Welcome to 2007

So here we are in the New Year. Welcome to 2007. The typical blogger I am sure, will post something to the effect of setting goals, New Years resolutions, holding to promises, following up and following through, firming up the round edges... Alas, there is a temptation for me to do the same, BUT I will refrain from doing so. This is for the reason that, I realize I am going to still be slightly husky by the end of this year (I know husky is a nice way of saying fat, but work with me). No, not because I plan on a diet of Snickers and Salt & Vinegar chips, but because my toes barely make it through 30" of length on my pants.

So try this instead. Talk to God. And now you are thinking, "brilliant, thanks for sharing." Simplistic yes, simple no (cause then I would be simple and husky and that is too hard to deal with). I am encouraging you to ask Him what 2007 should hold for you. What His resolutions are for you this year.

Zephaniah 3:17 says "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

He is mighty to save. There is no force or evil or power that He cannot overcome. There is no family situation, work situation, co-worker, friend, brother, sister, mother, father or child he cannot overcome. He is Mighty to Save.

Oceans Will Part
Hillsong (from the album "Mighty to Save")

If my heart has grown cold
There Your love will unfold
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
When I’m blind to my way
There Your Spirit will pray
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

Oceans will part nations come
At the whisper of Your call
Hope will rise glory shown
In my life Your will be done

Present suffering may pass
Lord Your mercy will last
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
And my heart will find praise
I’ll delight in Your way
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand
As You open my eyes to the work of Your hand

Welcome to 2007. Now it's your turn to welcome Him to take it.
Scott

Christmas Eve @ The South

We are hosting 3 Christmas Eve Services this year:

11:00am - Childcare for 2 and under provided
4:30pm - No childcare
6:00pm - No childcare

We would love to you have join us. Bring your family, friends and you can even wear your spiffy new sweaters.

Scott

Listen Up

This past weekend, in my sermon, I mentioned a practical exercise to engage more deeply in scripture. The acronym was S.O.A.P.Y The idea came from Wayne Cordeiro (pastor from Hawaii).
It stands for:
Scripture
Observation
Application
Prayer
Yes Lord, today I will...

Scott

24/7

Last night from 12 - 1 am I sat in the 24/7 prayer room at WPC. What a great experience. Totally interactive, the hour flew by. And I met Janet and Ed. 2 great people. Janet is leaving for a 2.5 month missions trip to Mexico with WPC in 2 weeks and is pumped. (note: There is still room for the Mexico Trip - if you feel like you want to go call Liz at Hwy 33 for info 765.6622) Ed is a prayer warrior and blessed my socks off.

It fits any personality. There are some times still available call Nancy at Hwy 33 (765.6622) to see what's free. Or come hang out with The South Guys Thursday morning from 5 - 6am. We'll hit a little b-fast after too - we'd love to have you come.

Scott

Interesting Links

This link is from slate.com and is a blog from David Plotz's "Blogging the Bible." A self-proclaimed non-observant Jew, David is reading through the entire bible and blogging his reactions to it. David provides a fascinating look at the Bible from an outside viewpoint.

As a follow up to Mark's Dec 2/3 weekend sermon, the following are links to highten your awareness of AIDS/POVERTY & HOMELESSNESS in bc and throughout the world. The band Jars of Clay are playing at WPC's Student Ministries RUSH conference in January and they are passionate about this topic check out Blood:Water Mission. Also, many stars and musicians, have joined support with the one campaign. The Mennonite Central Committee is always engaging with global needs and problems and cannot be overlooked in their efforts Generations at Risk. Mark shared a video clip of Bono, from the band U2. They focus on many Global issues - check out Hearts & Minds from their website.. and listen to a few tunes along the way. Audio Adrenaline, long-time christian band, although they will be defunct later this year continue to focus on poverty, specifically in Haiti.

Enjoy your day and the snow. And everyone told me, Kelowna is great summer all the time! I though I was rid of the snow after leaving Alberta... This is summer all the time..

Scott

God Made Us Sensual - Nov 25/26 Sermon

Another great weekend at the South Campus. Our first hour was a packed house. The 11:00pm numbers started slow but gained momentum as the service progressed. It was great to see all of you in spite of the "Alberta" snow.
I like to highlight the weekend message to provide additional resources and thoughts. The book I mentioned during the service, Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Leman sold out. So I thought I would give you the link to his website so you can check out that book and other resources he offers. He has co-authored another great book called "A Chicken's Guide To Talking Turkey with your Kids about Se_." (FYI: I did not finish the last word on purpose so that we don't recieve any unwanted junk mail etc..) The book is candid, informative, helpful and refreshing.

If you have any further questions or need some more resources please don't hesitate to contact me or any of the other Pastoral Staff. Thanks for being part of the South Campus. We are glad you are here.

Porn - This Means War

After a powerful weekend service, I thought I would highlight some of the resources mentioned on the topic of Pornography.
Books:
Pure Desire by Ted Roberts
Every Heart Restored by Fred & Brenda Stoeker
I Surrender All by Clay & Renee Crosse
The Everyman Series by Steven Arterburn (there are a number of books in this series)

Websites:
xxxchurch - specifically the free X3 blocker software
Purity Online

Phone Number if you need help: 765-6880 ext 410 (confidential voicemail)

Scott

What are we doing?

To move to the next level, we have to understand a few things about ourselves. Better yet, we have to create an understanding of who we are and what we are doing.

1. Develop a South Campus Identity
Right now we are a mish mosh of some from the hwy 33 campus and those that have only come to the South Campus. Understandably, this means we come from different bents. Some think that Willow Park Church IS the South Campus, while others know it is just a part of WPC. Here are some of the idea's we are looking at to help clarify our identity:
-establish a separate webpage linked from the WPC website
-podcast announcements
-upgrading elements of the Campus
-paint foyers and auditorium
-clean up the auditorium/make it look money
-paint kids area
-large bold signage for Guest Central etc…
-prayerfully consider a strategy for community engagement
-network with local organizations and businesses
-strategically co-ordinate with individuals within the church to develop some bridges into the community
-consistent pastor on-site during the week and on Sunday

2. Development of WPC Identity
We must understand that we are part of a greater whole. Willow Park Church is not made up of a "Main Campus" and "other" ones. It is all of us. And we believe the "all" will continue to grow. Therefore we need to:
-promote global (all campuses) activities regularly at the South Campus
-plan and implement 2 to 3 global activities throughout the year
-live satellite feeds

If you have any questions or comments, let me know, I would love to hear from you.

Scott

One Small Step...

for mankind one giant step for Willow Park Church. Brace yourselves, I am typing this from the South Campus. Yep, just this week we got wired. So the hope of regular office hours, happy faces and great coffee are just around the corner.

Here we go...

Welcome to the South Campus Swell. It's a place I hope you find keeps you informed and engaged with the happenings of the place we like to call Willow Park Church. Enjoy.