God-sized Dream

Bye Bye Blogger

2008-04-06T19:04:00.002-04:00

I am hosting my blog at a new location, so please update your bookmarks (is that prideful?) Thank you to all both of you who read my blog!

Anyway, you can find my blog located at mawtin.wordpress.com

Awesome!

2008-03-28T20:18:00.003-04:00

My blog has been down a few days - I messed up the code. My bad.

God is most certainly good. I have been praying for a youth pastor for some time, and we have just hired a young man to fill that position. I believe that God ordains the steps of those who seek Him. Not only the steps, but the timing is God's, too. Being the lead pastor and youth pastor at the same time - craziness!

I have been praying that we would see people give their lives to Christ. In the past few weeks we have seen three or four people do so. How exciting is that? Nothing makes Heaven as joyous as when someone make Jesus the Lord of their lives!

We serve an awesome God!

Landslide

2008-03-15T16:24:00.003-04:00

I haven't blogged in a few days - and for good reason. If you are local to Pittsburgh, perhaps you have seen on the news about the Pitcairn landslide. Just so happens that it is about 200 yards from the church. The church is in no danger at this point, but the fire chief and his wife had to have their house torn down to save the others on the street. It has been a nightmare for them and their neighbors - as 5 houses have been evacuated.

Our parking lot was filled with emergency personnel, satellite vans from local TV stations, family, and one too many gawkers. It was great to see how people from the town pulled together to help these folks. The mayor and I have started a fund to help the victims. You can go to any Citizen's Bank branch and donate to the Pitcairn Landslide Victim's Fund, and those will be distributed to the families as needed.

Check out the video below.

http://kdka.com/video/?id=39304@kdka.dayport.com

Recovering Pessimist

2008-03-11T21:53:00.002-04:00

Hi, my name is David and I'm a recovering pessimist. I used to see everything from a negative point of view. I was best friends with Murphy - you know, the guy who wrote the laws of pessimism. In fact, I had a girl in my youth group growing up who once pointed out how negative I was about everything, including myself. My hopes had been dashed one too many times, and I just gave up easily on things.

I am happy to say that I am a recovering pessimist today. I still have moments of "how is this going to work out" and "nobody knows the trouble I seen", but all in all, God has helped me to see things more through His eyes than my own. And sometimes I have to "faith" it, because in myself, I can't see how some things will happen. And I have found that the more I trust God, the more positive I become.

Any other recovering pessimists out there?

Challenge For Life

2008-03-10T20:49:00.003-04:00

I came across this video today - what a positive attitude!

30 Day Challenge

2008-03-05T23:28:00.002-05:00

I've been filling in as Youth Pastor for the past two months, and have enjoyed my time with the youth - it has helped me grow my relationship with them and understand where they are in their walks with God.

Tonight I presented a challenge to them. I asked them to commit to pray for 30 days - God, make yourself real to me. Here I am with all I am. And see what God will do in your life.

I will be fasting and praying for them, and sending them texts to remind them of their commitment. I'm praying that God will impact their lives in a genuine, eternal way, that they will be filled with the Spirit, and that it will set the course for the youth in the coming years.

A number of the kids signed up, and I look forward to what they will share about what God has done in their lives.

Back To The Altar

2008-03-02T21:22:00.002-05:00

I often tell people that I'm an old-fashioned preacher in a new-fashioned body. I believe that at times for the sake of "relevance" we can lose our Pentecostal heritage, feeling that people may be scared off by us praying for them. Truth is, that is often what drew people in - sensing the power of God working in them as we prayed.

I began a series this weekend called "Back to the Altar". The altar is always a place of giving something up. This week I dealt with our sin. God wants us to have a fresh revelation of who He is - awesome, holy, powerful, just. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. From that revelation, God desires restoration - that has been His heart since the sin of Adam and Eve. I never thought about it before, but God said that in the day that they eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would die. But they didn't - in God's mercy, He killed an animal and allowed them to live - and told of His redemption plan. Obviously they eventually died, but God could have taken their lives right then and there. But His heart is always restoration. And following the restoration He wants regeneration - a metamorphosis - if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creature. Why would a butterfly ever want to be a caterpillar again?

Our time at our altar spent with God will be directly proportionate to our success in ministry - for without Him, we can do nothing.

The Martha Mentality

2008-02-27T15:13:00.002-05:00

As a pastor, sometimes I get the Martha mentality. You know what I mean - busy about many things. Oh, I love the Lord and enjoy my time with Him, but man oh man can the list of things to do crowd my mind and time.

Martha engaged herself in much serving, while Mary sought the better thing - to sit at Jesus' feet. Martha wasn't sinning, nor was she doing anything evil, but she became so engaged in service that she didn't stop and recognize who she was serving. Perhaps she was a little OCD (anyone identify with that?).

I have learned to discipline myself as King David did - when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. I know that when there is so much to do and I become distressed, that is the time I must stop and spend time at His feet - and it helps me rest, refocus, and refresh as to why I do what I do in the first place.

Stretch

2008-02-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

I'll be honest - I'm not a fitness buff. I know I need to be more active, and am setting a goal to accomplish that this year. Going headlong into intensive workouts would be foolish as well as unhealthy for me. I need to stretch and warm-up before I get active, or I might pull something, like one of those muscles in places that you didn't know you had. Yeah.

The same is true in ministry. Sometimes we think we are ready for what God has, but He leads us through a process of stretching and warming up, because He knows if He launches us into something that we aren't prepared for, we could hurt ourselves and others as well.

Right now I feel the pain of God stretching me - while not thoroughly enjoyable, it is exciting to know that the stretching means something is on the horizon, and I want to be ready for what is ahead!

Empowering Leadership

2008-02-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

I was thinking just the other day about a youth pastor I had in my late teens, early twenties. This guy looked past my shy shell and saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. I had a little musical talent, but certainly wasn't any type of prodigy. My "friend" that brought me to the group told the youth pastor that I played guitar, and before I could think, I had agreed to bring my guitar the next week. In a matter of a few short months, this guy actually had me "preach" my first message to the group. Who would have thought that later that year that God would call me into the ministry (not what I would have planned for my life)?

Nathan was an empowering leader. He believed in me, a young man that didn't beleive in himself. And as a result, he inspired me to become all that God wanted me to be. He has helped me to do the same for others.

How can you inspire others to greatness? Let me know your thoughts.

Coming Up For Air

2008-02-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

I'm not a griper and don't plan to start. It just isn't a healthy practice and I don't believe it pleases God. And now you are expecting the "BUT" - well, not really.

I am 3 1/2 years into my first solo / lead pastor post, and am still excited about what God has for me, my family, and our church. All the time I ask God for wisdom - help me to do what I am supposed to be doing, and to delegate or leave the rest. That is easy in word, harder in practice. It is difficult to hear those who say how easy it is to do. I am learning to set boundaries, not say "yes" to everyone and everything, and to delegate things that I don't need to be doing. It is challenging for a perfectionist personality to release things to others, because they may do it differently or not up to "my" standards. How many perfectionists can say a hearty "Amen" to that? But how important it is to help others discover their gifts and not hinder them for fear they may do it "wrong".

So while some days I feel like I'm trying to come up for air, it is far better than sitting on the shore afraid of the water!

Catalyst Groups

2008-01-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

If any of you pastors are not connected to other pastors, engaging in relationships that build your faith, strengthen your resolve, and encourage you to action - I urge you to find a connection. The PennDel District of the Assemblies of God has encouraged and promoted these groups inside of its structure, however, you don't have to be an AG pastor to be a part.

I have found in the Catalyst group that I belong to at APC that I have often been strengthened and encouraged, and built up in my spirit because of the connection with others in ministry. The Lone Ranger is one who will find himself/herself in danger. When you are the only one who is right, when you don't "need" anyone else, when you don't take the time to connect, you are in the danger zone.

And don't be like the one who will join Procrastinators Anonymous. Tomorrow.

No More Cliche's

2008-01-08T09:23:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I believe turns people off to the Gospel is the use of Christian cliche's. Inside church walls we have our own language at times - something I call "Christianese", where if you don't know it - you're lost. What people today (and really always) is for people who are madly in love with God, and are real at the same time. Yeah, we go through stuff and struggle at times, but we have found that God helps us, gives us peace, gives us strength, and that helps it be ok.

I'm starting this year out preaching a 6 week series called "Under Construction" getting back to the basics of Christianity - and helping us become true disciples of Christ, ones that serve Him because we love Him. Sorry for the "preachy" sound, but man I've got a fire shut up in my bones - as Jeremiah did!

The Greatest Gift

2007-12-24T23:24:00.000-05:00

Every year at the church we present a Christmas Cantata on Christmas Eve. There are always lots of guests and old friends that come. This year we presented the musical "Hope Has Come" put out by Integrity Music. Our youth were involved in the drama, and my son who is 12 sang in the choir - I was bursting with pride!

The greatest gift that I received tonight was during the brief intermission where I shared the gospel message, five people gave their lives to Christ - is that awesome or what? I don't know about you, but as a pastor what jacks me up is seeing people step out of darkness into God's marvelous light!

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Leadership

2007-12-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest struggles of leadership is addressing your weaknesses. All of us as leaders excel at some areas and continually fall on our face in others. Some may be great organizers, and yet be lousy with people. Some are indecisive, yet love people and thrive there. Others may be great motivators, and yet fight with self-discipline. As I am growing into the leader God would have me to be, I am having to look at myself through clear lenses in a well-polished mirror in order to be real with myself over what areas of my leadership are going well, and those that need some work.

Soooo . . . , as God reveals me to me, I am praying that He will help develop and hone those areas that I'm growing into, and that He would shape me the way He desires. I'm just the clay, after all!

How about you?

Teen Challenge

2007-12-09T21:52:00.000-05:00

I was just reading on Nick Poole's blog about his opportunity to teach at the local Teen Challenge. What some don't know is that David Wilkerson (the founder) was from the Turtle Creek area in Pittsburgh (pronounced Pittsburgh style - Turtle "Crick"). Tonight at church we had the guys come down from the local TC and were able to bless them with a home cooked dinner, some gifts, and some encouragement from the Word of God. I shared a message with them called - "It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish That Matters!" Lots of people can have a messed up start to their lives, but the God Factor can change their tomorrow and help them to finish life strong - strong in the Lord and in His power - can I have an AMEN?!

Still An Education

2007-11-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-16T10:59:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-13T09:34:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-12T11:24:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-02T21:45:00.000-04:00

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?

The Turkey Story

2007-10-31T22:16:00.000-04:00

Had the opportunity to hear and meet Earl Creps today. Pretty cool that he knew the pastor of the church where I was associate pastor at in Maine. He articulated what I know really was on all of our minds - how do we reach our community with the truth and reality of Christ. Earning the right to be heard was one of the paramount points in what he had to say.

Forgive my shameless segue into what we are doing at the church I pastor - but in many ways, it has earned us the right to be heard. In the summer of 2005 I was praying that God would help us reach our community. I believe he led me to camp out on the roof to collect turkeys during the Thanksgiving season. This year will be our third and biggest year - and God has opened doors of connection to have greater influence. Our goal is $50,000 this year - and I'm just crazy enough to believe that we will reach that goal.

What A Great Day!

2007-10-29T22:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at church we sponsored Jersey Sunday. For two weeks prior I had been preaching a series called "Facing Your Giants" with clips from the movie "Facing The Giants". So many people showed up this week wearing mostly Steelers jerseys (which really grated this Ravens fan - ha, ha), and a few other teams, and a few people wore NHL jerseys. It was really cool to see people so excited about a particular day. The cool part was that the Mpact Girls clubs took a picture of me in a Ravens jersey and a Steelers jersey and put cans out in the local stores in town and at the church, and whichever can had the most money, that was the jersey I would wear to preach in. Do I need to tell you which jersey won?

Out Of Focus

2007-10-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

Pastoral ministry, by its very nature is a complicated thing. In smaller works, many times the pastor is not only the spiritual leader, he or she is also the facilities manager, the handyman, the motivator, the idea person, the organizer of many things - and at the end of the day, you may have done a great deal, but not gotten anything accomplished. I feel your pain. I've been in ministry for 14 years, only three of which are at the helm of a church. I have learned much in the past three years, of which, if you are going to get things accomplished in your life and at your church, the following things must happen:
1. God must be at the helm
2. You must prioritize what needs to be done (in order)
3. Let the list guide you (and don't allow distractions)
4. People are important to God - they must be important to you
There are days that I'm not very focused, and many little things get started, a few get finished, but I don't come home that day feeling as if I accomplished much. But when I set a goal for a day and focus on that, it makes for a better day.

As a pastor, we can be dictated to by phone calls, walk-ins (people stopping by to ask if you saw the cobweb in the back corner of the sanctuary), other people's deadlines, and any other of a million things. I have learned that those that are successful love people and love God, and keep focused. That doesn't happen by an angel coming to you and bopping you on the head - it comes by self-discipline and a heart after God. What do you think?

HonorBound

2007-10-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

I have to give Kudos to my HonorBound coordinator, Bob Weakland. He set up our trip to Lutherville, MD, this past weekend. The speakers were awesome. Barry Black, Chaplain of the US Senate, was as powerful as he was articulate. Erik Rees (from Saddleback), Greg Vaughn (Letters from Dad), and Sam Rjifkogel (pastor in Grand Rapids and former evangelist), all presented powerful messages that challenged the men to become all God intended for them to be. The messages will be posted on the PennDel District's website under the HonorBound ministry. If you missed the event, listen and enjoy!

Focus

2007-10-16T21:47:00.000-04:00

One of the more challenging aspects of being the lead/solo pastor is that so many things vie for your attention. Administrative work, phone calls from people wanting to come preach, managing the day to day operation, hearing from God and casting vision, damage control, etc. - I don't need to tell you that all of these things can cause you to lose focus.

Learning to say "no" to some things, delegating tasks to others(even though they may not do it the way you would), developing priority lists (and sticking to them) are all ways to regain your focus. As one wise person said - Don't work harder, work smarter. Focus is so important - an incandescent bulb can illuminate a room, but it can't cut steel - take the light and focus it - it becomes a LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)capable of doing serious damage to a piece of steel.

I don't want my life to amount to "This little light of mine . . . ", when God has so much more when we focus on what He wants for us to do.

Turkeys

2007-10-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

So many people have asked me of late if I'm going to do the turkey thing again. For those of you who know me, you know what I'm talking about. For those who read this blog and have no clue what I'm talking about - check here.

Truth is, I'm certainly interested in reaching out and helping those in need, and I enjoy meeting all the great folks who stop by and donate. I am praying about what God would have me do. It is so important to go when God says go and stop when He says stop.

So, pray with me for God's direction. And if you'd like to be involved if I do it, let me know.

Turning Inward

2007-10-08T22:44:00.000-04:00

When we as individuals for one reason or another turn inward and stop having a heart for those who don't know Christ, we stop bearing fruit and being salt - and the Bible has a great deal to say about those things. This video encourages us to not let that happen in our lives.

Dream Killers

2007-10-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

H.B. London, sharing about Joseph and his colorful coat, spoke last night about things that rob you of or hinder your dream. One facet that I have thought about is that in order for Joseph's dream to come to fruition, he had to go through the pain to see the promise. I'm pretty sure during the whole false accusation thing and being forgotten by the one whose dream he interpreted, he wasn't thinking, "Oh this must all be in the plan of God." But God had character issues to put in place in his life so that he would be ready at the appropriate time.

Concerning the things that discourage us and try to kill our dream, sometimes we must pass through things that appear to cause our dream to die, but all the time your dream is like a seed planted in the ground - it has to die so that God is the only one who could cause the life to spring forward out of it, and get the all the glory from it.

Paul didn't get the answer he wanted either about his thorn in the flesh, but sometimes there is grace in the thorn - if God removed it, you may never become all that He intended for you to be.

While things may come to kill your dream, it is only because God will resurrect that dream at the right time in the right place so that He will be glorified!

The Lone Pastor

2007-10-02T18:01:00.001-04:00

I'm just old enough to remember watching "The Lone Ranger." The guy, except for his trusty sidekick Tonto, did everything alone. The trouble with that is that if he ever got hurt (which he never did), who would know and who would be able to help?

Being at the Ministers' Enrichment this week, I am again reminded of the danger of being "The Lone Pastor." We need each other, we can learn from each other, we can pray with each other, we can fellowship, laugh, and encourage each other. And if we ever get in trouble (and you know that all of us get discouraged and struggle from time to time), we have others that we can call that can pull us up.

So if you are donning your mask and riding off into the sunset, think again - remove the mask and be real, and connect with others that can pull you higher.

Hi Ho Silver!

Learning While You Go

2007-09-30T19:32:00.000-04:00

I'm new at this lead pastor thing. Was an associate prior to this role. Totally different animal than lead pastor. Doing new things and taking on new roles stretches you. And that's a good thing if you are in it for the marathon.

Yesterday I hosted a Pastor/Board Roundtable at our church (and included the board member's spouses) to get a pulse of where we are now as a church, to identify our "sweet spot" of ministry, to present the Mission, Vision, and Values statement that I have developed, and to identify what needs to change in order to move forward. I believe that what was discussed at that meeting will be a pivotal point in our history. I laid my heart out to them concerning the future of our church and where God could take us together. It is encouraging that after only three years that we are beginning to gain momentum and my leadership is beginning to get focused, and the best is yet to come.

All of you who pastor smaller works know that it is a great deal of work, especially if you have no paid staff. In that position you cannot just manage the church, you have to lead - leading means seeing what could be! I like what I read that Oral Roberts said - "If you can see the invisible, you can do the impossible!"

Are You Hungry?

2007-09-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

Had some great food today at the Catalyst meeting - the chicken was over the top! The only thing missing was some cheesecake smothered with blueberries. Oh, I can't take it! Then I could wash it all down with a Venti Carmel Macchiato - hold the whipped cream, please. Are you hungry yet?
I recently had a spiritual retreat where I was able to get away for a few days and really spend some time alone with God. The more I took in from Him, the more I wanted. The Scripture is so true - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Him - they will be filled. And in that meeting today and talking with other lead pastors, I sensed a hunger growing inside of each of us, wanting to see God do what His Word says He can. I still believe that He heals the sick, that He saves the lost, and baptizes in the Holy Spirit. I still believe His Word is authoritative and does not change. And the more I taste of His goodness, the more hunger grows inside of my spirit.
Forgive me if I sound preachy, but when the hunger gets ahold of you, you just can't hold back!

Criticism

2007-09-11T13:38:00.001-04:00

Rare is the individual in ministry that has not faced criticism from time to time. Some face it more than others. We cannot be so narcissistic to believe that everyone will always buy into our vision at all times. Some have the philosophy that if people in your church don't buy into your vision, well, maybe they should just leave. I believe, while not everyone will, you should try to bring them along and help them to see the value of your vision. If you vision involved building your kingdom, you deserve criticism. But if your vision involves building the kingdom of God, and you are doing things God's way, then only criticism that forwards the vision should merit attention. Steven Furtick has a great video on the subject. Check it out!

One Could

2007-09-09T22:38:00.000-04:00

One could take a view of ministry that looks at all the negative aspects, such as sacrifices of time and energy, not being home as much as you'd like to, and the never-ending lists of things to do. One could . . .

But one could also take the view that no other profession in life has the eternal ramifications like ministry, that there is no greater calling, no greater "career" that we could have. And if you learn to strike the appropriate balance in your life, your perspective towards ministry will remain positive.

So . . . one could look at ministry in two different ways. Which way are you are you looking at it?

(BTW, I feel that God-sized Dream coming on! But you'll have to get your own!!)

Mile Markers

2007-08-26T19:46:00.000-04:00

Having lived for 12 years in Maine, with family in PA and MD, we saw many mile markers during those years of travel. As you count them up (or down, as the direction may be), you knew you were growing closer to your destination.
Next Sunday, I will have been at the church in PA three years, and it has been an exciting journey. Sometimes we pastors look so much forward and see all that needs to be done, that we spend no time looking backward to see all that has been accomplished. Not that that gives us an excuse to rest on our laurels (if you are resting on your laurels, you have them in the wrong place anyway), but it does give us the power of momentum to continue to accomplish great things for God. While I see so much that needs to be done each day, I am encouraged by the progress.
You know that you are beginning to be effective when the people you are leading begin to pick up your heart, your vision, your God-sized Dream, and begin to run with it!

Really Giving It Over

2007-08-23T22:38:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were discussing releasing things to God, trusting things to His care. I shared with her a challenge that I had faced in the past, often getting frustrated and sometimes depressed over something that I had no control over. Earlier this year I sat on my front porch and expressed all of my struggles and feelings to God. I finally felt on that day that I had let go, and since then, God's peace has carried that burden, and I know that the whole thing is in His capable hands.

This seems like an elementary lesson, but how often have you preached to people of how they should trust God, and then you encountered a mountain in your way that you weren't sure God knew about? Each time we encounter these things we grow. Oh God, help me to keep growing!

What a Night!

2007-08-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

Wow, what an awesome night we had at church. As I said in my last post, we hosted a concert with Kathleen Carnali, and indepedant female artist. Her voice is incredible, and she has an anointing to match. We had three kids give their hearts to Christ and several who said that they are ready to quit playing games with God and start really living for Him. She has been approached by some record labels, but chose to stay indepedant because she wasn't willing to compromise her standards and faith for the sake of a label. I would heartily recommend her to minister anywhere. Check her out at www.kathleencarnali.com .

Awesome Night Ahead

2007-08-14T21:11:00.000-04:00

About a year ago, I received an email asking about a female Christian artist that would like to come sing at the church. How many of those kind of emails do you get - about a zillion? Most of the time, they end up heading to the recycle bin. However, I do like to check out the artist's website, just to see if they are "all that" or not. So, I went to this artist's website, listened to her music, and short time later bought the CD. I was so impressed with her testimony, the quality and content of her music, and the anointing with which she ministers, that I had to try to have her come. So this Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at Pitcairn Assembly of God, we are having Kathleen Carnali in concert. Hope you can come - I know you'll be blessed. She has caught the attention of our teens - and that is significant!

Praying In Victory

2007-08-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a great trip to Indy we had! Our teens did good at Fine Arts and we are sure proud of them. And we so enjoyed both General Council and the Youth Convention. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, while we were gone, PA got some rain - church flooded out again as well as our basement at home, and someone broke into one of our church buildings and cut all the copper pipes out. When I got the news, I have to honestly say that I didn't get upset. More frustrated than anything, because it is one more thing added to my list of a million things to get done yesterday. Whew, it felt good to get that off my chest.
So as I was praying this morning, walking around the sanctuary all by myself, griping a little to God concerning my misfortune, I was reminded of something that I heard one time - rather than praying your problems, pray the victory - what I mean is - praying the Word out loud concerning your situation. Can I tell you that I came into the service ready this morning - ready to lead, ready to preach, ready for what God has ahead. I think I'll try this praying in victory more:-)

Aaaaargh!

2007-08-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt like everyone had the solution to church growth but you? Oodles of curriculum promising that your church will have explosive growth, seminars telling you if you follow their seven step plan, that you'll be building in six months, and internal pressure saying - what's wrong with me - why isn't my church growing exponentially? Aaaargh (as Charlie Brown was known to say)!

I have to admit that I had been caught in the whirlpool of church growth until the Lord impressed the scripture on my heart - Psalm 127:1 - Unless the Lord builds the house, the builder will labor in vain. It's His house - I may be the foreman, but He is the architect, the owner, and the financier - so all my direction, I take from Him. And wow, does that take a load off of me! While some may see that as a naive idea, remember, it was simple faith that helped Peter walk on water!

Headed to Indy

2007-08-01T18:06:00.000-04:00

You know how it is - trying to get everything ready and done ahead of time before you leave the office for a week. But what an exciting time - the top two new leaders in the AG will be chosen next week - and I'm praying that God will direct all that are voting. We can banter about who it should be over a cup of Starbucks, but in the end we should be led of the Holy Spirit as to who should be elected. And I'm so excited to have two different groups of our youth competing at the National Fine Arts competition!

On another note, the songs that the youth used to compete are from a great independent artist named Kathleen Carnali. She is the most anointed young Christian artist that I have ever come across. And the best part is - she's going to be at our church on August 15, 2007 at 7 p.m. Lots happening, but it's all part of the God-sized Dream!

Another Perspective

2007-07-28T22:45:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had to make one of those decisions that you dreaded - more because you feared the reaction of other people? I did recently. Our church has been in existence for almost 90 years - and really has a great history. I have been watching Sunday night attendance for some time and determined that if on 10 to 15 percent of the Sunday morning crowd is returning, it didn't make much sense to continue. I presented cancelling Sunday night to my board, and they unanimously agreed with me. I was fearful about what the congregation would say, and 99 percent of the response was positive. So . . . I feared a reaction that never materialized. Oops.

I feel like doing this will actually open up ministry for our church. Sometimes in our churches we just do what we've always done, never stopping to evaluate our effectiveness. A rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out. Oh God, get us out of our rut, and smack dab into the middle of those who so desperately need You!

The Panera Experience

2007-07-24T13:04:00.000-04:00

On my list of favorite places to hang out with other pastors or just by myself is Panera Bread. Not just because they've got great food and fresh coffee, but the atmosphere is conducive to relationships, meetings, and generally just to getting that work done that you struggle to because of the distractions of the office. Just now I finished my bagel and first cup of decaf - and am going to begin to work on the rough draft of the mission, vision, and values statement for the church. After unloading on God this morning, I'm praying that as I work on this, He'll unload on me. As I look around the restaurant and see professionals having brief meetings, families getting together for lunch, and friends just hanging out - what a place to develop the statement of the church's existence and forward thrust.
And by the way, shouldn't the church be a place that is conducive to relationships just as Panera is?

What a week

2007-07-20T20:32:00.001-04:00

These past two weeks have been busy ones. Being the solo guy (praying that won't stay that way for long), the hats I wear are many, but am learning to delegate. Last week we had VBS every night - and we got a chance to minister to some parents - in our neck of the woods, they usually drop them off and run. And we got some more kids coming to Mpact Girls and Royal Rangers - which God is really blessing.

Sunday was a long one with my piano player on vaca (meaning I have to play), VBS follow up meeting, practice for Fine Arts (for Indy), and then a great man in our town died and I was asked to do the funeral. Couple that with a board meeting (BTW, God has blessed me with a great board), pre-marital counseling, Wednesday night Bible study, . . . cough, cough - can I come up for air now?

Not griping - because I know so many guys in the same shoes. Just needing to vent. But I wouldn't want to do anything else - I love ministering to people. And God has put a God-sized Dream in my heart - and I'm just watching Him make it happen! Praise God!

Make It Stop!

2007-07-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been on a ride that you couldn't wait until it was over? I hate rides that go in tight circles - barf-o-matic - that's what I call them! Don't you just want to yell, "Make it stop!" Once in a while life gets a little crazy and ministry makes more demands on your time and energy than you have in reserve, and you just want to scream, "Make it stop," but you know that you have obligations and things that just have to happen. So what does one do? Well, you and you alone have to make the decision to do what needs to be done, and leave the rest. Life will go on, the end of the world will not occur because you didn't finish that last detail, and God will not be less pleased with you if you don't clock in one more minute in your day.

So tomorrow stop by the Dairy Queen, buy yourself a Blizzard, and smile because whatever you are going through, this too shall pass!

Stepping Out

2007-07-09T21:14:00.001-04:00

Anytime you really want to do something for God, it will require you stepping out what you think you are able to do (I hate the term "comfort zone"). I'm reading a great book by John Ortberg titled "If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of the Boat." Sometimes we don't pray in faith, because we're afraid God won't honor His Word. Sometimes we don't try something because it is not something we've ever done, or it seems so crazy that God couldn't possibly have asked us to do that. If we were able to "do" the ministry ourselves, then why would we need God anyway? He want our total reliance on Him - and that will make your ministry a success.

Being the Solo Guy

2007-07-02T22:23:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I'm not alone in being a solo pastor. Many others walk in the same shoes I do. No paid staff, desperately working to see the church grow - not only in number, but in depth - and seeing the church moving forward, but not getting out of first gear. Don't get me wrong - I'm not painting a grim picture - just a real one. I have to hold on to the Scripture - Don't become weary in doing good; at the right time we will reap if we don't faint!

I firmly believe that what will cause the church to grow the way Christ wants it to grow is to flesh out the book of Acts day by day - and God will add to the church daily such as should be saved!

God's Will, God's Bill

2007-06-29T15:45:00.000-04:00

Anybody who is in full time ministry knows the challenges that come along with the territory. As I said in my last post, tons has gone wrong with equipment and buildings, but I understand that God knows, and these buildings are His - so, I'm confident that all things will work together for the good - as the Word says.

On a positive note, I attended the Pastor's Roundtable at Allison Park Church this week, and God renewed some things in my spirit that I had let go dormant. Praise God for His faithfulness. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength today!

Another Test of Faith

2007-06-25T22:20:00.000-04:00

So our church owns this other old church building that needs a bizillion dollars worth of work and we are trying to sell it. The sales price is a give away, but twice now the deal has fallen through. Not sure what God wants for that building. What do you do when you don't know what to do? I'm sure I could get a plethora of suggestions, but the one I really want to hear from is God. The Bible says He orders our steps, so I'm just asking for the next step. Just like Peter!

Stressed Out!!!

2007-06-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

I'm excited about what God is doing in me and at the church. There is a new hunger for God in hearts. Had a great board meeting Monday night - BTW, my board is fantastic. I have the confidence that we are going to the next level. Tuesday strolls along and deals out frustration in the form of a failed appeals hearing (for a piece of property), our projector will be another two weeks getting repaired, and on top of that, the church was flooded - found it Wednesday morning when I came in. After some much needed time with God, I determined that this is only a minor setback. And that I need to have something make me laugh - to help me reboot and start fresh today. That's what this video did for me. Enjoy!

Time is of the essence

2007-06-15T17:25:00.001-04:00

Time. It is a gift to us each day. I won't bore you with the facts about how many minutes, hours, blah, blah, blah. The truth is that as a pastor you never feel like you have enough time - regardless of whether you are bi-vocational (God bless you for your committment), pastor of a smallerwork (under 200), or a larger church (200 +).

So how do I get it all done? What works for me is making a list of what needs to be done, and then prioritizing that list. Some emergencies cannot be helped and they will interrupt your list, while some are a lack of planning on someone else's part. I say that a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. You are the ultimate manager of your time, and if you do not manage it, it will manage you. If interruptions have become the norm of your day - set some guidelines for your accessibility and stick to them.

And never lose the God-sized Dream that He put in your spirit!