This Week's News

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Out To Lunch

Going out to eat, in public, with the staff always proves interesting. As we do every fourth Tuesday, we loaded up in the church bus like a bunch of kids heading out on a field trip. This Tuesday proved to be more of an adventure as we headed to BD’s Mongolian BBQ, a place new to many of us.

BD’s is one of those places where you pick out the ingredients for your dish and then it is cooked on a large circular grill. On the bus, the newbies quizzed those more experienced on which combination of veggies, meats, pastas, and sauces work the best. You could tell from the conversations that some would never choose to through the doors of this restaurant , but were going only because they were with staff.

I understand their reservations. I hate, literally despise, Thai food. And, I find it difficult to understand people who are as passionate about Thai food as I am adverse to it.

The months when we have headed to a Thai restaurant, a feeling of deep resentment wells up within me. Why should I have to sit through a meal when I can’t even find one thing on the menu that suits my taste?

The thing is, we are mandated to participate in staff lunches. We don’t have to partake of the food, but we are expected to join in the fellowship.

“The reason we take an hour and a half once a month to go out to lunch,” says Pastor Steve LoVellette, “is to develop a relational family feel among staff members.”

In truth, I have learned more about what it means to be part of a family by watching those staff members who communicate deep love for their co-workers by consistently displaying a positive, respectful, non-complaining attitude, even when faced with sipping a soda over a meal while everyone else devours food that makes their nose wrinkle.

Which leads me to this question: Is food the only area where I need to put aside my personal preferences to communicate love and respect to those around me?

On the Lighter Side: Volunteer "Gets It"

"On the Lighter Side" will include incidents of office humor and encouragement, with the hope of bringing a smile to your day.

It is my privilege to make phone calls to folks who are looking for a small group. Among the communication cards turned in each week, usually two or three include a request for small group information. Typically, these requests come from newer attendees. It does my heart good to often hear them compliment Faith Church and explain why they've decided to stick around.

This week, I was again blessed - astounded, really - to hear a woman ask if we could use any volunteer help with graphic design or photography. She's a professional, and her website gives evidence of that fact. Of course, we appreciate volunteer help!

She and her husband live some distance away, but after coming off and on for a while, meanwhile trying to find a church closer to home, they've decided it's worth the drive and are committing to Faith Church. Isn't that good to hear?

She went on to tell me she wants to use her profession for God - to serve his kingdom - the everyone-doing-their part concept. Here's someone - and she sounds young - who already gets it. Who understands that her abilities are gifts from God, and she's responsible to use those gifts to contribute to God's work. How many of us "mature" believers are still sitting in the pew, either unaware of how God has specially equipped us to serve, or unwilling to get involved and do our part?

Well, I'm not into preaching. I just wanted to share how much fun it is to weekly talk with new attendees. When I dial their phone number, my hope is to answer questions, direct them to the right people, and be an encouragement. But so often, I hang up with a smile on my face, because they have encouraged me. I love my job!

Vision: Experiences

“What experiences did God use in your life to lead you into kingdom work?” Pastor Harvey Pflug asked us at Tuesday morning’s vision meeting.

Back in the early nineties Kevin and I crossed the Mexican border with an infant heading to Kevin’s new Navy assignment as the co-chair of the English Department at the Mexican Naval Academy. We were enthusiastic about our new adventure and our faith.

For the two previous years we soaked up church life. Involved in a growing church plant and numerous Bible studies, we felt we had grown leaps and bounds. Our life was Christian. It involved not only Sunday mornings, but who we hung out with, the music we listened to, our politics, our dress, and the books we read.

Then God moved us to Veracruz, Mexico, where we were the only American military for hundreds of miles. He stripped away our Christian radio station, our Christian bookstore, and our Christian friendships. He took away our way of worship, our choice of music style, and our heady theological and political debates. And replaced them with nothing.

For a year we floundered, trying to figure out what it really meant to be a Christian. We had our faith, but how were we suppose to live it out apart from our American Christian culture? What did it really mean to be a child of God?

Slowly, very slowly, we began to realize it wasn’t about us. It wasn’t about our comfort, our tastes, or what we thought we should be doing. It was all about God: God, his glory, his will, and making ourselves available to wherever He was working in our lives.

Broken, we turned to God and pleaded with him to show us, just show us, what we were to do, how we were supposed to live. Shortly afterward, through a set of bizarre circumstances, God introduced us to six missionary couples, from denominations ranging from Pentecostal to Southern Baptist. These missionaries served across the city of Veracruz, but up to this point had no knowledge of each others existence.

The men began meeting at our house, praying and keeping each other accountable to the work God had called them. The women began an English-speaking Bible study in our house. We didn’t know if anyone would attend. Twenty-five women showed up for our first meeting, and it grew from there.

I am glad Harvey prompted me to recall this time. I too often forget what God desires and what He is capable of accomplishing, if we only trust and obey.

Jacob Addison commented that a mission mentality starts"when you decide to look at why you do each thing that you do."

So, why do you do what you do? What experiences has God used in your life that led you to be involved in kingdom work?

Harvey’s quote of the day:
The foundation of a missional life is the decision to offer to God our plans in exchange for his plans. It requires that we are willing to leave our world so he can send us to extend his kingdom.” –Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, The Tangible Kingdom Primer.

On the Lighter Side: The New Toy

"On the Lighter Side" will include incidents of office humor and encouragement, with the hope of bringing a smile to your day.

Someone around here has a new toy. He obviously loves showing it off, although he feigns humility. He’s the first on staff to acquire . . . a Kindle!

He exudes enthusiasm. There are already 60 books on it! he exclaims – because he’s on a shared plan where any one person in the group can buy a book, then everyone can read it.

He beams as he demonstrates how he can underline noteworthy phrases. He commands the font to change size, and voilà! That little creature obeys him!

Who is wallowing in giddiness?
He’s the one who can never allow Jacob to best him at free throws into the wastebasket.
He’s the one who usually has salad for lunch, but when he buys a sandwich and fries, says, don’t tell Jenny.
He’s the one who just last Sunday reminded us to go out and be beautiful.
His initials are HCP.

As he walked by, he informed me that he’d be busy reading his Kindle. And as he disappeared into his office, I believe I actually heard a giggle.

By Vicki Clarke

Why Tuesdays?

When people think of what happens at church they tend to think about Sunday morning activities. I did until six years ago when I joined the staff and discovered that a lot of what happens on Sunday and throughout the rest of the week at Faith Church finds its genesis on Tuesdays.

Tuesday is the one day of the week when the staff gathers together for various meetings. At 9:00 a.m. the pastors, directors, and associate directors come together for our vision meeting. This meeting generally starts with an extended prayer time, followed by a time of discussing how God is leading us to put the church’s vision into practice. In vision meetings we are consistently challenged on how we are doing…personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Also at 9 o’clock the ministry associates and Dianna Townley, Church Administrator, congregate for their weekly Pow-Wow. Brainstorming and problem solving dominate these meetings as the ministry associates try to serve the family of Faith Church better.

Staff meeting follows at 10:30. As the name indicates, more staff members are present at this time. Somebody is assigned to open with a prayer and ministry update. Items as mundane as coffee or as challenging as discussing the future of a ministry fill the rest of the agenda.

Tuesdays are the one day a week the entire staff eats lunch together. You will hear us before you find us in Room 41, as we share life out loud. Laughter, tears, encouragement, and transparency bond us together.

As a member of Faith Church, you often hear about the end results of what starts as a Tuesday morning discussion. However, often you miss hearing the reasons why something is happening. Penning a missive about the details of Tuesdays is not the goal of this blog. (Boring!) Rather, I, along with Ministry Associate, Vicki Clarke, would like to attempt conveying the heart behind the details and a little bit about the process.

Blessings,
Sharon

Too Much Fun

We updated our staff pictures for the new website. I commented to a friend that this photo shoot was like herding cats. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean. Thanks to Jim and Julie Varrick from Oak Haven Photography for taking our pictures.