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Florida Friends

This past week our family had an opportunity to visit with some dear friends in Florida.  Amy and I moved to Dade City, Florida in July of 1993. We had been married around two years and First Baptist Church of Dade City called me to be the Student Pastor of the church. We did not know anyone in the church or the area when we moved to Florida. It was a new experience in faith for us as a young married couple. That was sixteen (16) years ago and three children have been born since then into our family. We had four wonderful years there.

It is amazing how there are some relationships you just step back into after many years of being out of contact and feel like nothing has ever changed. We have been blessed with those types of relationships and friends through out our ministry. On this particular trip we spent time with Bill and Beverley Hild, the former pastor I served with in Dade City, for a few days. He is now the Sr. Pastor of FBC Sarasota, FL.

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I had the privilege of meeting and talking with the staff team at FBC Sarasota about how God is moving at LifePoint Church and about our exciting journey as a family. I am thankful for the opportunity to give a word of testimony about the glory of God and the power of His call.

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Thanks Bill and Beverly for investing into Amy and me all those years ago and for all you are doing today to minister to our family today.

More Florida stuff later.

Where Have All The Christians Gone?

Foxnews.com has a story that is very interesting about the decline of Christianity in the United States. HEre is a sample of what is written.

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history. Non-believers now represent the third-highest group of Americans, after Catholics and Baptists.

Other headlines:

1) The number of Christians has declined 12% since 1990, and is now 76%, the lowest percentage in American history.

2) The growth of non-believers has come largely from men. Twenty percent of men express no religious affiliation; 12% of women.

3) Young people are fleeing faith. Nearly a quarter of Americans in their 20’s profess no organized religion.

4) But these non-believers are not particularly atheist. That number hasn’t budged and stands at less than 1 percent. (Agnostics are similarly less than 1 percent.) Instead, these individuals have a belief in God but no interest in organized religion, or they believe in a personal God but not in a formal faith tradition.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Stetzer on Missional Churches and International Missions

Ed Stetzer post a good article about why some missional churches don’t do international missions. This is an interesting read.

Back in Time to See Today

It is very interesting to see how many of these things are in use today by the general public.

[HT]  Chris Elrod

Personality Pattern

personality pattern

I read about this on Tony Morgan’s site and thought I would take the test. I am a sucker for personality test. Well, here is my Personality Pattern results.

Centered

You often feel balanced and on top of things, even when those around you are freaking out. You’re in a pretty good state all the time, and not subject to drastic mood swings. You don’t usually react before you think; you’re not ruled by your emotions.

Conscientious
You feel it’s important to work according to a plan and finish every task, to do things correctly and thoroughly. You are not the kind of person who abandons a project before finishing it, or slacks off when you’ve lost interest.

Unflappable
You are not a slave to your emotions. It takes a lot to upset or unnerve you. That’s why you’re a good person to have around in a crisis. You don’t let it all hang out, which means that those around you often don’t know the pressures you’re under or what you’re going through. You’re not the kind of person people run from in a crisis.

Competent
You strive to master everything you undertake. You tend to learn quickly and do not shy away from challenges. You are not a “que sera sera” type of person, nor do you go easy on yourself when attempting to master a new skill or get a job done.

Irritable
You have your own problems to deal with, and little patience for those who need help to get through the rough spots. Going out of your way to lend a hand not only takes time away from your own pursuits, it ultimately harms those you’re “helping” by insulating them from the harsh realities of life. You don’t need to help others to feel better about yourself. It’s not your ambition to be known as a major bleeding heart.

Assertive
You behave in a confident and forceful manner, take charge of the situation, raise your hand in class, stand up for what you think is right, and lead others. Among those who have a high score on the “assertive” trait, many have jobs in which they are valued for their organizational skills as well as their talent for supervising others.You are not interested in fading into the woodwork, leaving everything to fate, taking more time than necessary to accomplish a task, or avoiding confrontation.

Cautious
You very rarely make a move without first considering the pros and cons and, therefore, rarely do anything foolish or extravagant. You are not rash; you almost never act before you think and, therefore, rarely end up doing things you later regret.

Focused
You know how to lock in on what’s important. You quickly prepare yourself for a task, you don’t procrastinate, and you don’t let up until the job is done to your satisfaction. You are the opposite of scattered. You don’t procrastinate before starting a task, and you almost never lose track of what you’re doing.

Introspective
You like your own company; you’re a very interesting person. Tracking your own mental processes, knowing what you’re thinking and why you do what you do, is important to you. Often, what’s going on in your mind is more compelling than what’s going on outside. For the most part, those with a high score on the “introspective” trait enjoy reading, taking long walks, learning new things, and other solitary activities. You are not someone who is constantly looking to be among a group of friends; you never feel bored when you are by yourself.

Down-to-Earth
You think that many of those who claim to love art are just being pretentious. As long as something does the job, whether it be a couch, a coat, or a kitchen cabinet, it’s “beautiful” as far as you’re concerned. Those who have a high score on the “down-to-earth” trait often hold positions in which they have the opportunity to exercise their organizational expertise. You do not think that having “good taste” is such a big deal, or even that there is such a thing as good taste; nor do you claim that you “can’t live without” art, beauty, or good design.

The Sending Church and UpStream

On March 2nd, 2010 LifePoint Church and UpStream Collective will offer The Sending Church Conference @ LifePoint Church in Smyrna, TN.

Go ahead and reserve the date now.

Register for The Sending Church Conference e-news

from the website:

We are excited to invite you to a day of dialogue, learning and catalyzing a movement for the Kingdom across the globe. The Sending Church is a growing conversation of how the local church can be the center point for missions sending — sending the church to be the church where there is no church. Pastors, Church Planters, Missions Guys and Church Leaders will have the opportunity to hear and interact with leaders who are developing strategies and practical steps for how the church can reach the unreached in the coming decades.

Texting While Driving PSA

This can be very difficult to watch but anyone who is of age to drive should take this message to heart. Texting and driving do not go together. Really this PSA could go for any number of things that cause distractions for a driver.

The Influence of a Father

Here is a very good article about the influence of a father on a man. Bill Gates Sr. and his son.

“Your church is a great model…”

One of our staff guys received this email from someone who had visited LifePoint sometime recently. The person was very encouraging of the church and I wanted to share it with you as a testimony of what God is doing through LifePoint.

We must remain true to pointing people to a Christ-Centered life and helping them surrender to Christ as their Lord.

Congratulations on your growth and the need to have three services, and on the new campus!!! I heard that announcement when I was there the Sunday of [name withheld] baptism. That is awesome! I have been to your church several times and have always loved it because I can sense God’s love in so many people around there, and everyone that I have met. They all have big ole’ smiles on their faces and are so welcoming and friendly.

Coming from [church name withheld], which is predominately a more upper-class church (which is definitely NOT bragging by any means). As a matter of fact, it can be more of a negative than a positive sometimes. I see so many things we can do differently. I am sure it is that way with every church when you are a member there and know more about it vs. just being a visitor. Your church is a great model to look at for things I would like to do differently. I also want to see more of a mix of economic and social, racial, friendly, all the things that Jesus would want us to be.

New Missional Links

I want you to check out the new links on the sidebar of the blog. There are some really good people who are living, thinking and doing missional life in the world today. Go and check out what they are writing. You may not agree with all that you read. Comment on what is being written and get involved in the dialogue.

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