I've started a new blog page at:
www.markmcmahon.org
Please come check out the new site.
Thanks!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
September thoughts
I write to you today in the midst of a wonderfully exciting time for The Way. I hope this message finds you well. As summer ends and everyone settles into a fall schedule, The Way gears up for a time of celebration as we approach our first significant mile-marker as a church-family, our one-year-anniversary! Can you believe it...? We will be celebrating this important accomplishment on Sunday, September 19th. We have some special plans in the works to help make this service a special occassion. We hope that you'll make every effort to attend.
A few other important items of note are as follows:
1) Wednesday, September 8th we will be joining Latrobe First Church of God at their facility by the McDonald's on Jefferson St. in Latrobe for an evening of prayer through music led by Artist David Nevue. This event is one of a kind and free of charge. Mark your calendars!
2) Our food bank ministry has officially kicked off and is in full swing. Our distribution times are Thursday evenings from 5pm-6pm at The Mozart House. This ministry is still in need of helping hands to adequately serve the hungry of our city. Are you interested in assisting with these efforts? If so, please contact Karen Hough at karhough@comcast.net for more information.
3) We are currently working diligently building partnerships in our community to establish regular sources of food to distribute on Thursdays going forward. We are excited about the way these conversations are developing to date, but in the meantime we are in need of your personal assistance to build up our food bank inventory. In short, we are asking everyone to check their own pantries for excess non-perishable food items that they may be able to donate to The Way. Also, we are being blessed by some friends of The Way who are holding food drives at their schools and places of business to help with this effort. Could you assist in that manner? Could you simply buy a bag of groceries and bring it to our worship gathering this Sunday? Every little bit helps. The items most needed are canned fruits, canned veggies, and canned meats.
Thanks so much for your continued prayer and generosity to this ministry. God is doing powerful things in our midst, and certainly the best is yet to come. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Grace and Peace be with you.
A few other important items of note are as follows:
1) Wednesday, September 8th we will be joining Latrobe First Church of God at their facility by the McDonald's on Jefferson St. in Latrobe for an evening of prayer through music led by Artist David Nevue. This event is one of a kind and free of charge. Mark your calendars!
2) Our food bank ministry has officially kicked off and is in full swing. Our distribution times are Thursday evenings from 5pm-6pm at The Mozart House. This ministry is still in need of helping hands to adequately serve the hungry of our city. Are you interested in assisting with these efforts? If so, please contact Karen Hough at karhough@comcast.net for more information.
3) We are currently working diligently building partnerships in our community to establish regular sources of food to distribute on Thursdays going forward. We are excited about the way these conversations are developing to date, but in the meantime we are in need of your personal assistance to build up our food bank inventory. In short, we are asking everyone to check their own pantries for excess non-perishable food items that they may be able to donate to The Way. Also, we are being blessed by some friends of The Way who are holding food drives at their schools and places of business to help with this effort. Could you assist in that manner? Could you simply buy a bag of groceries and bring it to our worship gathering this Sunday? Every little bit helps. The items most needed are canned fruits, canned veggies, and canned meats.
Thanks so much for your continued prayer and generosity to this ministry. God is doing powerful things in our midst, and certainly the best is yet to come. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Baptism service
Hello all,
The week has come! We are officially worshipping off-site this weekend. We will be worshipping at the Biddle's home this Sunday morning and baptizing several of our friends from The Way. It is going to be a wonderful gathering! Also, we're potlucking lunch together at the conclusion of the baptisms. The Way will be providing drinks, and we're asking everyone who feels inclined to bring a dish to share.
Once again, we will not be hosting our worship gathering at The Mozart House this Sunday. It will be at the Biddle's house at 10:30am.
The Biddle's address is:
156 Frosty Road
Latrobe, PA 15650
Directions are as follows:
From Greensburg and West:
Take Route 30 East to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Make a right at the light onto Route 981. Go to red light. Make left onto Arnold Palmer Drive. Follow to stop sign. (You will pass Latrobe Country Club on your right and the High School on your left before reaching stop sign). Go straight. Come to red light. Go straight. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again whatch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
From Ligonier and East:
Take Route 30 West to The Youngstown/Route 982 South exit. Follow to Red light. (You will see Rainbow Inn to your right) Make left at light onto Main Street. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again whatch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
From New Alexandria and North:
Take Route 981 South into Latrobe and follow to Route 30. Cross Route 30 (see Airport on right when you cross). Go to red light. Make left onto Arnold Palmer Drive. Follow to stop sign. (You will pass Latrobe Country Club on your right and the High School on your left before reaching stop sign). Go straight. Come to red light. Go straight. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again whatch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
From Mt Pleasant and South:
Take Route 31 to Route 119 North and follow to Route 30 East. Follow directions from Greensburg
or
Take Rout 31 to Route 982 North ( See Bells Steak and Sea House on your right as you make the turn). Follow 982 North quite a few miles through Baggaley and to the Red light in Youngstown. (Tin Lizzy will be on your left, Rainbow Inn will be caddy corner to your left) Make a Right onto Main Street. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again watch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
We hope to see you there. It is going to be a wonderful time of celebrating the sacrament and fellowship. And, friendly reminder, POTLUCK!
Grace and Peace be with you.
The week has come! We are officially worshipping off-site this weekend. We will be worshipping at the Biddle's home this Sunday morning and baptizing several of our friends from The Way. It is going to be a wonderful gathering! Also, we're potlucking lunch together at the conclusion of the baptisms. The Way will be providing drinks, and we're asking everyone who feels inclined to bring a dish to share.
Once again, we will not be hosting our worship gathering at The Mozart House this Sunday. It will be at the Biddle's house at 10:30am.
The Biddle's address is:
156 Frosty Road
Latrobe, PA 15650
Directions are as follows:
From Greensburg and West:
Take Route 30 East to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Make a right at the light onto Route 981. Go to red light. Make left onto Arnold Palmer Drive. Follow to stop sign. (You will pass Latrobe Country Club on your right and the High School on your left before reaching stop sign). Go straight. Come to red light. Go straight. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again whatch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
From Ligonier and East:
Take Route 30 West to The Youngstown/Route 982 South exit. Follow to Red light. (You will see Rainbow Inn to your right) Make left at light onto Main Street. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again whatch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
From New Alexandria and North:
Take Route 981 South into Latrobe and follow to Route 30. Cross Route 30 (see Airport on right when you cross). Go to red light. Make left onto Arnold Palmer Drive. Follow to stop sign. (You will pass Latrobe Country Club on your right and the High School on your left before reaching stop sign). Go straight. Come to red light. Go straight. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again whatch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
From Mt Pleasant and South:
Take Route 31 to Route 119 North and follow to Route 30 East. Follow directions from Greensburg
or
Take Rout 31 to Route 982 North ( See Bells Steak and Sea House on your right as you make the turn). Follow 982 North quite a few miles through Baggaley and to the Red light in Youngstown. (Tin Lizzy will be on your left, Rainbow Inn will be caddy corner to your left) Make a Right onto Main Street. You will come to a stop sign that is at a Y intersection. (Sacred Heart Church sits at the Y). Bear to the right onto Youngstown Ridge Road. Go approx 1/4 mile and bear right at the log cabin onto Solomen Temple Road. Follow approx 2 1/2 miles to Frosty Road on the Right. Once you reach the top of the ridge and it is flat road again watch for the a white farm house with a blue steel roof. This house has 3 monkeys carved out of trees in the front yard. Frosty Road is to your Right just past this house. We are 5 houses back on the right hand side. Stone and white vinyl siding.
We hope to see you there. It is going to be a wonderful time of celebrating the sacrament and fellowship. And, friendly reminder, POTLUCK!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
An exciting time
It's SUCH an exciting time for The Way! Our worship gatherings have been full of people and the presence of God. Our leadership is hard at work behind the scenes making great strides on items like renovating our kitchen, opening our soup kitchen, formalizing our prayer ministry, among several other things. In addition to those things happening behind the scenes, our calendar is filling up in the coming weeks with some unique experiences for The Way.
This Sunday night June 6th at 7pm is our very first all praise and worship gathering. Come out and adore the King with us as our worship band does what they do best!
Also, next Friday night June 11th The Way will be hosting a fundraiser event to fund scholarships for people to attend the Creation Music Festival. This event starts at 7pm and costs $5 at the door. God has already done a wonderful work in making this event a success for us as the Christian rock band HARLEND has waived their normal honorarium and will be headlining the evening on our behalf (FYI - HARLEND usually charges around $2,000 for an event like this...waiving their fee means that all of the proceeds of the evening go straight to our fundraising efforts...please join me in praising God for this HUGE blessing). We will open the doors of the mozart house at 6:30pm. Please plan on coming out and bringing some friends with you. It's gonna be a great night!
And finally, I'd like to encourage you to do your very best to be in attendance at our Sunday morning worship gathering this weekend. In the message this Sunday, we will be taking some time as a congregation to clarify some very important items and philosophies of ministry to consider as we continue to grow into this calling that God has given us to live the way of Jesus here in our city. It will help you better understand who we are as a church,what goals and priorities we have set for both the short term and the long term, and help you to see the Biblical reasons behind these items. I hope to see you in attendance. Have a great week!
Grace and Peace be with you.
This Sunday night June 6th at 7pm is our very first all praise and worship gathering. Come out and adore the King with us as our worship band does what they do best!
Also, next Friday night June 11th The Way will be hosting a fundraiser event to fund scholarships for people to attend the Creation Music Festival. This event starts at 7pm and costs $5 at the door. God has already done a wonderful work in making this event a success for us as the Christian rock band HARLEND has waived their normal honorarium and will be headlining the evening on our behalf (FYI - HARLEND usually charges around $2,000 for an event like this...waiving their fee means that all of the proceeds of the evening go straight to our fundraising efforts...please join me in praising God for this HUGE blessing). We will open the doors of the mozart house at 6:30pm. Please plan on coming out and bringing some friends with you. It's gonna be a great night!
And finally, I'd like to encourage you to do your very best to be in attendance at our Sunday morning worship gathering this weekend. In the message this Sunday, we will be taking some time as a congregation to clarify some very important items and philosophies of ministry to consider as we continue to grow into this calling that God has given us to live the way of Jesus here in our city. It will help you better understand who we are as a church,what goals and priorities we have set for both the short term and the long term, and help you to see the Biblical reasons behind these items. I hope to see you in attendance. Have a great week!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A news segment on The Way
This was done by a local high school student for the school's news program.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Moving in
How exciting!?!
That's all I can think as I reflect back on the previous week. The move in and clean up efforts over at The Mozart House have been filled with smiles and laughter. I'm so thankful for the way that everyone is pitching in and helping out. And what an awesome first worship gathering!!! There's just nothing like having members from our church family approach the mic and share of how God is moving in their lives. I can honestly say that I've never felt more of a bond with my church family.
Looking ahead, there are a few items of note.
-You can expect coffee to be served at the bar every Sunday morning from now on
-Friday night fellowship will be at The Mozart House every week until further notice as we will spend our fellowship time after dinner cleaning our new home.
-Teresa Barber has stepped up to organize child care during our worship gatherings. Please contact her if you are interested in helping out with this. 724-640-9981
-We are looking to organize a food rotation for Sunday mornings to serve muffins or other small breakfast items going forward. Would you be willing to oversee this? Would you be willing to contribute one week of the month? If so, let me know.
-The plumbing issues should be completely repaired today. We should have functional bathrooms and sinks as early as this afternoon!
Thank you all for your willingness to serve and for your flexibility as we settle in to our new home. Please continue coming forward with your ideas and suggestions, and don't forget to bring some guests with you to our worship gatherings. There's no better time than now to show your friends who The Way is and what we're all about.
Grace and Peace be with you.
That's all I can think as I reflect back on the previous week. The move in and clean up efforts over at The Mozart House have been filled with smiles and laughter. I'm so thankful for the way that everyone is pitching in and helping out. And what an awesome first worship gathering!!! There's just nothing like having members from our church family approach the mic and share of how God is moving in their lives. I can honestly say that I've never felt more of a bond with my church family.
Looking ahead, there are a few items of note.
-You can expect coffee to be served at the bar every Sunday morning from now on
-Friday night fellowship will be at The Mozart House every week until further notice as we will spend our fellowship time after dinner cleaning our new home.
-Teresa Barber has stepped up to organize child care during our worship gatherings. Please contact her if you are interested in helping out with this. 724-640-9981
-We are looking to organize a food rotation for Sunday mornings to serve muffins or other small breakfast items going forward. Would you be willing to oversee this? Would you be willing to contribute one week of the month? If so, let me know.
-The plumbing issues should be completely repaired today. We should have functional bathrooms and sinks as early as this afternoon!
Thank you all for your willingness to serve and for your flexibility as we settle in to our new home. Please continue coming forward with your ideas and suggestions, and don't forget to bring some guests with you to our worship gatherings. There's no better time than now to show your friends who The Way is and what we're all about.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
An important note about tomorrow
Hello friends,
What a huge and busy week this has been for The Way. Tomorrow's worship gathering is going to be wonderful! The teams of people who have given of their time to help with clean up and preparations for Sunday morning have done a phenomenal job. Layers of dust are gone, and the fresh smell of spring cleaning is in the air. Please make arrangements to be there tomorrow, and bring your friends. Our first days in our new home is going to be a huge success!
And one important note, there is a minor plumbing issue that is currently being corrected. Unfortunately, it may not be completed prior to tomorrow's gathering. Therefore, it is important for you and yours to use the restroom prior to coming to church. We may not have running water. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding with this matter.
Grace and Peace be with you.
What a huge and busy week this has been for The Way. Tomorrow's worship gathering is going to be wonderful! The teams of people who have given of their time to help with clean up and preparations for Sunday morning have done a phenomenal job. Layers of dust are gone, and the fresh smell of spring cleaning is in the air. Please make arrangements to be there tomorrow, and bring your friends. Our first days in our new home is going to be a huge success!
And one important note, there is a minor plumbing issue that is currently being corrected. Unfortunately, it may not be completed prior to tomorrow's gathering. Therefore, it is important for you and yours to use the restroom prior to coming to church. We may not have running water. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding with this matter.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Frances Chan video
Frances Chan is the senior pastor of one of the biggest churches in America, and in this video he shares that God has called him in a new direction to leave his mega-church to start a new church. The vulnerability and humility with which he speaks has touched my heart unlike anything else I've ever seen regarding church leadership or church planting. If you're facing a large step of faith and need some inspiration to move forward with God's call, watch this video. It's been an immense blessing to me.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Francis Chan is stepping out in faith... from Catalyst on Vimeo.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Friday, April 16, 2010
We now have a home
It is with great excitement that I write to inform you that the deal is done. The Way has a home. We have reached an agreement with the owner of The Mozart House. Our first worship gathering in our new home will be Sunday April 25th.
Here is some information that has already been requested by some:
Q) Do we have any needs as we move into The Mozart House, and how may I donate to see that those needs are provided for?
A) Yes, there are many items that will need purchased (trash cans, toilet paper, paper towels,hand soap, and bigger ticket items such as signage and the handful of things that need to be repaired as we move in. If you'd like to contribute to The Way to help cover the cost of these items, then feel free to do so by dropping your donation into the offering basket during our worship gatherings or mail it to The Way, P.O. Box 361, Latrobe, PA 15650.
Q) What needs to happen between now and our first worship gathering?
A) A whole lot of praying and cleaning.We'd love to see everyone pitch in to make The Mozart House spotless for April 25th. Also, we appreciate your prayer for a smooth transition into our new home.
Q) Will this move change the time of our worship gatherings?
A) Perhaps, but not for the forseeable future. We will continue gathering on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am.
Q) What are the specifics of the deal that was reached between the owner of The Mozart House and The Way?
A) The details of the deal will be shared this coming Sunday morning at our final worship gathering at L.E.S.
Thank you all so much for the prayer that you put toward this matter of business. God moved in wonderful ways throughout this process, and I'm eager to share more about that this Sunday.
Grace and Peace be with you!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Letter from Allison
This is simply the best email I've ever received:
"Mark,
We've come a long way, Pastor. We've come a long way. On the night of my arrest and attempted suicide you held my hand and told me that Jesus had answers for all of the questions I was asking and that, if I gave him time, he would provide some answers. I remember thinking you were an idiot for saying that, or a liar at least. Little did I know in that moment that your time and presence was showing me the love of Jesus for the first time. As you know, we prayed together that night, and I invited Jesus into my heart. I've never been the same since. I've often marveled at the unspeakable love of a savior who would so thoroughly warm the cold heart of a suicidal, heroin-addicted, teenage prostitute. Some people have called this love unconditional. But I don't know what to call it anymore. It's healing, divinely destructive, unrelenting, and exceptional in every way. Praise God for this love.
I write to you, Mark, to let you know that I am now 8 years 4 months and 21 days sober. And now with the completion of my degree in Christian studies, and the daily practice of seeking the answers that you once told me I could find in the savior, earlier today I became a legally ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And not only that, I also start my new job on Monday. I will be working as a chaplain at a recovery facility for female substance abusers. I can't wait to hold their trembling hands and assure them Jesus has all of the answers to the questions they're asking, and that, if they'll give him time, he will come through with some answers.
Please read this my testimony during the prayer time at The Way's worship gathering this week. Please ask The Way for prayer concerning my ongoing recovery, my new ministry, and, concerning the author of this letter, tell them this:
My name is Allison. I am a heroin addict, a lover of Jesus, a recipient of grace, an ordained minister of the Gospel, and a walking resurrection.
Grace and peace be with you, Pastor. For we have come a long way. By grace, we have come a long, long way."
"Mark,
We've come a long way, Pastor. We've come a long way. On the night of my arrest and attempted suicide you held my hand and told me that Jesus had answers for all of the questions I was asking and that, if I gave him time, he would provide some answers. I remember thinking you were an idiot for saying that, or a liar at least. Little did I know in that moment that your time and presence was showing me the love of Jesus for the first time. As you know, we prayed together that night, and I invited Jesus into my heart. I've never been the same since. I've often marveled at the unspeakable love of a savior who would so thoroughly warm the cold heart of a suicidal, heroin-addicted, teenage prostitute. Some people have called this love unconditional. But I don't know what to call it anymore. It's healing, divinely destructive, unrelenting, and exceptional in every way. Praise God for this love.
I write to you, Mark, to let you know that I am now 8 years 4 months and 21 days sober. And now with the completion of my degree in Christian studies, and the daily practice of seeking the answers that you once told me I could find in the savior, earlier today I became a legally ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And not only that, I also start my new job on Monday. I will be working as a chaplain at a recovery facility for female substance abusers. I can't wait to hold their trembling hands and assure them Jesus has all of the answers to the questions they're asking, and that, if they'll give him time, he will come through with some answers.
Please read this my testimony during the prayer time at The Way's worship gathering this week. Please ask The Way for prayer concerning my ongoing recovery, my new ministry, and, concerning the author of this letter, tell them this:
My name is Allison. I am a heroin addict, a lover of Jesus, a recipient of grace, an ordained minister of the Gospel, and a walking resurrection.
Grace and peace be with you, Pastor. For we have come a long way. By grace, we have come a long, long way."
What a week!
Hi friends,
What a wonderful week it has been behind the scenes for The Way. There's been a lot of work for this coming Sunday's worship gathering (at Latrobe Elementary School), the kickoff of the Breaking Free study, and tons of time spent on The Mozart House deal. It is SUCH an exciting time for us. We are coming off a blessed holy week and a record attendance from our Easter Sunday worship gathering. Jesus is alive. He is working on our behalf. He is moving in our midst. And we are positioning ourselves to do the work that He has given us with all authenticity and effectiveness. Tell me...how could this be any better?
Looking forward, here are a few items to know and keep in prayer:
1) Our leadership has a meeting scheduled for Saturday afternoon to have what could be the very last negotiating meeting for The Mozart House deal. Please keep us in prayer.
2) If you had books ordered for the Breaking Free study, they are in. Contact me or Kathy Falat to get them. Also, if you missed the meeting, you can still see the video portion of the study. This is very important to the weekly lessons. Please let Kathy know if you would like to see the video.
3) This Sunday's worship gathering is one that I personally am truly excited about. The prayer and work that has gone into it has left me with a great sense of anticipation. Please help me cover this Sunday's gathering in prayer, and plan to join us at L.E.S. It's going to be great!
4) This is the final Sunday of our Shampoo and Toothbrush collections. Marcelle will be picking them up from me sometime after the gathering. Please help us bless the Scottdale food pantry by making a donation.
Grace and Peace be with you.
What a wonderful week it has been behind the scenes for The Way. There's been a lot of work for this coming Sunday's worship gathering (at Latrobe Elementary School), the kickoff of the Breaking Free study, and tons of time spent on The Mozart House deal. It is SUCH an exciting time for us. We are coming off a blessed holy week and a record attendance from our Easter Sunday worship gathering. Jesus is alive. He is working on our behalf. He is moving in our midst. And we are positioning ourselves to do the work that He has given us with all authenticity and effectiveness. Tell me...how could this be any better?
Looking forward, here are a few items to know and keep in prayer:
1) Our leadership has a meeting scheduled for Saturday afternoon to have what could be the very last negotiating meeting for The Mozart House deal. Please keep us in prayer.
2) If you had books ordered for the Breaking Free study, they are in. Contact me or Kathy Falat to get them. Also, if you missed the meeting, you can still see the video portion of the study. This is very important to the weekly lessons. Please let Kathy know if you would like to see the video.
3) This Sunday's worship gathering is one that I personally am truly excited about. The prayer and work that has gone into it has left me with a great sense of anticipation. Please help me cover this Sunday's gathering in prayer, and plan to join us at L.E.S. It's going to be great!
4) This is the final Sunday of our Shampoo and Toothbrush collections. Marcelle will be picking them up from me sometime after the gathering. Please help us bless the Scottdale food pantry by making a donation.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A few reminders
Here are some important reminders:
1) We will hold our Palm Sunday worship gathering back at Latrobe Elementary School tomorrow. The gathering starts at 10:30, as usual. We hope to see you and your guests there!
2) This coming week is Holy Week. There are two gatherings being hosted by The Way at the Wimmerton Community Center this week. Thursday April 1st, at 6:30pm, is our Maundy Thursday gathering. It's a dinner at which everyone is encouraged to bring a dish of their favorite food with enough to share with a few people. At the conclusion of our feast The Good Gift will be served as we share Holy Communion with one another just as Jesus did at the conclusion of the last supper. And on Friday April 2nd, at 7pm, we will host our Good Friday Tenebrea. These are going to be wonderful opportunities to fellowship and center down on the meaning and power of the events that led up to Jesus' death and resurrection. We hope to see you and all of your guests. They are going to be wonderful evenings.
3) Our Mozart House Proposal is currently under review. We're asking for everyone who will pray to keep this matter in constant prayer as we are entering the latter stages of this deal.
4) Our podcast has now been upgraded to handle all of the traffic flow that our feed has been getting. We are thankful for the overwhelming response that we have received through this, and we are also appreciative of your patience as we worked out the kinks to handle the unexpectedly large number of downloads and subscriptions. The podcast can be found at thewaypodcast.podbean.com and downloaded through itunes as a free subscription.
We look forward to a wonderful Holy Week together with you!
Grace and Peace be with you.
1) We will hold our Palm Sunday worship gathering back at Latrobe Elementary School tomorrow. The gathering starts at 10:30, as usual. We hope to see you and your guests there!
2) This coming week is Holy Week. There are two gatherings being hosted by The Way at the Wimmerton Community Center this week. Thursday April 1st, at 6:30pm, is our Maundy Thursday gathering. It's a dinner at which everyone is encouraged to bring a dish of their favorite food with enough to share with a few people. At the conclusion of our feast The Good Gift will be served as we share Holy Communion with one another just as Jesus did at the conclusion of the last supper. And on Friday April 2nd, at 7pm, we will host our Good Friday Tenebrea. These are going to be wonderful opportunities to fellowship and center down on the meaning and power of the events that led up to Jesus' death and resurrection. We hope to see you and all of your guests. They are going to be wonderful evenings.
3) Our Mozart House Proposal is currently under review. We're asking for everyone who will pray to keep this matter in constant prayer as we are entering the latter stages of this deal.
4) Our podcast has now been upgraded to handle all of the traffic flow that our feed has been getting. We are thankful for the overwhelming response that we have received through this, and we are also appreciative of your patience as we worked out the kinks to handle the unexpectedly large number of downloads and subscriptions. The podcast can be found at thewaypodcast.podbean.com and downloaded through itunes as a free subscription.
We look forward to a wonderful Holy Week together with you!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Mozart House proposal
Ask and ye shall receive. Here is what I read during yesterday's sermon:
II - The Way: Ecclesial history:
The opening chapters of the book of Acts herald the immutable, albeit humble, birth of the Christian Church in the year 33 A.D.. The landscape of the day, ruled by Caesar, is steeped in both religious and economic oppression. As 12 ordinary men sat waiting and praying in a house in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit of the living God descended upon them. It was at that time which the disciples, recently removed from bearing witness to the death, resurrection, and ascension of their King, took to the streets to begin to preach the Good News of salvation in Christ. As Peter the Apostle stood with his eleven fellow disciples in the streets of Jerusalem, he raised his voice and boldly proclaimed the news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It was on that very day, the day of Pentecost, as Peter and the disciples left that street-corner-pulpit, that the Christian church found it’s beginning as 3,000 people gave their lives over to the message of the Good News.
The Christian Scriptures continue to detail the birth of the Christian church as it became organized into a growing movement of faith. Choosing in blatant defiance unto Caesar to practice their new found way of living, the new Christians, known at that time simply as “Followers of The Way”, held daily gatherings in one another’s homes to break bread together, pray, fellowship with one another, and learn the Apostles’ teaching. These first-century followers of The Way were known for their boldness, living out their faith practices in a time of great persecution, and they were also known for their immense generosity sharing all of their possessions and giving to anyone as he had need. It was in these basic faith practices to express love to one-another and a holy reverence unto God that the early Christian church both lived and thrived under great persecution from the Roman and Jewish elite. And so it was for the first 300 years of the Christian church’s existence, that Followers of The Way worshipped, evangelized, and thrived until the days of Constantine and his institution of religious toleration.
III - The Way: A 21st century expression of 1st century church:
In the summer of 2009, an expression of that first-century blue-print for the Christian church was resurrected in Latrobe, PA. Burdened for the needy in the Latrobe, Greensburg, Derry area, The Way incorporated and became a legally recognized 501c3. In July of 2009 The Way began holding backyard meetings to organize itself into a congregational ministry. In true Acts church fashion, the people of The Way carried out the business of their gatherings by breaking bread together, praying, fellowshipping with one another, and learning the Apostles’ teaching. It was also held into account to meet the needs of those in our midst by openly presenting those needs in the congregational setting and collectively carrying the burden to see those needs met, a constant of our worship gatherings to this day. Committed to the practices that validated the attraction of the Christian Gospel to the poor of the first century, The Way also chartered its organization with a financial practice of living on just fifty percent of its tithes and offerings while reserving the remaining fifty percent to assist those who’s needs are brought before them. This practice of living on just fifty cents of every dollar we’ve received has positioned The Way to meet every need brought before us to date...and many of those needs presented to us by the most desperate and hopeless in our community.
IV - The Way: A snapshot of today
As of the beginning of March, 2010, The Way has already established itself as one of the most easily accessible needs-based-giving organizations in the state of Pennsylvania. While at other organizations needy members of the community go through lengthy application processes restricted by statutes and limitations placed upon the amount of assistance they are allowed to receive before they even walk in the door, The Way has been organized and set free by the terms of its charter to give freely just as Jesus did. This unique mixture of ecclesial ideology and non-profit legalization has been so immensely successful in our young existence in setting the stage for the Gospel to be spread to an otherwise forgotten about niche of our community that the law offices of Patel & Alumit, who specialize in tax exemption law, are currently using our 501c3 application as a new model for non-profit acquisition and have currently established 17 new ministries across the country legally empowered to do charity and needs-based assistance with greater freedom than traditional non-profits.
Currently hosting our worship gatherings at Latrobe Elementary School, The Way meets on Sundays to spend time in prayer, Bible study, praise and worship, and addressing the needs of our community. Since we are currently looking for a permanent home for this ministry, The Way is earnestly praying for a venue to move into on a permanent basis that will not only meet our needs to house our worship gatherings on a Sunday morning but also serve as a resource unto our efforts to provide for the poor and the needy of our community throughout the weekdays. After ten months of searching and praying for God to lead us to that venue, we believe that we have found it in a property in downtown Latrobe known as The Mozart House.
V - The Mozart House: An instrument of Agape
Once moved into The Mozart House, The Way will be strategically positioned to see this facility restored to the vibrancy and beauty of her glory days by using this property as an instrument of Gods unconditional love. The Way intends to do this by living into God’s calling for this church to serve the poor of our community in ways brand new to both this city as well as The Way’s congregation. That vibrancy of The Mozart House will manifest itself in the daily usage of the entire building over the long term vision of The Way by doing the following:
Utilizing the restaurant facility as a soup kitchen open seven days per week offering hot meals free of charge to those in need
Utilizing the store front as a Christian bookstore/coffee shop
Utilizing the second level for worship gatherings, community oriented events, and Bible studies
Utilizing the upper most level of the facility to house beds for the homeless who need a warm place to sleep, a clothes closet, and a medical clinic to provide free healthcare for those who otherwise can’t afford it.
And the restoration of her beauty will manifest itself as The Way works diligently to make necessary repairs and updates to the facility over the term of its occupation of the building. These are not statements that are made lightly, however. For it is our understanding that Scripture holds believers to a higher level accountability when serving the needs of the poor (See Matthew 25:31-46). Therefore, it will be our aim to restore the vibrancy and beauty of the building for service unto “the least of these my brothers” with all reverence unto God and attention to detail as it is our understanding that, when we do, we do it all as unto Christ.
Grace and peace be with you.
II - The Way: Ecclesial history:
The opening chapters of the book of Acts herald the immutable, albeit humble, birth of the Christian Church in the year 33 A.D.. The landscape of the day, ruled by Caesar, is steeped in both religious and economic oppression. As 12 ordinary men sat waiting and praying in a house in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit of the living God descended upon them. It was at that time which the disciples, recently removed from bearing witness to the death, resurrection, and ascension of their King, took to the streets to begin to preach the Good News of salvation in Christ. As Peter the Apostle stood with his eleven fellow disciples in the streets of Jerusalem, he raised his voice and boldly proclaimed the news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It was on that very day, the day of Pentecost, as Peter and the disciples left that street-corner-pulpit, that the Christian church found it’s beginning as 3,000 people gave their lives over to the message of the Good News.
The Christian Scriptures continue to detail the birth of the Christian church as it became organized into a growing movement of faith. Choosing in blatant defiance unto Caesar to practice their new found way of living, the new Christians, known at that time simply as “Followers of The Way”, held daily gatherings in one another’s homes to break bread together, pray, fellowship with one another, and learn the Apostles’ teaching. These first-century followers of The Way were known for their boldness, living out their faith practices in a time of great persecution, and they were also known for their immense generosity sharing all of their possessions and giving to anyone as he had need. It was in these basic faith practices to express love to one-another and a holy reverence unto God that the early Christian church both lived and thrived under great persecution from the Roman and Jewish elite. And so it was for the first 300 years of the Christian church’s existence, that Followers of The Way worshipped, evangelized, and thrived until the days of Constantine and his institution of religious toleration.
III - The Way: A 21st century expression of 1st century church:
In the summer of 2009, an expression of that first-century blue-print for the Christian church was resurrected in Latrobe, PA. Burdened for the needy in the Latrobe, Greensburg, Derry area, The Way incorporated and became a legally recognized 501c3. In July of 2009 The Way began holding backyard meetings to organize itself into a congregational ministry. In true Acts church fashion, the people of The Way carried out the business of their gatherings by breaking bread together, praying, fellowshipping with one another, and learning the Apostles’ teaching. It was also held into account to meet the needs of those in our midst by openly presenting those needs in the congregational setting and collectively carrying the burden to see those needs met, a constant of our worship gatherings to this day. Committed to the practices that validated the attraction of the Christian Gospel to the poor of the first century, The Way also chartered its organization with a financial practice of living on just fifty percent of its tithes and offerings while reserving the remaining fifty percent to assist those who’s needs are brought before them. This practice of living on just fifty cents of every dollar we’ve received has positioned The Way to meet every need brought before us to date...and many of those needs presented to us by the most desperate and hopeless in our community.
IV - The Way: A snapshot of today
As of the beginning of March, 2010, The Way has already established itself as one of the most easily accessible needs-based-giving organizations in the state of Pennsylvania. While at other organizations needy members of the community go through lengthy application processes restricted by statutes and limitations placed upon the amount of assistance they are allowed to receive before they even walk in the door, The Way has been organized and set free by the terms of its charter to give freely just as Jesus did. This unique mixture of ecclesial ideology and non-profit legalization has been so immensely successful in our young existence in setting the stage for the Gospel to be spread to an otherwise forgotten about niche of our community that the law offices of Patel & Alumit, who specialize in tax exemption law, are currently using our 501c3 application as a new model for non-profit acquisition and have currently established 17 new ministries across the country legally empowered to do charity and needs-based assistance with greater freedom than traditional non-profits.
Currently hosting our worship gatherings at Latrobe Elementary School, The Way meets on Sundays to spend time in prayer, Bible study, praise and worship, and addressing the needs of our community. Since we are currently looking for a permanent home for this ministry, The Way is earnestly praying for a venue to move into on a permanent basis that will not only meet our needs to house our worship gatherings on a Sunday morning but also serve as a resource unto our efforts to provide for the poor and the needy of our community throughout the weekdays. After ten months of searching and praying for God to lead us to that venue, we believe that we have found it in a property in downtown Latrobe known as The Mozart House.
V - The Mozart House: An instrument of Agape
Once moved into The Mozart House, The Way will be strategically positioned to see this facility restored to the vibrancy and beauty of her glory days by using this property as an instrument of Gods unconditional love. The Way intends to do this by living into God’s calling for this church to serve the poor of our community in ways brand new to both this city as well as The Way’s congregation. That vibrancy of The Mozart House will manifest itself in the daily usage of the entire building over the long term vision of The Way by doing the following:
Utilizing the restaurant facility as a soup kitchen open seven days per week offering hot meals free of charge to those in need
Utilizing the store front as a Christian bookstore/coffee shop
Utilizing the second level for worship gatherings, community oriented events, and Bible studies
Utilizing the upper most level of the facility to house beds for the homeless who need a warm place to sleep, a clothes closet, and a medical clinic to provide free healthcare for those who otherwise can’t afford it.
And the restoration of her beauty will manifest itself as The Way works diligently to make necessary repairs and updates to the facility over the term of its occupation of the building. These are not statements that are made lightly, however. For it is our understanding that Scripture holds believers to a higher level accountability when serving the needs of the poor (See Matthew 25:31-46). Therefore, it will be our aim to restore the vibrancy and beauty of the building for service unto “the least of these my brothers” with all reverence unto God and attention to detail as it is our understanding that, when we do, we do it all as unto Christ.
Grace and peace be with you.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Jesus the Jewish Reformer
I was recently asked to give my thoughts on the Jewishness of Jesus, its expression in Scripture, and the work of Christ's earthly ministry to bring about reform in the first-century-Jewish church. I thought there might be a few of you out in cyberspace here that might be interested in that topic...So here is my response:
"I've done a good bit of thinking about the whole Jesus and His Jewishness topic that you asked me about, and as I begin to ramble on this subject matter I'd encourage you to consider Israel in the first century when Jesus walked the earth. At this point the picture of Jewish life painted by the Old Testament is hundreds of years out of date. During the Old Testament days, for instance, there is no mention of rabbis, synagogues, pharisees, sadducees or zealots.
Most of the people living in the land of Judea and Galilee are the descendants of pious Jews who returned to Israel after their exile in Babylon. Since then, life for God's chosen people has been anything but idyllic. Their Roman occupiers are universally hated for their brutality and pagan ways, not to mention the oppressively high taxes which they levy. Little wonder that everyone is longing for a Messiah to come and deliver them from their harsh oppressors. Keep in mind, however, that this Messiah was not just foretold by the prophets of Yahweh to be a redeemer and a liberator, but this Messiah was foretold to be a redeemer and liberator sent from the Jewish Deity to the benefit of the Jewish People. He was a Jewish Savior sent by the Jewish God for the benefit for the Jewish people...or so they thought...Paul later clarified that salvation to be first for the Jew and then for the Gentile, but that's another matter entirely.
Though anticipation was high during this time, opinions varied about just how or when the Messiah would finally arrive. The ranks among the Jewish hierarchy each had a different take on the history which led them to their first century reality and just how the future would unfold. Political tension and spiritual fervor were both on the rise. It is into this time of intense spiritual searching that another rabbi comes with bold humility onto the scene. He's a rabbi from Nazareth. And from both a Judaic historical perspective, as well as a sociological fact, nothing of any merit ever hailed from Nazareth.
From the early days of Jesus' life, as well as the earlier verses of New Testament, Jesus (Yeshua, the Nazarene rabbi) is fully entrenched in Jewish customs. Beginning his family tree with Father Abraham, Matthew's Gospel undeniably establishes Jesus' Hebrew lineage and foreshadows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesy of the coming Messiah as he further indicates Jesus to be directly descended from Jesse and David. What's also peculiar about Jesus' birth is the apparent understanding of Hebrew Scripture that the Herods had pertaining to this coming Jewish king which led to one of the most obscene genocides in all of history from which Jesus narrowly escaped, a fact which seems to corroborate the evidence of both Jesus' Jewishness and qualifications to fulfill that which the ancient prophets foretold about Him years before.
Scripture is also rich with evidence of Jesus' study of Jewish Scripture, the teaching thereof, worship of the Jewish God Yahweh, and the practice of "behaving" in the manner that the Jewish rabbis behaved. But it is there which the rich Jewish heritage of this Nazarene rabbi takes an interesting turn. In fact it is in the rabbinic practices of the Nazarene rabbi, where we begin to see Jesus' ministry as a reformer unto the first-century Jewish ecclesial customs. As a reformer. when the Nazarene rabbi invited his "talmidim" to "follow him", it became very apparent that his ministry and rabbinic practices would take on a vastly different ideology from the Jewish norm. Whereas the Jewish rabbis of Jesus' day were in the habit of calling disciples who had proven themselves worthy of such higher education with great academic achievement, Jesus sought out his talmidim selecting them based upon entirely different criteria. He was heard among his contemporaries clarifying that, "If you are to be my disciple, you must first deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me." Jesus also sought out theological reform among the Jews by speaking both publically (the sermon on the mount, among others) and privately (His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, among others) to bring clarity to the traditional understandings of Torah and it's implications both on the church and the followers of Yahweh for Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus also worked to bring reform in the form of a new covenant between Yahweh and sinners. Bringing to life the words of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 among other areas of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus made it clear that His life was intended to be laid down as a sin offering once and for all to the benefit of all who believe, and he fulfilled that intention by being the expiation for the sins of humanity giving Himself over to a brutal death by crucifixion alongside of Jerusalem's worst criminals.
What intrigues me the most in this, however, at least from the perspective of Jesus' Jewish heritage, is that Jesus did all of this to bring about a redemption and restoration of the peace and oneness that God had always intended to have with His beloved Israel. But in so doing he thrust wide-open the doors of grace and shalom for people of all nations, races, and tongue to worship Yahweh with confidence and shed-blood-righteousness. In a sense, the true reformation of the Jewish first-century resulted in the heralded and immutable declaration that God is love...that God loves all...and that shalom and righteousness is found through Christ alone...and that the shalom found in Christ is not a Jewish thing...rather the shalom found in Christ is a God thing...offered to all of God's creation...once and for all...and that true Torah is summed up in this, "Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Grace and Peace be with you.
"I've done a good bit of thinking about the whole Jesus and His Jewishness topic that you asked me about, and as I begin to ramble on this subject matter I'd encourage you to consider Israel in the first century when Jesus walked the earth. At this point the picture of Jewish life painted by the Old Testament is hundreds of years out of date. During the Old Testament days, for instance, there is no mention of rabbis, synagogues, pharisees, sadducees or zealots.
Most of the people living in the land of Judea and Galilee are the descendants of pious Jews who returned to Israel after their exile in Babylon. Since then, life for God's chosen people has been anything but idyllic. Their Roman occupiers are universally hated for their brutality and pagan ways, not to mention the oppressively high taxes which they levy. Little wonder that everyone is longing for a Messiah to come and deliver them from their harsh oppressors. Keep in mind, however, that this Messiah was not just foretold by the prophets of Yahweh to be a redeemer and a liberator, but this Messiah was foretold to be a redeemer and liberator sent from the Jewish Deity to the benefit of the Jewish People. He was a Jewish Savior sent by the Jewish God for the benefit for the Jewish people...or so they thought...Paul later clarified that salvation to be first for the Jew and then for the Gentile, but that's another matter entirely.
Though anticipation was high during this time, opinions varied about just how or when the Messiah would finally arrive. The ranks among the Jewish hierarchy each had a different take on the history which led them to their first century reality and just how the future would unfold. Political tension and spiritual fervor were both on the rise. It is into this time of intense spiritual searching that another rabbi comes with bold humility onto the scene. He's a rabbi from Nazareth. And from both a Judaic historical perspective, as well as a sociological fact, nothing of any merit ever hailed from Nazareth.
From the early days of Jesus' life, as well as the earlier verses of New Testament, Jesus (Yeshua, the Nazarene rabbi) is fully entrenched in Jewish customs. Beginning his family tree with Father Abraham, Matthew's Gospel undeniably establishes Jesus' Hebrew lineage and foreshadows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesy of the coming Messiah as he further indicates Jesus to be directly descended from Jesse and David. What's also peculiar about Jesus' birth is the apparent understanding of Hebrew Scripture that the Herods had pertaining to this coming Jewish king which led to one of the most obscene genocides in all of history from which Jesus narrowly escaped, a fact which seems to corroborate the evidence of both Jesus' Jewishness and qualifications to fulfill that which the ancient prophets foretold about Him years before.
Scripture is also rich with evidence of Jesus' study of Jewish Scripture, the teaching thereof, worship of the Jewish God Yahweh, and the practice of "behaving" in the manner that the Jewish rabbis behaved. But it is there which the rich Jewish heritage of this Nazarene rabbi takes an interesting turn. In fact it is in the rabbinic practices of the Nazarene rabbi, where we begin to see Jesus' ministry as a reformer unto the first-century Jewish ecclesial customs. As a reformer. when the Nazarene rabbi invited his "talmidim" to "follow him", it became very apparent that his ministry and rabbinic practices would take on a vastly different ideology from the Jewish norm. Whereas the Jewish rabbis of Jesus' day were in the habit of calling disciples who had proven themselves worthy of such higher education with great academic achievement, Jesus sought out his talmidim selecting them based upon entirely different criteria. He was heard among his contemporaries clarifying that, "If you are to be my disciple, you must first deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me." Jesus also sought out theological reform among the Jews by speaking both publically (the sermon on the mount, among others) and privately (His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, among others) to bring clarity to the traditional understandings of Torah and it's implications both on the church and the followers of Yahweh for Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus also worked to bring reform in the form of a new covenant between Yahweh and sinners. Bringing to life the words of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 among other areas of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus made it clear that His life was intended to be laid down as a sin offering once and for all to the benefit of all who believe, and he fulfilled that intention by being the expiation for the sins of humanity giving Himself over to a brutal death by crucifixion alongside of Jerusalem's worst criminals.
What intrigues me the most in this, however, at least from the perspective of Jesus' Jewish heritage, is that Jesus did all of this to bring about a redemption and restoration of the peace and oneness that God had always intended to have with His beloved Israel. But in so doing he thrust wide-open the doors of grace and shalom for people of all nations, races, and tongue to worship Yahweh with confidence and shed-blood-righteousness. In a sense, the true reformation of the Jewish first-century resulted in the heralded and immutable declaration that God is love...that God loves all...and that shalom and righteousness is found through Christ alone...and that the shalom found in Christ is not a Jewish thing...rather the shalom found in Christ is a God thing...offered to all of God's creation...once and for all...and that true Torah is summed up in this, "Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Podcast is now live!!!!
The Way's podcast is now live and free for download and subscriptions. If you are interested in receiving our podcasts, here are the instructions to do so:
Go to thewaypodcast.podbean.com. You will see the most recent podcast at the there in the top of the feed. It is called "Turn and Trust". You can download it by simply double-clicking on the title of the podcast. Or you can subscribe to the podcast and listen to all of our podcasts going forward by scrolling down the page a bit until you see the "subscribe" function. If you are an ipod user select "subscribe through itunes" and it will automatically direct our podcasts to your itunes account for free.
Please note that this was our very first attempt at recording for podcasting purposes. Therefore, the audio quality isn't as good as it should be. We promise to improve that in the weeks to come. It is our goal to podcast all of our weekly sermons. And that's extra exciting to us as our first podcast has only been published for 2 days, and it has already been downloaded over 4,000 times!
Grace and Peace be with you.
A Sunday morning field trip!
That's right! We're going on a Sunday morning field trip this weekend. And by that I mean that The Way's worship gathering will be held The Mozart House this Sunday. The Mozart house can be seen in the pic above. The pic is the exterior of the upper levels. Note that there are storefronts on the street level not included in the pic. The Mozart House is located at 340 Main St. in downtown Latrobe in between The Tuxedo Room and Kaye's Tayloring.
Why are we worshipping at The Mozart House this weekend?
I asked for special access to the facility this Sunday morning to give our church family an opportunity to both worship in and view the facility. I feel that this will give you a better understanding of the vision that has been cast and is currently being worked toward.
Where are we on the acquisition/lease/purchase of this property?
As discussed in last week's worship gathering, Danielle Biddle (our financial person) and I met with the Realtors and property owner to discuss our options and share our interest. That meeting went very well. The owner has expressed interest in working with us going forward and has asked for a proposal to be submitted to her including a number of things. This proposal will ultimately serve us in defining the specifics of the real-estate transaction among other more vision related items to detail the nature of our intent over the long term of our "living" in The Mozart House.
What should I expect this Sunday?
You should expect it to be cold. The Mozart House doesn't currently have heat in the auditorium where we'll be meeting, so dress warmly. You should expect it to be dirty. Keep in mind that this Sunday is an opportunity for you to view the place in its current condition. We'll have an opportunity to "spruce the place up" more at a later date. You should expect the morning schedule to be our worship gathering with a walk through of the facility to follow. Please do not roam about the building prior to our worship time. People will be there to greet you and direct you to the auditorium when you arrive. There will be plenty of time to view the facility after our worship time.
Where should I park?
There are multiple city parking lots available for us to use within a comfortable walking distance of The Mozart House. Note: you do not have to pay the parking meters on Sundays.
I hope to see you there! Please help us spread the word. We want as many friends of The Way to view the building as would like to.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A note from Marcelle
The quote below is from Marcelle. Marcelle is a friend who runs the Scottdale Food Pantry. She was the parishioner who requested that The Way gather toothpaste over the past two weeks. She sent me an email earlier that blessed me like crazy. Check it out:
"Mark, Good morning!
Please tell the church "thank you, thank you"! Because, mostly due to their efforts, everyone in Scottdale will be going around with a bigger, cleaner smile! We served 126 families. Each family got a full size tube of toothpaste - and they even got to "shop" a little and choose between several different brands! Always a treat for those who live mainly on everyone else's "leftovers".
We were also able to send about 40 tubes to the Men's Mission of Latrobe. Toothpaste is an item they always ask for, get some donations, but usually have to purchase with Mission money - money that can better be spent on programs to teach the men life skills, feed them, and bring them to the realization that God loves them and keeps every one of them in His heart."
In addition to the work that Marcelle was able to do with the toothpaste that was collected on Sunday, The Dollar Tree at Westmoreland Mall worked in partnership with The Way to provide a box of 56 additional tubes of toothpaste that Marcelle will be picking up this weekend and saving for her next month's distribution.
Can I just say it once more...? I LOVE THIS CHURCH!
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday! Bring a friend to worship with us.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Interview
I was recently interviewed as part of study on Church based ministries that are doing things differently from the norm. The following is what came from that interview. Note: It's lengthy, but it's also a great expression of what makes The Way what we all know and love.
"When thinking of ministries that are leaping outside of the conventional box, my immediate thought comes to a church known as The Way. The Way is a congregational ministry that is remarkably unique and refreshing in its practice of worship and its style of ministry. Despite its unconventional approach, this church cannot be labeled as innovative. Yes, it is innovative in the sense that it is exploring a direction in ministry that few, if any, other churches are doing today. However, to say that this church is innovative is also contradictory to the ministry because The Way celebrates a practice of worship that is as old as the Christian church itself, mirroring the apostolic church of Acts.
The blue print of the Christian church, given to us in Acts chapters two and four, is the foundation of this ministry. They take very literally the practices of the apostles of the first century and strive to apply them in a twenty-first century context.The Way holds firmly to the apostles practice of caring for one another and meeting needs as they are presented to the best of their ability. This is not a church centered on a building or programming, but rather a ministry focused on practically fulfilling our calling as disciples to care for one another. Describing this vision, founding Pastor Mark McMahon said this “pertaining to why we do what we do....I've always been highly influenced by a quote from Henri Nouwen which says, ‘I've spent far too long trying to look like a Christian and not long enough trying to look like Jesus.’ That has been a defining concept as I have planted The Way. Truth be told, after working in Christian ministry for a decade now, I'm not so sure that our 21st century American churches look much like Jesus. With that in mind, what we aspire to be here at The Way is the most accurate reflection of the Biblical Jesus as we can possibly be. That, and that alone, is our mission. We are bold enough to believe that we will accomplish that best as we love God first and foremost, love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do that which expresses agape and grace in very practical ways all the time.”
This affirmation and literal interpretation of the demands of Scripture manifests itself in several expressions within the congregational community. In addition to a message from Scripture and praise and worship, each week needs are prayerfully presented before the congregation and consequently met to the best of the parishioners’ ability. Many times a need that has been brought before the congregation is met before that person even walks out the door. The Way also has a unique and exceptionally faithful practice of tithing, unheard of in many churches, let alone a church that is just getting off the ground. Fifty cents of every unallocated dollar tithed goes directly to meet the needs brought to the congregation. This has positioned the church to meet every need in its entirety brought before them to date.
This church also uses a unique database to help reach those in need called “The Common”. The Common is an online database that most of those who attend The Way are members of. When you become a member of The Common, you fill out a skill profile, meaning that you list what skills you have or contributions you can make. Then you are positioned to post a need viewable to all members of the online community. The Common also matches your skill profile with needs that match your abilities. This database has been massively successful in quickly having needs met when presented before the parishioners of The Way.
Discussing the role of the church and needs based ministries, Pastor Mark expressed his thoughts with saying “I think that Jesus would express a bit of grief over the the current value system of the popular ideology which says that church success is measured by "butts in seats" and "a smorgasbord of programs to meet every interest under the sun" while leaving grassroots-needs-based assistance to governments, parachurches, and missionaries.”
When describing his calling in ministry, Pastor Mark also said “The best understanding of the Biblical church that I see in Scripture is not something that I could ever possibly be employed by...it's something that I merely contribute to when I affirm the resurrection. And if I ever find myself "working for a church" as opposed to living together with a growing community of people who work together toward ends which affirm resurrection even in the deadest situations, then I will need to repent. When Peter was commissioned unto ministry by Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus gave him his marching orders by simply saying, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17) How hungry the sheep must be when well meaning churches busy themselves with otherwise off-mission items like erecting great architecture for the sheep, structuring great programs for the sheep, and having never-ending meetings that don't make a whole hill of beans for the sheep, or developing a culture for the sheep whereby the sheep themselves fail to even realize that the church exists so that they may be fed...I want to feed the sheep. I want Jesus to see me serving Him by feeding the sheep! I want to affirm the resurrection of believers day after day after day by feeding the sheep in the ways which He said mattered to Him (see Mt. 25:31-46)...that they may know that hope is unshakable in Christ...that help is on the way in Jesus...that love is extraordinary, and extraordinarily given, by this Nazarene Rabbi...and that the legacy of the church is the provision found when one compares the phenomenon of Jesus crucified unto death and raised into everlasting life and that expressed lovingly through sermons of careful acts ‘for the least of these brothers of mine’...”
This church is a brand new ministry planted in the fall of 2009. Despite its infancy, it is quickly growing and has already outgrown its first venue. One of the most beautiful things about this growth is that a large percentage of this growth is comprised of those who were previously unchurched but are now finding salvation in Christ and a church that is touching their hearts and stirring their passions. Many needs have been presented to this community of believers and have been met, even those far exceeding the ability of the congregation. The Holy Spirit is visibly moving among those in this community, and this church is moving people into a refreshing new direction that is beyond traditional programming, capital campaigns, and denominations and into the freedom that comes with simply following the way of the resurrected Christ."
Grace and Peace be with you.
"When thinking of ministries that are leaping outside of the conventional box, my immediate thought comes to a church known as The Way. The Way is a congregational ministry that is remarkably unique and refreshing in its practice of worship and its style of ministry. Despite its unconventional approach, this church cannot be labeled as innovative. Yes, it is innovative in the sense that it is exploring a direction in ministry that few, if any, other churches are doing today. However, to say that this church is innovative is also contradictory to the ministry because The Way celebrates a practice of worship that is as old as the Christian church itself, mirroring the apostolic church of Acts.
The blue print of the Christian church, given to us in Acts chapters two and four, is the foundation of this ministry. They take very literally the practices of the apostles of the first century and strive to apply them in a twenty-first century context.The Way holds firmly to the apostles practice of caring for one another and meeting needs as they are presented to the best of their ability. This is not a church centered on a building or programming, but rather a ministry focused on practically fulfilling our calling as disciples to care for one another. Describing this vision, founding Pastor Mark McMahon said this “pertaining to why we do what we do....I've always been highly influenced by a quote from Henri Nouwen which says, ‘I've spent far too long trying to look like a Christian and not long enough trying to look like Jesus.’ That has been a defining concept as I have planted The Way. Truth be told, after working in Christian ministry for a decade now, I'm not so sure that our 21st century American churches look much like Jesus. With that in mind, what we aspire to be here at The Way is the most accurate reflection of the Biblical Jesus as we can possibly be. That, and that alone, is our mission. We are bold enough to believe that we will accomplish that best as we love God first and foremost, love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do that which expresses agape and grace in very practical ways all the time.”
This affirmation and literal interpretation of the demands of Scripture manifests itself in several expressions within the congregational community. In addition to a message from Scripture and praise and worship, each week needs are prayerfully presented before the congregation and consequently met to the best of the parishioners’ ability. Many times a need that has been brought before the congregation is met before that person even walks out the door. The Way also has a unique and exceptionally faithful practice of tithing, unheard of in many churches, let alone a church that is just getting off the ground. Fifty cents of every unallocated dollar tithed goes directly to meet the needs brought to the congregation. This has positioned the church to meet every need in its entirety brought before them to date.
This church also uses a unique database to help reach those in need called “The Common”. The Common is an online database that most of those who attend The Way are members of. When you become a member of The Common, you fill out a skill profile, meaning that you list what skills you have or contributions you can make. Then you are positioned to post a need viewable to all members of the online community. The Common also matches your skill profile with needs that match your abilities. This database has been massively successful in quickly having needs met when presented before the parishioners of The Way.
Discussing the role of the church and needs based ministries, Pastor Mark expressed his thoughts with saying “I think that Jesus would express a bit of grief over the the current value system of the popular ideology which says that church success is measured by "butts in seats" and "a smorgasbord of programs to meet every interest under the sun" while leaving grassroots-needs-based assistance to governments, parachurches, and missionaries.”
When describing his calling in ministry, Pastor Mark also said “The best understanding of the Biblical church that I see in Scripture is not something that I could ever possibly be employed by...it's something that I merely contribute to when I affirm the resurrection. And if I ever find myself "working for a church" as opposed to living together with a growing community of people who work together toward ends which affirm resurrection even in the deadest situations, then I will need to repent. When Peter was commissioned unto ministry by Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus gave him his marching orders by simply saying, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17) How hungry the sheep must be when well meaning churches busy themselves with otherwise off-mission items like erecting great architecture for the sheep, structuring great programs for the sheep, and having never-ending meetings that don't make a whole hill of beans for the sheep, or developing a culture for the sheep whereby the sheep themselves fail to even realize that the church exists so that they may be fed...I want to feed the sheep. I want Jesus to see me serving Him by feeding the sheep! I want to affirm the resurrection of believers day after day after day by feeding the sheep in the ways which He said mattered to Him (see Mt. 25:31-46)...that they may know that hope is unshakable in Christ...that help is on the way in Jesus...that love is extraordinary, and extraordinarily given, by this Nazarene Rabbi...and that the legacy of the church is the provision found when one compares the phenomenon of Jesus crucified unto death and raised into everlasting life and that expressed lovingly through sermons of careful acts ‘for the least of these brothers of mine’...”
This church is a brand new ministry planted in the fall of 2009. Despite its infancy, it is quickly growing and has already outgrown its first venue. One of the most beautiful things about this growth is that a large percentage of this growth is comprised of those who were previously unchurched but are now finding salvation in Christ and a church that is touching their hearts and stirring their passions. Many needs have been presented to this community of believers and have been met, even those far exceeding the ability of the congregation. The Holy Spirit is visibly moving among those in this community, and this church is moving people into a refreshing new direction that is beyond traditional programming, capital campaigns, and denominations and into the freedom that comes with simply following the way of the resurrected Christ."
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Important Announcement
ATTENTION!!! The Way has something VERY important to discuss at our worship gathering this coming Sunday. If you are a part of The Way's family YOU NEED TO BE THERE! Just trust me...you'll be sorry if not. Be there!!!
Grace and Peace
Grace and Peace
Friday, February 26, 2010
Holy Week Details
The Way is excited about celebrating its first Easter together in just a few short weeks! There is much in the works as we progress through the Lenten season and prepare for resurrection morning. And in case you haven't heard, here are the official details regarding our Holy Week gatherings:
April 1st - Maundy Thursday, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Wimmerton Community Center - "A favorite food item potluck"
Maundy Thursday (a.k.a. Shire Thursday and Holy Thursday) is a commemoration of Christ's last supper and the initiation of The Good Gift (Holy Communion). Just as Christ's last supper was a great feast celebrating God's mercy during the Passover season, this gathering of our church family will be centered around a huge meal. Every person in attendance is encouraged to bring their most favorite food item with enough to share with a few people. And we will spend the evening as Jesus and His disciples did at the last supper, feasting on our favorite foods, laughing, enjoying one another's company, and remembering God's great mercy extended to all who come unto Him. The evening will conclude with the presentation of The Good Gift in the communion elements. Come hungry and ready to relax, this gathering is about food, fun, and thanksgiving.
April 2nd - Good Friday, 7:00-8:00pm, Wimmerton Community Center - "Tenebrae"
Good Friday (a.k.a. Black Friday and Holy Friday) is observed to remember the crucifixion of Christ and the events that led up to His death at Golgotha. This worship gathering will be a somber, reverent step-by-step Scriptural journey to the cross of Christ, to think on His death and the events that transpired in the hours just prior to His crucifixion. This Tenebrae service with The Way will be a liturgical walk through scripture with moments of music and meditation.
We hope that you'll mark your calendars and bring your friends to join us for these Holy Week services. We are anticipating a wonderful time of fellowship and worship this Lenten/Easter season. Grace and Peace be with you.
April 1st - Maundy Thursday, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Wimmerton Community Center - "A favorite food item potluck"
Maundy Thursday (a.k.a. Shire Thursday and Holy Thursday) is a commemoration of Christ's last supper and the initiation of The Good Gift (Holy Communion). Just as Christ's last supper was a great feast celebrating God's mercy during the Passover season, this gathering of our church family will be centered around a huge meal. Every person in attendance is encouraged to bring their most favorite food item with enough to share with a few people. And we will spend the evening as Jesus and His disciples did at the last supper, feasting on our favorite foods, laughing, enjoying one another's company, and remembering God's great mercy extended to all who come unto Him. The evening will conclude with the presentation of The Good Gift in the communion elements. Come hungry and ready to relax, this gathering is about food, fun, and thanksgiving.
April 2nd - Good Friday, 7:00-8:00pm, Wimmerton Community Center - "Tenebrae"
Good Friday (a.k.a. Black Friday and Holy Friday) is observed to remember the crucifixion of Christ and the events that led up to His death at Golgotha. This worship gathering will be a somber, reverent step-by-step Scriptural journey to the cross of Christ, to think on His death and the events that transpired in the hours just prior to His crucifixion. This Tenebrae service with The Way will be a liturgical walk through scripture with moments of music and meditation.
We hope that you'll mark your calendars and bring your friends to join us for these Holy Week services. We are anticipating a wonderful time of fellowship and worship this Lenten/Easter season. Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
This is so much fun
I can honestly say that I've never been so excited about being a part of a church as I am with The Way. And I can also honestly say that I've never had so much fun working in ministry as I am working at The Way. And I've certainly never believed in a church as much as I believe in this ministry.
Every Sunday is a new treasure for me. Getting to actually take the time during our worship gatherings to communicate value to each parishioner while we engage them in the sharing of prayer material and our needs based ministries is something so precious to me. I can think of no better way to communicate true care and interest in each person than making time during our worship gatherings to hear from them on matters that are near and dear to their hearts. What a beautiful freedom it is to worship in an environment that truly values each person present. After all, how much impact can a sermon have if the preacher himself fails to give opportunity or listen when other people are speaking.
I'm so thankful to God for breaking me out of the mold that I had been in for a decade of church work prior to starting The Way. I'm thankful to God for the freedom of growing with a church family week to week as opposed to being forced to approach ministry as the task of growing up a church family.
I thank God for every Sunday. I thank God for every person present. I thank God for everything that each person contributes to our worship gatherings. I thank God for The Way.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Every Sunday is a new treasure for me. Getting to actually take the time during our worship gatherings to communicate value to each parishioner while we engage them in the sharing of prayer material and our needs based ministries is something so precious to me. I can think of no better way to communicate true care and interest in each person than making time during our worship gatherings to hear from them on matters that are near and dear to their hearts. What a beautiful freedom it is to worship in an environment that truly values each person present. After all, how much impact can a sermon have if the preacher himself fails to give opportunity or listen when other people are speaking.
I'm so thankful to God for breaking me out of the mold that I had been in for a decade of church work prior to starting The Way. I'm thankful to God for the freedom of growing with a church family week to week as opposed to being forced to approach ministry as the task of growing up a church family.
I thank God for every Sunday. I thank God for every person present. I thank God for everything that each person contributes to our worship gatherings. I thank God for The Way.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tell me about The Way
I received an email from an old friend with whom I had lost contact today. In the email she asked me to describe The Way and our mission among other things. I feel led to share some of my reply with you, as it was a great opportunity to share in clear terms what it is that we're all about. Here's part of my reply:
"As for the new ministry, I started The Way back in September. And while this may sound obligatory to say, it's the church of my dreams. To answer your question in very specific terms, our mission is to be the Acts church of our community. Our charter was taken straight out of Acts chapters 2 and 4. In short, we aspire to "keep to Scriptural teaching, to the practice of breaking bread and praying together, and doing our best to meet the needs of others". One thing in particular which tugs on our hearts is that the Christ followers of the first century were clearly known for the way that they served the Gospel ministry by not only spreading the Word but also by specifically taking care of each others needs. That is the goal that we reach for. Where as there are churches who want to grow and grow bigger and bigger to become a beacon of Christianity in the community, The Way wants be a mechanism in the community leading by example that the Kingdom of Heaven can come on Earth when we simply focus on the practices of the Christ who said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for just one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did also for me."
These values manifest themselves in our worship gatherings as we take time during our service to discuss matters of prayer for the entire congregation as well as needs that are personal to those both inside, and outside, of the The Way. We then have some form of Sciptural teaching and praise and worship together. These values also manifest themselves behind the scenes in our financial practices as we allocate 50 cents of every dollar that we ever receive in tithes and offerings to be given directly to people who have needs. Along the way in our brief history we have had the joy of helping people leave abusive situations by financially empowering them to start over, provide an automobile so a struggling single father could get to his job and provide for his daughters, make food provisions for a number of families, among many other stories.
Quite frankly, it's been the most holy and liberating experience of my life. The Way has allowed each staff member and each parishoner the opportunity to stop using their financial contributions to invest in buildings and start using their financial contributions (as well as every other aspect of their participation in the ministry of The Way) to invest in people's lives. And God has blessed us all richly along the way.
We meet at Latrobe Elementary School in the bandroom for now, though we will soon be moving to a new space because we've outgrown it. We meet on Sunday mornings at 10:30am. We'd love for you to join us sometime. Come to LES and enter the door which faces Irving Avenue."
Grace and Peace be with you.
"As for the new ministry, I started The Way back in September. And while this may sound obligatory to say, it's the church of my dreams. To answer your question in very specific terms, our mission is to be the Acts church of our community. Our charter was taken straight out of Acts chapters 2 and 4. In short, we aspire to "keep to Scriptural teaching, to the practice of breaking bread and praying together, and doing our best to meet the needs of others". One thing in particular which tugs on our hearts is that the Christ followers of the first century were clearly known for the way that they served the Gospel ministry by not only spreading the Word but also by specifically taking care of each others needs. That is the goal that we reach for. Where as there are churches who want to grow and grow bigger and bigger to become a beacon of Christianity in the community, The Way wants be a mechanism in the community leading by example that the Kingdom of Heaven can come on Earth when we simply focus on the practices of the Christ who said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for just one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did also for me."
These values manifest themselves in our worship gatherings as we take time during our service to discuss matters of prayer for the entire congregation as well as needs that are personal to those both inside, and outside, of the The Way. We then have some form of Sciptural teaching and praise and worship together. These values also manifest themselves behind the scenes in our financial practices as we allocate 50 cents of every dollar that we ever receive in tithes and offerings to be given directly to people who have needs. Along the way in our brief history we have had the joy of helping people leave abusive situations by financially empowering them to start over, provide an automobile so a struggling single father could get to his job and provide for his daughters, make food provisions for a number of families, among many other stories.
Quite frankly, it's been the most holy and liberating experience of my life. The Way has allowed each staff member and each parishoner the opportunity to stop using their financial contributions to invest in buildings and start using their financial contributions (as well as every other aspect of their participation in the ministry of The Way) to invest in people's lives. And God has blessed us all richly along the way.
We meet at Latrobe Elementary School in the bandroom for now, though we will soon be moving to a new space because we've outgrown it. We meet on Sunday mornings at 10:30am. We'd love for you to join us sometime. Come to LES and enter the door which faces Irving Avenue."
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Excited about Friday
Hello friends,
My family and I are back in town from our travels. We are catching up on laundry and looking forward to an exciting weekend. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement regarding the death of my father.
This Friday night marks the kickoff of our Friday Night Fellowship. The gathering will begin around 6:30. We encourage everyone to bring a food item to share. Also, this Sunday is going to be one to remember. I've spent the last three weeks just reading through the Bible, and I can't wait to start telling you all of the new things that I have learned. You and your invited guests won't want to miss either opportunity on Friday and Sunday to gather with The Way. I look forward to seeing you all there!
Grace and Peace be with you.
My family and I are back in town from our travels. We are catching up on laundry and looking forward to an exciting weekend. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement regarding the death of my father.
This Friday night marks the kickoff of our Friday Night Fellowship. The gathering will begin around 6:30. We encourage everyone to bring a food item to share. Also, this Sunday is going to be one to remember. I've spent the last three weeks just reading through the Bible, and I can't wait to start telling you all of the new things that I have learned. You and your invited guests won't want to miss either opportunity on Friday and Sunday to gather with The Way. I look forward to seeing you all there!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Friday Night Fellowship Cancellation
Hello friends,
This morning I received the phone call from Nashville that I have been expecting for some time now. My dad passed away. As you may know, he has been seriously ill for the past 6 weeks following complications from an intestinal tear (among other issues). In short, I'm relieved to report that dad died quickly and comfortably this morning with my stepmother at his bedside. Over a period of about 10 minutes dad's heart rate simply slowed til it was no longer beating. There was no struggling or pain. The Lord was certainly merciful this morning.
I share this with you as my travel plans will cause us to delay our Friday Night Fellowship kickoff that we announced last Sunday. My family and I thank you for your understanding during this time. We look forward to kicking this off with you next Friday (Jan. 29th). In the meantime, we thank you for your ongoing prayer and support.
And one more thing, this Sunday is going to be a great one at The Way! Be sure to attend and bring a guest along with you. Come expecting great things as our church family gathers once again to focus on living the way of Jesus.
Grace and Peace be with you.
This morning I received the phone call from Nashville that I have been expecting for some time now. My dad passed away. As you may know, he has been seriously ill for the past 6 weeks following complications from an intestinal tear (among other issues). In short, I'm relieved to report that dad died quickly and comfortably this morning with my stepmother at his bedside. Over a period of about 10 minutes dad's heart rate simply slowed til it was no longer beating. There was no struggling or pain. The Lord was certainly merciful this morning.
I share this with you as my travel plans will cause us to delay our Friday Night Fellowship kickoff that we announced last Sunday. My family and I thank you for your understanding during this time. We look forward to kicking this off with you next Friday (Jan. 29th). In the meantime, we thank you for your ongoing prayer and support.
And one more thing, this Sunday is going to be a great one at The Way! Be sure to attend and bring a guest along with you. Come expecting great things as our church family gathers once again to focus on living the way of Jesus.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Early January thoughts
It's SUCH an exciting time at The Way. There is a buzz in the air at every gathering. What a blessing these past few weeks have been. There's been so much joy and laughter and...well...lots and lots of people. We're thankful to God for all that He is doing in our midst. I hope you'll join me in continuing to pray for The Way and its leadership; to cover us all in prayer and to praise God for His goodness.
Here are a few things of note:
1) For the past 2 weeks our worship gatherings have been standing room only. That is a WONDERFUL thing. It's been so great to see new faces and to watch as the people of The Way do what they do best with inviting, welcoming, and accepting others into our family. As we press forward with our church, you should know that our leadership team is currently working hard on finding a bigger venue that better suits our rapidly growing congregation. Please, in the meantime, be sure to continue inviting your friends and neighbors out to The Way. Some of our regulars have already offered to give up their seat to accommodate your guests. Let's work hard to keep packing the house. There's not another church like ours for miles around. Let's continue going the extra mile with folks to bring them in on Sunday mornings to show them what we mean when we talk about living the way of Jesus.
2) Our new website is coming! The designer has promised to get some sketches to us within the next few days. Thanks for your patience regarding this in the meantime. Also, if you have any brief testimonies or thoughts about The Way and how it has blessed you, would you pass them along to me? We'd like to incorporate them in to our new layout.
3) The Common has proven itself to be a very valuable tool for our church family. Are you a member? Do you check your updates regularly? Please consider it if not. Katee Saffer is overseeing this ministry for us, and she would love to talk with you about it if you have any questions or comments. She can be reached at avidnessss@yahoo.com or her phone number (724)261-0266.
4) One of the frequently stated comments around The Way is, "Man, I just can't wait for next Sunday. I wish we could get together like this more than once a week." Well, soon you will be able to! Our leadership team is currently working on securing space for a second weekly worship gathering for us. Our thoughts are to make our second gathering all about prayer worship and fellowship. Do you have any thoughts about this? Is this something that you feel called by God to help us get up and running? If so, let us know.
Have a great week! I can't wait to see you and all of your guests this Sunday morning!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Here are a few things of note:
1) For the past 2 weeks our worship gatherings have been standing room only. That is a WONDERFUL thing. It's been so great to see new faces and to watch as the people of The Way do what they do best with inviting, welcoming, and accepting others into our family. As we press forward with our church, you should know that our leadership team is currently working hard on finding a bigger venue that better suits our rapidly growing congregation. Please, in the meantime, be sure to continue inviting your friends and neighbors out to The Way. Some of our regulars have already offered to give up their seat to accommodate your guests. Let's work hard to keep packing the house. There's not another church like ours for miles around. Let's continue going the extra mile with folks to bring them in on Sunday mornings to show them what we mean when we talk about living the way of Jesus.
2) Our new website is coming! The designer has promised to get some sketches to us within the next few days. Thanks for your patience regarding this in the meantime. Also, if you have any brief testimonies or thoughts about The Way and how it has blessed you, would you pass them along to me? We'd like to incorporate them in to our new layout.
3) The Common has proven itself to be a very valuable tool for our church family. Are you a member? Do you check your updates regularly? Please consider it if not. Katee Saffer is overseeing this ministry for us, and she would love to talk with you about it if you have any questions or comments. She can be reached at avidnessss@yahoo.com or her phone number (724)261-0266.
4) One of the frequently stated comments around The Way is, "Man, I just can't wait for next Sunday. I wish we could get together like this more than once a week." Well, soon you will be able to! Our leadership team is currently working on securing space for a second weekly worship gathering for us. Our thoughts are to make our second gathering all about prayer worship and fellowship. Do you have any thoughts about this? Is this something that you feel called by God to help us get up and running? If so, let us know.
Have a great week! I can't wait to see you and all of your guests this Sunday morning!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Another packed house
Yesterday marked the second consecutive Sunday in which there was standing room only at The Way. God's blessing on The Way is so immense. Now...to find a new venue that will better fit our growing congregation. More news on that to come.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Standing Room Only
Yesterday at The Way there was standing room only. There were literally no chairs, and, even if there would have been more chairs, there was no place to put more chairs. We had just enough room for everyone there. And to think that we started this with nothing. Glory be to God for the things He is doing at The Way. Would you join me in praising Him for what He's doing? Thanks!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Grace and Peace be with you.
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