Launching another BCC campus, fearless faith required!

BCC Toledo Campus

I was blessed by how many comments of faith-filled excitement about the vision I shared in the weekend gatherings.  Launching another campus in Toledo is going to be exciting and a challenge.  I am convinced that it is the heart of God, and all the excitement confirmed it, yet again.  I have received many questions about the launch, so let me try and answer some as best I can now.  We don’t have all the answers yet, and I shared knowing that. I know that is not like me, but I feel we should all be on this journey of faith, and many of these answers will take prayer.

• Where will it be in Toledo?   not sure, no site secured yet, west area maybe.
• Will I speak at both?  Live at the Temperance Site, Video Venue at the Toledo Campus.
• You will be in charge there?  The Site pastor   Who is that?  Not sure!
• Will it have a live band and worship?  YES!
• Will the Toledo Campus have midweek service?  NO  Small Groups.
• Will the Toledo Campus have children’s ministries, hospitality, pastoral care etc?   YES!
• Will we have to change our name, because Bedford christian Community would not work in Toledo?  Maybe?
• When will we do this?  October of 2010.
• How will we pay for it?  By faith, Global Outreach faith promises, love offerings, more answers to come?
• What time will it meet?  10-ish
• Will there be coffee?   (Do you really have to ask me that?)
• will it be a live video feed?  No, a DVD of Saturday night, so the Toledo campus can have freedom in worship etc.
• Will you show the cue in both places?  Maybe, we have to renegotiate Pastor Rick’s contract.
• Can I still get a free magazine every Sunday?  Yes, Pentecostal Evangels for everyone.

Give me your comments church and ideas, post them or email me.  Any more questions?  Pray and we are going to move forward in Loving God, Loving each other, and serving the world!  We are going to serve Jesus, and see more people transformed as we double sites.

Warning: Getting scammed on bad investments, check it out.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”  Galatians 6:7, NASB Zondervan.  

 Sowing is a Bible-type word for scattering, giving, planting, and I added “investing.”  We all make choices on how we give, how we act, what we do for the Lord.  These verses tell us that we better not get scammed, or believe the lie that how we live, and the choices we make, do not come back to us.  If you bless, we will be blessed.  If we are honest, with integrity, and purity, the Lord’s hand is on our life.  If we are generous, God will meet our needs, and if we hold back these things, or do not scatter blessings, we will receive (reap) back the bitter harvest of scattering bad seeds.  Like stinginess, hidden sin, greed, abuse of power or authority, anger, treating others with out love. etc.  So don’t get scammed.  We will reap what we plant or scatter and our Father wants us to plant good seed and reap a harvest of 30/60/ and a hundred times more!

The Holy Spirit is calling ….Can you hear that?

When the Holy Spirit “calls” us to something, that means we have to “leave” something.  I believe He is calling His church to be more aggressively used by Him to see people come to Jesus!  I believe He is calling us to purity, to live incarnationally, and to be an exact representative of Jesus Christ on the earth.  He is calling us individually also.  His is calling us to many things.  I cannot say what He is calling you to, but I know when He calls us, it is always to something better, something to glorify Jesus, something to obedience.  I remember when He called me, to get saved, to give my life to His service in full-time ministry, to plant a church, to go back to school, to….many big things like this, but to also many other daily things.

What is He calling you to, and if He is (which He is), can yo hear His voice?  Will you slow down a little to listen.  He won’t scream above the noise and busyness in our life.   Are there too many world distractions that are upstaging the Spirit’s calling? I believe He is calling many to salvation, total commitment, freedom, full-time ministry, holiness, to healing, to forgiveness, and all of these things are there for us if we here the call that envelopes all of these things, the call to Himself.  “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”   Can you hear that?

Weekend Review

We had an incredible weekend!  There was a baby dedication and we also collected boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  The Church again, has proven it’s generosity with over 150 boxes given!  These boxes will go to children, those most disadvantaged.  Not only will these boxes provide material gifts but each one will have the greatest gift inside, the Salvation message!  Thank you for being COMPELLED BY HIS LOVE!

Know anyone who has been “caught”?

I am finishing my preparations to teach Galatians at the Brooklyn Tabernacle Ministry Prep School.  I am always drawn to Gal. 6:1.  “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.  But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted”.  (NASB; Zondervan).  Know anyone “caught” in a sin? That word in Greek is a word that mean they have been jumping from sin to sin, and they got caught, like an animal in a trap.  Sin caught up with them and overtook them. We are to restore  a brother gently.  Go after them. REach out to them with the Love of Jesus!  But be careful that you won’t be tempted.  What does that mean?  Here’s my 2 cents on this.

• Tempted to be prideful.
• Tempted to judge them, and become a “pharisee.”
• Tempted to gossip about the.
• Temped to be bitter, if they do not respond to your efforts and love.
• Tempted to use the verse “shake the dust of your feet” which is not the intention of this verse.
• Tempted to take it personal.
• Tempted to restore them without prayer and intercession or in your own strength.

If you know a brother or sister “caught”.  cover them with prayer, then with the love, compassion, and care of Christ, go after them.  God is in the restoration business!  He will use you!

Disturbed, by Perry Noble, a great Blog entry!

On Perry Nobles blog for Nov. 3 he has a great post on vision.  It is very thought provoking.  Every leader/pastor really needs to read this.  If you are from BCC, please read it.  Here is the link. Perry Noble, disturbed.   What do you think?   I love what he says about the Bible characters and now I know why the vision I have for BCC, is not as peaceful in me.  I am disturbed with it !  I now will love being disturbed by the vision God has for His church!

My heart was warmed today

We have a widow in our church who still lives alone.  She has a big yard and a lot of trees.  Raking every year is a giant job that she can no longer do.  Bedford schools were out today and over a dozen students with Pastor Tom came and raked her yard.  It was a big job and our students worked so hard.  As I was on the roof cleaning out the eaves I looked over Helen’s yard and saw these students working. I was blessed to know that not all students are selfish, and self-centered. We have youth who are servants, and took their day off to bless a widow.  My heart was very warmed and thankful for the love of Jesus that poured out of our students, led by the example of their youth pastor.  I am glad they understand living missional, and being Jesus in our community.

Nate’s News, what’s happening with the Elarton’s

We had a great weekend!  Our Saturday Halloween outreaches ”Light the Night” were huge successes, with over 1000 guests.  It is an easy and fun way to be missional and read out into the community. We had sites in Temperance, Lambertville, and Toledo.  Thanks again to all our amazing volunteers.  Sunday we continued the series on the Holy Spirit and I spoke on His power to reveal.  This weekend I will talk about his power to purify our hearts.  Before that Wendy and I travel to Midland Celebration Center, to speak in one of the sessions at their amazing marriage conference.  Pastor Joel and Donna Stocker are great friends and incredible pastors there.  We will be speaking on schedules and priorities.  I love speaking with Wendy.  Her ideas for the session are great and we speak well together.

Wednesday I leave to go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle, in New York .  I will be teaching Galatians at their Ministry Prep School for Pastor Cymbala, Wed-Friday.  It will be a great time.  He is an amazing spiritual leader and pastor.  I will be traveling with Pastor Brad Trask from Brighton A/G. He is speaking at another class also!  Then we will come back, celebrate my son’s Gabe’s birthday.  I am a blessed man, thankful, and privileged to preach the Gospel and teach the powerful Word of God.

Light the Night 09′

Do we need more power?

Does the church need more power?  Does the average Christian need more power of the Spirit?  It a question which is simply answered “Why, of course!”  What would we do with more power from the Holy Spirit?  I believe the church doesn’t get more power, because we wouldn’t do much with it if we got it.  But we have got to seriously decide what would do with more power, more faith, more influence, more fruit, more love.  (I believe that all comes with Holy Spirit power).  Our world is in desperate need of the Gospel, and the hope for the Gospel coming to them, is the local church. Stats about the church moving forward in the world is encouraging in China, and spots of Africa, but in the United States, we must continue moving forward and depending on the Lord for more.  According to Frontier Harvest Ministries, citing the work of Todd M. Johnson,  Director, Center for the Study of Global Christianity
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the 2 billion Christians of the world spend .09% of their income on evangelism.  Even the U.S., the strongest Christian nation (statistically), with a large percentage of the world’s resources, we are not growing.  Even in my fellowship, we close a few churches officially, every time we meet.  The same is true for many denominations.  We are not planting new churches, as fast as we are closing them in the U.S.  Only about 2 out of 10  U.S. churches are growing.  So what would we do with more of the Holy  Spirit?  What would you do with more of the Holy Spirit’s power and influence in your life.  I believe we need to deepen are commitments to the mission of Christ, “to seek and to save that which is lost.”  We need to give more time, finances, and sacrifice in a way the U.S. Church is not used to living. It would mean to take fearless steps of faith to be local missional churches with a heart for the lost, and a disgust for religion and Christianity as usual.  If we need more, I am convinced we will get more.  Do we need more?