingle.

Inter-generational ministry is very important in a church family.  Instead of continually segregating people by age, churches become healthier, families stronger, and greater kingdom advancement is accomplished when the generations live, work, worship, and do ministry “together.”

”Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, and Your might to all who are to come” (Psalms 71:18).

I will speak frankly about the challenges of raising children; influencing them properly; teaching the next generation and making room for young leaders to serve in church.  I might even talk about succession planning – my own, that is.

We’re going to learn some stuff, be inspired, encouraged, and hopefully have a new perspective on the awesome God we serve.

Get the whole family in service this weekend.  You’ll be glad you did. 

Planned Abandonment Makes the Future Possible

When programs have run their course or become ineffective, they need to be eliminated in favor of an alternative.  When money is tight, unnecessary expenses have to be cut and the budget slashed.  This is called planned abandonment. 

Cutting costs and eliminating ineffective programs has the same positive effect on our future as tilling the soil has for next years crop. It makes the future possible. It sets the stage for new seeds to grow without the old roots choking them out. Without this commitment we will never have enough money and energy to create the future.

The difficulty with cutting costs and scaling back, however, is that every program has its champions. Even after rigor mortis has set in, someone will champion the cause. Usually these champions are the people who invested time and energy into making the program successful in the first place, or a tiny remnant who believe that if it “helps just one person” it’s worth it whatever it costs.

But we do not have that luxury.  Resources are not inexhaustible, they run out.  Therefore, we have to give top priority to the ministries or methods where the harvest and return on investment is the greatest.  We want more cluck for our buck.  That means we have to make tough decisions about what stays and what goes.  We have to stay on budget and live within our means.  And we cannot allow emotional pleas to sway us otherwise.

If we give-in to everyone who pleads for heroic measures to save their favorite area, it won’t be long until we end up in a death spiral, so top-heavy in busyness and operational expenses that we don’t have enough money or energy for ‘tomorrow.’  It reminds me of the band continuing to play music on the deck of the Titanic even as the ship was sinking.

That’s why I will ask, “Why are we doing this?” If there is no good reason, we will abandon it. Or, “Show me the results.” If there is not enough measurable data to demonstrate its effectiveness, we will discontinue the activity in favor of something else.  When a boat is riding too low in the water, you have to lighten the load by throwing some of the cargo overboard.  Only then does the threat of going under lessen. 

We need to understand the importance of planned abandonment.  Most people see it as heartless, but it’s not.  It’s about good stewardship and making room for the future.

Care verses Limited Resources

From time to time we will receive requests for our church to donate to certain causes, to support other non-profit organizations, to pay for someone’s power bill, to support a foreign missionary, to fund a new ministry, or to take up a special offering for a community drive.  The only problem with so many requests is that PCC has a limited amount of resources (both financial and manpower) to offer.  Therefore 'our'  agenda receives first priority in the decision procress.  In other words, we fund the ministires that we have deemed essential to our mission before anything else is even considered.

“You just don’t care” some might object. 

It’s not that we don’t care.  It’s just that there is a limit to how many times we can say yes.  We take our financial commitments very seriously.  We make no  spur of the moment decisions, no matter how compelling they are.  Nor do we allow an emotional response to drive our funding decisions.  Every need is legitimate, but there are not enough resources for every need.

That’s why we will always ensure that PCC is able to support itself before we support another non-profit organization.  We will pay our own utility bill before we pay someone else’s.  We will not siphon money away from our essential ministries to fund another project.  And we will spend money on local missions before foreign ones.

How we define local missions:  Reaching People for Christ 

 

Orange Beach - Outer Bands of Hurricane Isaac

The pier at Orange Beach...

Sunday Mind Dump - August 26

Great day.  Lot’s of energy in the room.  People were fully engaged.  I’m amazed at how much people at PCC really seem to enjoy each others company and friendship.

Attendance was up too.  It has been up for the last two weeks, probably due to summer’s end and school starting.  Glad to see it.

Really enjoyed seeing Macy S. sing on stage today.  She was little girl who took Renae’s microphone.  :-)

Today’s message was on Jezebel’s grisly end.  I could see people leaning forward as I was telling the story. 

There is a reason why most of the Bible is written in narrative form – because stories are memorable and full of application.

For instance, you may not be able to articulate what the doctrines of sanctification, justification, or eschatology are, but you’ll remember this story for the rest of your life.  And you’ll always remember what happens to people who do such things.  That’s the value of stories.

Admittedly, I feel some apprehension when I know I’m going to be sharing a strong message, or one that has the potential of being unappealing.  Yet I also know that God’s people really want to hear what the Bible actually says.  They hunger for His Word, not my presuppositions or some soft under-bellied mish-mash that is not nutritional.  They want something to chew on.

It’s important that we embrace the God that is actually described in scripture.

The best line in the message was:  A coat of fresh paint helps preserve old wood.  It was hilarious.  If you were there, you know what it means.

Looks like Hurricane Isaac is taking a westerly course towards Louisiana.  We will still get wind and rain conditions here.  Then again, anything could happen.

Jim Cantore – the weather man – is in New Orleans.  I guess we are safe for the moment.

I’m buying two implements for my tractor – a middle buster and a row builder – that are used for gardening.  They will save me a lot of backbreaking hand work.  I will plant a fall garden in the month of September – collards, turnips, kale, mustard, and garlic.  Can’t wait.

Saturday Six

1.  THIS SUNDAY/TOMORROW (August 26^th).  The message title is, “When God Brings Justice” (Part 3), and we will see Jezebel’s grisly end.  And yes, there are timely lessons for us to learn from her life and demise that are very applicable to us today.  You’ll want to be there for sure.

2.  Assuming that tropical storm/hurricane Isaac doesn’t cause power outages all week, NEXT SUNDAY (September 2^nd) will be the final message in the current series.  We’ll see Elijah taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, and why.

3.  THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY (September 9^th) we will be receiving communion.  I always love communion services at PCC because I experience God in the sacrament.  I’m never the same.

4. TODAY (Saturday) - Renae and I spent the day at the beach today.  It was a much needed break from the routine.  Took a bike ride.  Then went to Ft. Pickens and hiked out to a secluded area on the beach (backpacks and all).  Afterwards, we had lunch on the balcony at Hemmingway’s.  Very nice day.

5.  BLOGGING – I’ve been blogging since February of 2008 – almost five years.  I have posted almost 2000 entries during that time.  I average about 200 visits/hits a day, including visits from foreign countries.  Just so you know, I don’t anticipate slowing down any time soon.  I’m feeling the urge to keep writing.  My blog will continue to include personal stuff, information about the church I pastor, and, most importantly, matters of discipleship.

6.  NEW CHAPTER – I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life.  I’m looking forward to the next chapter of PCC too.  Both are imminent.

Internet Problems

My internet is giving me problems because the modem is failing.  Medicacom can't come out until Tuesday.... which is hurricane day.  Oh joy.

Guess I'll limp my way through a Sunday Mind Dump tomorrow evening.

Time to Make Preparations