PARTnership Class

Saturday at 5:30PM we have another PARTnership Class.  If you're planning on coming, it's at the Boys and Girls Club and it's going to be upstairs (bet you didn't know they even had an upstairs)

I just wanted to take a minute and share what PARTnership is and why we do it.

A lot of churches have membership.  There's nothing wrong with that, I just don't like the word.  I think the word "membership" is more of a selfish, prideful thing today than it should be and it doesn't really describe the relationship a person has with the church.  When I hear someone say they're a "member" - I hear that they're attached to the degree that they feel is acceptable.

For instance, I hear people say they have a gym membership, and then I look at them, notice they're unhealthy, overweight, untoned and out of shape.  I see they're attached, but not committed.  People have a Sam's Club, BJ's or Costco membership.  But people don't get those to make the company better, they join to get cheap prices and make they're lives or budgets better.

I think PARTnership more accurately describes how the church and believers relate.  Believers are a PART of the Church universal, and they need to be a PART of a local church too.  Believers all have spiritual gifts given to them by God for the benefit of all.  Paul talks about that in 1 Corinthians 12 and he reminds us that when it comes to the church, the church is like a body and "...the body is not made up of one PART but of many." [v. 14]  PARTnership implies that we are co-dependent and working together for the good of all, not just our own self-interests.

So, if you desire to be a PART of Discovery Church, understand that you won't be comfortable here if you just want to "park your membership," show up on Sundays and get something out of it without any intension of putting something into it.  We're asking God for workers because "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few".  We'd love to have you PARTner with us in the work of reaching Greenville with the Good News of Jesus Christ.  See you at 5:30 Saturday?

Greenville's Largest Egg Hunt

GREENVILLE'S LARGEST

EGG HUNT

We're doing something we've never done here at Discovery.  During a time when it seems like all the news wants to focus on is how bad the market is doing and how many jobs are being lost and how much worse it's going to get, we want to offer something positive to look forward to and take part in.  We want to be a blessing to our community and this is just one way to show we care.

WHAT?

One of our goals for the year is to personally “touch” over 10,000 people in Greenville.  We do that by serving.  Sometimes it’s Second Saturday Service, other times it’s big events or helping groups like the Girl Scouts or the Boys and Girls Club.  This includes all that!  Obviously we'll have a HUGE Easter Egg Hunt for all ages, and free hotdogs for lunch afterwards, along with a few surprises.

WHEN?

Saturday, April 11th - Easter Weekend  11AM

 

WHERE?

The Boys and Girls Club

621 West Firetower Rd

Winterville, NC

HOW?

We’ll invite the community and somehow figure out a way to get hundreds (hopefully thousands?) here to hunt for 12,000 eggs filled with candy, toys and prizes!

WHAT’S NEXT?

OK, Discovery people and others, here’s where you come in.  We need everyone’s help to pull this off.  NEXT Saturday (March 14th) is Second Saturday Service and we’ll spend this one planning for the Egg Hunt.  We’ll form teams, assign duties and start filling eggs with candy and/or small toys.  Please purchase and bring individually wrapped candy (that will fit in a plastic egg) and small toys.  And start asking friends and business owners to donate give-a-way items!  This is going to be HUGE!  Anyone willing to donate prizes (things kids would want like iPods, video game stations and games, sports equipment, etc) please contact info@discoverychurchonline.com for where to bring/ship it and what it is.  And start spreading the news.

Because I'm Just In That Kind Of Mood

I don't know why, but I know it's true.  Unexpected farts are funny no matter where they happen.  Don't believe me?  Watch

Just Gotta Smile

Sometimes you just have to smile.  Here's what made me smile this morning.

Why We Do It This Way.

It's funny when people find out that our church meets at a Boys & Girls Club, they almost always ask or at least wonder silently, "When are you going to get a building?"  I laugh because I know they don't really understand.

Would a building be a good thing?  Maybe, but I don't know and I think it depends.  What I do know is that by sharing space, we cut our expenses so we can spend more on people.  I don't think setting up and tearing down each week is a burden - I think it's a blessing.  Why?  We get to spend time serving others together.  When we set up the screens, stage, lights and lyrics, it's not for us as much as it's for people who we expect to come and be our guests.  We want to honor them by being prepared for them and so we serve them each week when we get ready for them.  But it doesn't stop there.

We have what I think is a very good relationship with the Boys and Girls Club and we offer them our help, services and even partner in purchasing stuff all the time.  Why?  Because that's why we're there - not for us but for others.  Just today, I met with the Executive Director and his staff to coordinate a fundraising lunch where we'll transform the same old gym into a banquet hall using "our stuff."  We'll set it up, run sound, run video for them.  Why?  To help them succeed and bring in some more pledge donors.  And when I got home, I had a box of assorted Girl Scout Cookies and an envelope with a donation to Discovery from the coordinator for the Girl Scouts.  Why?  because we helped them put on a successful Father/Daughter dance using some of "our stuff" at the Boys and Girls Club.

We borrow "our stuff" out all the time - for weddings, plays, banquets, events, luncheons, dinners, expos, etc.  Why?  Because we can, and we want to be a blessing to others in our community whenever possible.  We set up and tear down all the time.  It's part of who we are.  We serve others because we feel like we've been blessed so we can be a blessing.  Our impact isn't limited to our location, and that's why we do it this way. 

Prayer and Thankfulness

This is Jonah Williams - a baby I've never met, with parents (Matt & Patrice) that I've never met, who could certainly use more prayers from other people they've never met.  Why?

Well Jonah was born with a serious and rare skin disorder (called EB) that 

is life threatening.  The skin is easily damaged and breaks and falls off. The parents had another child (Gabe) who was stillborn and may have had the same disorder.  They are a young couple that is doing their best to trust God in some of the most difficult circumstances.

On Sunday after church we had a meeting with some guys who are helping us establish elders here at Discovery and when going through prayer requests - Matt and Patrice and

 their baby came up.  Then today, I get an email about them from a completely different source.  I've read some of the updates at their blog (I'd encourage you to as well) and I can't help but think that I can help - because I can pray.

The other thing is something I don't understand.  Why has God blessed me the way He has?  Why do Lora and I have 5 healthy children?  We're not any better.  We didn't do anything to deserve it.  It just doesn't seem fair or right.  But this is what is and I rejoice in my position and am thankful (even more so at the moment) for my kids, my family, my health - for life and for being loved by God.

So, please take a moment to pray for Jonah.  Pray for Matt and Patrice.  And take a moment to thank God for the undeserved blessings in your life.  Everyone can do that.

What I Think

Since this is my blog, I get to tell you what I think.  You may not care - and that's fine, but here are a mass of tangentially related thoughts floating around in my head.

• I think I'm both sad and excited at the same time to be done with 6 Things I Hate About Christians.  Sad because of the amazing response people had but excited because I get to work on a new series in Colossians - Open Door Policy
  
• I think yesterday was an amazing church day.  Personally connected with the worship, felt good about the message, and I always love when we have a Communion Meal at Discovery
  
• I do think the new budget submitted by the President is too much spending and not enough cutting of expenses.  Oh, and taking more from people who have more - bad idea.
  
• I think somebody needs to find us some FREE office space.  It's hard working from home, coffee shops, fast food joints and restaurants.
  
• I think Facebook is a great way to connect with people
  
• I think Twitter is great because I like knowing what's going on in people's lives (and I can use it to update my Facebook status, which apparently people enjoy reading) but it can be a major distraction if I'm not careful
  
• I think we as a church need to pray more and plan less
  
• I think it's absolutely one of the grossest things to catch my dog eating it's own crap and then remembering that I let her lick me.
  
• I think having 5 kids isn't enough (at least at this moment - ask me again when they do something stupid or break another laptop)
  
• I think seeing people who are already Christian being changed by Christ is just as much of a success as seeing people who aren't Christians getting "saved" and being changed into sons and daughters of God Himself
  
• I think I still don't understand the power, grace and love of God
  
• I think between my wife and I, I most definitely got the better deal.
  
• I think that as a church, Discovery should and will be able to directly touch 10,000 people in Greenville this year through community involvement, service and acts of kindness.  We're already over 1,000 touches.
  
• I think email should only work 6 days a week.  Period.  It just shouldn't work on Sunday (or some other day, just pick one - I don't care)
  
• I think my BlackBerry phone is fine, but when it is supposed to work with Mac, it's not.  And I'm now using MissingSync which has only made things NOTICEABLY worse since I upgraded to version 2.0.  So either the Blackberry sucks or the MissingSync sucks.
  
• I think an iPhone would solve that problem - but I'm waiting until they come out with a new iPhone
  
• I think technology is a blessing and a curse - depends on the day and my mood
  
• I think this week is going to be interesting and this weekend is going to be great!
  
• I think there are too many whiners and not enough people doing something to change their own circumstances - just whining about what others should do or why they're in the situation they're in.  Come on people, take responsibility and take care of your problems.
  
• I think I'm done - for now. 
  

So, what do you think?