David Crosby Jr. is to say the least an amazing man of God. I mean i could sit here and critique some of the things he says or does, but im not going to. David has a legacy in the PennDel district and it's under his father that he worked under for a couple of years as a youth pastor. He did not even have a degree for ministry, soon after doing ministry with his father David went to semiary. Then he did some overseas work, David called it "humanitarian missions work". this is what he did for a think he said two years, but then David said " sometimes you gotta be out of something to realize what you should be into." I can't tell you how really true that is. What David was talking about here, was that he was doing missions work, but finally was able to see that he was called back to the church, and specifically church planting.
This is the part of David's story that touched me the most. He and his wife felt called to plant a church in Hershey PA. Everything seemed to be going along great. They had the blessing, but there was just something there that was holding them back. One day and im not really sure of what went exactly on here, but they ended up meeting up with some men in the district in Jersey somewhere and him and his wife ended up spending the weekend there, just praying and seeking god's direction. Then they went back to hershey to drive around somemore and ended back at his parents house. His grandfather told him to go back up to the pocono and plant a church where dave and his wife were from. where david grew up and worked under his dad in minsitry in that area. His wife, though didn't want to go back to the pocono and she was so upset. she was like 8 months pregnant and she was so emotional and ran out the room crying. after a while of crying she stopped and said "i wont get in the way of what God wants to do, but if he wants to do this I won't stop him. That is where David had tears in his eyes telling us, make sure you marry the right person, because if not, some wives might not have taken out that step in faith. they would have missed all the lives that have been saved since they moved to the pocono, they would have missed all the relationships they build, all the minsitry oppertunities to change people's lives. they would have missed this all if she would have said no!
"you have to operate under the authorities that God has placed in your life." David said this because he knew he wouldn't go back to the pocono's without the concent of the district and the pastors of the churches in that area. When he got all okays from them, he knew it was God's way of telling him to go there.
the very first service they had 52 people showed up! That's amazing! Their desire was for the generation of the young twenties and those who might not have grown up in church. This is where David really just impacted me. He pulled mentors into his life, he read books upon books, he found out what the biggest needs in the area were and tried to reach out in practical ways. He has all these little outreaches going on doing amazing things for God, giving God glory. And i am just amazed how he describes what they set up every sunday morning in a highschool! It makes me want to go to his church! He is a hardcore believer in discipleship and i have to totally agree. I loved how he explained to the class how he plans to grow as a leader,pastor, father, husband,friend and everything in between. He's organized, that's really it, i love organization, but sometimes i feel im so unorganized. All in all i think after all the guys we've had come and talk already and i've gotten something from them all, but this guy, so far, has impacted me the most. He has wisdom and he is a great leader, yet he is humble and human, his heart is for the lost and he'll go to any extent to reach them!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
New Believer #1
The girl that i interviewed for this one, i have only known a little while. So i don't have a whole big history on her. She did though tell me that she was big into partying and drinking. To what extent i am not sure of. I asked her about her journey to faith, how she got to where she is now. She's one that is against the statistics, she got saved after the age of 22, and usually most people get saved under the age of 18. So what she said was she had a very long journey to Christ. She said she lived on the "wild side" and it wasn't until someone came into her life and showed her God's love and compassion in a way that she had never experienced it before! She said she began to realize the life she was living was wrong and harmful to herself and others. I asked her if it wasn't for this friend that had shown God's love to her, if she would still have made the same choices somewhere along down the line. She said that she knew that God loved her enough to have brought someone or something into her life to show her He loved and cared for her. Isn't that amazing! I didn't know how much i would enjoy hearing this young woman's testimony, but it really is precious to see how God does care about every person out there! Praise God!
I asked her what helped her the most to step over the line and walk the christian faith. She said plain and simple that the person that God sent into her life was the greatest example of Christ that she had ever met! That's amazing, i wonder if this girl that brought her to christ knew what she was doing, that she was making such an impact on this other person's life. It makes me wonder if i've ever had an impact on someone's life like that, and if not, i better getting going, because this is just an awesome way to bring Glory to God!
After she became a christian i asked her what some of her biggest struggles were. I honestly expected her to say that she wasn't very well accepted into the church or that no one took the time to disciple her. She said though that her biggest struggle was the differences in denominations and it still is a struggle for her! Isn't that sad that sometimes we put up more of a fight over what we believe, then fighting the devil over lost souls!
The last thing i asked her was to give some advice that i could use to help others like her grow in her faith. Again a simple request that we would love unconditionally and to be genuine. Now i know there's more behind it then that, but it's got to be a huge part, so i wonder if we as christians would try just to love more and stop judging and fighting over silly things in the church that we could really be affecting lives for Jesus!
I asked her what helped her the most to step over the line and walk the christian faith. She said plain and simple that the person that God sent into her life was the greatest example of Christ that she had ever met! That's amazing, i wonder if this girl that brought her to christ knew what she was doing, that she was making such an impact on this other person's life. It makes me wonder if i've ever had an impact on someone's life like that, and if not, i better getting going, because this is just an awesome way to bring Glory to God!
After she became a christian i asked her what some of her biggest struggles were. I honestly expected her to say that she wasn't very well accepted into the church or that no one took the time to disciple her. She said though that her biggest struggle was the differences in denominations and it still is a struggle for her! Isn't that sad that sometimes we put up more of a fight over what we believe, then fighting the devil over lost souls!
The last thing i asked her was to give some advice that i could use to help others like her grow in her faith. Again a simple request that we would love unconditionally and to be genuine. Now i know there's more behind it then that, but it's got to be a huge part, so i wonder if we as christians would try just to love more and stop judging and fighting over silly things in the church that we could really be affecting lives for Jesus!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Dan Miller
My first thoughts about Dan when he first started speaking was, "He's crazy" and not much longer after i said that to myself did he say "I'm just crazy". So i knew i wasn't far off with judging him in that way. I wrote down alot of things that i liked what he said about the church. I can't believe that they have a 3 1/2 hour services at times. If we back home, don't get out of church at exactly noon people might have hissy fits. I am one of those too, especially when im at home, because that's just how it is. Not that it should be that way, it needs to change, but as of now, it's still that way. But when you're in the presence of the King of Kings and you are experiencing God in a new way or maybe not even in a new way, but just experiencing more of God. No one wants to leave, because his presence is addicting, contagious, because that is where our hearts truly are. That's where we were made for, being in God's presence. If people don't like being in the presence of God, then i don't know why they're christians, because i would think that, thats what heaven will be like.
Dan said don't think about the church, but think about expanding the kingdom by changing your community. Why is it now that i can really pick up on the things our church needs to do back home. We don't care about the people outside of the church. And when i say we, i include myself. When i go home, i do not think about the new people that might be coming in, but about all the people i have to see and talk to because im only home one week and i need to say hi to these people. Man, i kind of wish i could punch myself at those moments.
So enough about my church, because no church is perfect...right? Dan's church at the mountain started with just 15 or so people. Now if i heard right, they have over 1,500 members. Now that is amazing, well i know they're bigger churches out there, but for PA i think that's a really big church. I can so relate to Dan in the way that he's a dreamer, i am too. In fact i am a little too much at times. I love that he has this new idea for their sanctuary as a dinner theater, a cafe, a school and day care. Yes! Those are the things i used to say, "a church is sacred and that is not a place for these things to come" well my mind has changed. That attitude hasn't reached many, but this one of reaching out will. The church still is sacred, but it can be used for laughter and joy too. I love that Dan calls his church "a city on a hill" that is such a good name for them, because to me that's what it almost sounds like. And oh this center they have for working out, soccer, and many upon many other activities that are all biblically and scripturally based is amazing. I think that's a great idea! Man i totally could think like this, acutally i do think like that, I sometimes wonder if it is a gift. But Dan just says to make sure you have alot of "nuts and bolts guys" I have one of those in my life, my daddy, yes he is very much so. Very business and well money management, realistic man. But he lets me dream.
One of the last things i jotted down was when dan said when God asks you to do something think about if it will last after you die, because if it dosen't then it probably isn't a God thing, it's a you thing. Such good advice right there, i can be very self centered at times, when things don't revolve around me, i can become a very unhappy girl, so to check myself with that question is a really good tool to start using in my life.
Dan said don't think about the church, but think about expanding the kingdom by changing your community. Why is it now that i can really pick up on the things our church needs to do back home. We don't care about the people outside of the church. And when i say we, i include myself. When i go home, i do not think about the new people that might be coming in, but about all the people i have to see and talk to because im only home one week and i need to say hi to these people. Man, i kind of wish i could punch myself at those moments.
So enough about my church, because no church is perfect...right? Dan's church at the mountain started with just 15 or so people. Now if i heard right, they have over 1,500 members. Now that is amazing, well i know they're bigger churches out there, but for PA i think that's a really big church. I can so relate to Dan in the way that he's a dreamer, i am too. In fact i am a little too much at times. I love that he has this new idea for their sanctuary as a dinner theater, a cafe, a school and day care. Yes! Those are the things i used to say, "a church is sacred and that is not a place for these things to come" well my mind has changed. That attitude hasn't reached many, but this one of reaching out will. The church still is sacred, but it can be used for laughter and joy too. I love that Dan calls his church "a city on a hill" that is such a good name for them, because to me that's what it almost sounds like. And oh this center they have for working out, soccer, and many upon many other activities that are all biblically and scripturally based is amazing. I think that's a great idea! Man i totally could think like this, acutally i do think like that, I sometimes wonder if it is a gift. But Dan just says to make sure you have alot of "nuts and bolts guys" I have one of those in my life, my daddy, yes he is very much so. Very business and well money management, realistic man. But he lets me dream.
One of the last things i jotted down was when dan said when God asks you to do something think about if it will last after you die, because if it dosen't then it probably isn't a God thing, it's a you thing. Such good advice right there, i can be very self centered at times, when things don't revolve around me, i can become a very unhappy girl, so to check myself with that question is a really good tool to start using in my life.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Unchurched Friend # 1
The girl that I interviewed I’ve known pretty much all my life. Her and I at one point were really close friends. Now we’ve drifted and I think I might see her once or twice a year. She was the girl who would spends hours up at the altar at camps praying for her lost friends and to be filled with the gift of speaking in tongues. She went to every youth event, was in every play, every choir activity, everything, her and her older brother.
Somewhere along the way things went down hill, probably about five years ago.
Her older brother came “out” saying he was gay his freshman year in college. That ripped their family to shreds and they left the church. People in our church did not know how to handle it, and if they tried, it probably didn’t help their family. There were many other reasons why her parents left the church some are still unknown today. That was when my friend started changing. It was a fast change, jumped right our of church and into the group of friends who hated “Christians” because anybody who was a Christian was judgmental and rude and mean.
All of this to say I wanted to interview her, to see where her hurts might still really be, and maybe if I asked the right questions, it just might bring her back to thinking about why she left in the first place. Did she leave because her parents left? Because of how the church judged her brother before we even got the facts straight? Or was it because she was just tempted way beyond the point of coming back again?
I obviously did not ask her those questions not with the relationship we have right now. I did however find that she is extremely hurt by the church. Not like that’s big news I think most people who did go to church once and now don’t were hurt by the church. That is so sad, because to me I think if church is all you have then you really haven’t learned the point of church is way beyond all the activities we do, all the sermons, all the worship songs, it’s about you and God. Getting to know Jesus and then using that knowledge to reach out to others.
Her first answer about what the needs were in her area was for people to be who they are and not judge others or worry about being judged. Now that to me sounds like she’s saying her needs not everyone in her communities needs. I asked her what topics interested her the most and she said that depression, psychology and other religions interested her the most. I can understand her interest in different religions, because the way we were raised, we were never supposed to even ask questions about our faith. I asked her why she thought most people don’t go to church and she said because she didn’t think most people want to go by themselves. This is very true, but when someone invites you, you don’t have that excuse anymore. Her other reason was that people were too busy. I heard someone say the other day that in our world today saying yeah my life is busy technically means we’re doing good, but in actuality it means we’re just poor managers of our time! The next two questions I asked her, her responses were almost the same, not push religion on other and don’t judge people.
I am just going to keep loving on my friend here, try and catch up with her while im home and grab something to eat and just talk with her. I don’t want to push religion on her, but just to hang out and love on her and let her see Jesus’s love in me!
Somewhere along the way things went down hill, probably about five years ago.
Her older brother came “out” saying he was gay his freshman year in college. That ripped their family to shreds and they left the church. People in our church did not know how to handle it, and if they tried, it probably didn’t help their family. There were many other reasons why her parents left the church some are still unknown today. That was when my friend started changing. It was a fast change, jumped right our of church and into the group of friends who hated “Christians” because anybody who was a Christian was judgmental and rude and mean.
All of this to say I wanted to interview her, to see where her hurts might still really be, and maybe if I asked the right questions, it just might bring her back to thinking about why she left in the first place. Did she leave because her parents left? Because of how the church judged her brother before we even got the facts straight? Or was it because she was just tempted way beyond the point of coming back again?
I obviously did not ask her those questions not with the relationship we have right now. I did however find that she is extremely hurt by the church. Not like that’s big news I think most people who did go to church once and now don’t were hurt by the church. That is so sad, because to me I think if church is all you have then you really haven’t learned the point of church is way beyond all the activities we do, all the sermons, all the worship songs, it’s about you and God. Getting to know Jesus and then using that knowledge to reach out to others.
Her first answer about what the needs were in her area was for people to be who they are and not judge others or worry about being judged. Now that to me sounds like she’s saying her needs not everyone in her communities needs. I asked her what topics interested her the most and she said that depression, psychology and other religions interested her the most. I can understand her interest in different religions, because the way we were raised, we were never supposed to even ask questions about our faith. I asked her why she thought most people don’t go to church and she said because she didn’t think most people want to go by themselves. This is very true, but when someone invites you, you don’t have that excuse anymore. Her other reason was that people were too busy. I heard someone say the other day that in our world today saying yeah my life is busy technically means we’re doing good, but in actuality it means we’re just poor managers of our time! The next two questions I asked her, her responses were almost the same, not push religion on other and don’t judge people.
I am just going to keep loving on my friend here, try and catch up with her while im home and grab something to eat and just talk with her. I don’t want to push religion on her, but just to hang out and love on her and let her see Jesus’s love in me!
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