10 of the most frequently asked questions I get about Church

1. What is your church like?
2. How do you get so many young people to come to church
3. Where is your church building
4. Is your church Charismatic?
5. What are you doing that is growing the church
6. You do a lot of Community programs, where do you get all the money from
7. How long have you been pastoring?
8. How do you balance family time and church time?
9. How old is the church?
10. What is your church denomination?

I Love my Church because…………

Here is a repost from July 2009. We are currently in a series called ‘I love my Church’.

July 16, 2009

Two weeks ago I started asking people why they keep coming to LifeChurch. I gave them a fill in the blank question. I Love my church because___________________

Here’s what I’ve received so far:

A family that works hard for the cause of salvation

A place of learning

Accepts me

Always new

Are committed to excellence

Are committed to God

Are courageous

Are exuberant (enthusiastic, excited, lively, energetic)

Are full of life

Are full of worship

Are fun and full of funny things

Are in love with God

Are overcomers

Are passionate

Are victorious

COMMITTED to serving the Lord

DOING IT!

Emphasis on using spiritual gifts

Everybody wants to do rubbish collection

Everyone is important especially children

Excited to learn more of God

Family church

Good teaching

Great fellowship

Great Word

Growth in the Lord and Leadership believing in sharing Jesus’ Good news with the community.

He allowed me to live for His purpose

I get encouraged

I know my Pastor very well

I like the way we run the church in different ministries in different ways

I love family members attending too

I love it – it’s the place to be on Sunday

I LOVE MY CHURCH because I enjoy worshipping with people that love the same God that I care passionately and devoted my life to.

I received the Lord in my life in this church

I wake up excited for church, to go to church

INSPIRING

It changed my life and my family

It feeds my spiritual needs through the preaching of the word, etc.

It gives me opportunities to be in ministry to others and to the lost souls

It gives me opportunities to be part of a team training ground.

It grows my spiritual life

It has a Vision for the lost

It has great leadership

It is a family that I belong to

It stretches me

It supports youth

It’s a moving church

It’s a positive environment

It’s community focused

It’s filled with people hunger for the Lord

It’s full of imperfect people like me

It’s new every Sunday

It’s real

Its current for today

Jesus is the Head of the church.

Leaders are driven and motivated to serve God in ways that are always creative and unique.

Leaders are trained probably

Life – God gives us life and this is life –

Life changing

Lifegroup facilitates growth

Love my Pastor – the way he preaches the word of God and the Vision God has put in his heart.

Love the people, adults, Lifekids and the children, pastors, youth, leaders

Love to give cheerfully

Love to serve the Lord by serving the community

Loves me

Morning tea

My church accepts me for who I am

Not programmed

Of the great leaders we have that push comfort zones

Of the people

Of the Vision

Of the youth

Our decisions are based on the Bible

PASSIONATE

Pastors are real people

People – they matter to God, they are a problem and without God in life, people go to hell.

People give a lot – “too much” for some!

People love each other

People love God

Preaching of the word – Perfect

Put up with all sorts of people

Reach out and love to go the extra mile

Remember my name and helps me heaps spiritually (101)

Serve God

Serve the community

Support each other

The church that it’s people are connected to fulfill and serve God’s purpose, and are dream builders.

The constant and regular discussion of the word means that we who desire to live authentic lives are empowered and equipped to live ‘dangerously’ for God.

The heart of the church is His word

The opportunity to serve His children,

The people are friendly and real

The youth are on fire and the children are just as passionate.

There is unity in our church

They have morning tea every Sunday morning

They have old people and adults who shake hands with me and say Hi! to me

They keep knocking

They like me to work together with other leaders in the church

They listen to my needs and help out

They look after my kids

They love God

They love God, love people, love life

They love imperfect people

They love me

They love people because they love God

They love the Lord,

They love to serve the Manurewa community

They make breakfast

They make room for me to grow spiritually in Christ

They put love into action by reaching out into the community, lost souls and always striving towards The Vision God has for our church

They SMILE

They trust me to drive the LifeChurch truck

They trust me to teach their kids

They value people

They work together

Try new things

TRY their best

Try to do their best

Walk the talk – talk the walk – walk the walk – serving God – Talk the talk – Faith into action

Warm fellowship

We are a action faith in church

We are a church on fire for God – stretches me spiritually and emotionally.

We believe in the vision

We can wear what is comfortable

We care about every generations especially the young people

We have a Vision

We have a Vision

We have FUN

We have fun together

We have strong leadership

We love God with a passion and with real action

We love the Lord and love people

We love to worship

We reach out to those who need us in the community

We serve

We strive to reach the unreachable

We support one another

We try to do our best

We try to do the undoable

We work in harmony and unison

We worship

We worship Him however we want to – singing, praying, etc.

We’re crazy about the Lord

We’re not perfect and we love all of God

Women are involved in the church

Work together

Worship is awesome

New Series Coming Up

On of our Values as a church here at LifeChurch is ‘Relevance’. I know that’s a dirty word to some, especially those who think that in order to be relevant you need to compromise. I don’t think so! My desire is to teach/ preach the word of God without compromise. We just need to be able to relate to people’s situation, and environment. It is vital that we the church seek to communicate truth in ways that they will be able to listen, hear and understand. We need to be Relevant not Religious. 

Over the next 6 months we will be teaching/ preaching on some issues we believe are relevant not only to our congregation but also to our community here in Manurewa and South Auckland.

Here are some of the themes. We are yet to finalise the Series titles.

1. The Supernatural:  Angels, demons, evil, spirit world, horoscope, miraculous etc….

2. Sex: Opposite Sex, Pornography, Relationships, 

3. God: Who, where, when, how etc….

4: Death: Abortions, stillborn, life after death..etc…..

I asked the church the other day during church to txt me their questions. and issues they need answers to. Over the next 6 months we will bring answers from the Word of God to those questions and issues!

I think that’s being relevant!

Lastly, on a Vision Statement #8 we say:  

“We see a Church a with a clear and bold biblical message that changes lives. A message that is relevant to every situation of our lives. A message that brings restoration and healings in every relationship”.

Our Goal is Changed Lives!!

Should Church be Managed or Lead? pt2

I am a leader.

God wired me that way and personally I don’t like management. But just because I don’t like management it does not mean that I shouldn’t be doing it. Its like taking out rubbish.

Just because you don’t like taking out the rubbish on the collection morning it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do it.

Like or not we still need to manage. Church management is not the most exciting part of ministry. I think most people prefer to preach, teach, lead, pray for people and so on, …….. for me I don’t like meetings and minutes, I don’t like budget and forcasts, I don’t like boards and governance. The truth is we still need to do the budget and plan and take out the rubbish ruglarly.

Leadership creates movement. Management sustains movement and make things happen. I admire the patience of managers.

A well managed home brings joy to the family and visitors at the same time, while the parents provide leadership and direction.

A well managed business results in profit while its owner is still looking for new opportunities to trade.

Church should be managed and lead at the same time. Ministry and management go together under under great leadership.

Leaders focus on vision, mission and strategies while managers are working together to make sure goals are achieved, objectives are met, and mission accomplished.

REPENT!

I have been writing a regular column on Samoa Times Newspaper for the last six years. The last two years I have been teaching on the Book of Revelation. I am now on Chapter 21.

After all the doom and gloom stuff, deception, wars, rebellion, killing people and so on……Chapter 21 starts with “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth……..” then it talks about the new heaven and God wiping every tear…no more pain…. And so on…all encouraging stuff….. Until I came to verse 8. It talks about the people that will die a second death ( a less gory way of saying ‘thrown in the lake of fire where there is gnashing of teeth and will be tormented forever and ever…)

Anyway the disturbing thing for me is the fact that the list of the type of people that will die a second death, starts with the Cowards.

I can understand the unbelieving, the murderers, the sexual perverts, the sorcerers, liars….and all those people going to hell. But why Cowards???

The fact is this God hates cowardness. (my spellchecker says it incorrect spelling, …no such word……try cowardice..,I like the sound of cowardness better).

I have been thinking about where we are as Christians in this hour.

As followers of Christ are we living an adventurers, dangerous, fearless, no shame, no holding back, hell shaking, devil mouth kicking, soul rescuing type lives. Are we part of a church that is bold enough, brave enough, crazy enough to do whatever it takes to reach people with the love of Jesus Christ and transform community, (by shifting cultures and breaking traditions, even changing the order of the service in order to connect with people, ).

or are we a tired, irrelevant, ineffective, toothless, boring, stuck and stuck up, cowardness, religious heavenly minded with no earthly good type church.

If cowardness is listed together in the same level as liars, sexual immorals, idolaters etc…. then here this:

COWARDNESS is SIN.

Here’s my ‘hell fire and brimstone’ message for today.

REPENT!!!

Sunday Reflections

• Kick off ‘One Prayer Series’.
• Title of my message in the first service “God is Faithful”.
• Second Service Pastor Kirk Pankratz from Church of the Harvest preached a powerful Word – ‘God is Hope”. Kirk is great communicator.
• Several people commented after the service
  • ‘Pastor that Word was for me’.
  • The Word was so powerful and so moving, I was in tears the whole service.
  • ‘I needed to hear that’. (first time guest)
  • ‘We needed that boost aye hon”! (a visiting couple)

• Saw lot of tears and repentance in both services.
• Tai shared her story yesterday. Tai is a young teenager who lost her only baby in a house fire Jan this year along with her baby sister and 2 step sisters. Amazing, powerful story of what God is doing in Tais life.
• Third Service of the day ‘Communion’ in the evening. I love communion services. We make it as less formal as possible,  family atmosphere. People are given the chance to share what God is doing in their lives. I saw something different in our young people yesterday. I think God is raising up a lot of young leaders and preachers.
• Preached about ‘Coming Together’ 1 Cor 11
• Spent a bit of time praying in pairs
• Praying and Ministering to our Senior Citizens and the sick.

My Sermon this morning in Wordle

BIG Weekend @ LifeChurch

This Weekend we kick off a new series called ‘One Prayer’. We will be looking at the attributes of God. Basicly getting to know God more, who he is!! Did you know that 1665 other churches around the world will be doing the same series at the same time?? That is incredible!! Its the Kingdom of God!

LifeChurch Folks this Sunday is also ‘Bring  a Friend Sunday’. There’s plenty of seats in the theatre and I am sure your friemds and families will appreciate your invitation to join us this weekend. We have been praying for you and your friends, our Intercessory prayer team have been praying for your friends.

Give them an opportunity to hear about God and why you are so passionate about him.

This weekend also we will be hearing from Tai Simati. You don’t wanna miss her story!! For those who don’t know Tai,… She is a young teenage mother who lost her only child in a house fire Jan 2009. Since then Tai has made a journey toward God ………………………You need to hear it for yourself!!! Powerful stuff!!

We will also be hearing from the SWITCH Leadership Boot Camp Recruits!!

I also have a big announcement to make this Sunday about whats coming up!!!

So make those connections now!!! I look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Sent to Represent

2 Cor. 5:20. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, …….”

I have been meditating on this verse for a while now. ‘Ambassador for Christ’

We are called to be representatives of Jesus Christ

Let’s ask ourselves today “How WELL are we doing?

How WELL are we representing Christ?

Do we say what’s in his heart? Do we speak for ourselves and try to argue our own opinion or do we say and speak the truth of God’s Word .   

Are we doing what he did and wanting us to do? As good ambassadors do we report back to him and check with him to make sure that we are on the same page with God or we do what we think is best to gain popularity and please people.

Is our agenda different from that of Christ’s

How about the way we conduct ourselves both privately and publicly. Have you checked lately how Jesus conducted himself, even when things turned ugly for him. He maintained godly composure. He even asked God to ‘forgive them for they do not know what they do….’

Remember as ambassadors for Christ ‘We are sent to Represent”

Do WELL today!!

Sunday Reflections

• Great to back. I love Church. I love what God is doing at LifeChurch. It may not mean much to you but to me God is up to something that I believe its way beyond me. I just need to be faithful in what he has called me to do and do it well with all humility, blood and sweat and total dependence on the Power of the Holy Spirit 
• Everone is talking about my wife’s preaching last Sunday. I saw parts of the message on video. Man she was the bomb! She can make a crowd go wild. Ok hon! I think you need to preach again this weekend!!  
• I have several goals this year. One of them is to fill every seat on Sunday mornings. There is someone out there that needs to hear the message of Hope in Jesus Christ and His power to change lives. That person must be in that empty seat on Sunday morning. Jesus said “Go into the highways and the byways and invite people so that my house may be filled” Luke 14
• Madly involve with God.
• Seeing young people worshipping God with passion puts gas in my engine. I am determined to see more young people fall in love with Jesus than with drugs and alcohol. 
• Worship was great. Junior read one of my favourite Psalms – 103 “Bless the Lord o my soul and forget not all he benefits”. Yes still on the benefit. I am a long time reciepient of Gods dole 
• I preached my heart out. Title of my message  ’Your Amazing Future’. In the midst of Economic Crises, Swine flu, and everyhting else that is happening in the world, there is a sense of uncertainty and insecurity I felt the need to remind people that their future in Jesus Christ is ASSURED and SECURED. Bottom line it was a gospel message. Resulted in repentance, souls saved & recommitments. 
• We had communion in the evening. Spoke about significance of passover OT / Lords supper  NT. 
• We sang a song that caught my attention with these words, ‘take my hands teach them to serve….’. 
• Left church yesterday with a renewed faith in God and a radical desire to reach out.