Superbowl!!

Great game. Sad score.

Project 26 and Local Media Coverage...

Friends,

Wanted to let you know that Project 26 has been getting a lot of coverage on the local news. Here are one of the videos from CW33 last night.

Enjoy!


http://www.the33tv.com/pages/content_landing_page/?Project-26-Concert-Rock-The-Wells=1&blockID=197206&feedID=460

Promo Video for "Rock The Wells"

Project 26: Clean Water for Africans

(photo courtesy - Esther Havens and Wishing Wells Africa)

Nearly 26,000 children under the age of 5 die everyday, one of the leading factors is lack of access to clean water. Because of this stark truth, some of my friends from Koine and elsewhere began the local initiative: Project 26. Project 26's goal is to raise money provide clean drinking water for the people of Somaliland. If you are in Dallas/Fort Worth, then they would love for you to come out and support this effort on January 29th @ 8pm at The House of Blues to attend Rock the Wells. I have checked in on the progress of the team, and I am forever amazed by their diligence and ingenuity. The concert will be a blast with local musicians like SLEEPERSTAR and Wax Poetics. If you can't be there but would love to donate to this incredible effort, a link has been provided below. To RSVP and find out more about the project, the Facebook invite page link is provided also below.

RSVP for Benefit Concert:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=49156525694&ref=ts

Link to give online:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/fundraising_pledges/32239?m=783e3fc7

To visit their site:
www.project26dallas.com

New Year's Eve In The Country...

 

New Year's Eve was low key for the Church on Swiss. But some of our guys got together, and went to Matt Bridgman's house for New Year's in the country. Jenny and I were visiting relatives - pretty bummed we missed the party.

A Church on Swiss Thanksgiving

Monthly Worship in the Park

WORSHIP IN THE PARK

There is something great about worshiping God out in the open. This is our second worship in the park, and I wonder how we can worship anywhere else (as long as it stays a nice 67). Nothing like singing "Mighty to Save", under the whispering breeze. Here is a little window into our worship.

A little Ultimate Frisbee before worship...

...Must eat before worship

...Macon gears up for worship.

IT WAS A POWERFUL NIGHT.

I wonder...

I wonder if Exall Park is our place of worship for the near future? At least for the next couple of months. We have enjoyed meeting out there the last couple of months. Today, I met with Parks and Rec services. He was open to the idea of using their facilities. We can use the park for worship, and facilities for childcare for the short term (he explained that "public worship" would become awkward once we got too big, which is fair).

Hmm...

The idea is exciting, to say the least. Worship outdoors. Place for childcare. Place to hang out afterward. And, its in the community. I love that part. We are not squirreled away, hidden. (not that we are to ride on the back of a truck with a big megaphone either. Rather, we are simply with our broader community). Challenges to say the least. Is the challenge for us to face? Where is the Spirit leading?

THE SPIRIT

If any of you have lead in ministry, you know that at times, you are so focused on ministry, that you forget the most important influence, the Spirit of God. The Church exists only on the mighty power of God's Spirit sweeping through, and raising up His people. 8 weeks in, I have realized that we must open the doors wide for the Spirit of God, or we are nothing more than a social club.

God has pressed on my heart for me and the church. We need to seek the Spirit, without apprehension. Either we are a Church, built on the power of the Spirit, or we are not.
Keep us in your prayers.

YET A TIME IS COMING AND HAS NOW COME WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, FOR THEY ARE THE KIND OF WORSHIPERS THE FATHER SEEKS. GOD IS SPIRIT, AND HIS WORSHIPERS MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.

– JOHN 4:23-24

Masquerade Party - Project 26

I was able to snag a couple of pics from our Benefit Party.

Macon @ Crooked Tree

Steve and Mike Wade

Of course, Emma takes center stage.

Kevin enjoying a personal ballad Macon wrote just for him: "Poision Honey" (not really for me, but I still enjoyed it).

Curry Chicken and Psychology...

Last night was our monthly dinner. Melody cooked a great curry chicken dish! The best part about these dinners are all the new friends I get to meet. As seems to be the case, we like to invite our friends to our monthly dinner.

Then, we played the mind-boggling game, "Psychology". And when I say mind boggling, what I mean is that I was confused and it took at least two rounds to even understand the rules. (Sorry it was a little blurry. Even my camera was confused)

Of course, we ended the night with a fashion show. Having slipped on her mom's shoes, Emma decided that she is a runway model, and our dilapidated, stained rug, the catwalk.

Thanks for hanging with us everyone! Great to meet new friends and see some old ones.

Kingdom Come...

If our group is to learn what it means for us to be the church, then our first priority is to understand the person of Jesus, and the implication that has for us. Therefore, we are doing a series this month called simply, "The Messiah". What have you discovered about the identity of Christ?