Thank You

JoDee Martin and Mary Lee Butler prepared a special Appreciation Lunch today for our staff. They pulled out all the stops with cauliflower salad, party potatoes, creamed corn, sweet potato casserole, cherry pineapple jello, beef brisket, chicken with dried beef, and angel food cake.

With a spread of food like that, we all felt mighty appreciated! Thank you JoDee and Mary Lee for your labor of love. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the lunch.

Today was the official "goodbye" to DeaJo, our Youth Administrative Assistant. DeaJo has had to resign as she and Brad have moved to Oskaloosa. We gave her a card and a Best Buy certificate as a token of our appreciation. Thank you DeaJo for the many ways you have served our staff team, our youth ministry and our entire church family over the past three plus years. We will miss you.

Fall Fest

New Covenant was a buzz of activity tonight with our annual Fall Fest. There was plenty of good food, fun games, cool prizes, creative costumes, and cute kids to go around. Josh helped with the Eye of the Needle football toss and Jon helped with the Israelites Table Tennis - Smash Your Way Out of 40 Years of Despair ping pong game. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

I was reminded again tonight that New Covenant is a "family of growing disciples." There were parents, children, grandchildren and grandparents working and playing side by side. Middle schoolers and high schoolers were staffing the games. And people like Sharon and me got to just come and enjoy other peoples kids! And all in a safe, fun environment that seeks to honor God. Let's do it again next year!

Welcome to New Covenant

We had a nice Welcome Lunch today with about about 50-60 people in attendance. It was a smaller group than usual, but we still had eight new families. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our lunch.

A special "thank you" to our great Kitchen Team who prepared and served the meal. The room look great, the chili was delicious and the hospitality was warm. Welcome to New Covenant!

A Compelling Vision

We had a great Elder, Deacon and Equipping Staff Retreat this weekend. Gary Hoobler and I were unable to attend on Friday evening because of Senior Recognition so we drove down to East Iowa Bible Camp on our own this morning in time for breakfast! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our time.

Our fall Retreat is always something I look forward to. Fifteen different ministries shared their five year ministry plans and micro-visions. How exciting to peer into the future to get a glimpse of what the ministry of New Covenant might look like. This has become something we now do during each fall Retreat.

Being that it was five years ago that we gathered together to put together our first five year plan, I thought it was appropriate for me to read from Pastor Ray's macro-vision. This was something that he prepared in 2001, attempting to describe what our church would look like in 2006. It was awesome to reflect back on all that God has done during the past five years!

As an added bonus and surprise, Don Purdy recognized me for my 15 years of ministry at New Covenant. Where has all the time gone! I was presented with a card and financial gift. I was totally shocked! Thanks to each of the staff, Elders and Deacons who contributed to this generous gift.

It was a great Retreat - great worship, fellowship and time in the Word. This is an exciting time to be involved in the leadership of our church. What will the next five years hold? I'm not sure, but I certainly hope I'm still around to find out! I'm convinced that the best is yet to come and that we serve a God who is able. We have a fantastic leadership team, a clear Biblical mission, and a compelling vision.

Senior Night

My oh my, where has the time gone! Tonight was Senior Recognition between the sophomore and varsity football games. We enjoyed watching the Marching Lions one last time. As a fun twist, after the pre-game performance the band came out in Halloween costumes for the halftime program. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Josh and Jon, we're very proud of you! It's been a great marching season. Now it's on to Concert Band. The stars were out tonight - tonight was Senior Night.

My Father's Chair

We had a very powerful Men's Fraternity meeting this morning. Robert Lewis talked about Facing the Father Wound. The entire room was silent as Robert shared from the pain of his own journey and how he has found forgiveness and freedom. At the end of the session he read a poem called, My Father's Chair. He sat in his own father's chair on the platform as he read the poem. It was a powerful moment.

I knew that I had heard that poem before. I came back to my office (After taking Josh and Jon to school because a car broadsided them at C Ave and 74th. Thankfully, no one was hurt.) and found the author to the poem. David Meece wrote the lyrics and sang My Father's Chair on his Once In A Lifetime album that was released in 1992. We owned that CD and I always loved the lyrics to My Father's Chair.

Robert Lewis read the first two verses from that song:

Sometimes at night I'd lie awake
Longing inside for my father's embrace
Sometimes at night I'd wander downstairs
And pray he'd returned, but no one was there.
Oh, how I'd cry, a child all alone
Waiting for him to come home.
Chorus:My father's chair, sat in an empty room
My father's chair, covered with sheets of gloom
My father's chair through all the years
And all the tears I cried in vain
No one was there in my father's chair.

Sometimes at night I sit all alone
Drifting asleep in a chair of my own
When sweet sleepy eyes peer down from the hall
Frightened by dreams they cannot recall
I hold them close, calming their fears
Praying they always will say,
Chorus:My father's chair sits in a loving room
My father's chair, no matter what I do
My father's chair, through all the years
And all the tears I need not fear
Love's always there in my father's chair.

But David Meece also wrote a third verse. I especially like it because it talks about my Heavenly Father:

Sometimes at night I dream of a throne
Of my loving God, calling me home
And as I appear, He rises and smiles
And reaches with love to welcome His child
Never to cry, never to fear
In His arms, safe and secure.
Chorus:My Father's chair sits in a royal room
My Father's chair holds glory beyond the tomb
My Father's chair, my God is there
And I am His eternal heir
Someday I'll share my Father's chair.

Someday I will curl up in my Heavenly Father's arms to spend eternity with Him. But in the mean time, I'm thankful for my dad who was and is a great role model for me of what it means to be a man. And I'm thankful for Ryan, Jason, Josh and Jon and the incedible young men they are becoming. And I hope that my boys too can say that "love was always there in my father's chair."

Indoor Marching Band Classic

We enjoyed hearing over 1000 high school musicians tonight along with the Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band at the Indoor Marching Band Classic. Bands from Marion, Kennedy, Linn-Mar, Xavier, Prairie, Washington and Jefferson all performed their marching programs inside the warm, friendly confines of the US Cellular Center. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

The evening concluded with a fantastic performance by the University of Iowa Marching Band. Their drum line put on an incredible show. I now know what I want to do when I grow up - I want to play in the drum line! Pyrotechnics, fog, flaming batons, cheerleaders, and the color guard units all added to the excitement of the evening.

The evening concluded with over 1200 musicians performing American the Beautiful, complete with fireworks and streamers. It was a great evening to be indoors. It was a great evening to enjoy the 10th Annual Indoor Marching Band Classic.

The Free Prize Inside

This being Equipping Staff Appreciation Month, it's appropriate for me to say "Thanks!" to the people I enjoy working and serving with on a regular basis.

Seth Godin talks about the Free Prize Inside as the secondary benefit of a product or service that makes it remarkable. You probably remember the free prize inserted into every box of Cracker Jack. It wasn't the reason I bought the product, but it was the thing I looked forward to the most - finding out what free prize was at the bottom of my box of Cracker Jack. As a matter of fact, I think I still have the collection of small prizes stashed away somewhere in our storeroom in the basement!

So what's this have to do with our Equipping Staff Appreciation? Each of our staff have a "free prize," a unique, and remarkable characteristic that is an added secondary bonus. Here are some of the "free prizes" that I most appreciate about our staff. So here it goes, my Thanks for the Free Prize Inside Equipping Staff Appreciation post:

• Erin Bird - Erin is our "go to guy" when it comes to graphic design, layout, composition, design or anything visual. Thanks Erin for the part you do to help New Covenant "look good!"


• Mark Eades - Mark stops by my office almost every day to just say "Hi." Thanks Mark for cheering up my day!


• Mark Forstrom - Mark surprises me with a new "prize" on a regular basis. Thanks Mark for your creativity and your willingness to live a "one of a kind" life!


• Gary Hoobler - Gary loves to collaborate and work with the rest of our staff to accomplish our mission and vision. Thanks Gary for being so "fun" to work with!


• Tye Male - I love to watch and listen to Tye play his sax. Thanks Tye for sharing your gift and passion with the rest of our church!


• Colette Rieck - Colette handles every challenge and opportunity that comes her way with grace and joy. Thanks Colette for your ever-present smile and optimistic attitude.


• Pat Rieck - Pat loves adventure and trying new things - like missions trips, RAGBRAI, and hiking the Grand Canyon. Thanks Pat for sharing your enthusiasm for life!


• Mick Schultz - Mick is our staff "Jokester," always ready for some fun. Thanks Mick for that small "twinkle" in your eye, helping me to remember that laughter is good medicine for my soul!


• James Wartian - James is "Mr. Email," getting things in writing in order to clarify our communication. Thanks James for the way you help keep things moving forward!


• Bob Westall - Bob is the person we turn to when it comes to food recommendations. Thanks Bob for making meals memorable and for you and Leesa so graciously opening your home for staff events!


• John Shadle - John is our youth intern from Huntington University. John has done a great job of coming alongside Mark, Mark and our teens as a humble servant. Thanks John for investing into the lives of Josh and Jon!

What a great team! There's much more I could say, but this gives you a small snapshot of why I so enjoy serving at New Covenant. My life is enriched through my involvement with each of our equipping staff. How wonderful it is to serve together with people you respect and care for. Please join me in expressing your appreciation during the month of October to our equipping staff. Erin, Mark, Mark, Gary, Tye, Colette, Pat, Mick, James, Bob and John; thanks for sharing your "free prize!"

Good Coffee and Good Friends

Jason conducted a Partner's Favorites Coffee Seminar today at the Westdale Starbucks. Sharon and I took Rex and Marge Engelkemier and enjoyed tasting three different coffees, three pastries and two drinks. It was a culinary delight! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the event.

I'm not a coffee connoisseur, but I did enjoy the flavors of the different coffees. We tasted Kenya, Verona, and Ethiopia Sidamo along with lemon loaf, toffee almond bar, and chocolate chunk cookie pastries. We finished off the taste testing with a peppermint mocha and carmel latte. Jason did a great job! For a person who loves coffee, it was a great formula - good coffee enjoyed with good friends.

Commitment to Community

We had a great Membership Class this weekend. I always leave these times with a fresh commitment to living out our mission, vision and values. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our time together.

20 people attended the Friday night and Saturday morning sessions. I love the diversity of our fellowship. We had young and old, newly weds and seasoned marriage veterans, and new and mature believers. Each person's spiritual journey has brought them to New Covenant. Different stories but the same God. Different gifts and interests, but the same ministry. Different personalities but the same commitment to community.

Leadership Community ~ Getting Our Team On The Same Page

We had a great Leadership Community meeting this morning with over 110 people in attendance. It's great getting together with other leaders for vision casting and encouragement. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our time together.

Some of the hi-lights of the morning include:

• A great time of worship
• Welcoming new leaders
• Lightening Round reports from Pastor James on Perspectives, Pastor Mark Eades on See You At The Pole, Pastor Mick on SOAR, Pastor Erin on Campus Staff and Pastor Tye on Impact Groups
• Community Neighborhood News updates on our relocation, multi-site strategy and the new Agape ABF
• Steve Jenkins and Melinda Muller won books, compliments of Lemstone Christian Stores
• Pastor Gary taught us how to make a "Wave Offering" and led us in the wave
• We learned a second verse in our New Covenant Fight Song
• Pastor Bob gave us Leadership Lesson on the importance of knowing our Playbook and to run our five plays with wisdom

Our Leadership Community meetings are recorded for those who are unable to attend. And for those who are "tech savvy," we now offer Podcasting. Our next Leadership Community is scheduled for Saturday, November 11. Until next month, Go Team!

Nobody Does It Better

The Linn-Mar Band competed today at the State Marching Band Contest at Kingston Stadium. It was a beautiful day to be sitting in the stands! It's hard to believe that today was the last time we will have someone marching at Kingston. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the Lions performance.

Linn-Mar looked great and sounded even better today as they performed the music of James Bond. Because we were sitting up higher in the bleachers than usual, we finally realized that the band forms "007" during its last number! Very cool! I scored their performance a 001! In my humble opinion, nobody does it better!

Move That Bus ~ Part 2

The Sojourners Adult Bible Fellowship had their 2nd Annual Progressive Dinner tonight. We began with appetizers at the church, moved on the Krucher's for the main course and then finished with dessert at the House of Hope. We took the bus to each stop and enjoyed a great evening of food, conversation, laughter and fun. And of course, what would a social be without pictures! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our evening.

We had a great time together. Thanks Rick and Susan for hosting the dinner, and thanks Carla for hosting the dessert and a great tour. And thanks Charlie for chauffeuring our group around town. Let's do this again next year! Mr. bus driver, move that bus!

Jazz to the Max

What happens when you mix jazz music with the Imax Theatre? Give up? You get Jazz to the Max! Tye Male plays with the Iowa Vangard Jazz Collective and they perform at the Science Station from 7:30-9:30 PM on the first and third Thursdays of the month. But tonight they actually performed in the Imax Theatre. It was way cool! You can click on the above picture to see a slide show of the evening.

It was fun listening to and watching incredibly talented people who love what they do. They would have performed tonight even if no one attended! Admission is free, making it one of the best values in town! If you enjoy good music, then mark your calendar for the first and third Thursday of the month, and head downtown to the Science Station for Jazz to the Max!

The Unexpected

Last week during our Equipping Staff Meeting we did an exercise called "The Unexpected." I asked each staff member to take a piece of paper and write down all the things that happened, both personally and in ministry, during the last several months that were unexpected.

The concept is that the unexpected shakes us out of our preconceived notions, our assumptions, and our certainties. Things are constantly changing. Nothing really remains the same forever. The ideas that work for a season won't always work. And when we seem to least expect it, God breaks in and surprises us. So we need to be on the lookout for the unexpected - to identify, observe and learn from our unexpected successes and failures.

It was incredible sitting around the table at Mr. Beans, listening to all the unexpected blessings, challenges and opportunities that we had all encountered during the past few months. Family Night, Men's Fraternity, Starting Point, Quads and Pods, Junior High Team Groups, and Leadership Community were not even on our radar several months ago. We also experienced unexpected heart ache with funeral services, ministry challenges and difficult personal crisis.

But through all of this, God has been faithful. The unexpected is God's way of reminding us that our life and ministry are His, not ours. That we need to hold our plans with an open hand. And that life is an adventure of trust, not certainty.

Several days after completing the Unexpected exercise, I read Isaiah 64:3-4:
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

I'm convinced that we have yet to see what God can to do through the ministry of New Covenant Bible Church. The things He longs to do are beyond our imagination, hopes and dreams. I'm convinced that the best is yet to come. That God can be trusted to work all things out for the honor of His name. And that we can expect to experience the unexpected!

Prepare for Impact!

We had an exciting morning today with small group Hosts stopping by to get their assignments and materials. Today is the last day to sign up to participate in an Impact Group as well as to complete Host Orientation. So there was a lot of activity in the lobby around the Impact table! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the morning.

Our Small Group Team with Tye Male, Dave Sanders, Susan Krucher, Pat Rieck, James Wartian, and Erin Bird have done a great job in preparing and equipping our church for our Impact Series. We have over 60 small groups participating. And I see that even Bernice plans to participate in a small group. A special thanks to Tye for his leadership with the team and for organizing a multitude of details.

It's been an exciting day. It's exciting to think about how God will use these groups in the lives of people. Let's prepare for Impact!