What's happenin'!

Well the summer is almost over and as we look back we had some great successes in two months...

PULSE OUR NEW YOUTH GROUP reports this

• 11 attended Penn Jersey Youth camp


• 8 made commitments to holiness & TO BE DISCIPLED


• 7 gave their testimony on Sunday Morning


• We had 25 teens and 10 adult leaders in our dress for the mess event


• We had 27 at our wet and wild kickball event


• We already have a youth worship band (eventhough it is kinda heavy metal


• We kick off Pulse Explosion on Sept 6th (Thursday nights)


• This weekend we are traveling to Revelation Generation concert


• Stand Ministries is coming Sept 26-30th

In BIG BOY church..

• Redid the sound system


• Purchased & Installed 3 projectors (2 front and 1 rear)


• Purchased new computers


• Have ADULT discipleship classes/small groups starting in Oct on Wednesday Nights


• Children's JAM (Jesus and Me) starting (SS, Children's Church and Wednesday night)


• Stand Ministry outreach teams


• Committed to connect with God and connect with others


• New women's SS class -Beth Moore (Oct 07)


• Sunday/Monday Night football (men's event) coming with cable!!!


• Worship team is rocking!!!! with three teens playing instruments~


• We have seen over 30 people accept Christ as their personal Savior


• 5-7 men meet for prayer every thursday at 6:30AM


• I MEET WITH 8 PASTOR'S FROM THE COMMUNITY EVERY THURSDAY


• Concerts of prayer every Wednesday night in Sept for Stand outreach


• I am joining a mentoring group with our DS Dr. Wood


• We had 76 people at our home last Sunday for an ICE CREAM SOCIAL (3 hours)


• We had attendance over 100! (107 and 135 during the summer - Doubling our attendance)


• We have seen a 25% -30% increase in attendance on average for two months!

On the home front...

• We love our new home


• We still have issues with our home in Michigan


• Peter is in school already and hooking up with others for a band


• Brianna has been out of the house with other girls most of the time and is doing great


• Matt is 7 yrs old and content with video games


• Doreen is in the worship team singing and will co-lead a Beth Moore SS class in Oct (everyone wants to be in the pastor's wife's class...lol)

On a personal note...

• I don't know how church planters do this from scratch


• I am working twice as hard now and we have a established building and land.


• I guess God knew my family limitations.


• This has definitely felt like a church plant and I am not a detail oriented guy


• I am still looking for more men/women to come along side me to cover my weaknesses


• I am dreaming for God and it kinda scares me sometimes the things he is putting in my head


• For Stand outreach in Sept he gave me a number of 1,000. Our church only holds 175-225 on a very good day and we have 5 services (do the math)


• I will be faithful and let God be God.


• I praise God for the great examples of leaders he has put in my life.


• The great news is that I have a great Godly friend here in NJ who wants to see Faith Chapel Thrive for Jesus! PTL


• Take a good look at our building...it might be changing in a couple of years as we grow!

ET RAMBLINGS...

Heaven is singing!

Well today I did a funeral for a dear lady from our congregation, Jane Alpaugh. She was told two years ago that she had 6 months to live. Her Husband, Allen, died a couple of months ago unexpectedly.

Well Our church has over 150 people at the funeral service and I preached from 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 5:10, “Do not lose heart, though our outer man is decaying . . ." Fore some reason, God wanted me to give a bigtime salvation message. I told the story of how Dr. Tony Campolo challenged a pastor and thus the "It's friday, but sunday's a coming!" speech.

Well I told that story and then said ... Thurday morning 12:30 am, Jane's lungs are struggling to gasp for air, you see for her it was Friday. The family and I circled around her bed and prayed because to us it was Friday. We read from Rev 22 as Jane looked lifeless on her bed at home, It was Friday for us. Jane opened her eyes and took her last breath and it was immediately SUNDAY for her! Absent of the body is home with the Lord 2 Cor 5. She not only saw us around the bed but I believe she saw Jesus and her husband waiting for her.

We gave a salvation message and around twenty people raised their hand to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior!! PTL Then I asked if anyone else wanted to receive Christ and read Romans 10 and asked those who wanted Jesus in their lives to repeat the sinners prayer with me. Around a third of the people recited the prayer!!! At least over 40!!

God is working even in death as this area of New Jersey will be HIS. We prayed in amazement after cleaning the church and did not want to leave. I had been in the office since 7am, the service was at 11am and we were still at the church till around 4pm. Praise God.

Alot of the people said they were coming back to our church. Messy floors, messy walls , messy, lives and alot of Jesus!!! To Him be the Glory.

What''s next... Stand Ministry the last week of September for 5 days. We are looking for around 1,000 to accept Jesus as their Savior.

Ed in the Country of NJ...Well I have some cows to evangelize and they can talk to the farmers..

ET Ramblings...

The Job life...NOT YET!

Yesterday, Doreen was very emotional and was missing Michigan, friends and her workout buddies. Peter is missing his friends and letting us know how he feels which is sometimes good and sometimes hard to hear. I do miss the worship and playing with Larry and the group so much! I also miss the office talk with the pastors and office workers. I also do not look forward to calling the mortgage companies and looking at the future financial mess that will happen with our home in Michigan. The stress is mounting...

{breath}

Well...I sat in my office this morning and cried to God about His plans. In my daily quiet time with God, I was overcome with the lonelyness of the changes happening in our lives as a family, the emotions of my wife and kids and not to mention the changes that God has shown me for Faith Chapel in my prayer time. He has called us to reach families and to reach out to the lost in anyway possible (anything short of sin). Change is hard on all but change needs to happen because people are dying and going to an eternal punishment without Jesus Christ and we have the answer! I just feel in my spirit that sometimes we are just to involved in what we want and do not see the entire picture.

He has already put burdens on my soul for people in the area. I met a gentleman across the street from the church named Wayne and I hope to talk with him more. I also met my nieghbor, Ray, who did not seem very friendly and cut the grass along the property border to show me the boundries. I need to see them with God's eyes and continue to love them.

I also know that people within the congregation will resist change. My family and I are struggling with that now so why wouldn't the church also struggle. I know I did not come to NJ to argue about change (worship, outreach or color of walls) and I won't do that at all. There is so much to be done and I just want to talk about Jesus to anyone who needs Him dearly.

...And I look at the calander and see James 1:12:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test,

he will receive the crown of life."

Could it be we are starting to feel a little like Jesus did? He didn't say it would be easy and it isn't. Why should we be surprised. Peter of all people tells us not be surprised at the painful trials that we suffer in 1Peter 4:12-13, 18-19.

"Dear friends,do not be surprised

at the painful trials you are suffering,

as though something strange is happening to you.

But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ,

That you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed...

...And, if it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and sinners?

So then, those who suffer according to God's will

should commit themselves to their faithful Creator

and continue to do Good."

The job life...not yet...not even close!

...For me and my house, we will serve the
Lord!!!!

ET Ramblings...