Staff Blog
Welcome to the new Staff Blog of Kingsway Church. The idea behind this is simple, I want you to hear directly from the pastors and staff. As our church continues to grow it will become more complex. This blog will serve to connect you to the people that serve, shepherd, teach and lead Kingsway.
Posts will range from deeply spiritual to comical or informative. Enjoy as you get to know us better!
-Pastor Bryon
Sunday ReCap – What a Great Day!
First off, I love our church! Great vibe in the house today, we are experiencing God’s grace like crazy. Walking through the halls today I saw people hugging and saying hello, I heard laughter and prayer, saw children running and playing. People were worshiping, the testimonies by the mission team were awesome and the simple message of reconciliation was proclaimed. Now that is my kind of church.
Today was one of those days you live for as a pastor. The place, especially in the 11, was packed out.
Here are a couple thoughts:
1. Launch of our new series entitled: “Let’s Build Tomorrow”! The staff and I have been preparing for this day since early July. Today the message was as simple as they come, Jesus changes lives. We will be studying 2 Corinthians 5.17-21 the next 3 weeks, study up.
2. Panama Team returned safe and sound from their week of ministry overseas. We saw many pics and heard from several of the team members. Love the culture of serving and loving others that is being created at Kingsway. Special thanks to Bill and Eliane Lang for leading this mission experience.
3. Guest worship leader Joey Bucci was in from Pittsburgh. (follow him @boejucci) The band was revved up today. My wife saw a women toward the back with her fingers in her ears singing her heart out! Love it!
4. REVO | REVOjr (www.revoyouthchurch.com) was away at their Autumn Retreat. I heard from RJ that they had an amazing time together up in the Poconos. Neil Hooley (who grew up in REVO) gave his testimony in one of the services and did an awesome job.
5. Had meetings after the 9 and 11 with our Home Fellowship Leaders. Great people willing to open their home. (If you’re not signed up for one email us right now!) LBT@kingswayag.com
Great day together as the body of Christ.
Reach the 1%
Pastor Bryon
The Difference
Here’s one of the reasons why I love life groups (and, not just because I’m the Life Group Pastor): you just never know what someone will say that will linger in your mind and that God will use to grow you.
Tuesday night I attended The Well (I was filling in for the leader, who was away on vacation). This semester, The Well is doing the Beth Moore study, David: Seeking A Heart Like His. We watched the video teaching by Beth (which was phenomenal) in which she made this point: “There is a difference between appeasing God and pleasing God.”
WOW! That really hit home. Sometimes, I think I’m just trying to barely make the grade. As if there is some minimum to morality that makes me OK in the Lord’s eyes. Beth challenged us that more than appeasing God – His rules – we should strive to please Him. To choose His ways out of love, not obligation.
Then, the reason why I love life groups happened. Someone in the group shared. She said, “In my own life, I see this applied as sometimes I try to comply with what God wants me to do, instead of surrendering myself completely to Him.”
DOUBLE WOW! A simple insight from a fellow traveler on this journey of faith has been running through my mind over the last few days and I’ve been asking the Lord, “Am I complying or surrendering?” Compliance implies a grudging acceptance of a rule/regulation. Surrender implies a trust that the One I follow, truly, deeply, and rightly knows what is best for me – even if I don’t understand my present circumstance(s).
What is so cool to me is that Beth Moore’s teaching really spoke to my heart. What someone else said – a person I know, sat across the room from and share community with – had an even greater impact on my heart. Being in a life group opens so many opportunities for God to speak to me, through others. And, I am better for it.
There is a difference in my life when I am in a life group verses when I’m not in one.
Just sayin’….Pastor Arlena
The best of both worlds…..
When it comes to children’s ministries, I personally believe it is the church’s privilege to partner with parents, helping to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. One of the ways we do that is KIDMO.
KIDMO is the program we use for children in grades 1-5. It’s funny – it’s interactive – it’s educational – it’s certainly entertaining. And it’s happening – most of the time. One of the balancing acts we perform here is giving your child the best of both worlds, but at a level and dose they can handle. Having a place designed specifically for kids, with a program geared just for them, gives each child an opportunity to learn about God at a level they can understand. They get to make friends, seeing the same children week after week. They get to interact with lots of people, both adults and teens, and see how much we all love & care about them. But when each series ends, we intentionally take a break from gathering so that children can be a part of our regular worship service as well.
When children get to be a part of an adult service, many wonderful things happen. They get to see and feel what a worship service is all about. They are given the opportunity to sit with their parents and learn the same lesson. I personally love when I sit with my husband and children and discuss something we learned in church together as a family. By breaking in KIDMO, you get the opportunity to do just that! And at just the right dose – about once every 6 weeks.
So it may seem that our sanctuary is a little livelier every 6 weeks or so. We may also notice little eyes staring at us as we worship and pray! But what a privilege it is to be a very small part in the beginning of this journey – the journey these children will take as they follow the Lord every day of their lives.
Linda
Roller Coaster-Life
Life is like a roller coaster ride. On days when all is well, it’s like I’m on my “roller coaster-life” riding around in circles high on top just enjoying the majestic view of God’s wonderful creations. These are the days when I dwell in the moment, give thanks, and sing praise to God for his mercy and grace. But every once in a while, when I think all is well, … there goes my “roller coaster-life” on a downward slide. Sometimes you can see it coming, but many times you can’t.
Slides come in many sizes. When it’s short and not so steep you manage the best you can and thank God for seeing you through it. But when it is long and steep, that is when it can be scary. You feel like you are alone, wondering how could this be? These times can really be tough. You go through a list of all the good and obedient things you’ve done and can’t understand why this is happening. Unfortunately it doesn’t matter how good or obedient you are. These things just happen. When I’m traveling down a steep slide on my “roller coaster-life”, I pray that I trust God and know He is in control and He is preparing me for something that I can’t see right now. I imagine Him holding me and saying with a soft gentle Fatherly voice, ”I know you don’t understand why this is happening but just know that I am with you. Please don’t worry, it will be alright… you’ll see”.
Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding“.
My heart’s desire is when my “roller coaster-life” is on a downward slide, that I have my hands raised up high praising God rather then having them clenched on the bar in front of me holding on for dear life. I don’t want to look back and say, “Man… I wish I had more faith when I went through that”.
~Evelyn
IOUs
Today, I am struck by the fact that I feel entitled to blessing. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I live in America, that I’ve grown up in an era of excess, that I have never known true hunger or poverty or emergency. I expect to have a loving husband and a healthy child. I expect to have a home with food on the table. I expect to have money in my bank account for a cup of Starbucks, whenever the mood strikes me.
I know that life doesn’t always meet our expectations. As Christians, it’s tempting to feel (even if we never verbalize it) that God owes it to us to meet our every need and desire…He doesn’t. He sent Jesus to give His life as a ransom for our sinfulness and selfishness, when nothing else could have saved us. WE OWE HIM.
A.W. Tozer says that, “Sometimes I go to God and say, “God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already.” God’s already put me so far in debt that if I were to live one million millenniums I couldn’t pay Him for what He’s done for me.”
We are in so far over our heads in mercy & grace that we can never hope to pay it back.
As we worship the Lord this week, let’s come to him first with thanksgiving for the (undeserved) blessings in our lives, not taking a single one for granted. And let’s come to him bursting with praise for all that He is, for the freedom we have received through Jesus Christ, and for the beautiful fact that God doesn’t keep IOU’s.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ…He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1: 3, 8
-Jen
Connecting…
Do you ever wonder why it’s so easy for children to connect with one another, and why sometimes as adults, we find it so hard? Spend an hour with a group of children and you’ll see why…..
I saw one of our pre-school little girls go up to another little girl, link arms with her and declare her to be her friend simply because they were wearing the same color clothing.
I watched one of our 4th grade boys meet one of our 3rd grade girls for the first time and said “I don’t think I’ve ever met you before. You’re pretty.” The girl had no response to such an honest declaration and so she simply smiled and sat down.
I witnessed one of our girls bring in an ear of corn that grew from a seed we gave out at VBS last summer, so proud of her accomplishment and so eager to show her friends at KIDMO. As the children ooh’ed and aah’ed, I wish I had a picture of her face.
Children are simply free to be themselves. They honestly share their thoughts. They have no fear of rejection. They are simply proud of their accomplishments without being prideful. I feel encouraged when I am around them. Encouraged to reach out to someone I may not know and offer to be their friend. Encouraged to give compliments more freely and honestly. I may not have an ear of corn to proudly display, but I can bake a mean batch of snickerdoodles (or so I’m told) and would love to share them with anyone who wants some!
You see, it doesn’t really take much to connect with each other. All you need is the willingness to act like a child – to be friendly, to be kind, to share. And if these things don’t come easily for you, simply ask God to help you. He wants to, you know. Because, after all, being connected to Him and to each other is the reason we’re all here.
Linda
Community
