Welcome to Converge MidAmerica. We are a missional movement of gospel driven churches.

Gary Rohrmayer will be coming to LCC to be our special guest speaker on June 3. Make sure to be there for our special services on that day!

This past week, a number of stories came out in the local newspaper reporting on some hardships currently being faced by another church in town, and our church elders wanted to go on record to say that we are deeply pained that one more church in Lafayette is facing the moral failure of one of its leaders, and that we stand with that church, are praying for them, and are believing that God has bigger and better things in store for them.

The power of Jesus is stronger than any sin.

If you or someone you know has been affected personally by this or any other church scandal, point them in my direction. My door is open for prayer or counseling.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. — Matthew 16:18

Since Easter, we have seen a dramatic increase in our Sunday attendance, and I’m thrilled that so many new people are discovering the simple message of Jesus that we share together at LCC. In light of that we are hosting two events this weekend to help people take their next steps with Jesus and with LCC.

Newcomer’s Dessert Sunday @ 4pm

Our first event is our Newcomer’s Dessert this Sunday. About once per quarter, my wife and I host this casual get-together to introduce ourselves and the church to the newcomers and the curious. This time, we will be hosting it at the LCC facility and providing some amazing homemade desserts for you.

Yep, that’s right. This Sunday, you can have dessert at 4pm and then eat your dinner later! Everyone who has not been to a newcomer’s dessert before is welcome to join us for this one.

Baptism Class Monday @ 6pm

Since Easter, we have had many people mark their cards that they are interested in learning what it takes to be a follower of Jesus and/or be baptized. This is the perfect class for that. We’ll meet in the “Green Room” at the LCC facility at 6pm to do a little Bible Study on the topic of baptism and following Jesus. You should definitely be there!

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Did it really happen? Is it a legend thought up years after his death? Is it a hoax perpetrated by his closest followers?

Or is it possible that he really came back to life? Then, we need to ask, if he did, what difference should that fact make in our lives?

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The central Christian symbol is the Cross. Why? What’s so significant about the cross? Well, for the full answer, you need to hear next week’s message, but at the very least, we learn this week that the cross was always God’s plan for dealing with sin, even as far back as Adam and Eve. Suffering was always an integral part of what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In order for good news to become great news, it needs to answer the problem of some bad news. Well, Jesus is trying to give us the best news in the world, and that means he has to also remind us of some of the worst news we’ll ever hear.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Have you ever been confused about Jesus? Have you ever felt that God wanted you to be confused? You aren’t alone! I’m going to show you today why Jesus sometimes intentionally confuses people.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Mark 3-5

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

NOTE: There’s an audio problem about 5 minutes into this recording. My microphone battery ran out, but we get it resolved in about a minute.

A Catholic man will call himself a Christian, and he will pray memorized prayers, follow the Pope, and baptize his infants. A Lutheran woman will call herself a Christian and will recite memorized creeds, sing songs by Martin Luther, and baptize her children. A Baptist family will call themselves Christian and will boycot Disney, sing songs from the 1940s, and baptize grown-ups only. A Pentecostal family will call themselves Christian and will speak in tongues, fall on the ground during worship services, and baptize grown-ups once with water and another time with the Spirit.

Which of these groups is Christian?

The truth is that even though we have come to understand Christianity to be a “religion” or a system of beliefs, the heart of Christianity is not any of that. It’s ultimately about a man named Jesus, whom the Bible calls Christ.

Come on a journey of exploration to see how a man named Mark shared the story of Jesus’ life in an attempt to show how Jesus’ story is the greatest news the world has ever heard.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Last Sunday was Easter, and I have to share with you how awesome God is through some statistics of the day.

Leading Up to Easter

Leading up to Easter, we engaged in a major marketing effort to get the word out about our church because we are convinced that the message of Easter changes lives. To that end, we spent nearly $3500 on mailing over 19,000 postcards and over 600 Egg Hunt flyers. We hosted the Free Coffee event and the Easter Egg Hunt event to try to build some more community connection, and we got new signage for outside the building and inside the building.

Was it worth it? I have to say a resounding “Yes!”

Easter Sunday Statistics

• 203 attending the main services
• 42 children in Kidopolis
• 8 adult volunteers working in Kidopolis
• 253 total attendance!

Those numbers shattered all previous records. In fact, our previous high was 160 which means Easter 2012 beat our previous record by nearly 100!

Okay, so those are the attendance numbers, but frankly, that’s not the reason we did all that we did preparing for Easter. Getting people into the building has never been a goal for our church. Instead, our goal is and always will be to see how many people’s lives we can positively impact with the message of Jesus, and on that note, I wanted to share with you some of the comments we received on our CONNECT cards this past week

From some regulars:

Details of Judas that I hadn’t heard before-makes the Easter story become more vivid for me. Thanks!

I was impressed how Jesus didn’t point out to Peter that he had denied him.

Letting the word soak into my heart, wanting to hear more… Wanting to be motivated enough to do it on my own.

From some first-time guests:

Was a nice message today. Haven’t been to church in 27 years and got flyer in the mail. Thank you for that. I will pursue God daily.

I’m looking for a church where I can explore my ignorance of the bible.

Rediscover christianity and my faith.

I really enjoyed todays service

I have been searching for a church and I think I have finally found one. I have been looking for guidance and I am hoping to find it. Thank you!!!

This was my first time to Lafayette Community Church. I felt very welcomed when I arrived and was given a quick tour. I have been praying for a fellowship and wanted to find out more information about the church. The service was an interesting approach to Christianity! Thank you!

I arrived at the end of service. I will definitely be back for one more Sunday.

One more thing…

So I hope you can understand how completely thrilled I am to hear that God is using our church to draw people to Himself, but those comments are only part of the story. The rest of the story shows up in the decisions people made as a result of our service. Check this out:

Three people marked their cards that they were making a decision to become a follower of Jesus, and two of those people also want to be baptized!

Do you realize what that means? If the cards represent the sincerity of their hearts, then three more people will have eternal life in heaven because of what happened on Easter Sunday 2012 at Lafayette Community Church! What an incredible privilege it is to be part of that! I just can’t express how blessed I am to be part of this community of faith we call LCC and to experience God’s blessings like this with all of you.

Let’s keep pressing on! There are many more people in this city who need to meet Jesus just like that, and I’m eager to see us reach them too.

Can one Sunday make a difference? Perhaps you should ask Peter.

Peter is one of the most incredible stories. He defends Jesus, denies Jesus, runs to the tomb, and jumps out of the boat whereupon Jesus speaks words of restoration and healing to him.

One of the saddest stories of all time is that of Judas. He made a poor choice, was taken captive by Satan and ended his life before encountering the life-changing presence of the resurrected Jesus.

What’s the difference between these two men? Learn the simple answer in this important message from Easter.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Register here:

Click here

Details:

Everyone is invited to a massive Community Easter Egg hunt with over 1000 eggs! Space is limited to the first 200 kids (under 12), so come early or RSVP below.

• Saturday, April 7 at The Foxfire Apartments on Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, just east of Regal Valley Dr.
• Hunt starts at 10 am / Onsite registration starts at 9:30 am / Door prize announcements at 10:45 am
• Bring a basket or bag for each child in the hunt!
• For more information on our Easter Egg Hunt, contact Pastor Jeff at 7865-404-0807.
• For more information about our Easter Sunday Service, click here — Easter Service

Naomi is a bitter woman. She has been broken. She knows the truth, but it is far from her experience. But then, she has one small ray of light in her life named Ruth, and then Ruth meets Boaz, and Naomi claims it as the hand of God, and it rekindles her willingness to just do the next right thing. So she suggests a match, and the rest happens. Watch how God works in the lives of people who just do the next right thing.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Ruth

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

An encounter with God taught Moses that God hears and answers prayers and that God has compassion on his people. It was because of the moment at the burning bush that Moses had the courage later on to confront God and even argue with God for the sake of those same people.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Joshua had been up close and personal with Moses throughout Moses’ interactions with God, and now God was speaking to him, making the same claims to him. For Joshua, it was a series of small milestones that led up to his major milestone when God spoke words of success to him. That’s how he had the faith, the trust, and the confidence to command men to walk right into a flowing river.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

We are looking for help to pull off a massive Easter Egg hunt in the Commons neighborhood on April 7. Here’s what we need:

• 2 Volunteers to run the information table on the day of the event.
• 10 volunteers to help us hide eggs all over the park
• 2 volunteers to serve as “bouncers” for the event just in case we need some security for some reason.
• 1 or 2 volunteers to be photographers and/or videographers of the event

This Sunday, March 18, LCC will have two Sunday services to practice for Easter Sunday. Our first service will start at 9am with Kidopolis closed and our second will be at 10:30 with Kidopolis open. Which service will you attend?

can one church service change your life?

It’s an American tradition to go to church on Easter Sunday, but it’s also a tradition to ONLY attend church services on Easter. We understand why.

But first, let me ask if it’s true for you. Is it? How many church services have you attended? How many of those services have made a difference in your life?

If you are like most people, you’ve been to far more church services than you have been to life-changing church services.

We understand why, and we want to help you understand why, and we only want ONE SUNDAY to try to show you.

can one sunday change your life?

You see, there is one simple truth about Jesus that you’ve never heard. I’d love to tell you what it is right now, but that will have to wait for Easter. It works better on Easter.

As a matter of fact, it’s all about Easter and about one man who figured it out by pure accident and another man who sadly didn’t last long enough to learn it.

let’s make a deal

So here’s our offer. This Easter, Lafayette Community Church is going to give you the ultimate message of Easter along with our permission to never attend church again if that message doesn’t click with you. Are you up for the challenge?

If you are, come to either one of our Easter Sunday services. Our first service starts at 9:00am and our second service starts at 10:30am. Note: Childcare will only be provided at the second service, but you are welcome to have your kids sit with you in the early service if that time works better for you.

A profound experience with God changed Abraham’s life forever. A profound experience with God set Abraham on the path of trust that carried him through the most difficult journey he ever would have to face.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Genesis 15

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

During the month of March, we will be providing free coffee for the residents of the Commons neighborhood (and anyone else who stops by for some) every Monday! It’s not going to be the awesome stuff we have at LCC each Sunday, but it will be as good as we can make it in mass produced quantities!

If you want to help, we would love for you to sign up. Contact Tara (local.peace@lafayettecc.org) if you want to volunteer by donating a coffee maker for a week, serving cups of coffee for a morning, or even making (and tasting) the coffee.

What are your milestone moments? We all have those moments in our past when we just knew that something bigger was going on. You’ve seen a child’s first step, or watched someone learn to drive a car. You know what milestones look like, so what about your own life? What about your spiritual life?

Have there been any moments when God just broke through the average and ordinary of your life to remind you that he’s real and that he’s there?

Write your milestone story as a comment here, and encourage us all!

Our flesh and our gender are intertwined. That’s obvious. What isn’t so obvious is how strong the power of the flesh can be in our lives. In this message, Pastor Jeff tackles the issue of those temptations that are specifically related to gender and relationship issues.

We also used a few YouTube videos for illustrative purposes. Here they are:

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The image of God is beautifully expressed through the harmony of boy and girl and it is vividly seen in marriage, but there is still a great privilege to being single. Jesus was single, he said that those who could accept singleness should accept it, and Paul affirmed the freedom singleness brings to a person devoted to God.

Have you ever thought singleness was a curse? Actually, Jesus calls it a gift.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Marriage was designed by God for harmony, cooperation, vulnerability, and procreation / family. But more than that, marriage is a unique representation of the image of God. The POINT of marriage is to represent God, the result of doing so is joy! How do you represent God? It’s a one-sided, total abandon demonstration of love, as often as necessary.

In the sermon, I showed an excerpt from and made reference to this video: http://youtu.be/xDeOFx7VwWc

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In the month of March we have a camping/Narnia room theme in KIDOPOLIS: City as we study conviction and would love to borrow your artificial Christmas tree for the month. If you would label your tree/tree box and bring it to the City after church next Sunday we would greatly appreciate it!

This past Sunday, I attempted to cover WAY MORE material than I actually had time for. 30 minutes into the message, I was just getting warmed up. So we rushed through the rest of the material, and I promised that I would post here or on my blog some more in depth thoughts on the issues.

Well, I’ve started that process, and if you want to join in the conversation, click here to get started.

http://jeff.mikels.cc/posts/boys-and-girls-part-1

I read this over the women to close out my message on Feb. 12, 2012.

Sister, you are so beautiful.

The light of the heavens shines in your gentle eyes.

God made you from the rib of another so that you would always know the depth of need for love, connection, and wholeness.

And you are whole. You are gifted to know yourself and others as they really are as whole people and to draw out of them their very best.

You are sensitive and compassionate, and you know the very heart of God who longs for reconciliation with those he loves.

And so, I call on you, sister, to live from a higher standard of beauty, to rise with a gentle spirit above the hollow and empty measuring stick of the magazine racks, to create beauty and harmony in the world around you, and to bring your whole person to everything you do.

And in all your interactions with men, display the beauty and harmony of a spirit so submissive to Christ that it respectfully draws godly leadership from your brothers.

I read this over the men to close out my message on Feb. 12, 2012.

Brother, you are strong.

You were made by God himself, fashioned from the earth and wired to be both responsible and capable.

You are the recipient of the highest respect from God himself who didn’t demand your allegiance before demonstrating his own worth.

You are a soldier enlisted to the highest calling in the highest army to do the greatest good for the greatest cause of the greatest Kingdom.

And so, I call on you brother to live with integrity, to lead with consideration, and to sacrifice yourself to lift others up.

And in all your interactions with women, may you display such strength in your connection to Christ that they, your precious sisters will know how treasured they are.

In this message, Pastor Jeff takes on the challenge of starting a new series to address gender differences from a biblical point of view. From a humorous beginning to a poignant and tear-stained conclusion, this message is a race through some of the most difficult Scripture passages on gender issues. You might not agree with everything in this message, but you can’t deny the conviction behind it.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Amazing to see others make the public act in front of everyone. I know I am not there yet but I will be. And when I am I want my two boys to be with me and see it take place in person! Maybe they can help Jeff too. Today’s service was simply amazing. This church is amazing. I can’t believe how it has grown!

— N.T. :: 2/5/2012

I am growing in fellowship and want to impact others. It is truly amazing to move from the left side of the page. God has been pushing me out of my comfort zone and has made me grow so much the past 2 years. He’s awesome.

— N.B. :: 2/5/2012

On Sunday, Nolan Miller, Jennie Miller and Leesa Morrison were baptized! Praise God for what He is doing in their lives!

Back in 2009, I wrote a blog post about how to prepare for our Commitment Sunday. If you want to read it, you can click on the link and go there now. However, that was two years ago, and things have changed for us since then. The most significant changes are that we have adopted the ELEMENTS metaphors as the way we communicate our core values, we have established Elders and By-Laws, and we have created guidelines for Covenant Members in the church.

Here’s the bottom line: I know God is using LCC to make a difference in people’s lives, and I want you to go on record saying that you want to be a key player, a covenant member for this next year. As a result, I’m writing this post to encourage you to consider our membership covenant.

You see, this Sunday is our Commitment Sunday, and I want to remind you of what that means for you, me, and for the family we call Lafayette Community Church.

On Sunday, we will be celebrating a number of different commitments.

• Some will be making commitments to Jesus by praying prayers of repentance.
• Some will be making commitments to Jesus by going through the waters of baptism.
• Some will be making an “associate” commitment to LCC by signing the Associate Covenant (see below for that)
• Some will be making a Covenant Member commitment by signing the Membership Covenant.
• Some will be making a financial commitment by giving God the first portion of their income.
• And some will be renewing their commitment to Christ by joining together in the celebration of communion.

I believe that at least one of those commitments is your commitment for this weekend. I believe that Jesus himself is preparing you to make one of those commitments. Which one or which ones are for you this week?

A Prayer of Repentance

Heavenly Father, I confess to you that I have lived by my own rules and followed my own standards rather than yours. I realize that the only right thing to do is to return to you the way you ask me to, by placing my trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins, and by giving you full control of my life. Please have mercy on me and cleanse me and lead me in the way you have for me.

Baptism

If you want to be baptized on Sunday, call me before the weekend is up! 765-404-0807.

LCC Associate Covenant

With a clear conviction that God’s will for me involves fellowship with the people of Lafayette Community Church, I commit to use this year to explore God’s simple commands to put him first, join his family, grow like Jesus, and serve others.

LCC Membership Covenant

GOD IS MY AIR:

In every aspect of my life, God comes first. His Word is my only authority. His Son is my only Salvation. His glory is my greatest desire. I give him the first of my every opportunity. Matt 22:37-38 (Gen 2:7 :: Acts 17:28-31)

Specifically, I have given my life over to Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I have followed him in the waters of baptism. I will submit my life to the mandates of the Bible, stand up for God’s honor, and invest the first portion of my time, talent and treasures in the work of his Kingdom.

GOD’S FAMILY FUELS MY FIRE:

The Spirit dwells in me but his power is revealed in community. I intentionally prioritize Christian relationships because I have something to give and something to receive. Matt 22:39-40 (Acts 2:1-4 :: Gal 6:10 :: 1 Th 5:19 :: Eph 4)

Specifically, I affirm the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life and heed the guidance he gives through the counsel of others in this church. I will view this community as my spiritual family and offer my time, talent, and treasure here before serving or giving elsewhere. I will prioritize the weekly gatherings for worship and join a Life Group. I will pray for and support my leaders, love my fellow believers, and vigorously defend the unity of this church.

I AM GOD’S EARTH:

God is creating me. I started as dust, but I’m becoming like Jesus. I rejoice in trials and hardships because Christ suffered for me, and I am a living sacrifice transformed by the truths of God. Rom 8:29 (Rom 12:1-2 :: Gen 1:27, 2:7 :: 2 Cor 4:7-10)

Specifically, I will pursue opportunities for spiritual growth. I will root out sin in my life through regular self-examination and confession of sin both to God and to accountability partners, and in all areas of uncertainty, I will submit first to the clear teaching of the Bible, then to the leaders God has placed over me, and finally, after prayer, to my own conscience.

THE WORLD NEEDS MY WATER:

I have the Living Water in me. Infinite refreshment is mine in Christ, and I unlock it in me when I give it to others. I eagerly risk embarrassment to offer others the Living Water of Jesus. Matt 28:19-20 (Prov 11:25 :: John 4:1-41 :: Matt 10:42)

Specifically, I employ everything I am and everything I have for the benefit of others beginning in this church and extending to the world around me. To help others find full life in Christ, I will work to serve them, befriend them, share my faith with them, invite them to join me in this church, and help them know the gospel so they too can experience the life I have been given. I will rely on God to refresh me as I strive to refresh others.

THEREFORE:

In full agreement with the mission and governing documents of this church, I will live by this covenant in unity with this church for this year.

Conclusion

I sincerely hope that you will be there Sunday to make commitments and to celebrate the commitments of others. It’s going to be one incredible morning!

In 2012, Lafayette Community Church is going to get really good at spiritual coaching. I’ve worked up a program for spiritual coaching that should be easy enough for anyone to work through and even guide someone else through.

If you are interested, you can download the entire coaching book here, or you can download each lesson individually.

Download

To access the downloads, click here:

http://lafayettecc.org/coaching-resources/

If God has given me victory or success in any of these things to any degree, I should pass it on to others. Being part of Jesus’ disciple-making process means to start simply with what he has done for me and who he has made me to be. From that, I can begin to bless others.

In this Family Sunday, Pastor Jeff engages the kids and their parents to learn how God wants us all to serve others.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Matthew 28:18-20

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

To assume that we can love God and love others without actually having to endure personal change is naive at best. Sin has caused us all to think of ourselves first, but the sister lie to pride is that we should ignore ourselves altogether. No, true humility is understanding the ways to invest in myself so that I can be a better servant to others.

In this message we learn that Jesus’ third priority for us is that we be “disciples.” We also learn what that word means and how people like us can become disciples.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Matthew 28:18-20

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The second greatest command of all time, according to Jesus, is to love your neighbor as yourself. Of course, the problem with that command is that it bases my love not only on my understanding of who my neighbor might be but also on what it means to love “as myself.”

In this message, Pastor Jeff takes us through some key Bible passages to show us how Jesus raises the bar on this golden-rule style command while creating a new command to develop a new community based on an even higher calling!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.—Matthew 6:33

There’s an order to life. There is an inherent priority to the way the world has been designed. Our problem is that we try to live by our own priorities and then wonder why things don’t work out the way we want. In many respects the complicated lives we live are the result of simply being out of line with God’s priorities. To get our lives back in order, we need to simplify… get back to the basics… rediscover God’s priorities.

In this message, we learn what our first priority should be.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

2012 is just beginning, but perhaps you are interested in making your summer plans include a mission trip. Mark and Carla Hanson, friends of LCC and missionaries to Spain, are hosting a missions trip to Alcoy Spain this summer. She sent me all the details, so I thought I’d post them here so you can know about it too.

You can Contact Carla Hanson directly at her email address: cjhmeh@gmail.com

Alcoy English Camp

WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN’T

In collaboration with Alcoy City Hall, and World Partners will host a 9 day camp on July 2nd – 13th, 2012 designed to bless the children and families of Alcoy with a unique and singular English immersion experience. Actually love, not English is the language spoken most audibly during camp. English Camp will run Monday through Friday the first week and Monday through Thursday the second week from 9:30 – 1:30 for students ages 5 – 11. We will deliberately limit our number to around 60 kids in each camp to provide personal attention and offer quality and individual contact with the families of the campers. Activities will include music, sports, crafts, and lesson time with a focus on small group learning and interaction. We teach through interactive curriculum, repetition, and creative activities. There is a cost to the families to help defray camp costs.

In an additional effort to bless parents who don’t have to run off right away after dropping off their children, we want to provide a special English conversational and craft class which we hope will turn into a natural avenue of friendship and trust that involves people from the local church.

We also will run an Intensive English camp for those who are 12 years old – Adult every evening of every week in July, Monday through Thursdays. This will be in the evenings from 6 – 8 p.m. We are especially looking for experienced teachers or those certified to teach English as a second or foreign language. Last year, this was our most popular program and as a result, we have had 86 adults & children continue in our year long program with each person receiving a Bible as part of their learning experience.

Given Spanish history and some past religious abuse, we work and live in an environment that can among other things be highly suspicious of organized religion, which influences and shapes how we minister. This camp provides a way in which Spaniards do not look at us as missionaries or you as short-term workers rather as individuals taking time, at your own expense, to love their kids and help them learn English. More will be said about this during the training and future correspondence leading up to camp.

English Camp is not a Vacation Bible School Program; instead it is used to model and demonstrate our faith in action. Other areas already using this program have stories each year of parents who talk of how teachers befriend and love their children. As a way of building upon that love and positive influence, special follow up events will be scheduled through out the year. From this continued and regular contact, we hope relationships will blossom and result in children visiting and becoming regular attendees at the local church, not to mention the countless spiritual conversations throughout the year.

WHY IT WORKS:

The strength of English Camp as well as our ability to run such a ministry is dependent upon cooperative and willing workers. The key dynamic of English camp is the relationship between the monitors or camp counselors and the 4-6 Spanish children that form each group. The groups will be formed by age and gender and will serve as the camper’s main reference for camp. A typical day begins with a welcome, a 15-minute workbook time at the beginning and end of each day, engaging them in song time, snack time, craft time, sports time, and talking to them at all times in English. Other programs like this have seen bridges of trust built in the communities that have been strong enough to support the weight of Truth.

WHAT IT COSTS:

Given the fact that we place the workers with Spanish host families for free, we are able to keep costs down. By far the largest single cost will be airfare to and from Spain. A rough guess of total cost would be between $2500 – $2800 (We will have a more exact figure as we look at flights more closely). Other costs will include a house-warming gift to the host family (we suggest something that tells them a little about where you come from such as a coffee table book on something your state is famous for – an example would be a book on the Indy 500 if you are from Indiana), the entrance fees to museums, site seeing events, etc. that your host family may plan, personal spending money (ice cream, souvenirs & gifts, etc.). Please know that the euro is stronger than the dollar at the moment ($1.31 to buy 1 euro). There is no need to bring euros since ATMs are plentiful and trustworthy. It is very difficult to exchange dollars so the ATM is the best way to get money. We have been doing it for 5 years with no problem. In fact, DO NOT BRING AMERICAN DOLLARS!

WHERE WORKERS STAY:

We know that bad housing can correlate into a bad trip. We value our workers and want to do whatever is necessary to care for them before and during their stay in Spain. Therefore, the homes we place people in are set up through personal contacts, city hall officials, and families of students attending camp. We will carefully screen these homes and they will be scouted out in advance. A good home environment is vital to a successful stay and we will take every step possible to ensure that this happens. In fact, the workers’ housing is just as vital and important to the ministry as the actual camp itself. The impact of 15-20 Christian workers living in the homes of Spanish families for two weeks is impossible to calculate. Most of the families would not be considered religious or church going but the stories from places that are using this program tell that between the workers and hosts alike there develops trust, friendship, and deep conversations of faith.

Most host families have two expectations: first, they are interested in hosting an international person for the experience and cultural exchange; second, they will want to practice their conversational English and have help for their kids. Workers are encouraged to spend their spare time with their host families. Breakfast and dinner will be eaten with the host families while lunch will be eaten together with camp workers.

ALCOY FACTS:

Alcoy , city (1990 pop. 65,082), Alicante prov., SE Spain, on the Serpis River. An important industrial center with manufactures of textiles, paper (especially cigarette paper), metals, and furniture, it also has trade in grain, wine, and oil from the surrounding region. The metallic structure of the Viaduct of Canalejas, one of the emblems of Alcoy, was quite innovative at the time it was built: the beginning of the 20th century.

The Riquer and Molinar rivers meet in the capital of the region to form the Serpis river. This fact, along with the numerous bridges and industries located by the rivers, and the homogeneous historic quarter, has determined the tourist character of Alcoy. The expansion of the medieval centre forced the creation of bridges, so the new suburbs could grow; this is the reason why nowadays the city is known as “city of bridges”.

The square of Plaza de España is the nerve centre of the city. In the medieval quarter we can visit the old City Hall, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the Festivities of Moors and Christians. Going on the opposite direction, up San Nicolás street, we will discover the Modernist part of town.

The festivities of Moors and Christians, which honour the patron saint San Jorge, are celebrated in Alcoy during the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of April; this “fiesta” is rooted in tradition, and commemorates the historical events of 1276. Music, pomp, and a burst of imagination take us back to the 13th century, to remember the Battle of Alcoy.

In our Christmas Eve Service, we played this video of the Christmas story produced by the kids of LCC’s Kidopolis program.

We didn’t know we needed a son. You wouldn’t be able to figure that one out on your own, but we needed a son. One like us who stands in the place of God for us. More than prophet, a SON who comes representing the Father. More than a priest, a SON who is God in Flesh standing before us. When the time had fully come, God sent a SON, His Son!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

God wanted direct personal relationship with his people, but his holiness and their sinfulness made it so that a mediator was needed. Moses was the prophet. Aaron was the priest.

Moses died and the priesthood was corrupted. Moses prophesied that there would be another prophet, but what about the problems with the priests?

Nearly 1000 years before Jesus, people began to reflect on the possibility of another kind of priest coming. They began dreaming of a priest who would bypass the weak frailties of the human priesthood.

He came.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like him, and indeed there were many prophets, but none fit the bill as well as Jesus. Throughout the Bible, there is a recurring theme of a prophet who fulfills part of the prophecy but not all. Also, men like David and Isaiah seem intent on pointing to the future fulfillment of the ancient prophecy.

No matter how many prophets there were, they weren’t enough. We needed one more, and the good news is that He came!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The Christmas season is upon us, and once again we celebrate everything that Jesus means to us and everything that he has done for us.

• We celebrate that God would send his Son.
• We celebrate that the Son would willingly come.
• We celebrate that everything we need, he came to give.

That’s the theme for our Advent season this year. Jesus came to give us everything we need. From teaching us about our worry over food and clothes to saving us from our sin and everything in between. He is our Prophet, our Priest, our King, our Brother, and our Savior.

He has come to us to be for us and with us everything we need.

How generous is our God!

Join us each Sunday through January 1 (except for Christmas Day) to hear a series of lessons on God’s greatest gift to you.

He Came, Advent 2011

What is the church? What does it mean to be a member of a church? In this message, Pastor Jeff, tells us what the Bible has to say about the church and about church membership.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

All people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. Those who repent of their sins and surrender their lives to Jesus are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12-13, John 3:3, 16-17, Acts 20:21, Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:5).

In this message, Pastor Jeff walks us through the central truth of salvation.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The Holy Spirit is the mysterious and often forgotten third member of the Trinity. Some churches emphasize the role of the Spirit above nearly everything else including the Bible. Some churches emphasize the Bible and every other doctrine while effectively ignoring the Holy Spirit. Some debate on what role the Holy Spirit plays in the world today.

Well, if you consider the teaching of the New Testament, it’s clear who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, at least in general terms. It’s also clear that we can never predict what the Holy Spirit might do for any individual person or even for any individual church with any specificity.

In this message, Pastor Jeff shows us from the Bible what we need to be clear on when it comes to the Holy Spirit.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

How well do you know Jesus? The fundamental truths about Jesus are just as complex and sometimes confusing as the doctrine of the Trinity itself, but understanding who Jesus is forms the foundation for everything in the Christian faith. After all, we call ourselves “Christians” because we follow Jesus Christ!

In this message, Pastor Jeff shows us from the Bible what we need to know about Jesus.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

To everyone at LCC:

Let me tell you what an incredible privilege it is for me to be your pastor. Each day, I’m reminded what a wonderful opportunity it is for me to know you, serve you, and encourage you. Each week, I’m reminded what an incredible responsibility it is for me to bring God’s Word to you in a relevant and informative way. Nevertheless, each year, you remind me that LCC is a congregation of generous people who understand the value of community.

Last Sunday, at the end of our announcement time, Dave Hynes stood up to share before the whole congregation that a collection had been taken up during the month of October for me and for Pastor Reggie in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month. I was completely surprised and had no idea that anything like that was going on behind the scenes. He handed me a gift bag that had some fancy chocolates in it and a card with $50 worth of coffee gift certificates inside.

You guys know me well.

See, I’m not a big fan of normal chocolate or normal coffee. I like the crazy strange weird (and usually expensive) stuff. I like the chocolate with chili powder in it to make it spicy, the 90% Cacao dark chocolate that makes your mouth feel dry, the salted chocolate that has real crystals of sea salt in it. I like the strange chocolate, and I’ll go on record now saying that the stuff you all gave me on Sunday was (and half of it still is) absolutely incredible. There’s some seriously strange, fancy chocolate in there, and it’s all amazing.

Also, the gift cards for the coffee are for the most amazing coffee shops in town. I’ve already bought a bag of beans that I intend to french press for my Life Group tonight.

Nevertheless, gift cards, chocolate, money, whatever, all those things are great and all, and I love you all the more for them, but what really excites me, what really gets my motor running, and what really reminds me of your appreciation for me is whenever I see you growing in your relationship to Christ.

This last year, I have received the great gift of seeing people step up to do more than simply greet Sunday morning visitors but to engage them during our Interaction time, to invite them to join Life Groups, to share meals with them, and to welcome them into the life of our church. I have seen people step up to give of themselves financially, making the commitment to return to God through LCC the first 10% of their household income. I have seen people step up to become worship leaders, and KIDOPOLIS teachers, and Life Group hosts. I have seen people devote themselves to prayer, to cleaning the building, to starting a youth program, and to even building a drum cage!

I feel appreciated with chocolate, and I thank you again for your gifts, but I need to thank you even more for simply walking with Jesus. He loves you more than I ever could, not because of you, or me, but because of him.

Let’s finish 2011 strong. Let’s build each other up. Let’s reach out to the lost who don’t know Jesus. Let’s put our money where our mouth is, and let’s all together get ourselves ready for the new miracles God will do in our midst next year.

Thank you again.

Grace and Peace,

Jeff

What comes to mind when you think about God? What images come to mind? Do you think of God like an old man on a throne? Like a breeze blowing through the trees? Like an impersonal force? In this message, we learn that all human language for God falls short especially when we take what we know about words and apply that meaning to God. When it comes to God, we let God himself be the standard for what our words about him mean. He calls himself our Father, but to take lessons from our earthly fathers and make conclusions about God’s character based on that would get us into a lot of trouble. Instead, we take what God says about himself and let that shape our understanding of what it means to be Father.

It works the same way with all His attributes: holiness, wisdom, power, love.

Listen up to revel in the attributes of the God who made you.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

One of the most complicated concepts to grasp is the notion that God is three-in-one. The Trinity is the conviction that the Bible means what it says. When it teaches that God is one and that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally God, we simply believe both propositions are true at the same time. In this message we address both the Old Testament and the New Testament to show that if a person believes the Bible, that person must also believe in the concept of the Trinity.

The last 15 minutes or so are questions from the congregation answered live.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

I just got this email from Seth Curtis saying that their support level is now at 95%. All they have left to raise is $350 in monthly support! Here’s the email:

Hey Jeff,

Just wanted to touch base with you so you can update your people on how things are going with our departure plans.

Our current support level is at 95% — We are still in need of roughly $350 in monthly support that needs to come in between now and when we leave. Because of the closeness, we have prayerfully set our departure date for Monday, November 21st, 2011.

Our people in Congo have been notified of our arrival plans and are very excited, as are we!

…

If there might be others at LCC who would commit to sacrificially partner with the ministry in Congo personally, I have attached a Statement of Support Intent form from FGM.

Along with this, if there would be those who would like to pray for us & track our travels back to Congo and getting set back up, I will be posting regular updates on Facebook & Twitter. More frequent and pertinent updates will be released to those who are members of our FB group, “ujm LIVE!”

• Talking Drum Mailing list sign-up — http://conta.cc/talkingdrum
• Twitter — http://twitter.com/Curtises4africa
• Facebook — http://www.facebook.com/Curtises4africa
• Facebook Group — http://on.fb.me/ujmLIVE

To join their financial support team, download this form: Statement of Support Intent.

Throughout this series, I will be using my personal blog to record textual summaries of my messages and answers to questions that people ask.

To follow these additional posts, subscribe to my blog or click here to view all the posts related to this series.

Read Pastor Reggie’s Letter to the Congregation here.

I am always sad to see great people leave our fellowship, but every now and then, I face a situation that has me simultaneously selfishly saddened and altruistically thrilled. In my selfishness, I regret to inform you all that Pastor Reggie will be taking on a new ministry position at another church and leaving us as soon. However, I have been in on the planning and strategy of this transition for over a month now, and I must say that I am thrilled for Reggie and his family.

Many of you know Reggie’s skills and qualifications put him in a category of experience that far exceeds what we were able to pay him. I still mark it a miracle that God has provided for his family well enough over these past two years that he has been able to stay with LCC, working for slightly more than peanuts.

Nevertheless, his great gifts have now been recognized by a church with the financial resources to compensate him fully, and I rejoice that Calvary Baptist in West Lafayette has hired Reggie, effective on October 24.

We will miss him greatly, but you should know that the church is in a much stronger place now than we were when he first joined us, and I personally am already working on finding people to fill his shoes. I believe God is going to bless us as we joyfully send Reggie out to this new ministry opportunity.

Next week (October 23) will be Reggie’s final Sunday at LCC, and we want to send him out with a blessing, so let me encourage you to share a word of thanks and encouragement with Reggie by replying to this post or posting something to our church Facebook page.

Download Reggie’s
Letter to LCC

From Reggie Alderman:

To the congregation of Lafayette Community Church,

It’s been my privilege to work with Pastor Jeff and the LCC church family. It’s been a little over two years that I first came to LCC when we met at the Long Center. What was a volunteer opportunity to be a part of what God was doing became a part-time staff position that has been a refreshing and exciting experience.

Recently, a full-time opportunity has opened for me to serve at Calvary Baptist Church in West Lafayette, IN as the Pastor of Operations & Counseling. My official start date is October 24, 2011. My last Sunday at LCC will be Sunday, October 23. Though all of this seems quick to some, it’s been something that has been developing over several months. I would have never thought that being the Pastor of Operations & Counseling at LCC would be the foundational experience that God would use to prepare me for the opportunity at Calvary, but in God’s plan He has brought everything to fruition in its season.

Though I’ll be serving in another church family, West Lafayette is not considered a continental relocation, so in many ways the friendships that have been forged here will continue. After all, we’re under the same assignment that Christ gave to us all.

Warmest Regards and God’s best in all things,

Reggie Alderman
October 14, 2011

What could you possibly say to make me change my beliefs? What could you possibly do to convince me that I’m wrong about something? Answer: Use the Bible. In this message. Pastor Jeff shows us why the teaching of the Bible should be held and taught dogmatically. We are dogmatic about things? That’s right. But you really should listen to this message to learn why.

The Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21).

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Our new mugs have arrived and we are selling them this time in a special way. They cost us about $5 each, but we are charging you the special discounted rate of only $10!

Actually, we give mugs away for free to every visitor, so we are asking you to help out by buying a mug of your own and sponsoring a mug that will make a first-time guest’s day that much more special!

So, if you get one, you are also giving one… and vice versa!

Hearing Jesus say, “Well Done.”

Every week, I am encouraged to think of how God is blessing us. We have some incredible musicians who lead us in worship each week, we have some wonderful volunteers working with the Kidopolis program, and our welcome team is simply incredible. We even got new LCC travel mugs to give away! To top it all off for me, I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity each week to share with all of you what God has laid on my heart from the Bible.

In fact, that’s the reason I’m taking this extra time to write a news post. See, we concluded our momentum series with the consideration of where all this momentum is taking us. Back in week 5, I shared that the main lessons of weeks 1-4 were really leading us toward the destination of spiritual maturity, but we’ve covered a lot more since then. What is the destination we are reaching with all this good momentum? Well, that destination is the moment we meet Jesus.

Some people live for the present moment as if this moment is all they have. They maximize their pleasure and “live for the moment.” Some people live in the present for some future goal. They imagine all they want to accomplish before they die or the kind of world they want to make and they work hard in their daily life for that envisioned moment. However, there is a moment far more important to live for. It’s the moment that comes after death, or for those lucky enough to be alive in that day, the moment when Jesus returns—the moment when I meet Jesus.

Be absolutely certain that when you meet Jesus, he will see your fruitfulness and your faithfulness and say, “Well done.”

After all, that’s my motivation and the whole reason I moved to Lafayette, the whole reason LCC got started. That’s the whole reason you are enjoying what happens at LCC. It’s all because there are people who are passionate to be fruitful with their lives and hear Jesus tell them “Well done,” someday!

Seth and Darla

It’s in light of that message, that I brought Seth and Darla Curtis before the church on Sunday:

Seth and Darla are church planters in Lubumbashi, Congo, and they are in the process of raising prayer and financial support.

Here’s the deal for you. One of the ways you can be fruitful in your Christian life is to join with them. You can bear fruit in Africa by joining with Seth and Darla. As of this week, they are 85% funded and need to be 90% funded before they can buy their plane tickets to go home. That 5% amounts to only $350.

Do you think our church can come up with $350 per month to help them get back to Congo? It’s not in our church budget, so I’m asking you as individuals. Could we get 10 people to step up with a $35 per month commitment to the Curtis family? What do you think?

If you want in, comment on this post to let the world know you’re in, and then contact Seth and Darla directly to sign up. Their website is: http://ujm.me and their email address is seth@ujm.me.

Let’s do our first church planting project by sending some church planters to Africa!

In this message we conclude the series to consider once again how this moment right now needs to be viewed from the perspective of the future moment when I face Jesus. That Moment is the end result of all the other moments in my life. The momentum of each moment is carrying me toward that final moment. What will Jesus say when I meet him?

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Matthew 24:36-51

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The Apostle Paul tells us “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (NIV). We like to take the word “love” and conclude that we’re safe because we don’t “love” money. We just like it a lot.

However, when you analyze the words and the context, you realize that we are all guilty of “loving” money too much. Listen to this message to hear how to deal with that problem.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

With a world as addicted to pleasure as ours, it seems appropriate for us to tackle the topic from a biblical perspective. What does the Bible have to say about the pursuit of pleasure. Listen up as we hear not only that pleasure leads to emptiness, but also that pleasure is a gift from God for our enjoyment! How do those things work together in daily life? Listen up!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In this message, we are challenged to rethink our concept of love and the love decisions we make. For one thing, what the world calls love is not the same thing as what the New Testament calls loves. On top of that, we see how some of the Bible’s greatest heroes ended up in bad places all because they fell in love. Listen up to find out how you can protect yourself from bad love momentum.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The moment of truth is a moment when your character is tested. It’s a moment when your true nature is revealed. It’s a moment when decisions are solidified. It’s a moment when you realize who you really are. Are you prepared for moments of truth? How do you handle trials? Why do we need to go through trials anyway?

Listen to this message to discover why God lets us face difficult times.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In this message, Pastor Jeff takes us on a journey through the life of a man named Jeroboam and the extremely negative consequences of one moment of failure in his life. Just one tiny moment of failure leads to thousands of years of trouble for ancient Israel.

Which of course, leads us to the question: How do you deal with failure?

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: 2 Kings 17:21-23

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

LCC is trying to do what Jesus did: Give People Life. Part of our strategy is a program developed by Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church called P.E.A.C.E. The letters stand for Promote Reconciliation (especially by helping people get reconnected to their Heavenly Father), Equip Servant Leaders, Assist the Poor, Care for the Sick, and Educate the Next Generation. We use P.E.A.C.E. as a strategic framework for everything we do outside the walls of our church.

To do that right here in Lafayette, we regularly engage in what we call PEACE projects.

September’s project is the Matrix Pregnancy Center’s Walk & Run For Life, Saturday, September 24. It will start from St. Elizabeth East Hospital at 9 am and ends whenever you finish your 2 mile walk or run (about 11 or 11:30). Their goal is to raise $25,000 but our goal is to win the “church competition” by raising more money as a church than any other individual church!

Visit www.matrixprc.org to sign up!

In this message, Pastor Jeff takes us on a journey through the life of Peter. You know. He’s the guy who is always sticking his foot in his mouth. He’s impulsive, impetuous, and often defiant. Take a look at where his life pattern of defiance leads him and how it all goes back to one decision he failed to make strongly enough.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

If you have never been to my house, Jen and I want to invite you to come over Sunday night for our next Newcomer’s Dessert. I care about getting to know the people who call LCC their home and those who are still exploring LCC or even just starting their journey of faith. I’d love to meet you and get to know you a little better. It’s Sunday night at 6pm at my house (call 765-404-0807 for directions). We will be sharing a little about the history of the church, getting to know each other, and also sharing some really tasty desserts!

We always say that anyone who hasn’t been to our house yet or who hasn’t been to a Newcomers Dessert is welcome to come, so if you can make it, we’d love to have you join us.

I hope you can make it.

Every moment has momentum. That’s the premise of this new series. One tiny, insignificant decision can lead to tragic places. Listen up as Pastor Jeff shows us how one man’s decision to stay home when all his friends went out nearly led to his death.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: 2 Samuel 11-12

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Pastor Reggie Alderman wraps up the BAM! series with a sermon called Motel 6! In this message, we learn how important it is for us to be the salt and light to the world.

Speaker: Reggie Alderman :: Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

BAM! In sermon 3 of the BAM! series Pastor Jeff Mikels teaches us the most difficult lesson we will ever learn. It’s a lesson that answers the question of why bad things happen to good people. It’s a lesson that answers why God doesn’t just take people to heaven when they become believers. It’s a lesson that is painful to hear but liberating to live.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

The video clip shown at the end of my message can be viewed here:

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In sermon 2 of the BAM! Series, Pastor Billy Holden of Innovation Church tells us how salt loses its flavor and how we can STAY SALTY!

Speaker: Billy Holden :: Passage: Matthew 5:13

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

BAM! Jesus once told his followers that they are the salt of the earth. It’s hard for us to relate to the significance of that claim, but Pastor Jeff walks us through what it meant for the original hearers and what it means for us today. In this message, you will be inspired to be a blessing to the world around you!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Matthew 5:13

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In the final sermon of the Break Out series Pastor Jeff leaves us with one final challenge from the Book of Galatians. Specifically, we learn that the final aspect of living in freedom is learning to spread that same freedom to others. Listen up to hear some practical ways to let your freedom rub off on other people.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

sent as a churchwide email on July 12, 2011

Greetings!

I’m sending this email to let you know of the great blessings and new challenges the church is facing. Our first year in the new facility is nearly done. We moved in to our new space at 3667 Braddock last September, and since that time our Sunday attendance has grown significantly. We now average about 125 people per week including over 30 children! Praise God!

God has blessed us with a great deal of influence in this part of the city, and we are seeing people with young children find a spiritual home with us. Additionally, we have seen a number of babies born this year. I’m excited to see all these new little ones born into families that desire to put God first in their home. It’s wonderful!

God has also blessed us with some hard working people who have found a way to open up a new room for childcare. We call it The Backyard and it is the place for infants to hang out and play while their parents and siblings are being taught God’s Word. If you haven’t seen The Backyard yet, you need to peek in sometime.

Now the challenge. We have the room ready, we have the infants ready, but we don’t have enough volunteers to adequately staff the Backyard and our other three rooms. We need a minimum of 2 adults per room, and we are committed to keeping our volunteers well taken-care-of and not overworked, so we have made the commitment to limit each volunteer to serving just once per month. Doing the math, we need 2 adults x 4 rooms x 4 weeks = 32 KIDOPOLIS volunteers!!

However, we only have 25 volunteers.

Now, I’m just like you. I hate the emails and letters that come from agencies and churches that say, “We have this need, can you help?” They always sound so… well, needy.

So I’m sending you this letter (and if you’ve made it this far, I congratulate you) to tell you just three things: Why we do KIDOPOLIS, what our short-term solution will be, and what our long-term solution will be. Then, I’m just going to ask you to consider one question.

WHY WE DO KIDOPOLIS

Whether you have served in KIDOPOLIS before or not, you need to know why we do it. Actually there are two reasons. First of all, we want adults to have an experience each Sunday where they can hear God speak to them clearly through the music and through the message and even the times of interaction. The problem is that when it comes to our souls, we are all ADD! We are so prone to spiritual distraction that having children in the service hinders much of what we are trying to accomplish with the adults. (Not to mention that I can usually hold the attention of a middle schooler, but I’m gonna be boring for most everyone younger than that!)

However, that’s of secondary importance compared to the fact that we deeply believe children need the message of Jesus as much if not more than do their parents. Jesus tells his followers that his Father pays special attention to children, and we want to do the same, so we have set up a system of education for the kids of LCC that is age-appropriate and exciting, that is fun for both volunteers and children, and that lays a foundation for the spiritual lessons we hope the parents teach the kids throughout the week.

The bottom line is that KIDOPOLIS helps us give the life of Jesus to more people, more effectively every week.

OUR SHORT-TERM PLANS

Because our curriculum is designed to be a relatively high energy experience, we need to make sure our volunteers are adequately rested, and because our volunteers are our most valuable asset, we want to make sure they are adequately trained and given chances for worship and instruction. As a result, we are committed to having our volunteers work only once per month.

However, since we don’t have enough volunteers to staff every room under that kind of system, we have made the tough decision to let some rooms go unstaffed some weeks. That means we will leave the rooms open for parents to take disruptive children to, but we will not have LCC volunteers watching kids in those rooms. Currently, that means the Backyard (non-walkers) will be unstaffed the second half of each month, and the Park (1′s and 2′s) will be unstaffed the fourth (and fifth) weeks of each month. We are planning to keep the Village (3′s and 4′s) and the City (K-5) open all month long.

But doesn’t that go against our purpses for KIDOPOLIS? Yes. However, LCC is a church that puts people over programs every time. We won’t run a program, no matter how good or noble, if it abuses or burns out people in the process.

OUR LONG-TERM PLANS

Of course, our hope is that we will have many people take the experimental plunge into working with kids. Many people are afraid of working with kids because they don’t know what to do with them, but the simple truth is that our systems and our leadership are so good that people who have never worked with kids before can find themselves having fun and changing lives in the process. So, of course, our long term plans include a fully-staffed KIDOPOLIS with 36-40 total volunteers on rotation. Now, we also know that sometime in the next year or so, we will need to consider moving to two services on Sundays. When that happens, it will be easier to make sure everyone who serves has an opportunity to also participate in the worship experience, but it will also require the tough decision of whether to staff KIDOPOLIS for two services or just one.

Therefore, until we go to two services, the long term plan simply includes getting more people to volunteer.

MY QUESTION FOR YOU

I’m not going to try to cajole or plead with you to try serving in our KIDOPOLIS program. The kids of LCC are too precious to us to have unwilling or reluctant volunteers working with them, so I’m going to shift the question:

What can you do strategically each week to help LCC give more life to more people?

There are of course many ways people are serving and volunteering, but I want to put that question on your plate for you to chew on for a bit. When you come on Sunday morning, what is your strategy for giving more life to more people? Are you setting up the refreshments, are you preparing to play in the band, are you greeting people at the door, are you arriving with a friend, are you looking for someone new to meet and encourage, are you serving in KIDOPOLIS? Every Sunday, you have an opportunity to worship, you have an opportunity to hear the teaching of the Word, but each Sunday you also have a huge opportunity to give life to someone who needs it. How are you going to take advantage of that opportunity?

Here’s one final thought from Bethany Hardy, our KIDOPOLIS Director:

Thank you so much for helping us support our teachers. We would ask that you pray to see if YOU can be part of the solution to fully staffing all of our kid’s classes. We have needs in every age group at this point for both teachers and helpers. If you are willing, but have never considered serving in this area before, we will be happy to have you sit in some classes and get some training to allow you to serve God in this capacity.

It’s such a joy for me to be your pastor and to see our church growing into a source of life for people who really need it. Thank you.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jeff

In sermon 6 of the Break Out series, Pastor Jeff shows us that freedom isn’t only about what God has done for us, but it is deeply wrapped up in how we choose to live. Some choices lead to greater freedom, and some choices lead to greater bondage, but there is one secret about our choices that will shock you.

In this message, Pastor Jeff refers to a video clip from ted.com. You can watch the entire video clip on the TED site, by clicking here: The Paradox of Choice on TED.com or to see the abbreviated version, Pastor Jeff used in the sermon, click here: abbreviated version

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

Pastor Jeff is back! This is the 5th sermon of the Break Out series called “I Will Not Be A Slave.” In this message, we are given four pictures of the difference between slavery and freedom as we study Galatians 4.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In sermon 4 of the Break Out Series, Pastor Reggie Alderman teaches about The Promise!

Speaker: Reggie Alderman :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In the third sermon of the Break Out Series Pastor Reggie Alderman preaches about how to Break Out From Legality to Reality.

Speaker: Reggie Alderman :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

The second sermon in the Break Out series is called No One Gets In My Way. What are the things that get in your way of living the free life God designed you to live? Do you let people influence you too much? Do you let your life be controlled by the truth of the gospel? Check out this powerful message and let nothing get in YOUR way!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In the new Break Out series, Pastor Jeff opens up the book of Galatians to help us understand that the freedom God gives us is something worth fighting for!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

There are a number of ways you can “plug in” to what’s happening at LCC. Here is a quick overview of those opportunities:

• Welcome Team (greeters, hospitality, KIDOPOLIS registration table)
• KIDOPOLIS (teachers, helpers, musicians, crafty folks)
• Worship Band (musicians, vocalists, computer programmers)
• Creative Team (producers, dreamers, event planners, artists, designers)
• AV Team (sound board, computer graphics, video production)
• Graphic Arts (paintings, drawings, graphic design)
• Life Groups (host homes, facilitators, participants)
• Mentors (follow-up, personal coaching)

If you are ready to serve in any of these areas, simply send an email to volunteer@lafayettecc.org.

LCC is trying to do what Jesus did: Give People Life. Part of our strategy is a program developed by Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church called P.E.A.C.E. The letters stand for Promote Reconciliation, Equip Servant Leaders, Assist the Poor, Care for the Sick, and Educate the Next Generation. We use P.E.A.C.E. as a strategic framework for everything we do outside the walls of our church.

LCC will be hosting its first ever “Oil My Ride” event on Saturday, June 11th (time TBA). We will be offering free oil changes and car vacuuming services to anybody in the community right here in the LCC parking lot.

We need:

• Volunteers to do the oil changes OR vacuuming
• Ramps or jacks to boost cars up for the oil changes .
• Other oil changing equipment (whatever that might be!)
• Other volunteers to mingle with customers and/or entertain the kiddos.

Since there are too many different kinds of oil and oil filters, we will ask customers to bring their own and we will do the rest (even show them how to change their own oil to save more money in the future). We will need lots of help to pull this event off! If you are able to help with any of these opportunities or have materials we could borrow for the event, please write it down on your Sunday Connect Card and/or contact Tara Olivo.

update:

We are still in need of the following items:

• Empty milk jugs/plastic bottles for used oil (these can be dropped off at LCC)
• Play dough & play dough tools/utensils
• BAKED GOODS
• Water and/or lemonade
• Extension cords
• Games (i.e. cornhole, bozo buckets, other carnival type games)
• Crayons

We also need volunteers to do the following:

• Face painter
• Game attendant
• Balloon attendant
• Refreshment attendant
• Traffic director
• Car inspector (must be car savvy)
• Crowd “minglers”
• Oil changing assistants (funnel used oil into jugs)

Faith Baptist Church here in Lafayette has donated $2200 to us, so we can buy some more chairs! Praise God for brothers and sisters of vision and generosity who believe in what’s going on here at LCC!

Okay, so we don’t really want you going around categorizing people as “smart” or “stupid,” but the Bible clearly lays out for us that some people are truly “fools” who will never recover from their foolishness. Plus, we are warned to avoid them. So how does a Christian who wants to positively impact people and help them change their lives for the better relate to a world filled with foolish people?

If you have ever struggled to deal with “fools,” you need to pay attention to this message.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In this message, Pastor Jeff takes us on a wild ride through Proverbs to highlight some of the stupid choices people make without even knowing how damaging they are. Listen up to see if you are the victim of any of these stupid choices, and make the decision with us to QUIT those choices!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In the fourth sermon (PG-13 sermon) of the I Quit Series, Pastor Jeff teaches us how to be Unbelievable Lovers! We learn to quit allowing cultural influences shape our hearts and thoughts about sexuality. Check this powerful message out, and learn what it’s about to be a Great Lover!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

This Sunday (May 15), we will be learning about how to quit the things that destroy intimacy in relationships, and as part of our discussion, we will enter (not too deeply) into some topics of human sexuality.

If you regularly bring your children into the adult service, we want to encourage you this week to check them into our amazing KIDOPOLIS program.

If you want a sneak preview of our topic, we invite you to spend a few minutes on Proverbs 5.

On Mother’s Day, Pastor Jeff takes us to a very well known mothersdayish sort of Bible passage. But Proverbs 31 the way he teaches it isn’t like any other version you’ve ever heard before. Listen up to discover how being an unbelievable woman is a liberating thing!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

P.E.A.C.E. is a global effort to attack the five biggest problems in the world the way Jesus himself did. Its goals are to Promote Reconciliation, Equip Servant Leaders, Assist the Poor, Care for the Sick, and Educate the Next Generation.”

P.E.A.C.E. is the strategy of Lafayette Community Church to make a positive difference in Lafayette and around the world.

THIS WEEKEND, we are coordinating people to help with the USPS food drive. If you want to help, here are the details we got from Lesley Morgan who is coordinating the effort:

Some carriers could really use some help. As only employees can be in a postal vehicle, volunteers for this would need to have their own vehicle to get out to the route. If it is a route they deliver from their truck, they can follow and pick up the food. If it is a walking route, the volunteer would meet the carrier and walk with them and pick up the food.

As far as shifts go, it might almost be easier for a volunteer to tell me how long and when they could work and I could match them with a carrier. Carriers leave for the street between 9-10 AM and would be done between 3-4 PM. So a volunteer could work the whole route or just part of it, depending on their availability. I would just match them up based on that. If it is easier to post something with specific shifts, I would say 9:30 to noon and 12:30 to 3. I hope this is not too confusing. Please don’t hesitate to call me with questions.

Thanks, Lesley Morgan 765-447-8933

All the food collected by postal workers will be brought to the Post Office on US 26, and will be sorted and received by Food Finders. There is a big need for volunteers there too to do the sorting. The contact person for that is Danielle Goldberg with Food Finders; her email is dgoldberg@food-finders.org. If you want to help, you MUST contact Danielle and sign up for a specific time so they know to expect you!

How do you raise kids without killing them? How do you help your children grow up and maintain your sanity at the same time? In this message, Pastor Jeff shares insights from Proverbs on the things we do as parents that don’t work and some words of advice regarding what does work!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In this rockin Easter Sunday Pastor Jeff starts the “I Quit” series. We learn how to quit the pretend religion called Churchianity and live life from the heart.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

We know you love LCC! We know you are excited about helping people find full life in Christ. But how will people find out about us? How will people know that among all the great churches in Lafayette, there is one that provides exceptional moments of worship, rocking-awesome music, entertaining and inspiring explanation of the Bible’s truths, great coffee, superb children’s programming, and supportive friendships all in an intimate location on Lafayette’s southside?

How are they gonna know?

You’re gonna tell them! (this is easy)

Visit our Google Places Page, sign in, and leave a review/ranking. Here’s the link http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=17598009640645674877.

If we get people who love LCC to do this, then our search ranking goes up and more people will discover full life in Christ through connecting with us!

Five minutes of your day! What do you say?

In the final sermon of the Just Jesus series, Pastor Jeff challenges you to Grab Your Rock as we explore the real reason Jesus was killed!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: John 8

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In message 4 of the Just Jesus series, Pastor Reggie takes us into what Jesus had to say about the afterlife.

Speaker: Reggie Alderman :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

This Easter, Lafayette Community Church will launch a new series on helping people move beyond the pretend into the authentic fulfilling life God offers.

It’s not about going to church, speaking nice things, doing good. It’s about something deeper. It’s about something real. It’s about a renewed heart that expresses itself in practical ways.

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

This Easter, Lafayette Community Church will launch a new series on helping people move beyond the pretend into the authentic fulfilling life God offers.

It’s not about going to church, speaking nice things, doing good. It’s about something deeper. It’s about something real. It’s about a renewed heart that expresses itself in practical ways.

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

In message 3 of the Just Jesus series, we learn that Jesus wants us to sell everything we have! Of course, our natural tendency is to reply, “Good one, Jesus! Now what do you really want me to do with my money?” But what if Jesus isn’t joking? Is that even possible?

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

HELP NEEDED :: Rose is going to be moving out of the YWCA Women’s Shelter this Thursday, but she needs some help with the move. We need a pickup truck and a couple people to help, and it will go very quickly. If you can help, call or email me.

In this message, Pastor Jeff shows us the difference between religion and what Jesus really wants from people. Jesus talks about how the heart is WAY more important than your traditions. Sadly, it’s too easy to get caught up in doing Christianity, and not living from a pure heart.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: MATTHEW 15:1-20

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive

HELP NEEDED: Rose is living at the Domestic Violence Shelter, but needs to leave by the 28th of March. She has a two-year-old son with her. She has found a place to stay, but she needs $200 more before she can move in.

She is also looking for a ride to church on Sunday from the shelter downtown. Her number is 765-225-1171. Call her and comment here if you can help.

This is the first message of a new series called Just Jesus. In this series we discuss John Chapter 3, and learn why we must be born again to see the Kingdom of God!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

If the files on this page are inaccessible, you can access them through the Internet Archive