Tomorrow will be a big day at New Life Baptist Church. We are asking our members to affirm the decision of the pastoral team to move NLBC to the historic Jermyn Hotel in downtown Scranton (326 Spruce Street).

It seems as though the buzz is all very positive.  Most of our ministry leaders have been able to see the space and are very positive.  I have not heard any negative comments.  I am sure, however, that there are questions.  In light of this I put together what I think would be some F.A.Q.s.

What is the Jermyn Hotel?
The Jermyn Hotel is a historic landmark located just two blocks from Scranton’s city square.  The ballroom was converted to a theater about ten years ago and a theater company operated from there until last summer.  There are still over 80 apartments in the building with many residents.  The building is a hub of activity.

Are we renting or buying? 
We are renting.  We do not have the financial ability to buy a building large enough for us that we can maintain.  The ones we could afford would need hundreds of thousands of dollars for improvements and it is just not worth it.
We will be responsible for normal maintenance like cleaning, light bulbs, paper products, etc.  We don’t have to worry about the structure or the outside.

Why this property instead of St Josephs on the Northside?
St Joes is way too big and would be the scenario in the above question.  Yes, there is a lot of room there but it would all have to be updated and remodeled to meet our needs.  This would put a very lengthy financial burden on us and would mean we would be spending a lot of money on stuff and not people.  This property is 2.5 blocks from the geographic center of the city which is far more centralized and accessible than St Jospephs.

Where do we park?
There is plenty of on-street parking that is free on Sundays.  We can make sure we save the prime parking spots for visitors.  There is a parking garage right next door for which we can secure vouchers at a discounted rate.  Even parking around the corner on Penn Ave puts you closer to front doors than if you parked in the lot furthest from the door at our old church building.

What construction do we have to do?
NONE! There are plenty of rooms for everything we need (nursery, Kid’s Life, New Life Bible Institute, Family Resource Center, offices, etc).  We will need to paint, clean up, and do some cosmetic work.  We will have to work on the lighting in the auditorium.  It is set up to be a theater and not church auditorium.  We have the resources to make this happen.

Will the city give us a certificate of occupancy (C.O.)?
Yes.  We had a premlinary inspection last week and there are a few minor things that need to be taken care of.  Most of it (2 items) are in regard to plumbing and the landlord will be caring for these things.  Once everything is done we will receive our C.O.  There are NO zoning issues.

Is this going to cost us more or less than our old place?
The rent is more (3,200) but the utilities are WAY less.  The utilities are 500-700 a month. We were paying 1,800 a month. We expect to come out 700-800 ahead every month!  The rent number covers the actual rent (the theater space, foyer, and several spacious meeting rooms) and use of the ballroom (unless it gets rented to another party – this will not affect us) as well as the monthly elevator maintenance fee.

What is the seating like in the theater space itself?
There is wrap around, 180 degree seating with chairs that are on risers.  Our purple chairs WILL fit on the floor level as there is a huge amount of space.  Our seating will increase by about 150 from our old set up.  The wrap around seating is preferred because it brings everyone closer to the center.

Are there bathrooms?
Yes!  The bathrooms are spacious and bright and there is hot water!  There are way more toilets that we ever had in the old place, and none of them are in the auditorium!

What floor is all of this on?
The space is located on the second floor that is accessible by stairs or a nice passenger elevator that is regularly inspected and maintained.

Do we have the resources to make the improvements we want?
Yes, we have banked several thousand dollars from being at the Clarion the past few months.

When will we move in?
We will have the rest of April, May, June, and July to get things set up the way we want them.  We will begin holding public worship gatherings in August and plan on a grand opening Sunday September, 9th.  I will receive the keys as soon as we sign the lease and will have immediate access to begin work.

Are we still moving ahead with the Life House?
Back in December, as part of a vision casting sermon, we shared our plans to create a non-profit organization that will serve as a holistic outreach ministry to Scranton.  We said how St Joes would provide the room for what we needed.  This building will do everything for us that we need and it is centrally located.  We have a team working to make the Life House dream a reality.

I hope the above questions and answers were informative.  We will have a brief question and answer time tomorrow before the congregational vote.

Blessings,

Andy Giessman
Lead Pastor

The second floor of the hotel was converted to a theater about ten years ago. It recently housed the Electric City Theater Company that closed its doors not all that long ago. We will have 24/7 access to the space which includes a large meeting room with wrap around seating, a spacious entry way and foyer, a passenger elevator, and plenty of secondary meeting space. The building also contains 80+ apartments. We are hoping the residents will join us for worship gatherings. They can come right through the building, they don’t even have to go outside.

All along we have been praying for a space like this. We don’t want a fortress but we did and do see the need for kingdom outpost. God has worked everything out for us for such a time as this. We will use it for a ministry tool. We want to host art shows, be involved with Scranton’s First Friday, provide a space for community theater, as well as host talks and movie showings to lead into important conversations. The possibilities would appear to be limitless.

Our Family Resource Center will be housed here. This is strategically very important because the Jermyn is only 2.5 blocks from the geographic center of the city and there is a bus stop right around the corner.

If all goes as planned, we will be signing the lease on April, 16th. We will then the rest of April, May, June and July to get everything ready. We won’t need to do any construction and all we have to do is paint. We will begin holding public worship gatherings in August and have a grand opening on September, 9th. That day will be a grand celebration of God’s care and faithfulness. We are planning something special for the evening of the 9th as well. Stay tuned!

Take some time to watch the video and rejoice with us.

Continuing to lean forward,

Andy

I would not claim that I have seen it all.  However, I have seen the good, the bad, and the absolutely ludicrous.  I would not use the term “expert” to describe what I have experienced but I think the past years allows me to say something constructive about taking your group on a retreat.

Taking students, in particular, away for a weekend or an entire week of camp can be a transformational experience.  I still remember one of the high school camp experiences I had.  God absolutely used that in my life.  Your students can be effected very positively  or they can come home and never want to go back.

There are a few suggestions I would make when thinking about taking your students to camp.  Let me add that these thoughts are for those times when you take your students to a camp that provides everything for you.  Planning and executing your own retreat is a completely different animal.

1. Select a camp that is organized.  Nothing can demoralize your students and leaders faster than going on a retreat where the camp staff appears as though they arrived mere seconds before you.  If nobody knows what they are supposed to do or where they should go they will have a hard time attaining a level of comfort that will allow them to learn, grow, and develop character.I accompanied a Bible college ministry team that was forced to deal with operational schizophrenia.  The first camp we went to had a plan.  The students and staff were directed well and there was always a back up plan when unpredictable things like the weather did not cooperate.  The very next camp we went to was the complete opposite.  The staff did not seem to be on the same wavelength either philosophically or logistically.  We all burned a few extra brain cells and developed slight facial ticks just trying to figure out the basics of where, when, how, and why.  We were frustrated and the campers were frustrated.  Make sure your camp knows the answer or has a plan.
2. Make sure you go to a place where the staff understands the difference between ownership and entitlement.  Some camp organizations have a staff they recruit.  The leadership casts vision as to what the experience can be and how different talents and gift mixes fit.  They select the best and do not have any trouble saying ‘no’.  Other camps have a staff that has secured a position simply because “their family has been involved there” since the earth was still hot.  The results of this form of “soft recruiting” gets passed on to you and your group.  The tendency is for the staff to be there for themselves and not the specific mission of ministering to guests.
3. Find a camp that has good food.  This is certainly not the most “spiritual” aspect of this list but if the food is atrocious there will be complaints and you will eventually lose momentum.  Meal times are an excellent way to build relationships with your students.  Don’t let poor food quality be a roadblock to discipleship.I was once at a large camp in Indiana.  The organization that owns the property has poured millions into the facilities.  It seemed they did not, however, invest in the food service.  It was the worst food I have ever had at a camp!  The group that rented the camp decided not to go back because the food was so bad.  The camp lost revenue and, more importantly, the opportunity to minister to a large group of students.
4. Select a camp that has a good balance between free time and organized group activities.  If the camp you are going to provides the program for you, make sure they actually have a program.  It is a good idea to have some planned activities that the staff has thought through and can execute well.  You also will want to have some free time for your students to just spend time with leaders and their friends.  Too much of either can be less than advantageous.
5. Look for a camp that takes pride in its facilities.  The camp you go to does not have to be like an all inclusive resort!  However there should be evidence that the camp or retreat organization cares about their facilities and has made sure everything is in good repair and working.  Inoperable toilets, leaky roofs, and an overall sloppy appearance suggests a lack of excellence and may really put off some of your students and youth leaders.
6. Make sure the speaker knows the difference between amusement and entertainment.  A speaker who just amuses your students and staff will simply keep them occupied for the 30 minutes he is to speak.  Remember to amuse means to “not think”.  A speaker who understands “entertainment”, on the other hand, knows that his job is to engage the mind of the listener.  He will employ an appropriate use of story and illustration to help students understand.  He will use the Bible as his text and will explain what is says and not moralize or create his own ideas that are merely based on some type of biblical truth.  He will take the Bible seriously and authoritatively and assume that God will speak through His word.  You can find speakers that have a great time explaining God’s word to your students and take it seriously too.  The two do not and should not be mutually exclusive.  Students want to be challenged in their thinking and worldview.Ask questions about the speaker/Bible teacher if you don’t know who he is.  What kind of experience does he have?  Where has he spoken before?  What have other groups said about him?

Let me know if you need a suggestion for your next retreat.  There are several great camps out there that are dying to be utilized for the Kingdom!

When we agree to be mentored or to meet with someone we consider a mentor we are asking to be shaped, molded, and guided.  We are assuming there is knowledge to be gained, a skill to be acquired or honed, or a worldview that needs fine tuning or adjustment.  It is not just hanging out.  The prudent mentee will utilize the time spent with a mentor for maximum benefit.

The following are my rules for meeting with a mentor.  They are a compilation of my own observations the list that Perry Noble published in a blog in March of 2008.

1. Always be respectful of your mentor’s time and adjust to his/her schedule – ALWAYS!
   We should never ask our mentor to adjust to our time frame.  We are seeking their council and advice and we should move heaven and earth to meet with them.
2. We should always be prompt for meetings…better yet, BE EARLY
   Nothing says “I like you, but I really have no respect for you” than being late.  This is doubly true when we have specifically asked to meet with someone whom we wish to build into our lives.  Unless your mentor is a guru on a mountaintop, he probably doesn’t have much extra time – don’t waste it.  You should plan to arrive early and bring a book (or just give in and get a Kindle and carry MOST of your library with you) and redeem your own time.The reverse is true for those who mentor.  Respect the time of your appointments and bring a book too.  I have spent many an afternoon in coffee shops waiting for that “must have appointment” that someone has made with me and then never showed.  I am prepared to redeem the time as well.
3. We must learn to ask GOOD questions of our mentors.
   In the summer of 2002, I read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.  It is the true story of a man that flys from Chicago to Boston every week (on Tuesdays!) to visit a beloved college prof who is suffering and dying from ALS.   Mitch’s old friend, professor, and mentor teaches him about living and dying.After reading this very contemplative book, I called my favorite professor from college who had been in retirement for a few years. While he taught, Dr. Rem Carter was known and loved by students.  Thousands of students reminisced of how they were “Carter Survivors” because his classes in Western Civilization and history were so challenging.
   I needed to be mentored so I looked up Dr. Carter and gave him a call and asked if we could meet.  He invited me to his home and showed me something wonderful.  He did not have his doctoral degree from the University of Edinburgh hanging on his wall.  Instead his prized  piece was a sketch of the chapel at Stanford Universitywhere he gave his life in service to the King.  I was inspired and knew I needed more of what this godly man had to offer. After a few meetings, Dr. Carter asked me, “what do you want to get from our time together?”  I didn’t know the answer.  He suggested that I do some intense reading in the area of the Apostolic Fathers so that we would have something to discuss.  He strongly encouraged me to ask questions to drive our talks.  I will never forget that.Make a list of at least three good questions.
4. Develop the discipline of learning and listening.
   We should not go into meetings with mentors to get them to agree with us or convince them that we are right.  We are there to be active learners.  We should not just talk about ourselves unless we are asked. Demonstrate respect for your mentor by bringing something to take notes with.  We simply can’t remember everything that is said in a conversation.  Develop the habit of taking good notes.
5. Develop the disciplines of graciousness and thankfulness.
   It is a very good idea to send a note of thanks.  Do not write a tome.  A simple thank you card with about four lines is good.  Email and Facebook are fine but thoughtful and thankful people spend the money and time on hand written notes and stamps. If you ask to meet with your mentor for coffee you should buy it.  Don’t expect your mentor to do so unless they have a standing rule that they will.  One of the people I meet with 2 or 3 times a year WILL NOT let me purchase a meal or coffee.  I tried and got in trouble.  That is a very nice gesture but it should never be expected.  I always have some money with me in the off chance he will let me pick up the bill.  It hasn’t happened yet.

If you have read this far you might want to go a bit further.  Ever wonder where the title “mentor” came from?  You might be interested to find out.

Learn on!

The decision for the move of New Life Baptist Church came just two days before Christmas.  We left for California, for school, on the 31st.  Since we got back we have been in full on crisis mode.  I am looking forward to being a pastor again and not so much a property manager and moving consultant.  I am so thankful for a dedicated team of Ministry Leaders who have been very proactive in thinking about what needs to be done!  There is much to do, yet, but we will get there.

The few brief moments of quiet have been a haven of respite for prayer and thinking.  God has been teaching my spirit about 5 key lessons he wants me to remember as we move ahead.  Maybe these are things you need to be reminded of too.

1. There is one God and “busyness” is not his name or his preferred form of worship.
2. Living by grace requires more faith than living by lists.
3. Being a pastor is a lot of fun but it is deadly serious.
4. God is totally sovereign and there is not one decision, person, or thing that escapes his command.
5. Practicing love is way harder than talking about love.

This is going to be a year of adventure for me and NLBC.  My hope is that you will join in.

That was me…there are basically four ways* we can understand this (or almost any!) issue.

1. Cocoon.  The cocoon camp will do whatever it takes to avoid an association with Santa or his trappings.  Anything that has a hint of Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, or workshops are avoided like a particularly virulent strain of the black plague.

2. Combat.  Those who come out of the cocoon usually have their fists up and they are ready to roundhouse Santa right back to where he belongs…the Pit!  This group will show that if you rearrange the letters of Santa’s name you get ‘Satan’.  If they could they would organize a lynch mob, complete with torches and pitchforks, and storm the gates of the North Pole hideaway workshop and burn it to the ground.  A question: since the Arctic Circle is not all that big, I wonder if Superman and Santa ever bump into each other.

3.  Champion.  The champion group will advocate complete assimilation.  Santa will be the MC at the church Christmas concert.  The baby Jesus will be cradled in the arms of grandfatherly old St Nick.  Parents will completely forget about what truth is when they tell their kids who Santa is and what he has done.

I would suggest a better fourth option…

4.  Consider.  As a pastor, my responsibility it to try to help people think biblically.  What does the Bible say about the “nice list”?  It actually shreds it. Look at this passage:

These are some of the strongest words about the human condition in the Bible and I love teaching this passage to 8th graders.  I ask them to explain, in their words, what this sounds like to them.  After a few moments of thinking about the words they come up with an apt description: Zombies!  Love it.  They know what a walking dead person is.  Paul describes spiritual zombies in the first three verses.  He is telling us that humans, because they are human, are in deep trouble before God.

Then there is the opening two words of verse 4:  But God…The story of the condition of humanity does not end with a hopeless period and a closed book at the end of verse three.  There is more.  The “more” is God himself.

Here is more:

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

So what?  The big so what here is that it is God who makes people alive because of His great love and not the fact that anyone can clean up their own naughty list!

Lastly:

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

These verses explain what a true gift is.  We can’t do anything to earn a gift.  If we had the ability to change from ‘Zombie’ to ‘nice’ list that would mean that we have done something to get God’s attention, be on his good side, and with pride declare to the world what we have done.  There is nothing a human can do to make God like them and want to reward them with a gift.  Gifts are free and are freely given!  They are given this way so that no one can brag about their own clean up.  God gives the greatest gift to the worst of zombies!  How about that for a “nice list” obliteration?  God gives the gift of  life (this life and the next) to Zombies.

Here is the issue to truly CONSIDER:  does the Bible show us that God gives gifts in the same way our popular culture does?  The answer is, no.  Ephesians is just one place that tells us this.  Think about what we are to believe.  In the 2008 movie, Seven Pounds, Will Smith plays Tim Thomas who is man on a mission of redemption.  Tim makes the ultimate sacrifice for others so they can live.  He gives the gift of life.  The film moved me and I thought it was a stirring story.  I must, however, process the story through a biblical worldview.  Here is what I found.  Tim Thomas was willing to sacrifice for those he deemed WORTHY.  His gift giving, although extremely profound, was based on merit or a reason why he should give. He used a ‘nice’ list there were requirements to be on the list.

Okay, getting back to Santa, lists, and Zombies (someone please write that movie script!  I will be first in line).  So what?  I am not saying that Christians should go out and kidnap every Santa from every mall and make them recant.  I am not saying we should not have fun at Christmas.  In fact I might wear my Grinch t-shirt this Sunday (MIGHT).  I am not saying kids should not sit on Santa’s lap or have some creative fun writing a letter.  My message is to think about gifts and lists from a biblical point of view.  Are we comfortable living with two realities?  These realities say on one hand gifts require pre-approval and on the other that they are generated by the heart of the giver (God in Jesus Christ!).  Both can’t be true.  Are we setting ourselves up for disappointment and confusion?  Something to think about.

It would be a good thing this Christmas season to stop and thank God for the gift of life through Jesus Christ!  The entirety of humanity was on the naughty list (Romans 3:23), but God (Eph 2:4) because he loves us without condition (John 3:16), gave to spiritual zombies the free gift of life in Jesus Christ (Eph 3:5; 8-9)!  Merry Christmas!

* Category concepts adapted from The Culturally Savvy Christian: A Manifesto for Deepening Faith and Enriching Popular Culture in an Age of Christianity-Lite by Dick Staub

As a culture, we are becoming more and more digitized. Information is processed in only “bite” (yes, that is a bad pun) sized pieces. This translates to the average Christ follower by learning theology and orthopraxy from tweets, FB posts, and blogs. Some of these are great and can be used as a supplement. It is far better, however, to do the hard work of developing a biblical grid through which to press all other information. If you don’t, you risk becoming an orthodoxy snycretist who uses bits and pieces to construct a system of belief that makes sense to us (Rom 1).

Since we have Wikipedia we don’t need to read books or listen to talks anymore. On top of not having good guard rails to process information we are losing the ability to synthesize information on our own. Our minds, more and more, require spoon feeding; with all the pertinent information completely broken down and pre-digested.

Again, while the above sources do of course have their place, there are two things they can’t or don’t do. First, they aren’t peer reviewed or scrutinized by credible editors or publishers. The very definition of a “wiki” is,
“A Web site developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content.” It is group think. You can add to wikipedia posts. Books, on the other hand, have to go through a process of fact checking before they are printed. The more academic the book, the more carefully the information is published. You must still be careful, though Secondly, they aren’t the Bible. Too many Christ followers can quote their favorite blogger or online pastor (who incidentally does not care about them) regarding what the scripture says long before they could actually quote the indefatigable Word.

What’s next? Develop the spiritual discipline of the mind. If you can think, you can do this! Discipline of the mind is not reserved for the academic elite. Do some research (NOT wiki research ) on “individual soul liberty” and see what you come up with. Ask God to help you with this development. Look for ways to stretch and strengthen your God-given ability to think and reason. Read a book that is “over your head”. Think about the progression a child makes. They start with milk or formula, move to mush, then crackers and Cheerios, and eventually, as they mature, they can have meat! I am so glad my diet does not still consist only of mush and crackers. Be a mental carnivore! Chew on something substantial. Lastly, learn to ask good questions. Whenever you read or hear or take in any information you should be developing critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills really ask the “how” and “why” questions. When you hear preaching or read a book be asking questions in your mind. “Why did she write that”? “How did he get that application from that text”? “How does what what I am reading/hearing fit in the grid of Scripture”? “Does it fit”? “Should it be rejected or accepted”? These are just a few. The ability will help you as you read to biblically process. Even books like commentaries need to be processed through the Bible – remember they are not the Bible!

The words of II Corinthians 10:4-5 is a good place to end. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”.

A dear friend recently asked me what apologetics is all about and why did I choose to study it.  A great question!  Let me lay out some of the background and reasoning behind this decision.

About five years ago I read book called Tree of Tales.  It was an anthology written by some faculty members at St Andrews University in St Andrews, Scotland.  The event this little book set out to commemorate was the lecture J.R.R. Tolkien gave there in the 1940′s called On Fairy Story.  Tolkien, of Lord of the Rings fame, taught that fairy stories are not just untrue myths with fantastic and unreal creatures but instead, as a genre, explores the ultimate triumph of good over evil.  At the end of the lecture he explained how the Gospel is a fairy story.  Some will read that and immediately disagree.  On the face of it, I concur.  However, for Tolkien, just because something is a fairy story does not make it untrue.  He sees the Gospel as fitting into this realm because it is God’s grand story of defeating death, sin, and evil.  Tolkien called this a eucatastrophe.  That is something good and something terrible, the crucifixion, coming together to produce something dramatically wonderful.  His presentation of the Gospel was creative and awesome.

One of the chapters in the book described Tolkien’s relationship with C.S. Lewis.  They were both university professors in Oxford, England.  Lewis was an atheist.  He rejected a Christian worldview.  Together these two men would stroll a wooded pathway in Oxford called Addison’s Walk.  It was during these walks that Tolkien and Lewis would discuss philosophy, theology, epic, and myth.  Tolkien lovingly and patiently explained to Lewis the one “fairy story” that would not only change his life but eternally alter his destiny.  Lewis eventually bowed his knee to Christ and commented that it was his friend’s patience and teaching that helped him understand his need for a Savior.  Lewis went on to become one of the most loved Christian writers and thinkers of the 20th century.

After reading I asked a question, “could I do that”?  I began wondering if I had the ability to patiently and lovingly explain the one event in history upon which all of history is hinged.  Did I possess the skills to not just win an argument but to engage another human being with the Gospel so that they could grasp the grandness of depth of God’s love, mercy and grace.  The short answer was no.

As God was at work in my heart, He led me to enroll in the Worldviews track at Baptist Bible Graduate School.  We learned together the process and development of Western thought and how it has had great impact and effect on the way people think, why they think the way they do, and how to begin to engage with Biblical truth.  The design of the program taught me how to self-teach as well as opening up new vistas for further study.  I wanted more.

Upon discovering the program at Biola I knew this was the course of study for me!  We are not learning how to shout down someone who disagrees with our biblical perspective.  We are learning how to understand the thought language of our culture to speak truth into it.  Let me explain.

I Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this this with gentleness and respect”.  The original recipients of Peter’s letter would have known that by “reason” he was using the word apologia.  This word could mean a defensive argument in a court of law.  In the context of I Peter it means giving a reasonable answer to the mild skeptic or the angry.  The hope is a word of hope.  Its logos or a rational reason for believing what one believes.  Christians are called to have a ready, reasonable, gentle answers to explain who Christ is and what he has done.  In short, there are very good reasons to place one’s faith in Jesus.

This course of study is about the reasons.  We explore ethics (what is right), Christian worldview as compared to other worldviews, politics, media, epistemology (what is true),  metaphysics (what is real) , and other relevant issues.  We are learning to understand how people think and how to ask good questions that will lead them to the Truth.  Basically, apologetics is “smoothing the road” to belief in Christ.  We are learning how to teach that believing in Christ really makes sense!

My goal is is to transfer this learning to my teaching and leadership at New Life Baptist Church.  As we endeavor to teach the whole council of God, with the time he has given us, we want to show over and over that believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ does not require a massive leap of faith from unbelief to belief.  Instead we want to demonstrate that God calls us to a step of faith.  There are so many good reasons (there is that word again) that would require pages and pages to explain.  Lord willing, we will continue to do that through the scope of the teaching at New Life.

While we are gone for two weeks we will miss you, but we will enjoy being in SoCal in January!  Please pray as I try to drink from the proverbial fire hose of teaching that will be offered.  I know I have already used this part of my education in very real ways at New Life and there is more to come!  Spoiler Alert:  We will be doing a MAJOR teaching series in the fall on Christology (the doctrine of Jesus Christ).  Our goal will be to teach those who know Christ already that we have solid reasons for this belief.  The second goal will be very evangelistic.  We want our people to invite their friends and family who have long struggled with faith questions.  We want to show those who do not know Christ that there really are excellent reasons to put their hope in Him alone!  Please be praying as we prepare to unleash this truth on our city.  I am so pumped!

Why do you believe what you believe?  It is worth thinking about.

1.  A true cross bearer must possess the ability to slay all the monsters of this life.  We cannot at once both feed the ogre of self and serve the God of selflessness.

2. Being a true cross bearer makes you very conspicuous is different ways:
- The world will notice you stand out because you carry something that is completely counter to what everyone else is doing
- You get noticed if you develop a regular pattern of dropping your cross when life is tough and picking it up again when things are agreeable to you.
- Anyone who gives their life for any one purpose brings attention to that object of desire.

Pray up, pick it up, cowboy up!

Please don’t forget the church picnic this weekend!  We are going to head out to the Draper’s home right after the worship gathering Sunday AM.  We have directions for you here (the live in Waverly, PA).  Bring your appetite, your willingness to engage with others, and your mad lawn luge skills!

Continue to pray about the Saturday night worship gathering.  Pray specifically for:
- Which event you will commit to, Saturday or Sunday or both!
- How you can help serve others (nursery, Kid’s Life, refreshments, greeter, usher)
- That God would be glorified with what happens here!
- That NLBC would be a bright light in a dark city.
- For the Mike Strasburger and the members of the worship team as they will be moving into this new phase.
- The pastoral team as we continue to think ahead and leverage our resources for the best possible.

Dare to Engage!