January is more than a marking of our planet’s voyage around the sun or a change of the calendar! At Lafayette First Assembly, we like to take the opportunity to invigorate our spiritual lives and ask God to bring change to our circumstances and our hearts. So, here are some things happening at our church in the coming month that … Read More
Us and Them
I’m working to become a person who constantly realizes it’s not just about “Us and Them”. The “Us and Them” mentality creeps in easily at church. Those who are already a part running a particular ministry or enjoy membership in a certain group or have been a part of the church for a long time can easily begin to see … Read More
Life Groups Explosion
508. That’s right! The first numbers we have on Life Groups at Lafayette First Assembly is that 508 different adults are involved in our Life Groups this fall. This is a tremendous accomplishment on the part of those who are a part of the team leading the Life Groups effort at our church. More than that, I am really excited that … Read More
STORYTELLER–October & November 2011 Series
I can’t believe it’s already October! I’m looking forward to delivering a series of life-changing messages on some of the most famous stories Jesus told. You may know one of Jesus’ primary ways of teaching was through the “parable”–an earthly story that conveys heavenly truth. These stories are rich in meaning and application. Bring someone to church with you and … Read More
Us & Them
A few weeks ago, my wife popped into a ministry here at our church and began talking to a man who had been here for a couple years. They started talking about how he and his wife had begun to volunteer in a church ministry recently. He made the comment that he felt like the church had moved away from an … Read More
Moving to the Center
If you attend First Assembly of God here in Lafayette, you probably have noticed an increase in attendance over the past several months. For those of you who are interested, here is a quick overview–our average Sunday morning attendance has seen an adult increase of 244 people on average per Sunday in 2011 over the same period in 2010! That … Read More
“Shake a Little Hand, Shake a Hand Next to Ya”
Those are the words to a pre-schoolers’ church song that I learned back in the United Methodist Church in Albany, Indiana when I was about 3 years old. I’m putting them up today because of what a woman said to me yesterday after our 9AM service at First Assembly. This lady, new to Lafayette, said she loves our church, the … Read More
What’s a Pastor Do, Anyway?
I’ve been asked the question a thousand times in a thousand different ways, from the person who knows little about church and thinks I just stand up and talk on Sundays to the person who imagines I simply pray all day long in my office, read the Bible, and have spiritual thoughts. It’s a question that deserves some exploration. You … Read More
Making Introductions
These are some thoughts about how our amazing church can become more and more effective at bringing people from the edge of our community in the core of the highly committed people who make First Assembly thrive as it does. Getting to know more people through introducing yourself to people you don’t know and through introducing them to your social … Read More
Visioneering Process Update
For the seven months, our church has been involved in a Strategic Planning Process. It started in January with a 21 day fast, involving a personal retreat I took to try to hear from God more on the issue of the overall vision, direction and plan for First Assembly. In February, the pastoral staff, the deacons and a few from … Read More