Still An Education

The leader who stops learning - stops growing, and will ultimately stunt growth in his/her leadership and life. Regardless of status or notoriety, whether everyone knows your name, or you live in obscurity, we all need to keep learning.

I enjoy reading books that challenge me; I enjoy reading blogs from my peers and those I respect to grow from what they have to say. I enjoy reading the Word of God, especially when a portion of text comes alive to me. I enjoy having those with more knowledge than me in a particular area show me how to accomplish a task.

But it isn't just that kind of learning that is imperative. It is the learning about yourself, and who God made you to be that is just as important. I have learned things lately about myself that I know I need God to change. And I am confident that by God's grace I will be and become everything He intends for me to be.

Keep learning and growing, friend. We're in this thing together!

Friday - I'm Coming Down

This is the longest I have ever been on the roof. Media coverage was minimal this year - has been more in past years. We haven't reached our goal as of 11 a.m. Friday morning - but we have collected we'll over $4,000 - that's certainly more than we had Monday morning.

Many thanks my congregation who spent hours here collecting and standing together with me in this. What a team! Many thanks to all who donated - it will be given out promptly and fully. And if you want to continue to donate - we'll leave the link up for a few more days, or you can send it to the church.

Some might say we failed because we didn't reach our goal of $25,000 - I choose to define failure as not trying at all. Certainly it has been draining - I have not left the roof at all since Monday morning. But I'm glad to do what I feel God wants me to do.

Wednesday Morning

I have to admit - a bit a discouragement has set in. I believe that we can meet the goal, and have faith that it can happen, but it has been painfully slow. We're at over $1,800. Still need over $23,000. What I really need is your prayers that things will begin to move.

When you run the numbers, it seems pretty easy to meet. If 23 people would give $1,000, or if 230 people would give $100, or if 2300 people would give $10 - we could meet this easily.

Many thanks to Jeff Leake and Nick Poole who have mentioned it in their blogs. Please note that any donation will help us greatly. You can donate online at www.pitcairnassembly.org, or just stop by and drop it off.

Blessings to you today.

Tuesday Morning

Yesterday morning was great - the afternoon was awful. While we raised $1,000 in the morning, it has been slow since. However, we committed this thing to prayer before we said we'd do it again - so, I believe that we will make it. If you never try, you'll never know.

Here is the package that KDKA tv put together. Click here to watch. (Too bad they edited out the fact that I said I prayed about this event.)

I Samuel 18 says in verse "14 In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him." (NIV)

On The Roof

What a crazy morning! Live interview with the KDKA radio morning show, then the TV crew showed up to tape and interview. A few interviews with Marty Griffin on KDKA radio - and getting setup on the roof. I will try to get some picture posted later on - will link to the video when it's posted.

We're at almost $1,000 here already, only three hours in. It is always a slow start, but I believe we'll gain momentum and bust the goal loose.

A little chilly, but the heater in the tent is keeping me warm. Several have stopped by and have had a chance to talk to a few people.

Just killed a mosquito that was looking for some blood!

If you would like to donate, stop by the church, or donate online at www.pitcairnassembly.org.

Tomorrow Is The Big Day

Tomorrow morning about 9 a.m. - I am ascending to the roof of the church I pastor for the 3rd time in 3 years, camping out in a tent to collect money for local food banks. I'm excited again this year, with our goal set at $25,000. It is a bittersweet time - I love to be a part of helping feed the hungry, yet I don't like being away from my wife and kids - you see, I'm 24/7 on the roof until the goal is met, or Friday, whichever comes first.

As soon as the media does their coverage, I'll link to it. I hope to be blogging throughout the event as I can, and keep the coverage up to date. We are able to receive donations through the church website at www.pitcairnassembly.org. The money has started coming in and I'm stoked for the remainder of the event.

I covet your prayers that the goal will be met, that we will be safe, and that Christ will be glorified in all we do.

A Night at Starbucks

God has blessed me with the greatest wife. And tonight we had the chance to leave the kids with a sitter and go out to Starbucks alone. Her heart is so toward ministry and being effective, and that is a huge blessing to a pastor. She listened as I rambled on about reaching our town, following the example of Christ, the differing paradigms of doing church, the mandatory coffee shack in today's churches, ad nauseum. And she has a great way of distilling it all down to a poignant point, and reminding me that shutting myself in with the Father will bring the wisdom, direction, and everything I need to become the leader that God intends for me to be. What can you say to that?

How is your wife a blessing to you?