Two reasons this Wednesday will be very special.

#1 It’s First Wednesday Worship, and my friend Steven Morgan from Columbia, TN, will be leading us in worship.  Steven has led worship all over the nation, and has a heart for God’s presence.  Currently, Steven is founder and Lead Pastor of Destiny Church in Columbia, TN.   Worship will start at 6:30 p.m.

#2  We will ordain three new elders in Chip Johnson, Deborah Jackson and Lee Moseley.   The ordination recognition will start towards the end of the service, at approximately 7:30 p.m. So, even if you can only come late, join us for this important step in the life of our congregation.

1. The four seasons – I love each of them!

2. Southern hospitality.

3. Trees.   There’s lots of them.

4. Broadway after a Bridgestone event.

5. Live music.  Love big music in small venues.

6. Christmas lights at Opryland Hotel.

7. Pancake Pantry at about 11 a.m.

8. Vanderbilt football games in October.

9. Civil War history.

10. Rivers.

– For all those who ran in the Music City Marathon – way to go!   It was wet.  It was long.  You did it.

–  The NFL Draft is lots of fun.  I didn’t get to watch much of the draft, but I loved seeing all the highlight reels when I could.

–  I love the worshipping Jesus with my church family!  I’m so proud of all Beth Allison has given to our worship experience.  She is a gift to our church.

– I had lunch on Sunday with a young couple who is going to Romania to work among the gypsies of Romania.  I’m always amazed the variety of calls God gives to His servants.

– So glad to have my Mom move back to Hendersonville from Texas!

– I am enjoying a rare Sunday evening without plans, but I’m excited about a new 2:42 season that starts on Sunday, May 5th.

– Rain has never concerned me, until the 2010 flood in Nashville.  With a heavy rain like we had this weekend, I hold my breath for our area, and trust God.

–  As I have encountered several deaths and terminal situations, I have been considering this question:  How could anyone face the death of a loved one without believing in the promise of heaven?
 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. – 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NLT)

 

 

After May 8, we won’t be having normal adult and children’s services on Wednesday nights until August.   Due to the travel schedule of our leaders and staff, we don’t have the leadership capacity to provide the quality worship service and children’s ministry during the summer.  However, this change of pace give us the opportunity to focus energy on important summer activities such as VBS, Ladies Bible Studies, Kid’s Camp (we’ll do our first in July), mission trips (two in July) and the Back-to-School Blessing.

Many of our Wednesdays during this time period will be used for other activities already scheduled such as Costa Rica cook out, Parents meeting for camp, VBS volunteers meeting, VBS, Compassion Ministries prep.   I may even offer CIL Forward on Wednesday, depending on dynamics yet determined.

We’re not really taking the summer off, but just using our time for other purposes.

It is a joy to walk with you through the development of our church, learning together as we walk together.

Every week I want you to grow stronger in your faith because of the Word of God.  In the series Yahweh Saves!, I’ll be sharing dynamic passages from the book of Isaiah.  On  Sunday, April 28, I’ll be teaching from Isaiah 27:2-6, a message called The Vineyard.  You’ll learn through this talk how much God loves you, and that God is taking care of you!

Do you know about our Men’s Bible Study?
Every Sunday, men from CIL meet at 8:00 a.m. to go deeper in the Scripture.   Join these men in “The Study” this Sunday, and you’ll be stronger for it!

Forward 104
If you haven’t taken the Forward 104 session of CIL Forward, make plans to come to the “Living Room” this Sunday at 9:00 a.m.  Paul Jackson will be teaching on “Your Spiritual Motivational Gift.”   This is the favorite session of the CIL Forward growth plan, and it allows every person at CIL to know their unique motivational gift.

I love serving Jesus with you at CIL!

 

On Wednesday, May 1, we will ordain three new elders at CIL:  Deborah Jackson, Chip Johnson and Lee Moseley.   These three outstanding leaders are transferring their ordination from other organizations to our local church.    They all have extensive ministry experience, and you don’t have to spend much time around CIL to realize how involved all thee of them are in our congregational life.

On May 1st we will have our First Wednesday Worship, but will include the commissioning of these three elders/pastors during our service.  During this ceremony, you’ll learn more about these individual’s ministries.

Our current elders are Doug Bagwell, Jay Edgerton, Matt Malone, Daniel Robertson, Greg Wilson and myself.  All current elders will continue to serve along side Deborah, Chip and Lee.

Lee Moseley, and wife Amy

 

Chip Johnson, and wife Gayla

Deborah Jackson, with husband Paul

Thursday, May 2, 2013, is the National Day of Prayer, and the Community Pastors Association of Hendersonville is sponsoring a Community Prayer Breakfast.   This is a chance for us to demonstrate unity in the Christian faith, and to come together for fellowship and prayer for our nation.

The event with take place at First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, with the breakfast line starting at 7:00 a.m., and the prayer time taking place from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

If your part of CIL, we have a complimentary reservation for you.  Please contact me directly or call the church office if you would like to attend as part of our church contingency.

If you are a pastor or business owner, and woud like to purchase a table, the cost is only $80 per table (8 spots / table).  You can make your reservations today, and pay when you come to the event.  You can also buy half a table ($40), or make individual reservations ($10).

If you would like to attend, but do not have sufficient funds, please make your reservation anyway, and your reservation will be sponsored.

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW BY CLICKING HERE

– The last two weekends, I officiated weddings for former students from my youth ministry days.   Once a youth pastor, always a youth pastor.    Yesterday was a beautiful wedding at the Timothy Demonbreun House in Nashville (picture above).   I’ve seen weddings change in the last few years to more intimate events with formal dinners.  I really enjoy weddings, as they reflect the more refined aspects of our humanity.   Marriage and weddings were very important to Jesus.

– Loved our service today!  Phil Stacey did a great job pointing us to Jesus during worship.  I started a new message series called Yahweh Saves!  These messages from the book of Isaiah have really inspired me in preparation, and I think we were all touched by the powerful words in Isaiah 26:3.

– The Men’s Ministry had a work day on Saturday at a retired couple’s home who really needed some help.   Randy Roof’s leadership on this was incredible!  Men love to sweat together for the glory of God!    I’m so proud of these guys.

–  We had a great meeting for VBS.  Chip Johnson is a great leader, and I love the team that is organizing VBS.  Our VBS will take place June 24-27.

– We wouldn’t be a church without 242 Groups.   I met with our 242 Group leaders Sunday night, and these effective leaders are ready for another great semester of “Christian Community.”   Our 242 Groups start Sunday, May 5.

We are designating Sunday, April 21, 2013, as Feed Sumner County Day.  On this day, we are asking everyone to bring particular food items to help stock the Sumner County Food Bank in Gallatin.

The children’s ministry will be participating, and together our church will make a difference in hunger in our own county.

Here are the requested food items the Sumner County Food Bank is requesting:

– Peanut Butter  

– Pasta   

– Pasta Sauce 

– Tuna   

– Pancake mix   

– Syrup 

– Canned Fruit

1.  It’s “Feed Sumner County” Day.  We are going to partner with the Sumner County Food Bank to provided needed supplies for this special Sunday.  Make sure your children have one of the food items because they will be bringing their food in the sanctuary for this food drive.

2. Phil Stacey will be leading worship!   Phil Stacey was a finalist on American Idol several years ago, and now has a thriving career as a music artist.   Phil’s passion for Jesus comes through in the way he leads people in worship.  You will be blessed to be part of this worship experience.

3. I’ll be starting a new sermon series called Yahweh Saves!   I have been looking forward for quite some time to share these messages  from the book of Isaiah.   These messages will bring great hope to both you and your friends who need to know Christ.   This Sunday, I’ll teach on Perfect Peace from Isaiah 26:3.   Let God’s Word fill you up with a good message from Him!