Vacation Fun

I'll be out of blogland for a few weeks as we are packed and ready to leave for the beach! See you in two weeks!

Wish me well. Tomorrow is the final weigh in for the "biggest loser- St.Clair edition!" I'm going down 53 lbs lighter! I'll let you know who wins! Hopefully I'll be on the other end of Brett's 6/10 of a percent!

Words Really Cannot Describe

Words really cannot describe the joy felt at this year's Mommy, Daddy & Me Camp at Jumonville. The entire week became for me a blessing from God.

I deaned this camp for the second year (yes, I will be back for a third!). At the beginning of the week a child told me he didn't believe in Jesus. This seven year old and I had a long talk about what Jesus meant to me. By the end of his camp, he hugged me and said, "I believe in Jesus." Praise God!

Last night, during our camp fire, a four year old came up to me and said, "I like you, Pastor Jeff." Talk about a melting heart! I love working with children and parents. Thank God for the opportunity to minister at camp and to serve Him by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the campers.

Making Mountain Pies!

A Sunset From Jumonville on Wednesday

Great Day @ South Park

Today concluded Asbury Alternative's Worship Series, "Back to Basics," a five week series focusing on Acts 2:42-47. It was a great day for worship, picnicking and fellowship at South Park! It was such a hot day, 94, I believe my thermometer read when I got into the van! We concluded with a message on house churches. When I got home this evening, I was thrilled to see the interest generated from our sign up forms to be a part of a house church movement at Baldwin Community!


Enjoy a few pictures from today's excitement. I will continue to pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit as we begin our groups in the homes of the church family.

Servant Ministry

I have been overwhelmed by the recent response for the Blitz Build in Mercer County during Annual Conference. Our Annual Conference has put together a plan to build a habitat house in Mercer, PA. I truly do not think the Annual Conference had an idea as to how many would come out to serve in ministry.

If you go to the Conference website http://www.wpaumc.org/, you will see Breaking News at the top of the page. When I clicked on this tonight, I could not believe that we have a cut-off! I am so glad to see the people of this Conference joining together in mission! We have had so many servants, willing to serve in this endeavor, that work is being found throughout Mercer County. Baldwin Community is blessed to be sending many volunteers to serve in the multiple ministry opportunities available. I look forward to hearing the stories!

It is my prayer that the house that's being built, the multiple projects available and the hundreds of servants in ministry will bring the Lord glory and honor in the week ahead. I can't wait to hear of the lives transformed and touched throughout this journey. I give Dianne Miller kudos for trying to arrange hundreds of volunteers for such a task!

Enjoy Memorial Day

Blessings!

I am truly thankful for this upcoming weekend. I will be glad to see this week go. The cold damp weather brought along a cold that I still can't kick. When I heard the weather forecast for the weekend and into Monday, I was filled with gladness. Sun and temperatures into the low 80's by Monday is a welcome relief to all the rain and cool temps that have crossed our area in recent weeks.

On Monday, the family has the joy of going to support my niece, McKenzie at a parade. McKenzie was crowned Little Miss Dunbar last year and this year she gets to be in the parade, waving to all the people of this wonderful little community. I am proud of McKenzie and the rest of my nieces and nephews. They're all such good kids. I am truly looking forward to the fellowship with my family and some very good friends. (McKenzie is pictured with my nephew, Braden and niece, Katie Sue.)

As we concentrate on fellowship in worship this weekend, I pray you will have an opportunity to enjoy some great Christian fellowship with your family and friends on Memorial Day and throughout the weekend.

Enjoy one another and build each other up, in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Back to Basics

Over the last two weeks, we have begun the "Back to Basics" worship series at the Asbury Alternative.

Our focus is to spend the month on Acts 2:42-47.

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Over the next four weeks, we will spend time focusing on the benefits of 1. Studying the Word 2. Fellowship 3. Prayer 4. Breaking Bread 5. Meeting in homes. A simplistic formula, but one that has worked over centuries and continues to work in other parts of the world, such as China and Africa.

Our desire is to take our new Alternative service to the next level, in faithful practice and in physical presence. Praise God, we have been reaching the community through this newly developed service, recently having slightly over 200 in worship! The vision that God has laid upon our hearts is to see our church family attending this service develop strong cell groups that can split and multiply. This will be a commitment, but one that will reap benefits for you and those you invite.

This past weekend, we worshipped focusing on the Word. Towards the end of the sermon, I gave practical insight as to how we can deepen our faith through the reading of the Word. After worship, some of my personal Bible studies were being carried out of the worship center! Some couldn't leave worship without grabbing a study! God is good!

This Sunday, we will focus on fellowship. What is fellowship? What constitutes healthy, Christian fellowship among sisters and brothers?

May the Lord bless us as we spend the next month focusing on Acts 2 and being attentive to the leading of God's Holy Spirit.

God loves a cheerful giver

Wow, this morning brought me a moment that I just want to hold dear to my heart for a long time and I am glad I have the opportunity to blog about it. That way, I can reflect upon this day and how I felt.

Typically, mornings are crazy times for me. I get up now and go to the gym at 6:15 (I've lost 35 lbs here in the last two months!) I get home at 7:30 and jump in the shower. Get out of the shower and get the three kids ready for school. Jen's getting ready to work or has left already. It is normally crazy!

This morning was no different. After the kids were fed, I ran downstairs to iron my clothes for the day. While I was ironing my shirt, Alayna walked in and said, "Daddy, I have a quarter here and I am going to put it in my Minnie Mouse bank. I am saving my money to help you and mommy buy the new van." (We are in search of a new van.) My first thought was, "Alayna, you're so sweet. You don't have to do that." I gave her a kiss and said to her, "Alayna, you are so thoughtful." She just smiled and went upstairs and put the quarter in the bank. I got up stairs and she said, "Daddy I have 30 monies (30 cents) in the bank for you!" I could have cried tears of joy and gratitude. Here is our seven year old, striving to help us out the best way she knows how. I thought about how much this means to her; giving unselfishly to this "van fund." I was not going to accept it, but the more I am thinking about it, Alayna wants to give because she loves us. I am going to accept the "30 monies" she has collected and use it for the "van fund." I know Alayna loves to use quarters to buy cross necklaces out of the quarter machine at Giant Eagle. But this quarter is special. She is giving her gift in love. I need to accept this love offering. She gave it fully in love.

Pastor Allan and I have witnessed recently some in the church who desire to share their gifts with the church. When I say "gifts" here, I mean their talents and spiritual gifts. Some of these people have been told by others, "Oh, don't worry, I'll take care of it. You don't have to help now." This has turned away the "cheerful givers." Those who say this don't mean any thing wrong, they are so used to helping, that others are sometimes overlooked when it comes to service. Allan and I are trying to expand the number of the church's "cheerful givers" and include all of those who want to give in love. Just as I almost said to Alayna, "Don't worry Alayna, Daddy doesn't need your money," may we, as the church, be open to accepting the "cheerful giver" as they share their love of Jesus with us and the community of faith.

Thanks Alayna for teaching me a great lesson today. Yes, I will use the "30 monies" of yours with gladness and appreciation! Love, Daddy.