Servant Leaders

We had a great Deacon Meeting last night. Dave Sanders had the devotional. He titled it, Top Ten Things You Should Never Hear A Servant Leader Say. I thought you would enjoy this!

1o. Enough about you. Let's talk about me!
9. That's not my job. We have others who do that.
8. That's not my gift.
7. That was really my idea.
6. I'd like to, but that's the night I sort my socks.
5. I'll see your 30 years of service and raise you two.
4. It's not worth the effort. No one will notice anyway.
3. I don't know them, so I don't need to smile or even say hi.
2. Sorry, I'm saving this seat for a friend.
1. Hurry honey! We have to get their early to get a good parking space.

Thanks Dave! And thanks for being such a great example of servant leadership! But I have one more statement that you need to add to your list. Here is the eleventh thing you should never hear a servant leader say: "I don't know. I'm only a deacon!"

Renewed

Saturday concluded with concerts by David Phelps, Barlow Girl and Newsboys. I was impressed by all the bands desire to not only perform but to minister to people. You can see a slide show here.

All the bands did a great job but Newsboys were incredible. I'm not a big concert kind of guy, but this was different. Michael Tait demonstrated a humble heart for God and for the people of Cedar Rapids. They came to serve our community and that humility permeated the concert.

Keith Cook shared the gospel and asked for a show of hands after leading in a salvation prayer. There were a number of people near me who raised their hands. I met with two families to talk and record their information. Both families attend a catholic church. I plan to call the two men this week to see if they would be interested to meet for coffee to discuss the concert and the decision they made. Pray for me as I make these phone calls.

I don't know what the outcome of the concert will be. I do know that God used it to touch the hearts of many people Saturday night. We will continue to pray for open hearts and open doors for the gospel here in Cedar Rapids. And that God would continue to see fit to use New Covenant and Serve the City to accomplish His purpose in our city.

Saturday night Sharon and I walked several blocks to our car after a long day at the sports complex. We were both tired, but it was a good tired. Saturday night we returned home with a new sense of excitement about what God is doing in our city. We returned home strengthened and renewed.

Inspired

Sharon and I were assigned as Friends in the Sports Zone on Saturday afternoon. The Sports Zone was right next to the Family Fun Zone in the hockey arena. It was a perfect venue for the events.

I didn't know what to expect. I had seen Tanya Crevier at the FCA banquet a year ago. But I didn't really know much about Untitled Skateboards or the Strength Team. I came curious but I left inspired! You can see a slide show of the events here.

I was inspired by Tanya Crevier's passion! She is well into her 60's yet she exudes energy and enthusiasm. When I'm in my 60's I hope I have as much passion for life and sharing the love of Jesus as Tanya has! She's on incredible lady! She even taught Mr. Shucks some ball handling skills!

I was inspired by Untitled Skateboard's sincere love for Christ and their sport. Nothing fancy. Just three young men who obviously love skateboarding, love Jesus and who want to make a difference. They persevered through narly wipeouts, got back up and tried the same trick again. Wow! I would love to have just a portion of their perseverance.

I was inspired by the Stength Team's commitment to hard work. All of their feats of strength are accomplished without steroids or other substances. One member shared how he found his identity and acceptance in Christ after pursuing body building, drug addiction and steroid use.

The testimonies were impactful and the feats of skill and strength were awesome! At one point, the Strength Team said, young people don't try this at home. What the heck! Old people shouldn't be attempting this stuff either! And Keith Cook did a great job of sharing the gospel and pointing people to Jesus.

I won't be picking up skateboarding or juggling anytime soon. But I did leave inspired to live my life with passion and purpose. To use what God's given to me to impact others. To work at and practice my craft. And to find my strength and sufficiency in Jesus Christ. I left inspired!

Awe

As I reflect on the Noelridge BBQ on Friday evening, the word that comes to mind is Awe! I'm in awe as think about what God did. You can click on this link to see a slideshow of the event.

The concept was simple enough. Put on a BBQ, invite the neighbors, and build relationships. New Covenant teamed up with Eastview Christian to plan the Noelridge event. It was great working with Pastor Bill Holley and his team. James Wartian was the New Covenant point person and I was his helper!

We reserved the shelter at Noelridge Park just in case it rained. That was a good move! Eastview planned out the kids games, we put in our food order, went to 1300 homes with door hangers inviting them to the gathering, recruited volunteers, hung door hangers again the week of the BBQ, prayed and then waited.

This all seems simple enough, right? Yes, except it's never been done before in this neighborhood. Would anyone come simply because they got a door hanger? What would we do with 500 hamburgers, 200 hot dogs, 27 large bags of chips, 560 bottles of water and cans of pop if nobody came? I have to admit, there were times that I began to have some doubts!

Like on Friday morning when I woke up, went to the weather radar and saw the huge storm front coming our way. I followed it all day, and it wasn't going to miss us. And sure enough, at 6:00 PM, right as we began to serve, I felt the first sprinkle!

We began to make contingency plans. We moved the serving tables inside. We got the New Covenant umbrellas out and I began to wonder what we would do with all the extra food. Bummer!

And then God showed up. He had actually been a part of this all along. There's no other way you can explain what began to happen next. I stood in awe as He began to work in spite of the weather and my lack of faith.

I was in awe as:

1. I watched people begin to stream into Noelridge Park. The parking lot soon filled up and we sent a parking team out to direct people up to the Noelridge Pool parking lot! We filled up half the pool lot!
2. I watched people walking in the rain from the parking lot to the pavilion. Soon the pavilion completely filled up. Yet people continued to arrive. At one point, the line was 50 feet long out the door as people stood in the rain waiting to get their food!
3. I watched our people serve with grace, patience and joy! It was so much fun. I met some people for the first time from New Covenant. And we made some new friends with the folks from Eastview!
4. I watched Pastor Mark Eades and his team make and serve 250 snow cones to those who were standing in line for food! It brought a bit fun and enjoyment to what could have been a discouraging wait!
5. Bob Dye, Pastor Bob and our cooking team grilled up 500 hamburgers and 200 hot dogs! Bob Dye called earlier in the week and offered to bring the Youth For Christ chuck wagon to help with the grilling. We couldn't have done it without the chuck wagon. It even had an awning that kept the cooks dry!
6. I watched all the food we brought being served! Earlier in the day I was making plans on what to do with leftovers, and now I was worried about running out! But that didn't happen. We had enough for everyone, with a few hamburger patties left over. We used 650 paper plates and we probably served around that many people!
7. I met people from the neighborhood who showed up to eat. One woman and her three children were driving by, saw our sign that advertised Free BBQ and stopped to eat. They were early but waited 30 minutes and were one of the first through the line!
8. People asked me who sponsored the picnic. One person wanted to give a donation. Others stopped to introduce themselves and say thanks before they left!
9. As I talked to a woman from the Noelridge Neighborhood Association. She said they struggle to get ten people out to their meetings. And then she commented, as she pointed the people standing in the rain, "Look at this!"

Make no mistake, Friday night was a God thing. And it wasn't just at Noelridge. The same thing happened at some of the other venues around the city!

Friday night the rain showed up just as predicted. But something unusual also happened on that soggy summer evening. God showed up, and that changed everything!

Friday night I witnessed a miracle. To some, it may have looked strangely like a picnic, albeit a wet one. But to me, I was standing on holy ground in the presence of a mighty God. The Spirit of God was in that place and we served with a sense of awe!

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." Luke 5:26

Healing the Heartland

What an incredible weekend! By all accounts, the Healing the Heartland Festival was a huge success! 38 churches and 8 ministries worked together to share Christ with our city. It's an awesome thing watching the body of Christ come together for a joint mission. I will make several blog posts about some of my thoughts about the weekend.

We started out with the ten Neighborhood BBQs held throughout the city. New Covenant assisted with the gatherings at Noelridge, Palo and Robins. Saturday afternoon focused on the Children's Fun Zone and the Sports Zone. Saturday evening featured concerts by David Phelps, Barlow Girl and Newsboys. Sunday evening was Family Faith Day at the Kernels with our own Big Band playing on the concourse before the game!

A special thanks to all who served at one of the venues! The gospel was shared several times throughout the day on Saturday and many indicated that they prayed to place their trust in Jesus Christ. Now the work of follow up begins.

Healing the Heartland is over, but prayer, care and share continues. These are exciting days! We have unprecedented opportunities to demonstrate and communicate the love of Jesus Christ with our community. Might people know the hope and healing the comes through Jesus Christ.