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Posts in category Purpose

Easter Hangover



Easter Hangover

Satisfy- to fulfill the minimum expectations, needs, or demands        It’s hard not to have an Easter hangover. I get caught up in our Lenten studies, engaged in the events of the Passion of Christ leading to a special sunrise on Easter morning. So it’s probably not surprising that I find myself on Monday morning scratching my head and wondering what […]

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Values, Vision    church, Easter

Why Become a Sojourner?



Why Become a Sojourner?

Sojourn: To dwell for a time; to dwell or live in a place as a temporary resident or as a stranger, not considering the place as a permanent habitation; to delay; to tarry. I believe we all have a deep ache in our hearts to change lives and make a lasting, positive difference, to leave our […]

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Haiti, Mission Minded, Missions, Sojourn, Values, Vision    calling, cause, hope, mission, outreach

Haiti Mission Team Prayer



Haiti Mission Team Prayer

Eternal and ever present God, we open ourselves to you in the spirit of reverent prayer. We pray for your guiding spirit as we have gathered to send these, your disciples, on a new and exciting journey. Your love has redeemed them, Your message has inspired them and your Holy Spirit has called them from […]

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Haiti, Mission Minded, Missions, prayer, Values, Vision    2013, Commissioning, Haiti, mission team, prayer

How You can Join us in Haiti this Year!



How You can Join us in Haiti this Year!

Two Weeks from Today! I leave for ten days with five other people on a journey to Haiti, not just a different country, but a different world. Although I can’t take you all with me, I’d still like you to be part of the experience (if you want). Here’s How… On February 16, our team […]

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Haiti, Mission Minded, Missions, Values, Vision    2013, Haiti, mission

I believe…



I believe…

I think everyone should have an “I believe” statement. It’s a place to collect your values, your priorities and your goals.  Every cause produces and effect, every effect is looking for its cause. Be more of a cause in your life than an effect. I have found that most people are happy just being an effect […]

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Important, Inspirational, Spiritual Life, Values    Believe, Goals, personal, priorities

3 Questions Every Christian Must Answer



3 Questions Every Christian Must Answer

I had to take my car into the garage last week for a tune-up. It was running very rough and wouldn’t even idle when in gear, which meant I had to put it in neutral every time I came to a stoplight or traffic slowed down. What a pain! I think it was actually misfiring […]

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Bible Study Tools, Christ Centered, Deep Roots, Discipleship, Evangelism, general, Important, Inspirational, Kingdom Focused, Life 101, Ministry, Pastoral, Values    3 questions, answers, Christ, Christians, discipleship, faith, giving, grace, gratitude, Helping, Jesus, Ministry, mission, questions, reflection, Servant, service

2012 New Year Blessings



2012 New Year Blessings

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson    As we step into the flow of God’s story, I feel there is a growing excitement that God is moving us, shaping and equipping us to live beyond the ordinary. We are, after […]

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church growth, First United Methodist Church, leadership, Pastor's letter, Values, Vision    2012, blessing, Emerson, mission, New Year, Ralph Waldo Emerson, vision

A Year for New Beginnings!



A Year for New Beginnings!

New Birth – A Living Hope Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 Hope for the Future “For I know the plans I have for you,” […]

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Christ Centered, general, Important, Inspirational, Pastor's letter, Values, Vision    beliefs, choices, New Year, reflections, resolutions, self respect, time prayer, values

2012 Rules for the Road



2012 Rules for the Road

Everyone has rules or principles they live by, unfortunately most people don’t give them much of a thought. As a result we are often swept away the winds of changing attitudes, fashion and expectations. We all feel pressure to conform and become something different. But unless we know who we are, or who we want […]

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Christ Centered, general, Important, Inspirational, Pastor's letter, Values, Vision    beliefs, choices, New Year, reflections, resolutions, self respect, time prayer, values

Making Disciples: Time to Grow Up!



God wants you to grow up. “God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love – like Christ in everything.” Eph. 4:15a (Msg) “We are not meant to remain as children…” Eph 4:14a (Ph) Your heavenly Father’s goal is for you is to mature and develop the characteristics […]

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Bible Study Tools, church growth, Discipleship, Important, Inspirational, Kingdom Focused, Values    disciple, discipleship, growth, mature, maturity, Rick Warren, spiritual disciplines, Study, transformation

Children’s Ministry



Children’s Ministry

“…and Jesus grew in Wisdom, Stature and Favor with God and Man.” Luke 2:52 We want every child to grow up to learn the value of … Wisdom – “I need to make wise choices.” So I will… Trust and follow God’s design Spend time getting to know God Do whatever God says Discover God’s […]

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Children, Christ Centered, Kingdom Focused, Mission Minded, Values, Vision    252, Children's Ministry, faith, First United Methodist Church, friendship, FUMC, Luke, Luke 2:52, mission, values, vision, wisdom

Our Values: Mission Minded



Our Values: Mission Minded

“I will say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be Free!’” Isaiah 49:9    The highest aim of mission-minded people is not self-protection but self sacrifice, to empty themselves of themselves in order to be used by God and filled with the Spirit of God. They know first hand what addictions […]

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church growth, leadership, Ministry, Uncategorized, Values, Vision    calling, Charity, Christ, Christ Centered, Ephesians 4:1, fellowship, giving, gracious, gratitude, help, hospitality, life, mission, Mission Minded, purpose, sacrifice, self-sacrifice, service, significance, Sir Frances Drake, story, values, vision, world view

Our Values: Kingdom Focus



Our Values: Kingdom Focus

Kingdom Focus  “Love each other with genuine affection,and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10    The Kingdom is our true home, the place we most long to be and the place where Christ in all and through all and above all. In the Kingdom of God people experience life differently than they do in this […]

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church growth, leadership, Ministry, Uncategorized, Values, Vision    Acts 17:28, Christ, Christ Centered, Dickinson, Emily Dickinson, fellowship, giving, gracious, gratitude, hospitality, Kingdom, Kingdom of God, life, mission, poem, purpose, service, significance, Sir Frances Drake, story, values, vision, world view

Our Values: Christ Centered



Our Values: Christ Centered

Christ Centered  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:28 Jesus is the starting point for our story. What came before this is insignificant compared to what comes after it. We are captivated by Christ, by His life, His message and His mission. They resonate within us and we feel […]

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church growth, leadership, Ministry, Uncategorized, Values, Vision    Acts 17:28, Christ, Christ Centered, life, mission, purpose, significance, story, values, vision

The Power of Change Part 6



The Power of Change Part 6

THE POWER OF C-H-A-N-G-E Part 1 – Connect I’ve always heard that religion is about reformation. But Christianity is about transformation. Those two things are not the same. The former is about what a person can do to make self-improvements – Ladder People. The latter is about a person totally yielding to the Person of […]

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church growth, Deep Roots, Discipleship, Evangelism, general, Important, Inspirational, Ministry, Stewardship, Values    Caring, change, church, community, Connections, discipleship, giving, growing, Helping, Jesus, loving, relationships, service, Serving, spritual gifts, stewardship, transformation

The Story of Life & God



The Story of Life & God

The Story (Extravagant Grace!). The Story of God calls to us every moment of our lives. It whispers to us on the wind, invites us through the laughter of good friends, reaches out to us through the touch of someone we love. We’ve heard it in our favorite music, sensed it at the birth of […]

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Discipleship, Evangelical, Evangelism, general, Important, Inspirational, Life 101, Vision, websites

Building a Better Church: Connections



Building a Better Church: Connections

I spoke to a man the other day who does market research (focus groups and interviews) with a wide range of people: what they like and don’t like; what they think and feel about various things. He said that overwhelmingly what people want more than anything else is belonging: to fit in and be accepted; […]

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church growth, Discipleship, Emerging Church, Hospitality, Important, leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Life, Values, Vision    belonging, calling, Caring, Christ, church, clubs, community, Connections, fellowship, friends, friendship, grace, relationships, responsibility, scouting, sharing, society

The Power of CHANGE Part 1



The Power of CHANGE Part 1

THE POWER OF C-H-A-N-G-E Part 1 – Connect I’ve always heard that religion is about reformation. But Christianity is about transformation. Those two things are not the same. The former is about what a person can do to make self-improvements – Ladder People. The latter is about a person totally yielding to the Person of […]

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church growth, general, Important, leadership, Ministry, Missions, Pastor's letter, Spiritual Life, Values, Vision    change, Christ, church, Connect, Evangelism, footprint, Help other, hope, Jesus, mission, outreach, power of Change, service

The Power of CHANGE Part 2



The Power of CHANGE Part 2

THE POWER OF C-H-A-N-G-E Part 1 – Connect Part 2 – Help Others I’ve always heard that religion is about reformation. But Christianity is about transformation. Those two things are not the same. The former is about what a person can do to make self-improvements – Ladder People. The latter is about a person totally […]

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church growth, general, Important, leadership, Ministry, Missions, Pastor's letter, Spiritual Life, Values, Vision    change, Christ, church, Connect, Evangelism, Help other, hope, Jesus, mission, outreach, power of Change, service

What it means to be the Church



What it means to be the Church

From The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher to Emperor Hadrian, 125 A.D.: Further, if one or other of them have bondmen or bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their […]

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church growth, Emerging Church, Ministry, Vision    Aristides, Caring, Christian, church, community, compassion, Generosity, giving, grace, Hadrian, love, quotes

Six Habits: Awaken the Sleeping Giant



Six Habits: Awaken the Sleeping Giant

A Sleeping Giant     There is a sleeping giant in today’s Church – the unfulfilled potential [unrealized 'sending' capacity] of God’s people. Imagine releasing this capacity, even a small percentage of it. Consider the impact of passionate Jesus-followers sharing their story of fellowship and faith and becoming “sent” leaders in their communities. What would be the […]

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Spiritual Life

What Kind of Church is this?



What Kind of Church is this?

A Place of Healing for those in crisis, grieving or suffering from broken dreams or shattered relationships. [Read 1 Samuel 16:14 & 23] [14] Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. [23] Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take […]

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church growth, Evangelical, Values, Vision    church, church growth, Crisis, David, Grief, Healing, relationships, Saul, suffering

Dr. Steve Gedon

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