Where does the time go?

WOW! Can you believe it is almost April? Almost nothing, tomorrow is April 1st! Oh man, where has the time gone? In the last week we've seen 70 degree weather, followed by a blizzard that literally shut Amarillo and the Panhandle down, followed by 70 degree weather again. Only in the Texas Panhandle... gotta love it!



Now, I know historically Life Groups have stopped meeting the end of April and resumed in September. However, I'd like to challenge history if I could. In case you haven't noticed the church is growing. In fact, last Sunday Rochelle and I had to make our own row in the back and then add more chairs to it for others to join us... and we're there early! What a wonderful problem to have. We've challenged our Life Group to move up front to leave room for guests to sit closer to the back since it is usually more comfortable for them.



With this wonderful growth God is blessing FNC with comes incredible opportunities to build new relationships and invite people into out Life Groups. However, if we invite them and then break for 4 months chances are we will lose them. So, I am encouraging Life Groups to break for May and its crazy schedule, if needed, and then resume in June. I know vacations and other obligations will cause scheduling changes, but let's build relationships and help our new FNC family members find a place to land and get involved.



Remember, as Life Group leaders we are called to build relationships. Take a look around this Sunday and see who you could invite and encourage to join you and your Life Group. It's all about relationships... our relationship with God in Jesus - lived out in our relationship with others.



God bless,

Shawn

New Life Group coming

Hey, there is a new Life Group starting on Thursday, February 5th at 7:00. This new group is a "come one - come all" group for anyone looking to join a Life Group but just didn't know how. The group will meet at Shawn and Rochelle Fouts' home at 1233 S. Bryan (Bivins area, behind St. Andrews Episcopal School). Kids are welcome. For more information watch for the insert in the church bulletin or ask Shawn or Rochelle.

See you there!

New Year - New Beginnings

Life Groups officially start back this Sunday, January 11th. Leaders, remind your members and go after new. Many people have come up to me in the past month and expressed interest but they have also expressed concern over how hard they perceive it to be to enter an established Life Group (they perceive them as cliquish). Let's work hard to be inclusive, not exclusive in 2009!!!

Also, for anyone not involved in a Life Group. Shawn and Rochelle are starting a new mid-week life Group in their home very soon. if interested feel free to ask either one of us about it or watch the bulletin at church for more details.

Give God a Gift by Giving a Gift to Others

I've been thinking a lot about leadership and involvement and how they are lived out at Christmas. We are in that precarious time of year when the "haves" and the "have-not's" become more and more distinct. Now, I have to admit that my family and just about everyone I know falls into the "haves" category. We are truly blessed as a family and I hope we do not take that for granted. God is better to my family than we really deserve.

However, I still find myself thinking of how I would like this or that, how great it would be if I could get that "special something" for Rochelle, or how much I would love to get that new phone for my daughters or this or that for others. In fact, I honestly spend a whole lot more time concerned about what I cannot give to my family rather than what I am giving. Truth of the matter is I really don't need anything and, sorry girls, my family really doesn't lack for anything either. We are blessed beyond measure and the gifts I am giving are very nice.

But then I am confronted with that large Christmas tree in our church foyer that has names of families from our own church who will not have any kind of Christmas without my help and the help of others... you know, us "haves." They really are the "have-not's." Their concern is not what they cannot give out of all the multitude of the things they are giving, their concern is feeding their families and keeping the electricity on for one more month.

Yeah, we've taken a few names from the tree. The least we can do, right? And even yesterday Emily pulled another name of a little boy who only wanted a toy monkey for Christmas (that kind of hit me because our dog has two toy monkeys as toys himself). So, we'll buy for these families and give our obligatory gifts and that will end our level of involvement in their lives. How sad a commentary on me and my level of Christianity and leadership. Jesus said that as we do unto the least of these we do unto Him. I kind of think that if I was buying a gift for Jesus I might also want to get more involved in His life, don't you? Truth is though, according to His own words in Scripture, I am buying gifts for Him by buying gifts for the least of these. Buying gifts for my friends and family is not buying gifts for Jesus, they are not the least of these and neither am I this Christmas. But buying for families who might otherwise not receive anything this year, let alone even have electricity truly is buying for Jesus.

On December 21st our church is delivering these gifts. I have to admit stuff like this makes me uncomfortable as a "have." Not the buying of the gift, but the delivering of the gift. Am I somehow afraid of the "have-not's?" I don't know their circumstances but yet my own humanness puts up walls that my Christianity must tear down. I may be a "have" this year in the material sense, but it was not that long ago in God's time frame that I was more of a "have- not" than anyone I'll buy a gift for this year. I was spiritually lost and had nothing until I accepted God's gift in Christ. God is definitely a "have" and we are "have-not's." Yet He continues to reach out to the "have-not's" offering His Son as the greatest gift ever given. And once the gift is received He continues to stay involved in our lives. I think this year I want to be more like God. I am not only giving the gift but I want to help deliver the gifts to these families on the 21st. I want to find a way, even if for a brief period of time, to become involved in their lives.

Think about it for a minute, how much more meaningful would the gift be if it was accompanied by our involvement in their lives? On the same line of thought, how much would God's gift really mean to us if He never got involved in our lives? The value of Christ would still be the same, but I somehow think that in our materialistic American mindset it would not mean near as much. Is that too much for us to admit this holiday season?God's gift of Salvation includes His gift of new life and His presence in us. What an example for us to follow as we give gifts this year, both to the other "haves" in our lives as well as to the "have- not's."

Just thinking out loud...

Lead Strong,Shawn

Looking at the Election Through the Eyes of Faith, by Dr. James Hallmark

I normally do not copy and paste entire articles but a friend and former colleague wrote a great piece for the Amarillo Globe-News and I thought I would pass it along. Have a great Monday.

Lead Strong,
Shawn...

Election observations from the faith/belief/ethics perspective:

First, while truth is the first casualty in any election, this one wasn't as distorted as most. The 1800 election pitting Thomas Jefferson against John Adams - both heroes of American history - is my favorite for negativity and distortion. Despite our romanticized remembrance of the founding fathers, our current politicians are more likely to play fair and tell the truth than our heroes of old.

Second, this year's election did have the most biased media coverage, at least in modern history. The Pew Research Center (a highly credible organization) found 36 percent of the national media reports on Barack Obama were positive, 35 percent neutral and 29 percent negative. By contrast, 57 percent of national news reports on John McCain were negative, 29 percent neutral and 14 percent positive.

I doubt the bias was intentional. Still, you may have sensed as I did that national journalists couldn't quite fathom why anyone wouldn't support Obama. Indeed, Pew found 70 percent of Americans perceived the national media as favoring Obama. Even Democrats rated the coverage biased in favor of Obama, and "Saturday Night Live" parodied the absurdly positive coverage. (For context, in 2004 Pew found 50 percent of Americans perceived media bias favoring John Kerry.)

Third, religious and gender prejudice is alive and well in America. Obama is not Muslim, and even if he was, by constitutional guarantee, his religious affiliation does not determine his fit for office. That the accusations - though false - reinforced many votes against him speaks loudly of lingering religious discrimination in America. In light of this, I wonder if, as a Mormon, Mitt Romney had a chance of being elected. As a Jew, was Joe Lieberman disadvantaged?

We apparently are willing to accept religious apathy and demonstrated indifference from our candidates but not deviance from our poorly defined sense of "mainstream" Christianity.
Similarly, women are still significantly disadvantaged. No male candidate had to waste time fending off comments regarding hair, wardrobe or glasses. That the media - purportedly an "enlightened" group - found Hillary Clinton's pantsuits and Sarah Palin's wardrobe worth reporting, speaks volumes as to where we are on gender.

Finally, I was distressed by McCain campaign stops that brought forth hateful catcalls from attendees, but I was equally impressed that McCain - even in the face of "boos" from his own supporters - rightly asserted that Obama is a good man and not worthy of the slanderous accusations.

We need more of that. We need our leaders to step forward and return civility to public discourse. At the end of the day, both McCain and Obama are decent men. Both are flawed, with positions that trouble many. Regardless, they are decent men pursuing what they believe to be the best interests of the country.

May God bless and heal them both.

James Hallmark is provost/vice president for academic affairs at West Texas A&M University.

Thoughts on Election Day

Did you vote? I am not even as concerned with who you voted for as much as I am that you voted. Sure, I have my preference based on my ideals and values and so do you. But, do you know what? Regardless of whoever you voted for each of our ideals and values are valid. If you've done your homework, researched the candidates and the issues and made an informed conscious decision then you have done your civic duty.

Now, with that said let me share with you a thought from scripture that might shed light on our approach to election day, but more importantly, the days after. Psalm 122: 6-9 says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (insert the USA): 'May those who love you (our country) be secure. May there be peace within your walls (our country) and security within your citadels.' For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you (the US).' For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity (the prosperity and future security of our country)."

I was taught to pray scripture, especially the Psalms. And in so doing to personalize them. What a better prayer for our country. Pray for peace for the United States. May all who live within this great country be secure, and let there be peace. Not only for my sake or even those who agree with me politically, but for the sake of others, pray for peace. For the sake of God, seek peace and the prosperity of those within our country.

I don't know who you voted for and in reality, by this evening when we go to bed we will all know who our next leader is. What I do know is that, regardless of who is elected, I can pray for him, but more so I can continue to pray for peace in our country and prosperity, not just for my sake and means, but for the sake of others and ultimately for God.

Another interesting thought to consider this election day was found in the Men of Integrity Daily Guide to Bible and Prayer. Ray Pritchard, in referring to Proverbs 20:24, "A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" says that the word man in the first sentence speaks of a mighty warrior under the control of a commanding officer. But the word anyone in the second sentence refers to ordinary working men. If a mighty warrior is at the discretion of a commanding officer, in this case the Lord, then how much more ordinary men?

Mighty warriors: Obama, McCain, Petreaus, Powell, Buffett... you insert the name. They appear to be so confident and strong but actually it is the Lord who stands behind them and directs their paths. They are mighty warriors in our day at the Lords will and discretion. Pritchard offers as proof that within 10 years or less (many less) their names will be mostly forgotten and other mighty warriors will have risen to take their place as the Lord wills. Mighty warriors come and go but God remains forever.

Now, if that pertains to the mighty warrior or man mentioned in the first sentence, what does that mean for the rest of us ordinary people, the anyone Solomon talks about? If mighty warriors cannot direct their own steps how can the rest of us? The truth is, we can't. I can vote my conscience, but I cannot control then outcome of the election. The only thing I can do is trust that the Lord is standing behind the mighty warrior who will be elected and He will stand behind me as well. But what I can do is to follows the Psalmist advice and pray for my country.

So, did you vote? Did you vote your conscience? Do you trust God? If so, then trust that God is standing behind the person who will take office in January. Pray for that person, his VP and cabinet, and the senators and congressman who will guide our country. Not just for your sake and own interest, but for the sake of those who may not agree with your ideals and values.

Remember, whatever the outcome today, God is still in control. For His sake, pray for peace in our country, a peace the will unite us, despite our differences.

Lead Strong...Shawn

God's Blessings Require Action On Our Part

Last night in our Life Group we discussed the Biblical promise of God's provision that probably most of us have quoted at one time or another, "and my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory..." (Phil. 4:19). The problem is, as with most promises we quote from scripture, is that we take that verse out of context. Paul wrote that letter from prison to a group of believers that had been actively engaged in supporting him and meeting his needs. Paul's response to their generosity was a prayer and promise that as they took care of his needs God would take care of theirs.

There is a lesson there for us. If we want God to take care of our needs; personally, for our families, for our country, and for our church then we have to continue to minister, reach out, and take care of others. God's "promise" of provision follows our providing for the needs of others. God is faithful in response to our faithfulness as believers.

As we pray for needs to be met and for our church to prosper let's not forget our role in all of this... meeting the needs of others. We love Pastor Ray and Vicki and the kids, but now it is our responsibility to step up and stand in the gap. Let's not stockpile a list of "to-do's" for our new pastor. Rather, let's welcome a new pastor with everything in order, ministries continuing strong, new souls being added to the Kingdom, and a strong and vibrant church.

Yes, God will supply all our needs, individually and corporately. The question is, what are we doing to supply the needs of others?

Something to think about...

Lead Strong,
Shawn