It's Monday!

Good morning Team,
I woke up this morning and the cold that was just a tickle yesterday has hit with full force. The good news is that I have two days to kick it before band rehearsal on Tuesday, choir on Wednesday, dress rehearsal on Thursday, prayer vigil on Friday and the concert on Saturday. And oh yeah...finishing up the Gathering Place. No Problem!

It's going to be an awesome week! This weekend will be a great time of worship and ministry as we unite together as a body of believers to share the good news of Christ with our community. I was amazed at my Purpose Drive devotion today...check it out:

March 30, 2009 Servants Make Themselves Available by Rick Warren

How timely for a busy week!

Coleen Update!

I talked to Coleen this morning and she had just finished getting her mom and dad off to Clearwater for her mom's treatments. Co is glad that she is there to help her mom and especially relieve her dad from the anxiety of day to day life as they care for her mom. Those of you who have been care givers know the struggle of seeing your once active and vibrant loved one becoming dependent. Yvonne is not doing well and continues to weaken as her cancer grows. Fortunately, we have a God that is bigger than cancer and we thank you all for your prayers.

Here's the schedule for this week:
Tuesday @ 6:30pm - Band rehearsal
Wednesday @ 6:15pm - Choir rehearsal
Thursday @ 6:30pm - Dress rehearsal
Saturday @ 10:00am - Cardboard testimony rehearsal
Saturday @ 5:00pm - Band meet for Concert sound check
Saturday @ 5:20pm - Choir meet for sound check
Saturday @ 6:00pm - New Life Concert
Sunday - Palm Sunday!

Blessings,
Dave

It's Monday!

Hi Team,
Well it's after noon on Monday and I'm just getting around to my blog. I've spent the morning with the video installers for The Gathering Place and its going well. I have also put together folders for the New Life Concert so that all your music will be together and in order. Please bring all you music with you on Wednesday so I can punch it and put it in your folder.

It's so exciting to think that the New Life Celebration kicks off on Saturday with the new Life Easter Egg Hunt. If you are available on Saturday morning at 10am...come on down and help with the fun! I know you will be able to impact someone by being there.

The New Life Concert is only 2 weeks away and our last 3 rehearsals are this Wed... next Wed...and next Thurs. Each one will be important and I know you will make every effort to be there.

Coleen sends her love and thanks for your prayers for her and her mom.

Did you ponder about being an admirer of Christ or a follower of Christ? I pray that we will all choose to give up control of our lives and be a follower. Only then can we love others the way God intends for us to love.

Have an awesome week and I'll see you on Wednesday.

Blessings,

Dave

It's Monday!

Hi Team,
Just a taste...that's what we got when we sang "A New Hallelujah" in the worship service yesterday. We will be opening the New Life Concert with this song! Here's the schedule for the next month or so...

Wednesday, March 18 -
6:15pm rehearsal
Saturday, March 21 -
9am Worship Band and Praise Team rehearsal
Saturday, March 21 -
10am OwegoNaz Worship Choir rehearsal
Sunday, March 22 -
sing "Lord, You're Holy" in second service
Wednesday, March 25 -
6:15pm rehearsal
Saturday, March 28 -
10:30am New Life Easter Egg Hunt (we need workers)
Sunday, March 29 -
sing "East to West" in both services
Wednesday, April 1 -
6:15 rehearsal (No Foolin!)
Thursday, April 2 -
6:30pm DRESS REHEARSAL

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 -
6:00PM
NEW LIFE CONCERT!

The New Life Concert will be an awesome display of the power of the Holy Spirit to draw people to Jesus. Bring your unchurched and unsaved friends. Here's an example of the "Cardboard Testimonies" that will play an important role in the concert:




Have an awesome week!

Blessings,

Dave

It's Monday!

Good Morning Team,
You know what? Jesus loves me, this I know! It shouldn't amaze me, but it does, that God always comes through when we need it. This past week, Coleen and I faced some of our most difficult times as we processed the news of Coleen's mom's cancer battle and the search for Coleen's health problems. As I planned worship for this past Sunday, songs of faithfulness and encouragement were at the forefront. Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go" starts with the line "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Your perfect love is casting out fear." It's cool that it's OK to plagiarize the Bible in our worship songs as Matt did taking this line from Psalm 23. And then this morning, My Purpose Driven Life devotional used this exact passage to further drive home the message. I wanted to share that with you today. I'll have more "stuff" for you tomorrow. Click on "God's Purpose in Suffering" below:

	March 9, 2009 God's Purpose in Suffering

Blessings,

Dave

It's Monday!

Good Morning Team,
I was taken by surprise yesterday. This past week I spent 4 days with Bob Rutan, Wayne and Darlene Cobler and Tim French laying the ceramic tile floor for The Gathering Place.


























Our team did a great job! While my knees took a beating, it was rewarding to see what was accomplished. I went into the weekend looking forward to worship on Sunday with our great worship team leading our incredible congregation in worship to our AWESOME GOD! On Saturday, we received news that Coleen's mom has advanced pancreatic cancer. Wow! What a kick in the gut that was. I surprised myself as I was able to hold my emotions together and help Coleen deal with this terrible news. Then Sunday morning as our first service team gathered at 7:30am to warm up before church, we started singing, "When the music fades and all is stripped away, and I simply come...I'm coming back to the heart of worship..." the emotions came and I realized that nothing matters more than our relationship with Christ and that He has all that we need to heal our broken hearts. Then the love and comfort and prayers of our worship team and Pastor Dennis held me up and I was able to lead the congregation in a wonderful time of worship to our Lord. Praise God!


Then last night, I felt a breakthrough with our LittleChurch group as we shared from our hearts and opened up to each other and ministered to each other the way a small group is meant to function. What a blessing to have others who will support us and pray with us and help carry our burdens. Awesome!


We are going into this week looking for some answers for Coleen's health problems. Tests begin Tuesday. Once this is discovered, Co will be going to Florida to help her Mom and Dad. Thanks for your prayers.

Blessings,

Dave