Going In Style

Today was Administrative Professionals Day so we treated our support staff to a special lunch. They gathered in the lobby at 11:30 to receive their first clue. Their capable chauffeur, Mark Eades, drove our special guests from location to location, where they received additional clues before arriving at their final destination, the Marriott.

They enjoyed a great buffet lunch and time together. I think we accomplished our goal of making the day memorable and meaningful. You can click on the photo above to see a short slideshow.

We appreciate our support staff! They make our jobs and ministries so much easier. A special thanks to Peggy Eichenberger, Brenda Gadd, Judy Greeb, Gina Green, Lisa Harrington, Sara Howard, Terri Hungerford, Gina Kaufman, Jane Kelley, JoDee Martin, Mary Nelson, Jen Olsen, Sharon Pagel, Kris Paulson, Debbie Riffner, Donna Smejkal, and Angie Wacker.

30-Day Challenge

Our 30-Day Challenge begins today. I'm so excited about the journey that God has for us over the next five weeks. We are encouraging each person in our church family to spend daily time along with God through the disciplines of Bible reading, prayer and journaling. The Reading Journal section of your Journey Guide has one page a day for you to use for this purpose.

I invite you to pick up a Journey Guide if you have not already done so, and join me on the 30-Day Challenge. You can also go to the 30-Day Challenge blog to read the daily devotional and/or comment on what you are learning. You can also subscribe to the daily e-mail devotional by going to this page and following the instructions.

Ask God to speak to you as you spend time with Him. I invite you to accept the 30-Day Challenge. Share what you are learning with your small group or leave a comment on the blog. These are exciting days in the life of our church. Ask God to show you want He wants to do through you to accomplish His will for our church.

See you on the journey!

Let the Journey Begin

Sunday was an incredible day! Information Sunday, journey guides, and Impact Groups created a buzz in the lobbies at both our 46th Street and Wash campuses. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the day.

Pastor Bob along with Mark Johnson, Ed Luebe, and John Maurice presented how we arrived at the decision to relocate. In 2003 our Building Committee recommended that we not further grow on our current site, but seek out other alternatives. We brought in church consultant Bob Gilliam a month later to do a comprehensive facility analysis. At the end of the consultation, all of our elders, deacons and equipping staff unanimously selected the relocation option.

In 2004 our Elders voted to relocate. A Property Acquisition Team began to look at potential properties. Then in May 2005 our church family voted 204-2 to purchase 55 acres on North Center Point Road in Robins.

It has been an exciting journey that brings us right up to this point. And now we are embarking on our Embracing Faith capital stewardship campaign in order to raise $10 million dollars! This is a God-sized vision and will require God-sized resources.

Yesterday, Pastor Bob asked everyone member and attender to begin a spiritual journey, asking: "God, what do you want to do through me to accomplish your will for New Covenant Bible Church?" The answers to that prayer will begin to unfold over the next two months.

We handed out Journey Guides at the end of the services to assist each person on their spiritual journey. And this Sunday was the last day to sign up to participate in an Impact Group during the Embracing Faith series.

Let me encourage you to ask God what part He wants you to play. Inform yourself and then begin to pray. Grapple with what sacrifice means to you. Ask God to lead and guide you as you seek to make not just a financial decision, but a spiritual decision. Let the journey begin!

Enough

We had a great Membership Weekend with 39 people attending. It's so much fun sharing New Covenant's history, mission, vision and values with this group of people. You can click on the picture above to see photos of all who attended.

What an incredible experience to read through all their testimonies. Journeys through broken marriages, profound loneliness, addiction, purposelessness, loss of a spouse, despair, fear, and shattered dreams. And in the middle of their brokenness, finding Jesus Christ to be enough.

Over the course of the weekend, we ask each prospective member to make three commitments - commitment to Christ, to community and to contribute. When I asked for a show of hands regarding how many people are already part of an Adult Bible Fellowship or small group, almost every hand in the room went up! And many are already serving in some capacity. Many others filled out a ministry brochure as a first step in finding a place to serve.

It's a joy to be able to serve here at New Covenant. God is doing a work in the lives of people. He is transforming broken lives and making them whole. He is building His church. We have the privilege of getting to co-labor with Him. He is enough!

Our Joy

Our Washington High School Campus launched last Sunday. The morning was full of excitement, exceeding my expectations! There were 198 in attendance in the auditorium with about 35 additional children in the nursery or children's church. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the morning.

It was amazing to see how crowed the hallway felt after the service as people spend time talking and interacting with one another. The entire morning had a distinctive "New Covenant" feel. It was especially exciting to see how many visitors attended. When Pastor Tye asked how many came as a result of receiving our mailing, 20-25 people raised their hands!

The service was God-honoring, the hospitality team members were warm and friendly, the environment and decor was attractive, the children's ministry team members were enthusiastic and the set-up/custodial team members were serving behind the scenes. A special "thank you" to everyone who prayed, planned, assisted or served in any way.

This whole journey of launching a second campus has been a large step of faith. The process has been similar to giving birth to a child. And just like the prospective parent, we too have experienced a whole range of emotions - fear, wonder, excitement and anxiety. But on Sunday, we experienced the joy of seeing a God-thing being birthed. The idea of a Wash Campus moved from a vision to a vivid reality.

It's our prayer that God will use this campus to help many become passionate followers of Jesus Christ. This is our prayer. This is our joy!

Time to Celebrate!

We had our Celebrate gathering this evening. The purpose was to praise God for changed lives. I would say the evening lived up to it's name! It was awesome spending time worship God together with over 700 others. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Galyn Peterson, one of our charter members, shared what New Covenant has meant to him and his family. Bob asked those who have been impacted in some way by Galyn and Ruth to stand. It was awesome seeing all the lives these two faithful servants have touched over the years.

Jordan Koskamp and Brandon Zeadow shared how Brandon came to Christ this winter. What an awesome story of God's grace and timing. Jordan had prayed and shared with Brandon for years. And then one evening, Brandon attended our Impact Group during the Why series. Three days later he attended The Navs meeting at UNI. That night, Brandon and Jon talked for several hours and Brandon prayed to cross the line of faith! Brandon has been coming back to Cedar Rapids almost every weekend to attend our Impact Group and to worship at New Covenant! It's been so fun watching Brandon grow in his faith.

And I loved hearing Andy and Terri Schifflet share about what New Covenant has meant in their spiritual life. Melissa Spicer shared how God used Starting Point, Watershed, the WOW Adult Bible Fellowship and her relationship wirh Terri to change her life.

Bob commissioned all those who are planning to attend or volunteer at our Washington Campus. It was very moving seeing people standing all over the room, expressing their intent to serve God's purposes at our second campus. God is certainly doing a new thing at New Covenant.

It was quite an evening. It was good being together as family. It was good to take time to celebrate!

From Vision To Reality

Yesterday was the Open House for our Washington High School campus. Wow, what an exciting morning! I was helping greet at one of the doors and people just kept coming.

After months of prayer and planing, our Wash Campus has become a reality! I have to admit, it felt a little strange greeting people with, "Welcome to New Covenant!"

But New Covenant it was. Thanks to our tremendous volunteers, Wash was transformed into a warm, inviting place of worship. Over 160 people came to check out our new campus. It was a pretty exciting morning! You can click on the photo above to see a slideshow.

Today, over 7300 postcards were mailed out to homes around Washington High School. This Sunday is our official public Grand Opening. Pray for those who receive the mailing and that hearts would be prepared to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

A special "thank you" to our Launch Team and all those who are involved in making this dream become a reality. May God be glorified as we work together to bring New Covenant to the Wash neighborhood.

You Won't Be Disappointed

I know I don't use my blog much to promote books or to give book reports. Which is strange, because I read so much. Favorites from 2007 include:

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
• Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
• Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples
• The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
• A Leader's Legacy

I just finished a book this morning that I want to talk about. It was the best book I have ever read! It has everything - romance, intrigue, mystery and instruction. I just love movies and books that speak to my heart, yet also make me think. This book pulls off both! Some days I found myself not being able to put it down. As a matter of fact, it's so good, I've read it through over 10-15 times. And the amazing thing, it just keeps getting better and better!

By now, most of you probably know I'm referring to the Bible. For reading, I like to use the One Year Bible NIV.It's laid out with daily Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms or Proverbs readings. I love setting down with my Bible and a cup of coffee, spending time with God, allowing Him to speak to me through His Word.

And this morning, while enjoying my cup of Starbucks Christmas Blend, I finished reading through the Bible. What a thrill reading about the wall being finished around Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah, the new heaven and new earth (the new Jerusalem) being prepared for us in the book of Revelation and an awesome song of praise in the book of Psalms.

Here are the last verses in the last chapters from the books of Nehemiah, Revelation and Psalms.

Remember me with favor, O my God. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Let me encourage you to begin a consistent Bible reading program if you don't have one. Start with reading through the Gospels or the New Testament. Reading through the entire Bible takes about 10-15 minutes a day. Most people spend more time than that reading the newspaper or watching TV. Start small, experience some success and then keep going!

Allow God to speak to you through His Word. This is a book I recommend to you without reservation. The characters are real, the plot is awesome, and the ending is unbelievable! You won't be disappointed!

Top Ten List

So, here we are, the end of the year. It hardly seems possible that 2007 is coming to a close. But for you, my faithful blog readers, the end of the year means it's time for me to announce my Top Ten 2007 blog posts!

I had more difficulty this year narrowing the list down to ten, so I developed two Top Ten lists. A bit unusual, I know. Just look at it this way, you are getting twice your moneys worth!

In reviewing the past year, I realize how many of my posts were inspired by people who acted out of courage and faith. People of character and conviction who overcame great obstacles in order to achieve heroic results. In honor of these men and women of courage, I dedicate the first list to my Top Ten Inspirational People (in no particular order).
10. Claim to Fame
9. Amazing Grace
8. Character Not Color
7. Oh Happy Day and No. 42
6. Time to Take A Stand
5. Don't Pass Him By
4. Just A Midwest Boy From Iowa
3. Living and Dying For Jesus
2. Pura Vida
1. 26.2

My next Top Ten list is a more traditional mixture of posts about a variety of subjects. Many times when I start to write a blog post, I don't know exactly what I want to say. Sometimes in the process of writing, I discover a story that needs to come out ... a deeply held belief that needs to be expressed ... or a fleeting thought that needs to be further developed. These posts often become my favorite.

Without further ado, I present to you my Top Ten Favorite blog posts for the year (in no particular order).
10. Your Are Only As Old As You Think You Are
9. Step Up To The Plate
8. Generation Me
7. What Can I Do To Make It Right For You?
6. The Joy of Life
5. It's A Small World After All
4. Willing To Risk Death Daily
3. Servant and Leader
2. Proclaim Liberty Throughout The Land
1. The Smart Thing To Do

And because it's my blog and I can do anything I want to, I'm going to give you four bonus posts.
4. Looking Backwards, Moving Forward
3. A Rich Legacy
2. Less Is More
1. For The Love of The Game

So there you have it, my top 24. What were your favorite posts from 2007? Leave a comment to let me know.

If you've read this far, you have way too much time on your hands! Begin your own blog, tell your own stories, and write about the things that stir your soul. Make 2008 a year to remember!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

Christmas Lights

Now, it's time for some Christmas lights. Click on the picture above to see a very interesting Flickr slide show of some creative Christmas light displays! Enjoy.

The 12 Days of Christmas

It's time for some Christmas music. Sit back, relax and enjoy this version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Last year, Josh and a group of Linn-Mar guys performed a similar arrangement at the Get In The Spirit concert. These guys are good!

Winner Announced

And the winner of the Name That Book contest is ........ Tye Male! Tye was the first person to identify the quote as coming from the book of Zechariah by posting the correct answer on my blog. Retha Gordon emailed me the correct book and Chris Leonard answered correctly by posting on my Facebook page. You are all winners!

This evening, I presented Tye with his grand prize - a hand decorated, Christmas cookie. Thank you to all who played the game!

Christmas Cookie Art

We had our annual Christmas cookie decorating party this afternoon. I must say, Erin's creativity has raised the bar regarding the quality of our decorating efforts! In my humble opinion, everyone did their best work this year, turning out some remarkable pieces of art. The cookies almost look too good to eat!

You can click on the picture above to see more Christmas cookie art. Jon is holding "Work Out Brenda!" You would need to have been here to understand! Our cookie decorating provided several hours of fun and laughter. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Name That Book

I was reading in my Bible this morning and came across several familiar passages, but I'm not sure I would have remembered which book of the Bible they were from. Here they are:

Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king come to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter" - the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.

So, how about you? Do you know what book of the Bible these two quotes are from? You can't use a concordance, online or PDA Bible or other helps. You can use one lifeline by asking a friend. No other help.

The first person who gets the correct answer gets a special gift! You're on the clock - name that book!

Honesty

Lance Greco sent me a link to a ESPN article today titled, Santangelo admits HGH use, says he'll 'face the music'. In my blog yesterday, Let the Games Begin, I mentioned that I'm waiting for just one baseball player to step forward to take personal responsibility for his HGH use.

Well, the wait is over. F.P. Santangelo, a seven year veteran who last played with the Oakland A's, was one of the players named in the Mitchell Report. Santangelo now works for Sacramento's KHTK Radio as a member of, "The Rise Guys" morning show. This morning he came on the air and admitted that he had used HGH. Here are some of the quotes from the MLB article.

In an emotional two-hour radio appearance, the seven-year major league veteran, who last played with the Oakland A's in 2001, confessed to using human growth hormone, explained how and why he did it and publicly apologized to his two kids, his ex-wife, his parents and listeners. He talked about the difficulty he had in explaining it all to his children.

Santangelo's honesty, his candor and his willingness to accept responsibility for what he had done touched some listeners and infuriated others. Opinions ranged from, "You're a liar," "You should resign," and "What should I tell my kid?" to "You don't owe anyone an apology," "I commend you for telling the truth," and "Keep your head up." Santangelo absorbed it all, telling listeners, "I made this bed and now I have to lie in it."

Friday, Santangelo described the release of the Mitchell report as a "relief," telling ESPN.com it was something he had wanted to "scream from the top of a mountain" for some time now, but fear of litigation kept him from doing so.

"This is just me," he said. "I hit things head-on. I'm honest to a fault. I never run away from anything. Once I knew this was coming out, I wasn't going to hide from it."

As difficult as it was to listen to critical phone calls, Santangelo said the hardest part was sitting down with his kids a month ago to explain to them about the decision he'd made. When a caller asked what he should tell his 10-year-old son about Santangelo's inclusion in the report, the former major leaguer instructed him to tell him the exact same thing he told F.P. Jr. "I told him, 'You make mistakes. If you make the right decision in the first place, you won't have to go through what I have. But if you do make a wrong decision, you handle it head-on, with humility and you move on.' "My kids are learning a very good life lesson right now. Their Dad screwed up but he faced the music and is dealing with it head-on."

At the end of his two-hour radio stint, Santangelo again apologized to his friends, his family and his listeners. He again took accountability for his actions and admitted he made a horrible mistake and that everyone's criticism was warranted.

Kudos to Santangelo for being a stand up guy. He's admitted his error and is taking responsibility for his decisions. Admission of guilt is always the first step toward recovery and healing. Santangelo has discovered the peace of mind that comes with honesty.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but however confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Let The Games Begin

The Mitchell Report was released today. In case you haven't been following the HGH scandal in baseball, former Senator George Mitchell was selected in March 2006 to head an independent probe into the drug scandal in baseball.

Many of the names released today were not new. BALCO had already linked Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield. But other names like Clemens and Pettit were surprises. The new report linked more than 50 players to performance-enhancing drugs who had not been previously associated with doping.

"Every American, not just baseball fans, ought to be shocked by that disturbing truth," Mitchell said. Baseball started testing for steroids in 2002 leading to the "growth" (no pun intended) in Human Growth Hormone use. Unlike steroids, HGH is not detectable through urine testing.

Mitchell said former baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent told him the problem was possibly "the most serious challenge that baseball has faced since the 1919 Black Sox scandal" - when Chicago White Sox players conspired with gamblers to affect the outcome of the World Series championship.

"By and large, the conduct of the players' association was a disgrace and an outrage," Dick Pound, chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency told Reuters. The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, said: "It is a sad, sad day for the national pastime and all who love America. All involved should be ashamed."

Disgrace, outrage, shame, crisis of integrity - all serious challenges to the game of baseball. And how will the players and their association respond to these serious charges? Just watch. There will be blame shifting, finger pointing, excuses and explanations galore. Here are just a few we might hear:

• My agent made me do it.
• I didn't know it was illegal.
• I thougth it was clear cream.
• My mom recommended it to me.
• All my teammates were doing it.
• I've never heard of HGH.
• I used it but didn't inhale.

I'm eagerly waiting for one player, just one player, to step forward and take responsibility for his own actions. I'm waiting for just one person to say, "I used HGH and it was wrong. I made a mistake and I'm sorry. I've been a poor role model. I appeal to young people who look up to me to not make the same mistake that I made. HGH and steroids are very dangerous. I'm sincerely sorry for what I have done. I will use the rest of my career to repair the damage I have helped to cause and hope to regain your trust."

I'm waiting, but I'm not too hopeful. Baseball has ceased to be a sport and has become just another form of entertainment. The bottom line is the dollar. Decisions are made by whatever it takes to put people in the stands. Baseball has become just another game. The word "integrity" and baseball no longer belong in the same sentence. Baseball more closely resembles WWF (it's now officially called the World Wrestling Entertainment) or Roller Derby.

Here is how Wikipedia describes professional wrestling - a simulated sport and performing art which combines wrestling with theater. Baseball might want to take notice. That's not a bad definition. Professional Baseball - a simulated sport and performing art which combines baseball with theater.

Maybe there's a reason that major league baseball is referred to as The Show. Maybe baseball never was a sport. Maybe it was always about entertainment. Who really cares if their favorite actor or artist is using HGH or steroids? It's all about the latest song or movie.

So, if you're looking for some good entertainment this week, watch as baseball players run for cover, dodge accusations and parse verbs. It's all part of the script. It's good theater. Let the games begin!

Heart Cry of the Broken Hearted

New Covenant once again hosted the Children's Candle Light Memorial Service. You can read about last years service here. The service is a very sacred time as the families come forward to light a candle in remembrance of their loved ones.

A special thanks to Dennis Sharp who organizes this special service. A Gazette reporter attended this years event. You can read the Gazette article online here.

I'm thankful that we have a God who entered into our pain and suffering. He knows what it's like to loose a beloved son. He knows the heart cry of the broken hearted.

Prepare For Launch

The days of prayer, planning and anticipation are just about over! Tomorrow morning we do our first "soft launch" at our Washington High School site. We are doing soft launches on December 2, 9 and 16. Then on Sunday, January 6 we are having an "open house" for our New Covenant church family in preparation for our Grand Opening service on January 13. On Sunday, January 13 we will officially become "one church at two locations!"

This morning the Launch Team met to discuss details, go over the schedule for tomorrow morning, to pray and then pack the trailer. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the morning. Launching in the winter presents some special challenges and we had to deal with the sleet and ice this morning. Hopefully this nasty weather mix will move through tonight so we can unload and load in better conditions tomorrow.

There will be a lot of details to work out over the next three weeks. The purpose of our "soft launch" Sundays is to give us practice and experience with the equipment and set up/tear down process so that we are ready for guests on January 13. Our goal is to create space for those who are not yet here, who need to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

We are still looking for people who would like to serve at our Wash Campus. Stop by the table in the lobby on Sundays to sign up. Or you can email Lisa Harrington to let her know you would like to help.

Tomorrow is a big day! We are stepping out in faith and launching a second campus. We are trusting God for big things. Prepare for launch!

Christmas Variety Show

We traveled to the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls last evening to attend the UNI Men's Glee Club Christmas Variety Show. The performance was 2 1/2 hours of inspiration, entertainment and laughter. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Believe, In The Sanctuary, Lux Aurumque, and Gloria were vocal favorites. And A Glee Club Christmas Carol and Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairies were show stoppers! Sharon and I especially enjoyed the show as Josh, David Hoobler and Ben Wohlers all sing in the Glee Club.

It was a great evening of entertainment. It was a great way to begin the Christmas season. Kudos to Dr. Barrett and all those who performed!