Sunday Wrap Up October 7, 2008

Usually I’m good for a Monday entry about what happened on Sunday, but seriously, Sunday was SOOO amazing that I needed to rest a little and let the thoughts percolate in my head before I committed to writing about it.

In the past three days I’m going on about 10 hours of sleep…so forgive me if I don’t make sense.

Sunday morning I wake up to go to sermon at 8:30. My mom came with me. It had been a while since she had come because she had broken her leg and it was too painful to go to Church, stand in line, walk around, worship, stand for the reading if he asked us to, and so on and so forth. Well, her leg is just about all better, so she came with me. It was nice not to have to sit alone.
The sermon was about sex. Not like, skirting around it, really vague, wait until you’re older and we’ll talk about it sex. It was from Song of Songs, the honeymoon part. And it was real sex. And he talked about real sex, anything there was to be covered about sex, he covered it.
Then, he decided that since the entire series was about relationships and healthy marriages, he wanted to jump start all the married couples and sponsored a date night. For every single married couple in the church. They got cards, picked a restaurant, and within the next two weeks you go to that place and get a $30 gift card. And they’ll reimburse childcare. How cool is that?

okay skip to Quest. no lesson plan. And Motion is short quite a few small group leaders, so I head over to Motion to help out. I get second graders, and it was really fun. They learned about behaving, and the Bible verse was Ephesians 5:7-10. I think. We played charades on different things that’s difficult to demonstrate Christ-like behavior, and good choices you can make during the week. We had discussion questions, and, the coolest part to me, prayer cards. Each child received a card to write specific requests and what they were going to commit to during the week according to the Bible lesson. It was really cool.  I grabbed them all up at the end of the day and put them all in my journal. They’re all too sweet and each one made a really good commitment for the week. I’m proud of our church’s next generations of Christ Seekers.

Then, later that night we had a night of worship. We sang lots of songs, and Pastor Furtick shared some really big news with us. We are getting our first permanent facility!!!!!!!!! It’s in the Ashley Furniture strip mall on 74 right off of 485. HOW EXCITING RIGHT?! He said it should be ready next fall. 900 seats. NINE HUNDRED SEATS and the church offices.  WOO! And Of course, we showed our pastor a little love.
October is Pastor appreciation month, so a ton of volunteers and attendees wrote letters of cards of gratitude for all Pastor does for our church. He almost cried when he got the bags full of letters. Larry Hubakta spoke some really heartfelt words of thankfulness and appreciation. About how Pastor has a specific vision for every one, even if they don’t see it them selves. Like a kind of spooky, even if he doesn’t know you kind of premonition way. Then Pastor came on to tell us how much he loves us, really truly loves each and every one of us, and how on Saturday nights when he’s stuck with a not-so-great sermon he’ll think of us, and specific faces he doesn’t even know, and how we respond to him while he preaches. He told us as much as he encourages us, we encourage him with all our support and appreciation.

Then I hit up IHOP with the BaxterBynumSmith clan. Fun stuff. I’m still super excited about the new PERMANENT phase of the life of our church. I’m stoked about the fact that the Butler campus the campus they’re predicting this facility will absorb. I’m excited that I get to be a part of one of the most (if not the most) important movements of God in this day and age. This life just keeps getting more and more exciting. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

How He Loves. September 16, 2008

Something happened to me on Sunday. Every time I lead large group for the Quest-ers, I sneak out to catch worship, just for a little pick me up before I go and pump up the kids. Chris Brown was leading at Butler, and they opened up with “With or Without You” by U2. Amazing, as always. They moved into Happy Day right after, did the welcoming thing, then had us stand back up. They began to play “How He Loves.” And it happened.

Just to let you know, I’m not a fainter, or an extremely rambunctious worshipper. At most I’m a clapper, and a hand raiser. But about a month ago I took part in an illustration involving large pieces of cardboard and a testimony of my transformation along with about 20 other Elevators. It was such a moving and emotional experience, and during the illustration Chris Brown and the worship team played “How He Loves.” And the part when the whole band picks up and kicks in we all held our sings up high and the emotion in the room peaked and every one stood up and clapped. The emotion was too much to keep in, and it’s an experience I’ll have with me forever.

But I never thought that the emotion would ever resurface to the extent that it did on Sunday. The song itself is so powerful, it could move people to tears. Chris Brown is an amazing worship leader and has such a passion and the stuff he says, preaches really, in between songs could move people to tears. But not me. No. Not me. However, the combination of the power of the song, Chris Brown’s passionate words of praise, and the emotion of the illustration did.

I felt it when the song started. And I held it together. Raised my hands to the Lord and thanked Him for how much he loved me, even for how much I’ve been a screw up, and for placing me in such an amazing place that I could experience His love for me. Then, the  band picked up and Chris Brown sang the end chorus at the top of his lungs. The emotion of that day, and the re-realization of how amazing my God is flooded over me. And I lost it. My fingers couldn’t reach high enough, and I felt my eyes well up and tears roll down my cheek.

I had never felt so much emotion during worship before. It was amazing. I felt what I felt, and I just let it happen. I’m not saying I’m gonna cry every Sunday at worship, my mascara doesn’t handle tears well. But I’m glad I did last Sunday. God moved in me, He reawakened the passion I had that Sunday. The fire has been re-sparked. Nothing Can stop me now.

Uptown is Alive July 7, 2008

So last night Elevation had a sneak peak look at what service at Uptown at McGlohon Theatre is going to be like. Here’s basically what went down:
-All three worship leaders were there
-Pastor Furtick gave a little motivational sermon
-We worshipped our little hearts out
-McGlohon was packed 40 people over capacity
-At least 20 new people went to church at Elevation
-And the CMPD got called for us greeting “too hard”

It’s going to be AMAZING. Charlotte has no idea what’s coming for them, but I have a strong feeling that this campus is going to bring Uptown Alive in Christ. I think that it’s location is great for drawing people off the streets who have never experienced church before. Really truly filling peoples lives with Christ who are so far from God.

I went with my small group leader Erica, her hubby Chris and her three kids Dallas, Austin and Maddie. Maddie is the yougest, 5th grade. And she’s going through her first break up. But it’s not your typical break up. She doesn’t really want to be in a relationship anymore, but doesn’t want to hurt her boyfriend. But he already knows she’s going to dump him, so he’s really upset, and seeing him upset really hurt her. She’s such a sweetheart, she doesn’t like to see any one hurting. Well, we had a little girl talk last night. Her mom is amazing, but she’s still her mom. So I went in to talk to her girl to girl. I left her my cell phone number and told her to call me if she ever needed to talk about anything or needed me for anything. Her mom thought it was amazing. Really, it’s the least I could do. She’s the go to non-mom person for me, so how could i pass up the chance to be that for her daughter? 

Oh and at service yesterday Wade Joye got a chance to share his situation with our congregation. Pastor lead us in prayer for his babygirls and then gave an alter call for any one else who needed a “Sun Stand Still” prayer in their life. It was amazing. You should so check out the sermon here. Also continue to pray for them and read their progress in both Wade and Ferris Joye’s blogs. Oh, also, every single cent that was raised in CD sales yesterday went to Wade and Ferris. It was the release date and they sold like hotcakes. (did i really just say that?) $17,000 went to the Joye family to help cover the medical expenses not fully covered by their insurence. What an amazing generous church i belong to.

I don’t think i left anything out. it was a big day. If you’re a regualr reader, plese pray for my room facilitator Teri, her grandmother is very sick and she could use our prayers to help her get through this emotionally.  Love!