BabuLife

Foundations

Next week I get to step from behind a guitar and do a little teaching.  This is not something that comes naturally for me (at least it doesn't feel like it).  If I call it "facilitating" instead of "teaching" it feels a little more comfortable.  I'm looking forward to spending some time with people anxious to take some next steps in their walk with Christ.  There's nothing more refreshing than sitting in a room full of people excited about being a part of what's happening here at Grace and seeing what God has been doing in their lives. I have a feeling I may actually learn more than the folks taking the class!

Foundations begins next Wednesday night, February 21 at Grace, 6:45 - 8 p.m.  It'll last through April with some off weeks during the month of March including the first Wednesday Worship nights.  If you'd like to take your next step, sign up today...or if you'd like to come make fun of me...sign up today.

Grace Weekend Service Team Blog

Our weekend service team has had a blog since September of 2005. We've always had it password protected so we could put personal contact information out there for our team members.  With the online WorshipPlanning tool we have had no need to utilize the site for contact purposes.  So now the site has been made public.

This site is used to provide our team information about an upcoming series, announcements, vision casting and communications.  So all you Gracers out there are free to roam the site here.  Enjoy!

The Blogging Church Arrived

Just got my copy of The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey with Terry Storch. These two guys had a great impact on why I blog and why I believe it can be a great tool if used properly for churches.  As a matter of fact, there's a rumor that our senior pastor will be unveiling his own blog over the next couple of weeks.  Stay tuned.

I've been blogging now since June of 2005 and have met and networked with so many church leaders that I otherwise never would have had a chance to meet had it not been for blogging.  The exchanging of ideas, ministries, successes, failures at ministry and stories has inspired and encouraged me many times over.

Thanks to this guy for passing the bug along to me.  I remember being at Fellowship Church's C3 Conference with my friend Brian when he jumped in the van full of people and he mentioned the word "blog" after spending a session with Terry Storch.  I think we were all like...huh...that's interesting.  Sounds to me like a strange cult.  Man how things have changed.

Since that time back in January 2005, there are several Grace bloggers taking part in the online community.  Mommy bloggers (including my wife), a youth director, Men's ministry director/pastor, and my folks over in Gaza are all part of this growing community at Grace. I know when our senior pastor gets it rolling, our communications of vision and purpose is going to continue growing.  I'm going to enjoy reading The Blogging Church and using it as a resource to help explain blogging to other people within the Grace Church community.

So do you remember the first time you heard about blogging?  Did it take you a while to catch it?

Gaza Update - Pray for Gaza Baptist Church

This morning I recieved a link to a story from my parents.  It would seem the Fatah folks have taken the building that the Gaza Baptist Church meets in.  It's apparently in a strategic location giving them the ability to snipe and fight against Hamas.   Here's the story from Christianity Today:

Five Fatah police officers remain stationed on Gaza Baptist Church's sixth floor as a tense truce has brought at least momentary peace to the tiny strip of coast teetering on the brink of civil war.

Tuesday afternoon, fights between the secular Fatah party and its rival, the militant Islamic party Hamas, flared on Gaza's side of the Egyptian border as Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh passed through Rafah Crossing en route to reconciliation talks.

The 10-minute gun battle not only threatened to shatter the latest cease-fire but also trapped Hani Fazah, a Christian Gazan doctor and fiancé of prominent Gazan evangelical Rana Khoury (see "Love in the Land of Enmity," July 2005) in a bus at Rafah as he tried for a second day to enter Gaza for their imminent wedding.

These are the latest of many violent events since January 2006, when Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliamentary elections. Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, told Christianity Today that each round of Hamas-Fatah fighting ratchets up the bloodshed and lasts longer than the previous round. On January 28, Gaza Baptist's Awana club bus driver, Wasfi Khardish, 20, was walking down a street when a stray bullet pierced his heart, killing him instantly....Continue Reading

Ignite This Wednesday

Kicking off our monthly first Wednesday worship this week.  Check it out if you're in the area. 7-8 p.m. at Grace.  Come see one of our new electric guitarists rock out! Sam will be sitting in for the great Brad (aka Soakie). 

Soakie sits in El Salvadore this week working with a missions group on video stuff.  Soakie, I know you've logged onto this site down there.  Drop a note will ya?!

See you tonight!
-Babu

How will History Judge You?

"One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and titles in the final judgements men pass on each other.  The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart." Samuel Brengle, the great Salvation Army revival preacher.

View From the Stage: 2/4/07

There are mornings where things go just right and you walk off the stage thinking all the technical stuff went all right.  But there are mornings when you walk off the stage feeling the adrenaline rush of being a part of something truly special.  Knowing that God moved through the room and touched the hearts of people is so much more exciting than hitting each note.  This happened today. 

What a Sunday!  You've got to listen to the message on the current series on the life of David.  Check it out here.

Here's the setlist:

• Lord Most High - Dave Leubben
• Praise Awaits - Matt Redman
• Here I am to Worship - Tim Hughes
• Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin
• Here is Our King - David Crowder Band

By the way...that new Tomlin song rocked!  Way to go band!

Fat Friday Weigh In Week 9

Ok...even though I skipped a week of reporting/weighing in, I'm going to go ahead and call this week 9.  Gained a pound over two weeks.  Not bad.  I know where those pounds came from.  Why when it's 15 degrees and snowing am I tempted to eat ice cream?  Blasted banana cream pie blizzard from Dairy Queen!  Here's the weigh in:

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