This week in part two of the “But God” series, we’ll be talking about a question all of us have at some point in our lives:  Is God actually involved in our day to day lives?  Can “But God moments” happen at work? …at home?  …in things not connected with church or religion?  Sunday we’ll find the answers to ALL of those questions in Scripture.  And, since it’s the Sunday before Valentines day, our story will include a tale of LOVE between a eligible bachelor and his cousin…and her sister…and a couple of their maids.  (Even though that may sound like an episode of Downton Abbey, it’s actually in the Bible…and of course VERY romantic.)

The Historic will be our musical guests, the newly expanded actionkidz is all “geared” up for a great day with your kids.  Also, don’t forget to drop by the merch table and pick up tickets for our Starwars Episode One 3D movie night and birthday bash!  It all starts at 10:30 am at Frank Theaters Queensgate (Directions).  Come early to enjoy a  Coffee, Maple Donuts, bagels, and Muffins with the friendly folks of actionchurch.

This week starts the first of many features of actionchurch crew members! Every week, you will have the chance to meet a new crew member and learn what awesome things they do behind the scenes here at actionchurch! Each crew member’s interview will be posted here on Thursday for your reading pleasure. So,without further ado…let me introduce you to Kate Whitecomb!

What do you do here at actionchurch?

• I work with setting up and cleaning up the sound equipment. I also set-up the big banner signs that you see as you walk into the theater.

How did you first get involved?

• I started coming here around the end of July 2011 for a few weeks, then Raphael invited me to continue attending and help out.

What is your favorite thing about actionchurch?

• The people make me feel so welcome!

What do you do outside of actionchurch?

• I am a student at Millersville University, majoring in Art.

What are your hobbies?

• Photography, graphic design, and video games.

We’ll be celebrating our 4th birthday with a 3-D showing of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. Do you have a favorite Star Wars character and why are they your favorite?

• C-3PO because he is funny.

We just finished a series where Pastor Don talked a lot about potatoes, what is your favorite way to eat potatoes?

• Mashed.

Has Josiah made you cry?

• Only silent tears.

What is the most memorable moment of Pastor Don that made you shake your head or roll your eyes?

• When he revealed his Smurf concentration camp on his Smurf Village game.

If you have any interview question suggestions for future actionchurch crew member interviews, comment below!

One of the biggest “weaknesses” we faced  from the beginning was a severe lack of time on my part to do “church business”.  From the beginning I’ve worked 40-50 hours per week as a painting contractor, came home every night to spend my evenings with my daughter and wife, and spent only a few early morning hours along with a few scattered lunch and breakfast meetings launching (and leading) actionchurch.  Clearly, that lack of time was a weakness.  Several people I respect and trust said that it was impossible to start and especially maintain a church (let alone a business and family) with that kind of schedule.  They were right.

We worked for nearly a year preparing for that first actionchurch service at Fat Daddys Nightclub on 2/10/08. We had three meetings during that whole process due to our family/work schedule. Jeff and Chrissie Compton “appeared” at the York Fair and developed the great program for kids in the upstairs disco that we still call actionkidz.  We all worked like crazy, and somehow it actually happened.   actionchurch began!   I got a sick feeling immediately after that first service when I realized that we would need to do it all again in just six days.   There simply wasn’t enough time for me do everything that needed to be done, let alone prepare another sermon. I’m not exactly sure how week two happened…How we survived…but on week two a long haired, really talented, and really sure of himself, “kid” named Josiah showed up and offered to help. He’s been my partner and helper ever since. He’s spent countless hours making actionchurch look, run, and sound like it does today.  (all while going to school, working full-time, and somehow convincing the lovely and talented Rachel to marry him…

Over the past four years, countless others have “appeared” to help Michele, Josiah, and I.  I wish I could name all the names and tell all the stories…but that would take a book and not a blog post.   actionchurch happens each week because of countless hours of work done by people with jobs, families, and busy schedules…just like me.  I believe one of our biggest strengths as a church is our culture of “do-it-yourself” work.  actionchurch folks don’t wait around for the “pastor” or “church staff” to do what needs to be done.  actionchurch folks don’t expect church to be about serving them…they realize very quickly that church is about serving others.  The actionchurch Crew of tech wizards, children’s leaders, artists, dock-workers, and hospitality/events ninjas perform something really close to a miracle every week.  I walked around this Sunday morning during set-up and realized that MOST of the things that happen at actionchurch are beyond my ability to do…even if I had the time.

Four years later,  I still work 40-50 hours per week painting.  I’ve learned to write a decent sermon from a smartphone with a spray gun or a roll of tape in the other hand.  Josiah and I meet for breakfast one day a week.  I’m still so glad at the end of the day to go home to my girls,  instead of heading off to a meeting. (I suck at meetings anyway)   I’m typing this early in the morning before work…and although there is more I would like to say…I’m out of time.

One of the biggest strengths of  actionchurch, the way we Love God, Love People, and Take action together…not as a church staff and congregation…but as a team of co-workers…came from a weakness.

What are some “weaknesses” you pray about in your life?

Could they become a strength if you trusted God to use them?

Sunday we announced that actionchurch will celebrate it’s fourth birthday in a way that would make ANY four-year-old very happy:  we’re going to have a star wars birthday party and invite all our friends to a free screening of the Star Wars episode one in 3D!     We are so grateful to Frank Theaters for giving us such a great birthday gift, and we’re excited to be able to share it with all our friends.  We’ll serve the birthday cake at 6pm on February 21st, then we’ll all head into a private actionchurch screening chock full of pod-racing, light sabers,  and the most annoying creature in the galaxy- Jar Jar Binks.

Make sure and pick up tickets at the merch table on Sunday mornings.  Be sure to invite your friends (we have plenty of free tickets…and cake) for them as well.  Remember, hold onto your tickets as they not only get you into the theater, but the number on them is your ticket for the raffle where you could win a really great prize.

Spread the word.  Invite your friends. Don’t forget to pick up your tickets.  May the “fourth” be with you.  :-)

We’re kicking off a brand new month, and a brand new sermon series this Sunday at actionchurch. Have you ever wondered if God was actually influenced by your prayers? Have you ever needed God to do something “big”…and wondered if it would actually happen? Do you have someone in your life that makes bad choices…and you wonder if your prayers for them actually help? Sunday we will be answering all of those questions plus explaining what a “But God… moment”  actually is.

This Sunday will also be the kick-off (pun intended) of our Birthday Month. Don’t miss your opportunity to get tickets for you and your friends to attend actionchurch’s 4th birthday party and a free 3-D screening of Starwars Episode I at Frank Theaters. Me Equals You will be providing the rock this week, and your kids will love (and learn lots) in the newly expanded actionkidz!

It all starts at 10:30 am at Frank Theaters Queensgate (Directions).  Come early to enjoy a  Coffee, Maple Donuts, bagels, and Muffins with the friendly folks of actionchurch.

Here’s the line up of great music we’ll be enjoying this month at actionchurch.

February 5th-   Me Equals You

February 12th-  The Historic

February 19th-  Sister Brother

February 26th-  Symphony of Sound

I’m always a little nervous when I see a Bible verse added to the name of a ministry or organization. It’s probably TOTALLY my hang-up, but it always seems a little over confident…a little braggy. It always comes off to me like: “Hey, check out our awesome youth group, it was mentioned in the book of I Kings 4500 years ago”  Or, “Hey, join our men’s ministry, it’s the only one officially sanctioned by Paul the Apostle.”  Or,  “Hey, check out our amazing small group, King Solomon mentioned it in the Song of Solomon”.  Maybe it’s just me, but I would definitely steer clear of that one.

We’ll probably never be a church that put’s scripture references on our t-shirts…but if we did…I read one this morning in the book of James that would be amazing.

¹³ If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.  James 3:13

Exactly.

After a month of preaching a sermon series based on  Galatians 6:7-9, I heard the best sermon yet on the subject of sowing and reaping, cultivating and growing, and the power of not giving up!  (unfortunately, I didn’t preach it…it didn’t happen at actionchurch…and you weren’t there)

Last night at my daughters Tae Kwon Do class, the instructor delivered a short sermon (his words, not mine) on the subject that I wish you could have heard.  Here’s my best memory of what he said:

“If no one would quit, everyone in this room would be a blackbelt. That would be amazing.  Someday you could say, ‘I’m a black belt in Olympic Tae Kwon Do’.  Everyone played soccer as a kid…but not many people in the world can say that they are a  black belt on a job resume.  It won’t happen by ‘magic’.  You can’t come in here once or twice a week and expect for it to happen.  I can’t do it for you.  You’ll have to work at home. You’ll have to practice everyday…but the system works…If you don’t quit, EVERYONE in this room could be a black belt.”

As the Master  went on to explain that everyone would think about quitting, that everyone would want to quit at some point,  that the only students that would make it to the end would be the ones who had someone (or something) that wouldn’t let them quit, it reminded me so much of what is also true of potential followers of Christ at Churches everywhere.

Following Christ is not easy.  You will want to quit.  I can’t do it for you.  You’ll have to do more that show up once a week and listen to a sermon to make it happen. But God’s plan works…and there are AMAZING blessings in both this life and the next that come from that commitment.

One of the best things we can do as a church…in our actiongroups…in the relationships we make at church, is to help each other resist the urge to give up.  We need to constantly remind each other that: “Everyone could be a blackbelt if no on quit”.   I wish you could have been there…it was the best sermon I’ve heard on the subject yet.

⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. -Paul            (Galatians 6: 7-9)