Chris & Emily had been taking their 2-year old son, Cole, to preschool when they realized his excitement had died down. He had been so over-joyed to start school at the beginning of the 2011 year, but then he started telling his parents that he didn’t want to go to school. Emily and Chris began to investigate. “You want your kids to learn to love school from an early age,” says Emily.

Once they realized that his classroom didn’t have a positive atmosphere, they started looking around for another option. They found one right at their own church. They have been members of First Euless for several years but had never really checked out 1st Kids Academy. They came up to the church for a tour of the Tuesday-Thursday mother’s day out program and were excited to meet such friendly and loving teachers. They signed their son up to start this last January and have been thrilled to see him come home so excited after school. “He can’t wait to go to school, and comes home ready to share about the new letter or song he has learned that day,” says Emily.

1st Kids Academy has been a great experience for our son. His teachers always send home a note about the day. The last one said, “We learned in chapel about how David watched over the sheep, the same way God watches over us! And he cares about any lost sheep too!… Thank you for letting us love your children, teach them and help them grow!” And they really do. We are so thankful that…

Jesus is being taught through everything they do!

For those of you who are trying to figure out what 1st Kids is, it’s part of the Preschool ministry here at First Euless that provides a place for newborns through Pre-Kindergarten age children to learn God’s love and learn academic and social skills on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school year. They teach the kids biblical truth and biblical principles through creative methods such as drama, music, puppets, crafts, teaching and discussions…And they have great teachers! If you want to find out more information, you can go online to firsteuless.com/1st-kids.

Darrin has been called to and will be transitioning to serve the Lord at First Baptist Lakeland, Florida where he will serve on their senior staff as Connection Pastor. He and his family will be moving the first week in November and will covet your prayers for this new journey in their lives. Darrin is yet another staff member who has been asked to take on a senior level position at another mega-church. It speaks well of our church that these men are seen as strong leaders.

We trust that the Lord is the one who directs our steps and is directing Darrin’s as well, all for the work of the kingdom. So we celebrate the ministry that Darrin, Kristi and their family have had here at First Euless. His last Sunday here will be October 28 and we’ll be honoring them after the services. Please take a moment to read it Darrin’s letter to our church family. Thank the Lord for their influence and to pray for Darrin and his family. – John Meador

Dear First Euless,
I absolutely thought that I would not be writing about this for a very long time.  I know that the Lord moves His called around the kingdom, but I am one that does not like the moves.  I grow too attached and I love too deeply the ministry that He leads me to serve in.

Almost 7 years ago, I left First Baptist Lakeland in Florida to come to First Baptist Church Euless.  It was an extremely hard transition to leave the ministry that I served in faithfully for 5 years.  I said no to the call for almost a year before saying “I will” to come to First Euless.  Bill Anderson, who was serving as interim pastor, can be very persuasive. I have worked with some of the best staff members over the last 7 years here at Euless. First Euless is greatly blessed to have a pastor like John Meador.  I had hoped to serve with him for a very long time.  I will be forever grateful for my years of ministry at First Baptist Church Euless.

This past May, I was contacted by First Baptist Lakeland to consider returning to them.  The weeks before, I had felt that a transition was coming.  I talked with Kristi about it and discerned that it was either a transition within my role at First Euless, or a move within the Metroplex or even a move back to Florida.  Also at that time we felt a desire to sell our home and move closer to First Baptist Church Euless.  After putting the house on the market, First Baptist Church Lakeland called.  We decided to at least go for a visit and be open to the idea.  We spent a great weekend with those we had grown to love and listened to the pastor as he shared the need they had for me to return.  We did not make a decision at that time and our summer turned into one of the hardest summers that our family has faced. It was then that I had thoughts that we were to stay at Euless and let Florida know that we could not make a transition in ministry.  I knew that they had huge plans for the fall and needed the right person on their staff team.  I did not want them to wait for us. We grew weary of having our home on the market and planned to take it off the 1st of October if we did not receive an offer by the end of September.  Well, an offer came in on our home.  The following week I was invited back to Florida to talk about the transition and the need they had for me to return.  During my few days with them recently, I was told that I was the only one that they had pursued and continued to affirm that I was the man for the position.  I still wrestled with the thought of leaving Euless and began to grieve all that I would be leaving.  While running one morning, I asked God “why do I have to leave”.  I only heard “go” and say “I will”.  That is my calling as a minister of the gospel.  I must be where He wants be to serve.

I shared with our church ministerial staff on Monday, and I am writing you today knowing that word most likely quickly spreading.  I wish I could share with each of you in person, but there is not the time.  I have only served in 2 other churches and each transition to a new ministry happened very quickly.  I do not like goodbyes especially to those that I have served with, invested in and walked with in ministry. I love each of you and I have been deeply blessed to have served at First Baptist Church Euless almost 7 years.  I do wish it was for longer.    I have accepted the position of Connection Pastor at First Baptist Church Lakeland.  My last Sunday here at First Euless will be October 28th. We will be moving the first of November.   

God Bless,  
Darrin Brown

Preteen Children’s Minister

Shortly after repenting and turning to faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 19, I knew God had called me to ministry. I began to serve in the junior high ministry at Grace Community Church in Ohio where my family had always attended and also where I met my wife–to–be, Jenna. I was studying engineering at a local college and was enjoying my walk with the Lord, but I knew he was still asking for more. It wasn’t long before the Lord burdened me to become prepared for full time service. I made the transfer to Liberty University, achieved undergraduate and Seminary degrees, married Jenna, and served with a great preteen ministry at Hyland Heights Baptist Church—all on my new Christ-centered journey.

In June, Jenna and I had each graduated from Liberty and knew that the Lord had been tugging at us again to relocate to follow his next plan for us. Although we believed that we were moving to DFW for her to pursue a promising internship, God had begun to open doors for me to join the First Euless team. Months prior, Pastor Jeff had been passing through the Center for Worship at Liberty University as a guest instructor. Knowing that we were planning to launch out Jeff’s way in the summer, our mutual friend made it a point to introduce us. Pastor Jeff stayed in touch and also connected us with Pastor Chris, who then made plans to meet with me before we even arrived in Texas. They were friends to us as we arrived and watched as opportunities fell through and as our hope became exhausted. One appointed day, the Lord opened the perfect opportunity for me to serve kids and families of First Euless as the preteen ministry associate.

God’s perfect provisions are amazing.

I’m looking forward to working alongside parents and the ministry leaders in sharing the gospel with the kids here at First Euless and helping them grow in their faith. It’s exciting to see kids be transformed by the Holy Spirit as they seek God and develop their understanding of just how great our God truly is. Through solid teaching and relationships it’s my vision to have the kids equipped with the tools they need to put their faith into action.

After that giant step was done, they didn’t stop there. They worked on building their 3-6 months of expenses in savings and just a few months later they were glad they did! That summer their air conditioning went out… and we all know what Texas summers are like. Savings allowed them to get it fixed and pay in cash, which gave them a bonus—a 20% discount! God blessed with savings to cover their
emergency.

Now that they have been able to stabilize financially, Zac has gone back to school and they are leaning completely on Nicole’s income. Because they are debt free, Zac can focus on school without having to work. But that’s not all— they are paying for college in cash!

He will graduate in May with absolutely no debt! What impacted them most from FPU was the idea that being debt free gives them the opportunity to help others. “Our goal is to bless others.”
Nicole said, “There are others in the community who need assistance and we want to bless others so they can pass on the blessing.”

How is God blessing you through our “Set Me Free” Series and Financial Peace University?

Go to firsteuless.com/setmefree to tell us your story.

They quickly realized that normal wasn’t good enough. When Kathy Hanson felt God’s calling on her life to spend more time at home with their two children, she and Erik discovered that her income wasn’t only supplemental, it was necessary. Their loan payments were too large to live without the extra money each month. Instantly, they felt as if they had discovered they were floating neck-deep in a thick swamp, unable to swim or move without great effort.

Their “normal” way of living had trapped them, and they were not sure what to do next.

A complete change was needed in their family. They needed to go back to God’s ways of handling money—they needed to become abnormal! It took years of hard work, but they have finally paid off enough debts so that Kathy can now work only a few days a week during school hours. She is more able to respond to God’s calling wherever he leads. Erik is coordinating Financial Peace classes at First Euless so that he can help mentor others along the same way. Erik says it best: “The mountain of debt we pile on top of ourselves enslaves us to it (Prov 22:7), keeps us from being able to bless others (Ruth 2) and change our family tree (Deut 7:9). “But we can live and serve like no one else by managing God’s money the way He has asked us to.”

Bryan and Adriane Davenport were happy and “normal”. They did the normal things when it came to their plan, lifestyle and finances—and things were working pretty well. But the Davenports decided that normal wasn’t good enough.

In 2008 Bryan and Adriane had been married for four years. Bryan took care of the finances and did his best to manage the money well. Sure, they had some credit card debt, car loans, student loans, and a home equity loan—but that was normal. Like most people, they saw no problem with how they managed their money.

But that year, Bryan was talking to a friend who happened to bring up a book he was reading, Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. It piqued Bryan’s interest because it suggested a completely different approach to managing finances. He picked up the book, and it literally changed the course of his family’s life.

Bryan and Adriane immediately started changing the way they approached their money.

For the first time, the couple started communicating about their finances and made their first family budget. The most amazing thing happened—they stopped having arguments about money, and started having conversations. They planned together about how they would spend their money, and that made their marriage stronger.

In the fall of 2009, they went through Financial Peace University, which helped to solidify the changes they had made in their life. They even started tithing, which the Davenports would tell you hasn’t been difficult— it’s actually been a blessing for their family. And in December of 2009 on Christmas Eve, they finished paying off every debt but their house.

The Davenports chose not to be “normal”—and they are proud of it! They see money differently than most people. They don’t see it as their money, they see it as God’s money. It is their job to be a good steward of God’s resources, and they are more content and blessed than ever before!

Greg and Erin Peart found themselves in debt – lots of it! They were out of options and had reached the point of considering bankruptcy. But God had a plan for them that would change everything.

It didn’t take long for Greg and Erin to find themselves in debt. It started small. Because they didn’t have an emergency expense plan, things were put on the credit card, which was added to exisiting school and car loans. Then, there were medical emergencies, which are inevitably expensive. Much of the medical expenses were added to what they had already accrued. The result was a seemingly insurmountable pile of debt. Bankruptcy seemed like the only option. The Pearts were desperate.

Greg and Erin had heard of Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University. Since they were willing to try just about anything, they decided to give it a shot. So they sat in their living room with a couple of friends and watched each session of the curriculum. As they watched, they began the “baby steps” to financial freedom. By the time they completed Financial Peace University,they had something that they had not had before—a plan!

And faithfully working the plan has put them on the road to financial freedom. Their plan has removed the thought of bankruptcy from their minds and has turned their hearts to helping others know that they are not alone in having financial struggles! And what is that plan? Taking simple Biblical principles and practical steps to help people conquer the mountain of debt the same way you climb any mountain—one step at a time. Want to know more? Well, the Pearts would encourage you to start FPU next week! Learn more at firsteuless.com/setmefree.

When David and his family started coming to First Euless, they weren’t necessarily looking to volunteer. They were just looking for a church. But it wasn’t long before David was all-in.

His neighbor was working with children’s worship and they needed someone to run the lights. He stepped in —and stayed there for five years! It was just a great fit.

Then, he was asked to help teach 4th grade. Five years later, he still teaches grades 4 and 5. So what keeps David coming back every week after 10+ years of investing in the children’s ministry? To find out what drives him now, you have to know a little about his past.

David was saved when he was 10, but it wasn’t until he was 18 that he began to understand what it meant to have a relationship with God. He missed out on eight years with the Lord because no one invested in him. No one helped him grow.

So now when a child is in his class, David is there to tell them about who Jesus is. When a child comes to know the Lord, David is here to make sure that they have a chance to see how big God’s plan is for their life. David gets to see people’s lives changed, watch them grow, and even come back and teach. He would tell you that the blessings of serving outweigh everything else —and he has 10 years of service to prove it! Ten years ago David said YES. What will you say today?

Last year at our annual “I Am Not Ashamed Sunday,” Tracy felt compelled to get baptized. As Pastor John Meador passed through the aisles inviting people to be baptized that day, she remembers him looking directly at her as if to say “Tracy – get baptized today,” but she couldn’t bring herself to say “yes.” It would be almost a full year before the opportunity would present itself again. This time, Tracy would be ready – sort of…

On July 12th, Flight360 Student Camp invited students who had made decisions to be baptized in the swimming pool. Tracy’s kids had friends that were getting baptized, so she and Kelly came out to watch. While they were there, Tracy expressed that she really wanted to get baptized. So after all the students were done, Kelly told Kent Wells about her sister’s story. Kent told her to come on in the water, and she did—in her street clothes! She was baptized in the pool with her son and daughter standing by, and told the world she was not ashamed to follow Jesus! It didn’t matter how prepared she was— all that mattered in that moment is that she was finally obedient to do what God had told her to do. It is a day that she will never forget!