It's Monday!

Good morning Team,
I'm so looking forward to this week. Thanksgiving has always been a special time for our family and I suppose most families because it is a time when scattered kids gather together. It seems that our busy and structured schedules force us to use these planned holiday times to meet up with our parents and siblings and spend time together. Now, men and women look at these gathering times quite differently. Men tend to spend time just being together. This can be accomplished very well watching football or playing Wii. Conversation is of minimal importance. Women on the other hand, don't understand this male thing. They want to TALK! Sitting around chatting is all that is necessary for a wonderful time. Now, I'm not saying that's not perfectly fine to do...just don't expect us do it.

Well, now that I have gotten myself into some deep weeds, lets talk about what's ahead. We have 3 critical rehearsals before our Christmas musical, Rejoice! I need everyone to make a special effort to be at them all:

Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 6:15pm
Saturday, Dec. 5 at 10am
Wednesday, Dec 9 at 6:15pm

last Wednesday I gave a cool gift out to those present. That will likely continue for these remaining rehearsals as well.
Listen to your CD's often!

Have you ever wondered how monks who take a vow of silence can share in the traditions of Christmas music? Now you know...




Coleen and I wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to all of you for the time and talent that you offer freely to the Lord and makes our Worship Arts team so special. Your positive spirit and unselfish efforts are truly the aroma of Jesus to all who enter our sanctuary for worship. Thank you.

Blessings,

Dave

It's Monday!

Good Morning Team,
We kicked off our week wonderfully yesterday with an awesome time of worship, teaching, fellowship, encouragement and recharging. I'm looking forward to what God has planned for us this week.

Here's the new song we will be doing this week...




Wow! How powerful and what a great way to launch us into the Advent season! Speaking of Advent, have you heard any new Christmas songs that would be worth looking at? Send them to me and maybe we can use them this year.

I'm getting charged up about our Christmas musical, Rejoice! Four weeks to go. This Wednesday I will have some posters for you to put up around where you are. Personal invitations are still the best way to get people to come and experience this exciting time of celebration.



Have a outstanding week!

Dave

It's Monday!

Good Monday Team!
It's a beautiful Monday morning and I'm still celebrating an awesome weekend. Best highlight of the weekend was gathering together with you all for worship on Sunday morning. I love it when all the preparation matches up with the Lord's presence and true worship results. ONWC... your contribution of "Our God Saves" lifted me and inspired the congregation...WTG! The hymns in the first service were spot on as Pastor Dennis unraveled the mystery of the Trinity. The band and praise team joined the choir in leading the people in the second service to spirit filled worship. Thank you God for being so good!

The next best thing about the weekend was being an Ohio State fan. After a couple years of humble pie at the hands of Penn State, it was nice to turn the table on the blue and white. I posted a new pic for the PSU T-shirts on facebook :)

Last, but not least, it was great to be an American this weekend and honor our veterans. Without them, we would not be able to worship like we did this weekend or complain about what's happening in Washington. Here is the video we used yesterday...

Have an awesome week!

Blessings,

Dave

It's Monday...OK, it's Tuesday morning!

Good morning Team,
Andre Crouch wrote a song that starts with...
"How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me..." and while he was directing his thankfulness to God, forgive me for borrowing his words and directing them to you. Your displays of appreciation this past month were overwhelming and I cannot put into words, adequately, how much it meant to us. Thank you.

I also want to thank those of you who came out on Saturday to help us paint my office (and Judean's office :) Thank you, Bob, for fixing the desk that Coleen will be using. Thanks to all the guys who helped us move the furniture and bookcases and equipment. And a special thanks to Tim and Sherry French for staying with us to the end. You guys were AWESOME!!!

I'm starting to focus on Christmas. Here's something to help...

CHRISTMAS MUSICAL REHEARSALS...
Every Wednesday night...6:15 to 7:45PM

This Saturday... 10:00am to noon

Take time this week to help someone who doesn't expect you to do it.
Anonymous charity is true charity.
Purposefully, speak the name of Jesus to someone.
Call your mom.

Make your week special.

Blessings,
Dave

BONUS: Do you love nature photography? National Geographic has always been the best at this, but they have outdone themselves here. Check it out...

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/greenguide/infinite-photograph

It's Monday!

Good Monday Team,
I'm still basking in our time of worship yesterday as we lifted up praise to our Creator and shared in the awesomeness of nature. Thank you for all your encouraging comments about the music this week. Our team works very hard to offer up excellence to the Lord. It was great to have Kyle Schreiner on drums and Neil on bass this week. We miss you guys when you are not with us. I'm so thankful for our praise teams and what they bring to our worship celebrations. Thank you all for sharing your gifts with us and the Lord. And Owego Naz Worship Choir... awesome this week! You are such a highlight to me personally. Thanks for your commitment and contribution to our worship. I clap my hands in thanksgiving for you!

Tonight the Worship Arts Team is meeting at our house at 6:30. We will be discussing our August 2010 trip to Brooklyn Tab as well as looking at our overall worship arts ministry. We want your thoughts too! Send me ideas or comments: worship.pastor@owegonaz.com

PODCASTS ARE AVAILABLE!
Check out our site owegonaz.com

Finally, sing to the Lord a new song today. What can you do differently today to allow you to focus on the Lord? Take time to look out the window at work... walk to lunch somewhere new... pray for someone you haven't thought about for a long time... send an encouraging email to another worship team member... LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!

Blessings,

Dave

It's Monday!

Good Monday Team,
It's almost 4pm and I'm just now getting around to my blog. First thing...wasn't it great to have some of our college students home this weekend? Thanks Janel, Stephen and Phil for joining our worship team this week.

Four months ago, our Leadership team embarked on the journey to update our church's website. We recognized that reaching our community for Christ was going to take all the resources we can use and since 85% of first time church attenders visit a church's website before attending, it was time to move forward. Yesterday, we announced that http//owegonaz.com was online. I'm also excited to announce we will have our podcasts operational by next week. Thanks to all who stepped up! So what do you think? I'm interested in your comments about our new site...

Now that the website is up, my attention is going to be focused on Christmas... specifically, REJOICE! Here's the dates for it:

Friday, Dec. 11 - 7PM
Sunday, Dec, 13 - 11AM

A special performance will be on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Davis College for the Andrews Good News Christmas Party. We will share excerpts from REJOICE! for more than 4000 people sometime between 4:30pm and 6:30pm. It will be an awesome chance to share the love of Jesus.

It's not too late to join us for this great experience. Choir rehearsals are Wednesday's at 6:15pm. A special REJOICE! rehearsal will be on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10am.

Make a difference this week...

Dave

It's Monday!

Good morning Team,
Our worship arts team left for New York City at 7am yesterday to experience the noon worship service at Brooklyn Tabernacle. We sat in the balcony...we didn't get there in time to sit on the main floor! The reconverted theatre main sanctuary seats 3200 and it was full at the noon service. We will be sharing some of the experience on Wednesday night at choir rehearsal. Here's a preview:

Pastor Jim Cymbala's message continued Pastor Dennis' theme of sharing our love for Jesus with those around us...starting with loving Jesus ourselves. Then we have to show that love through our actions of helping those in need. It's awesome when we realize that God's word for us in Owego matches up with what's being preached in Brooklyn and around the world. We truly serve the God on the universe.

I'm looking forward to rehearsal Wednesday night! I trust that this week will be amazing for you. Bring a Jesus story with you to share! Blessings, Dave