Pastor’s Note

Created by DPE, Copyright IRIS 2005

 

 

Hope for Healing

 

The letter below is from Brenda Troyer. Many of you have walked with her since her diagnosis of stage four breast cancer earlier this year. The love so many of you have shown has been a great encouragement. We have also been praying for her healing, but that God's will would be done. Now there is a glimmer of hope-a word of healing for which we want to be careful to praise the Lord. It's not that this battle is over, but rather that the hope is not lost.

 

"Dear Family and Friends,

 

On Monday I had a PET scan, which is a diagnostic imaging test that, among other things, is used to reveal the presence and severity of cancers. When I did this test in July, not only did it show that the enlarged lymph nodes revealed in my breast MRI were cancerous, but that I had cancerous lymph nodes on either side of my collarbone. Yesterday afternoon my oncologist called to let me know that the PET scan I had Monday was "completely clear." Unfortunately, the first words out of my mouth were, "You've got to be kidding!" No, he wasn't kidding ... sorry Dr. Masci.

 

This is, of course, the height of good news. One can't ask for more than a clear scan!  However, what this means in context of the road ahead I'm not sure. This good news has yielded a lot of questions, which can't be asked until my appointment on November 14. What I do know is this:

 

1. Not all the test results are in yet. I still need the results of the breast MRI and BRCA genetic test.

2. I will still have surgery and radiation. The type and extent are still to be determined.

3. This is good news ... praise the Lord, sing hallelujah, and let there be great rejoicing in the land!!

 

God is strong and unshakable,

God is invincible and everlasting,

God is great and good and wise and almighty.
God is rock and shield and sword and plow,
God is faithful and powerful and never ending,

God is Comforter and Shepherd and Redeemer and Friend.

God is more than I can express and infuses all that I am.

God is the place I begin and the place I end.
God's name is written on all blessings great and small.

God is the great gift giver.

 

In God's hands,

Brenda

 

Devo Delight

Part 3

 

I noticed last Sunday that the Daily Bread rack was cleaned out. It's wonderful to know that so many of you are grabbing that little devotional. I pray that every individual believer will be finding time in the Word on a daily basis.

 

But now I'd like to equip our families. We've struggled for some time to find a Biblically accurate, visually entertaining, kid AND parent friendly devotional for meal times. It took years, but we finally found a winner. We call it our B.B.T. (breakfast Bible time) but it's actually called The One Year Bible for Children by V. Gilbert Beers. There is a short Biblical text followed by questions, a point and application. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of times there is an invitation
to accept Jesus, and even a profound bend toward peacemaking stones.

 

But the strongest element, in my opinion, is the artwork. Different angles on classic images and scenes I've NEVER seen illustrated bring a fresh and engaging twist to these devotions. Our boys literally jump out of their chairs to come and see the new picture of the day, if there is one.

 

Naturally there is a devotional for every day of the year, but we didn't start on January first or finish December 31. We did finish though, and now are going through it again. Thadd was 5 when we started it, and now I'm 41, so the age range to which this appeals is pretty wide. I believe that planting seeds of Biblical literacy starts at home with Family devotions.  Around the table, on the couch in the basement, or on the back porch, I hope every family can find a good tool and a good time to open God’s Word together on a daily basis.

 

 

Devo Delight

Part 2

 

Back in the May issue of the Crosswinds, I challenged you; if you have no devotional life, to get one! Simply put, a devotional life is dedicated time spent with God on a regular basis. I suggested 10 minutes a day-just being still; alone with God. Carving out time-any time-can be a challenge, but I believe that until we commit to taking the time back from all the distractions and giving it to God as a sacrifice, we'll never grow our relationship with Him.

 

The cool part is this; God is the eternal timekeeper. He can stretch and slow time in.such a way that even the least amount of time, given regularly, can be used by Him to grow our relationship. So let's play with that holy ten minutes. After finding that time of silence, being alone with God, I would then suggest using a daily devotional.

 

There are several reasons I've read Our Daily Bread for almost twenty years. Honestly, the 3 reasons I started really aren't very spiritual at all. It was FREE (and still is-on the rack by the west door), it was small (a little paperback you can put in your pocket) and it had a beautiful picture on the cover (usually a photo of some sort). That got me to pick it up, but then what kept me grabbing it up, was the revelation that God actually SPOKE to me through it! No lie. I would read something that spoke to a situation for problem that would be in my day-THAT DAY!

 

When that happens a few times you realize God is using this, and more importantly, GOD WANTS TO TALK TO ME. The question is, do I take the time to listen? Reading the Daily Bread Devo takes five minutes, tops. That leaves the other five for "listening" or quiet time. There are oodles of devotionals (books & websites) out there. If you know of any that have helped you, let me know and I'll pass them along through this column. My hope is that you'll find a devotional that speaks to you, and then you'll keep the conversation going with God for the rest of your life.

 

Next month I'll tell you how a little thing I call BBT has helped our family start the day right and if you are the first to guess what BBT is, I'll give you one for free!

 

 

 

Devo Delight

In case you thought I was referring to the 80'S band with the strange head ear- fear not! Devo is just short for devotional- and my question is, do you have a devotional time? Just a few days ago I was talking to a person who was facing several major decisions that were triggered by a couple of hard situations. Pressure was building. Stress was mounting. There was a loss of focus, a blurring of spiritual vision, and a general sense of confusion. We had unpacked some ofthe particulars, when he simply said "I just don't know where to start." I asked how his devotional life was- to which he replied "What devotional life?" This is where we got into the reality that he never had it modeled for him by his parents so he didn't know where to start.

This is a sad story with a simple solution. You can have a great devotional time that will feed your soul and then enable you to impact those around you. Confession time: I never had a great devo time before I came to SMC. It's true! I'd glance over devotional stuff before I fell asleep at night, but my time with God was never a real priority. God and I had a great working relationship but we weren't close friends. Why? Simple - the currency of all relationships is TIME. Those most vital and fulfilling relationships are ones to which we joyfully give time! So, the first major hurdle is making the time.

Here is the great part: I've found God isn't nearly as concerned with the quantity as the consistency. Start with 10 minutes. Can you make 10 minutes of prime time (that is, not half asleep, totally distracted or left over moments) just to be with God? If you want His guidance, blessing and peace, you simply must find the time to spend in His presence. What works for you? First thing in the morning works for me- last thing at night works for my wife. May I suggest, until next month, you find that 10 minutes everyday and just give it to God. Be totally alone with Him. Ask Him to speak to you, then listen. For 10 minutes, simply be still and know that He is God. Next month, we'll add more to the mix, but for now it's just you and God- and He's waiting for you to show up.

 

 

 

 

What a Wild, Wonderful Weekend

November can be a rather drab month. Thanksgiving comes at the end, but before that all the leaves tend to blow off the trees, the winter darkness sets in, and sometimes (heaven forbid) we see our first snow.  Needless to say, it's not my favorite month-but I'm trying to change that.

This November a power packed equipping weekend is planned to blow away your pre-Christmas blues. From the 5th through the 8th there will be several days of teaching and learning by which I pray many of you will be blessed. On Nov. 5 & 6 (Friday and Saturday) Jason Martinkus will be speaking at the Sexual Integrity Workshop at The Pier in Mt. Eaton.

I believe one of the biggest giants that is pummeling our culture in general and the church specifically, is sexual sin. We live in a sexualized world where sex sells everything from cars to cartoons. Billboards, radio and TV have bombarded us for years, but only since the internet has every home connected to the web become an inlet for porn.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau 6'9% of U.S. homes have the internet. Is the internet bad? No. Can it be used for bad? Yes.

The staggering stats on porn addiction are sobering.  Freedombeginshere.org (a website dedicated to sexual integrity) states that 50 % of all Christian men and 29% of all Christian women are addicted to porn. Can this be true? I believe it is, so the question is; what are we going to do about it?

The Bible is crystal clear in regards to sexual sin.  There shouldn't even be a hint of it among believers (Eph. 5:3) Bringing Biblical teaching and equipping to this topic so that believers are equipped to fight against the devil's schemes to destroy people through sexual sin is the mail goal of this workshop.

Who should go? Due to the nature of the topic, I would recommend this for ages 13 and up. Parents, you know the movies, games and websites your kids are watching. Perhaps the struggle has started early. Ultimately it's the parents' call-but I do believe every parent could also benefit from this equipping. The bottom line is this: there is
hope, freedom and peace available to everyone that may be fearful of, or struggling with sexual sin. Jesus conquered sin on the cross, and that's what we proclaim.

Leadership training, a time for pastors, parents, lay leaders and counselors to come and get an overview of the issue and receive resources, will be held on Friday, November 5, from 3-6 pm. On Saturday, November 6, the sessions run from 9 am to 1:30 pm with a free lunch at 11:15. The cost is $30 for adults and $15 for students. I'm hoping a group can be formed from SMC, as it was for last year's event. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

On Sunday, November 7, Andy Stoner will be here at SMC to bring a series of messages on the topic of boundaries. This is based on the Townsend/Cloud classic Boundaries. This book outlines Biblical, healthy and tested principles in setting boundaries in relationships. Its topics include How and when to say no, how not to be manipulated, and a multitude of other practical approaches to better relationship building.

I was given this book right before vacation last spring. Now, I NEVER do heavy reading on vacation, but I picked this book up and just couldn't put it down. Then months later I was talking to Andy Stoner, our regional pastor, and a professional counselor, and this book came up in our conversation. He had used this text extensively, and I ask if he could come do some teaching for us based on the book.

So the agenda is this: Andy will preach a sermon on November 7, during our morning worship, than an extended teaching the same evening at 6:30 pm.  On Monday the 8th there will be another teaching at 6:30 pm.  This event is totally free and all are welcome.  I hope many of you will take advantage of these powerful equipping events, and encourage others to do the same.

 

 

Why Now?

By this printing I will have finished up my vision mini-series. SMC, the place to be ... I hope you can all say it ... S.A.V.E.D.! This vision has fueled and focused my ministry and the many ministries here at SMC. I believe it's a simple way to remember what we are about. The problem is, it's easy to forget most anything over time. "mission drift" or "vision leaks" are common catch phrases to describe what happens in organizations over time, unless the vision is refreshed from time to time. Hopefully, sharing stories and scripture of Salvation, Adventure, Volunteering, Equipping, & Discipling, have served as a vivid reminder of why we have these focal points.

But even more so, I bring these messages because of the time. Over the next 18 months, SMC will discern if I'm to continue for another three years here as the lead pastor. This is nothing new.

We discerned after my first three, another three years was in order. Now it's time to prayerfully seek God's will again. The voice of the congregation will probably be heard through meetings, survey or other methods.  Then a ballot will be used to determine the level of affirmation. The constitutional guidelines for calling a pastor are very clear, and I've deeply appreciated the yes/no call I've received the past 2 ballots (over 75% yes, under 25% no, without the political numbers game- I can explain it if you want to know).

I can tell you honestly, these have been the fastest, most satisfying four
and a half years of my life. I've been challenged and comforted in ways I could never have imagined in this season of ministry with you as my church family. I've learned to love the lead pastorate with all its joys and sorrows. God continues to flood me with visions of the future ministry here at SMC.

I would simply ask each of you to ask God if SMC is the place for me to be your pastor. And If it is, that He would continue to bind us together as we continue to grow His kingdom bigger and stronger here at SMC.

 

 

Why I Spy

One of the stranger things I do as a pastor is spying on other churches.  As your 3/4 time minister, I've been given the liberty to have one Sunday a month off. And so on many of those Sundays I go undercover. I
pop into area churches and see what the Lord is doing. It has been a very good experience, and you should know why. I believe it's a good practice for you, me and SMC.

It's good for SMC to function without me periodically. SMC was here before me, Lord willing, SMC will remain long after I'm gone. I also fear preacher fatigue. Hearing the same guy (even though I try to keep
you wondering what's next) every Sunday can get dull. I have a certain style, as all preachers do, that I preach. Why not hear a different style from time to time? Also, there is a vast number of excellent preachers
out there, that we can experience live or via video, and SMC benefits from this variety of Biblical voices.

Spying is good for me for oodles of reasons. One is that I become a visitor again. I believe it's important to remember what it's like to enter a church knowing no one, being unfamiliar and even a little afraid. You see God (and his people) in a totally different light. That light illu-
minates two primary things.

First those things I love about SMC: I love sitting with my wife and kids. This isn't the practice at some churches I've visited. I love our variety and passion for music. Some churches have only one dominant
style and leader. I love our bulletins-just look at those from other churches. I love our sermon outlines-most churches have none.  Spying has only enhanced my love for SMC.

Secondly, it lets me see the good in other churches, not only in how and where they worship, but who they are. Fairlawn has an incredible cafe. Living Water has an excellent children's area. The Naz has a spectacular worship space.
But even more so, I have been totally inspired by the preachers and the people in these churches
who love Jesus and are reaching out to the world.

Spying could be good for you too. It's easy to get comfortable at worship, to think our way is the only way, or even take for granted the good stuff that goes on here. Stepping out of SMC for a Sunday or two can give you a real sense of what you value about SMC. It also gives you, like me, a chance to be a visitor and then to be a little more sensitive to and ready to welcome visitors who come to SMC.

Don't be confused. I'm not advocating church hopping/shopping (you'll notice I don't go every
month). Being at SMC every Sunday is a wonderful witness and discipline that I wouldn't want to
devalue. At the same time, strategically and intentionally visiting other churches two or three
times a year could be a great benefit in deepening your appreciation for SMC, and gleaning ideas
that could make SMC an even better place to be.  Do YOU want to go spy? Here is a little check list
for your mission (it won't self-destruct after you read it).

 

1.How was I received when I arrived?

2.What was the music like?

3.How long was the sermon & what did I learn?

4.What was done better or differently that we do at SMC?

5.What happened after the service, and how was I released?

 

I'm very interested in the answers to these questions, so when you spy, bring them by the pastor's desk.

 

 

WHAT GREAT PROBLEMS TO HAVE

 

I've always wondered what it would be like to have a growing church. I knew the problems of churches in decline, and the bottom line is, there are just less people around as the years go by- and that is a serious problem for a lot of churches. Here at SMC we've tracked steady growth in our Sunday morning worship. Attendance in 2005 was 132 on the average. As of the last Sunday in 2009, our average atten­dance was 183. My hope has been, is, and always will be that we will grow in 3 distinct areas: SPIRITUALLY (with God), RELATIONALL Y (with each other), and NUMERICALLY (through outreach). I hope we can always balance these areas of growth, understanding that numeric growth supports the other two. To sustain numeric growth, my vision is simple. If you know someone that needs Jesus and a church fam­ily, there must always be a place for them at SMC. Until every friend or family member--every neighbor and co-worker-- every per­son you meet by divine appointment that needs God, knows God--SMC must be open to receive them.

I see there are 2 primary reasons for our numeric growth of the past 4 years. First, God has ordained a season of growth. Second, you as a congregation have continued to reach out, inviting & welcoming people into SMC. I hope this never stops, but there will be wonderful chal­lenges along the way. I bring these challenges to you for your prayerful consideration, knowing that God means them to be opportunities if we faithfully follow His direction.

The first is Sunday school space for our children. There are classes on overload. This is not a future concern-- this is a now issue. How will we address the lack of space for children's classes? Reshuffle, build; mobile units-- we need creative, caring ideas to be proposed on paper & processed prayerfully. I have already been in con­versation with our Sunday School Superintendents about some ideas & I'd like to hear yours, too.

The second is Sunday worship space. At 183, we are only beginning to stretch. Our record attendance for 2009 was 262- that's full- and I love full! The problem is, full can cause friction. As we, God willing, continue to fill, several practices will need to be abandoned. The 'that's our pew' concept won't work anymore. Eventually someone will sit in 'your pew' and you may need to find a new pew that's for you (at least 'til next Sunday as long as you get there first).

Another practice is 'the back is the best'. On any given Sunday, the east back half of the sanctu­ary is packed. I'm not sure if there's free cookies back there or what, but may I suggest a move to the wide open spaces of front west. Go west young men (and women)! This all sounds a little silly, but it's really not. To continue to provide space for oth­ers, we'll need to utilize the less popular/populated pews. I believe we can comfortably seat 200 (and uncomfortably seat 250).

Will we ever hit these numbers? Only God knows- but I hope we can dream and discern ideas about how we can keep our worship times open and accessible to all the people God calls us to in­vite to SMC. Filling up our empty spaces is one idea to help use our space more effectively- what are your ideas? Two services, build, satellite lo­cations? Calling all brainstormers--bring your Sun­day School and worship space ideas to the pastors desk so we can dream and discern together.

 

 

 

The Devil's Plan for Your Dating Relationship

 

Several years ago I read C. S. Lewis' little book called Screw Tape Letters. It's a story that is about demons conversing about how they plan and do mess up people's lives.

We always hear in Christian circles, "God has a plan for your life", and I believe that, but did you know the devil does too? In fact, I believe the devil has a plan specifically for your dating relationship. Ironically, it seems it's the same for everybody. I've seen this plan played out time and time again. There is no doubt in my mind the primary target of Satanic attack is Christian marriages-but the attack begins long before the wedding rings go on. The devil has a plan for your dating relationship and here it is, in step by step fashion (just in time for Valentine's):

 

STEP ONE: Move fast. Lust, uh, no, I mean love is like all the love songs say. You just fall in it-fast-don't bother to talk to your family and especially not your pastor about who you're dating. Just jump in! Accelerating the physical part is extremely important -in fact, that's all that matters and you know that's where all the fun is. Just watch the movies. It's vitally important that you find out if you are sexually compatible. You don't want to wonder about that. Remember, the best part of moving fast is that as quick as you fall in love you can fall out, and that's a great pattern to get into. Jump in and out of as many relationships as you can, starting as early as possible. 5th or 6th grade is normal, that way 5'ou'll be able to bring that practice into your mar­riages and it will be easy to continue. Speed is of the essence.

 

STEP TWO: Isolate yourselves. Spend as much time as possible alone. The two of you are all that matters. Double dates, group activities and espe­cially anything church-related is just a waste of time. If you must be around others, hang out with your unbelieving, non-Christian friends-they'll understand and try to give you all the privacy you need. Privacy is the big issue. Don't be open or accountable to anyone about anything-it's your relationship and your relationship doesn't need anybody else involved. The person you date is all you need. They will fulfill all your desires,. Other friends and family just get in the way. Isolating yourselves in your dating relationship is a fantastic pattern you'll carry right into marriage, because you know once you're married you'll never be lonely again!

 

STEP THREE: Stop thinking. Lust, oops, sorry again, LOVE is a feeling. An emotion. A flame that burns hot and fast-don't question it. Asking questions really messes up a good hot date. Are you a Christian? What are your boundaries for a relationship? What was your parents' relationship like? Can we pray together? Where do you see yourself going in the next 1, 3, 10 years, and what do you see yourself doing? What are your dreams for the future? Whoa! You're going to do irreparable damage to your relationship if you do stuff like that. DON'T THINK-JUST DO IT! Con­versation is sooo overrated. Communication is not important-you'll find that out AFTER you're married. Secrets are fun-you'll see! Skip pre­marital and especially pre-engagement counsel­ing. It's all talk anyway.

 

STEP FOUR: Jesus who? If you get the first three steps down you won't need to worry about this one, but just in case your family, mentor or even that nosey pastor of yours questions your loyalty to the so-called relationship you have with Jesus, let your actions speak-when it's time to get married, you'll come to church and for an hour you'll want Jesus there. He'll be invited to the wedding, but why make Him more than He is. Af­ter all, the most important relationship is standing right by your side, and you'll love each other forever   Uhhh did he just say 'till death do we part?

 

 

 

Dangerous Messages

 

A few months ago one of our college students, Brandi Amstutz, called me bubbling with excitement. She told me about a series of messages given at the church she attends while at school. The series, by Dave Ramsey, was one she felt SMC simply must see. I was wowed, be­cause I didn't even know Dave Ramsey (famous Christian financial guru and talk show host) even did sermons, and by the fact that a church could get him to come preach. Then Brandi told me that the messages came via video, and that they were actually out on the web -FORFREE.

Now I was a little cynical, and thought, "Okay, what's the catch, the quality?" Brandi said I should just go to lifechurch.tv and watch them. I'm always up for a good sermon, so I went thinking, "I'll pre­view this for small group/Sunday school use." I still had big ques­tions about the "sermonability" of it all, so I decided to watch 5 minutes of each message and go from there. I started the first message and was totally hooked.

An hour and a half later I realized these were messages SMC simply must see. Each one is roughly 30 minutes, and Dave masterfully preaches messages of Biblical truth, not only in regards to the stew­ardship of our finances, but of our very lives. He speaks powerfully to the satanic strongholds of our "me" and "more" culture, with a mix of humor and seriousness that is rare for any topic of this magnitude, but marvelously effective.

Please understand these messages are dangerous. Satan considers these to be dangerous messages because he doesn't want God's people to be free in any way-especially financially.  I began to process this with the Worship Com­mittee and the elders, and Lord willing, I plan to bring these messages to SMC in April.

Not everyone is thrilled that they are coming. Maybe it's because they are videos, or perhaps it's because their message has to do with money- an extremely controversial topic. People often don't like different ways of doing things; it pushes them out of their comfort zones. Pastors are often criticized for innovat­ing.

A current example is the Beattitudemobile. Tons of people have enjoyed it and encour­aged me to keep being creative, but others have been less encouraging. Recently there was a letter to the editor of a newspaper where an article about our current sermon series was printed. The writers were offended that some­one would put the front of a car in a church.

I often smile when 1 look down at the brass plate bolted to the base of the pulpit with Wil­liam G. Detweiler's name on it. I never knew the man who was the first pastor of this con­gregation, but I heard about him. I have heard mostly good, but he too was criticized. Preaching on the radio, flying in airplanes, what was he thinking? I'll tell you what he was thinking. "I will use every means, method and media to bring the Word of God to His people.

Whether through controversial or conven­tional methods, 1 am committed too, to bring­ing the actual message of financial freedom through Jesus. Life stewardship is something you will be hearing more about in the future, not less. So while I'm on vacation April 11 & 18, and when I'm back on the 25th, Brother Ramsey will bring us the Word. 1 believe this will be a transformative series which God will use here at SMC and beyond.