District Council Trip

Fort Wayne First Assembly

Driving into the parking lot

3 Crosses, fountain and pond!

Flags of the nations

Covered walkway

Beautiful landscaping

Coffee Cafe

Ugly Mug coffee

Worship service

2,000 seat auditorium

Dr. Wood preaching

Ordination Service

Took a trip to Fort Wayne last week for our District Council meetings.

District Council is our annual ministers meeting set aside for business, services, a missions banquet and ordination. This year our speaker was Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. His pulpit ministry was powerfully anointed for all that attended.

The host church, Fort Wayne First Assembly of God, was an amazing facility. It was an expansive facility that had space for children, daycare, youth, coffee cafe, bookstore, gym, offices and a large spacious sanctuary. The church was right off a major street and also had three large crosses with a water fountain as well. The brief story on acquiring this new facility was given in one of the services. We were told that Fort Wayne First Assembly was able to purchase this entire complex for only $3 million dollars. The neat part to this miracle was that the building was worth $20 million dollars. Now that's what God will do when you place missions as a high priority in your church. Fort Wayne First Assembly is one of the leading missions giving churches in our district!

There were 19 ministry candidates on Ordination Night. What a sight to behold as the laying on of hands was extended to all of these ministers receiving ordination credentials. It was a much larger group than we've had in years past. It was greatly encouraging to witness this addition to our ministry ranks!

I attended the Missions Banquet which featured almost 25 of our World and US missionaries. Our church was recognized for our support of missions giving both in World Missions giving, as well as giving to Speed-the-Light too. Had the wonderful chance to connect with many of our precious missionaries and visit with them. Indiana has a great group of awesome missionaries!

Good to be back home. Missed my lovely wife who had to work at her job, plus all my growing children. Each one is growing up so fast.

Dedication Day on our Church Rebuild is coming soon: JUNE 7TH! Let me invite you to come and join us if you live anywhere within 3 or 4 hours of Columbus, Indiana. You won't forget this very special day!

We are still believing for a DEBT FREE MIRACLE. The need is great, but we have a GREAT BIG GOD. Don't forget you can donate on our church website: www.columbusfirstassembly.org

Much love to all!

Mother's Day Weekend

Last weekend was packed and awesome!

It started out with our Mother & Daughter Banquet on Friday night. A large group of ladies and girls came out for this special night. In fact, they had Mike and I serving from behind the food tables. Later, we were helping to clean up and put things away in our new kitchen. All the ladies were encouraged by this ministry event.

Then on Saturday morning a group of men met for our Men's Breakfast. It was another great time of fellowship and ministry among the men of our church. Good food and a great devotional!

After the breakfast we divided and conquered the list of work items prepared for our Spring Work Day. A group started with the mulch to be spread outside the church building and in our landscaping beds. Plus the digging of a natural edge separated the mulch from all the green grass. Another group emptied out our storage container that stored a ton of storage after construction began on our flood rebuilding project. Another group removed the stumps from old bushes out on the edge of our property. Others worked on individual projects inside the church. It was a successful and needed work day! Thanks to everyone who pitched in that day.

On Monday the SAM's storage container was finally picked up...after about 7 or 8 months of use. It feels great to have that container and our trailer removed now from off of 10th Street! We can now see the church.

Mother's Day is always special. Family members join in attendance to honor their mom. We had several special gifts to give away. The featured speaker for this service was my lovely wife Tammy. She always does a fantastic job but the Lord really used her in a great way to minister this year. I've had so many people tell me this message really touched their heart. They were impacted by the theme. They were blessed by the challenge from God's Word. Thanks babe for your willingness to speak for me! God used you in a definite way.

Most of the work on our rebuild is now complete...but still not the carpet. We still do not have this part of the project finished; however, we wait for the word that this will be a go real soon. We have only a little over 3 weeks to go before Dedication Day. The pressure is on...

Gonna enjoy my day off today. Everyone needs a little relaxation and rest.

Let me hear from you...post a little note below.

Love to all!

Driving on toward June 7th...

Disconnect box for the oven...

Running the wire through the mechanical room...

...wires ready to make a 45 degree turn...

One word...DONE!

The answer is in on the commercial refrigerator door (read last post if you haven't been keeping up!).

Our service tech guy arrived this past week and opened up the third refrigerator door shipped to us. Would you believe...can you really imagine...so what do you think happened with this third door? OK...enough for the drama and suspense! The 3rd time was the charm...it was free of dents and it was installed. What a nice feeling to have the long claim ticket project checked off my never-ending check list!

It seems like this check list just keeps dragging on and on and on and on! So many details have been discovered since moving back in, and jotted down and passed on to either the contractor or the installer responsible for parts of the rebuild.

One other item that we were working on is now completely checked off my to-do-list too. The new commercial 6-burner oven that we purchased required more than the 50 amps that we had initially serviced (for the small residential unit). Since we were just about maxed out of the 200 amp panel in the basement, the next available option was to run a line from the main panel on the east side of our building...some 150 to 200 feet away! This required some major work...up and over one part of the building...down into the church courtyard area...down into the mechanical room...and up into the church kitchen. One word gives me great joy...DONE!

I'm sure you're wondering about the next never-ending project on my list...the carpet! Still no definitive word on when the remainder of the install job will be completed, but you can be assured that I've been ringing their phone off the hook! Pray with me that we will conclude this difficult situation by the end of the month.

Last night, or should I say early this morning (12:01 am), I participated in the Bible Reading Marathon on the steps of City Hall. Every year our community sponsors this marathon which provides God's Word being read constantly over our community. My assignment...Luke 14 to 16.

This weekend is Mother's Day. We have several events that our church is sponsoring. Let me invite you to worship together as a family with your mother this week. Let the children rise up and call her "blessed."

Let me send a SHOUT OUT to my mom. She lives in Missouri and is the mother of 5 children. All five are involved in Christian ministry in one facet or another. My older brother and I serve as Senior Pastors. My younger brother is a youth pastor. My older sister plays piano in her church. My next sister is married to the president of American Indian College in Arizona. Each one of us have been mentored to love and serve people. We have watched our parents lead in pastoral ministry for decades. We have been blessed by their faithfulness and steadfast commitment. Mom, here's to you this Mother's Day. Thank you for your sterling Christian example. Thank you for your exemplary witness. Thank you for your never wavering dedication to training us up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Thank you for all the little blessings over the years. Thank you for the major sacrifices made so that we could experience life more fully. I love you and thank my God for you!!

Keep this date before you: JUNE 7TH, 2009. That is the date we will dedicate our church from the complete rebuilding project from the Flood of 2008 aftermath. Mark it down. Let me invite you to attend this momentous occasion. It will be a one of a kind event.

We remain committed to praying for a DEBT FREE MIRACLE either on or before Dedication Day. God is a God of miracles and can use "whosoever will" for His glory and honor. I wonder how God will perform the answer to our prayers. Don't need to know all the details. It just requires that faith is active and present in Almighty God (Heb.11:6). Visit our church website to make a valued donation: www.columbusfirstassembly.org

Love to all.