Sunday, December 28, 2008

What a Wonderful Christmas!

I hope that you enjoyed your Christmas holidays. I know I did. So many good things have happened. Our Christmas Eve service was the best ever, and we owe a great thank you to Becky Dunn for coordinating that for us. We also need to thank Becky and my wife, MaryAnne, and Sara Foster for putting up our Christmas decorations as well.

Today, I combine two of our texts from Acts into one sermon. I did this because I really wanted to do a New Year's sermon this coming Sunday. It will be an important message on the future of Crossroads Christian Church. We will talk about the challenges and the opportunities that face us as a congregation in 2009.

My wife and I want to thank all of you for the gifts, the bonus, the cards, and for your presence at our Christmas open house. We love all of you very much and feel honored and blessed to serve this congregation. Even with the recent "rough patch", we are more convinced than ever both that God has us where HE wants us and we are doing his Will serving at Crossroads.

I want to extend a invitation to all of you who do not have plans for New Year's eve to come to the party at the church. It is tremendous fun and we enjoy good Christian fellowship. We share in a variety of activities and well as in snacks. You would not believe how much fun a group of believers can have. Not only that, it is a great time to invite your friends and family. They will be amazed that Christians can have such a good time.

Mike

Friday, December 12, 2008

Christmas Time!

I love the holidays for many reasons. The opportunity to get together with friends and family is always welcome. As Christian, I especially appreciate the body of Christ at this time of year. The open house we have is just one small way of showing that appreciation. I want to thank everyone who came to our home to celebrate with us. My wife and I want you to know how much you are loved.

Being over fifty (50) years old, I have seen a lot of Christmas seasons come and go. Growing up in home with five other kids, Christmas time was a great deal different than it is today. As a child, we did not get lots of presents because my father was not a wealthy man. He was, for most of his life, a laborer. He would work as much overtime as was available, and even work second jobs to pay the regular monthly bills. But at Christmas time, we got to pick one toy we wanted Santa to bring us for Christmas.

Yes, I must confess, I was one of the children who were so deceived by my parents. I believed that there really was a Santa Claus. I also believed that he sent my mother and father a catalog of the toys his elves were making this year. This is probably why I love that movie, "A Christmas Story" so much. It reminds me in many ways of what Christmas was like growing up. I also wanted a "BB gun" for Christmas (which I did, in fact, get).

This Christmas season is different in many ways. With the economy in serious trouble, some families are facing difficult times. Everyone is concerned that things may get worse before they get better. In many ways, it is comparable to the very first Christmas, when Christ was born. The Jewish community, under the Romans, was facing difficult times as well. They were ready for the Messiah to come and deliver them from their oppressors.

Ironically, the Gift that God gave them; Jesus, was not really the gift they were seeking after. Then, as now, people were wrapped up in the materialism of this life. While we all need money to provide for ourselves and our families, money does not really meet our deepest needs. Without a personal daily relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, no amount of money, no job or career, and no single possession, regardless how costly can obtain salvation for us. Our security, as Christians, rests solely on the sovereignty of God, not the next paycheck or government bailout.

I think that going through a Christmas season with a limited ability to give material gifts might help each us to really focus on the kind of Christmas gifts people really need, the kind money cannot buy. Things like grace, peace, and love cannot be bought. They are given when we willing try to be "like Jesus" our Lord, and forgive others. They are given when we are humble enough to accept others as Christ accepted us, unconditionally. They are given when we are open to being connected to God and to others in the body of Christ in genuine relationships.

My prayer for you and your family is that God blesses you in ways that are lasting this Christmas. That after the wrapping paper is in the trash, and the batteries are all installed, you will discover that God has given you a greater faith in His control over your life and your family. I hope the greatest gift you receive is far more than the one you want, but is really the one that meets your needs.

Merry Christmas!
Mike

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Fulfilling Our Vision

The vision of Crossroads Christian Church is to become a place where people experience transforming grace in genuine community. That is a tremendous, God-honoring, and Christ exalting vision. It is a vision that I hope we ALL are committed to fulfilling.

Since we cast that new vision at our ReUnited service, some people have come forward to express concerns about our current situation as a congregation. A few have decided to seek fellowship and worship else where, even one from our own leadership team. While this saddens me, what grieves me the most is that sometimes there is a sense of gladness with some people about some of those that have chosen to leave.

Let me make myself perfectly clear on this matter. We should NEVER take pleasure in the loss of a single individual from our church for less than positive reasons. When people leave our congregation for such reasons, we need to see it as our failure to fulfill our vision. You and I failed to motivate them to be "transformed" by God's grace and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. We must work even harder to become that place of transforming grace.

I will grant you that they also bear responsibility for their failure to be transformed. Some people are unwilling to accept the accountability and authenticity that comes from living in genuine community with other believers. This does not make their leaving a good thing however, because we lose the opportunity to minister to them and for them to be used of God here. We need to pray earnestly that God directs them to another congregation that will help them to grow in Christ.

The challenge that remains for us is that we need to be focused on the mission and vision that God has given us as a congregation. God is blessing our church! Each and every week we are seeing new faces in the congregation. While I know that our single worship service is not meeting everyone's needs perfectly, I can clearly see a commitment to work together to make it better and better every week. If you are not experiencing God in the worship service, you are simply not looking for HIM.

In closing, I need to mention our financial situation. Since the beginning of the fiscal year (September), our offerings have been running at only 75% of the budget. With over 80% of our budget being made up by fixed expenses (mortgage, salaries, insurance, etc), that does not leave any funds for actual ministry programing. This trend cannot continue without serious consequences. The leadership team is already considering options to deal with this situation, but the fact remains we need everyone's consistent financial support.

I know some of you have lost your jobs and others are still looking for jobs. Others are being squeezed financially, and most of us are concerned about the economy. We cannot forget however that GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. He has promised to bless us in proportion to how much we are willing to give. We need to understand that our tithe is anchor of financial strength. When we are faithful to God, HE is faithful to us.

God Bless!
Mike

Monday, November 3, 2008

ReUnited Service

I wanted to rewrite this post last night but I was just too exhausted. I cannot imagine God doing more than what HE did yesterday in our first service of the new single service format. God used everyone involved in a very special way. I want thank Guy and Archie for being willing to share their thoughts with the congregation. Their words came straight from the heart and were a tremendous blessing to all. It is good to be reminded of the lives our congregation has touched.

This was an especially important service for us because the devil has been working overtime trying to bring a negative and divisive spirit into our fellowship. This is why I decide to have a prayer breakfast for the men of the church on Saturday. What a fabulous time we had together. Men encouraging other men. Honest and transparent sharing of our struggles and joys. It was such a blessing, we are going to another one on Saturday, December 6th at 8am.

For those of you who missed the service, I can only say, I warned you. Our theme of reunited was woven throughout the service. We asked our people, not only to be reunited in one worship service, but also in our mission and new vision statement. We closed the service with an initiation to demonstrate their support by signing one of two large posters of mission and vision statements. We will have these available for everyone to sign for next couple of weeks before we laminate them for mounting in the church.

What I love most about our vision statement is that it expands on our tagline "experience community". Our vision is to be a place with people experience transforming grace in genuine community. As I said Sunday, community is not a place, but a relationship that exists between people. It is the feeling you get when you know you are where you belong and are genuinely accepted. As was evident from the service, Crossroads has helped transform lives through God's grace.

I realize that not everyone is totally on board with our decision to return to having only one worship on a Sunday. Let me assure you that it is the desire of the leadership to return a two service format when attendance justifies doing so. We have already established benchmarks for when the transition will begin. When we fill the current auditorium for two services, we will begin the process of constructing our actual auditorium. Nothing would please me more than to see us again on a consistent growth track for the future.

Finally, I want to encourage you to speak to me, email me, or call me if you have any questions, concerns, or problems. Often times, people are upset about something that is not even TRUE. They have been misled by someone else, either intentionally or unintentionally, who has a personal agenda and is not seeking the good of the church. Our congregation is strong and now is united behind a God-honoring and Christ exalting mission and vision. God has great things planned for this church.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

ReUnited!!!

On Sunday, November 2nd, Crossroads Christian Church will return to a single service. We are praying that this first service will be a catalyst for a new passion and renewed sense of mission for our congregation. I believe God is ready to do tremendous things in our church. You will not want to miss this service at 10:30am.

I also want to mention how pleased I am with our newest staff member, Tyler Brooks. He has jumped right in and is actively working to make our worship experience better and better each week. Moving to a single service on Sunday will allow him to really focus in on making the service the best it can be. Tyler's style of leading worship is different that Dawn's or Sherry's or Max's, but it comes from a genuine desire and heart to worship God.

I want to ask each of you to do two things. One, pray for the leadership and staff of Crossroads Christian Church. We need to hear God's voice and follow His direction. Secondly, take some time and personally get to know Tyler and his wife, Torie. Invite them over for dinner some evening or after church. Let Tyler know you support him. We are his first church and we want to spoil him with encouragement and kindness.

Monday, September 29, 2008

What's Happening to Our Church?

As some of you have noticed, we have suffered the loss of several families in the last few months. When I am asked why, I wish I had a really good answer. There is no one singular reasons for every situation.

The best I can come up with is that our congregation seems to be in a holding pattern. We need to break free from this spiral of discouragement and negative thinking. We need to get focused on our mission again. This is going to happen and we are going to get back on a growth track.

The key is going to be leadership, and here is where your prayers and words of encouragement are essential. Pray daily for the leadership of our congregation. Let them know that you support them 100%. There are real difficult choices that need to be made and it will take courage and wisdom from God to make them.

I would also ask you to pray for Tyler and myself as the staff. There is much that we need to do together to be effective. I think we have gotten off to a great start, but more work lies ahead.

Finally, pray for the people of Crossroads as well. Difficult times in a church test the very nature of our commitment to the church and to one another. Hang on and hang in with us. I know that we are on threshold of great things as the Body of Christ. God is GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Graduate School....

Last Tuesday evening, I began a graduate school class at Indian Creek Christian Church (The Creek). I was reminded why I did not pursue higher education. While I love to learn, I don't love it enough to spend $1250.00 for the privilege. It is a great class and will be immensely helpful to my ministry. Dr. Gary Johnson is the minister of THE CREEK and is focusing the class on the practical side of church leadership and management.

What I find to truly be a work of God is that this "free" class is exactly what I need to be studying and discussing with a man of God like Dr. Johnson. We are covering material on leadership that speaks to both my needs and the real needs of Crossroads. It is a great experience.

What has made it even greater is that one of the other students in this class is brother in Christ named Jeff. He was a member of the church I served on the south side. His education was in journalism, but his passion was for ministry. He has been preaching now for several years on part-time basis and working as a chaplain at a cancer hospital. He is taking the class because he needs more education, as well as being free. What a blessing to see that he is still serving the Lord after all these years, and to have played a small part in his life.

GOD IS GOOD!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Thoughts on our Congregational Meeting...

First off, I want to thank all of you who attended the annual congregational meeting Sunday afternoon. I also want to thank those of you who have spoken to or emailed me since the meeting expressing your concerns for my feelings. Let me assure you all that I was not hurt or offended by any comments that were made during the meeting. The purpose of these meetings is not just to vote on a ballot and a budget. They are opportunities for members to express their own feelings and concerns about what is going on in the church.

For those of you who did not attend the meeting for one reason or another, there was a discussion dealing the format of our current worship services. Part of the discussion was about the difficulty we are having in staffing volunteers for children's programming during each of our TWO (2) services. The leadership has been considering several options in this regard, but no decision has been made. One idea is to return to having only one worship service. With the new larger auditorium, we could accommodate everyone quite comfortably with plenty of room for growth.

Related to this was a discussion about the possibility of returning to a regular Sunday school program again. While it is a possibility, there are some serious logistical and staffing problems to consider before that could happen. All in all, I believe it was a good informative discussion where individuals expressed their views respectfully.

There are serious challenges facing our congregation as well as great opportunities. We need to be focused on achieving our mission more than ever. In difficult times, we need to remember that our God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Please continue to keep the elders and myself in your prayers. With our new elders, Dave Nordhielm and Scott Thatcher, serving with our current elders, I believe we have a solid foundation of leadership on which to move forward and continue to growth.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Who Stole My Church?....

I have just finished reading a book entitled "Who Stole My Church?" written by Gordon MacDonald. In the book, he writes about dealing with change in church. He approaches the subject from a different prospective. He writes about a fictional church in New England and how they struggled with the changes necessary to be a growing, thriving congregation in the 21st century. Through the characters in the book and their interaction in what they call "the Discovery Group", we see a transformation taking place in how they deal with and eventually embrace needed changes in the 150 year old church.

What I found most interesting was not how they all, actually almost all, came to accept the needed changes in the church. Every congregation has to deal with change. Even Crossroads has undergone changes, and still has more change coming. What I found most interesting was how this group evolved into an intimate and caring group experiencing authentic community and real spiritual growth. What began as a group of congregation members opposed to the leadership of the church ended up being a perfect example of a small group.

Over time these people find that they are not really connected to each other even though they have been members of the same church for decades. As the trust level of the group increases, individuals became transparent about their lives, their struggles, and their failures. They share things about themselves that no one else ever realized. They begin to pray and encourage one another, and even those outside of their group.

This is the vision I have for our congregation's small groups. People living in intimacy with God, community with other believers, and influence with unbelievers. When we are in those kinds of small groups, dealing with change is not as difficult. We have our eyes on the right things, and little things like instruments, styles of worship, and such are that important.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Sunday's Sermon...

I know sometimes people think that the preacher is preaching at them. In reality, I am, often times, preaching to myself. Studying the Scriptures brings one face to face with mirror of God's Truth. It challenges me and my thinking and my actions as much as anyone.

When I said that I understood the apostle Paul and the choice he made to separate from Barnabas I meant it. It is always easier to end a relationship than fix it. It is always easier to burn a bridge than build one. What is not so easy is to honestly and brutally look at one's own actions in the light of the Scriptures. We can be quick to point out where others have failed, while ignoring our own failures in the past and in the present.

While we should strive to be more like Barnabas in the way he encouraged others, we also need to remember that he was man with his own faults as well. Paul tells us in Galatians 2:13 that "The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray". You see one can be too focused on relationships and lose sight of their Christian principles. Barnabas who had opposed the attempt make the Gentiles disciples into Jews, was now treating those same Gentiles with disrespect for the sake of maintaining a relationship with those same Jewish believers.

As Christians, we must balance people and principle properly in our lives. That balance is found in our continued study of God's Word and in our authentic community with one another.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

What a GREAT CONVENTION!

I have always enjoyed the North American Christian Convention. However, this year was better than most. The services were great and the messages inspiring. It was also great to see friends and renew relationships.

One man, Robert Kitchen, or "Dad", as I call him, was there. I was able to connect with him after losing track of him for few years. Bob was the man who spent hours and hours talking to a rebellious teenager about God, the Church, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. After a year or so, things began to make sense to me and I accepted Jesus Christ.

The funny thing is most of Bob's kids went to college and two of his own sons were planning to be ministers. None of them are still in the ministry. Only I remain in the ministry. I think Bob is pretty proud of that fact.

Another thing happened at the convention. MaryAnne and I were in the elevator going back to our room after the evening service. There was just us and a little old woman. When I look at her, she seems familiar to me, but I could not figure out how. I looked at her name tag (everyone wears a name tag at the NACC), and saw her name - Lois Wool. Finally, I just had to ask her if she was married to a man named Ruby. She answered that she was, but he had passed away about ten years ago. Then she looked at my name tag and said my name. I could see the light go on. "You're Mike Duff!" she shouted. "Yes I am", I said, "Your husband baptized me!"

Her husband. Ruby, was an elder in my home church. One summer Sunday morning, when the preacher was gone on vacation, he preached his first sermon from the pulpit of the South Redford Church of Christ. Not only that, but I think I was his first baptism as well. He looked pretty shocked when I came down the aisle of that auditorium. One thing you should know about Ruby. He was short. Like Dave Nance short! I was as tall then as I am now, maybe even taller. He struggled baptizing me, but he got the job done.

All this got me to thinking. You know my conversion was the product of the efforts of several people, many of whom, were not paid staff. Now in fairness, the minister of the church had also worked with me and was an important factor, but it was a team effort. From Sunday school teachers, to youth sponsors, from caring church members, to leadership that was not afraid to step out of their comfort zone, all these people were used to reach me for Christ.

To often, church members forget that evangelizing the lost is EVERYONE'S job. There are people in your life right now who need to hear about Jesus Christ. Some of them might just need a ride to church. Some of them might just need a friend. Some of them might need someone to ask the question, "Do you have a daily relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son?" Reaching the people of this community is a TEAM effort. Why not get in the game?

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Memories of Church Camp!

As most of you know, I worked a partial week of church camp at Hanging Rock. I am still recovering from my two and half days of working with the kids. I have not work in camp for almost ten years. I forgot how tiring it all can be. It was great to see children from our church involved. You need to congratulate Emma Thatcher for being the most valuable girl on her team at camp.

I am sorry that I have not been posting lately. Things have gotten really, really busy this summer. In fact, I am right now preparing to leave next week for the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati. It is a great time to renew friendships and build new ones. I also enjoy the awesome worship services they have.

This does not mean that I am not enjoying our services. Tyler has been doing a tremendous job since starting June first. I can already see a difference in our services. We are blessed to have him here working with our congregation. I encourage you to offer him your help. He has a TWO very important ministries to manage, Worship and Student. I know he needs all the assistance he can get.

In closing, I have noticed that attendance has been down in the month of June. This is understandable because people travel on the weekends to enjoy the nice weather. However you need to be careful that you don't get "out of the habit" of being in church. Spirituality is as much a habit as anything else in our lives. Please make every effort to be in church during these summer months. Remember, also, that our expenses continue even when you are not there. Your faithfulness in giving regularly is how we are able to minister to each other and to our community.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Balancing the Focus...carefully.....

One of the greatest challenges in leading a congregation is balancing the focus. I am currently reading a book entitled, "7 Practices of Effective Ministry". It talks a lot about how churches walk a fine line between discipling their members, and reaching out to those outside the church. We want to be effective in both arenas, but there is always a tension that exists.

What is sometimes missing in the equation is honest input from the congregation. As a leader, I try to listen to what people are saying and what they think is important. Often times the only thing I hear is complaints about the church, our services, and the direction we are going. I learned a long time ago that you cannot please everyone. It is not my intention to make everyone happy. I would like to know what people think, whether or not they understand the "what" and "why" of the things we do.

For example, we have initiated having two distinctly different worship services: Patterns and Innovations. The goal has been to provide both members and guests a clear choice. Patterns is a traditional service designed to honor worship tradition that we all have enjoyed. Innovations is a contemporary service designed as a venue for newer, more modern worship. Each has it's own audience. Judging by attendance, many people have enjoyed the Patterns service. First service attendance is up.

What do you think about the two services and their formats?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Being a Proud Parent!


I have often said that my decision to get married was a easy one. Others have told me that I made a much better choice than MaryAnne did, and I tend to agree with them. She has been such a blessing to my life that I cannot even begin to describe it.

However the decision to have children was much more difficult. As some of you know, I am one of six children. In growing up in a big family, I saw all the difficulties in being a parent. I was not able to have the relationship with my dad that I want because he was always so busy working to keep us feed, clothed, and housed.

When we talked about children, MaryAnne and I had agreed on limiting the number to only two. Well, as least, I thought she agreed. We have three great kids, and I love each of them very much. I hope I have told them that often enough.

Recently my wife and I attended my second son's (Miles) graduation from Johnson Bible College with a bachelors degree in Media and Bible . I am very proud of him and what he has done in his life. Going to college and finishing school is an important step in his life. While he does not yet have a handle on what exactly he wants to do, he does have a good foundation of knowledge that will serve him whatever he does. I am sure that God has great plans for his life.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

CrossKids Daycare Ministry

One of our greatest, growth generating ministries here at Crossroads has been our daycare ministry. Since it was started over five years ago, it has been instrumental in bringing a steady stream of new families into our congregation. While I may be accused of a little bias because my wife, MaryAnne, is the director, the fact of the matter is that this quality program has been a tremendous asset both to us as a congregation, and even more to the parents it serves.

Some of you new folks might not even be aware that we have a daycare here at the church. It operates Monday through Friday, from 6:30am to 6pm, all year long. We offer full time care to children for a monthly rate of $340.00. This is one of the lowest rates in the community for a program that includes preschool instruction. The daycare accepts children who are three years old and potty trained through kindergarten. It also has a before and after school program for school age children up to fifth grade.

Our daycare ministry is truly a ministry. Our tuition rates are kept very low so that we can help working families afford quality childcare. However our mission is to reach them with the love of God and saving grace of Jesus Christ. If you have time, stop by for a visit, and see the difference the church is making in these families. Even better, you can offer to volunteer some time to help. An extra set of hands in always appreciated. Contact MaryAnne Duff if you have an interest.

Thursday, May 15th, at 7pm, CrossKids will be holding the graduation program. This is where the older children are "graduated" out to kindergarten. You are welcome to attend the program, and show your support for MaryAnne and her teachers.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Back From Graduation...

Well, we are finally home for awhile. It seems like we have been gone forever, but in reality we have just missed a couple of Sundays. It was great to see Miles graduate from Johnson with all of his friends. His immediate plans are to move in with his brother and find a job.

May is already shaping up to be a very busy month. With Dave and Dawn leaving us, and Tyler and Torie coming, we have a lot to do. We are finalizing programs and schedules for the summer. For the first time, since coming to Crossroads, I have been asked to work in camp. I hope I have not lost my touch. I will be a team coach, teacher, and campfire speaker for 3rd and 4th graders, June 22nd-24th.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Back from Nassau, Bahamas

Well, we are back in town! It was great to get away, but even better to come home. MaryAnne and I enjoyed the cruise. There were a few disappointments, but all in all as they say, "a good time was had by all!"

I understand that things were interesting in my absence. I hope everyone enjoyed the SCAMPS group and Loren's sermon. It was great to hear that two students were baptized in connection with the SNA, which was attended by over sixty (60) people. Seeing people getting connected to God is what Crossroads in really all about!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Getting Ready for Vacation....

MaryAnne and I are getting ready for vacation. It is a lot of work to prepare to not work. You need to make sure every one of your responsibilities is covered. You have to make sure all the details of your travel are right. Hopefully, you don't forget something important!

There is a lot going on while I am gone this weekend. Dave and Dawn will be doing their last SNA with the students. Tyler and Torie will be in town apartment hunting. SCAMPS will be leading worship in the INNOVATIONS service.

With all this stuff going on, it is easy to overlook how much God has blessed us. For last few months, Sherry Gick has been serving as our interim worship coordinator. She has done a tremendous job. I have enjoyed both working with her and the services she has planned. I believe one of the best services I have ever experience here at Crossroads was coordinated by her. Please let her know how much you appreciate her work.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Lots and lots of Changes!

Unless you are totally out of the loop, you know that lots of things have been and are changing at Crossroads. Soon, Dave and Dawn Nance will be leaving us for Atlanta. I will really hate to see them go because I personally and professionally have been blessed by them both. Their involvement at Crossroads has truly been a blessing.

Dave has served us well as student minister. He, along with Dawn, have touched the lives of our young people in ways that have shaped them for the future. We could never have afforded someone of his quality, giftedness, and talent, let alone the sheer number of hours he invested in the ministry.

Dawn has also served in her own special way as well. Her work as worship coordinator and leader has given our congregation a better understanding and appreciation for worship. Besides worship, Dawn has filled roles in both student ministry and in our daycare ministry. She is truly multi-talented.

While they will be missed, I firmly believe they have positioned us well for our new student and worship minister, Tyler Brooks. He comes to us, fresh out of college. He and his wife, Torie, will be starting in June. I am excited to have someone to share both the ministry and the blessing of Crossroads with. Please keep them in prayer, that they will be able to find good housing here in Lafayette and that their move will go well.

Finally, I am aware that some people have expressed some reservations about both the process and the hiring of Tyler. Some of this is the result of being unfamiliar with our congregation's procedures. This is understandable because this is the first time we have hired a full-time staff member since the constitution and by-laws was rewritten. As always, I would be happy to sit down and explain both our process and the reasoning behind it.

Some of the reservations, I believe, are due in part to the fact that we are moving to a whole new level as a congregation. Hiring a second full-time staff member is a big step for a church financially. While Tyler's salary is not that much more than what we have been paying our two part-time people, it is a much bigger commitment. With part-time people, if you have to let them go, you know that you are not their main source of income. However, with a full-time person, your responsibility increases. It is a much greater commitment.

I am confident that God's hand has been and is continually involved in this congregation. He has provided us someone who meets our needs and can grow with us. We can do this with God's help and your support!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Why have a Blog?

With this being my first entry into the world of blogging, I thought I would start by sharing my reason for having a blog. I know that there are questions and concerns that Christian people have that they either do not take the time to ask or do not have the appropriate forum to ask. In the past I have had some excellent discussion with folks by way of email. This allows us to go back a read what we said, and how the other person responded. Often I have thought that others might have benefited from our conversation if they had seen it. Thus I have started this blog. It is my hope and prayer that we all will learn more, be encouraged more, and understand more about ourselves, others, and most importantly our God.