Mission & Vision Sermon Series!

Mooresville Church of God

Mission & Vision Sermon Series

January 2 - Purpose:  Reconciliation

January 9 - Mission:  To Make Disciples

January 16 - Vision:  A Healing Community

January 23 - Strategy: Grace + Truth

January, 2011 represents an important season for Mooresville Church of God!  We are discovering God's vision for how we will accomplish His mission in our community.  We hope you all will join us as we look into God's Word, His mind, His heart and His call to us as His Church!

New Leadership Development Opportunity!

Beginning in 2011 Pastor John has been offered the opportunity to become an Associate Trainer with EQUIP, the leadership development ministry of John Maxwell.

EQUIP is a non-profit organization specializing in the development of effective international Christian leaders. Founded by Dr. John C. Maxwell in 1996, EQUIP is dedicated to developing servant leaders who shoulder responsibility, meet challenges with courage and creativity and never relinquish their God-given dreams.

This is a volunteer role that Pastor John will be serving in.  He will be teaming with Scott McDonald and training pastors and lay leaders in Beirut, Lebanon.  They will travel to Beirut twice each year for three years and share 2-3 days of training with church, ministry and business leaders in that part of the world.  The training will typically include leaders from Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.  Pastors and leaders from other Middle-Eastern nations will also participate.

Pastor John is also excited to partner with Camille Melki in this endeavor!  Camille is the founder and director of Heart for Lebanon ministries.  Mooresville Church of God supports H4L and recently took a mission team to Lebanon to partner with them in their work with Iraqi refugees, the Bedouin population and other impoverished and disenfranchised people in Lebanon.  Camille is the Middle-East Coordinator for EQUIP and will be organizing the training sessions that Pastor John and Scott McDonald will be teaching.

There are many ways that Pastor John's role with EQUIP will benefit Mooresville Church of God!  One of the most significant is the access Pastor John now has to the EQUIP leadership development curriculum.  This curriculum represents 2 levels of Leadership Development training totaling 72 individual training sessions!  The access to this curriculum will open the door for a comprehensive leadership development initiative to be pursued within the congregation of Mooresville Church of God!  In addition it presents an opporutnity to offer leadership development training to the larger community!  Pastor John will also have access to high-impact leaders and trainers who will be teaching, coaching and influencing his own personal leadership development!

Because this is a volunteer role there is significant financial need to help EQUIP provide the needed training materials to the Middle-Eastern pastors and lay leaders.  In addition Pastor John will have travel expenses for each of the trips to Lebanon.  If you have interest in financially supporting Pastor John's training efforts in the Middle-East please see him for details on how you can be a partner in this vital leadership development initiative!

Emmanuel: Seeking God with Us

Plan to join us this Advent season as we celebrate:

Emmanuel

Seeking God with Us

Nov. 28 -  Finding Hope!

  Dec. 5 -  Finding Peace!

Dec. 12 -  Finding Joy!

Dec. 19 -  Finding Love!

Dec. 26 -  Finding Life!

Basic Training

ATTEN....TION!

It's time to get back to some basics of the Christian faith!

We are in the middle of a great series in which we return to some basic topics necessary for everyone who is a believer or still has questions about the Christian faith.

We've already covered topics like:



- God's Word (The Bible) and why understanding it is so key to our understanding of God
- The Church and why Jesus called it into existence

In the next few weeks we will be looking at some other important understandings of the Christian faith:

- Oct. 31 - The Trinity and why God expresses Himself in 3 persons
- Nov. 7 - Giving (Money) One of the most controversial topics but an essential to understand
- Nov. 14 - Forgiving and why it's a key to be able to give it and receive it
- Nov. 21 - The Reason - This will try to sum up the reason that God initiated all of this for our sake

We hope you can join us as we learn and seek God together!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

10 Stops On the Journey of Transformation

I had the opportunity to hear Christian researcher, author and teacher George Barna speak on some very important issues facing "The Church" today.  There was too much information to share it all, however, here are a couple of big picture statments he made that really made me perk up and pay attention: 

He said that researchers have basically known for 25 years or more that the "Congregational" model of doing church has been slowly, consistently, but almost assuredly losing it's effectiveness.  The congregational model is basically the way that 99.9% of churches function and operate.  His point with this statement was simply to declare that we MUST continue to be innovative and creative in how we will "BE" the church in the coming generations.  The old model simply will not work effectively enough to sustain itself for much longer in an increasingly post-Christian and anti-Christian culture in the USA.  This is simply one of the great challenges that face churches, pastors, leaders and Christians today!  We can no longer fear the reaction of our congregations to change!  We have no choice!  Be transformed back into the outward-focused movement that was the 1st Century Church or die a slow and ineffective death.

The other statment Barna made was something like this:  "You achieve what you measure".  He went on to say that for far too long we have measured only numbers (attendance, giving, square footage) and paid very little attention to measuring the transformation of people.  He is not suggesting that we not keep track of any numbers.  That would be or could be irresponsible.  What he is suggesting is that we stop making those measurements our first priority when assessing success and failure at our mission.  He is suggesting that measuring transformation in people will drive us to be more effective and thus produce all the numbers we want (my words, not Barna's)!  So here are what George Barna called the "10 Stops on the Journey of Transformation".  An intersting statistical note before you read through them:  89% of all Chrisitans in the USA never get beyond stop 5.  They never grow or deveolop beyond the point of salvation.

1. Ignorance of sin:  Non-believing people don't even realize that sin exists in their lives.
2. Indifference to sin:  Non-believing people grow to understand the concept of sin but are indifferent to it.  They don't know they should be concerned about it and do something about it.
3. Concern for sin:  Non-believing people become concerned that sin exists in their lives.  They begin to search for the answer to the question, "What should I do about this sin?"
4. Understand a Need for Forgiveness:  Their concern for sin becomes a need to be forgiven by Someone capable of forgiving sin.  They find Jesus to be the only One capable of this forgiveness.
5. Embrace Grace & A Need to Grow in Faith:  This is the point of salvation.  They recieve grace and begin to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ.
6. Spiritual Discontent:  After salvation and an understanding of God's grace, the nice, comfortable, safe Christianity that is typically taught no longer satisfies.  They long for more and are discontent with a faith that doesn't challenge and change them or other people.
7. Brokenness:  They begin to realize that they cannot change the world on their own.  They need God, His power and the rest of His people to do it and are broken by their limitations and inadequacies.
8. Surrender & Submission:  As their brokenness takes it's toll on them they throw their hands in the air and cry out "I surrender"!  In the Church of God, this is the point which we used to call being "sanctified".  Surrendering all of who we are, our will, our desires, our lives to God and His purposes.
9. Profound Love for God:  Having surrendered and submitted to God's will, love and grace, a deep, intimate and profound love for Him develops.
10. Profound Love for Other People:  It is only after understanding and receiving God's amazing grace and love that we can extend that love to others!  This is God's mission in the world!  For all people to know, receive and share the love of God through Jesus Christ!

What would it look like if we started measuring this type of transformation first, before any other measure of our success or effectiveness?  I think George Barna is pointing us in the right direction.  I think it's a Christ-like and missional direction.  My prayer is that we would all have the courage and faith to follow.

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Reach Out Concert

John Schlitt, lead singer of "Petra" and internationally-known recording artist, will be featured at Mooresville Church of God in Mooresville, IN on Saturday, September 18 at 7:30 PM. John will also make an appearance on Sunday, Sept. 19 during the church's Sunday morning worship service at 10:30. Petra was founded in 1972, and is one of the world's best known and most successful Christian rock bands, with sales of over 7 million records. Schlitt, a native of Illinois, has been their lead vocalist since 1986. During his time with Petra, he has recorded 16 albums, earning four Grammy and numerous Dove awards, with many #1 and Top Ten hits on the Contemporary Christian Charts. His travels and performances with the group have reached all 50 states and as many as 18 countries. Prior to his time with Petra, Schlitt was lead singer of the rock band "Head East," a Midwest-based rock group which toured the United States in the 1970's and was best known for their classic hit, "Never Been Any Reason." Schlitt's concerts are a mixture of classic Petra tunes in rock, pop, and praise & worship style, such as "Beyond Belief," "No Doubt," and "We Need Jesus," plus hits off his solo albums such as "Show Me the Way," "One by One" and "Inside of You." Tickets are currently on sale at the church office for $5. Ticket prices at the gate will be $10. You can also purchase tickets at www.itickets.com. For more information, check out the church website: www.MooresvilleChurch.org or call the church office at 317-831-1418.

New Preaching Series Beginning August 15

New Preaching Series!

Beginning August 15, 2010

Making Room for Life

Trading Chaotic Lifestyles

for Connected Relationships

American culture has so many good and exciting things to offer!  Innovations, technology, opportunities abound!  We really are blessed in so many ways!

But every good thing has a price...a cost...

Another reality of American culture is that we often sacrifice the intimacy and quality of our family relationships and friendships for the sake of the pace and possibilities of our lifestyle.  Even more, we sometimes don't think it can be different...even if we wanted it to...But it can be different! 

We hope you will join us beginning on August 15th and discover a new pace of life!  A pace that allows healthy time for your family, friends...and for God!  Hope to see you at Mooresville Church of God!

Welcome to Our World: Lydia Grace Towne

Welcome!

Lydia Grace Towne

Born July 8, 2010

Mooresville, In.

Congratulations

Jeremy, Raegan,

Tate, Harry and Lauren!

Prayer Summit - Sunday, July 18

Prayer Summit

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Mooresville Church of God

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Dr. Doug Talley will lead a Prayer Summit for us as we begin this season of covenantal accountability.  We will be asking God to pour out His Spirit in fresh power so that His church in Mooresville will accomplish His purposes with effectivness!  We hope you will join us as we seek Him together!

Summer Sermon Series!

• Jesus was counter-culture...
• Jesus was a rebel...
• Jesus was a contradiction...
• Jesus challenged the status quo...

For many people the Beatles and the onset of the Rock n Roll era were a time of counter-cultural and rebellious living.  And in the scope of American culture that is true.  However...

...Jesus had done something similiar in His culture thousands of years earlier.  His counter-culture message and challenges to the status quo are powerfully illustrated in the opening words of one of His greatest teachings:  The Sermon on the Mount.  We call this introductory section "The Beatitudes" and we will spend most of our summer studying Jesus words, message and challenges to the entire culture of His day...and ours!

Join us Sunday, June 27 and for the next seven weeks as we study this powerful teaching of Jesus!

Covenants

Covenants are a big deal, did you know that? 

I found out that if I put up the wrong type of fence or build a storage barn our Neighborhood Association Covenant will likely result in me getting reprimanded, fined or even forced to take down the fence or storage barn.  Wow!  These people seem to take this covenant serriously!

But covenants are meant to be taken seriously.  If you look through the Old Testament you see God weaving, creating, adapting and enforcing His covenant with His people.  In fact, it was because His people would not (or could not) keep this covenant with Him that He eventually threw up His hands (so to speak) and decided that something drastic must be done!  The covenant progression kind of went like this...

...God makes a covenant with Adam and Eve that allows them to live in perfect relationship with Him forever in the Garden of Eden.  They break the covenant.  God has to begin again...

...God makes a covenant with Abraham that He will bless Abraham and his family and will bless the whole world through them...if they keep the covenant...but they don't.  God has to begin again...

...God attempts to restore the covenant with people like Isaac, Jacob, David, various Judges, Kings and Prophets...but it never seems to work like God had hoped...God has to begin again...

...God decides that a NEW covenant is needed.  A covenant based not on the righteousness and obedience of the people...but based on God's righteousness, love, justice and mercy...a covenant established by blood...the blood of His one and only Son...Jesus...who would pay the price for the sin, disobedience and failure of so many people...ALL PEOPLE...to keep God's original covenant...This is THE covenant...the final one needed...to reconcile people and the entire creation back to God!

Covenants are a big deal, did you know that?

And now your pastoral staff and Board of Directors is asking you to support a covenant.  A covenant that in essence makes us accountable to our state ministry...and makes them accountable to us.  After all...this is what covenants are...two parties mutually agreeing to be accountable to each other for the sake of a larger, more important cause.  To accomplish something together they they might not be able to accomplish on their own.  This covenant is good...it is coming at the right time...with the right motive...and is worthy of our support.

Covenants are a big deal...in part because when kept, they produce beautiful and powerful results!  God is calling us to a new and powerfully productive day of mission-focused ministry at Mooresville Church of God.  Let's not miss this opportunity!

Copies of this covenant are available on the Welcome Center in the church lobby.  As you have questions email them to the office (info@mooresvillechurch.org)  Our state minister, Dr. Doug Talley, will be with us on Wednesday, June 2 for a Question & Answer time at 7:00 pm.  We will then vote on acceptance of the covenant on Sunday, June 6 immediately following the morning worship service.

Thank you for your partnership in ministry!  Thank you for your prayers and participation in what our God is doing among His people TODAY!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Pentecost Pulpit Rotation

Join us this Sunday, May 23rd as we kick off our Pentecost sermon series and pulpit rotation!

We welcome Pastor Daniel Miller of the Kelley Crossing Church of God in Frankfort, In. and Pastor Andy Denniston of the Eaton Church of God in Eaton, In.

Series Preaching Schedule:

Sunday, May 23

Mooresville - Andy Denniston

Frankfort - John Crump

Eaton - Daniel Miller

Sunday, May 30

Mooresville - Daniel Miller

Frankfort - Andy Denniston

Eaton - John Crump

Sunday, June 6 & 13

Mooresville - John Crump

Frankfort - Daniel Miller

Eaton - Andy Denniston

Beirut Mission Team: The Story in Pictures

Here is Rhiannon, Maggy, Ron & Marlene sharing a meal with some of the Cedar Home girls.  There are 21 total girls:  13 who range in age from 6 - 18 and 8 college age girls who are in a more independant living arrangement.  Chadi & Joyce Melki and their staff are doing powerful and effective ministries with these fine young women and girls!

Here you have our team with most of the Heart for Lebanon team.  A talented and committed group of young men and women who are impacting the very culture of a nation by their God-given mission and hard work!  Camille & Hoda Melki and their staff are setting an example for how ministry is to be approached and lived out no matter where you live!

Rhiannon McKinley and Marlene Crump are visiting with one of many Iraqi families we visited in their homes.  What a privilege it was to sit, talk, listen to their stories and minister to these good people.  Many (probably most) of the Iraqi families we met were Christians who had been driven out of Iraq by Muslim extremists who had either killed some of their family members, kidnapped family members or threatened them simply because they were Christians.  Most are now waiting to be permanently placed in other countries by the United Nations.

This is Pastor John with a little spitfire known as Simona.  She keeps everyone hopping at Cedar Home.  She is a great example of the life-change happening with each of the girls that God has entrusted into Chadi and Joyce Melki's hands. 

We took some time to learn about the history and culture of Lebanon.  What a great and interesting history it has!  Here we are standing on a late 1st Century church floor in the city of Byblos.  Though we don't know for sure, it's possible that the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John or some of their students might have spoken here at some point!  The possibility alone left us in awe.  We laughed because anything we have in the USA regarding our history is 234 years old or younger.  So sites that are thousands of years old are almost beyond our comprehension!

These are the tallest Roman columns in the world!  The engineering feat alone is breathtaking, but the intricate carvings and construction is incredible.  You see Pastor John standing at the bottom of the first column and get a sense of how big they are!  These columns are a part of a pre-first century pagan temple built by the Romans called Ba'albeck.  It was a temple where people could come and worship any god they chose.  Throughout the ruins there were sections devoted to certain gods.  The temple is in a Shiite village of the same name.  It is located in the beautiful Bekaa Valley, a valley set between two mountain ranges in the center of Lebanon.  If you travel east from the Bekaa Valley you reach the Mediterranean Sea.  If you travel west you enter Syria.





The Beirut Mission team will be sharing during our Sunday morning worship on Sunday, May 16th.  We hope you can come and hear about what God is doing in Lebanon!

Beirut Mission Team: Mid-week Report

Sunday, May 2

After arriving at the airport we immediately discovered that our flight was significantly delayed.  This would cause us to miss our connecting flight in Philadelphia.  So the airline re-arranged our flight plans, sending us through Philly and London instead of Philly and Frankfurt, Germany.  Doesn't sound too bad, except it added around 6 or 7 hours to our total flight time.  Other than those changes in our plans it was uneventful flying all night.  We were excited to be off on our ministry adventure!

Monday, May 3

After a 5 hour layover in London we headed off to Beirut!  We arrived in Beirut around 11:00 pm Monday evening.  Flying across the Atlantic Ocean has an element of fun and excitement, but is also really tiring!  Fortunately our flights were smooth sailing as we tried to get some sleep and adjust to the massive time change were were about to experience.  We lost 7 hours on our flight to Beirut.  So when it's noon in Indiana, it's 7:00 pm in Beirut.  We were met at the airport by Chadi Melki, the Director of Cedar Home.  We got settled in and got a few hours sleep, already anticipating our first day of ministry!

Tuesday, May 4

We met Camille Melki, the Director of Heart for Lebanon at 8:00 am Tuesday morning.  H4L's offices are in the Meditteranean Bible College building, right next door to Cedar Home.  Camille and his staff took us into downtown Beirut where we distributed food to Iraqi refugee families.  These families fled Iraq due to the war and persecution going on there to this very day.  We were treated to lunch at a local restaurant by some friends of the H4L ministry:  Brother Frank & Brother Stephen!  It was a great time of fellowship with these two pastors and leaders from churches in Canada!  In the afternoon we went in teams of 4 or 5 to visit some of these families in their temporary homes.  It would not be possible to articulate the array of emotions you feel as you hear the stories of each family.  There is a bit of everything... sadness... grief... relief... joy... anger... desperation.  I encourage anyone reading this to ask one of our team to tell you a couple of the stories they heard.  In addition to the Iraqi families, it was so inspiring to see the Holy Spirit power through the H4L staff!  We are deeply grateful that God has placed these dedicated and Spirit-led people in Lebanon to minister to these desperate needs!  Camille and your staff...THANK YOU for the great work you are doing on behalf of God's Kingdom!

After returning to Cedar Home for the evening we finally got to meet the 21 girls who call Cedar Home... well... home!  Chadi & Joyce Melki are truly God's hands and feet for these girls who have all come from very difficult and sometimes tragic backgrounds!  Rhiannon McKinley led devotions and small group discussions before supper.  We chose a three part theme for the week on the topic of "Purity".  Rhiannon's topic was purity in your actions.  She did a great job!  We then ate supper with the girls and then quickly settled in for our first "real" nights sleep in almost two days!  We were ready for it!

Wednesday, May 5

Our day was identical in schedule to Tuesday:  Iraqi food distribution in the morning / Visiting Iraqi homes in the afternoon.  More powerful moments of ministry with the wonderful Iraqi people and the inspiring H4L staff!  We were blessed by our time with all of them!

After arriving at Cedar Home the evening devotion, this time on the topic of "Spiritual Purity" was led by Marlene Crump.  Another great job!  We played a couple of games with the girls and then shared a great supper with them!

We then walked over to H4L's offices to meet with Milad, one of the H4L staff members.  We wanted to hear his testimony of what God had done in his life.  It was powerful to hear this man who was raised as a Muslim tell of his encounter with Jesus, the persecution he endured after his conversion, and his faithfulness to God's call into ministry!  Thank you Milad for sharing your story with us!

After returning to Cedar Home we had an opportunity to hear Chadi Melki tell of some of the joys and challenges that come with caring for 21 young girls and women who have lived challenging and sometimes painful lives before coming to Cedar Home.  Please continue to pray for Chadi and Joyce as they serve these girls!  It is a powerful expression of the love of Jesus to watch them live every moment of their lives for others!

That's got you up to date so far!  We will share some more in a couple of days!  Thanks for your prayers for our team and for the ministries we are serving with!  Blessings from Beirut!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Beirut, Lebanon Mission Team Itinerary

Please be in prayer for our team leaving Sunday, May 2 for Beirut, Lebanon.  The team consists of:

Pastor John Crump
Rhiannon McKinley
Marlene Crump
Pastor Ron Crump
Maggy Fisher

Here is the teams itinerary for the week.  Pray for them throughout the week as the travel and serve:

Sunday, May 2
- Depart Indianapolis 3:15 pm
- Arrive Philadelphia 5:04 pm
- Depart Philadelphia 6:25 pm

Monday, May 3

- Arrive Frankfurt, Germany 8:45 am

- Depart Frankfurt 10:20 am

- Arrive Beirut 3:05 pm

- Settle in at Cedar Home for the evening

Tuesday, May 4

- 8:00 - Noon: Food Distribution to Iraqi Refugees

- 1:00 – 5:00: Home visits with Iraqi families

- 6:30 – 7:30: Devotion/Games with Cedar Home kids

Wednesday, May 5

- 8:00 - Noon: Food Distribution to Iraqi Refugees

- 1:00 – 5:00: Home visits with Iraqi families

- 6:30 – 7:30: Devotion/Games with Cedar Home kids

Thursday, May 6

- 8:00 – Noon: Breakfast & Staff Meeting w/ H4L Staff

- 1:00 – 5:00: Cedar Home projects

- 6:30 – 7:30: Devotion/Games with Cedar Home kids

Friday, May 7

- 8:00 – Noon: Iraqi Women’s Program

- 8:00 – Noon: Pastor John leading Devotions & Staff Meeting w/ CHO staff

- 1:00 – 5:00: Outdoor Activities with Cedar Home kids

- 7:00:  Production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Cedar Home kids

Saturday, May 8

- Site-Seeing Day:  Cedars of Lebanon

Sunday, May 9

- Depart Beirut 3:05 am

- Arrive Frankfurt, Germany 6:15 am

- Depart Frankfurt 8:25 am

- Arrive Chicago 10:31 am

- Depart Chicago 1:10 pm
- Arrive Indianapolis 3:04 pm

A Consultation Considered

After a full weekend of interviews, meetings and reporting, I find myself on this Monday after, still in a state of excitement and anticipation. The report Rev. Dr. Doug Talley shared with us yesterday was extremely constructive and I have a good and healthy pride of what God has done through Mooresville Church of God. We have come a long way and this should be celebrated. But a celebration can easily turn into a plateau. Rather than slipping into a state of satisfaction, we need to push on to the goal of having as Doug put it, "greater impact on the community."

A wise man once said, "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today." This is good advice especially when thinking about our dreams and goals for tomorrow. There is no doubt that God is revealing his vision to us for an amazing future. Pastor John's leadership during the last 16 months has been pivotal. I pray that we step up and commit to be fully devoted ambassadors of Christ by accepting the recommendations of the consultation team. I fully believe that this will enable us to jump the life cycle generating a new birth with greater kingdom work in the Mooresville community.

I would like to ask each of you to commit to pray for the next 3 weeks regarding the recommendations by the Consultation Team. Pray that people will put greater faith in God and his Word rather than in their own opinions. Pray that conversations during the next 3 weeks will be edifying and that questions will be appropriately directed to our church leadership. Pray also that Mooresville COG will succeed at being the hands and feet of Christ.

If you have any questions regarding the Recommendations please contact any of the Pastoral Staff.

Committed to the Kingdom,

Pastor Jeremy

Great Rules to Live By

I picked up a John Wooden book on leadership this week and was intrigued with some simple rules that Coach Wooden learned from his father. You won’t find them to be novel in any way. They are a simple set of principles to live by. He calls them, “Dad’s Two Sets of Threes.”

Instructions on Integrity…
1. Never lie.
2. Never cheat.
3. Never steal.

How to face adversity…
1. Don’t whine.
2. Don’t complain.
3. Don’t make excuses.

I had grown up hearing something extremely similar to these rules. The first 3 have always been quite easy for me to follow but the second three convicted me a little bit. More times than I care to admit, I have broken all of the last three rules. I think it’s mostly because there are times when I feel I have a right to whine, complain or make excuses due to the great injustice of adversity. Philippians 2:14 states to, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…” Paul’s directions to the church at Philippi are still relevant for Christians today. We should be on a journey of becoming blameless and pure having control of our tongue. Too many times have I made situations worse or increased my struggles with adversity simply because I started talking about it in an unproductive way. That’s exactly what these rules safeguard against. When we keep the second 3 rules, it keeps us on the path of becoming rather than prolonging our wallowing in self pity. In addition to afflicting our self through whining, complaining or making excuses we commonly pull someone else into the situation. Usually, this is done behind closed doors with a third party. Most times this only poison groups of people rather than edify them. I believe the only time this can be productive is when someone checks themselves with a confidant rather than anyone who will listen.

Here are some self check questions in regard to how we deal with adversity…

What is your typical response to adversity and setbacks? If venting about a situation is necessary are you sure you are talking to the right person? (The right person would be a confidant who can remain neutral helping you check your reactions) Are you damaging the person you are whining or complaining to? Are you trying to get your listener to be on your side of the argument?

Beginning Sunday, April 11 - Life Hurts / God Heals

I think it will be accepted as fact if I say, "Sometimes life hurts"...won't it?  

I mean life just takes a toll, especially on relationships:  Marriages, friendships, brothers & sisters, parents & children, at work, at home, at church, at school...even our relationship with God shows some wear and tear after awhile.

Many people struggle to trust that God really wants the best for them and their relationships.  In fact, where there has been hurt...He wants there to be healing.  

We will spend a few weeks exploring God's desire to heal what may have been hurt in our relationships.  Here are our topics:

April 11 - God wants to heal our relationship with Him.

April 18 - God wants to heal our relationship with other people.

April 25 we will take a one week break from this series as we invite our Executive State Minister, Dr. Doug Talley, to share with us as a part of our Indiana Ministries Consultation.

May 2 - God wants to heal our own self-image, or you may say, our relationship with ourselves.

We hope you will join us this Sunday, April 4th for our Easter Sunday Celebration!  We will be putting the finishing touches on our Lent Series:  One Month to Live.  And then mark your calendars to be with us beginning April 11th for Life Hurts / God Heals!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Beirut, Lebanon Mission Experience

BEIRUT, LEBANON 

MISSION EXPERIENCE

May 2-9, 2010

A 5-person team from Mooresville Church of God will embark on a week-long mission experience in Beirut, Lebanon in early May.  The team consists of:

Pastor John Crump

Maggy Fisher

Rhiannon McKinley

Marlene Crump

Pastor Ron Crump

 The logos to the left represent the two ministries that the team will be working with while in Beirut:  Heart for Lebanon, led by Camille Melki and Cedar Home, led by Chadi Melki.

While working with Heart for Lebanon the team will be distributing food to Iraqi refugee families who were driven out of their homeland due to the war and persecution by Muslim extremists.  The team will also be doing home visits with the Iraqi families to minister to the relational and spiritual needs of the families.  The team will also have opportunity to minister to the Iraqi women during a special worship service designed just for them.

The team will be lodging at the Cedar Home for girls, an orphanage that ministers to the life-long needs of orphaned girls in Lebanon.  While at Cedar Home the team will be leading nightly devotion and game times with the girls as well as doing some assorted projects around the Home.

Both of these ministries are affiliated with the Church of God.  The Melki family has a long history of Church of God ministry in Lebanon.  Camille and Chadi simply carry on a rich heritage of effective ministry to the people of Lebanon.  The leaders and staff of each of these ministries are changing the world through the powerful and mission-focused ministry they do each day!

Would you pray for our team as we travel?  Would you pray for God to use us to encourage the Heart for Lebanon and Cedar Home staff and leaders?  Would you add Heart for Lebanon and Cedar Home to your list of prayer targets?  God is working all around the world and we are privileged to partner with our brothers and sisters in Lebanon to accomplish a small part of the work He has called them to accomplish in their part of the world!

In His Grip,

Pastor John 

 

Indiana Ministries Consultation - April 23-25, 2010

Mooresville Church of God is entering an important season of its life and ministry. April 23-25 will be an opportunity for us to examine our ministries, our practices, our habits, our structure, all of those things that define who we are and why we exist as a church.

Every congregation needs some self-examination as well as some accountability.  Indiana Ministries of the Church of God is offering to assist us with both of these productive efforts.  

The MCHOG Board of Directors recently submitted an extensive Self-Study to the Indiana Ministries Consultation team.  They will review it over the next few weeks, come spend the weekend of April 23-25 with us, and then provide feedback, recommendations and insight for our future ministry and mission here in Mooresville.

Here is a synopsis of the steps and timeline for the consultation:

April 23-24:  Consultation team will interview the Pastoral Staff, congregational focus groups and individuals to gain further perspective and information about our ministry, mission and effectiveness.

April 25:  Dr. Doug Talley, our Executive State Minister, will be preaching and sharing the Consultation Team's recommendations with the congregation.

May 9:  Our congregation will hold a Special Business Meeting to vote on the recommendations put forth by the Consultation Team.  If the recommendations are accepted, the Consultation Team will then draft a covenant detailing what Indiana Ministries will provide for MCHOG and what our congregation will do to accomplish the recommendations.

Early June:  Our congregation will hold another Special Business Meeting to vote on acceptance of the covenant with Indiana Ministries.  If the covenant is accepted, our congregation will be assigned a coach who will assist us and provide accountability for us as we accomplish the recommendations over the next few years.

What is the goal of this consultation and why are we doing it?

The mission of Mooresville Church of God is "To Make Disciples".  More specifically, "To make disciples by reconciling people to God and to each other".  The goal of this consultation is to make whatever changes are necessary in order for us to best accomplish this mission in our community!  To fail at our mission is disobedience and is not an option for our congregation.

Churches all across the United States are failing at their God-given mission.  We refuse to be one of them.  We are attempting to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to see that our congregation is outward focused, mission focused and people focused!  We asserted at our recent "Impact Your World Week" that no ministry, program, practice or habit in the life and ministry of our church is untouchable, unchangeable or sacred.  What's working we hope to make better.  What's not working will be replaced with mission-focused practices that do work.

We are in desperate need of your prayer, participation, patience and support throughout this process!  Will you commit to make this consultation, our congregation and the eventual outcomes a matter of daily prayer?  Mooresville Church of God's effectiveness, future and ministry depend on it!

Thank you for your efforts to see God's mission and purpose accomplished in the Mooresville community through this congregation!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Mandie Marine's Blog!

Hey, just wanted you all to be aware of the great blog that Mandie Marine is updating during her mission work in San Francisco!  Here's a link to it...

http://mandiescaliadventure.blogspot.com/

Please continue to pray for Mandie!  Pray for safety, pray for strength and courage as she ministers to youth and adults!  Pray that God would use her to expand His Kingdom while she's in California!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

One Month to Live Challenge

Have you ever pressed the pause button on your life to ask some clarifying questions?  Stopped, taken a deep breath and REALLY asked yourself if you are living the life that you WANT to live?  Have you risked asking your spouse, your kids, your friends, if the life you are currently living is having a positive impact on them or the world around them?

We invite you to consider this question over the next 40 days:  WHAT IF YOU HAD ONE MONTH TO LIVE?

The season that Christians refer to as "Lent" begins today, February 17, Ash Wednesday.  It concludes on Easter Sunday, April 4th.  It is a period of 40 days in which Christ followers are called and challenged to prepare themselves, do some self-examination of their spiritual lives, make healthy and needed changes in their lives so that they can grow closer to God and reflect the life and character of His Son, Jesus.  It is during this observance of the season of Lent that we hope you will pose this question to yourself...and then act...in response to what God reveals to you.

People who only have weeks or months to live typically report that they made significant changes in how they lived during their final days.  So we wonder...why not start living that way now?

If you want a good place to start in posing this question...and answering it...you might start by looking at how Jesus lived when He knew He only had one month to live.  And that's exactly what we will be doing throughout the season of Lent leading right up to our Easter Sunday celebration!  We hope you will join us!

Sunday, February 28 -      Living the Dash
Sunday, March 7 -             Live Passionately
Sunday, March 14 -           Love Completely
Sunday, March 21 -           Learn Humbly
Sunday, March 28 -           Leave Boldly
Easter Sunday, April 4 -   Living With No Regrets 

So I'm asking myself the question, many people in our congregation are too.  Will you ask yourself this simple but potentially life-changing question...What if you only had one month to live?  How would you live differently?  How would you spend your time?  How would you spend your money?  How would you treat the people you love?  I'm excited to explore this question and the potential impact on our world if we all courageously act on it!  Join us!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

What Question Would You Ask God?

Just about everyone has questions they would like to ask God.

Even people who don't believe there is a God wish there was a God so they could ask Him their questions.

So what are your questions?

Maybe it's something about our world and why He made it a certain way...

Maybe it's about why He made you a certain way...

Maybe it's why there's so much hurt and pain in our world...

Maybe it's why your mother, brother, sister, friend or loved one died far too soon...

Maybe it's something about the Bible, the Christian faith, the Church or some other aspect of our belief systems...

Maybe you want to know, "God, do you really hear my prayers?"

The list is endless isn't it? 

Well, all pastors wish we had ALL the answers...but...we don't.  Don't get me wrong, we may be able to provide a few answers and assist you in pursuing the truth you're looking for, but make no mistake...we have questions too.

So over these next few Sundays we will answer a few of your questions.  I've had probably 15 or 20 questions submitted for consideration.  All really good...some just for fun...some out of desperation...all legitimate and worthy of time and effort.  Unfortunately, we only have 4 weeks.  So...here are the 4 questions we've chosen:

Week 1:  How can we know God's will?
Week 2:  Will I always struggle with sin?
Week 3:  Can we take the Bible at 100% face value?
Week 4:  Why would a loving God allow pain and suffering?

Join us as we seek God's answers to these questions together!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Resolute to Grow Spiritually in 2010

Here is the link to the Lifeway.com assessment tool and plan guide for Spiritual Growth. It's a PDF file so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access it.

http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_DSC_Spiritual_Growth_Assessment.pdf