Sectional Council

Every other year the churches in the Eastern Section send pastors and delegates to a business meeting where elections are held and the District is able to highlight upcoming priorities. Today we elected Rev. Don Cox to serve another two year term as presbyter and ratified all the other positions. It was great to hear from the District leadership, and I felt the anointing of God on them as they shared the vision they're sensing from God.

One thing that really stood out was a call to prayer for our entire District. In fact, they are asking every credentialed minister to come to a prayer meeting in Woodbridge, VA on Sunday May 2, 2010. It will be an unprecedented prayer meeting, and I think that you should come to. If I could show off one thing that our district does, one event that you could be part of to see and witness, it would be this prayer meeting, and to that end we'll be taking a van load to be part of it. I hope you'll mark your calendar and be part of it.

--Ben

Old Friends

Today I visited some old friends. There is something nice about old friends. I find the older I get the more age my friendships get on them as well. It seems life moves faster and faster these days. In a couple weeks my oldest daughter will turn five. (Yikes!)

It seems times flies between visits much faster than I even realize. As I sat with this couple catching up and trying to minister to them by listening to the challenges they're facing I realized that it had been years since I had sat with them in their home.

Not sure that I'll be able to maintain the closeness of all my friendships. I guess that's part of adulthood.

What ways have you found to keep friendships connected?

--Ben

Can't Wait For Tomorrow

I can't wait to share the last message in our recent series on Being Formed In His Image called A New Way Of Living. Jesus set out a whole new way of living for those who want to live rightly. I'm going to share with you why I hate hypocrites at church, and if hypocrisy has always bothered you too, I pray that tomorrow will help us eradicate it in places like SRC. See you tomorrow.

--Ben

Disappointed

Disappointed that we'll be calling off the Man Up event for tomorrow. Not enough interest. Well, we'll regroup and work harder to get great events that will help men connect to other men in the church and give us the opportunity to reach out to men outside the church as well.

--Ben

Pastors Growth Group

I'm thankful for the investment that the Potomac District has made in
its ministers. They offer three cohorts for education and growth:
LDR, Church Life, and Pastors Growth Group. I've had the privilege to
be part of Church Life and Pastors Growth. (With all the opportunity
I have a real hard time understanding why there are still pastors not
being coached in some way.)

Today I'll be attending the Pastors Growth group in Baltimore. I'm
looking forward to it.

--Ben

Life Commitments

In about 15 minutes the guys will arrive for our third meeting in Life Commitments. I'm very proud of them, and have heard already this week some of the reflections that they have been getting during their Bible study and meditation. Can't wait to get into it.

--Ben

Transparency

I value transparency very highly. I think that when we hide ourselves from being known we can never truly know others or ourselves. Some people are satisfied to live very private lives and guard their secrecy. But secrecy comes with a price, specifically isolation.

Scripture teaches clearly that there are no secrets, at least, no secrets that last. The ever-present God is with us always so nothing is done in secret from Him. What is done in secret will be brought into the light, and we can be sure our sin will find us out. This is why I try to live my life as openly as is responsible. I don't think everything should be shared, but think we should live in a way that everything could be shared. When it is beneficial for others to know about my past, present or future, my victories and my struggles I try to share them for our mutual benefit.

Today I was interviewed for an upcoming podcast and I tried to share as openly about my struggles as I did about my victories. I hope it is a benefit to others who will hear it.

--Ben

Bookeeper Shoutout

I just wanted to take a moment and say a public thank you to Mildred C. who does the bookkeeping for SRC. Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with Dan G. a church planter in NJ, and as he asked about our start-up I was recounting how things have worked. It struck me what a great blessing it has been to have Mildred help us this way.

Now she volunteers to do it. In addition to handling our money I know she prays for us daily. Thanks Mildred! We appreciate all you do.

--Ben

A Twenty-First Century Pentecost

I'm glad to be networked with the Assemblies of God, and am so thankful for the heritage from which I come. We are from the stream of Christianity that believes in the ever-present, ever-empowering work of God's Spirit to move the mission of the church forward. And when I look into the Church from it's first days after Pentecost in Acts 2 I see a freshness and power that should excite every follower of Christ.

It was new in the upper room, at Cornelius' house, and in the gentile ministry of Paul. It was new in Topeka, in the Azuza Street Mission, and in the churches that were started like Pasadena Assembly of God the church where I was found by Christ. The work of the Spirit is always new and unfolding.

That's why I desire to see the new work of the Holy Spirit; a pentecostal experience in the twenty-first century. Around the world there are moves of the Spirit of God that are radically changing the fabric of nations, and I am wary of looking back on the move of the Spirit from yesterday for our own. I believe and strongly desire to see a new work of the Spirit for our communities. One that changes us, empowers us, and pushes the mission of the church forward in our communities.

--Ben