A long sabbatical

Hey friends,

Many of you probably don't even read or look at my blog anymore after I seemly gave up on it a month ago. This month has been extremely awesome...and crazy! My responsibilities have always been quite daunting since being asked to join the Lake Hills Church downtown campus team. However, I am so encouraged every day to be surrounded by such great people, amazing hearts, and such great talents and gifts to use. I get to take a front row seat everyday as I watch God unfold His great purposes and plans in and through people. We serve a great God. He is faithful and He is more than good.

I wanted to take a moment and just share with you a few things that God has done in our Lake Hills Church community in this past month alone.

Over 200 people have been added to our LHC singles database

Over 15 people have committed their lives to Christ in downtown services

76 people registered for our 1st core class

141 people are involved in launching our Mobile Loaves & Fishes ministry (clothe & feed poor)

161 people are involved with Fusion

Over 100 people are getting involved with Life Groups (48 of which are single adults)

We have averaged 350 people or better in the last month of attendance...almost 100 up from the fall.

5 LHC singles leadership staff have been added (non-paid, but deserve everything God does bless them with)

These are just a few things I get to be a part of day in and day out. God continues to move in our community and in our city. It is never too late to be part of something that is bigger than yourself. I have to thank God, He lets me be a part everyday.

I've missed my friends! Glad to be back!

Austin Music Hall...church?

This past Sunday morning we did a run through of all set-up for a church service in the AMH.  We did everything from chairs, lobby environments, sound, lights, video screens, band rehearsal, video message playbacks, etc.  We even talked through a lot of these processes to try and fine tune them.  Up until this point, Lake Hills Church: Downtown has just been an idea.  Now it is taking shape and a GREAT SHAPE if I can say so and I will.  We even had a few emails from volunteers who were a part of this Sunday's beginning.  

Below is an email message from one huge hearted LHC Downtown launch member:

Guys,
Wow, what can say besides that I am amazed by everything that you all have been doing for the downtown campus. Today, was such a treat to be able to be a part of and to start experiencing what is to be LHC downtown and it is because of the tremendous effort and passion that you all have put into this church.

I have a confession that I have been in a huge drought on really getting involved in a church the past 2 years (besides showing up on Sunday mornings) and that lack of serving has really made me feel a distance from the church that has been very disturbing. In God's amazing ability, which is completely unfathomable, I had the opportunity to sit down today look around and see the empty hall and then see a church seemingly flawlessly coming together. I finally felt that this is it! I am ready to dive in head, feet, side, which ever direction God wants me to go to be a part of this church. I am ready to serve his Kingdom wherever I am needed and that is so exciting. I am uplifted with all of your warmth in welcoming every person who walks through the doors and all of your willingness to make sure that every person who walks through the door whether they have been there since the beginning or walking though the first time feels so welcomed and that they are a part of the church, that we are a community of christ not just a place to worship. We are here to be a family no matter what your story is, you are a part of our community.

You all are doing such an amazing job of thinking of everything when it comes to making this church resemble the perfection that is Christ (The chairs straight, the kiosk in the most welcoming spot, the music, the video feed etc..). I am praying for each one of you and your leadership during this exhausting yet amazingly exhilarating time. I guess to sum things up, I want to say Thank You for being you and for having such Christ like hearts to lead the church that I am proud to say is my church home.
Thank you,

(For the sake of this blog I am keeping the writer anonymous.)

CAN I GET AN AMEN!  THIS IS GREAT FUEL FOR MY NEXT 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY! 

Prayer Walk

As some of you have read about in this blog or know about through our friendship.  Our church, Lake Hills Church is embarking on a new adventure together.  We are launching our first satellite campus in Downtown Austin, TX.  We have begun building community through retreats, life groups, and a few events this summer to get to know each other.  It is always incredible to see the diversity, different history, and lifestyles that God is bringing together to share with our city His message of Hope and Love.  

Today, as we walked the streets, prayerfully seeking the Holy Spirit to show us our mission, all sorts of things started to pop out for me personally!  I began to think about the hurt, heartache, and often times helplessness that we drive our personal stories into.  I thought about choices that people make that can dictate where they find joy, peace, and happiness.  As I walked the streets of Austin (downtown) this morning, I began to see a vast array of difference in people, of life circumstances, and I began to see how God sees them.  FAMILY!  My heart was breaking this morning.  Often my prayer is for my heart to break for what breaks God's heart.  This morning it swallowed me whole!  A perfect Father loves His children and His people.  His heart breaks for seeing His kids turn away from him.  His heart breaks for seeing them hurt.  His heart breaks for seeing them fear.  His heart breaks for seeing them confused.  Guess what?  "Them" is us!  People always ask, "how or why I have faith?"  I always think and sometimes even say, "If God truly is who He says he is and if He did what he says that he did, then there is no reason to fear, new life begins today, this moment and this time.  It begins now.  The hope and peace that surpasses all understanding is Jesus.  It is always Him, it has always been Him, and it will always be Him who removes all of that "crap" from our midst."  

Today, I felt so blessed to be a part of our great God's Kingdom.  Today, I felt so blessed to be a part of an incredible community of people that call Jesus their Lord and Savior.  Today, I felt like God is stirring in and amidst Downtown Austin to bring a new hope and a new way.  He is always creating and today he was creating in my heart a passion for helping, serving, and loving his Children in Austin, TX.

I wish I had a picture that could describe it!

Sunday was absolutely FULL and incredible! Our band launched their new EPs. One song in particular, "Through Our Hands", will no doubt be an anthem of the future! I promise, as soon as I get digital privileges to this song. I will post it! If you know anyone in the music business, please find a way to get this song out there. It is powerful, thought-provoking, and fire igniting! You will leave this song with the desire to change the world, because of the power within you!

Okay, so that is not all! Yesterday afternoon our church celebrated Baptism! 75+ people touched and changed, FOREVER, by the love of Jesus Christ, were baptized yesterday in front of a standing room only crowd of about 500+ people in our parking lot. But it doesn't end there. Our band performed from an outdoor stage, old and new tunes. The kids had blow-up obstacle courses and trampolines. Our resident Games 2 U truck and trailer had flat screens and video games a plenty. The line of kids never stopped growing toward the dunking booth, that of course I had to participate in. Everyone loved this so much, that by the end we had many many volunteers to get in the dunk tank, rather than throw at the dunk tank. It was awesome...AND it kept me from getting back in it! YES!!!

I am not done yet! The LHC Grill Team had been smoking chicken breast, sausage, and brisket all day and had BBQ galore. Seasoned with grilled beans, potato salad, onions, pickles, bread, iced tea, and cookies!!!! It was phenomenal! Not to forget mentioning that it was 80 degrees and a gorgeous Texas Hill Country DAY! Blessed doesn't even cut it! We at LHC call that...A GOD THING!

As tired as I was beginning to feel, it didn't end there. Our high school ministry piggy-backed this event with our own worship service outside! The band played, the students worshipped, our student minister spoke, the students discussed and communed! What a day! Thank you God for letting me be a part of what YOU are doing! It is truly a gift to be able to do life beside the people of Lake Hills Church!