Impact....

Impacting someone's life is a two way street... we impact them and they impact us.

We have had a huge impact in the lives of 24 men from the streets of Salisbury these past two weeks and they have had a huge impact on us!

Many of the guys were so appreciative of all that we have done for them. Many made it a point to come up to say thanks and goodbye. Two guys didn't want to leave... one kept his stuff set up until the very end and kept saying, "I am going to live here now!" The other, who was very very quiet this week, came up to me and said, "I wanna stay here forever and ever and ever!" What he was saying was THANKS for being a blessing! He was not a guy who took advantage of what we did for them... he was very reserved and often felt like he was imposing to take anything.

As we say good bye for now... I am praying for ways that we as a congregation and as a community can come together with others who have a similar passion to open a day center in the coming year and to begin laying the ground work for some transitional housing. Both are so needed!

Please join me in that prayer and let's see what the Lord will do in and through us in the coming year!

So many thoughts running...

I've got so many thoughts running in my head!

Tonight is the last night of our two week shelter experience! I am exhausted and will be glad to get back to a normal life... at the same time, I am going to miss the guys and the opportunity to relate and minister. Last night we had 19 guys... two join us each night at 3:35 and 3:55 after working all night.... when they have to leave at 7, it makes for a short night and I always hate to wake them!

My friend Steve, who stayed the overnight shift with me, both Thursday nights, brought enough new socks for each guy to have at least 2 pairs and some t-shirts and sweaters. It was interesting to watch... we put them on the table about 1 a.m. and as the guys would come out to go to the bathroom... not one guy missed seeing them there and all stopped to get a couple pairs of socks and a t shirt. They were most appreciative! What an awesome gesture!

Last night we were pushed out of the eating hall early due to the Camden Neighborhood Association's Mayoral Forum. I invited all the guys to join me... Micah did and he really enjoyed it. We both put questions on paper to be asked, but of course they can't ask questions about homeless people. We got LOTS of interesting looks from the neighbors who came early... they were almost afraid to come in. As I saw that happening, I stopped cleaning up and sat at the table with the remaining guys!

Another thing that happened last night was that the Neighborhood Association parked our lot full... we took pics so that if they ever give us a hassle for parking on our lot... well, they did it!

This morning at 6:30 a.m., I talked to Lynne our one neighbor, who was singing our praises for what a great job we have done with the shelter... she said she hasn't even known the guys were there! And she was also grateful to have such wonderful neighbors!

Patrick, who has been doing LOTS of very helpful social work with the guys this week, said to me, he was going to be sorry to see our shelter end. He says it is the smoothest he has seen! I think that is in part due to several things: 1. our size of facility and number of guests, 2. when you show love and respect, you get love and respect. I have made it a point to call each man by name and every time I see them. Goes along way!

Finally, we couldn't have done this without the awesome help of ALL! Incredible how much we can do when people use their gifts and give their time! It was calculated that in these two weeks we quite possibly gave 960 hours... which is 6 months of one persons full time work.

We are so blessed to be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and world! And I am so grateful to be the pastor of such an awesome congregation!

A Gathering is Planned....

We are planning a Celebration/ Story sharing gathering on March 15 @ 7 p.m. to wrap up our Homeless Shelter Program this year. Hoping that many of the people from all of the churches involved will come to share stories and celebrate our accomplishments. It's a great idead... thanks to Miss Tami for sharing the idea.

A modern day fish and loaves parable...

Last night, I unexpectedly spent the night at the shelter. I say unexpectedly, because at 7:15 p.m. I thought we had two people covering the overnight shift and I found out that we didn't... so I came home, ate with my wife and then took a nap for an hour and a half. Now I am up after only two hours of sleep this a.m.... but I can't sleep, because I am stirring this parable in my mind.

I worked with Mike March last night... and he was telling me of an experience he had last night at his church where he was cooking for an Ash Wednesday meal that they had 85 people attend last year and they planned for 110 people and they had 160 people... he said not everyone got to eat last night because they ran out of food... these were people who didn't really need to eat!

Then this morning as we were passing out lunches, I discovered that by the end of the week we will have a surplus of lunches! Yes that is right... when the last day of our shelter comes on Saturday, we will have more lunches than we need. These are lunches that are needed! The guys really appreciate them and take more than one if we have extras.

The only way I can explain it is that some groups have brought more than 20 lunches when they bring them.... and some days we don't need 20 because a few of the guys don't want a lunch or we don't have a full house. In any case, the fact that folks are preparing lunches to bless our homeless brothers has created a very generous outpouring that we have lunches galore!

It has been a truly awesome experience doing this shelter this year, like last! One of the social workers who has been a real blessing to us, as he meets needs that we can't, said to me last night that he was going to be sad to see our shelter close! He says we have the smoothest running shelter he has seen and he travels to all of them. I am so awed at the way so many have sacrificed to serve and so willingly shared Jesus' love with our guests!

I firmly believe that this shelter expereince is one experience that puts us as close to God as we can get this side of heaven!

I am one PROUD pastor!

What a difference a night of rest makes...

Wow! I feel refreshed after a good night of sleep last night! What a difference a night of rest makes. God really did know what he was doing when he established a Sabbath. It is a day of rest and renewal that allows us time to regenerate and to connect with God at a deeper level. I highly recommend establishing a sabbath time in our busy lives.

EXHAUSTED!

Just got home from the shelter a little bit ago and I am exhausted! It was a great night but it is taking it's toll on me!

Yesterday was a long day... got up at 5:15 a.m. arrived at the shelter at 6:45 to transition it... two worship gatherings and then a transition back... then lunch with Caroline at 1 p.m. and home to quickly wash the kitchen floor, so it could dry while no one was home. Left for Manassas to pick up Sharon and Emma... missed a turn on 495 and headed South on 95... did a u turn and followed a sign that said it was taking me to Rt. 66 and Dulles Airport... but that didn't happen, so I spent an hour driving down town D.C. ... right by the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Capital, the Pentagon... and a complete circle brought me to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge for the second time. Arrived in Manassas to pick up Sharon and Emma... got home around 10:15 and promptly left for the shelter. By 2:30 a.m. I was so tired I was falling asleep sitting up... went to the basement and took a half hour nap that turned into nearly an hour.

Came home ready to jump in bed for a long nap... and Sharon wasn't quite done getting ready for work, so, here I am typing while she is finishing and then I am off to bed...

I am grateful to be part of a church that is serving in this way! And I am grateful to have a warm bed in a house, that I co-own with the bank, to sleep in! One thing this shelter experience reinforces for me each year is how much I take for granted!

Surely God Smiles....

when several churches work together to do something important! Last night the Beacon of Light Seventh Day church prepared and served the evening meal to the guys at our shelter. It was delicious, but beyond that it was awesome to work together on something important. We have many things that are different between us and them... but the one thing we have in common is a deep love for Jesus and a desire to serve him with our lives!

We were saying last night, what a great partnership it has been. Bethany Lutheran, Beacon of Light and Community of Joy working in partnership to do what any one of us would not be able to do alone!

Totally AWESOME!

Grateful....

I am so grateful for lots of things this morning...

For the strength that God gives to meet the challenges and opportunities that we face each day.

For the love that God gives to be shared with others.

For the gifts that God gives that can be used to bless others.

For the community known as the church, specifically Community of Joy Church, who so selflessly and sacrificially shares, strength, love, and gifts to bless others. What an awesome thing to see so many eagerly using what God has given to bless others. I am awed by the way we are serving together this week and how when each of us offers our gifts, we make what we can do together so much more than what we can do separately!

It is awesome to see! The body of Christ being the body!

A Hard Time to Get Work Done...

This week, I spent two nights at the shelter... overnight. I was ambitious, especially last night. Thought I could get lots done! Not so... Working after Midnight when you are fighting sleep is almost impossible! I took several books along to read as well... but reading when sleepy is impossible as well. Now after sleeping the day away until 1:30, I am busy... tying up loose ends.

This year continues to be a great expereince in the shelter. We've had 15 to 20 guys each night and it is going real smooth.

Not sure what next week will hold... but glad to have a good first week under our belts!

New Experiences...

It is so neat to see folks stretching themselves and having new experiences at the shelter! Many of the folks serving this year have never worked with this population and thus have stereo types and opinions that are being challenged and changed!

It's really rewarding to see so many people who are willing to stretch and learn and serve others with the love of God!

Week one is nearly over and week two is around the corner!

Why I do what I do....

Just got off the phone with a new friend who has been participating in the life at Community of Joy! He is growing and growing and growing... and it is so neat to see! I absolutely love talking to him to hear what God is doing in his life and how he is coming alive in his fatih. His faith is much more than a belief system... it is becoming a way of life and that is so awesome!

This is why I do what I do... to see lives come to life in Christ and become the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus in the world!

What a blessing!

How Awesome...

Indeed, what a great group of servants I am part of at Community of Joy! They really take seriously the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the community and world! This week, we are operating the first of our two weeks as an Emergency Shelter for homeless men. It is going really well... great help, real servants... lots of love, going above and beyond. The meals are SPECTACULAR! The extra touches are special! In so many ways it seems like we have laid out a banquet spread fit for a king... and when I see it, I think about the story in Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about when we did it for the least of these, we did it for him. That's what we are doing! So cool!

Thanks to all who are serving in any way, including praying for the shelter and our guests. What a great way to use this ministry center that God entrusted us with!

Jesus believes in you...

I'm indebted to Rob Bell for these thoughts...

Rob says that in first century Jewish culture rabbis started weeding out the best potential students by age 6 and by 13 or 14 they either had it or they didn't. If a rabbi didn't feel that a student was the best of the best, he sent him home to the family business or to learn a common trade, like fishing. A rabbi wasn't going to waste his time with a youth who didn't have it.

That's why it was so revolutionary and so radical when the Rabbi of rabbis came on the scene and looked at a bunch of fishermen - a bunch of other rabbi's rejects and saw potential in them. Instead of asking the best of the best to follow him, Jesus asked the rejects!

One of the things that is so amazing about this, as Rob points out, is that this shows that Jesus looks at us and believes in us. Jesus thinks that you can be like him! And he invites you to follow him because he believes in you!

Praying and God's answers....

Please be in prayer for some serious discernment that is happening this week. (Hopefully, I can share more details in the near future!)

I've been praying in earnest that God would provide music leadership for a Saturday worship gathering intended to reach out to the university community. God might be revealing his provision in this area.... time will tell!

I've also been praying that God would help us cross the one hundred in worship barrier... we are getting closer each week... keep praying.

It's so awesome when we see God reveal his direction in our lives and respond to our prayers... stay tuned!

Shelter continues to go well....

Spent the night last night at the shelter... and I am so grateful that it continues to go well! Worked with a freind who has limited experience with this population and I think he learned alot!

It's now 1:20 p.m. and I am just finishing lunch and drinking a cup of coffee -- ready to jump into some work!

Shelter off to a great start....

Tonight we open our doors for the second night of our two week stint as a shelter for homeless men in Salisbury. They come in at 5 p.m. eat a scrumptious meal at 6. (last night we had crab cakes!) then sleep the night away... they get a warm breakfast prepared by our neighbor church - Bethany Lutheran- and are out the door by 7 a.m.

It was so awesome to get there around 6:40 this morning and find that the guys had their cots cleaned up and bags packed and were on the way to putting them in our youth room in the basement so that we could transform our space from respite sanctuary to worship sanctuary. By 7:20 the place was totally transformed and mostly cleaned and ready for our 9 a.m. worship.

Then after the 10:30 gathering... lots of help turned it back into a respite sanctuary. We will have to do that one more week. It's a LOT of work... but no one complains and LOTS of folks are eager to serve. So AWESOME to be part of a church body that takes seriously the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and world!

Also awesome to have some of our guests participating in our congregational life!

Kudos to Community of Joy church folks... who indeed are the hands and feet of Jesus as they open their hearts and arms to share the love of Jesus with others regardless of who they are!

Ready and Learning...

Today, we opened our ministry Center as a Emergency Shelter for homeless men here in Salisbury. We will host 20 guys. We have great help in doing this huge ministry. Looking forward to a good two weeks!

Last night, I watched one of our youth play high school basketball. That was a first for me. I've not been too into basketball ever and never watched a high school game. It was a nail biter! And one that gave me lots to reflect on!

The two coaches had very different coaching styles and it was interesting to watch and to reflect on their styles and the style of leadership I live out of.

Coach 1 was young and VERY intense! He was constantly out of his seat and yelling directions to his team from the sidelines. I am sure that he must have been exhausted by the end of the game... I know I sure was - just watching him. Whenever a time-out was called he had all the team gather around him and utilized all the time of the time-out. It was rare that he broke the "huddle" until the time-out was nearly over. His intensity nearly cost them the game as his team had just gone ahead in the last seconds of the game and he and several on the team jumped out onto the court and interfered with a "hail mary" toss from the opposite goal. That set up a situation that allowed the opposing team to tie the game and go into overtime. In the end they pulled it out by two!

Coach 2 was an older and more experienced coach. Rarely was this coach pacng on the sideline. I only heard him shout instructions or make gestures to his team a couple of times. He was poised and calm. When he talked to his team during a time-out, he only talked to the five players that were currently playing and never used all the time. He broke the "huddle" long before the time was up.

As I watched the two, I couldn't help but think about how Coach 2 was relying heavily on what he had already taught his team and was not trying to correct their coarse or significantly influence their play during the game... the work of coaching had already taken place and now it was time to let his players shine!

In 2009, I want to live out of a motto of "let others". I think that was what Coach 2 was doing and I want to be more like that. I confess, it is hard... I am much more like coach 1 and like to be involved in things all the time.... but there is something good about not coaching much during the game and allowing the team to grow into their roles.

On one hand, it's going to be hard these next two weeks, but I want to serve when I agreed to serve, and then sit back and watch my leaders and servants shine as they live into the gifts that God has given them. So, while I really want to be present tonight at the shelter and most nights, I will not be going unless needed. I've got great folks in key roles and they are living out of their passion and gifts... no need for me to pace the sideline and give direction!

Together....

An African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go with someone!" How true! We were made for community... relationship! When God created Adam, he said it was not good for man to be alone, so he created Eve.

There is so much value in being part of a group... having relationships with each other... supporting each other, encouraging each other, loving each other.... that's what makes the church the church... it is the body of Christ. Relationships are the number one craving most of us have! It's what the church has to offer and when we do it well! It is an awesome thing!

The Jesus Creed...

While on my recent retreat, I started reading a book by Scot McKnight, called The Jesus Creed. I am really enjoying it! So much so that I intend to preach a series during lent on the Jesus Creed.

The Jesus Creed is ...

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

Scot even wrote a book called "40 Days Living the Jesus Creed" which is a daily devotional book, that I am encouraging folks to purchase. They cost $10.50 from amazon and I will order them on Monday. They are supplemental, not mandatory for the series, of course!

Looking forward to sharing what I am learning starting Feb. 22.

Getting Ready for the next two weeks....

We are getting ready for the next two weeks ... hosting 20 homeless men from Salisbury in our Ministry Center.

This week's preparations included a prayer gathering with the three churches that are working together... that was Tuesday night.

Then groceries have been acquired and the lobby transformed and final staffing needs filled.... still have one overnight that has no one to fill it...and I can't take it.... I already have four and the one that is needed is the night before I take Sharon to VA to help her sister as she returns home from hip replacement surgery on Thursday and I am scheduled to stay overnight on Thursday as well... no way I can do wednesday overnight, travel 8 hours on thursday and then spend Thursday overnight as well! But I am confident that it will soon be filled.

Also have several overnights that only have one person ... we had hoped to have two each night and will still work at that.

Bottom line... we are seeking to be the hands and feet of Jesus to some brothers that have a need.

Happy 14th Birthday to Emma!

Today is Emma's 14th birthday! Hard to beleive it is so!

Started the day with the normal pictures when she wakes up... I promised I wouldn't post them! Then walked at the Mall with Sharon and then went to a Pastors meeting in Cordova... that lasted from 9:30 - 12:30... got to Salisbury around 2:30 and promptly went searching for Emma's gift. We had been on the fence until this morning about what we were going to do... settled on a Wii Fit... but should have gotten in a year ago. None to be had. Went to 10 stores, 8 in Salisbury, 1 in Cambridge and 1 in Easton... and called one in Fruitland. Not one store had a Wii Fit nor could they tell me when they would get them. So, we wrapped a coupon with a bag of sweedish fish.

I got home from that errand in time to make crab soup. It was an awesome recipe that we got from a friend at Christmas... we really enjoyed that for supper and Emma's favorite dessert... Elizabeth Emmert's Raspberry chocolate fluff pie!

Great day!

The Awesome Hands and Feet...

Our congregation is about to open it's ministry center for two weeks to be a homeless men's shelter. We will open our doors at 5 p.m. and serve supper at 6, then the guys can sleep til 6 and a hot breakfast is served and they get a bag lunch as they go out the door at 7 a.m. We are doing this with a couple other churches... but it is a BIG task! Today, I put out an urgent plea for more help... some of our regular folks that help are experiencing health concerns and can't do what they would normally do. The servants at Community of Joy are a great bunch of people! Within minutes of sending out the urgent email, I had responses of folks stepping up to the plate to do what they can to be the hands and feet of Jesus! So Cool!!!!

It is an honor... to serve Jesus here with these folks!

Getting Ready...

Last night after youth group, we encouraged the youth to help transform our ministry center's sanctuary into an empty room... so that we could be ready to receive the cots on Saturday for our homeless men's shelter. We are hosting the shelter for 2 weeks this year.... lots of challenges that we will rise above... but we will be the hands and feet of Jesus and show 20 homeless brothers God's awesome, welcoming love in these two weeks and we won't serve any half eaten hamburgers either!

Props to Belinda White and the team she is working with to pull it off!

Also it is so awesome to have two other churches join us in this venture!

...still looking for some men to stay a couple of overnight shifts, and if we don't find them... guess where I will be -- and that would be in addition to the two shifts I already signed up for!

And the grand total is... well it changed!

That's right... the goal for Friday night's coffee house was a whopping $910. By the end of our worship gatherings yesterday, the total had climbed to $981! How cool!

What a great bunch of people!

A Great Night...

We sure had a great night last night at our first ever coffee house! Good crowd (at times overwhelmed our little building!). Great music! Tastey treats and LOTS of them! Wonderful coffee and delicious smoothies!

And to boot, we reaised $761 toward our goal of $910! It was lots of fun and neat to see so many jump in and support Joy and the Common Grounds Coffee House in this way.

Getting Really Excited....

Last night I helped Doug, Frank, and Daryl get things set up for our coffee house tonight at the ministry center to help support Joy's efforts in recording a CD and to introduce the community to the Great coffee of Common Grounds Coffee House! And in the process, I saw and heard some things that really excite me!

First, the coffee house is an idea that Tri and I had for our church meeting location when the Ministry Center came on the horizon. Tri couldn't let go of the vision and pulled Doug and Frank in. Common Grounds will be a FAIR TRADE coffee house...totally awesome!

Second, the shop will be green! They are using soy stains, tankless hot water heaters, cork, led lighting etc... all in an effort to lessen the environmental impact. Even trying to consolidate shipments and distances for supplies to lessen the carbon footprint!

Third, I saw the cups last night! The plastic cups they will be using are biodegradable and compost in less than 60 days... they are made from corn! After June, even the coffee cup lids will be made from corn. Even the straws are made from corn. The coffee cups are 90% post consumer recycled material and are compostable. They even have arrangements with a local place to compost the cups.

Fourth, I heard plans to reward folks for bringing back their "to go" cups for composting!

Totally awesome how values we hold as a church are being lived out in a business context!

Setting Goals...

Wayne Gretsky says, "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Charlie Brown is seen shooting his bow and arrow at a fence and then painting a target ring around wherever the arrow hits. If you don't shoot for the moon, you won't hit it!

It is so easy to get sucked into the routine of life and ministry that soon you find that all you do is maintain or respond to what happens... rather than chart a course and make preparations for where you are going.

It is so essential for the health of our congregation for us to set goals and make plans. That's why I took some time away in O.C. this week to get away from the routine and pray, dream, and chart a course. I really want to see us break the 100 barrier this year, but that won't happen if we don't make some course adjustments.

I came home with 5 goals for 2009 and 16 actions steps to acheive those goals.

I will be presenting some of this at our Leadership Team meeting on Monday night!

Great Retreat!

It's been a great couple of days in O.C. What a good thing to do! I rented a room at the Holiday Inn for $52 a night... and it was an efficiency... complete with stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Made for a cheap way to "get away"!

My hope coming in to the time away was to come home with three specific goals for CoJ and 2009. I came away with several more and direction for worship for a few weeks and finished reading one book as well as mostly read another.

It has been a while since I have done that and it is something I should do every year!

The only down note was coming home to the terrible accident that Tracey Townsend was involved in... she was scraping the ice from her car and was hit by a car driving down the street. She is fortunate not to be injured worse than she was... but has a broken nose, some facial lacerations requiring stitches, and two fractured knees, one that will get her a trip to Shock Trauma in Baltimore... prayers go out for Tracey, Tri, Whit and the family as well as the 17 year old girl who hit her and her family.

Outta here...

Singing out for a few days... headed to Ocean City for an advance planning retreat. It's good to get away... from the same scenery, distractions, etc. Need to get some direction for the next year... coming home with some specific goals for 2009.