Laying a Strong Foundation for 2009

Join us for a wonderful conclusion to 2008! Beginning at 7pm on New Year's Eve, it is our privilege to host the Annie Moses Band in concert. This promises to be one of the most amazing musical experiences we will ever have. I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

Sunday we begin 2009 with a study from the book of Nehemiah. It is very timely and will lay a strong foundation to build our year upon. This may be our finest moment in life as we influence our family and friends to consider placing their faith in Jesus and receive His love and grace. I am excited about the potential we have to impact our community and other nations of the world.

William Paul Young, author of The Shack, will be our guest on January 25. He will share his life story in the morning services and then we will have a special event that evening at 6pm where Paul will interact with questions regarding the message of The Shack. It will be a significant opportunity to invite people to come to church with us.


Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Good times ahead!

Together . . . Continuing the Dream,

Pastor Rick

Merry Christmas!

We had a great time with our family Sunday night celebrating my Dad's 75th birthday. He is such an inspiration to us with his zest for life and passion to help others connect with God. We are a blessed family because of him.

Great times to look forward to this week: Our Christmas Eve candlelight and communion service begins at 6pm on Wednesday night. It is always a heart-warming evening as we reflect on the birth of our Savior. Then, Sunday we welcome the Annie Moses Band as our guests for our morning services and a full concert next Wednesday for New Year's Eve. It will be a wonderful way to end the year and celebrate the greatness of our God!

I pray God's best for you and those you love. If you were unable to be with us this past Sunday, I would encourage you to watch the message online and be encouraged by all the gifts that are yours through relationship with Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

Together . . . Continuing the Dream,

Pastor Rick

Seizing the Moments

Cathy and I will be sharing the message together this week. In regard to The Gift of Giving, we will focus on the importance of seizing the moments we have each day to impact and influence others for good. Our presence, because of the grace of Jesus in our lives, is a wonderful gift to others when we realize what we have in us to give. It is going to be a very important day and we are excited to worship God with you again.

We are having a wonderful experience with the Singing Christmas Tree outreach! A big thank you is in order to Pastor Rob Sapp and his team of hundreds that work together to make this such a memorable event. The investment of time and energy is immense and yet, well worth the effort.

Invite a friend to one of our holiday events coming up. Christmas Eve is always a special service. We start at 6pm and the atmosphere is filled with warmth and love with the ambiance of candlelight and the spiritual joy of remembering the greatest gift ever given.

Our New Year's Eve celebration begins at 7pm and features an amazing family of musicians. The Annie Moses Band will be our guests. I heard them in concert a couple months ago and it was one of the top five musical experiences of my life! They are amazing and this promises to be a great night for us.

Psalm 118:24-25
24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.

Together . . . Continuing the Dream,

Pastor Rick

Good Samaritan

We are busy getting our Christmas decorations in place in our house this week. I love it once it is all up. So, I'm working on getting my attitude in gear to enjoy the process of putting it all up. The destination is awesome . . . don't forget to enjoy the journey. (I just had to take this moment to preach to myself.)

The Singing Christmas Tree kicks into gear this weekend. Please take a moment to say a prayer for all the people who will have an opportunity to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. We are believing God for a wonderful harvest for His Kingdom.

This month's theme is "The Gift of Giving." We begin this Sunday with a look at the story of the Good Samaritan to inspire us to look for those around us who are waiting for someone to reach out to them with love and compassion. The potential to impact our community is so great! I am thrilled by all the stories I hear of true Christianity being lived out through our church family.

Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

Let's soak in the Christmas spirit of God's love and compassion.

Together . . . Continuing the Dream,

Pastor Rick