Don't be surprised when prayer works!

Probably six months ago a few of us were praying for some needs with the church plant.  One of the particular needs is for a youth leader who knows how to skateboard.  The prayer maybe answered.  My friend has put me in touch with a skate boarding pro who attends Asbury College.  We are going to talk about him putting on clinics at the park.  It amazing how things are coming together.  Please pray for a possible launch service in early October!

Not So Small World

I met Ralph over a year ago at the Bluegrass Festival that we had at The Rock. We hit it off immediately. We lost touch for a while until I saw him at Woodland Park a few weeks ago. I got his number and invited him to the community dinners. Ralph could not make it to the dinners because of the bad weather we have been getting. Yesterday Aaron called me to go pick up the boys from school because he was running behind in Cincinnati. I am always thrilled to hang out with the “little men” because they are off the hook. When I went to pick John and Joe up I was greeted by Ralph who was picking up his niece and nephew from Arlington school. We were able to connect and plan a time to get together for lunch.

One Big Party

Ryan Standish (vesailles) told me that I reminded him of a friend. I asked him who I reminded him off and he said his friend Duke who use to throw three day rave parties.  I asked him why and he said it is because I throw parties (he's talking about Friday night dinners) and care about him. I think Jesus and the disciples were associated with throwing parties because wherever they went was fun times.

Ryan is one of the three people that was convinced I was an undercover cop.  He is stinkin hilarious.

Following His Steps

I have always enjoyed praying while on long car rides.  It's something I actually look forward to.  Prior to praying I listen to my NLT on CD.  I was praying about this weekend but then was prompted to pray for the rest of my day today.  Shortly after praying I received a phone call from a guy I met in the gym over a year ago.  Muhammad and I talked about getting coffee together but I had failed to hear back from him after I tried calling a few times a couple of weeks ago.  Out of the blue he decided to call me.  We are having coffee tomorrow morning and I ask that you all would keep us in your prayers.

I got a late start in the gym this evening.  I hate lifting at night because Ryan and I have gotten so use to training in the mornings.  As I was finishing up my leg workout I struck up a conversation with a young African American man by the name of Rob.  I told Rob I was starting a church.  He thought that it was pretty cool.  I asked him if he attended anywhere regularly but said he did not.  For some reason I told him I was training for a bodybuilding show.  Come to find out he is very interested in getting involved with the sport.  I told him that I could give him some pointers to get started since I am a beginner myself.  Rob was excited and gave me his phone number.  I love meeting people in the gym!  When I tell them I'm a pastor they think I'm not telling the truth.  In fact I have had to convince a few new friends that I was not an undercover cop as they suspectedJ

This evening I was taking Rocky out to the bathroom when my neighbor asked me what breed he was.  I told her Rocky was a boxer and that he loves people…all people even if they don't like him.  Anyway as she was petting him I told her about the community dinners at my house.  She thought it was a good idea and said that she would have to stop by sometime but for the next couple of weeks she was going to New York.  I told her that I was from New York and she was surprised.  It turns out she use to live a few hours from me in Western New York. 

Shawn Received Christ!

Today after prayer service I rolled with Lacy to Common Grounds and we were planning on going to the park to do some tag team evangelism.  Lacy said she wanted to tag along with me on days she has off which will work out better in reaching out to girls.  Anyway I got a phone call from Shawn saying how he couldn't meet tomorrow but that he could meet today.  So Lacy and I met him up at Starbucks.  I told lacy at Common Grounds that today was going to be the day that Shawn would accept Jesus.  We get to Starbucks and Shawn begins to tell about the changes he wants to make in his life.  After a few minutes I asked Shawn if he was ready to accept Jesus.  Shawn said, "I am ready to do that, I have been ready for a while to make changes in my life.  I want to be an example for my wife and kids."  I asked Shawn if he wanted to pray outside the Starbucks parking lot.  He enthusiastically said yes!  There we were in the Starbucks parking lot and Shawn asked Jesus to come into his heart.  I will be meeting with Shawn on a weekly basis to do a bible study in his home.  Please pray for more conversions and people that would be willing to disciple others. Thanks be to God!

In the words of Ice Cube, "Today was a good day."

Connections

Today was once again an awesome day.  I had a district committee meeting for my continuation as a pastor.  It couldn't have gone any better.  Yesterday I wrote down in Aaron's notebook to call Jerry Beck, the pastor of Park UMC, which is right in the location we want to plant the church.  We were hoping to visit with him and share the things that God was doing.  The great thing about Methodism is the strong connectional system of pastors and churches in the conference.  Well, when I normally meet with the Dcom there are usually three people I talk with.  This time it was only two, Mrs. Bowden and somebody who was not on any of my subcommittee's before, Jerry Beck.  They asked me what I was up to in ministry.  I shared with them everything that was going on.  They were overwhelmed with my enthusiasm.  I got jerry's card and we are going to do lunch sometime soon. 

Bridges of God

After I left my meeting I went to Chik Fila to meet Ryan and his friend for lunch.  On the days Ryan Ellis is off from school I take him with me as my wingman for ministry.  I told him he going to learn more than what I know, which won't take much!  Anyway I keep reinforcing to Ryan that he has would missiologist, Donald McGavern would call the "bridges of God."  The "bridges of God" are basically the relationship that one has with non-believers.  I told Ryan he has an opportunity to win his old friends to Christ.  The tendency is we divorce ourselves from the world instead of embracing what God is already doing in a person's life.  We met with one of Ryan's friends today and hung out.  We had no "God" conversation but we are working on building a relationship and showing him I am a regular guy even though I am a pastor.

Our next stop was to the VA Hospital after our late lunch and afternoon of watching Ryan and his friend play video games.  We went to the VA to visit the grandfather of Becky (who I met in the tattoo parlor).  We got there and were disappointed because he was moved to the Leestown Rd location.  It gave me an excuse to call Becky and ask her about his condition (left a voice mail message).  I explained to Ryan that even though God calls you to do something it might not work out the way you anticipate it.  It is a matter of obedience that you are willing to do what He asks of you.

Baptism

Tonight I decided to go to Common Grounds to hang out and work on my sermon for this weekend.  I decided to call Ryan (Versailles) on my way up to see how he was doing because he starts his new job tomorrow morning.  I told Ryan that I was going to Common Grounds.  When I pulled up to the parking lot he was waving at me with a cheesy grin on his face.  We sat down and had coffee together.  I was then prompted to ask Ryan if he had ever been baptized before, he said no.  I explained to him what baptism was and why it is important.  Needless to say Ryan is going to get baptized this Sunday (my first baptism)!  As we were sitting and chit chatting the person behind us said I can't help but overhearing but what church do you go to.  I told him The Rock/La Roca and he said he knew Jeff Rogers (thinks highly of him).  Zach told me he had been out of the church for a while.  I invited to the community dinner at my house and church on Sunday, he was excited.

 

Friends, keep praying!

Birthing A Vision

It seems that are Friday night dinners are getting better ever week.  This week had a lot of diversity added to the group with our new friends Sunny and Crispin.  Sunny lives in the neighborhood and is originally from Nigeria.  Crispin is from Haiti and is an engineering student at UK.  God is adding an international flavor without us planning for it.  I also have been working with a few of the refugees who like close to me on Richmond RD at the Heritage apartments.  They have trouble coming to church on Sunday mornings and to dinner on Friday nights so I have been trying to be intentional in meeting with them.  Next Friday night I have invited a few of the young Hispanic men from our church that I have built relationships with.  Anyway our time Friday night went well.  At the close of the evening Ryan (Versailles) and Dillard joined Ryan Ellis and me for our Psalm/Prayer time.  We were overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit as we were reading scripture and praying together.  Tears pretty much swelled up in all four of us.  I can't explain what God is doing in our midst.

It was during this prayer time that I felt the Lord was giving me clarity of what the new church is going to look like.  It is a place for hurting people who need to feel accepted.  I wasn't surprised when he put that on my heart because that's who I am.  I had lived my life in denial for many years because all I wanted to do was to feel loved and accepted for whom God made me. It wasn't until recently where I absolutely sensed how much God loved me as he said that I am his beloved Son in whom He is well pleased.  It didn't matter if this new church failed because the work that God is doing in me is not failing.

Also, about 7 months ago I felt the Lord was telling me to pray to be freed up from the school debt that I accumulated at seminary.  I feel as if God is going to take me around the world to serve Him.  Because I am noticing this international flare of what God is doing I know not to limit my church planting efforts in KY or the U.S. alone but maybe around the world.  I know that God wants to use my ethnicity for his glory.  I speak Italian/Sicilian for a reason.  I have a heart for immigrants because the fact my family immigrated to this country.  Aaron and I were talking about how we received a prophecy that 2008 is the year where big things are going to happen.  We are not stopping at just planting one church but we are already thinking ahead to plant a church out of our church plant in three years and more plants from The Rock.  We want to build into our existing church and new church that we are a congregation that will reproduce other congregations.  Praise God for what He is doing!