Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Blessed by Others

I have been thinking about how very thankful I am that God has placed so many people around me to help me in my walk.  He touches me often through my wife, daughters, parents, other family and many friends and acquaintances.  I am utterly amazed.  Just chatting with friends (in person or via email, text or phone) or even when a preschooler asks me, "Pastor Kevin, what does God look like?" I experience Him fresh and new.  Sitting down and reading books and devotionals are a blessing too.  Thank you, God, for how you help deepen my walk with You through so many people!

Here is a sampling of a devotion that blessed me today by Richard Rohr: 
"Don't waste the next years of your life being against anybody, anything, any group, any supposed sin, or any institution.  Just go ahead and do it better yourself.  It's so common sense when you hear it.  As Mohandas Gandhi put it, 'Be the change you hope to see in the world.' And the church!"

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Monday, October 19, 2009

Is your church indispensable in your community?

"The question that church leaders need to ask is not, 'How can we get more people to come to church?' We've been asking that question since the numbers starting turning down in the 1970's. All our solutions together haven't turned the tide of declining church attendance.
Throw in all the mega churches, all the church-growth seminars, all the church marketing, the millions spent on programs and the kitchen sink, and the result is the same: people continue to stay away from church in droves."

In an article written for Ethics Daily.com, (click here to read it) Chuck Warnock, pastor of Chatham Baptist Church in Chatham, Virginia, discusses the challenge to make our churches indispensable to our communities. He brings up some good questions which each church will have to answer through their own work with God.
I first saw the article on an email from my friend, Keith Herron. I thought it might make for a good read. I hope you enjoy it.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Parking lot on 60 Minutes

Because of meetings, I didn't get to see it live, but the parking lot of Centerville Baptist Church was on the CBS News show 60 Minutes this past Sunday. View the 60 minutes story at http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5362297n . It is a story about coal ash and its harmful effects. For anyone that doesn't know, there is a golf course that was built just down the road and they used coal ash to help add hills and contour to the land because it is very flat here. The coal ash has leached harmful chemicals into the water supply and almost all of the houses south and east of the golf course are on wells. The city of Chesapeake put a water distribution station in the parking lot of the church and Leslie Stahl did some interviews here back in August.

As we think about our Christian walk along side this kind of tragedy, I hope we can learn that God's creation is not just something we can use up, consume as we want. We are the stewards and we need to do that job careully and with an attitude of worship. When we don't, it has grave consequences for us all.

I am glad we are able to host the water distribution station, I just wish we could do more.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin