I can’t sleep, even though I only went to bed a few hours ago. The music from our Christmas Eve services at church last night are running through my head on a continuous loop; “Come let us adore Him!”

As I look around the tree at all of the presents I’m amazed again at how blessed my family is. Not because of the stuff, but because of the love and thought behind it. I’m thankful for the grace and caring that keeps this home intact and covered with love. I’m truly thankful for God for this moment.

My thoughts this morning have also turned to what other kids are waking up to this morning on Christmas here in Erie.

For you see, my brother Jeff, who has counseled thousands of Erie children, says that our family won life’s lottery. My seven sibs and I grew up in a home with two parents who loved each other, and stayed committed for life. They didn’t have much money, but they poured their lives into bringing up their children with a sense of morality, decency, and responsibility that reflected the character that Christ would have us carry. They weren’t perfect, and we aren’t either…but we were given every chance for a successful launch. I’m doing my best to provide the same nurturing context for my children. I know that at times my wife and I can do better, but our kids are doing well and we have a wonderful life together.

But what about the other kids…whose lottery ticket came up short. On this Christmas morning, I can’t help but think about Clara Ward and the kids she cares for through her Youth Development Center on East 21st Street. She gets presents together for over 300 kids each Christmas. Her whole ministry is for the “abused and neglected” children in our community.

What are those kids, living within 5000 feet of my doorstep waking up to? What kind of brokenness did their mom and dad live under when they were coming up? What kind of hold does addiction, or illness, or hopelessness have on these families?

It would be easy for me to wallow in despair over the plight of these kids, along with the kids waking up in rich homes full of material possessions but bankrupt in commitment to each other.  But I am encouraged on two counts:

I have hope because of the hope of Christmas. That precious baby Jesus born in  a manger truly is the answer for our lives. The famous verse in the Bible that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” illustrates the extreme measures God has accomplished to pour His love and grace into my life. And because His love is unconditional and for everyone, we have all won life’s lottery in the person and Savior of Jesus Christ. God loves my kids and Clara’s kids so much more than any of us can imagine, and we can pray His blessing would pour out on them in spirit and in truth, and He can enter their homes and change their family trees.

Second, I need to do what I can do, which is pray for my family and the families of the children in our community. And I can do better at this father, husband, follower of Christ thing. I can be more attentive, faithful, kinder, less sharp-tongued, loving, generous, open…I could go on.

Let’s recommit to the values of Christ in our lives and in those we touch. Merry Christmas!

Erie County PA 1895

If you were to look at a movie of my life 10 years ago, you would have seen me scrambling to make provisions for Christmas broadcasts and coverage of First Night-Erie and the Y2K date change as part of my management job at WCTL. At home I had two active elementary school-aged boys and a pregnant wife getting ready to deliver our Millennial Baby.

Let your lens widen out to the Erie community at large and you would have seen an optimistic community, ready to head into the new century tackling our challenges and accepting responsibility to make change. Soon after New Year’s, the region through the Economic Development Corp. of Erie County engaged Brian Bosworth to do a comprehensive 12-month study and propose a developmental strategy for the future.

The much-referred-to Bosworth Report was released on October 16, 2001 and it gave a frank assessment of where our region stood and where it needed to go. Plenty of Erie stakeholders were involved in providing input into his findings, delineated by a 13 point Executive Summary.

In the introduction to the 79-page document, are these two telling paragraphs:

As we hope this report makes clear, a new strategy and an aggressive commitment to economic development in Erie must be a very high priority for the entire region.  The consultant team believes that, over the next ten years, the region is headed for serious economic problems.  Unless the leaders and residents of Erie take dramatic steps to counter current trends, we believe the regional economy will continue to shrink relative to the rest of the nation, income and opportunity will erode, and people – especially young adults – will begin to leave the region at an accelerating pace.

In some places where we have worked over the past several years, we have come essentially to the conclusion that the people of that region need mostly to keep doing what they have been doing, perhaps with a few adjustments, and the economy will continue to do well.  This is not the situation in Erie.  You cannot keep doing what you have been doing.

To say that this was a wake-up call for community officials is an understatement. In fact, I think that the report had a significant bearing on the election of Rick Schenker to County Executive that November over incumbent Judy Lynch. People wanted change and the young Schenker along with the then new Erie City Mayor Rick Flippi created expectancy for forward momentum for our region.

The two Ricks got majorly behind Bosworth’s first Major Recommendation:

We recommend the immediate establishment of a high-level, civic coordinating council to integrate the activities of the region’s principal business-based civic institutions. Its goal will be implementing the recommendations of this report and other major economic development initiatives that might emerge.

This recommendation led to the formation of the Civic Coordinating Committee, filled with leaders from government, economic development, education, and the like. At the beginning, there was a strong willingness, if not buy-in, to participate in the various task forces. But after a couple years of slow movement, the addition of a paid Executive Director, and the change of administrations for both city and county, the “C-Cubed” basically petered out. Instead of a high-priority, protected communications and strategy vessel, C3 because just another economic development council, which we didn’t need.

Activity, however, continues. Much of the job creation tasks have been taken up by the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. Some of the intergovernmental communication, along with smart purchasing happens in the Erie Council of Governments. The good thing is that the Bosworth report is rarely out of mind for those who discuss our region’s future. What we want to look at in the next couple weeks is how much of this community agenda has been or is being accomplished.

Stay tuned.

The great thing about that environment in the center of the city is the pallatable “turning back the darkness” experience that you feel as you worship the Savior. And indeed we did worship!

The small and stellar band:

• Ron Yarmin: Acoustic Guitar
• Brian Boleratz: Bass
• Brandt Fuller (Dir. of Worship): Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
• Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

The familiarity of the set had them singing:

• Friend of God/Phillips, Craig & Dean
• Medley in E:
  • Open the Eyes of My Heart
  • Sometimes By Step (just chorus & alt chorus)
  • Here I Am to Worship (chorus & bridge only)
• Wonderful, Merciful, Savior/Selah (a bit faster & fuller than recording)
• Revelation Song

Thanks for the privilege to be with everyone at “church-in-a-bar!”

Note: I am participating in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.Com.

Most of the time, there are no Republican choices offered in city races, however this year we do have a real choice for City Council: Tim Butler. Tim has an excellent grasp of the challenges facing the City of Erie, and has a strong, effective agenda for taking on the problems head on. His experience as a local staffer for Sen. Rick Santorum shows that he understands the political landscape and can work effectively with all of the players.

Of course, we can vote for four council members in this general election. But with the lopsided registration tally for the Democrats, accompanied by great numbers of those that will just press the big Democrat button, it is very difficult for anyone outside the Dems to rank in the top four vote-getters to win a City Council seat.

That’s why I intend to, and want to encourage other city voters to vote only for Tim Butler for City Council. Those who wish Tim to win should not defeat their own efforts by adding to the vote totals of other candidates. Instead, “bullet vote” for Butler and no one else and give his fresh new voice a fighting chance…for a new Erie.

We welcomed visiting Spanish River Church worship leader Ashley  Bowersox on vocals, who sang a stirring lead on “Amazed.”

We closed the service introducing the incredibly powerful song from Pastor Ross Parsley and New Life Worship titled “Overcome.” I get the feeling that this anthem will make a huge impact on our congregation.

Here’s the band:

• David Van Matre: Electric Guitar
• Brandt Fuller (Dir. of Worship): Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
• Brian Van Matre: Keyboards
• John Gersims: Drums
• Jared Leininger: Bass
• Ashley Bowersox: Vocals
• Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

And the set:

• Let God Arise/Chris Tomlin
• Forever/Chris Tomlin
• Never Gonna Stop/Tommy Walker
• Amazed/Desperation Band
• Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)/Chris Tomlin
• Overcome/This Is My Story/New Life Worship\

This post is part of Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlist blog carnival.

Thanks so much to the band:

• Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar/Vocals
• David Van Matre: Acoustic Guitar
• Brian Van Matre: Keyboards
• Peter Natalie (my bro): Drums
• Sherri Sullivan: Bass/Vocals
• Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Set list:

• All Because of Jesus/Casting Crowns
• All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises/Paul Baloche
• Here I Am to Worship/Tim Hughes
• Kindness/Chris Tomlin
• Revelation Song/Gateway Worship
• How Great is Our God/Chris Tomlin

Have a great week!

Note: I am participating in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.Com

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear

As a pastor in addition to being a best-selling author, Max Lucado can diagnose the source of the racing pulses, cold sweat, and sleepless nights he sees in his congregation. The symptoms presented indicate the presence of fear, that debilitating emotional response to screaming cable news headlines, a certified letter, or a change in life’s seasons.

In fifteen chapters Lucado, through his brand-new book Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, surveys a baker’s dozen of contexts in our journey where we typically respond in fear. Whether you are in the middle of a storm, financially devastated or even doubting God’s power, the master storyteller examines each fear situation. Then instead of invoking the Rodgers and Hammerstein/Deborah Kerr solution of “whistling a happy tune,” Lucado plugs into the power of God’s Word to ensure the reader that God’s solution is stronger.

It’s fitting that this book arrives almost 12 months to the day of a near total collapse of our global financial system. In its wake, news junkies and worrywarts like me, along with those facing terrible personal valleys can receive true comfort as Max Lucado reminds us of the promises and encouragement of Jesus to “fear not.”

The band that rocketh’:

• Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar
• David Van Matre: Acoustic Guitar
• Brian Van Matre: Keyboards
• Wendy Plyler: Grand Piano
• Ken Kibbee: Drums
• Grace Johnson: Vocals
• Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Set list:

• Everlasting God/Chris Tomlin
• Everyone (Praises)/New Life Worship
• Mighty to Save: Hillsong
• Revelation Song/Gateway Worship
• Word of God Speak/Mercy Me
• The Word is Alive/Casting Crowns (closing special)

How awesome it is to worship the Lord in community with folks in our region and around the world this weekend, including those in in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at Fred McKinnon.com.

The band cooked:

• David Van Matre: Acoustic Guitar
• Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar
• Paul Grenberg: Bass
• Pete Natalie: Drums
• Brian Van Matre: Piano/Keys
• Dawn Wisniewski: Vocals
• Amy Monocello: Vocals
• Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Just four songs:

• All Because of Jesus – Casting Crowns
• Be Glorified – Passion
• Not to Us – Chris Tomlin
• How Can I Keep From Singing – Chris Tomlin

The sermon by Senior Pastor was Baptism: It’s Purpose and Power. The sermon concluded with a video of last year’s baptism with Travis Cottrell’s “Search Me, Know Me” as a soundtrack…very moving.