Our Savior, Our Friend Poem

A few weeks ago, one of our young men shared a poem he wrote for his communion mediation and I (with his permission) wanted to share it with you.

Our Savior, Our Friend

by Eddie Dorsey Jr Jr

Copyright (c) 2009.

Three nails and one cross
You knew the plan when you came to this earth in swaddling clothe
You made the blind to see, the dumb to talk
The deaf to hear, the lame to walk
Your trade was a carpenter, but you were really a fisher of man
You walked with me, carried me when i needed i; thats why there
is only one pair of footprints in the sand
You told parables and walked on water
You were part man, part our Father
You were our sacrifice, our perfect Lamb
And You are the son of The Great I Am
He was handed to us because Pilate could no fault
But unlike Pilate we were not going to let him walk
We killed our friend, We killer our Savior
He could have called angels but he died for us, He did a favor
So take your bread, your juice, our emblems
Because we are commanded to do this in remembrance
Cause without Him, we would be in Hells Prison
He died, shed blood, bit more importantly He is risen!

Saturday Night Live Taylor Swift SNL Monologue HD

Famous Failures

Life is Temporary Bluefish TV

Why is it hard to follow up on people?

Here is an email I recently sent the congregation I serve:


One of the things I know myself and even the church needs to do is to invite people and follow up on not only on Visitors but also on those missing.

Why is it hard? Let me suggest a few reasons.

I. It takes time.

II. It is a relationship.

III. It can be awkward.

Let me tell you what I am doing and maybe you can be encouraged as well. Each week, we follow up on our visitors with a letter right away and try to reach them and ask if they have a church home. Every few weeks I try to reach out to them - send reminders or thank them for coming. We also have an absentee list and I try to make phone calls to people missing - unless I know they reason they are gone (Usually some people tell me they'll be gone). One of the hardest things I haven't been doing is getting into these homes of visitors or of those absent. Why? Well it isn't because I haven't been trying but rather life is busy. (Time is precious to alot of us). So what have I been doing? Well I've been more focusing on getting people to come .... been to the coffee shops, the places of work and interacting with people .... I need to be Jesus' Hands and Feet and not just telling people to invite, but doing so as well ...being that example.

Now some of you maybe asking - what can I do? Well - call people. tell them you miss them. Invite them to come. What a better time of year than this time of year to invite?

Invite new people, invite those missing, invite those you meet @ the coffee shops, doctors' offices, vet's offices etc.

Of course, with this idea - comes - well I see problems with this or that or I just don't (And then INSERT any issue you have with Church etc Quit the Complaining)

The Answer to this is simple: BE part of the Solution. Don't be the negative - every family has its own issues, problems ... and yet with family comes love, patience, and hope.

1 Cor. 13 tells us the greatest of these is love. I've seen our services improving. I see God working. I see God doing some amazing things. If you want to be a part of what God is doing - be Where God is.

Hope to see you Sunday.

Preaching and Pouting Jonah 3 - 4

This week we look at

I. How God used Jonah.

II. How God ministered to Jonah.

And how this applies to us today.

BRBPDYM - Big Red Ball Purpose Driven Youth Ministry

It all started out as a discussion on what it means to be purpose driven and ministering to those in the post-modern era about 12 years ago.

Online there wasn't message boards or forums as much as listservs. Email lists and debates and discussions. Youth Specialties had this one listserv started by Mike A of Mikey's Funnies. (Later would become YMExchange) So as the discussion came about, one person suggest all we need is a Big Red Ball. A Big Red ball? Yeah, Big Red Ball Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. It wasn't so much the tool but on the relationship.

Bouncing the ball back and forth and asking the students how they were. Genuinely interested. Actively listening and then bounce, bounce. It was more of a tool, and a way to say "All the gimmicks of the world aren't worth it unless you are willing to love God and love those students."

Sometimes as I reflect back ... I think we need a BRBPDC - Big Red Ball Purpose Driven Church. A Church that actively listens - prays, helps, heals, and seeks God. In other words, just being the church to people. Loving God and loving others.

Are you with me?