On Sunday, June 2, all rising Kindergarten students through High School students will move up to the next grade when it comes to church programming.    That means if you will be in 7th grade in August when school starts, you’ll be considered a 7th grader at CIL starting June 2, 2013.

How does this effect summer trips?

The Getaway to Panama City:  Rising 7th graders through High School.

VBS: Kindergarten elligible through Rising 5th graders.

Camp Blast Kids camp:  Rising 3rd through Rising 6th graders.

Youth Mission Trip to Alabama:  Rising 7th graders through High School.

Pastor Deborah Jackson will be speaking.   Deborah is a great leader, pastor and Mom!   Her insights will be significant to our mothers and everyone else.

We’ll also have Aubrey and Jennifer McGowan leading us in worship this Sunday.   Aubrey and Jennifer grew up in Hendersonville, and both of their families are long time members of CIL.    These guys lead each week at Hope Fellowship in Frisco, Texas, one of the fastest growing churches in the nation.   They have such a heart for God – you will love their ministry!

Don’t miss this Sunday!   I will see you there!

I’m in New York City with Beth this week, enjoying a city we love.  For real-time updates, follow Beth’s Twitter.

As part of our trip, we are attending the Global Initiative summit.  Global Initiative is a movement to reach Muslim peoples with the message of Christ.   This is a cause I deeply believe in, and I was honored to be invited to this important meeting.  It will be great to be with Jackie Chapman (a CIL missionary), and other ministry friends.

And, I’m also honored to celebrate 15 years of marriage to Beth Allison.   Our anniversary is May 16, so this trip was a perfect way for us to celebrate in a city that causes both of hearts to come alive.  Still,  as much as we love New York City, there is no better place in the world to live than Nashville, Tennessee!

Adding the Awana program at CIL has been one of the highlights of 2013!   Come this Wednesday (May 8) at 6:30 p.m. to the Awana Award Ceremony to celebrate what our elementary students have accomplished and enjoy a community event.   Phil Stacey will be leading us in worship, then we will learn more about the Awana program, as we cheer on our students for learning God’s Word!

This summer, we will have our first ever kids camp for Rising 3rd – Rising 6th graders!   (This means 3 – 6 graders during the 2013-2014 school year).  The camp will take place on a Friday – Sunday, on July 19-21 at Whispering Pines in nearby Castalian Springs, Tennessee.

We’ll leave Friday afternoon, and return to the church by noon on Sunday.   Pastor Greg Wilson, Pastor Matt Malone and Pastor Lee Moseley will be joining me to put on a fun, safe and spiritually uplifting experience for your kids.

Your kids will love this – More details to come soon!

Two reasons this Wednesday will be very special.

#1 It’s First Wednesday Worship, and my friend Steven Morgan from Columbia, TN, will be leading us in worship.  Steven has led worship all over the nation, and has a heart for God’s presence.  Currently, Steven is founder and Lead Pastor of Destiny Church in Columbia, TN.   Worship will start at 6:30 p.m.

#2  We will ordain three new elders in Chip Johnson, Deborah Jackson and Lee Moseley.   The ordination recognition will start towards the end of the service, at approximately 7:30 p.m. So, even if you can only come late, join us for this important step in the life of our congregation.

2. Southern hospitality.

3. Trees.   There’s lots of them.

4. Broadway after a Bridgestone event.

5. Live music.  Love big music in small venues.

6. Christmas lights at Opryland Hotel.

7. Pancake Pantry at about 11 a.m.

8. Vanderbilt football games in October.

9. Civil War history.

10. Rivers.

- For all those who ran in the Music City Marathon – way to go!   It was wet.  It was long.  You did it.

-  The NFL Draft is lots of fun.  I didn’t get to watch much of the draft, but I loved seeing all the highlight reels when I could.

-  I love the worshipping Jesus with my church family!  I’m so proud of all Beth Allison has given to our worship experience.  She is a gift to our church.

- I had lunch on Sunday with a young couple who is going to Romania to work among the gypsies of Romania.  I’m always amazed the variety of calls God gives to His servants.

- So glad to have my Mom move back to Hendersonville from Texas!

- I am enjoying a rare Sunday evening without plans, but I’m excited about a new 2:42 season that starts on Sunday, May 5th.

- Rain has never concerned me, until the 2010 flood in Nashville.  With a heavy rain like we had this weekend, I hold my breath for our area, and trust God.

-  As I have encountered several deaths and terminal situations, I have been considering this question:  How could anyone face the death of a loved one without believing in the promise of heaven?
 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. – 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NLT)

After May 8, we won’t be having normal adult and children’s services on Wednesday nights until August.   Due to the travel schedule of our leaders and staff, we don’t have the leadership capacity to provide the quality worship service and children’s ministry during the summer.  However, this change of pace give us the opportunity to focus energy on important summer activities such as VBS, Ladies Bible Studies, Kid’s Camp (we’ll do our first in July), mission trips (two in July) and the Back-to-School Blessing.

Many of our Wednesdays during this time period will be used for other activities already scheduled such as Costa Rica cook out, Parents meeting for camp, VBS volunteers meeting, VBS, Compassion Ministries prep.   I may even offer CIL Forward on Wednesday, depending on dynamics yet determined.

We’re not really taking the summer off, but just using our time for other purposes.

It is a joy to walk with you through the development of our church, learning together as we walk together.

Every week I want you to grow stronger in your faith because of the Word of God.  In the series Yahweh Saves!, I’ll be sharing dynamic passages from the book of Isaiah.  On  Sunday, April 28, I’ll be teaching from Isaiah 27:2-6, a message called The Vineyard.  You’ll learn through this talk how much God loves you, and that God is taking care of you!

Do you know about our Men’s Bible Study?
Every Sunday, men from CIL meet at 8:00 a.m. to go deeper in the Scripture.   Join these men in “The Study” this Sunday, and you’ll be stronger for it!

Forward 104
If you haven’t taken the Forward 104 session of CIL Forward, make plans to come to the “Living Room” this Sunday at 9:00 a.m.  Paul Jackson will be teaching on “Your Spiritual Motivational Gift.”   This is the favorite session of the CIL Forward growth plan, and it allows every person at CIL to know their unique motivational gift.

I love serving Jesus with you at CIL!