As some of us know, J.J.'s (Jeremy Johnson's) wife Carrie just found out last week that her mom has cancer. Radiation begins Monday. We'll keep you updated as more information comes.
Take a moment today and this week to pray for Carrie's mom. Pray for strength to endure. Pray for courage over fear. Pray for peace in the midst of questioning. Pray for dependence on God that comes through keeping in step with the Spirit.
Thanks folks. The Johnsons and their extended family appreciate your prayers.
how are you living?
Just a few updates, and then on to a thought for the day:
-VolunTOUR - we've asked a few of you to come and help us with our VolunTOUR event this Thursday. If you've been asked but have yet to respond, please do so to Shari. UPDATE ON TIME: you can arrive as early as 4:30, where box dinners will be provided. Otherwise, we'll see you here at 5 for a quick bite to eat and some final instructions.
-New Schedule - the new schedule is out, and the final bugs are being worked out. Thanks for your patience. Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please send those to Shari.
-Waterloo - this will be the first Sunday of our Waterloo teams worshiping together up in the chapel! Let's be in prayer for them as they go. Any scheduling or other questions can be sent to Jon or Jeremy.
-All Team Meeting - Let's keep up our commitment to our community. We'll be starting a series at our next All Team meeting entitled "P&P 101." In it we'll be covering topics like:
-VolunTOUR - we've asked a few of you to come and help us with our VolunTOUR event this Thursday. If you've been asked but have yet to respond, please do so to Shari. UPDATE ON TIME: you can arrive as early as 4:30, where box dinners will be provided. Otherwise, we'll see you here at 5 for a quick bite to eat and some final instructions.
-New Schedule - the new schedule is out, and the final bugs are being worked out. Thanks for your patience. Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please send those to Shari.
-Waterloo - this will be the first Sunday of our Waterloo teams worshiping together up in the chapel! Let's be in prayer for them as they go. Any scheduling or other questions can be sent to Jon or Jeremy.
-All Team Meeting - Let's keep up our commitment to our community. We'll be starting a series at our next All Team meeting entitled "P&P 101." In it we'll be covering topics like:
- Vision for our church, and how our ministry SPECIFICALLY supports it
- The one specific goal for EVERY weekend
- WHY we do WHAT we do - including issues like style
- WHO we primarily are targeting with our weekend services
Come with open minds and some honest questions.
Okay. Here's a thought that I'd like to share with you today.
I opened up my inbox this morning to find an email from our prayer request chain here at PLC. We get regular updates from our great Care Staff people keeping us connected to some of the needs of the folks in our body.
The first two updates in the email were about new babies being born - one of which is the daughter of our very own Alicia Whalen. It brought a smile to my face, as I was both happy for Alicia and Joe as well as anticipated a similar email announcement here in just four months when my own son will be born.
Do you know what the next item in the email was? Right after the two birth announcements?
It was a request for prayer for a family whose patriarch was just put in hospice.
Life is short, my friends and fellow ministers of the gospel. How are you living it?
some thoughts; your thoughts?
It's Friday, which is my day off. Sometimes I spend it lounging. Sometimes I spend it exercising. Sometimes I spend it napping. Sometimes I read, write, pray, reflect, retreat. And sometimes it's some combination of some/all of the above.
Today, I spent it catching up on some sleep, catching up on some blog reading, and then spending some time in the Bible, confession, prayer, and journaling. It's been great.
One of the things that came out of it is something that I want to share with all of you. I was prompted to ask our teaching pastors here at PLC this question(s):
"What really, truly fires you up from the platform? In other words, what are the topics that you could teach and preach for the rest of your life with passion and intensity? Where is there such overlap between your heart and God's heart that your words flow with authority and transformative power? What inspires and sanctifies you even as you teach it?"
Today, I spent it catching up on some sleep, catching up on some blog reading, and then spending some time in the Bible, confession, prayer, and journaling. It's been great.
One of the things that came out of it is something that I want to share with all of you. I was prompted to ask our teaching pastors here at PLC this question(s):
"What really, truly fires you up from the platform? In other words, what are the topics that you could teach and preach for the rest of your life with passion and intensity? Where is there such overlap between your heart and God's heart that your words flow with authority and transformative power? What inspires and sanctifies you even as you teach it?"
Here's the few that I came up with:
- You can't grow with God unless you develop a conversational relationship with him - unless you know how to hear, understand, and respond to his voice. Conversation often precedes obedience.
- The ugliness of my sin cannot outshine the beauty of Christ's cross.
- A better word for discipleship: formation.
- "Churchy" worship is impotent worship.
- Be more loyal to God's kingdom than you are to any other.
- Be a student of and a participant in the culture around you. So-called "Christian insulation" is the long path to a slow death for the God-follower.
- Want Christ's life flowing through you every day? Then learn how to die his death every day.
- Be careful: there is a difference between manufacturing a godly image and being remade into God's image. One requires God; the other does not.
I'd like to ask you all a similar question:
Where does your heart overlap with God's? What God-thing are you so passionate about that you could devote the rest of your life to living it and passing it on? To singing and playing about it? To devote your service to it?
I'd love to know your thoughts, and for you to share them with our community. Take a few minutes and post below.
purity = possibilities
Here is a great blog post from a pastor I follow, Mark Batterson. I think it has some great applications for us as artists... especially as it concerns our desire for more significant serving opportunities. Read it here.
are you in?
We've been challenging many of you over the last few months to consider a move to Waterloo. Many of you have responded.
Let me say that again:
Many of you have responded.
Praise God for you.
And now, for those of us who are called to remain at Cedar Falls, we have a God-given challenge: to pull together, level up, and fill the gaps that are being left by our brothers and sisters who have obeyed God's call to leave.
And we do have some gaps, specifically on our Production teams:
- Camera operators
- PVP operators
- Video switchers
- Lighting operators
And so, let me challenge three very specific types of people to consider filling these gaps:
- Programming Alternates - If you have auditioned for our instrumental or vocal teams, and currently find yourself on our list of alternates, then you need to prayerfully consider if now isn't the time for you to jump off of that list and onto a regular serving opportunity on one of our production teams. Specifically: if you are a vocal alternate or an acoustic guitar alternate, we need you to consider this, simply because there are so many of you and so few spots to serve on the Programming side of things. You can make an immediate and significant impact on a vital part of our P&P ministry in Cedar Falls.
- Programming Regular Rotation - It might be time for you to consider doing double duty for a time, even if you're regularly serving on one of our music teams. The experience that you will gain on "the other side of things" will really be invaluable to you, no matter where you are currently serving. If you've got the time, we've got a spot.
- Production Regular Rotation - Same thing goes for you, production folks. If you've got the time, we've got a spot. Now isn't the time to hold out for a spot that fits more of your preference or that gets you closer to where you wanna be. Now is the time to go where you're needed.
I am expecting big things out of you all, because I know what you're capable of, and I know that your heart is right where it needs to be. I'm excited to sacrifice more of my time and energy with you, for the sake of our community, for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Waterloo, and for the sake of God's name in Iowa.
It starts with us. Are you in?
If you're willing to step into a different role or take on some more responsibilities, send Shari an email at shari.ford@prairielakeschurch.org.
If you're willing to step into a different role or take on some more responsibilities, send Shari an email at shari.ford@prairielakeschurch.org.
another prayer request and important updates
We have to start our first ministry update of 2010 with another serious prayer request. Today I got the news that Greg Coffin, one of our bass players, just lost his daughter-in-law. I am personally unaware of the details surrounding her death, but I do know that she was a young mom who just gave birth recently to another grandchild for Greg and Joan. Please be in prayer as this family deals with this loss.
The reality of this life that we live is that even in the midst of losses and life-changes, the rest of life still goes on... and it's still going on for our ministry. So, as we continue to pray and support the members in our community that are walking through these life changes, here's some things that you need to know:
The reality of this life that we live is that even in the midst of losses and life-changes, the rest of life still goes on... and it's still going on for our ministry. So, as we continue to pray and support the members in our community that are walking through these life changes, here's some things that you need to know:
- This Tuesday marks our first All Team meeting of 2010. Same time and same place: 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the cafe then Worship Center. The subject? Community. We'll have food of course!
- If you're on our Waterloo teams (or would like to be and/or are planning to audition), please make every effort to be there. Following our All Team meeting, Jon Lloyd, Jeremy Ott, and Dan Olsen will be taking you up to the chapel and going over what our first services are going to look like up there. Remember: we're starting services up there at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 31st!
- New rotations are being finalized this week, as we're finishing making a few asks for Waterloo and figuring out how to manage some holes in Cedar Falls. The picture looks pretty optimistic! Stay tuned for the new schedules.
- We have some new staff hires! Matt Miller is coming on our P&P staff as our Created Video Director. He will be replacing Matt Rittgers, who has for some time now been looking for what God has next for him and his wife Hilary. Be in prayer for them as they continue to discern what God has for them, and join us in welcoming Matt and his wife to our team! Also: Brett Pyke, who has been on our staff for 6 months now as an intern, is now hired on at 30 hours per week as an Assistant Technical Director. He will be supporting Dan by taking on some of our Cedar Falls campus technical needs and allowing our tech ministry to better support our multisite initiatives. Praise God for both of these guys!
- Dan Lincoln, the candidate who visited us a few weeks ago interviewing for our Cedar Falls Worship Director position, has just today decided that it's not the right time for a move to Cedar Falls. He loved our church, our vision, and our people... but when it came down to it, just didn't feel a peace about the move. Please join me as we wish him and his wife, Tiffany, well in their future ministry.
Alright. That's it, folks. Stay warm out there. See you this Tuesday!
please pray
Hey folks,
We've had some pretty serious and significant things that have happened to members of our community in the last few days. I'd like for all of you to be aware of them and to lift them up in prayer:
Chris and Alisa John
As many of us know, Chris and Alisa John (music team) were pregnant with their third child. Last week, however, Alisa lost the baby to a miscarriage. As so many of us know, that's just a painful and difficult thing to experience and to have to walk through. So, please do pray for them, and please don't be quick to offer something trite and quick in conversation - even well intentioned. The fact of the matter is this: bad things happen to good people for no explainable reason. All that they really need right now is a community of people that are sensitive to their condition, that will pray, and that can (when appropriate) share their stories of walking through the same thing. Your prayers, listening ear, and selfless service are very much appreciated.
Larry Ravn
Larry is one of our long-time lighting programmers and operators. Just today he has been admitted to Covenant's ICU (room #10) with the loss of feeling in his extremities. He is allowed visitors if you'd like to make a stop over there today or tomorrow; just call before you come or check in at the nurses' station when you arrive. The doctors are monitoring him right now as they try and figure out what is going on. His wife, Sue, currently has pneumonia as well. Please keep them in your prayers or head on over for a brief visit if you can.
Terry Kampman
Terry, one of our long-time vocalists and member of our Waterloo worship team, has a mother who has been battling health problems for some time now. She has just been admitted into hospice. Terry thinks that this might be the time where her mother makes the transition from earth to heaven. As many of you already have, please keep praying for her and her family during this time.
Thanks all. More ministry specific information is coming your way tomorrow. But, for now, let's commit as a community to lifting up our brothers and sisters in prayer today.
We've had some pretty serious and significant things that have happened to members of our community in the last few days. I'd like for all of you to be aware of them and to lift them up in prayer:
Chris and Alisa John
As many of us know, Chris and Alisa John (music team) were pregnant with their third child. Last week, however, Alisa lost the baby to a miscarriage. As so many of us know, that's just a painful and difficult thing to experience and to have to walk through. So, please do pray for them, and please don't be quick to offer something trite and quick in conversation - even well intentioned. The fact of the matter is this: bad things happen to good people for no explainable reason. All that they really need right now is a community of people that are sensitive to their condition, that will pray, and that can (when appropriate) share their stories of walking through the same thing. Your prayers, listening ear, and selfless service are very much appreciated.
Larry Ravn
Larry is one of our long-time lighting programmers and operators. Just today he has been admitted to Covenant's ICU (room #10) with the loss of feeling in his extremities. He is allowed visitors if you'd like to make a stop over there today or tomorrow; just call before you come or check in at the nurses' station when you arrive. The doctors are monitoring him right now as they try and figure out what is going on. His wife, Sue, currently has pneumonia as well. Please keep them in your prayers or head on over for a brief visit if you can.
Terry Kampman
Terry, one of our long-time vocalists and member of our Waterloo worship team, has a mother who has been battling health problems for some time now. She has just been admitted into hospice. Terry thinks that this might be the time where her mother makes the transition from earth to heaven. As many of you already have, please keep praying for her and her family during this time.
Thanks all. More ministry specific information is coming your way tomorrow. But, for now, let's commit as a community to lifting up our brothers and sisters in prayer today.
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