WE’RE IN!!

1 12 2008

Folks, we are having church at the new location THIS SUNDAY!  We just passed inspections and will recieve a TCO (Temporary Certificate of Occupancy).  There are a couple of updates that must be done before we receive a Final Occupancy.  Fire code issues as far as exit lighting and HVAC fire issues.  BUT, we passed.  We will worship this Sunday at the new building.  That deserves a big PRAISE THE LORD!  Well, we’re going to need help this week moving everything in and setting up.  MAN, I’m so excited.  Ok, gotta start working!

EXCITED (to say the least),

Jeff


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You Choose

1 12 2008

youchoose2Lots going on around here these days.  Right now we’re finishing up last minute code issues and waiting for this afternoons final inspection.  If you read this and remember, we’d love for you to bathe this in prayer.  Ask for God’s favor and blessing in the inspection.  The reason for this particular post is to announce to everyone our YOU CHOOSE Sunday.  On Sunday, December 28th we will be celebrating what God has done in 2008 together, AND, looking ahead to what God is going to do in 2009.  For the worship set list we are putting the decisions in YOUR hands.  If you go to  elementweb.net you’ll see a link like the one above.  Or click HERE to go to the page.   There you can vote for your favorite 3 songs out of 3 sections (fast tempo, mid tempo, slow tempo).  Adam will compile the 5 song set list from all of your votes.  Contrary to what Curtis said Sunday, we are NOT taking write in votes.  Although I would love to see Adam lead “Lord I Lift Your Name On High” with motions.  You get to vote from every song the band did over this past year.  It will be a fun Sunday of looking back but more importantly, looking ahead over to what’s coming up.


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Rockin’ Around The Tree

1 12 2008

rockin-round-the-tree-Coming up on Christmas EVE EVE Element Church will be offering a time of Christmas celebration with Rockin’ Around The Tree. This even is open to the whole community. The event is FREE but you MUST HAVE a ticket to attend. Tickets can be picked up at the Element office or at church on Sunday mornings. If you pick up tickets and will not be able to use the PLEASE return them ASAP so they can be given out to other people. Below is a video that I thought I’d share with you to put you in the Christmas spirit.

more about “Rockin’ Around The Tree“, posted with vodpod


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Categories : Element Church

Sunday Rumination (11-30-08)

30 11 2008

This is hopefully my final Rumination following a worship service in the movie theater, because as of toay we have OFFICIALLY MOVED!  WHOO HOO!  Here are my ruminations on the day.

—  509 today.  Only core elementers in the video venue as far as I know.

— Spoke on greed today as we kicked off Dirty Santa.  We’re going to tackle 4 issues that are exposed more in us during Christmas time.

— LOVED what I learned as was challenged with from Matthew 6:19-34

—  Don’t forget to donate toward the adopt a mom project.  We’re wanting to make this Christmas season a lot less stressful for some families in need.

— Log on to the web tomorrow (www.elementweb.net) and check out the link for “you choose”.  We’re putting the power of the worship set list into your hands.  On the last Sunday of December we’re doing a year in review service.  Adam is listing all the songs we’ve done in the past year and you can vote for your favorites.

— We announced Rockin’ Around The Tree today.  This is our Element Christmas EVE EVE celebration.  That’s right, Dec. 23rd at 7 PM we are going to be celebrating Christmas together.  Invite your friends and family to come with you.  Rockin’ Around the Tree is FREE but you MUST have a ticket to attend.  You can get tickets at church or at the office.  If you pick up tickets and don’t use them PLEASE get them back to us ASAP.

— Make sure and get tickets for anyone you’ll be inviting and bringing with you.  There will be no childcare but all ages are welcome to attend the event.  It will be one hour of music, videos and fun!  All ages will enjoy Rockin’ Around The Tree!

— We had about 40 people helping move all of our stuff out of the theater and over to the new location today.  It was CRAZY.  I can’t believe how much stuff we kept at the theater.

— Well, here is the scoop and what we announced today.  Final inspections are tomorrow afternoon.  We finished everything they asked us to so we fully expect to pass tomorrow.  IF however we do not pass, we will have a VERY scaled down version of church in the theater one more week.  We’ll combine kids ministries and bring a smaller portable sound system.  Worst case scenario we have 2 weeks to get all of our stuff installed at the new location.

— Tomorrow (Monday) starting at 9 AM we are going to be moving and organizing stuff at the new location,  If you’d like to help, please come.

— Probably every night starting Tuesday we’ll be working at getting everything ready.  We’ll most likely be working all day Saturday.

— Doors show up Thursday to the Lumber Co. and we’ll be installing them Thursday night - Saturday.  Any people with any kind of knowledge with doors would be appreciated.,

— It was VERY surreal moving stuff today.  It doesn’t seem real that we are moving.  The theater has served us well.  I haven’t regretted ONE BIT worshiping there.  What a place to start a ministry.  It was perfect for us to start in.

—  All during 2nd service people were tearing down ALL of our stored away stuff.  Ekidz stuff.  We found things we didn’t know we still had.  Found a manger from last years Christmas series.  Now the sifting and organizing process begins.  I posted some pictures below that you can look at of the updates and all the stuff!

— I thought of something really cool.  If we do meet in the new location Sunday, it falls on our normal time for communion.  We’ll get to celbrate communion together on our first Sunday.

—  New worship times are 9 AM and 11 AM.  This gives us some added time in between services.

— Wow, no more set up and tear down.  Trailers.  Noon movies.  It just doesn’t seem real.

— Ok, I know this was all about the move but that is kind of on the top of the list right now.  HA.  Stay tuned to the blog, web and email for the latest news.

Following Christ,

Jeff


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test

27 11 2008

Just figured out I can post from my blackberry. Cool


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New Location Update

23 11 2008

Well, it is down to the nitty gritty.  Right now there are very few jobs left for us to do.  Finishing work now and major cleaning.  Ceiling tiles need to go in.  Baseboards.  LOTS of vacuming and cleaning.  ALL the carpet is in.  PRAISE THE LORD!  We did it all ourselves and saved a TON of money.  Plumbing passed inspection and is all done.  Electric passed inspection (have to install fire alarms still) and is done.  All lighting and HVAC is done.  Paint murals need to be finished.  WOW!  Can’t believe how much we’ve done.  CRAZY!  Keep praying for those stupid doors to come in on time.


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Sunday Rumination (11-23-08)

23 11 2008

Wow!  Today was a whilrlind.  I LOVE IT!  It is nuts every week so I don’t know why it ever surprises me.  Here are my ruminations on the day.

— OU DISMANTLED Texas Tech last night!  Had to start with that, now on to the important stuff.  (And I didn’t say one word at church today)

— I took our team to the Toby Mac concert in Denver on Friday.  We had a BLAST (at least I did).  Holy cow that dude puts on a show.  Relient K and Family Force 5 were there as well.  It was great to get away from the normal routine of working at the building and just have some fun.  Haven’t done that in a while.

— 559 today at Element.

— First service we had plenty of room.  Second service just blew up.  We had over 50 in the video venue.

— Guess we’re never getting rid of noon movies till we move.  Had 3 noon movies in theaters we use today.  The previews started in the video venue before we were done.  Lovely!

— Had a special guest in church today.  Dr. Dale Erbele was in town.  Pastor Dale is the Superintendent of our Conference (Western) in our denomination.  Dr. Dale holds a VERY special place in Grant and my life.  It was during a sermon he was giving at our church in Gillette when Grant was called into church planting.  It was through his leadership and vision that God directed and called me into church planting.  Without Dr. Dale I’m not sure Element is happening with Grant and I on the team.

— I LOVE seeing men like Dr. Dale who are later in life, could be scaling back or dialing it in but he is just FULL of vision!  He isn’t stuck in the past but is taking out blockades for guys like me to forge ahead.  He is ALL for new ideas, new paradigms and methods of ministry.  He is CONSUMED with doing whatever it takes, whenever it takes and however it takes to tell people about Jesus.  LOVE It!  Thanks Dale.

—  Ended our “Heart” series today talking on our core value of Allegiance.

— Before service I felt very disconnected with the message.  Not sure why.  I knew it was what God laid on my heart but just didn’t connect.  The word I used with Grant and Curtis was I didn’t feel familiar with it.  Not sure how it came across today but that’s how I felt going in.

— I woke up yesterday morning with a super sore throat and a voice that was starting to fade.  This morning was the same way and I was downing cough drops like candy all morning.  I had Grant and Curtis pray over me before first service started and then Terri ran and got me some hot tea before I hit the stage 2nd service.  I made it all the way through both services but not sure my voice will last through the day.

— There have been a few times over the year that I just felt an extra need for prayer and EVERY time I’ve grabbed Curtis or Grant or Adam they have dropped whatever they are doing to come pray with me.  LOVE the team God has assembled.  There is nothin’ more comforting than having men you absolutely trust to lay hands on you and pray for God’s annointing.

— I must have looked nervous today cause someone told me “There is no reason to be nervous Jeff.”  Actually, I don’t know of a Sunday I haven’t been nervous, EVER!  I take very seriously the fact that I am proclaiming the Word of God on Sunday, and that scares me EVERY time!  That fact God entrusts me with preaching is VERY humbling.  The day I’m not nervous there is something wrong.

— We had our pre-final inspections Friday morning.  Everything is looking good.  We will NOT be moving this week.  It’s down to getting the doors delivered and installed.  Crazy.  Literally right around the corner.

— Got pictures coming.  ALL the carpet is installed.  Took us all day Saturday.

— Wow, this got long.  I’ll quit.  Pictures up in a bit!

Following Christ,

Jeff


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Teaching To Serve and Give

18 11 2008

Admittedly, I am have not been, nor am I a “natural” servant.  In fact, since planting Element God has rocked my world on that whole topic.  It’s definitely something that I’m striving to become.  My wife has the spiritual gift of serving and giving.  In fact sometimes I tell her to STOP serving and giving.  (I know, maybe not the right move)  I do think you can give or serve to a fault IF it begins to injure you ie. time with God, family, meeting your own needs, etc.  But I digress.

One of the things my parents ALWAYS modeled so well was serving and giving.  I never once questioned whether my parents were generous people or committed to giving to the work of God.  I never once questioned my parents concert for the church AND their “neighbor” because they served.  While I didn’t always follow their example, today at 34 years old it makes an impact.  I want to teach our children the same.  So, we give them opportunities to do that.

Jonah helped make Sabrina some cookies and we took them to the local fire department to say “Thank you!”  the other day.  Here are a couple pictures of J Man getting to sit in the fire truck after serving and giving.    img00656

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img00654

On Halloween we took our kids trick or treatin’ around our neighborhood.  I was inspired by Curtis and Andy going trick or treating for canned goods for the local soup kitchen.  I took that idea and after our kids asked for candy, we asked for canned goods or non-perishables to take to the local food pantry.

img007181

It was cool for our kids not just to get candy for themselves, but to explain why we were getting food for people in need.  I hope moments like these stick with them when they are 34 and teaching their kids.  I know I need to continue to get better at this and so not only does it teach them, but challenges me!


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New Location Update

17 11 2008

Here are the latest pictures.  Pray for everything to be completed ASAP!


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Sunday Rumination (11-16-08)

16 11 2008

One more week of “Heart” and then hopefully we’ll be in the new location.  Here are my ruminations on the day.

— 3 people in first service and 4 people in 2nd service acknowledged that they had asked Jesus to come into their heart.  One of them was one of our JV youth students.

— 3 kids accepted Jesus today as well in e:kidz.  That ROCKS!  People need to Jesus, not as a buddy but as their Savior.  NOTHING tops seeing people come to know Christ.

— We have received some GREAT comments and emails of people sharing about how Jesus transforming their lives.  LOVE it!

— 544 today.  Both services full again!

— Due to a scheduling conflict last week (we had to play in the championship game of the city flag football tournament.  WE WON!), we rescheduled The Tour for today.  We also have Partnership class at 4 today.  I love seeing people connect in a deeper level to Element.

— Long day when you throw those two things in.

— Adam stinkin’ rocked out a new version of Amazing Love today.  Holy Cow it was awesome!

— Spoke on our core value of significance.  As stated through this series, I don’t want these values just to be on paper or viewed on the web-site, but what we actually live!  Our values need to guide, direct and navigate our mission and vision.  I hope people actually see our values IN us.

— Made the announcement that we will not be moving into the new location this week.  We do have our final inspection scheduled for Friday.  We need three things done and need your prayers on them.  #1 Electric needs to be done.  #2  HVAC needs to be done  #3 Our doors are NOT in yet and we can’t pass inspections without doors.  Please pray on our behalf.

— We’re not naming a date again, so we don’t have to retract again.  HOWEVER, it is SOON!  We are so close we can taste it.  I’ll have some new pictures up tonight.  Carpet should be done this week.  Bathrooms are floored (one small area in womens to be done).  Toilets going in.  It’s super close.

— I’m actually gonna miss the theater.  It’s become home!  Sure it will be great to not be portable but the theater holds some awesome memories.  It will be one of my “memorials” for the rest of my life.  I think we need memorials like God used to have the Israelites put up.  It helps you remember what God has done!

— Alright!  I know there is probably more but I need to head to partnership class!  I LOVE Element Church!

— I’ll try to get pictures up tonight.

Following Christ,

Jeff


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