We Have a GREAT Team!

We have a great ministry team! My family and I took time off at Christmas to visit my side of the family. It was so nice to be able to leave and not worry about anything!

• Our ministry assistants, Stacie and Anna, are so competent and trustworthy. I could never thank them enough for what they do.
• Our staff pastors, Sherman and Justin, were charged with planning and implementing the plans for the Christmas Eve service. I left them totally on their own and heard nothing but good comments about a wonderful service that families really enjoyed as they focused on the true meaning of Christmas.
• Lori was out of town, but not to fear... Heather was here. As Ron was bragging on Heather, his exact quote was... "And Heather... well... she was just Heather!" That meant spectacular!
• Those volunteers led by Dan, who always make sure our sound and video are working properly are too often taken for granted. I greatly appreciate what you do!
• Mike, thanks for preparing the buildings and making sure everything was unlocked for our people and their guests. You always do a great job and never receive enough praise.
• John, thanks for the great job you have done working with our children and also helping us move our athletic program forward.
• Milton Frazier, is the Pastor Emeritus of Emmanuel after serving here for 36 years. He has become my pastor and fills the pulpit when I'm gone. I'm blessed to have him by my side and privileged to be able to learn from him.
• And I cannot forget our Deacons. These men are this Pastor's right arm. They are my friends, co-laborers, and my greatest prayer warriors. They are godly men and I so appreciate them. They prepared communion for our Christmas Eve service and I'm sure they served in whatever ways were needed.

I just wanted to brag on our team publicly! Too many churches have internal staff struggles, but we have great chemistry. I feel blessed to serve with each staff member and volunteer. Next Monday, we'll be adding a new Children's Pastor to our staff and look forward to the new dimension he will bring to our team. Let me say it again - we have a GREAT team!

Rick Warren to Pray at Inauguration

President-Elect Obama’s selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the 2009 presidential inauguration will help correct much of the distorted thinking about Rick Warren being a liberal. I like Rick Warren, but I’m no Warrenite and I certainly don’t agree with everything he has done; but the media is proving that he is no liberal theologian or “Luciferian” as some delusional people think.

Rick Warren has come under great attack for his conservative views on the Bible, his stand against abortion, his opposition of homosexuality, etc. He is under fire because he interprets the Bible literally. He is labeled as too conservative and is accused of being intolerant. The New York Times called Warren the next Billy Graham and various sources call him the most influential evangelical in America.

Interestingly, some evangelicals think Warren should have turned down Obama’s invitation, but "why" would he do that? Aren't believers commanded to pray for those in authority, whether we agree with them in all points or not? Bill Hybels met for prayer and Bible study with President Bill Clinton and Billy Graham prayed over Presidents that he did not agree with. Why would any true Bible preacher turn down such the invitation to give the invocation at the inauguration? To do so would be a terrible witness and would leave the door open for some liberal preacher to merely read empty words out of a prayer book.

Rick Warren said it best during a recent interview…“We don’t have to agree on every point.” Neither teammates, spouses, or believers agree on every point; but a mark of spiritual maturity is being able to "agree to disagree, agreeably." Showing you rear end, pouting, throwing a temper tantrum, or taking your ball and going home are all indicators of spiritual immaturity. Let's learn to put non-essential differences aside and focus on the work God has called us to.

If you want to find out more about this preacher who will be delivering the invocation at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, visit http://www.rickwarren.com/about.html.

Casting a Vision for 2009

I saw the following quote from Brian Houston on http://www.perrynoble.com/. As I look toward "Vision Sunday" and pray for God to reveal what He wants to do through EBC in 2009, I wondered if this might be part of His answer to me. I ask you to read it carefully and begin to catch the vision for what God may want to do at Emmanuel...

“The church that I see is a church of influence. A church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it. A church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase. I see a church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches heaven and changes earth. Worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope. I see a church whose alters are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ’s call to salvation. Yes, the church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it not stand against it. A church whose people are unified, praying and full of God’s Spirit. The church that I see has a message so clear that lives are being changed forever and potential is fulfilled though the power of His Word. A message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens. I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given. I see a people so kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land. The church that I see is a church to committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal. I see a church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission. Yes, the church that I see could well be our church.”

Help for Those Grieving

In December 2002, Emmanuel held our first service entitled, "Home for Christmas." It was an idea that I got from our previous church and an idea they got from a Christian magazine reporting on the same service held in another church. You see, we all benefit when believers share good ideas with others and don't care who gets the credit. Too many churches act like secret societies and don't want anyone else to discover what they are doing. I will admit that sharing your ideas results in MUCH added work, because soon other churches in your area will be doing what you are doing. So, you will have to continually keep coming up with new and innovative ideas for reaching your community. But remember, imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

Well, I said all of that to say, we borrowed an idea from someone else that has really evolved into something wonderful for our church and our community. Each December, we partner with local funeral homes in our area to offer hope and comfort to those families who are grieving during the holidays. While some are celebrating, others are spending their first Christmas without their loved one being present. For some families, holidays hurt; but we try to remind them that their loved one is celebrating Jesus' birthday in His presence! Wow! What a thought. That really does ease the pain.

During the service, we call the loved ones' names, the funeral directors distribute ornaments, the funeral directors address the families, one of the directors prays over the families, we pass out books with ideas to help them get through the holidays, and I usually preach a sermon focused on heaven and the hope found in Jesus Christ. While it is sad to watch the grieving families line the aisles of our church, it is exciting to watch our folks get up, embrace those grieving, pray with them, share encouraging words, and weep with them. It is a simple reminder that these families are loved, prayed for, and they are not alone.

The icing on the cake is that our efforts serve people across our community -- rich and poor, old and young, white and black. We put our differences aside and come together for the common purpose of helping people (all different types of people) who are hurting. This service is one of the highlights of my year and to top it all off, today four of those family members placed their hope for eternity in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:28 proved itself true again, as God can and did work good from all things.

Again, I offer my thanks and appreciation to Franklin Hines of Hines Funeral Home, Eldridge Norton or Norton Funeral Home, and Wendell Davis of Young & Young Funeral Home. I realize this type of service would not be possible without your involvement. It is an honor to partner with each of you in this community service to our community.

Newsweek Twists Bible to Support Gay Marriage

I was just handed one of the most absurd and biased articles that I have ever read, written by a Newsweek journalist trying to use the Bible to justify gay marriage. While journalists are expected to provide fair and balanced news reports, this was nothing but an attempt to lash out at the recent passing of Proposition 8 in California (Constitutional ban of gay marriage). In fact, the Newsweek website states that "The reaction to this cover is not difficult to predict." They urge, "Let the letters and e-mails come." They blatantly state, "...our cover, which is ultimately supportive of gay marriage."

The Newsweek story sounds intelligent, but it is maliciously slanted toward the journalist's bias and includes flagrant misinterpretations. She intentionally (or ignorantly) takes Bible passages out of context; twists passages in an effort to prove her point, while leaving out passages that clearly oppose her premise; she removes biblical absolutes and replaces them with moral relativism; she labels those who take a literal view of Scripture as immature; refers to the Bible as legend; to Jesus as "the boy;" and equates sexuality to skin color (The skin color comment alone ought to be offensive to minorities, whether they are gay or straight).

In contradiction to the Newsweek journalist's accusation, a truly balanced and educated person should easily recognize this as a "one-sided opinion," (and as Newsweek called it... promotion of their "agenda") rather than real research and true journalism. Any journalist seeking real truth will quote both sides to any argument. To the contrary, those seeking only to prove a point will cite only those sources who agree with them.

This article was really nothing more than a journalist's attempt to "scold" those who she assumes voted for Proposition 8 due to their biblical beliefs and/or religious convictions. BUT, she does bring out some good points about "Christians" who vehemently oppose gay marriage; while being unfaithful, divorcing, fostering instability in the home, etc. It is obvious that this journalist has noticed the hypocrisy of the church and so has God! It's not a new problem, but it sure needs to be addressed.

Since the Newsweek side has been stated, allow me to refer you to some great blogs and articles written in rebuttal to this issue. These include:
1) www.AlbertMohler.com - Article written Dec. 8, entitled, "Turning the Bible on its Head..."
2) http://www.getreligion.com/ - Article written Dec. 9 entitled, "What's the Standard?"
3) http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzU5OTg0NmJjNzI3YzJkNzJlYzdmNWZjNWFmMjU3MWE= Article writtenDec. 7, entitled, "Newsweek on gay marriage."

A Unified Church

With the exception of a handful of dissenters (yes... even EBC is blessed with a few), we have a wonderful church that operates in the sweet spirit of harmony and unity. Two fires have taught our church how to pull together and we are blessed with a large number of spiritually mature believers who realize that "We must learn to agree to disagree -- agreeably."

Last night is a great example of a unified church. We held our annual Ministry Meeting to vote on our 2009 budget and give annual reports /updates to our congregation. We distributed our budget proposal 2-3 weeks in advance and invited our people to ask questions and offer their input to our pastors and deacons. When the vote was taken last night, it was approved unanimously. It means a lot to know that the church trusts the integrity of its leadership and their unanimous approval is a great vote of confidence. Our staff and deacons had prayed and worked for several months preparing a budget that displayed our trust in God, but also exhibited good stewardship and fiscal responsibility. The church also voted on another proposal regarding our financial reporting and that too passed unanimously.

In addition, we took time to brag on God! During 2008, He blessed our church with many salvations, baptisms, and new members. He brought true revival to our church! He led us in the timing of several key financial decisions that we didn't even realize, until the bottom fell out of the economy. He used our people to pay $700,000 against the principle of our debt in just 2 1/2 years. God has been so good to our church that we just took time to brag on Him publicly. It was a very sweet time... even in a business meeting.

Are things always perfect at Emmanuel? No... because our congregation is made up of imperfect people and we don't have a perfect pastor; but when we put our differences aside, stop our selfishness, and focus on God's plans instead of our own -- oh how sweet it is.

A LIFE Group Experience!

Two years ago, our church started referring to our small groups as "LIFE Groups." The title "Sunday School" brings connotations of little children sitting in desks, boring lectures, and interaction that is limited to Sundays only. Our church is trying to help our folks understand that life takes place seven days per week and we as believers should be "doing life together," sharing our experiences, praying for each other, and supporting one another. We are strongly encouraging interaction between Sundays and some of our groups are really getting it. I understand that small groups are often difficult for the older generation or traditionalists to grasp, but when they do.... they never want to go back!

This past weekend, my wife and I had the privilege of spending some time with a group in our church that has REALLY caught the concept of what LIFE Groups can be. Six couples spent the weekend at a beach house, sharing meals, playing golf, shopping, playing games, putting together puzzles (ladies had 500 pieces, while the men had 14 pieces), engaging in Bible study, and more! We even took time to watch a portion of the Florida Gators beating Alabama. (I'm a Miami fan, but I'm always for whoever is playing Alabama!) The weekend was GREAT, or as my kids would say... AWESOME! We weren't drunk, there were no illegal drugs, everyone kept their clothes on, our conversation was clean --- and we had a GREAT time! Our common bonds were Jesus Christ and a LIFE Group at Emmanuel.

The people in this LIFE Group are developing friendships and building bonds that will last a lifetime. Is it any wonder that this group is growing and people want to be part of it? Think about it... would you rather sit in a large class of acquaintances that meet on Sundays only to hear someone lecture; or would you rather add extreme fun, deep friendships, and great fellowship, and intense Bible study to your Christian walk?

LIFE Groups are really the "life lines" for congregational care at Emmanuel. Class members should be calling and visiting absentees, visiting class members in the hospitals, sitting with family members during surgeries, preparing meals, hosting bridal showers, comforting the bereaved, celebrating, playing, praying, and serving -- together! We believe that every member should be a minister. "LIFE Groups" care for one another, while "dying groups" expect the pastor to do all the caring for them.

Ultimately, the choice whether to attend a class that is dead or alive is up to you, and Emmanuel has both types of classes available. If you're in a dead class, be a catalyst for change and bring it to life. If you're in a dead class, consider moving into a different group. My personal prayer is that EVERY class at EBC will become a LIFE Group!

Volunteers Encourage This Pastor

There is nothing that excites me more than watching our church members dive in up to their elbows as they work around the church. We're all familiar with the Pareto Principle that says, "20% of the people do 80% of the work;" but I am blessed to pastor a church where our percentages are much higher. About a month ago, the work started as we began preparing for our Homecoming service. Our church family worked outside as they cut grass, trimmed bushes, spread mulch/pine straw, edged sidewalks, pulled weeds, reworked flower beds, and more! Inside they cleaned the Worship Center, painted, dusted instruments, oiled the wood on the pews, washed nursery curtains, replaced torn speaker cover, reworked our baptism changing rooms, and more! I can't even begin to tell you all that went on around here, but I know that people enjoyed each other's company and enjoyed caring for the Lord's house.

The volunteers didn't stop working after Homecoming, but instead they picked up on additional projects. A group started preparing a brand new flower bed that will spell out "EMMANUEL" and they picked the coldest, windiest day to lay the ground cover; but they enjoyed each other's company and are still telling stories. Another group came out to decorate our church for Christmas and spent two days tying bows, hanging garland, and decorating trees. It looks beautiful! Some of our men (1 deacon in particular) installed new lights in our gymnasium, which was a first step as we prepare to turn the old stage in our gym into a theatrical set for our children's & youth ministries. On another day, some of our men planted trees and our ladies taught classes in tying bows and making gingerbread houses. I apologize to those that I didn't mention, but there are volunteers out here all the time doing work that I don't even know about.

Now don't misunderstand...I didn't say we have 100% of our people involved and volunteering, but we have a large percentage. I believe that's why we have such a great church, because many people are rowing the boat and very are rocking it. Even we have a few, but we love them anyway and invite them to pick-up an oar and start rowing with us at any time. When people love their church, they want to build it -- not break it; and we all must realize that we only get out of a church (or any other organization) whatever we put into it.

THANKS to all of our wonderful volunteers! This pastor greatly appreciates ALL you do!

Revival Results in Reconciliation

There are many wonderful joys in ministry (and some not so joyous); but tonight was one the highlights. Tonight, I had the privilege of performing a re-marriage, and this is only the third time in 25 years that I've had the opportunity to do this. Approximately four years ago, unfaithfulness crept into a beautiful home and ripped it apart, as was shared by this dear lady during her recent baptism. BUT, she reminded our church of how loving, forgiving, and full of grace God really is. This dear family has been involved in our church for nearly a year and they have seen (and now experienced) God doing some wonderful things. The husband's card read as follows, "I wanted to say thank you for everything! You and Emmanuel played an important piece in putting my family back together." One of the greatest joys came as I watched this couple's two daughters beaming with smiles that stretched from ear to ear. They were getting the wish of every child whose parents divorce. It was like watching the movie "Parent Trap" played out before our very eyes. We all got to see the story of Hosea acted out in real life. We were all reminded of Christ's unfailing love for his Church!

My heart goes out to divorced couples, but the truth is that every divorce has "selfishness" at the root. One spouse or both put his or her own desires above their spouse's. Someone chose their own path, instead of following God's. Selfishness leads to infidelity, irreconcilable differences, wanting something different, dissatisfaction, etc. BUT, when we put God first, He can help us put the interests of others before our own (Phil. 2:3-5) and understand true humility.

This marriage (and family) being restored is just another example of the results that come from personal revival. As we draw closer to God, we draw closer to each other. When our vertical relationship is right, our horizontal relationships are right. On the flip-side, you CANNOT be right with God, when you are not right with other believers. So, put God first, obey His commands, and begin experiencing the abundant life that Jesus described. So many of us miss the joys of life and choose to live with the heartaches; simply because we choose our sin over the Savior. We would rather hold grudges, fail to forgive, harbor bitterness, carry malice, prove our point, inflict pain on those who hurt us, and live as a slaves to sin; instead of following God and extending forgiveness. Revival is the desire to lay aside everything that would hinder our relationship with God. I'm not sure that any more hurtful offense could be committed than infidelity within a marriage. So, if this couple could forgive and restore their marriage, what's your excuse for not forgiving those who have hurt you? Truth is... if you are carrying grudges, harboring bitterness and failing to forgive... YOU NEED REVIVAL!

4th annual "Carolina vs. Clemson Day"

Upon moving to South Carolina, one of the first questions I was asked was, "Are you for Carolina or Clemson?" Being a Miami Hurricane fan, neither of those names had ever crossed mind. Taking advantage of a natural rivalry, our church began hosting "Carolina vs. Clemson Day" on the Sunday before the big game (that way neither team could gloat.) Our guest preacher each year is the chaplain from USC or Clemson, on an alternating basis. This year, we had Tony Eubanks from Clemson. Our people decorated the auditorium, the fans sat on their respective sides (yes... we divide the church intentionally), we usually do a coin toss to see which team parks on which side of the building, we played the team fight songs, we had tailgate parties during Sunday School, and we even asked our people to dress in their game day, fan attire. There were painted faces, garnet wigs, tiger faces, and more. It was exciting! The most exciting part was that it gave our people an "excuse to invite" their unsaved friends and people who don't usually attend a church service. We always have a large number of guests and Tony made sure they heard a very clear gospel presentation. Each year, spiritual decisions are made and it happened again today!

You ask... "Does everyone like all the hoopla and the different format?" The answer obviously is "no;" but most have come to see the success of such days and the eternal impact, so they tolerate it. 99.9% of our folks LOVE IT! You should hear them talk. I enjoyed hearing the stories of people inviting friends, coworkers, relatives, etc. They were praying for people to be saved and they see these special days as "tools" for evangelism. I like to call them "hooks." Jesus told us to be fishers of men and I want to have as many lines in the water as possible; BUT I don't want to be fishing inside the boat and merely swapping fish from one cooler to the other (stealing members).

Today was, again, a HUGE eternal success! So, what do we plan to do in the future? Everything we can and whatever it takes to make an eternal impact on Hartsville and Darlington County. I like the way the Apostle Paul put it in 1 Cor 9:22-23, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake..."