Next Steps...

Here we are...roughly 9 1/2 months old...and we've come a long way. You know it's really amazing to see what can happen when you follow what God calls you to do...regardless of what others tell you. I'm so glad we answered the call that God laid on my heart to start Lifepoint Church.

I spent a good bit of time today just thinking a little bit about what we've seen happen. There are way to many cool things to list...but here's a few that stick out in my mind:

1. Moved to Savannah.
2. Connected with and hired Blake (worship).
3. Landed a facility.
4. Secured children's director / pastor (Jenna).
5. Built small core team (25 including kids).
6. Got "church in a box" - 24ft trailer with all of our equipment.
7. Rocked first service on September 9th, 2007 - over 125 in attendance!
8. Grew the church all the way down to about 60 in mid November 2007 (LOL - easy to laugh at now...it wasn't then).
9. Averaged over 100 since January 2008.
10. 2 membership classes (roughly 30 adult members as of May 2008).
11. Hired student pastor (Johnny).
12. Took first ever Lifepoint missions trip (Mexico - June 2008).
13. First ever water baptisms (July 12th).
14. ???


So...what's next?
Well, we're going to pursue purchasing land. I thought we had land...it turns out we don't. But everything is good and we'll continue searching. I'm eager to see what God has in store for us.

I really can't wait to see what God does next.

Hope to see you Sunday.

Creating Margin...

"I just spent a lot of money, but guess how much I saved you?" - sounds like something my wife might say...but for the first time in my life...I find myself saying a phrase similar to that. "I just got a new car and I'm saving us a ton of money!" It's true!

We finished a great teaching series a few weeks ago called "How To Be Rich"...not how to get rich...but how to BE rich in a way that pleases and honors God. The series was full of tons of practical thoughts and applications...that we all need to hear...including myself. It was one of those teaching series where I personally walked away going "man, I gotta change somethings myself."

One of the thoughts / applications from the teaching was that we consume EVERYTHING God has given us...we spend everything we make. We have no margin...and when we have no margin we can't tithe or give generously...when people don't tithe or give generously, the church suffers...when the church suffers, the church can't do all that it's been called to do. Having financial barriers and constraints in your personal finances is no different from what the church experiences. Lifepoint Church, like many churches, has plans and visions to reach people (locally and globally)...which takes finances.

Anyways...back to creating margin. In our household we had very little margin...after tithe and our normal bills. I wanted more margin to be able to relieve the financial pressures at home and to be able to give more generously. So I got a new car. I sold my 2003 Acura (which I loved) and we're getting rid of our van next month...downsizing from 2 vehicles to 1...and lowering our insurance. So back to one of my opening statements - "I just got a new car and I'm saving us a ton of money!" Overall...I'm saving us roughly $350 a month. That's creating margin!

Hope to see you Sunday.