Christmas Eve Is Here

This years Christmas Eve service will be very meaningful and just what you need to prepare for Christmas Morning. I look forward to seeing you at 3:30, 5 or 6:30 pm.

Merry Christmas!

Also, don't forget these important things:

1) No services this Sunday!
2) Please make sure you give your normal monthly financial gift by bringing it tonight or mailing it in. Even though we don't have a service this coming Sunday we will need to bring in the normal giving.
3) Please pray about and give to our Year End Gift.
4) Don't miss the first five minutes of the January 4th service. No church has ever done what we will do and the impact of what you see will affect you all year long. The first five minutes is going to be great!


This is the last BLOG of the year....I don't BLOG, Twitter, check email or anything else like that during our families time off. The next time you see this BLOG....we will officially be Team Church.

Team Church ...Lancaster Co.

I spent yesterday afternoon meeting with Steve Miller.... Pastor of Team Church, Lancaster County. We are trying to decide the best places to lease/rent for our new campus. While there I could not help but get excited about our new campus launch next year. We will have a few "pre-view" and "pre-launch" services January through April and then have our first service there on Easter! It will be awesome!

I love the Team Church values we have and the fact that we continue to live them out as a church. 2009 is going to be great and I can't wait until we share specifically with you about how we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary. 10 meaningful community service projects that will be our way of celebrating what God has done and is going to do with our church......our Team Church.

See tomorrow at one of our Christmas Eve services....3:30, 5 and 6:30!

Bring your out of town family guest and your friends for the amazing conclusion to our Mural of Hope.

Our Christ Mission was a HUGE success and made a HUGE impact. Here is an email we received from one of the teachers at the end of the day.

"Hi! I am a kindergarten teacher at Walter Bickett and I wanted to thank you for the tremendous love and generosity that your church continues to show to the students at my school. You can truly never now the impact that you have on their lives (and mine). It always amazes me to see that your church gives so selflessly time and time again. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart on behalf of myself and the 15 students in my classroom that got to experience a little piece of God's love through your church!! Thank you and God bless you!"

We have done this for 8 years and every year the teachers and staff at the school are amazed at the impact that it has on the kids. They tell us that some of the kids have been coming to the school for 3-5 years and they know what is coming and start talking about it 2 weeks in advance. What do you think that the child who for multiple years experiences this great day..... thinks about God and church? They have fond memories and experiences that I believe will lead them to Christ now and in the future.

Speaking of Christmas Experiences that you won't forget. I shared with you on Sunday about the Christmas Party I went to with my daughter Ellie. (As many of you know, Ellie is mentally and physically handicapped and now lives in a special home for such kids and adults.) On Friday they had their Christmas party for the wing she lives on. While there I saw and experienced Christmas from a completely different prospective. I saw Santa hand out gifts to some of the most severely handicapped kids you will ever see. Most could not even unwrap or hold their gifts. A relative or nurse had to unwrap and then lay the gift on their lap knowing that the gift will never be played with, used or worn without someone doing it for them. I saw the look in the eyes of the other relatives that were there and I saw the look in the kids eyes as they experienced it. They had smiles and laughter....as this moment that looked to me to be very hard...was a brief moment of Christmas joy in the life journey of those who have suffered so much.

I left their thinking about how many people today are complaining and allowing themselves to be discouraged and depressed as they think about what they can't buy and where they can't go and what they don't have ......instead of what they do have. I tell you what.....if you are having a hard time focusing on the good in your life and being very appreciative for what you do have.....come visit Ellie with me over the next two days.

After you come....you will sing praises to God and be filled with Christmas joy on Christmas morning no matter what is or is not under the tree. What we learned yesterday from Joseph and Mary about having a positive and good attitude is this:

1) A positive attitude is a choice.
2) A positive attitude comes from focusing on the good and not the bad.
3) A Positive attitude comes from trusting that God is ultimately in control.

I hope we all are looking forward to Christmas and a great week!

Holiday Reminders

As I write this over 700 hundred kids at Walter Bickett are very anxious. They will soon go to a special Christmas Presentation put on by our Kids Ministry and band. Then they will each have their very own Christmas party in their class room. There, they will have a wonderful party and then receive the specific gift they asked for a few weeks ago. Thanks Team Church for being a place that really does "team up" with others to make a difference. We are not just a church....We are Team Church.

Here are some more reminders as we head into the final days before Christmas:

1) Bring a friend this Sunday and on Christmas Eve.

2) A great Holiday tradition we have had for 9 years is that we honor our staff and volunteers by not having ANYTHING scheduled from Dec 25-Jan 1st. This is time to visit family, travel or just relax with family and friends that have come to town.

3) This also means that we DO NOT have a Sunday Service on December 28th.

4) Please give toward our Year End Gift by December 31st AND remember that we are not here on the 28th so please give your normal tithe this week or mail it in.

5) Don't miss our first service of 2009! I promise you....what you see happen in the first 5 minutes will set the tone for the rest of the year. DON'T MISS THE FIRST 5 MIN!

6) January 13th (7am -1pm) is the Team Church Blood Drive....it is the first of 10 community service projects we will be doing to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.


I look forward to watching the Mural of Hope be completed with you this week!

Christmas Party WIth A Purpose

On Friday night our Student Ministry is having a big Christmas Party. They have over 120 students that will be having a great time as they celebrate the end of school and Christmas. However, the thing that caught my attention is that all the proceeds from the admission prices is going to help buy goats! Yep....buy goats. The money will be given through our global missions initiative and will specially buy goats for needy families in Africa. The goats are a big blessing to these folks but most can't afford to buy one. So....we buy one for them.

I was thinking of how proud I am of our great Student Ministry. Then, I started thinking about me and you. What if the greatest thing we could ask for and need was a goat? Makes our Christmas wish list seem a little different and some of our "bad economy" grumbling seem silly. These are hard times for many people. However, we are having a bad year...maybe two. As we move toward Christmas lets remember that 90% of the world's population are considered rich if they can eat 2 meals a day and has a roof that covers their head each night. I was also reminded of the simple truth of what is most important to have at Christmas last night when I was snuggled up with the boys and we were watching the cartoon version of the Grinch. As you recall....the Who's that lived in Whoville lost everything but still gathered on Christmas morning and held hands and sang.

I know that many this Christmas are not able to have and do what they normally do. I hope that we all can look past what we don't have and celebrate what we do.

Bring a friend on Sunday and Christmas Eve! I think that many people living in our Whoville need it!

Christmas Prayer List

The Christmas Season is fast approaching. The holidays are a great time for having fun, eating great food, watching football and enjoying the change of season. Moreover, every year at Team Church, this special season brings a treasured time of family, fellowship and a renewing of our faith in Jesus Christ! During the last nine years we have maintained a few holiday traditions that help us as individuals and as a church to experience the Christmas Season in its deepest meaning.

Be sure to Pray and Participate in the exciting opportunities coming again this Christmas season. Each one is designed to help us fulfill our One Purpose of "reaching people where they are and leading them to full devotion in Jesus Christ."


Walter Bickett School……A place to Serve and Love

Once again this year we have purchased gifts and will be providing a Christmas party and presenting the true meaning of Christmas to a public elementary school THIS FRIDAY. We have created a great missions relationship and outreach with Walter Bickett Elementary School in Monroe. Please pray for God to use this to impact these kids in a life-changing way.


Christmas Eve Services.....A place to Serve and Share

Christmas Eve has become a memorable time for our church. Many have made attendance at this special service a part of their Christmas tradition. This is a great time to invite a friend! Please Pray that God will use this service to reach many people for salvation through Jesus. Times are 3:30, 5 and 6:30pm


Year End Gift……A time to give

Every year we take time out to be thankful for our blessings and to give over and above our normal giving. Our Year-End-Gift gives us a real and practical opportunity to give sacrificially at a time when so many are more concerned about what they are receiving. Each year we present to you needs we have as a church or the needs of others that we would like to help meet. These needs are not budgeted items and would go unmet if not for our Year-End-Gift.

This year we are in need of playing catch-up on some budgeted items that we were unable to purchase because normal budget giving dipped in the hard economical times.
Would you pray and then give as God leads. Everyone can give something and the reality is that when it is all added up.....every one's something adds up to enough to meet our needed goal. Would you pray and then give specifically toward this year end gift. All money given or mailed by December 31st will go on your 2008 tax record.

Team Church name change goes public. Starting in January we will be officially Team Church. Pray that God uses this in great ways as we start year 10!

Team Church (Lancaster Co.) will start in the pre-launch phase in January. Pray that God uses this to reach a whole new area and that we are set for our Easter Launch!


Thanks for Praying!

Today's Bible Reading 2 Peter chapter 1-3

Family Pictures

Last night we had an "appointment" at a picture studio store in the mall. It has been a long time since we have done this because our two smallest little angles hate having their picture taken. With Brady now being 3 1/2 years old and not planning to bring Ellie until another day....we thought we could get some good pictures of the boys now and then take Ellie back by herself on another day.

No Deal.......Brady either wont smile on cue or he smiles so hard and fake he looks like he is constipated and in pain. At the 30 minute mark Brady was about done with changing shirts, getting in weird positions and smiling at the dancing animals and such we were using to get him to smile on cue. Peyton, however, is like a trained animal when it comes to taking pictures. He smiles on cue and can hold it for ever waiting for his younger brother to get his smile on. He has learned that the sooner you smile at these silly things, the sooner it is over and the sooner he gets his candy bribe.

The photographer, who is my niece, was very patient and did a great job. At the 45 minute mark we finally were finished with the picture taking and now it was time to sit and go through all the pictures on the large TV monitor in the back room. To our shock we actually had about 15 good pictures from the million or so they snapped. As a matter of fact, Amanda was able to get a few really good ones of both Peyton and Brady separate and together (that never happens). After being there for over 2 hours we finally left the studio with some pictures that will be great Christmas presents for the Grandparents and a few other relatives. Perseverance........had paid off. The boys got their candy and Kelly got her pictures. I was very happy that all involved had a relatively good attitude through the whole ordeal.

How is your attitude this Christmas season? Are you hoping just to hurry and get it over with or....are you enjoying the journey that is Christmas in America. This Sunday we are going to take a close look at the real Marry and Joseph. We are going to learn from their exceptional attitude, perseverance and finally the reward at the end of the their Christmas Journey. The painting is coming along nicely. If you want an update on how it looks you can view it on our website by Wednesday.

Today's Bible Reading 1 Peter Chapters 1-5.

All Gone

Last night I had the opportunity to have great seats at the Panther game. It was another phenomenal game to watch and the Panthers are looking good. I also noticed that the Panthers did their annual "Toys For Tots" with the Marines. They announced over the loud speaker that a little over 5,000 toys had been brought by the Panther Nation. The Crowd last night was over 70,000 people.

Once they announced the amount of gifts I began to think about those percentages in comparison to what our church has once again supplied for the kids at Walter Bickett. Every year we purchase 700 hundred gifts for every Kindergarten through 5th grade student at the school. That is amazing and shows the true mission minded value we have here at Team Church. (Not just church.....Team Church) Moreover, our Red Cross volunteer was shocked at the multiple pages that were filled out yesterday with names of people who said they would come on January 13th for our "On-Site" blood drive. Giving to others is in our DNA and is our life blood as a church...HA HA

It is this kind of "community impact" that has always been in out DNA as a Church.....that has led us to decided to celebrate our 10 year anniversary in a very unique way. We are going to celebrate all year long and are going to do so with 10 different community impact service opportunities. We are hoping to have one or two a month concluding with a huge church event in July! More details to come....

We are calling it our 10 Year Anniversary Service Tour! Places, Times and Dates TBA in January!

Today's Bible Reading: James Chapters 1-5! Read Carefully 2:14-26 and thank about what I just wrote in today's BLOG

What To Look For This Sunday

Here are somethings to look for and do this Sunday. (in no specific order)

1) This Sunday is the last day to "adopt" a Walter Bickett child. We have about 50 left. This is always a great way to help other children experience Christmas!

2) We will be hosting our first Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, January 13th in the morning. This Sunday we need you to sign up and give an approximate time you will be here. The Red Cross needs a "basic" head count of what they can expect that day from us. You can sign up on Sunday or ....email chris@charlottesouth.org

This blood drive is the first Service Event of what we will be calling "Team Church 10 Year Anniversary Service Tour." Instead of having a big party to celebrate our anniversary year, we are going to do 10 projects that Teams up with our community to serve others. This is the first one.....soon you will get a list of the others that will fill the first 6 months of the year. Things like....building a habitat house, a Kershaw Easter Mission, rebuilding a hospital play yard and the like.

3) Get your Team Church gear. This stuff is high quality and we are only charging what it cost us to have the stuff made. Also, the window decals are FREE as long as they last. These are great looking vinyl window stickers that look great and help share the excitement of our new name.

4) Please arrive on time and sit up front and close to each other. Last Sunday we only had 50 empty chairs out of 500 in the first service and none of those were together.

5) Smile and look for someone who needs a "Holiday Hug!"

See you Sunday!

Today's Bible Reading Hebrews Chapter 5-8

Year End Gift

By now, you should have received your annual Year-End-Gift letter. As you know, every year we give everyone a chance to finish the year out strong with a financial gift. We encourage people to sacrificially give at a time when our culture is more about what we can get. Many people use this gift as a end of year large gift to help them catch up and fully support their church.

This gift normally goes to "extra and non-budgeted" items that are not covered in our regular budget. In the past, it has been for equipment replacement, global and local missions, student ministry resources, new building and the like.

However, this year is very different. As you know, many people have felt the financial crunch of a challenging economy. Every week I hear of another person who has lost their job or has lost wages in other ways. As one might expect....this years financial mess in our country has affected our general operating budget. As we head into 2009 we are looking at some cutbacks if our monthly general giving does not go up to the level we were this time last year.

Our Year-End-Gift this year is needed to end 2008 with no outstanding debt and more specifically to allow us a financial cushion for the first few months of 2009 as we have budget items from 2008 that we could not meet that need to be met for our vision to move forward.

Would you pray about what you can give to this needed year-end-gift? As usual you can give in many different ways (stock, gifts-n-kind, etc.) and everything given is credited for 2008 taxes. Please mark your gift YEG 2008.

Times are tough for most people......however, if we are all faithful to do what God ask us to do.....then together as Team Church....we can accomplish everything God has asked us to do a church.

Christmas Fellowship Service tonight! 7pm

Today's Bible Reading Hebrews chapter 1-4

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Have you ever heard from God? Do you know what it is like to know what God wants you to do and then you go and do it? What does it take to hear from God and then experience the Joy of what He is telling you?

This Sunday as we continue with the HUGE Nativity Mural and the story that surrounds that "snap shot of eternity" .....we will develop the Shepherds story. What was it they heard? How did they end up at the Nativity scene? We know that the word Nativity means "the time, place, people and circumstances of ones birth."

Who were these shepherds? And, why were they there at that special time? Moreover, how can YOU hear what they heard and place yourself in the same scene? This Sunday, make a special invite again to those you invited last week. Follow up with those you asked but they did not come. This is a moving and life-changing Mural of Hope presentation.

Also, you can go to our new Team Church Facebook and join the fun. You can watch he time lapse video of the HUGE painting canvas being built. Also, go to our website and use it to e-vite someone.

Tomorrow night we will have our special Christmas Fellowship service. Great Christmas worship, Child dedication and Communion. The cafe will be open and we will have the Christmas Mission table available for you to take a child gift tag.

Today's Bible Reading 2 Timothy chapters 1-4

Christmas Fellowship Service This Thursday

This Thursday we will have an amazing Christmas worship experience. We will have child dedications, communion, sing wonderful Christmas songs and have an intimate time of worship as we head into the middle of the Christmas Season.

This amazing night starts at 7pm!

Also, please plan to pick up a Walter Bickett child Christmas card. We still have about a 100 left.

This has to be a quick BLOG as our staff is heading into a planning session for what we are doing in 2009!

Also.....yes It was at the great Panther Game last night! I was awesome!

Great Job Team Church

We lived our values last week. We Teamed up as a church to create a unique and impacting Christmas Series. Moreover, YOU did a great job of inviting your friends to experience it! We had our largest Sunday crowd of the year! Great Job!

God was honored and people enjoyed it and were impacted. I had one person pull me aside after the second service and say that a friend had invited him and he was not sure what to expect. He then told me that what he needed to hear was that "God had come at just the right time and for just the right circumstance" of His life. What he now knows is that he needs Jesus Christ in his life.......and the timing was perfect!



I want to challenge you to do two things:

1) Follow up with the people you invited that came and and them if they have any questions. Also, make sure you invite them to come back this next Sunday!

2) Follow up with those you invited but they did not come. Share with them that they can go on line to our website Charlottesouth.com and watch the service and then come this Sunday to enjoy in person.

Over the next few Sundays the details of the HUGE Nativity will develop before your eyes. It will be a special and encouraging service each week leading up to Christmas Eve. Thanks again to all those who served this Sunday and made it a great day!

Be praying for our Town Council vote tonight. Also, pray that it is first on the agenda and goes quick.....I have tickets to the Panther Monday night game and want to be there by kickoff!

Today's Bible Reading 1 Timothy 1-4

700 Kids...One Great Day

Have you taken a child's name from our Christmas Mission table? Every year we have EVERY child at Walter Bickett Elementary School fill our a personalized Christmas wish gift card. They put their name, grade, sex, and ethnicity on the card so that we make sure we get the perfect gift for each of these great kids.

This year will be especially important. The kids at this school come from homes that normally cannot buy gifts for their kids. This year, with the downturn of the economy ...these kids will really feel the burden. We have the chance to help make their Christmas experience a great one. Not only with a gift they have asked for, but, also with the Christmas party and presentation we as a church will provide. They will know God cares in a tangible way (a gift) and also in hearing the message of Christmas through music, drama and story telling. This is a perfect example of how we Team up with our community. Also, you should know, that we provide gift cards for every teacher and administrative person at this great school!

I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity this Sunday.! I know, for many of us, this year our own budgets are tight. One thing the we have done in our family is not make the Walter Bickett gift an extra gift.....but share with our kids that they will receive one less....so someone else can receive at least one. This helps them learn the value of serving and giving to others....even if it means that you must give up something you want.

The actual party at Walter Bickett is on December 19th. If you would like to serve at the school on that special day....email clint@charlottesouth.org

Who are you bringing this Sunday? We have tons of "homemade" cookies for them to enjoy in the atrium. This will be a great way to start the Christmas Season. See you Sunday!

Today's Bible Reading Ephesians chapter 5 & 6

Looks Better Than The Mall

A Team of volunteers built the Huge painting canvass on Monday and Tuesday.

Yesterday a Team of volunteers spent most of the day and night decorating our large atrium area for Christmas. As you know, when we built our atrium we said we wanted it to look like a creative and nice looking gathering area as one may see in a nice mall. Well, our Team of volunteers have made it look and feel better than we could have ever imagined. It looks wonderful and very inviting for the friend you are inviting to see at our Nativity exhibit grand opening on Sunday.

You are bringing a friend....right?

Remember we have One Purpose as Team Church. However, we have shared responsibilities to achieve that One Purpose. Our staff and Lead Team have been personally challenged to invite someone new to this very "one-of-a-kind" Christmas presentation. I want to extend that challenge to you. These are tough times for many and many are not looking forward to Christmas as they have in the past.....you can change that with one invitation.

With the hard work of this decorating Team....whomever you bring on Sunday will enjoy the free Coffee and Christmas snacks in our beautiful atrium before getting to experience a 30 x 12ft painting come alive before their eyes....it will be awesome! However, people can only know about it.....if YOU invite them!

The Band is practicing and will be ready...
The Artist are practicing and will be ready...
The Decorators are working and will be ready....
Those who are preparing the food and drinks will be ready....
The All-Stars Kid's leaders will be ready.....
The Host and Parking Team will be ready.....
The Clean Team will have cleaned the entire church and will be ready....
I am preparing my Nativity Message and will be ready.......
God will be here and be ready.......

Who will be here to experience it? That is up to you.......

Have you been to our new Teamchurchonline.com website?

It has one page up with a counter...but also has direct links to our new Facebook page, Twitter account and my Blog.

Today's Bible Reading Ephesians Chapter 1-4!

What About The Land?

It is funny how time goes bye and new things crowd into your life that take what seemed pressing to a...."what ever happened to that" thought. That is one reason why I like the daily BLOG concept for Team Church values, stories, news and current events. It is a great tool for all to use on a regular, if not daily, basis. (When people who come here on a regular basis are clueless about such info that is covered completely in this BLOG and our weekly Chalk Talk Update.....they are the horse who is thirsty while hanging their head over a bucket of water!)

This coming Monday night the Matthew's Town Council will have their final vote on the rezoning of the land. We have done and are doing all we can for them and those who stand appose to the idea to understand that we are trying to develop an incredible campus where people from this community can come and have their lives changed in many different and practical ways. Keep praying....keep the faith! Also, you can email each town council member and share with them your love and support for the Mission of this church. This is especially helpful if you live in the Matthews City area code of 28104, 05, 06.

Mayor Pro-Tem James P. Taylor jtaylor@matthewsnc.com

Bill Dixon dixonwr@aol.com

Suzanne Gulley sgulley@matthewsnc.com

Nancy R. LaFond nlafond@matthewsnc.com

Jeff A. Miller jmiller@matthewsnc.com

Cress Query wkquery@matthewsnc.com


Also, in case you were wondering.......our church Lead Team has been working very hard to make this purchase budget friendly in these hard economical times. We are very aware that many at Team Church have lost jobs or have had their income go down while cost of living goes up! We prayed about if we should move forward at all with the purchase since the economy is so bad and it is certainly affecting our monthly giving to the church. After much crunching of the numbers and praying we decided that even though we had a great deal and owner financing with only a yearly payment due each January ....the prudent thing to do was not move forward.

So...in faith believing....we approached the owners with a purchase agreement that gives the first down payment now (we have that money in hand) and then does not have another payment due for 2 years! They accepted it.....God is good! Nothing in the previous contract changes.....it just stars two years from now. However, we can fully own the property next Tuesday (the vote is Monday) and can start to use it immediately. However, we will not have to pay or owe anything for two years! That gives the economy time to stabilize and during the next two years ministry money does not have to be used for land purchase.

Moving and living in faith is never easy. Sometimes circumstances go completely different than you think they should.....but the Dream Continues if it is from God. Part of our dream... is to have a 60 acre campus for our Church that is located on the corner of I485 and HWY 74 that Teams up with our community and city to make a positive impact into the very fabric of our world.....that is people!

Today's Bible Reading Romans chapters 13-16

Embarrassing Moment In North Florida

Last Friday my 10 year-old-son and I went on a Father/Son football weekend trip. We left Charlotte Friday morning and drove down to Tallahassee Florida to watch the Florida Gators beat the Florida State Seminoles. Because our trip was going to be quick and we would spend most of the time on the road or at the game......I decided to make it a cheap but fun trip and just stay the night at the nearby KOA. Peyton and I have done this before and he loves it. We take the seats out of the van and fold down the back seat. Then, we put a mattress in the back for an instant bed in a KOA. He loves the novelty of it and I love the price.

On Saturday night after the big game we pulled into our "spot" at the KOA. We were parked in the "tent" area that was right next to the huge RV area. I chose a close "tent" spot right next to the RV area for more safety and better proximity since we were the only people in a "tent" spot. We were parked next to some of the largest and most extravagant RV's I have ever seen.

It was pouring down rain when we arrived and very quiet. At 10pm we had just got settled in our "home away from home" sleeping arrangement when I decided to make sure that I had locked the doors. Not thinking clearly...I sat up and yanked on the inside door lever to see if it was locked. As soon as I did it set off our van alarm that I guess gets set when ever you lock all the doors. In the peaceful KOA setting of North Florida came ringing out at 10pm a loud honking noise from our van. Moreover, the head lights began to flash on and off while this piercing sound was going off. I jumped up and tried to turn it off from the inside....did not work. I put the key in the van and started it.. thinking that would work. All it did was set off another noise in between the horn honking.

By this time, the RV lights were coming on and the "shades" were coming up to see what the noise and commotion was all about. This has happened once before so I knew one way to stop the noise was to pop the hood and start yanking fuses out until the dumb alarm was dismantled.

So....I jumped out of the van to do just that. While getting the hood up in the pouring rain and the horn noise now right in my face I soon noticed that the flashing head lights were revealing the fact that I was standing there in my "boxers" and t-shirt. The Lord was gracious and I pulled the right fuse after the third one. By the time I got the thing turned off......it seemed like every RV owner was staring at me and shaking their heads through their plush mobile mansions. As I jumped back into the van soak-n-wet.... I saw that Peyton had hidden himself under the blankets and he mumbled.....that was so embarrassing. No kidding!

The next morning as we pulled out.....I wanted no record of the night to follow me home....so I peeled off the window decal that so proudly reads "Charlotte South Fellowship." Good thing this Sunday morning I can get a new Team Church vinyl decal to replace it! Guess what.....you can too! And they are free!

This Sunday morning I hope you will have worked and prayed hard to being a friend to our Grand Opening of our Nativity: A Mural Of Hope!

Today's Bible Reading Romans Chapter 9-12.

Christmas Time Is NOW

December 1st is here! 25 days till Christmas! I love this time of year.....

As I am writing this BLOG a few volunteers and a few staff members are starting to build the HUGE wall that will be our Nativity Mural canvas. This thing will be HUGE as it spans more than 30 feet in length and 12 feet high. As we have been saying....this Mural will be painted live in all services leading up to Christmas Eve. They will be panting during the worship and during the teaching. It will be an experiential Christmas like never before. Then on Christmas Eve it will be completed! I believe this will be a life changing Christmas Series for all who experience it.......now that is where YOU come in.

We have printed out invitations for you to use to invite a friend, co-worker, family member or even just a neighbor you don't know very well. We want to pack the house this Sunday for the start of this special Christmas Series. This is another way we can Team Up......to change our city. As Team Church we have One Purpose....Shared Responsibility! Take time to pray about who you can invite....then "Do Something Significant" and go invite them and bring them with you!

This Christmas is going to be a great time at Team Church! Speaking of Team Church...if you have not watched the service from last week and learn the purpose and the practicality of why the name change....go to Myteamchurch.com and read and watch. It will answer your questions.

I have received a few emails asking me about the Gator game Peyton and I went to. Yes...we got soaked. Yes we stayed through the whole game. Yes, the Gators killed the Seminoles! It was fun but very wet.......Also, I heard that our awesome youth pastor did a great job speaking this Sunday! As a church, please never take for granted the incredible staff God has placed at our Church. They are very very very gifted and dedicated.

Looking for a great real Christmas tree that your money goes to a great cause and half the price is a taxable donation....Matthews Area Rec Association is selling NC trees on location at the fields.

Hours of Operation:

3-8pm weekdays
9-6 Saturdays
1-6 Sundays

Contact Team Church & MARA volunteer Lee Maitland at 704-560-4345 for more info.

Todays Bible Reading Romans Chapters 5-8.

Well.....we did it. We announced it on Sunday. We are changing the name of our church. We will be the same church of course....but we feel like it is time for a new name.

As I said yesterday....

Reasons for a change:

1) The location where we are located is not considered South Charlotte.
2) The name CSF does not embody of describe who we are as a church and what is our DNA.
3) The name CSF is often confused and mixed up when people say it.
4) Our new strategy of being One Church...different locations means we need a non-location specific name.

Why now:
1) We celebrate our 10 anniversary in January.
2) We launch our first new campus this Winter.
3) Why Not???

for more info and continual Q/A go to Myteamchurch.com

SO what is the new name? As we unveiled yesterday we are now......

Team Church!

This Sunday you will see the name and logo changed everywhere on the inside. We will not go public on the outside until January 1st! Also, this Sunday you can buy some great new Team Church gear for Christmas presents!

Today is the last day until Dec 1st that I will have the daily BLOG. The Hibbard family is heading out for Thanksgiving....and I don't take the computer or BLOG while on vacation.......if you happen to be around a TV on Saturday, flip on the Florida Gator VS Florida State Seminole game and look for Peyton and I. We will be celebrating his birthday at the game and enjoying a BIG Gator win!

Nativity: A Live MUral Painting

One December 7th, plan to bring at least one person who does not normally attend our church with you! It will be an incredible way to kickoff the Christmas season.

The Atrium area will be decorated with a beautiful and seasonal Christmas feel. We will have a nice assortment of food and drinks as you would see at any Painting Galleria or Art Grand Opening.

The Band will play Great Christmas worship music and a few classic Christmas songs.

Our Professional Painting team will begin painting on the HUGE 18x10 canvas wall. Each Sunday they will be painting live while we are worshiping, while I am speaking and while you are enjoying multi-sensory Christmas experience.

The painting will be complete on Christmas Eve!

We have printed nice invitations for you to give to one or two people that you personally know. These are invitations like you would see for the opening of a new paint gallery or just one painting on display. These are not just flyer's to be passed out....they are personal invitations. Please take time to pray about who are some people you would like to invite and then write them a personal note on the invitation and ask them to join you on December 7th!

Our goal is to give our city the most creative Christmas story telling that they can imagine so that the reality of Christmas "Comes To Life" for them. YOUR responsibility is to bring someone who needs to experience it with you!

It will be a site to behold......this HUGE painting coming to life before our eyes!

PS...The rumors are true.....I do get to help paint while I am speaking....at least on the first Sunday!


BIG DAY THIS SUNDAY.....DON'T MISS IT! 9am and 10:30am

Today's Bible Reading Matthew Chapters 8-10

BIG SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENT COMING....

Tech problems this morning.....so the BLOG was late. Once again I wanted to share a note from Steve Miller, the new pastor at the campus we are opening in the Kershaw, SC area. Steve and the people that will be the core group for this new adventure will be here this Sunday. However, THAT is not the biggest news we will be announcing this Sunday! We have HUGE news this Sunday. It will forever change how you view, talk about and think about our church.

Here is a note from Steve...

I'm really excited about the big Sunday at "our" church this weekend. The Kershaw core group will all be there. We'll be available to meet and talk. It's very cool to be not only a part of launching a new campus, but also be a part of such a huge day in the life of the church. We're all pumped! Of course, we're all kind of nervous as you might guess....After all this is brand new. God has called us all to pioneer this new campus together. You'll find some application in the Scripture reading for today. In Matthew 6, Jesus says "do not be anxious for your life...do not be anxious for tomorrow" (Matt. 6:25 & 34).

Hey, it's our nature to worry over this next chapter in the life of our church, but Jesus says...even commands us to not worry about. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't plan carefully over the details of this God-breathed dream. But it does mean that our trust in God should overcome our fears. See you this Sunday!


Today's Bible Reading Matthew Chapters 5-7.

Worth The Effort and Money

Not every person who calls our church home can know everything we do in and for our community. We are too large for that to happen. However, everyone should know that a big value and purpose we have here is to impact our community in creative ways that show we have an interest in being a part of the fabric of our community.

I remember when we built our creative and non-church looking building....that people who saw the plans would ask.... why? Why would we build such a building. I would always say that we are building a place that can be used for our community in different ways. That we wanted a building that would be used for normal weekly ministry, but, also one that we could help impact our community by being involved in what our city is involved with through out the year.

This week is one of those weeks. This Sunday we had our normal Sunday services. Then Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night we hosted and led the Matthews Area Recreational Football banquets. Over 350 players and their parents came to the banquets we hosted. These players were challenged by two Carolina Panthers and the head coach at Butler High...Mike Newsome. Every night families from our community were here and saw our community outreach value in high gear. Tonight our Student Ministry will be here for a year-end bonfire while another sports banquet is taking place for the Porter Ridge Association.

Thursday night our Thrive seminars will fill the building and then Friday we will have our last Butler High team devotion/meal here before they head off for the 2nd round of the playoffs. Then of course....it is Sunday again.

Not every week is like this one. However, I wanted to remind you that what we promised we would do with the building you helped build....we are doing. Thousands of people come through these doors every week for all kinds of ministry opportunities. We are about changed lives. We are about reaching people where they are and leading them to full devotion in Christ. That may be on a Sunday morning...or any other day of the week.

We are a church that values teaming up with our community, other churches and the like. Together, we plan to impact and reach our community in a great way. Thanks for seeing and supporting the vision of or team Church.


Today's Bible Reading Matthew chapters 1-4

These Christmas chapters will get you in the mood for a wonderful Christmas season!

The first 10 minutes

The first 10 minutes are very important.......

In the first 10 minutes I can prepare my heart and soul in an non-rushed way to hear from God.

In the first 10 minutes I can worship God with our great band as they lead me in beautiful worship.

In the first 10 minutes I feel comforted that I have checked my kids in on time and they too are not missing out on anything that the teachers and leaders have for them.

In the first 10 minutes I can make sure I sit up front and save the back seats for a guest who maybe arrives a little late because they were not sure where to go.

In the first 10 minutes I can be reminded of what the message is going to be about and then ask God to speak to me today.

In the first 10 minutes I can make sure the guest I invited understands what is going on and can help them too get ready to worship, experience and learn.

In the first 10 minutes I can clap and sing and enjoy a moment being led by an awesome band that has practiced for countless hours for just that song and that... moment.

In the first 10 minutes I can whisper a prayer for someone I noticed while walking in that seemed upset or to be having a bad morning.

In the first 10 minutes I can whisper a prayer and ask God to help KC, the band, the tech team, the stage team and Kenny to be at their best.

The first 10 minutes is the key to a great hour of worship, teaching, laughing, crying and experiencing whatever else God has for me in the next 50 minutes.

I don't know about you...but I want God's best. I don't want second rate because I missed the first 10 minutes of the service. If I miss the first 10 minutes......I short change what God wants me to know and experience. If I miss the first 10 minutes I could miss it all!

Today's Bible Reading 2 Corinthians 11-13

Dream Team

Yesterday was awesome in both services as we ended with the powerful song....Shine.

I hope you will take to heart the challenge yesterday to build yourself a Dream Team. People who are in your life that are committed to God, committed and loyal to you and your dream God has given you! Here again is the Dream Team we learned from David's life and should strive to have in our own everyday journey of life.

A Dream Team needs to have:

1) A loyal friend who loves you for who you are and will be loyal at all times. David had Jonathan.

2) A truth-teller friend who will stand up for you and will stand up to you when needed. Someone who will help keep you accountable. David had Nathan who would always come and challenge his choices if they were out of line.

3) A "practical help" friend who understands the dream and will be able to get things done. This person is also someone who is gifted at things you are not and they complete your gift mix. David had the the great warrior Joab.

4)Positive and encouraging friends who are always there to give you a shot of encouragement when you are down. They are positive people who lift your spirits when the dream seems to be fading. David had three men....just called in the Bible....The Three!

The last thing we talked about was the fact that we have to remember that these are God given dreams. That means you cannot know it or follow it until you have joined into relationship with God. You must be a Christian to have such a dream. If you are reading this BLOG and have never accepted Jesus Christ as savior then it is impossible for you to grasp a God given dream. However, at this moment you can ask Christ to be you savior and He will. Like I said yesterday, if you want to talk with a pastor about this critical decision....just ask!

Today's Bible Reading 2 Corinthians Chapter 7-10

Small chapters great stories and lessons. In this season of generosity....these verses remind us what is most important.

Economic Reality

The news this week has not been encouraging. The big three automakers are saying they will be bankrupt by spring. Stores like Circuit City and Blockbuster say they may not make it to Christmas.....and the list goes on.

I also know that just about every week here at our church I hear about another family who has lost their job. Some are moving to another city....some are looking for a job here. The experts say that "things" will probably get worse before they get better.

These are definitely times that test our faith and demand a continual prayer for God's grace and help. In reading through the history of the Great Depression you read that it was a time where people who had never been to church or who never really took their faith serious.....were going and asking God for help. That is the good part and we are seeing that here now at our church.

The other reality for churches during these times is that people stop giving to their local church. We are also seeing that here. Our weekly offerings are lower now ...with more people ....than they have been in 16 plus months. These are the economic realities we as a church are living through too.

I am calling for each person at our church that reads this BLOG today to whisper a prayer like this:

1) Pray for those who have lost jobs.
2) Pray for those who still have jobs but their wages have dropped.
3) Pray for our church that we can sustain at a high level with the drop of giving.
4) Pray that people will continue to give as God as asked them.

Like every other American and church challenge this country has faced, we will get through this one as we stay together under the leadership of Christ. Tough times call for tough people. Challenging times call for people of faith. Hard times call for people who also rely on God's grace.

Today's Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 15 & 16

A Message From Our New Campus Pastor

As you know, we have begun laying the ground work for our first new campus. Our dream is to be one church with many campuses and to have those campuses in a variety of different kinds of places.....small towns, college towns, inner city and other places that do not normally have our style and DNA churches currently there. However, we will be one team and one church. Here is a short note from Steve Miller...a USC Gamecock grad who knows his team will lose this week to the Mighty Gators!

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Hey.....I'm really excited about what God is going to do in the Kershaw area through this new church campus. I've felt that God has been getting the people in this town ready for something like this ever since I moved here eight years ago. I met several families over that time that have had the same feeling and those folks are now the core group of this new campus site for our church. That is right....I said our church. We are one church teaming up to reach may different areas. We have already seen God do amazing things through us as individuals here in the Kershaw area and now expect even greater things as we create this new church campus!

We look forward to seeing God do even greater things as He has been doing in your ministry area. Things like.....

Teaming up with our community as we care for needs through a clothes closet, food pantry, and assistance organization.

Teaming up with our community as we send out teenagers as hometown missionaries in a town that already has a program where they work a few weeks out of the summer fixing up homes in the community.

Teaming up together in a community-wide, multi-racial, non-denominational service just like the one we'll participate in this coming Thanksgiving.

Providing a creative and culturally relevant Sunday service that will reach and impact people here like no other church is providing in this area.

Providing a local church that reaches people where they are and then are lead them in grace to full devotion in Jesus Christ.

Being a church that focuses on reaching those who have never been to church or are in need of a new kind of church experience.

This is what I have always wanted to do be a part of and now I am excited that my family and a few of our friends will have the opportunity to team up with you and impact this area.

Looking forward to meeting you all on November 23rd!

Steve Miller
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Today's Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 13 & 14

Christmas Mission 2008

Our Christmas Mission is here! Every year we purchase a personalized gift for over 700 kids, their teachers and the administration staff at Walter Bicket Elem School in Monroe. This is a school that as under-privileged and at high risk kids that attend there.

For the last eight years we have been going there on the last day of school and giving them a huge Christmas program as a large group and then individual parties in each class room. The best part....right now each kid is given a blank Christmas wish list card. On this card they can ask for anything they really want under $25. (The teachers help them..) Starting this Sunday the great people of our church take these tickets, buy the gift specifically for that child, bring it here and then we take two trailers filled with over 700 gifts to the school for each child to unwrap and have a great gift.

The administration shares with us each year that these are basically the only gifts many of these kids will unwrap and get. They love it and it is a great way to Team up with a local school for maximum impact.

You can pick up your personalized ticket starting this Sunday!

Speaking of Christmas.....this year our Christmas series is called Nativity and the entire month of December will have a huge canvas wall (15 feet long and 10 feet high) on the stage that will have a live painting through each service. Our painters will be painting a huge Christmas Mural on the stage while we sing and even while I am speaking.

This Sunday we will be passing out special invitations for you to give to a few people and invite them to the grand opening of this live mural exhibit that starts being painted on December 7th. We are asking each person or family to bring at least one guest on Sunday morning, December 7th, to help us kickoff this creative and unique Christmas series.

Today's Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 12

This is a great chapter that shows very clearly a value of our church. Paul says here that each person should discover their spiritual gifts and then use them in the local church. He compares the church to that of an actual body. Our body is one...but we have different parts that are used to make the body function at it's highest potential. We have arms, ears, eyes and the like. Each has a specific role to play and if it does not work....then the body is not as successful. Same is true with the church. We are like a body with many parts. Guess what? When a few parts choose not to work and function....the church is less dynamic and successful in it's purpose and mission.

I have said it another way for nine years. The local church is like a team. Each person should commit to One Purpose of the team and then understand they have a share in the responsibility to meet that One Purpose. Moreover, as individuals we have to have a personal devotion that enables us to be ready to share in that responsibility.

Veterans Day

Across American today, those who have served in our Nations military will be honored and......they should be! It is a great and noble thing to go and serve one's country. America would not be what we are if not for the brave young men and women who have served and some have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

That is one thing about success and dreams that come true. They always happen because someone has gone ahead of that dream and usually had to sacrifice something of great worth. That sacrifice could be in time, money or even in their life. As we get ready next year to celebrate our church's 10 year anniversary I am always reminded of the personal sacrifice that it took from my family and many others to help lay the ground work for this dream church we now enjoy.

This past Sunday I spoke to a new core group in Kershaw, South Carolina. This, of course, is the site of our first campus in our dream of being one church that has many campuses is places where churches like ours do not exist. I talked briefly to a gathering of about 45 people who are excited about being a part of church...there in Kershaw. I began telling their leaders there about the coming excitement and sacrifice that will be a part of the new campus God is leading us to start there. We are excited to announce that we have a 4,200 square foot warehouse that we are going to lease and this will be the site of our new church campus there. The owner of the warehouse is paying all "up-fitting" cost and we will assume the lease when he is done. This is going to be awesome!

REZONING ALERT: Last night the board made their own motion without discussion to defer the vote until December 9th. They are getting false information from a neighbor about our church and the plans we have. The town council said they need more info before voting. We will be meeting with the people who have questions over the next few weeks. If you live in the city limits of Matthews....Please take the time to call and write each person on the board and express your concern of why THEY are not willing to vote for this basic rezoning. We need 6 out of 7 town council people to vote "yes." I am not sure which ones are holding up the vote, so just send a note to all of them. Let your voting voice be heard in this manner! A couple hundred calls and emails should let them know how passionate their voting public is about this matter.

Today's Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 9-11

Fail Forwrd

Yesterday was such a Failure....no just kidding. As you know we learned about Failing Forward. Every dream you have will have moments of failure. Steps along the journey that are not what you thought would happen and are marked with a failure.

Remember this.....Failure Is Not:
* Avoidable
* The Enemy
* Irreversible
* Final

Failure can be used as a learning step and one that test your resolve! Those who never move because they are afraid of failure....will never live their dreams. Those who stop every time a failed step is taken....will never complete any dream journey. All great God given dreams will have the risk and reality of failure. The difference between living in our dreams or not.....is our perception and response to those failures.

As we have learned as a staff at this church....if you are not having a few failures...you are not trying hard enough and taking enough calculated risk! Dare to Dream.....Act on those dreams......be resolved in your heart to fail forward!

Go to our interactive Believe In Now website to read others dreams and what they are doing and record your own. Myteamchurch.com

Today's Bible Reading 1 Cor 7 & 8

One of the favorite passages of married men! Chapter 7:1-5 talks specifically about few things in marriage. First of all in the troubled times these folks were living, Paul agrees with a statement that he had already made earlier to THESE people about staying single. There are times in a person's life or in the setting in which they are living that getting married is not the smart thing to do.

However, Paul tells them, if they desire to be married and thus sexually active then they should get married even though it may not be the bet time and of course they should only have sex with their spouse. Moreover, Paul addresses an issue that was happing in marriage. That being the issue of the two becoming one. Meaning that when you get married your body no longer belongs to you alone...but to your spouse. Sex in marriage is not only a beautiful event...it is also a need in marriage if the marriage is to be healthy and fulfilling. Paul even gives a warning, never deprive the other from this married act except for mutual consent and because you are devoting yourself to prayer. If a spouse is put on a sex diet.....then Paul says it becomes very hard for that person not to look around at the cheap fast food places around town!

CRAVE

This afternoon our Student Ministry is leaving for a weekend retreat. (What a great weekend God has given them as far the weather.) Please be praying for them as these are special times for teenagers to get away for a few days and refocus, recommit, and set their sights on living a God honoring life.

As many of you know, we launched a new Wednesday night service just for students this Fall. It has been awesome! Every Wednesday night they have averaged over 120 teenagers here for great teaching, worship and a safe place to hang with friends. Great job to Brad Saab and his dynamic Student Ministry Leadership Team. These volunteers put in tons of hours to serve our students. Great job and have fun this weekend!

Speaking of volunteers.....we are looking for some people to serve in one of our largest community service projects and outreach to the community. November 16-18 we will host the Matthews Area Rec Association football banquet here at the church. This is a free service we offer to the Association. The best part is that we will have over a 1,200 players and families here for the event AND we bring in quality speakers to share with the players about Character, Integrity, Academics, Athletics and doing their best. The speakers also share freely about their faith and how God leads in all these areas.

This years speakers:

* Current Carolina Panther and former Butler Bulldog...Kenny Moore.

* Former Panther and Super Bowl winner with the Buccaneers....Casey Weldon

* Head Coach of the Butler Bull Dogs...Mike Newsome

This is a great event that we Team up with every year! If you would like to serve one of the nights....please email chris@charlottesouth.org

Today's Bible Reading Galatians 5 & 6

I love the principle in 6:4 as it says that each of us should test our selves against what God has called us to do. We don't need to compare our self to others...just to what God has asked us to do according to the gifts, passions and opportunities He has given us.

The Water Split

As you know, we have been in a contract for the 38 acres behind our current 20 acre parcel. Since the beginning, the owners have been willing to offer us owner financing over the next 6 years at one payment per year due every January. Our first yearly payment would not be due until January 2010. However, to actually purchase the land and start to use it, we of course had to come up with a higher down payment of 125K at closing. From that point we would own the land and could start using it and immediately make plans for fields, walking trails and of course future expansion.

Our Lead Team had decided that the best course of actions was to refinance our current building loan and use the equity to pay the initial down payment and then use budget money to make the yearly payment to the family. However, as you know, the bottom fell out of our economy and the banks that are not closing.... are not lending either. So, with only a 1/4 of the money needed to close, we "kept walking toward the river" and seeking to get the land rezoned and praying that God would find a way.

Last week two families who love this church and the long term purpose God has for it stepped up in these hard economical times and gave sacrificially. Their gifts gave us a total of 75K to offer to the family as the best we could do with a down payment. We offered this reduction of down payment and no changes to the original contract or payments for 2 years and "stepped into the water" that is economically raging at flood status toward our dream.

God showed up and the family has accepted our much lower down payment offer and no additional money needed until 2011. The final rezoning should happen this Monday night and we will close on those beautiful 38 acres behind us on Tuesday. Securing this property with owner financing was a smart treat 9 months ago......who would have ever known that it would be the only way to go in these banking crisis times. Now, we can continue to move forward with our long-range dream of having a large campus on the corner of 485/74 that impacts our city in amazing ways. This dream is both short term and longterm....and it starts with small steps.

Dreams that come from God are worth pursuing......be here Sunday as we look at how to Fail Forward when our dreams hit bumps in the road.

How is your personal dream life going? I read today on the Myteamchurch.com site about a mom in our church hat has started taking drum lessons because she always had a dream to play the drums in a band....but never MOVED. She is moving now and having a blast!

Today's Bible Reading Galatians 3 & 4

Galatians 3:28-29 is a great verse for our wonderful new presidential reality. It says that in Christ their is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. What this means is that if anyone of any nationality, color or gender has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior then God sees us all the same with no favoritism. God does not like one person anymore than another and each person on this earth has the privilege of coming to faith in Jesus Christ through the grace offered on the cross.

This is the verse my good friend, Pastor Stacey Lemay, used a few months ago when he brought his predominately black church to join with us for a great baptism service where black and white were baptized here in an amazing display of racial harmony when we are all in Christ! We will be doing that again at the first of the year.

A New President!

The results are in. Obama is the new President elect. I am not ashamed or scared to mention that I voted and supported the guy who lost. I do agree with Senator McCain that although I disagree with most of Obama's civil and moral views.....he is our President and deserves our respect and support. In so many ways this election has the appearance of promise and hope. It is a great day for all American's in the fact that an African American has been elected to the highest position. My prayer is that much of what has been promised actually happens in Washington. We can only pray and ask for God's best!

Speaking of God's Best......

Our Myteamchurch.com website is buzzing with people reading and many writing down their Dreams and now action plans. I encourage you to go there and read some of the stuff our church folks our dreaming about.

This Sunday we will talk about Failing Forward. How do you continue taking strategic faith steps when you experience set backs and failure. You should know that nothing great is ever dreamed or accomplished without risk of Failure. You should also know that most BIG dreams only are realized once you have over come failure.

Today's Bible Reading Galatians Chapter 1 & 2

The Book of Galatians is a book about how to live your life in the fullness of the Grace of God. Paul starts the book of by reminding us that the gospel (good news of Jesus Christ and how to be saved) does not change. It does not get tweaked with new generations and new "learning's." It stays the same. Paul was clear that he was not looking for the approval of men....but of God. In Chapter 2 we read about Paul apposing Peter to his face. Paul said that he did this.."because Peter was clearly wrong." Peter had become weak and subservient to the religious and political leaders who were teaching that Gentiles were different than Jews and could not have salvation in the same way.

Personal Or Private On Two Big Issues

Today is the big election! I hope you all go out and vote!

In my life I have found that there are a two things that Christian people keep quiet about as they claim it is a private matter. However, I personally don't agree that when you look at these two issues that they are private. They are very personal.....but I have never understood why they are private.

One issue is that of "who did you vote for?" The way I see it, if you are an informed voter and you have voted in line with your values, your social views and in line with how you view civil policies.....then why not share with people who you voted for? Why all the secrecy?

If your person loses....hey, at least you voted and you know what you believe and why you voted. If your person wins or loses...and is unpopular in your circle of friends...stand up and be proud of your beliefs. In my experience, the people who shy away from telling who they voted for do so because they are really clueless to why they voted and they don't want anyone to challenge their views....because they can't defend themselves. Or....the person they voted for goes against the values they say they believe in.....but they wanted to vote for that person for financial issues or other issues that do not seem to be as "value" driven as the one the person they voted for stands against. They are embarrassed to let people know who they voted for because they know the values of their peers goes against that of the candidate they just voted. To me it is silly and border line spineless. If you feel good enough about a person to vote for them.......don't be ashamed to tell people!

The second issue is that of tithing to your local church. Christian people believe that God tells us to bring our money to the local church so that we show our trust, honor and obedience to God through that act of giving. Moreover, everyone knows that the local church functions solely on the money given by it's faithful members. So, as simple as it is to see that God commands it and the church needs it to function...why are Christians so hush hush about what they give to their local church. Again, people will say it is a private matter. This is not actually true because it is a command of God......it is a personal matter that each person must decide if they are going to do...but it is not private.

Again, in my experience, the people who are not willing to tell if they tithe to a local church are the people who do not feel good about their decision. They make the decision every month but don't believe it to be one that matches what they say are their values and beliefs....so they would rather not have to explain why they don't give. They just say it is a private matter.

Again, if you are an informed person who knows why you do or do not give....then stand up for your beliefs and be proud of your choice. If you do not give a tithe to your local church and someone asks you about it....tell them..."I do not believe that I should give to God through my church, so I do not give." Hey, at least your honest about it. If you do give....say with grace and humility..."I believe the Bible teaches that each person is responsible to bring God a tithe of his/her income. I believe this honors God and enables the local church to do what God says a church should do. So, I budget and give." No bragging...just stating truth.

I believe these two issues are personal....but why all quiet secrecy? If you believe...act....and don't be afraid to stand up for your beliefs either way. However, in my opinion, we don't need to be silent of these two issues. I have never met a person whose actions match their beliefs and who is not willing to share how they act.

When people ask me today....I will say, "I cast my vote for John MCcain." Moreover, if you were wondering.....the Hibbard family gives at the least 10% of our incomes every year to our church.


Today's Bible Reading shows Jesus ready to share what is true about what he believes....even if it cost Him his life.

Today's Bible Reading Mark 15 & 16

Chapter 15:2 Pilate ask Jesus..."are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus was simple and clear. "Yes, it is as you say!" Knowing that was the accusation that would have him killed...Jesus let his beliefs determine his actions and was not afraid to tell the answer.

ACTivate

Are you ready to stop being just a "Dreamer" and start actualizing and living in your dream? Many people told me yesterday they were ready to put a plan into action and start stepping toward their dream.

Here are the Steps To ACTivating your dream:


1) Let Your Yes be Yes!

2) Write your dream down as specifically as you can?

3) Make an internal commitment to actively pursue the dream.

4) Write out the steps as best as you can see and know.

5) Take the Steps AND MOVE!

Remember God will only allow you to know only so much for sure AND He is always willing to move in miraculous after you take your step. Dreams come true..step by step as God leads us.

Have you gone to our Myteamchurch web site and recorded your dream? Now is the time to go there and read what others are saying and also record your dream. Learn from others. Encourage others.

Dare to Dream and then Activate those dreams.

Today's Bible Reading Mark 13 & 14

Chapter 13 is all about the end of the World. Many scholars come and go when they predict a certain time and date. These verses tell us that no one knows but God Himself. Of course books have been written talking about the "signs" that have to happen that allow you to know that the end is coming. However, no one knows.

Verses 32-37 say that we must all be on our guard. I believe that we must live every week as if it could be the last week of our lives. We must live our lives with a sense of Spiritual urgency. Sharing our faith and seeking to help people come to Christ.

Of course, with the election tomorrow, some have said that if their pick does not win...."then it is the end of the world." That most likely is not correct. However, this is an important election and everyone should go and vote! Some have also said..."well, if _________ wins that must be what God wants and he is going to ________ because of it." As I said yesterday, that is bogus theology and an excuse. God is in control of all governments. However, he allows people to make choices and then live with them. Nero, Hitler, Saddam and other ruthless and godless leaders came to power and led their countries not because the "will of God" but because God allows people to choose and then live with those choices.

Get out and vote and we will pray for God's best.

Set Your Clocks Back

Here are two things every person who reads this BLOG should do on Sunday morning. If you do these two things.....you will have the best possible experience on Sunday.

Number One: Set your clocks back on Saturday night. If you do this you will arrive on time and enjoy the fullness of the service. If you do not.....you will arrive early and have to sit around while waiting for the next service to start. Of course, for many of you....since you are normally 15-20 minutes late......this will mean that you are only 40 minutes early from the start of the service. HA HA

Number Two: Bring a new person with you. We hear all the time of the great things that are happening in the lives of the people who come to our church. If you bring a person with you on Sunday, both you and that person have a better Sunday. They are introduced to a great God, great Church and a place that seeks to reach them where they are and lead them to full devotion to Christ. YOU are able to learn, be motivated and worship while also knowing you made an impact on someone else.

Never forget.....we are to be people who are sharing our faith and bringing people to check out our amazing God at our incredible church.

See you "On-Time" and with a someone this Sunday.

Today's Bible Reading Mark Chapter 7 & 8

Chapter 7:20-23 restates what I said yesterday. When you and I as Christians have evil thoughts, sexual lust in our mind, and the like....this comes from our hearts and not because the Devil made you think it. Jesus said it comes from our hearts! Ouch! We need to keep our minds and hearts pure and clean. If we do this, then we start to notice our minds thoughts staying pure.

Chapter 8:1-13 Never forget the lesson of the feeding of the 4,000 people. Jesus takes what we have and is willing to use it for His glory....but we must be willing to give Him what we have and trust in Him. God is willing to do miracles in your life, but you have to be willing to trust Him and put your complete faith in Him.

What is my main issue?

Election Day is almost here. In a few days Americans will go to the polls to cast their vote for our next President. As usual, this is a very important presidential vote. I am always confused and concerned when people are asked...."what is the most important issue in this election that will determine who you vote for"....and people give these kinds of answers :
* The economy
* The war in Iraq
* Immigration
* Health Care

I would agree that those are important issues. However, we are electing a person who is asked to lead a democracy not a dictatorship. All of those issues will be dealt with based on the persons philosophy and personal values in each matter. However, there are no magic wands and the next President can't walk in and make changes with a dictatorial stamp. Our Government does not work that way. Moreover, the President's greatest leadership test are not the known challenges....the greatest decisions are made in those that come as emergencies. No one campaigned in 2000 saying...."what I will do when Terrorist attack our nation is __________." No one campaigned in 2004 saying...."when a huge Hurricane wipes out the gulf coast I will _________." Everyone says what they would have done when the dust settles and the facts are all out on the table. That is not leadership but historical imaging.

So, when someone asked me the other day what I thought the greatest issue was in electing a President THIS year.....I gave them my opinion. I said that for me it does not matter what year it is....the greatest issue is the person and not the issues.

For me as a Christian first and American second, my greatest issue to vote on is about Christian Character, Proven Valued Focused Leadership, Biblical Morals, Integrity and the record of leadership and voting that parallels what I believe are Biblical values. For me, I believe that all known challenges and unknown certainties can be met and navigated through by a person who seeks God, makes decisions based on Biblical values and surrounds himself with others who are known Christian thinkers and leaders. If a President has those traits going for Him or Her in real life and not just in political imaging....then that is my main issue.

If both candidates are equal on Christian Character, Biblical Values Voting, Proven Leadership and the like....then I go to how they view the other hot topic issues. However, if one candidate does not hold my same Biblical, social and leadership values...he does not get my vote. I am more interested in values that have been lived out in the past...because that is a sign of what will be lived out in the future. What a leader says during a campaign does not matter to me as much as the values that have marked their life up until the time to vote. That is my main issue. Challenges will come and go.....a person's commitment to God and His Values stand the test of time.

Don't forget to vote.....it is an American privilege.

Today's Bible Reading Mark 5 & 6

Mark 5:1-20 Fitting we would read about demon possession the day before Halloween. I always get asked demon possession questions this time of year. Here are the top questions I get and the answers.

1) Can a Demon possess a Christian? No!
2) Can a Demon Possess a non-Christian? Yes...but I would say that it does not happen very often.

3) Can a Demon or the Devil make a Christian have a bad thought by putting something into their mind? No!

4) Are Demons under the complete authority of God? Yes....they cannot do anything that God does not allow them to do.

5) Have you ever met a Demon possessed person? No....But I have seen people who have allowed themselves to fall so far away from what is true and right that they begin to act with what the Bible calls a depraved mind.

Unanimous

Last night the Planning Board voted Unanimous to approve our rezoning. The last hurdle is on November 10th when the Town Board will take that recommendation and cast their final vote. Things are moving forward.....we continue to Dare to Dream at our church and that means moving forward. Keep praying and keep supporting our dream of Expand so that we can create a life-changing campus that reaches and impacts our city!

Have you been to our Believe In Now website and wrote out your God given Dreams? If not....go read what so of the great Dreams that people have. Here is the site myteamchurch.com


Use this as a tool to invite friends this Sunday. I will very clearly give you the "fool-proof" how to reach your dreams message. If you are a person who has never really seen your dreams happen.....don't miss this Sunday.

Today's Bible Reading Mark Chapter 3 & 4

In Chapter 4 verses 1-20 we get a good lesson on a very important part of reaching our dreams. It is the ability to hear and then ACT on the word's of God. Our God given dreams will be determined by our ability to know God, trust God, follow God and then do what God tells us to do. That is what was said of Caleb and Joshua....they followed God with a passion and wholeheartedly.

What is God asking you to do? Are you doing it?

Resilience

I hate ants! Especially the little red devils that bite you and it stings and burns like hot needles being driven into your feet. However, as you might know, the book of Proverbs uses the ant as a teaching tool to illustrate a few character traits that you and I should strive to have.

I have discovered another one personally. It is Resilience! I have a cement drive way and of course a cement parking area in my garage. Where the drive way ends and the garage begins there is a joint or crack where one ends and the other begins. This is also the exact same place where the garage door comes down and hits near when it is closed. The joint is actually just inside the door making it in the garage when the door is closed.

Last week I noticed that ants had come from under the ground and up through that joint and made a massive red dirt wall on each side of the joint. Each wall stretched about 18 inches. I was impressed with their wall but it was red and filled with ants. So....I took my broom and sweep their hard work away. I stepped on the ants that were scrambling for safety and thought my work was complete. The next morning.....same exact thing. This time I swept it away and poured bleach in the joint. "That will fix them!" Two days later the red wall was back and larger this time. "You have got to be kidding me..." To cheap to go and get ant killer....I swept them away again and this time poured 2-3 different kinds of "cleaning chemicals" into the crack.

Guess what? You guess it...Sunday morning when I was leaving the walls were back and now were even larger and going in 4 different directions. Unbelievable! They keep coming back again and again....today I swept them away again and poured Coke in the crack. I will let you know if that worked!

Here is the point.....those little ants are determined and resilient! As you Dare to Dream never forget that many times God given dreams...BIG and small....will sometimes takes the resilience of an ant!

DON'T Forget to go to http://myteamchurch.com/blog and read all the dreams and then post your own. Have fun with this site and respond to others that you read about.

Today's Bible Reading Mark 1

The book of Mark is great.....this chapter has a few different clips of Jesus doing great things. However, I want to focus on verse 35. It says that very early in the morning, Jesus got up and went and prayed. This is Jesus.....and He knows that He needs to spend time talking, thinking and having personal worship with His Heavenly Father.

What about you? Do you take time to Pray? Take time to sit and chat with God? I need it, you need and Jesus modeled it. As we position ourselves for great Dreams....remember all God given Dreams start with having time with God.

Dare To Dream interactive VLOG/BLOG

Yesterday was a fun day. I hope you took some time to put your feet up and start the process of Daring To Dream. Here are the three things that you will need to do to get started in this daring process.

Allow Your God Given Desires To Soar:

Do you really believe that God has more for you to experience than what you are doing now? If so, begin to day dream and let your heart's desire soar. Just ask your self questions like....what do I really enjoy doing, what are some things I would like to accomplish? What desires and passions has God placed in me that are unmistakable?

Don't allow the Box Life mentality ground you:

Your Past does not have to paralyze you. Don't have a fear of what people might say and don't shrink back and be hindered by hurdles that you think are there.

Keep Yous Focus On God:

God powered and guided dreams will never NOT succeed!


This simple mental and soulful assent will allow you to begin the process of Daring To Dream! Also, don't forget that we have a SPECIAL website for this series. This website is an interactive video and written BLOG site where you can share your dreams, learn and be encouraged from others and I will also be posting helpful replies. The site is www.myteamchurch.com/blog

Have fun with it!

Today's Bible Reading Acts 27 & 28

Today ends our journey through the book of Acts. I love chapter 27. It shows us that no matter how tough life looks...God is always in control for those who Love and Follow God. Paul was a prisoner on a ship that was blown to bits in a 14 day Hurricane. That does not appear to be "the Blessings of God" that is promised to those who follow God wholeheartedly. However, remember that God never promised what we think he has promised.......He never promised and easy life full of wealth, ease of life and healthy homes. What He promised is that in the middle of the storms He would care for us. What He promised is that He would use life's hard times to show Himself powerful through us as we obey and trust Him.

I love the fact that the Roman guards and leaders on the ship went from not listening to Paul to doing whatever he said. In the middle of the storm Paul took bread and blessed it and in a sense had communion with them while the ship was being battered. That is a GREAT picture of trust in God! I also find it curious that once they were able to board another ship to sail...Paul was still a prisoner who had to stand trial.

What storm are you in right now? Have you decided to trust God in and through the storm? Like the ship in the story.....if you stay with God and does what He says...you will be fine. If you leave the safety of obedience to God.......you may find yourself swimming alone.

A cold practice.....but life lessons

My Pop Warner football team had practice as usual last night. As you know, it was colder than normal for this time of year. With the temps dropping and attention spans following them.....I wanted to make sure I finished the practice off with some encouraging words about what it means to be on a Team. This was especially needed as we head into the final few games and we are 3-3 as a team. Not bad...but not great. I wanted to remind them that even though we are out of the playoffs we sill have three goals to aim for this season. We want to have fun in all we do, we want to have a winning record and we want to win the MARA Bowl.

I shared with them that no matter what they do in life that when they are in a group, team or even church....there are three aspects of being in these entities that are common...if they are to be successful. These are:

One Purpose: Every team knows what is the main purpose or vision. It is stated, it is clear and it is specifically singular.

Shared Responsibility: Every person must know and do their part or role.

Personal Devotion: Each person is committed to being their best and doing what they have to do personally so that they can do their part and fulfill their responsibility.

Very simple.....but very meaningful.

Did you know that those are the same three things that define Biblical Fellowship. The term Fellowship and Team are synonymous! Question for you as a part of this Fellowship or Team....Do you know our One Purpose as a church? Do you share in the responsibilities of achieving that purpose? Are you personally devoted to growing so that you can fulfill your role?


Today's Bible Reading Acts 19 & 20

The first part of chapter 19 seems confusing. We read about people being baptized but not receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit. Here is why.....John the Baptist had traveled to this area and preached about the One who would come... The Messiah. He told them to pray to God and ask for forgiveness and begin to live a God honoring life because the Messiah was coming. These folks heard, believed and were baptized based on John's preaching and then they used baptism as an outward sign of their commitment they had just made. However, at that time, when they showed their faith in what John was saying...Jesus had yet to be crucified, buried and risen again. They had put their faith in the One who would do all those things as John told them....it had not happened yet.

By the time Paul travels to this outback place....They had been living and honoring God the way John had told them. However, no one had told them that the Messiah had come and was killed and risen again. Once Paul told them....they were able to place their faith in the Risen Lord and just like you and I they were able to become Christ followers and have the Risen Lord live in them through the Holy Spirit...just like you and me.

Those were special times and special circumstances. Like none the world had ever seen or would ever see again. They were living in the times of Christ....before His death and of course like us...after His death and resurrection.

The Question many have is this....Can you "accept Jesus one day and then only later when a preacher lays his hands on you get the Holy Spirit?" No.....it is all at one time deal for any of us living post resurrection. When you and I ask Jesus to be our savior...we receive the Holy Spirit immediately.

So what is all the antics on TV when the Preacher is running around hitting people and they "are receiving the Holy Spirit" because he touched them? Just that....antics.

Spelling Test

Last night before he went to bed and then again at our weekly breakfast meeting this morning...I helped my son study for his spelling test. Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't? Me...the king of misspelled words... helping him with his spelling.

However, there we were in the restaurant going over spelling words. I would give him the word and he would write it on a napkin. He said to me...."I hate spelling test!" I wanted to say...."me too!" But I did not! I told him that spelling test were a way to make sure that each student studies and learns how to correctly spell common words. I reminded him that Test are designed to make sure he is learning the information. If he did not have Test....he and his teachers would not have a measure of what is being learned and what is not. Information that is not tested is an unknown quantity. You can say you know something....but unless you are tested....you have no way of really knowing if you understand it and really have comprehended it.

As soon as I gave him that little speech.....I soon felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me..."same is true with faith and other godly principles I say that I have knowledge of from the Bible."

These are "testing" times for many people in many different areas. Try not to begrudge the test...see them as an opportunity to prove your knowledge in an area and your ability to do the right thing.

Today's Bible Reading Acts 17 & 18

These verses show that Paul was a man who understood the information and theology of God and His ways. However, the Bereans were people who also knew what the Holy Scripture said and they would listen to Paul and then check what he said against the truth of the scriptures.

I am always amazed when I hear some pastors teach or read a book by a pastor and realize how incorrect their teaching is when compared to what the Bible says. However, people just take what they say as being true. That is crazy!

Moreover, we also read that Paul was tested by circumstances too. He would find himself "tested" to see if what he believed about God was really what he "actually" lived out.

Bambino Baseball

As many of you know, my Daughter Ellie has severe mental and physical handicaps. She has enough issues that we were forced to place her in a special home last Spring. That was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. However, seven months after being there she is doing really well and she loves her new home and seems to be thriving.

She is doing so well that last Sunday we took her to play in her first baseball game. That's right.....Ellie played in a baseball game that is especially designed for kids with special needs and challenges. MARA has a great program on a few Sunday afternoons for special need kids called Bambino Baseball. It is volunteer run by a few wonderful coaches that are already involved in many other sports at MARA. They give their time and energy to help these kids and their families have just a slice of normality as a kid.

Each special needs kid gets a "buddy" that plays along side of them. This "buddy" helps them do the things that they can not do. For example...the buddy may stop the ground ball then hand it to the special needs kid who then attempts to throw it. In more severe cases the buddy may have to help the player run or know what direction to run in and the like.

This past Sunday was great as my 10 year son, Peyton, was Ellie's "buddy". She had a good time. She of course had to have her metal walker and could not do much in the field. However, when it came time to swing the bat and then run...she had a ball. Peyton would help her swing and then she would follow fast after him to each base. Most of the time....he would have to help her in the last stretch of the base running. It was a beautiful cool fall day and for the first time in her life....Ellie was playing a sport and had our Home Team and other friends there cheering for her.

I share this as an update on how well Ellie is doing and to remind you of what good can come about when people have vision to help others. Always remember that the vision of our church is so much more than one hour Sunday Services. The vision for our 60 acre campus is so that we can provide a location for our city to come and have their lives changed. That can be with special needs kids on a baseball field, a single mom's car care garage here that functions to help those in need, a gym for teenagers, class rooms for kids to learn the Bible, a studio for those with music gifts to train and produce the worship that moves us and the list goes on and on........

Our vision and passion is to impact this city in many, many, many various ways. Are you ready to really change our community, city and world?

Today's Bible Reading Acts 15 & 16

Many people read these passages and wonder..."how could Paul and Barnabas get into a fight so bad that they split ways?" Answer: They were human just like you and me and they had pride, jealously and other sinful desires that fueled their disagreements.

For a time, Mark had not kept the same values as Paul in the acceptance of non Jewish Christians based on faith alone. Mark was pushing for the Gentiles to have to follow some Jewish "outward" traditions before they could be "Christians." He also left them high and dry in the middle of a tough trip. Paul did not want to bring him again.

Barnabas disagreed and thought they should give him another chance. They went their separate ways. The end of the story works out as both men were successful with new partners. The point is that good people can disagree....and if they will continue to do what God tells them for the right reasons....then and only then can God use what started out as a negative in a positive way.

do you have anything happening in your life that is maybe a negative but.....if you do the right thing and follow God...he can use it soon for His Glory?

Believe In Now Starts This Sunday

This Sunday we will start a new series entitled: Believe In Now

This is a great series as we as a nation face many challenges. It is a much needed series as we as individuals are living in current times that are nothing like many of us have ever had to live in before. This is a series about having Big Dreams and what it takes to see them come true. This is a series that will show you how to live your best life now....as you prepare for a dynamic future.

This is a series for everyone who has been told you will never amount to anything. For the person who thinks that their past has to be the same as their future. This is a series for anyone who wants to find out how they can align their life with God's will so that they achieve more than they ever thought possible.

This is a series for those who want to be successful in the small things of life as well as the big dreams. For those who are not satisfied with status-quo in their life and want to live the blessed life that God desires for you. In this series we will look at the stories of great people in the Bible (Joseph, Caleb and Joshua)and see how they were able to Believe In Now and watch God give them the desires of their heart as they followed Him with passion.

Here are the life changing and pro-active message titles:

Believe In Now

October 26th Dare To Dream
November 2nd Say Yes...Action Steps To Living Your Dreams
November 9th Fail Forward...never give up!
November 16th Creating A Dream Team
November 23rd Team Church

Invite a friend this week who needs to hear about how they too can have and achieve their dreams! Don't be shy....invite your friends. I know that many of you stayed away and did not invite your friends to our Sex & Sensibility series because of the subject matter. Everyone needs to and can hear this series!

Today's Bible Reading Acts 13 and 14

These chapters chronicle the missionary journeys of Paul and Barnabas. Can you imagine sailing on a ship to all these places to spread the good news of Christ to those who had never heard and plant churches in such places. Big Dreams...Big Risk...Big Results.

While reading through this morning I read again a life verse of mine. One that I read back in College and determined that was a dream God had laid on my heart that He would fulfill as I passionately followed Him. Chapter 13 verse 36 says "when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep."

You may be thinking....crazy life verse. Not really....it was simple to me then. I want to serve God in my own generation and help reach those in my generation that have rejected or never heard for Jesus Christ. That has been my calling and purpose since I became a youth pastor when I was 18. God gave me a dream then...

Do you have a verse that is special to you?