Another really cool email in a timely fashion...

I got home from our Launch Team meeting last night, felt REALLY tired...long day...

The day started well with a great Worship planning session, then a meeting with a guy who agreed to be our drummer for a while...but as the day wore on the issues came in...isn't that just the way it is?

Lots of issues to deal with...all of them level "5"...allegedly...then some good stuff, but you know how it is...the challenging seems to take more out of you, even when the good is there, too.

To end the day, I had a standoff with my 5 year old daughter and we both ended up crying and pledging to be better (okay, I'm a sap, sue me...she's got me, can't help it.)...I'm getting really sick and it won't quit, but I don't have time to quit so it will. So, all in all, it's a pretty not so great ending... I'm lucky I have people that are praying for me or I simply wouldn't be making it (I know they are, they email me that they just did, facebook me right after they do, text messages, v-mails, so that's AWESOME...it's not always necessary to pray for storms to stop, but better to pray for strength to withstand them, to learn what you need to learn through them, and grow closer to God in the process...because that's what it's for....but I digress.)

Back to the story... I'm feeling pretty much lower than a worm's belly button and I decide to check my email...yeah, when you're low you might as well go in for the kill, because usually email can be that...but I got a really cool email from someone who'd seen our flyer and was really glad we were coming to the area. That's great! Made my day!

The other side of things was that this email was PARTICULARLY important because one of the things we've had to deal with was some well-meaning person calling the church to complain about the separation of church and state and how we shouldn't be meeting in a school...didn't matter if we pay BIG money for rent just like anyone else could...because we are a church, we should be penalized for that. I also found out that a few well-meaning people had been pestering the principal, John Tuttle, at the school as well. Our Worship Minister ended up on the call with the well-meaning person and made a really good point..."sir, you make a good point, but isn't it funny that we vote at every election that's had in churches all over the country?"...guy didn't know what to do with that one...kind of took the wind out of his sail...

Anyway...you can see how God sets up stuff to keep you going and give you energy and encourage you, because this was a big email. I hope the person who sent it didn't mind, but I copied-n-pasted a really nicely put portion (minus their names and stuff) and forwarded it to John over at the school. He only gets the junk calls and emails and he needs to know as well how many people appreciate our being in the school. He's a good guy trying to do a hard, yet very important job.

And this type of thing happens all the time...so there's my "just another cool email" story...hope it helps you to. Here's to bringing Bay West Church to West Palm Bay and doing our part in obedience to join with all the other GREAT Palm Bay churches there to reach Palm Bay, Florida for Christ.

P.S. And if that wasn't encouraging enough, the next article I read was that Mark Ingram and Julio Jones (two big starters for the University of Alabama football team) were cleared to play against Va Tech on Saturday night and our starting DE, Brandon Deaderick, who was shot during an attempted mugging on Tuesday, miraculously, only sustained a flesh wound in the arm, so he won't miss his entire senior season or anything...good news all around...every little bit helps...God knows that.

Things are working...

Someone was talking with someone this last week and upon mentioning Bay West and FBC, they responded with "hey thanks for the water"...pretty cool, huh? They had gotten some of the free water we've been handing out.

Keep praying for this weekend...please, please invite friends in Palm Bay, especially if they have kids...The Family Fun Night at Palm Bay Regional Park...4-7pm will be fun!

Bay West Church is just 12 days away from launching in West Palm Bay! It's an exciting and busy time. There are a lot of people picking up the slack and I'm reminded every day of two things....1) There is a LOT of things to do 2) God really is on top of things.

Look for our first service to possibly be on the Bay West Church YouTube channel...NO GUARANTEES...but definitely possible.

Just more evidence...

God sure has been in our corner throughout this process..so many things that I've missed and He's caught and fixed without my help...one more thing. For those who were at prayer last night...the whole water thing...God has now opened the door for someone to donate 20 cases of promotional water (and pay for the shipping) for us...God is truly good.

So, LAUNCH TEAM, be ready to get to work to bring Bay West Church to West Palm Bay.

A few things:
1) Sept. 6th...BOTH morning services will be praying over us and commissioning the ENTIRE team in the morning services. If you are in town, please plan to be in both services for the commissioning if you can.
2) Sept. 6th...EVENING...Family Fun Celebration. We'll be on hand to get things done at Palm Bay Regional Park that evening...do not miss it and bring all your friends from Palm Bay. You will be getting some phone calls about helping at various things, but the primary thing is for you to attend and make sure you mill around and meet people in the area.
3) This next Wednesday, Sept.2 and next Wed. Sept. 9th - BE THERE, be there, be there... There will be training for the KIDZONE teams both nights with Jenny Goodson, who'll be doing the training and there will be some things such as putting toys together and other things (First Impressions, Media Team, etc...) that have to happen.

Also, our leaders of teams will be recruiting, so if they call you, so stay receptive and open and we can do the work that God has for us in Palm Bay, Florida,

another Thursday night...

There's some great things going on for Bay West Church...

We have us a Children's Leader...Bevan Brennan, a Melbournite and her husband Jason will be joining us in this endeavor. Katye and I had a great dinner with them tonight and feel very positive about them being part of the team.

They've been married 3 years, and they'll be coming around so look for them and get to know them...good folks. Jenny, David and I have met with them to interview them and it's a good deal. You might remember Bevan, because she was a music intern here a few years ago.

Keep praying, because I meet with a prospective Worship Leader tomorrow night AND I had an awesome lunch with a guy today who I've asked to be a part of our worship planning team...GREAT creative mind, we freakin' click....

Feeling good about stuff...met the Community Center Coordinator for the Ted Whitlock Community Center at Palm Bay Regional Park the other day...Rob Medina...GREAT guy, great guy! Talked with him about distributing some promotional water, if we donated it for his different classes and stuff and he was all for it...he's a believer and sincerely loves Jesus. Great contact....btw, thanks again to Larry and Doug for maintaining such a great rep in this area, that definitely helped out the cause here!

Another story of how God just works stuff out here...Jeff Cooke, one of the guys on the Launch Team, was at the prayer time Wednesday night (DON'T MISS THAT) and I was talking about taking water down to the Community Center next week...then I remembered...I'm in Fort Myers all next week at this mandatory training from the FBC (pray for my attitude about that, I don't like being made to go somewhere when I feel I've go so much work to do here), so I can't deliver the water when it comes on Thursday...Jeff pipes up and he's a Landscape Tech with the county in Palm Bay, lives right near the Park, has a truck and says "no prob", he knows Rob, so, done deal...water is right on schedule to be delivered. See how God works...solving problems I didn't previously even know were problems.

There's loads of stuff like this that makes me hopeful...I can't plan this stuff, it just happens. There's big stories and small stories (like just meeting up with Cliff the other day, the guy who runs the Cricket Club down at the Park and then Rob setting me up with a contact for a future community service project...HUGE! to Truth Advertising finding a string to pull to get our mailer out with a short turnaround - thanks Geoff) You just can't buy this stuff...not to mention the money that's been raised in THIS economy to make this happen....you just can't deny that God has something planned. I'm not sure what it is...maybe three of us sitting in that big school in learning about Jesus...but we'll see.

Anyway, here's to more successes in faith as we follow God to try to help bring Jesus to West Palm Bay...adding to the Palm Bay Churches.

woo hoo

LOTS TO DO! Bay West Church is on the move!

Just a few quick hits
- just recorded some spots to start airing on some cumulus radio stations in the area
- look for Facebook ads to hit soon (I'm paying per click, so if you already know about the church, doooooon't click it)
- We've got a HUUGE potluck for the Launch Team coming up on August 23rd (Sunday night) in the Fellowship Hall..EVERYONE on the Launch team needs to be there...BIG TIME.
- September 6 - Sunday night - We are having a family night at Palm Bay Regional Park to gear up for the Launch the next day...tell ALL your friends in Palm Bay. We'll have bounce houses, refreshments, (possibly) live music and it will be from 4-6pm...and it's FREE!
- I've just decided on the first series two, possibly three series that we are doing at Bay West and this should take us through the end of the year... You know me, so it's INTENSE, so be ready for it...
- we are still looking and praying about the children's leader and worship leader...we are close, but I'll let you know as soon as we do.

Things are really looking up and I'm getting the second wind to pull this thing off...so hang in there. We are really serious about being a Palm Bay Church and doing what we can to bring Christ to West Palm Bay

Wow

Things are going crazy and beginning to blow up here about West Palm Bay. Bay West Church is starting to get crazy...website...T-shirts... equipment...ESPN Radio...setup team... First Impressions team... Skate Jam at Liberty Park looking.

Woooooo...it's getting nuts here. One thing after another and things are looking great.

One small prayer request... tomorrow morning...big, big meeting and some things need to sway our way.

Worship Leader search... We are getting closer and closer. Things are looking great, continue to pray.

Children's Leader search... Getting closer here also...

Hopefully soon, I can give more news...keeping praying...pray again...now pray one more time and repeat tomorrow. :D

Community Impact & Sunday plans

Just had a great meeting with a guy about involvement in our Community Impact team. The more we go along, I realize that there has to be promotion about the start of the Bay West Campus of FBC Melbourne in Palm Bay. I'm a multi-task guy, so the more Bay West Church can do promotionally that helps the community of Palm Bay, Florida, the better. We've got to be serious about bringing Jesus to west Palm Bay.

I'm getting ready to preach this Sunday at the Melbourne Campus of First Baptist Church in the 9:15 service. I'll be talking on Moments... and how they make up our life and determine our directions... hope to see you there.

Sunday night, we have our Launch Team Meeting this Sunday night at 6:15 in the Jr. High Room. Don't miss it!