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Thanks for being a part of Victory's Kingdom Builders!

I just wanted to write and say “Thank You!” for becoming Kingdom Builders!  Many of you joined the team over the last couple of weeks and that is exactly what it’s going to take for us to reach our goal of purchasing land and building a facility to minister in.  I would like to share with you on the subject, “Why Giving Is Teamwork!”

Listen to what God’s Word says in I Corinthians 16:1-3 (NIV):

Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

I have done some figuring, if I had in my pocket what I have given to the Lord’s work over the years I could:

• Pay cash for a nice piece of property.
• Pay cash for new car, truck, boat or even that Honda Gold Wing motorcycle that I have had my eye on for some time!
• Pay cash for both of my children’s college and buy them a new car to drive off to school.

But, I don’t do those things.  Why?  Because my wife Debbie and I have learned over the years a few things about giving to the Lord’s work:

• We can live much better on 90% than we can on 100%!
• Then we learned we could live better on 85% than we can on 100%!
• Then we learned we could live better on 80% than we can on 100%!
• We have also learned the joy of making an eternal investment by giving to the Lord's work!

There is one Biblical principle that is often overlooked in our materialistic world today:  we, as Christians, are “stewards!” 

That’s a Biblical word that means “caretaker.”  A steward does not own a thing; he simply manages the possessions of another.  In our case as Christians, we simply understand that God owns it all and we are simply caring for His possessions!  All that we have: our possessions, our abilities, our energy, our time and our talents belong to the Lord!  Therefore, we should not be offended when He directs us on how to use what is His.

God’s Word, the Bible, has a lot to say about money. 

• In Matthew, Mark, and Luke one out of every six verses deals with money. 
• Of the twenty-nine parables told by Christ, sixteen of them deal with a person and his money. 
• The Bible has a lot to say about generous giving as well.

Allow me to share with you six biblical lessons about giving:

1. Giving is a universal practice.

Paul said this was not just for the believers in Corinth, but for the churches of Galatia also!  Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.”  Because every believer has received so much from the Lord, every believer should give back to the work of the Lord.

2. Giving is to be a weekly practice.

Paul said that we are to give on the “first day of the week.”  Early Jewish believers moved their day of worship from Saturday to Sunday to commemorate the resurrection of the Lord.  Therefore, Paul said to give on that day of the week.  We are not to give spasmodically, or when we feel that we can afford to give.  The bible indicates that giving is to be a part of our weekly worship!

3. Giving is to be a personal act.

I Corinthians 16:2 says, "Let each one of you…”  Giving is not just for the comfortable and the wealthy—everyone should give—even kids!  Why? Because giving is part of our worship to God.

4. Giving is to be a predetermined plan.

I Corinthians 16:2 says, " Set aside a sum of money.”  There are many people that give because of emotional appeals or special needs.  There are many that give a little week-by-week, almost like tipping the waitress at a restaurant.  But God wants us to have a predetermined systematic amount that we intentionally bring to worship to give to the Lord.  Waiting until Sunday to see what is left over IS NOT taught in the bible.

5. Giving is to be a proportioned amount.

I Corinthians 16:2 says, " Set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income.”  We are to give in proportion to what we receive.  We are never to give equal gifts, but we are told in Scripture to make equal sacrifices! 

6. Giving is to be handled responsibly.

I Corinthians 16:3, Paul says, “I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.  The church at Corinth was to certify trustworthy people to handle the money.  We are to give sacrificially, then we are to handle God’s money responsibly and efficiently.

In closing, let us evaluate our lives in the area of our “giving.”   Ask yourself these question:

• Is my giving pleasing to the Lord? 
• Is He being honored and glorified with my management of His finances?
• Do I really believe that God owns it all?
• Am I being a good and faithful steward in the areas of my finances? 

An Exciting Sunday @ Victory!

Today was an exciting Sunday at Victory Church. Many of you know that we are now meeting in the Mascoutah Middle School multi-purpose gym. So, today we started out our Celebration Service by walking across the street to the City of Mascoutah Community Swimming Pool for a baptismal service. We had four people follow through in believer's baptism this morning. It sure was an exciting time and our people loved it!

Following that, we walked back across the street to the school and went inside for our service. Today was "Vision Sunday" in which I shared the vision and future direction of Victory Church. The was a tremendous presence of the Holy Spirit in that place as I unpacked the direction the Lord is leading our people.

The item at hand is the purchase of land for our new church facility. We have been searching diligently for property and it seems we have narrowed it down to about 3 different parcels. The biggest challenge for us at this time is raising the money to purchase the land. The prices range from $1 million to $2 (plus) million for the land. So, today I challenge our people to be a part of our "Kingdom Builders" giving ministry and pledge to give a total of $1 million! After the service there were some very excited people that came up to me with some very positive words of encouragement. God is good!

Please pray for us as we step out on faith and follow the leadership of the Lord. Also, if you would like more information on becoming a "Victory Kingdom Builder" just contact me at [email protected] and I will gladly fill you in with the details. Also, if you would like to give a financial gift of any size you can do so online (just click here).

Posted are a few photos from this mornings baptism.

Kudos to the Class of 2007!

Congratulations Class of 2007!  You made it!  Sunday, May 20, 2007 we will be honoring and praying over our graduates at Victory Church.  Listed are the Victory grads I'm aware of:

Mascoutah High School: Cody Walker; Belleville East High School: Sidney Rooks; Lincoln Challenge Academy: Christopher Worms; Missouri Baptist University: Philip Renfro; North Greenville University: Lesli Renfro; McKendree College: Michael Collins.

Congratulations guys, we're proud of you!  Now go on and make a powerful Christ honoring influence and impact on this world!

Relocation Process - Article 5

Last week I shared with the congregation of Victory Church that we have a signed contract with the City of Mascoutah to purchase our facility for $450,000.00 and our closing date is set for June 29, 2007. We have agreed to lease back our facility for a period of one year.   This will give us time to make a smoother transition in relocating.

With that being said, I have been writing for several weeks on the “church” in particular, and “relocation articles” on the move of Victory Church.  If you have missed the previous articles you can read them here on my blog; just search for the “Relocation Articles.” 

In my previous articles I have shared about the description, ownership, and mobility of the church.  Today I would like to focus on the mission of the church. 

• What is the mission of the church?
• Why are we here anyway?
• What are we to be doing as a church?

To answer in short, our mission is world evangelism!  World evangelism is the main work of the whole church until Christ returns.  This means that every decision we make as a congregation should be made in light of that decision’s impact on the successful execution of our mission—world evangelism.

World evangelism means that we are concerned with every people group, every nation, every culture, and every language group.  Listen to what the Apostle Paul said, “I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise” (Romans 1:14 KJV).

What Paul was saying is that he, and we, are obligated to reach every people group with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ!  Therefore, if we can best accomplish our God-given mission of world evangelism by relocating, then it is a simple matter of obedience to do so!

So, in closing, what is at the heart of Victory Church relocating?  A mandate from our Lord, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” (Mark 16:15)!  We are relocating so that Victory Church can better carry out the great commission of reaching people for Christ and seeing their lives radically transformed.

We Have a Contract!

We now have a signed contract on our church facility!  This past Friday our Realtor walked into my office with a signed and agreed upon contract for the sell of our facility.  I'll give you one (1) guess who the potential buyer is.  That's right!  The City of Mascoutah!

We entered into an agreement with them to purchase our facility and the closing date is June 29th.  In the contract we have agreed to lease the facility for a one year period which will give us a chance to aggressively make our next move.

At this moment we are searching diligently for a place to meet on Sunday's in order that we may hold our weekend Celebration Service and Kidstuf Ministry.  We would like to move our weekend services ASAP to a larger facility.  Therefore, if you are aware of a place for us to meet in the area please contact me.  We will continue to have our offices here at our current facility for the next year.

Praise the Lord!  Victory Church is on the move!  Keep us in your prayers.

Relocation Process - Article 4

As you well know, we are praying and working diligently to relocate our church, which is why I have spent several weeks writing about the “church” in our weekly Connection Paper at Victory Church.   If you have missed my previous articles you can check them out here on the blog, just search for the the “Relocation Process” articles. 

Previously, I have written about the description and ownership of the church, and today I would like to focus on the mobility of the church.

Have you ever stopped to think about the mobility of the church?  The mobility?  Yes, that is right, the church is to be mobile!  The idea is that we, as a church, should be more like the children of Israel as God led them through the wilderness.  Numbers 9:23 says, “They camped at the Lord’s command, and they set out at the Lord’s command.”

The church is to be more like a guerrilla army rather than a fixed fortification—mobile and quick to adapt, not stationary and inflexible.  That is the church described in the Bible.

“Share in the suffering  as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  To please the recruiter, no one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of everyday life” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

The church doesn’t have to be gathered at a particular location to be a church.  In fact the first century church was a “scattered” church!  Persecution led them to constantly be on the move!  Acts 8:4 says, “So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news.”

Even when scattered—not gathered—the church is still the church!  Jesus’ working assumption was that then church would, in most periods of history, be too persecuted to get cozy in a particular location.  Matthew 10:23 says, “When they persecute you in one town, escape to another.”

In Acts 11:19-21 we see the difference a militant adaption to circumstances and a rapid seizing of opportunities makes in spreading the Gospel: "Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

What happened was trans-cultural and effective—and exactly what God had in mind!  According to the following verse, does the New Testament assume the church is to be mobile or not?

“And how can they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the Gospel of good things!” (Romans 10:15)

Since the church is, by definition, the “army of Christ” — obedient, mobile, adaptable — then who are we to tell “the One who enlisted us” we will not move?  The question is not whether we should be willing to move, but only if the Commanding Officer is leading us to move.  We are His rapid deployment force!

Any thoughts?  Feel free to post your comments and let me know what you are thinking.

Inaugural Baptist Children's Home and Family Services Charity Golf Tournament

This Saturday morning, May 5th, I am playing in a charity golf tournament at the Orchard's with three great guys from Victory Church (Brad Range, Cecil Durbin, and John Cline).  This is a fund raiser for the Baptist Children's Home and Family Services of Carmi, Illinois.  It should be a lot of fun, but unfortunately I have not swung a golf club in six months! Oh well, you know the routine, "Four!"

Relocation Process - Article 3

As you look around on any given Sunday at Victory Church, you will notice the inevitable—we are out of space!  Therefore, we are praying and working diligently to relocate our church.  That is why I have spent several weeks writing in our Connection Paper articles about the “church.”  If you have missed my previous articles on Relocation of Victory Church you can read them here on my blog.  Last week I wrote about the “description” of the church.  Today I would like to focus on the “ownership” of the church.  Who is the owner(s) of the church?

In one congregation when relocation was mentioned, a prominent member stood up to oppose the committee with words that expressed, not only personal feelings, but also parts of his doctrine of the church:

These people want to take our church and give it to some other group of people who don’t love it, don’t know it, and haven’t earned it, just give it away like it doesn’t mean a thing.  Let these people just get on out of here and go do what they want and leave us alone!

Did you read those words?  “ Our church!”  There is a lot of difference between feeling ownership in the sense of sharing the vision and goals of the church, and having sense of responsibility—and thinking you own the place.

Whatever the church is: Jesus bought and paid for it at great personal expense.  It is, “the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), that in and of itself established ownership; it is “His body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24).  He is also the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18).  If it belongs to Him, then it doesn’t belong to you or me.

Here is one of the church principles our congregation here at Victory holds to:

Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and its only owner.  Let no member think that long service or large gifts impart tenure in an office or control over any part of the ministry.

If Jesus owns the resources of a congregation, how then can a congregation refuse to make it available to Him to do with as He leads?  Therefore, we feel 100% confident we are following the leadership of our Lord, the rightful owner of Victory, in this relocation process.  Continue with us in prayer as we endeavor to take this journey of faith!  It's exciting!

It's a Go!

After visiting the Free Will Bapist Bible College last Thursday and Friday, I now can report to you that all the guys from Victory Church that attend the 2007 Promise Keepers event in Nashville, TN will be able to stay in the dorm rooms on campus.  What a blessing!  Everyone at the Bible College was very friendly and supportive.  Thank you all!  Also, "kutos" goes out to Tom Seibert for all the work he has put into making this possible.  Thanks Tom!  I enjoyed spending a couple of days with you.

Leaving for Nashville, TN

Today, Tom Seibert and I are leaving for Nashville, TN to visit the Free Will Baptist Bible College.  The Bible College has opened their dorm rooms to the men of Victory Church during the summer for the July Promise Keepers event.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Relocation Process - Article 2

Today, I will continue my thoughts on relocating our church and the teachings on the doctrine of the church.  Allow me to begin by asking you a question, “Can you conceive worshipping in a place of than our current facility?” There are many (not necessarily at Victory Church, but around the country) that could not fathom worshipping in another location besides their current church building.  But this kind of thinking is not biblical or theologically correct. 

Let’s think for a moment on the definition of the church.  In the Baptist life, the shorthand definition of the church is “a group of baptized believers.”  In our Free Will Baptist Treatise the definition of the church is as follows:

                Chapter XV – The Church

A Christian Church is an organized body of believers in Christ who statedly assemble to worship God, and sustain the ordinances of the Gospel according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 1:2; Acts 2:41, 47; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Revelation 1:4). Believers in Christ are admitted to this church on giving evidence of faith in Christ obtaining consent of the body, being baptized, and receiving the right hand of fellowship (Ephesians 5:25, 27; 1:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 12:27, 28; Colossians 1:18; 1 Peter 2:5; John 18:36; John 15:2, 6).

The New Testament speaks of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation (Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23, 27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11, 21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3).

This says we believe the church is composed of people—believing and baptized people!  We don’t believe that a building is essential to the definition of a church.  The New Testament church didn’t even have buildings!  Yet the Epistles often begin, “To the church at _________...”  Many congregations today meet in storefronts, gyms, theatres, auditoriums, and other assorted locations – but they ARE churches.

Somehow, in our minds we have inter-tangled our buildings with our definition of the church.  Have you ever heard the remark, “That doesn’t look like a church to me”?  No building looks like a church!  The church is composed of redeemed people, NOT bricks, boards, and concrete.  So, if the building is not an essential part of who we are as a church, then why do we offer that as a reason we cannot leave and still have a church?  Could we be focusing on the wrong thing?  Possibly.

Therefore, since the New Testament teaches that the church is made up of people and not buildings, let us continue to keep our emphasis on people and not buildings.  Remember, a building is only a tool to reach people so that the church, the Body of Christ may be built up.

Until next week...

Relocation Process - Article 1

These are very exciting days here at Victory Church!  I remember eight (8) years ago in the spring of 1999, I literally walked around the old building on a Sunday morning and watched cars fly down the street and only two or three cars in our parking lot.  I remember crying out t God, “Lord, please send some of those cars down our driveway!”  I remember praying and pleading with the Lord to send us people so that I could have an opportunity to share the greatest news in the world with them, the Good News of Jesus Christ and how He desires to have a relationship with them.

Well, praise the Lord, that day has come!  There are now hundreds of people that call Victory their home church.  There are Sundays when our parking lot is full and there are just a hand full of empty chairs.  There are Sundays when our children’s ministry classes are full and running over.  All of this is the answer to my prayer…the Lord has heard and is “showing us great and mighty things which we know not” (Jeremiah 33:3).  The Lord’s hand is obviously on this ministry!

With that being said, I now believe it is time to relocate.  After trying numerous approaches to staying here at 973 N. Sixth Street in Mascoutah, it is time to relocate.  The desire and passion I have, to reach the unchurched and those who have not entered into this great relationship with our Lord, drives me to lead our church in this relocation process.  Therefore, I would like to spend several weeks writing on this subject to assist each of us in this very exciting adventure of faith!

First allow me to say that relocation of a church is an issue that will test your deepest held doctrinal beliefs – in particular, the doctrine of the church.  For instance, "What do you really believe about the nature and the mission of the church?"

Discussing relocation, and actually going through the process of relocation, will test your spiritual commitment.  There are many people who cannot fathom being part of a church that does not have a church building.  There is a greater temptation to turn the building into an idol than we may realize.  Just so you know, there may be a season of time when we do not have a church building.  But I want you to realize this -- the church is not the building.  The building is just a tool used to reach more people for Christ.  The true church are the Christ-followers!  The believers!  The church is you, if you have accepted Christ and your Lord and Savior.

Over the next several weeks I will be writing on the doctrine of the church. We will be discovering the definition of the church, the ownership of the church, the mobility of the church, and the mission of the church.   You will find the articles each week in the Connection Paper; you can also read these articles each week on my blog.

The bottom line is this: relocation is a strategy decision.  We could sit here for years and settle for the status-quo and turn our focus very inward and just minister to each other.  To be perfectly honest with you, there are enough churches across America just like that and I DO NOT want Victory Church to fall into that category.  I personally, as your pastor, WILL NOT settle for the status-quo!  If you are with me…let’s go! If you are unsure…hang on and keep looking up (to Him)!  If you do not want to make this journey with us, then please DO NOT stand in our way or hinder us!  We are going to “cross that Jordan and claim our mountain!” (ref. Joshua 1:2; 14:12).

These are very exciting days for Victory Church!  Let’s continue to walk by faith.  The same faith that Debbie and I exhibited in February of 1999, when we moved 650 miles away from family and friends to start Victory Church. 

Here is your prayer verse for he week: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV).

It's Official...Victory Church Is On the Move!

As many of you know, for years we have had space issues here at Victory Church and we have tried many innovative and creative ideas to overcome this very crucial dilemma.  Therefore, just last Wednesday, here at Victory Church, we had our 3rd business meeting in 8 years!  (I mean, that's impressive, just three (3) business meetings!  Sometimes I still find that hard to believe.)  Anyway, in that meeting we voted unanimously to sell our current facility and start the process of relocating.  This will be a long process, but I believe it's something the Lord has been preparing us for for quite some time.

Victory family...you guys are awesome!  During the business meeting the atmosphere was very exciting.  There were even some cheering and shouting out, "Let's do it!"  Well, together we will do it!  Thanks Victory family for being such wonderful "entrepreneur Christians" to lead...the fit is perfect for such an "entrepreneur pastor!"   Be sure to check back often as I will keep you posted on how everything evolves.

Easter Celebration!

Wow!  What an exciting Easter celebration we had yesterday.  Thank you very much for all your work.  I'll tell ya, the Victory Church family is awesome!  You guys really pulled together and worked very hard to make this one of the best Easter celebrations ever!  Way to go guys!  I'm proud of you!

I'm still not sure about the actual count, because I've had a few people tell me different totals for the number we had in attendance.  Some have said 280, some said 312, and another said 327, and then the janitor at the school said we had around 350.  Therefore, I'm not exactly sure how many people we had, so we will say somewhere around 300!  But I can tell you this, according to the Connection Cards that were turned in and reviewed this morning, we had 5 people begin a relationship Christ by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior, and 4 people recommitted their lives to Him!  That makes it all worth while!  Praise the Lord!  Nine lives have been RTLed (Radically Transformed Lives) forever!

Invest and Invite

Yesterday, I introduced and set in place Victory's "Invest and Invite" evangelism strategy.  I used the Scripture in John chapter one where Andrew invited Peter, and Philip invited Nathaniel to "come and see" the Lord. 

I also shared with our congregation our five circles of influence: immediate family, relatives, close friends, work associates and neighbors, and acquaintances.   I challenged everyone to write down the names of five people in each circle; then I encouraged them to "Invest and Invite" each of those people to their small groups, our weekend celebration service, but most importantly to our Easter Celebration on Sunday, April 8th!  Let's go gang! Start "investing and inviting"!   

Special Guests @ Victory this Sunday

I am very excited about our special guest that will be with us this Sunday, February 25th during our 10:30 AM celebration service.  Our guest speaker this Sunday is Dennis Teague.  Dennis, Carole and family are church planters in France; they lead several teams in planting churches and seeing lives changed.  Dennis will be sharing with us this Sunday how the Lord is moving in France.  You will be blessed just listening to the "passion" that Dennis has for planting churches. 

Make plans now to attend Victory this Sunday and be sure to invite a friend!

Happy Valentine's Day...

Last Saturday evening we had our annual Sweetheart Banquet here at Victory.  What a blast!  Thanks to John and Penny Pratt, Gene and Gail Worms, Sean and Sheila Honer who worked very hard for weeks preparing for this event.  You guys did a great job!

Below is the outline of the message I delivered at the banquet titled "What is Real Love?"  I pulled the story from I Samuel 25 where Abigail and David meet and eventually become husband and wife.  First I shared what love is not:

1. Love is not the same as LUST.
2. Love is not the same as ROMANCE.
3. Love is not the same as INFACTUATION.
4. Love is not the same as SEX.

The I shared what true love is:

1. Real love is RESPECT. (I Samuel 25:23-24)
2. Real love is a common FAITH.  (I Samuel 25:26-28)
3. real love is a genuine CONCERN.  (I Samuel 25:20-31)

Below are some pictures from the banquet:

  

   

Leadership Team at Victory Doing the Shuffle

As Victory Church continues to grow, there is a tremendous need for new leaders to rise to the top.  We are in the process of changing a few things around in our infrastructure. 

Therefore, I am very excited to share with you, that after having lunch today with  Daniel and Beverly Renfro, they have accepted the position as our Evangelism Leaders.  Also, Darrell and Linda Renfro have accepted the position of Student Ministry Leaders.  I am very excited to have these families in very crucial and important leadership positions at Victory.  Please pray for them both as they step into new territory. 

I'm Back.....

After an extended period of sporadic posting I just wanted you to know that, "I'm back!"  I needed to take a break from daily posting to focus on some other areas of my ministry.  To be perfectly honest, I really did miss blogging and I'm looking forward to posting again on a regular basis. 

Christmas Eve--Totally Awesome, Two Thumbs Up!

Christmas Eve Sunday services at Victory were totally awesome!  Actually, I'll give it "two thumbs up!"  Our Sunday morning worship service was standing room only.  I was completely taken back by how many people we had in our service, especially since I knew of many in our church family that had already left town for Christmas.  I really felt the presence of the Lord in our service and I believe He spoke to many hearts.  We had about 15 local visiting families at Victory, and many of them told me upon leaving that they would be back...that was an early Christmas gift for me!

Our Christmas Eve communion/candlelight service was great also.  There was such a sweet spirit as we all slowed down from the hustle and bustle of Christmas to just focus on the Lord.  We had an awesome time of worship by singing, taking communion, and then closed with everyone lighting their candles and singing Silent Night.  It was totally awesome...I loved it!

I trust you had great Christmas services at your church also.   

Pretty Awesome Experience!

Just last week one of our church members Special Agent Timothy Allen returned home after serving 6 months in Iraq with the United States Air Force.  Upon returning Tim came by my office and presented me with the flag you see and a certificate that reads:

"Let it be known that this American flag bears witness to the capture, prosecution, and/or destruction of terrorist forces threatening the freedom of the United States of America and the world.  This flag was carried by Special Agent Timothy Allen of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations during combat counterintelligence missions in hostile territory specially for Jon Cannon in support of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" in Kirkuk, Iraq."

Wow!  What an honor!  Thank you Tim!  And a special thanks goes out to all of our military men and women for sacrificing their lives to defend freedom at home and around the world.  We do support you (in spite of what you see on TV from the liberal media) and we do stand behind you 100%.  All of you are in my prayers!  May our God, Jehovah richly bless you, protect you, and bring you home safely to your families!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  You are loved!

Are We Too Busy?

Do you get to the place where you feel exhausted?  I know, that's a dumb question!  We all feel like that from time-to-time.  So, here is the real question, "Are we too busy?"  I mean, I look at my own life and just about everyday on my PDA calendar is full.  I have been trying to schedule a Victory Church leadership team Christmas get together for a few weeks and you talk about difficult!  Wow!  Everyone's schedule is so full.  Not just me and our leadership team, but as I sit and counsel with various individuals throughout our church family it seems that many of them are stressed out because their lives have become so busy.

Even though we in the church are suppose to work toward a Sabbath rest; we're just as bad – maybe worse – at over-scheduling meetings, ministry and meals. It seems the more we strive to be Christ-like, the more we develop a very unChrist-like characteristic: busy-ness!

Here is another thought provoking question, "Did Jesus rush around through His week?" Think about it: you'd never think of Jesus as a busy person. He never seems hurried or concerned about getting a lot done.

I can hear the corporate consultants now as they speak to Jesus, "You'd get a lot more done if you had more than twelve assistants." "You really need to attend that council meeting in Capernaum if you want to make head way with the Pharisees!" "Why are you still here in Galilee? You're ministry would be so much bigger if you'd move to Jerusalem."

If this thought is striking a cord with you, and you are feeling a bit overwhelmed because of your "busyness" then I encourage you to read a great article written by Jon Walker titled "Did Jesus Rush Through His Week?"  Click here to read this article.

Catch Saturday Night Fever at Victory Church

Beginning Saturday, November 25th at 7:00 PM you will be able to catch "Saturday Night Fever" here at Victory Church!  No, I'm not talking about John Travolta; I'm talking about adding an additional weekend celebration service at Victory during the Christmas season. 

We will be trying this Saturday evening service through Christmas and if it goes well we will consider continuing the service into 2007.  Therefore, put forth every effort to bring a guest!  Help me spread the word about our additional service.  See you on "Saturday Night Live" at Victory! 

Marriage Retreat this Weekend!

This weekend may just mark the beginning of "oneness" in many marriages.  Today, along with seven (7) other couples from Victory Church, my wife Debbie and I will attend the "Weekend to Remember" marriage retreat in St. Louis, MO. 

"Weekend to Remember" is a marriage seminar created by FamilyLife. It is a power-packed, two-day seminar that provides a great way to build your marriage on a solid foundation.  Please pray for the couples that are attending.

Temporary Children's Ministry Trailers Have Arrived

Today our temporary "Children's Ministry" trailers arrived! (The picture on the left are not the actual trailers, but they are similar.)  I know our Connection Cafe' & Bookstore staff will be thrilled to have their space back!  Thanks Becky and Sharon for your patience.

This is a much needed temporary building for us to house our children's ministry in; we have currently outgrown our facility (which is a good thing).  These buildings are for our immediate, short-term plan to continue to grow and minister as we continue to work out the details for our long-term plan.  Please continue to pray for me and the entire leadership team of Victory Church as we lead and plan for the future of Victory.

Salt Cellars vs. Salt Shakers

At Victory Church yesterday I spoke on the subject of "Witnessing as Salt and Light."

Acts 1:8 records one of the five great commissions in Scripture and Jesus said there that we are to be "witnesses." The question then is this, "How are we to witness?" I believe the answer can be found in the great "Sermon on the Mount" that begins in Matthew chapter 5.  Jesus said this: "you are the salt of the earth" and "you are the light of the world."

That in itself is intriguing and to me it brings up more questions, like, "How are we to be salt?  What does that mean?  How are we to be light and what is the meaning behind it all?"  Well, I believe it can be summed up this way: salt is influence and light is your testimony.

Salt has a profound influence on everything it comes in contact with, therefore, we as Christians should have the same type of influence as salt.  Listed are several attributes of salt that we as Christians should resemble:

1. Salt is pure.  We as Christians should strive to live pure lives with a pure heart (1 Timothy 1:5) and a pure conscience (1 Timothy 3:9).
2. Salt cleanses.  As Christians, with the attitudes mentioned in Matthew 5:1-12,we should have a cleansing effect on everyone around us; at home, on the job and throughout the community.
3. Salt seasons.  Salt changes the flavor of things and we as Christians should have a seasoning influence.
4. Salt makes it's presence known.  You know immediately if you food is too salty.  In the same way, we as Christians should make our presence known simply by how we live our lives. Here are some ways: pay your bills on time, work hard, do not steal from the company (whether it's a pen or time), do not gossip, etc.
5. Salt makes you thirsty.  If we are the right kind of Christian we will make unbelievers and unchurched people "thirsty" for what we have!
6. Salt is an irritant. When we are living out our Christian lives we may irritate some people; especially those who are living sinful lifestyles.  There is an old fashion word for that called -- conviction!
7. Salt must be spread around.  Too many churches are like the picture you see above; we have become "salt cellars."  We as Christians, have enough salt to influence the world if we can get it out of the cellars and into the shakers!

Will you be a salt shaker for Christ?  Be a person of Godly influence. You can listen to this message via our podcast. To listen just click here.

Operation Christmas Child

Here at Victory Church we are focusing on children around the world, therefore, we have joined with Samaritan's Purse and their international project called Operation Christmas Child.

OCC brings joy and hope to children around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the good news of God's love for them.  This unique project provides everyone an opportunity to be involved in a simple, hands-on missions outreach while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas -- Jesus Christ, God's greatest gift.  Along with the gift-filled shoe boxes, millions of children will receive Gospel booklets in their own language.  Last year 7.6 million children in 95 different countries received shoe box gifts and the gospel of Jesus Christ...now that's evangelism!

For those that have chosen to participate in Operation Christmas Child we are asking that you bring your shoe boxes (filled with goodies) to Victory Church on Sunday, November 12th.  During our 10:30 worship service we will have a time of prayer for each child that will receive one of these boxes. 

If you would like more information please feel free to contact me via e-mail or call the church office at 618.566.8518, someone in the office will be glad to assist you.

My List...

Do you ever sit down and make a list of things?  Well, today is one of those days when I just started thinking about all the things that I wanted Victory Church to be and accomplish for the Lord.  I thought I would share that list with you. (Disclaimer: the list is not in any particular order...it's just a list).

I dream and I'm working towards Victory Church being...

1. A church that sees 100's & 1000's of people come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

I have a tremendous desire to bring people into a relationship with Christ.  Why?  Because I have seen too many people and churches turn this entire thing in a religious practice.  It's not about religion, it's about a relationship with Christ and others!  Why? Because I know the difference Jesus can make in a life, and I know the desire that He has to have a relationship with everyone.  How much desire does He have?  So much that He gave His life.  I want to be used up and spent completely in this endeavor to bring people to Jesus.

2.  A Church that trains and equips believer's to share their faith.

I have a strong desire to train believers and members here at Victory to share their faith.  The passage of Scripture in Ephesians 4:11-12 is what makes me and drives me to get out of bed every morning.  God has called me to equip His people for the work of the ministry.  I've given my life to this call and I still have a desire to train and equip believers.  How awesome it would be that every Sunday we have believer's bringing their unsaved and unchurched friends to Victory to introduce them to Christ.

3. A church that has 100% of members involved in ministry.

There are many different ministries here at Victory and my desire is to see 100% of members (those that have taken CLASS 101 and became members of Victory) involved and serving in a ministry.  We are not there yet, but that is a goal that I sincerely believe can be achieved.

4. A church that is multi-site throughout the Metro-East.

You may ask, "What is multi-site?"  It's a church going into every community.  One of my goals is to reproduce everything here at Victory: believers, leaders, ministries, praise team/bands, teachers/preachers...everything and even campuses!  One of my goals is to see Victory Church of Mascoutah, Victory Church of Belleville, Victory Church of O'Fallon, Victory Church of Shiloh, Victory Church of Edwardsville, Victory Church of Waterloo, etc.  The entire metro-east and beyond!

One church with one leadership team, one vision, one goal, one budget but many campuses!

5. A church that has believer's growing and excited about their faith.

A desire I have is for members of Victory Church to have a strong working knowledge of Scripture where they are applying the principles of God's Word to their everyday life.  I also have a desire for God's people to be excited about what He is doing in the lives!

6. A church that preaches/teaches and stands on God's Word.

The bible must always remain the sole authority in our church and in our lives.  Sometimes we will have to make decisions that are not always the easiest decisions to make, but they are the right decisions to make because of what God's Word has to say about the subject.  That's our final authority!

7. A church that is Purpose-Driven.

We are building a purpose-driven church that strives to balance the five biblical purposes within our church as well as in the lives of our people.  What are the five purposes?  I'm glad you asked!  They consist of evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and worship.

Well, these are just some of my thoughts that I have penned down today; I just thought I would share them with you.  God bless!

Mentoring? Do You Have the Time?

What do you think of when you hear the word "mentor?"  For many of us, as soon as we hear the word we think, "I just do not have the time!"  I believe we as Christian leaders must make and take the time to be a mentor.  Personally, I would not be the man I am today had there not been a few men that invested in me and mentored me.  To them I will be forever grateful!

I just read a good article on mentoring from Leadership Journal.  Just click here to read the article titled "Good Mentoring...Is Your Time Well Spent?"

Building Oneness in Marriage Series

Last Sunday I finished up my series on "Building Oneness in Marriage" with the message titled Spiritual Oneness...Building a Firm Foundation.  You can go to our podcast page and listen online and/or download this message along with many other lessons.  You may also subscribe (free!) to our podcast via iTunes and receive every message preached from the pulpit of Victory Church.

Jesus spoke these words: "At the beginning the Creator made them male and female.  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Unfortunately, many couples never get to the place where they experience true "oneness."  I encourage you to listen to all of the messages in this series and my prayer is that you will begin to experience in your marriage what God has planned for all of our marriages and that is ONENESS!

Facing the Giants -- A Must See!

Last night our small group went together to see the movie "Facing the Giants."  What an inspiring film.  My wife and I were laughing, crying, rejoicing, worshipping, and even cheering as the story unfolded.  This movie is definitely a must see!  Below is a small description of the movie.

From the award-winning producers of FLYWHEEL comes a new, action-packed, family-friendly drama about a high school football coach who draws up a new game plan for his team … and himself.

In his six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never had a winning season. Even the hope of a new season is squelched when the best player on his Shiloh Eagles decides to transfer schools. After losing their first three games of the season, the coach discovers a group of fathers are plotting to have him fired. Combined with pressures at home, Coach Taylor has lost hope in his battle against fear and failure.

However, an unexpected challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than just victories. Daring to trust God to do the impossible, Coach Taylor and the Eagles discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.

With God, all things are possible …

If you have seen the movie I would like to hear your thoughts; simply post a comment and share with everyone your review.

Here's the Champ! Kudos to Coach Lauderdale!

Congratulations to Coach Tracy Lauderdale!  He and his eight (8th) grade boys baseball team from Fulton Middle School in O'Fallon, Illinois won the Southern Illinois 2006 State Championship game this past Thursday afternoon.  They won 8-3 in a very close game until the bottom of the 5th inning when O'Fallon's bats really came to life topped with very aggressive base running.  This is Coach Lauderdale's 4th state championship with this 8th grade baseball team since 2001.

Coach Lauderdale (Tracy) is one of my best friends and is also in my small group!  Kudos Coach!

A True Spirit of Revival

A couple of weeks ago twenty-two men from Victory Church attended the 2006 "Unleashed" Promise Keepers event in Louisville, KY.  I can honestly say that what happened that weekend with our men I have never witnessed nor experienced before in my life.  There was an awesome presence of the Holy Spirit that settled on the men from our church like I have never felt before.  There was a powerful spirit of revival and renewal that touched the heart of all 22 men. 

The Sunday following the PK event I asked the men to stand and give their testimonies (click here to hear the testimonies of these men on our podcast page).  Once again God moved in a BIG way!  After a 2 hour service (that is certainly not the norm for us!) the altars were filled with men and women who were bowing at the feet of our Lord in submission.  I just stood in "awe" once again as I watched the Holy Spirit speak to everyone in our congregation.

We are still reaping the results of that powerful weekend.  Men's lives are being changed in our church!  We are on the brink of a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit here at Victory. 

I encourage all men to attend a PK event in a city near you...but there is a warning...CAREFUL!  You may never be the same again.

Podcast Featured on iTunes

This is pretty cool!  The Victory Church Podcast is featured on iTunes!  Once you are there, you can click the subscribe link and download the podcast to you hard drive, then to your MP3 player.  Just click here and you will be directed to the iTunes link.

Technology...gotta love it!

Celebration Service in Scheve Park!

Tonight at 6:00 PM we are kicking off the Victory fall schedule with an outdoors celebration service in Scheve Park!  We will be center stage at the Depot with the Victory Praise Team leading us in worship and myself bringing a message from the Book of James titled: "FAITH...Do You Have the Real Thing?" 

Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets.  You may even want to have a family or small group picnic before the service.  The weather is going to be beautiful, so invite a friend and bring the entire family for this very exciting event.  Let's fill the park with the sounds of praise and worship!  I can hardly wait!

Do You Like To Wait?

Do you enjoy waiting?  Personally for me...that's the hardest thing in my life to do, but I know it is a much needed virtue in all of our lives...especially mine!

After the "City of Mascoutah Denies Sprung Structure" blog I posted last week I have received numerous e-mails, comments, phone calls, and advice from people giving me encouragement.  (By the way, thanks to all of you who have ministered to me in the area of encouragement!  You have encouraged me!  Thank you!)  But in all those words of encouragement there was a common phrase, a common word, here it comes...get ready..."just wait on the Lord."

Did you hear it?  "Just wait."  There it is again, the word that none of us really want to hear...WAIT!  I must be perfectly honest with you; I still have that little boy inside of me that jumps up and down screaming, "I want it now!  I don't want to wait!"  You know what I'm talking about because you have experienced that same child-like reaction when things don't go the way you have planned them, when you do not get the things that you really want, when you have great dreams and when you have things all planned out, then someone says, "WAIT!" I don't know about you, but for me...that's hard to deal with.

Today I am sitting at the St. Louis Bread Company in Shiloh, Illinois and I am surrounded by people with a look of disgust on their face because they are having to wait in line for their coffee and bagel.  I mean, let me try to explain what I am seeing right now:

• There's a man...waiting...in line frequently looking at his watch.  He must have an appointment that is quickly approaching and waiting is about to kill him.
• There is a child...waiting...in line with her mother, and believe me this child does not like to wait!  She is about 2 or 3 years old and she is letting everyone know that she does not like waiting!
• There's a lady that just walked in, looked at the long line (which is shouting in no audible words...WAIT!...) and she said, "Oh my ____! (you fill in the blank.)

What's my point?  Here it is: none of us like to wait!

Oh yea, there is one more thing I need to add right here, waiting is a biblical principle!  Oh no, there you go again Jon, getting all spiritual on me!  Well, that's right, waiting is biblical.  Just listen to these verses of Scripture about waiting:

Psalms 40:1 (NIV) I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Lamentations 3:24-26 (NIV) I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Psalms 27:14 (NIV) Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT) But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

But I do believe there are things we can learn and gain by waiting.  For examples, allow me to share with you several things:

     1. Waiting creates time during which we can trust God.

I encourage you to read Psalm 27:1-14.  But let me share with you Psalm 27:14 once again: "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

David knew from experience what it meant to wait on the Lord.  He had been anointed king at age sixteen (16), but didn't become king until he was thirty (30).  During the interim, he was chased through the wilderness by jealous King Saul.  David had to wait on God for the fulfillment of His promise.

Waiting for God is not easy.  Often it seems that He isn't answering our prayers or that He doesn't understand the urgency of our situation.  That kind of thinking implies that God is not in control or is not fair.  But God is worth waiting for because often He uses waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. 

Therefore, make good use of your waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to teach you.

     2. Waiting on God prepares us to have our real needs met.

Once again, waiting for God to help us is not easy, but by reading Psalm 40:1-4  I can see that David received four benefits from waiting:

• God lifted him out of despair.
• God set his feet on a hard, firm path.
• God steadied him as he walked.
• God put a new song of praise in his mouth.

Often blessings cannot be received unless we go through the trial of waiting.  That's why David could boldly say, "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalms 40:1 (NIV)

    3. Waiting gives us opportunity to work out our faith.

You really need to read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 but listen to what the Apostle Paul told the Christ followers in 2 Thess. 3:6 (NLT) "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you."

Some people in the Thessalonian church were falsely teaching that because Christ would return any day, and they were just waiting for that day, people should then set aside their responsibilities, quit work, do no future planning, and just wait for the Lord.  But their lack of activity only led them into sin. 

• They became a burden to the church, which was supporting them.
• They wasted time that could have been used helping others.
• They became busy bodies.

These church members may have thought they were being more spiritual by not working, but Paul tells them to be responsible and get back to work.  Being ready for Christ means obeying Him in every area of life.  Because we know that Christ is coming we must live in such a way that our faith and our daily practice will please Him when He arrives.

Well, there is a lot that could be said and learned about waiting.  So, I will wait patiently on the Lord!  I often say, "The Lord is seldom early and never late; He is always right on time!" 

Pray for me while I'm waiting in line!

Kickball @ Victory Church

This evening at Victory Church several small groups got together for an ole' fashion "kickball" game.  What a great time of fellowship!  It's such a joy to watch our people interact with each other...they really have a great time!  I love getting together to just play with our church family.  Thanks guys for a relaxing evening.

City of Mascoutah Denies Sprung Structure

I am really disappointed in the City of Mascoutah's City Council this week lead by Mayor Jerry Daugherty.  After months of preparation and planning by the leadership team here at Victory, the Mascoutah City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to deny the erection of our new Sprung Structure which was to be our new worship center here at Victory Church.  The reason was they disapproved the aesthetics of the structure and density (meaning a plane could crash on our property, therefore no structure could be built).  Sad!   

We really had great goals and high aspirations for this new structure and how it would enhance our ministry to the growing community of Mascoutah.  Please pray for our leadership team as we draw up "Plan B" for the future ministry and outreach of Victory Church.

1st Edition of the Painfully Practical Podcast

We have just posted our very first edition of the "Painfully Practical Podcast" which is a new Internet ministry of Victory Church.  Be sure to check it out today then tell a friend!  WARNING...this podcast will be painfully practical!

Interview with Worship Pastor Wayne Kunde

Today we are recording and introducing a new element of our podcast ministry called "Ministry Moments from Victory." Each podcast will feature me sharing a leadership lesson or an interview with one of our staff members.

Today I will be featuring an interview I had with Wayne Kunde our Worship Pastor here at Victory Church.  We will be discussing many of the aspects that are involved in preparing for a weekend worship service.  I trust you will find this portion of our podcast ministry beneficial to you.  Please pass this information along to your friends, especially if they are in the ministry.  Just click here to be directed to our podcast page.  Be sure to "bookmark" the page!  Enjoy!

Get e-mail alerts when new entries are posted to my blog

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I have added Feedblitz to my blog. This means you can receive an e-mail whenever I make a new post. To subscribe, go to the Feedblitz link on the right side of this page. Enter your e-mail address and follow the instructions to confirm your subscription.

Worship Service in Scheve Park

Its final!  On Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 P.M. Victory Church will be starting our Wednesday evening service back up with a big worship service at Scheve Park in Mascoutah!

We have reserved the depot and park for that evening, therefore, let's do everything in our strength to pack out the park!  The entire praise band and singers will be leading us in worship and then I will be bringing the message from God's Word.

Help me pass the word out to everyone and be sure to invite your neighbors.  Just remember to bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets.  It's going to be a great evening...I can hardly wait!

Victory's Connection Cafe' & Bookstore

I would like to encourage you to stop by the Connection Cafe' & Bookstore here at Victory Church and enjoy a great cup of coffee and browse the growing stock of great books we are getting in. 

Also, you will notice on the right hand column of my blog page that I have placed a list of books under the Connection Cafe' & Bookstore header.  These are books that I highly recommend for you to read.  If you click on the book, the default link will take you to Amazon to purchase the books, but I would like to encourage you to support our bookstore here at Victory. 

I will update this list periodically.  Remember, to be a great leader we must be a lifetime learner/student; therefore, read a few books this summer!

Water Ballon Ambush!

Some of the teens in our student ministry, along with our student leader Matt Hampel, decided to fork our yard this past Sunday afternoon.  Little did they know...there was an ambush waiting for them!  It was great!

It was all preplanned.  The teens thought they would pull a fast one on us, but several adults were anxiously waiting for just the right moment (actually when Dave Hornyak honked the horn of his truck) to come out of hiding and attack.  And, attack we did!  Debbie (my wife), Mike Collins and I were responsible for the "air attack."  We carried out the first phase of "shock and awe" by bombing the kids with water balloons from the top of my house!  Cotton, Carlos, Dave, Kat, Sandy, and Matt carried out the ground attack with "super-soakers and water balloons." 

The kids did not know what hit them!  They were actually running around in circles trying to get away, but there was no place to run or hide.  In the end, everyone was completely wet and the raid was a success.  We finished out the event with a group picture along with three buckets of water poured over Matt's head. 

That was one to the most awesome events that I have been involved in; needless to say, we adults enjoyed that way too much.  Anyhow, enjoy the pictures!

         

NewThing Conference

Early Monday morning we're off!  Several staff members and I are going to the NewThing Multi-Site Conference in Naperville, Illinois.  Dave Ferguson is the Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church, which is a multi-site (or as he likes to phrase it...reproducing church) with 8 campuses in the Chicago area.

I will give you an update next week what transpired.  Please pray for me and our team.  I am really looking for some answers to the many questions I have.  I am so excited...this is what I have been waiting for!! 

Just got my book!!!

Today I feel like a child on Christmas morning...I just received my "Multi-Site Church Revolution" book from Zondervan!  I can hardly wait...I am so anxious to read this book.  I will begin tonight immediately after our believer's worship service.

As I read it I will be sharing portions of it with you, possibly chapter-by-chapter.  Therefore, be sure to check back periodically for my reviews.  I can hardly wait!

Meeting Tuesday with Sprung Representative

Tomorrow morning the leadership team from Victory Church and I will meet with a representative from the Sprung Structure company in Terre Haute, Indiana.  We are praying and considering erecting one of these structures on our church property for a new worship center.   

Please pray for the leadership team of Victory as we move toward expanding our ministries in order to see more RTL's (Radically Transformed Lives).

 

New method at Victory

For the past 3 weeks we have been delivering the Sunday morning message in a new format---via video!

On Thursday's we go out and film on location in an area that ties in with the topic being taught that Sunday morning.  It takes a tremendous amount of work and preparation, but it seems to be pretty effective. 

You can go to our podcasts site and listen to the MP3 format of the sermons (audio only).  In the near future we will have the video format up and running.

I would like some feedback from those who have seen the video-cast on Sunday mornings, and if  anyone (whether you have seen our videos or not) has any thoughts, ideas, or lessons on this type of ministry I would love to hear from you. Until then, we will keep the camera's rolling!   

Discussing the Davinci Code

As many of you already know, Dan Brown's best selling novel (novel means it IS fiction!) The DaVinci Code has been made into a movie and is scheduled to be released in theaters around the country on May 19th.

Lee Strobel and Garry Poole have an excellent DVD study for small groups called Discussing the DaVinci Code.  This study embarks on a fascinating journey with Lee Strobel and Garry Poole as they investigate the claims about Christianity that Dan Brown makes in his novel.  Lee and Garry traveled to London and Paris to visit key sites where Dan Brown's novel unfolds.  Lee also interviewed leading experts, all of them with earned doctorates in relevant areas, to get straightforward answers to the most troubling issues posed by the popular novels and the major motion picture.

Here at Victory Church we will begin this exciting 4 week study on Wednesday, June 7th at 7:00 PM.  Bring your family, friends, and co-workers and together let's discover the truths about The DaVinci Code and Christianity. 

Check Out My New Podcast!

Check this out...I just got my podcast up and running!  Just click on this link and it will take you to a page where you can listen to my messages.  There may be some bugs in it, so please bear with me as I get this particular option/ministry up and running. 

Isn't technology great!  I love it!