Fat or Fit?

You have just got to read this post from Anna Meadows which appeared on Swerve from LifeChurch.tv.

Are you a consumer or contributor in God's kingdom?

Can I do this every week?

Our building at MKCC is very much a multi use building. Our main hall is used each Sunday for our church service but during the week it takes on many guises. Nursery, children's clubs, meetings etc etc. So at the end of each Sunday we put away all the seats.

I was helping and this lady came up and started helping as well. She lifted and stacked the chairs as well as moving the stacks. Once we had finished she came up and asked me "Could I do this every week? I get so much and I just want to give something back to say thank you."

What a great attitude. I nearly cried. I just loved her heart of gratitude. Makes a change from the little quips you hear sometimes: "I am not being fed" Thank goodness the heart of gratitude shouts loud.

I am grateful for an unbelievable wife.
I am grateful for my kids.
I am grateful for some incredible friends.
I am grateful that I get to do a job I love.
I am grateful for all the members of MKCC that give so much of their time, talent and treasure.
I am grateful that Jesus stepped into my life.

Hey its a wonderful life.

What are you grateful for.

Friends to die for

Last night I visited Blockbuster to get a couple of DVDs for the kids. Whilst there I decided to get one for Nicola & I to watch. After considering numerous titles that I am sure Nicola would have been quite interested in I choose one I was certain she would enjoy! - a war film. "Flags of our Fathers"

Telling the story behind the famous American war monument of Marines planting a flag in Iwo Jima. Although a very enlightening if somewhat sad story I found Clint Eastwood's depiction a little confusing and mundane.

However one little quote really hit me right at the end.

"Soldiers will fight for their country but they will die for their friends."

This would have to be a very special friendship. Probably the word friend has lost some of its meaning. We call people our friends so quickly. A quick look at the number of friends we can generate on Facebook can tell you that.

What I do know and am forever grateful for is that Jesus choose to die for his enemies so that we could become his friends - me included!

Unleash 2008

Myself and our Senior Pastor, Mark, have just signed up to go to the Unleash 2008 conference at NewSpring Church in March.

I can not remember how I first came in contact with NewSpring, probably through reading a blog, but it has made a great impact on me without ever visiting there. In fact in someways you do not have to visit. Many of the staff are readily available through their blogs:

Perry Noble
Tony Morgan
Lee McDerment
Pudge Huckaby

To name a few. They also podcast their sermons and also GIVE AWAY their material - graphics, videos etc etc.

Mark and I are going to use the time to see first hand what God is doing there and try to hook up with a few other churches we have become familiar with through blog world. The first being Ridgestone Church. Some of their staff have very kindly agreed to meet with us.

We are keen to learn all we can in building an incredible grace filled church that reaches people that NEED Jesus. I am sure that this conference and these churches will help us grow.