Latest Pastor's Pen for members
Hey church! Here's all the news fit to print at FSC.. I try to make it skimmable.
Worth watching: I was sent this conversation with Grok Ai. Grok 4 now works at a higher level than any PHD on the planet (genius) and spoiler alert: it concluded that evolution is about as likely as a chocolate teapot and that Christianity checks all the boxes for an Intelligent Designer. Boom!
As well, if you are interested in eschatology (study of end times) Jimmy Evans lays out a “possible” rapture window as soon as September 25 (yes, this year!). Before we all start marking our calendars in disappearing ink, remember—Jesus told us to stay ready, not to play hide-and-seek with prophecy dates. So pack your spiritual snack bag, keep your eyes peeled for His return, look but hold loosely to videos like this and let’s journey together with excitement.
Worth reading: Parents, this page needs to be bookmarked! It gives parents guides to all kinds of conversations with your kids like Hearing God’s voice, Dealing with anxiety or Pornography.
Worth Listening to: An excellent Billy Graham message
Missions vision:
Each year we launch our Major Missions Project—our way of obeying Acts 1:8 by sending God’s love in ever-widening circles: from our own “Jerusalem,” to our “Judea,” on through “Samaria,” and out to the unreached 10/40 Window (the “uttermost parts” between 10 degrees and 40 latitude on the globe). We’ve “adopted” the Kurdish people as our heart’s focus—please pray for our small teaching team heading to the Middle East next month! Last year we stayed close to home with the Chrome Project in Marianna (our Judea), but in 2025 we’re all in on the new Sound Discipleship Program and launching in a fresh location (our Jerusalem). Next year, we’ll return full steam to our unreached Kurdish outreach (.1% Christian).
For this year’s MMP, our goals are twofold: pay down the $237K mortgage on our new facility and buy a used box truck (with a lift gate!) for our food pantry—which already feeds 300 families each week but is bursting at the seams. Please prayerfully consider how you can join in advancing our mission. It truly is a joy to serve together—especially because, if Jesus does show up on September 25th, what good would a big bank balance have been? ?If God puts it on your heart, put on the memo line: mortgage or MMP.
Speaking of Generosity: I read that the narrative by which we filter our world determines how we react. If we think this world is all we have, then we’ll tend to attempt to squeeze everything out of it. If it is a blip in advance of an eternity in paradise, we’ll act accordingly, especially when it comes to our “treasure”. Thanks for your faithful giving! Here is a PSA: We have new out of the box giving links
Crypto: https://platform.engiven.com/give/17158/widget/31558
Stocks: https://platform.engiven.com/give/17158/widget/31559
Up and Coming:
Mini Missions trip at Camp Impact. As a pastor, I have been blessed to do several retreats at low or no cost. I would like to repay the favor forward to other pastors and their families. I asked my brother-in-law who owns camp impact if I could host a retreat for pastors and he said yes. So we are going to do a mini missions trip Oct. 19-21 (two nights) where we travel Sunday from here and return Tuesday afternoon. I need volunteers to clean up, check in families, act as monitors for the swim area and to put together a couple of family-friendly games. There will be a lot of free time. If you are interested in this no cost missions trip, please email me and we can serve these families together.
1 Peter: in September we are diving deep into 1 Peter. Here is a blog post entry to see what’s ahead and get ready!
Marriage class: For my most important horizontal relationship, I want great. Not just settle for good. That means intentionality. I read books on being a better husband and I try to attend a marriage conference and a retreat every year with Robin. At the end of August we have our Adventures in Marriage conference which is designed to give the tools to learn how to communicate (the #1 indicator of a vibrant marriage). It’s free and if you complete it, you get $50! Win! Or Oct.3-5 Weekend to remember.
Prayer Opportunities: Check out Phyllis’s blog post on upcoming opportunities. The Tabernacle experiences is amazing. My favorite ministry opportunity is praying at 8am Sundays and during the services.
What goes through a pastor’s head:
Worth Considering: 10% post pandemic still ONLY watch online. In fact, 25 million Americans primarily watch only online! Now, I am not against online experiences, but you do miss out on elements of community. Check out this article though on the real purpose of online church. But also consider this… A study by Crossroads Church also found that there are 73 million people in America who are interested in a conversation about Jesus and would simultaneously not come to a church building on Sunday morning to have that conversation. This new perspective changes the initial invitation. Instead of inviting people to an event on Sunday morning, they can invite them into content and community first. Don’t underestimate this. It’s a game-changer, and it’s giving churches a new sense of reach and impact. This means sharing a particularly impactful message on your social media feed can be incredibly helpful. I read books and watch messages all the time that others suggest on their posts, saying what impact it made, so if something about your faith experience impacts you (a message, a post and event), post and comment. Also, EVERYONE I talk to says they looked at the google reviews, then watched online first before coming to the church. Our online presence matters, so please give a google 5-star review and post messages to your feeds! It’s just the way the world operates now.
Friendly Reminder: Along the same lines, there is a growing trend across our nation: church attendance has fallen to its lowest ebb in decades, with fewer than half of believers gathering weekly. Yet Scripture reminds us to “not neglect to meet together” (Hebrews 10:25). It is not optional but essential—for encouragement, accountability, and the deepening of our faith. When we choose convenience over community, we rob ourselves of the strength, hope, and wisdom God provides through worship and fellowship. I challenge each of us: for your own spiritual health and the flourishing of our church family, let’s reclaim the habit of faithfully gathering, not out of obligation, but because our hearts truly need the life and light of Christ among His people. Check out this interesting article on weekly church attendance.
Worth watching: I was sent this conversation with Grok Ai. Grok 4 now works at a higher level than any PHD on the planet (genius) and spoiler alert: it concluded that evolution is about as likely as a chocolate teapot and that Christianity checks all the boxes for an Intelligent Designer. Boom!
As well, if you are interested in eschatology (study of end times) Jimmy Evans lays out a “possible” rapture window as soon as September 25 (yes, this year!). Before we all start marking our calendars in disappearing ink, remember—Jesus told us to stay ready, not to play hide-and-seek with prophecy dates. So pack your spiritual snack bag, keep your eyes peeled for His return, look but hold loosely to videos like this and let’s journey together with excitement.
Worth reading: Parents, this page needs to be bookmarked! It gives parents guides to all kinds of conversations with your kids like Hearing God’s voice, Dealing with anxiety or Pornography.
Worth Listening to: An excellent Billy Graham message
Missions vision:
Each year we launch our Major Missions Project—our way of obeying Acts 1:8 by sending God’s love in ever-widening circles: from our own “Jerusalem,” to our “Judea,” on through “Samaria,” and out to the unreached 10/40 Window (the “uttermost parts” between 10 degrees and 40 latitude on the globe). We’ve “adopted” the Kurdish people as our heart’s focus—please pray for our small teaching team heading to the Middle East next month! Last year we stayed close to home with the Chrome Project in Marianna (our Judea), but in 2025 we’re all in on the new Sound Discipleship Program and launching in a fresh location (our Jerusalem). Next year, we’ll return full steam to our unreached Kurdish outreach (.1% Christian).
For this year’s MMP, our goals are twofold: pay down the $237K mortgage on our new facility and buy a used box truck (with a lift gate!) for our food pantry—which already feeds 300 families each week but is bursting at the seams. Please prayerfully consider how you can join in advancing our mission. It truly is a joy to serve together—especially because, if Jesus does show up on September 25th, what good would a big bank balance have been? ?If God puts it on your heart, put on the memo line: mortgage or MMP.
Speaking of Generosity: I read that the narrative by which we filter our world determines how we react. If we think this world is all we have, then we’ll tend to attempt to squeeze everything out of it. If it is a blip in advance of an eternity in paradise, we’ll act accordingly, especially when it comes to our “treasure”. Thanks for your faithful giving! Here is a PSA: We have new out of the box giving links
Crypto: https://platform.engiven.com/give/17158/widget/31558
Stocks: https://platform.engiven.com/give/17158/widget/31559
Up and Coming:
Mini Missions trip at Camp Impact. As a pastor, I have been blessed to do several retreats at low or no cost. I would like to repay the favor forward to other pastors and their families. I asked my brother-in-law who owns camp impact if I could host a retreat for pastors and he said yes. So we are going to do a mini missions trip Oct. 19-21 (two nights) where we travel Sunday from here and return Tuesday afternoon. I need volunteers to clean up, check in families, act as monitors for the swim area and to put together a couple of family-friendly games. There will be a lot of free time. If you are interested in this no cost missions trip, please email me and we can serve these families together.
1 Peter: in September we are diving deep into 1 Peter. Here is a blog post entry to see what’s ahead and get ready!
Marriage class: For my most important horizontal relationship, I want great. Not just settle for good. That means intentionality. I read books on being a better husband and I try to attend a marriage conference and a retreat every year with Robin. At the end of August we have our Adventures in Marriage conference which is designed to give the tools to learn how to communicate (the #1 indicator of a vibrant marriage). It’s free and if you complete it, you get $50! Win! Or Oct.3-5 Weekend to remember.
Prayer Opportunities: Check out Phyllis’s blog post on upcoming opportunities. The Tabernacle experiences is amazing. My favorite ministry opportunity is praying at 8am Sundays and during the services.
What goes through a pastor’s head:
Worth Considering: 10% post pandemic still ONLY watch online. In fact, 25 million Americans primarily watch only online! Now, I am not against online experiences, but you do miss out on elements of community. Check out this article though on the real purpose of online church. But also consider this… A study by Crossroads Church also found that there are 73 million people in America who are interested in a conversation about Jesus and would simultaneously not come to a church building on Sunday morning to have that conversation. This new perspective changes the initial invitation. Instead of inviting people to an event on Sunday morning, they can invite them into content and community first. Don’t underestimate this. It’s a game-changer, and it’s giving churches a new sense of reach and impact. This means sharing a particularly impactful message on your social media feed can be incredibly helpful. I read books and watch messages all the time that others suggest on their posts, saying what impact it made, so if something about your faith experience impacts you (a message, a post and event), post and comment. Also, EVERYONE I talk to says they looked at the google reviews, then watched online first before coming to the church. Our online presence matters, so please give a google 5-star review and post messages to your feeds! It’s just the way the world operates now.
Friendly Reminder: Along the same lines, there is a growing trend across our nation: church attendance has fallen to its lowest ebb in decades, with fewer than half of believers gathering weekly. Yet Scripture reminds us to “not neglect to meet together” (Hebrews 10:25). It is not optional but essential—for encouragement, accountability, and the deepening of our faith. When we choose convenience over community, we rob ourselves of the strength, hope, and wisdom God provides through worship and fellowship. I challenge each of us: for your own spiritual health and the flourishing of our church family, let’s reclaim the habit of faithfully gathering, not out of obligation, but because our hearts truly need the life and light of Christ among His people. Check out this interesting article on weekly church attendance.
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