The Three Stooges!

I love those guys! I know, I know, I can feel the rush of wind as every female eye rolls in unison of unbelief of how every male since the beginning of time has expressed their love of the stooges! (kinda funny since they have not been around since the beginning of time....but, oh well!) Anyway, we do not have the three stooges this week but we will be having the three prophets! Well one prophet...the prophet Isaiah will be in house and talking to the kids this week as we kick off our fall quarter with the title of "Listen Up!"
But in the next three months we will be hearing from all three of these major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) and the warning messages that they had for the people of Israel and the messages that they convey to us today!
And this last week was so incredibly awesome as we saw many of our kids baptised in our baptism celebration service! Of particular awesome(ness) was to see our very own Cole doing several of the baptisms...I am so very proud of how God is using him (and all our mentors and leaders) to make a difference in the lives of these kids God had entrusted to our care! I'm gonna cry now so I'm outta here, check back next week I may try to catch Isiah on film for you to see for yourself...I hear he looks quite well for a man of his age?
Later, love you guys!
Pastor Darren

Awesome!

So yesterday at church a couple in the church comes up to me with a story they want to share! Apparently they had some play time with their kids at home and the kids wanted to do a "church service" so they went about assigning tasks to each other to put on this "church service." Mom and Dad did not get to help in the planning of this wonderful little worship set but were regulated to just being the congregation. The mom said it was so hilarious, as the kids all got up in front of their mom and dad and began by opening in prayer and then doing the "Good Morning" song that we do with the sprinkler motions and all! Then she went on to tell me how her youngest daughter got up to say she wanted to know who knew the difference between knowledge and wisdom? And the youngest of the group held up his hand to answer his slightly older sister and began ripping off the answer to his parents amazement!
They went on and on how amazed they were at the music they had heard and learned and most of all the lessons that they come home with and share! How awesome, How VERY AWESOME! Not just that the kids remember a cool song or even the lessons we strive to get across to them week in and week out, but that they are sharing it! If it is the living room of their home while playing church or with friends at their house, in the classroom on Monday! How Awesome to know they (the wonderful kids God allows us to work with each and every week) are sharing their faith in Jesus Christ!
I walked around yesterday during our first service to just look in on everyone and was just reminded of this story as group after group I hear and see our wonderful group of mentors pouring life into the kids entrusted to our care for one more week....oh great now I'm starting to cry! Gotta do something manly...after I reheat up my grande mocha nonfat latte...wait, no I'm going to go get a cup of coffee, black, drink it right from the pot!
FYI the "Good Morning" song is from Phil Joels album....I mean cd (no I'm not old at all) "Deliberate Kids" if you have not checked it out...do so!
Later dudes

Blown Away!

I am so totally blown away week in and week out by the people we have serving up in the Zone! This last week our second hour large group leader...the amazing Dougini (don't ask, just come and watch) was out and I got the chance to pinch hit for him! The kids/mentors and I had such an awesome time worshipping and praising God and talking about the blood of Jesus and how when He forgives...He forgets and we do not have to walk around with a burden of guilt over us because as the word says "whom the Son has set free is free indeed!"
I then stood back and watched as the kids broke apart into groups and the leader of the third grade, lets call him David...because that is actually his name, David. Anyway, I watched him take a group of these boys and girls and circle them up and then pour out his love for Christ into their lives and just thought about my own childhood and the names and faces that I have long since forgotten but the lessons I know they poured into me that have made me into the Jesus follower I am today. Well let me check that their are some of those unique and totally passionate people that I can still see and hear, the "David's" of my own day!
This next Sunday we are getting into chapter 11 of Hebrews and the hall of faith! Cannot wait to see how God shows up this week...oh wait, most likely like he does each week through David/Patti/Dean/Mike/Ashley/Kathy/and all the other wonderful and awesome mentors up in the Zone!
See you guys
Darren