Winner: Wildflowers from Winter, and future giveaway announcements!

**Apologies for the late posting of this...we had a family day today!**


Congratulations to Sara Suderman on winning a signed copy of Katie Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter!


You can check out Sara's blog on WordPress. You can also find her on Facebook or Twitter.


Even if you missed the giveaway, you can still read the interview with Katie here, or check out my review of Wildflowers from Winter.


COMING IN JULY, a giveaway of Mike Glenn's Gospel of Yes. (You can read my review here.)


COMING IN AUGUST, a VeggieTales video giveaway! (You can view Rosaleen's review of VeggieTales' Robin Good starring Larry the Cucumber.)


Thanks to those who read the interview and entered. Katie was definitely a pleasure to meet!

Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF. You can follow her on Twitter, where she binge-tweets in between the moments of blessed chaos that is her life.

Just Between You, Me, & God 6/25/2012

Call me crazy, but I enjoy mowing and working in my yard. Even during the heat of the summer, I get a certain satisfaction after I’m done by looking at the transformation of a weedy and ragged looking yard into a trimmed and cut yard that has some curb appeal. Now I’m no master gardener by any means and after last summers’ drought and heat wave I have more weeds than real grass but when watered and maintained, it’s still green and from a distance looks decent. If you want the grass to grow, you have to water and it helps to feed it also. The thing is that you can’t just water the good grass and not the weeds and when you spread fertilizer it covers everything the same, good grass and weeds. They say that weeds are generally anything growing in your yard that you don’t want. When Christ died on the cross, He bore the sins of the world, He didn’t die for a few but for everyone. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” He knew that what He had to work with was all weeds, all sinners, so if you put down weed killer and all you have is weeds, then there is nothing left, there is no hope. With Christ Jesus we have hope, His death is the transformation from an overgrown raggedy existence to a vibrant manicured life fashioned after that of the Master Gardener Himself. He brings living water and life to a world suffering from a drought and heat wave that has seperated us from our Creator who offers us our only relief, our only hope, our only salvation by allowing the only good grass to die in order that we, the weeds, may live. As we learn to live in the light and nourishment of Jesus we can be transformed into that beautiful green grass that He desires. 1 Peter 2:24 gives us growth in the knowledge that, "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed." Refresh yourself from the drought of this life with the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and then share this Good News with others so that they too may be encouraged with the Hope we have in Christ. Feed yourself daily in His Word and grow in His likeness, Pastor Dean.

Catalyst Swag Giveaway Winner Reminder

Thanks to the winners who have contacted us with shipping infornation…we appreciate your expediency!

There are still a couple of folks who have not gotten that info to us. Since we did not specifiy when we should be contacted by, we are giving one more chance for those folks to contact us. If we have not heard from you by Tuesday, June 26, at 11:59pm CST, we will draw a new winner.

As a reminder, here is the list of winners: Julie B., Jill C., Sam P., Debbie E., Mary M., Lynn C., Diana M., Martin C., Freebies4Friends, Nikol B, Jim P., Judy W., Jessica R.B., and Crystal G.

Thanks again for your interest. Please be advised that we cannot ship any prize until all shipping info has been received. We appreciate the patience of those who have submitted their info.

Interview with Katie Ganshert, Author of Wildflowers from Winter

Released May 8, 2012, Katie Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter has given great credit to the Christian romance novel. Myself not generally being a fan of the genre, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted when I read it (you can read my review here).


I was even more surprised and delighted that Mrs. Ganshert agreed to an interview, Without further adieu, here it is!



Q: What inspired you to write Wildflowers From Winter?
A: Sleep deprivation! At the time, our son was a wee little baby. I was up late one night nursing and the voice of this twelve-year old girl came into my head. I couldn’t get her out. So I sat down and wrote the prologue. Then spent the next couple weeks trying to figure out why this girl would try to take her own life at such a young age.


Q: Which character do you most identify with in Peaks?
A: Probably Robin. She and I are definitely a lot more alike than Bethany and me. Robin is quick to love, while Bethany is much more reserved. Robin stayed in her hometown because she loved it, while Bethany couldn’t get away fast enough. I’m proud to say I still live in my hometown. It’s hard for me to identify with Robin in her grief, because I’ve never had to go through what she’s going through in the novel. But man, my heart sure goes out to her.


Q: Which character has been the most difficult to create and write? Is there a character that you don’t particularly like, even though they may be necessary for the story?
A: I definitely am not a fan of Pastor Fenton, but he was necessary for the story. To be honest, I struggled with him quite a bit. A lot of prayer went into my decision to portray a pastor in a negative light, especially since there are so many God-honoring, grace-filled, Bible-preaching pastors/preachers out there and the last thing I want to do is perpetuate any stereotypes. But in the same breath, I know people who’ve been badly wounded by the church. I wanted to explore that topic and Pastor Fenton was a necessary vehicle for the exploration. 



Q: Whose feedback on Wildflowers From Winter have you enjoyed the most? The most fulfilling?
A: Man, God’s really blessed me with some amazing, amazing feedback. Feedback that absolutely humbles me. Because who am I that God would use me to encourage and touch readers’ hearts?



Here’s an email from a reader that left me in tears (happy ones, of course):
I just finished reading Wildflowers from Winter. I was NOT expecting to be stunned by this book. I thought it would be another modern romance. Sweet. A light read. I was indeed stunned. I kept asking myself, how could someone so young learn to write so effectively about grief? Let me tell you, dear young lady, you have found your calling. Not only is your writing the kind that “sings” – your content is weighty and moves my heart. I am going to send a copy to a friend who is floundering in her faith. She is disenchanted with Christianity and angry at God for a hardship she had to endure. This is JUST the book for her. Thank you for hanging on to your dream. For pressing through all the critique sessions. Who are you? One gifted writer with an anointing from God to understand human hearts.


I read this in the midst of a very discouraging day. The message couldn’t have come at a better time. Reading that this woman was going to share my story with someone who was struggling in their faith made me feel incredibly humbled and incredibly blessed. It was such a pertinent reminder that this journey isn’t about book sales or accolades, it’s about telling stories that offer hope to a hurting world.


Q: Are we going to see many of the same characters in Wishing on Willows other than Robin? Is there anything we can expect that you can reveal (it’s ok, we understand you gotta keep up the suspense).
A: LOL! Yes, there will be more familiar faces than just Robin’s. Bethany certainly doesn’t play a leading role in Wishing on Willows, but you’ll get a glimpse into her life, and Evan’s too. 


All I can really say at this point—since I haven’t finished revisions yet—is that the story takes place four years later. Robin is a single mom trying to keep her struggling café afloat. There will be romance, some familiar places and some familiar faces. The story is all about letting go of the familiar and not letting fear get in the way of God’s best for our life. You can see the cover on the Wishing on Willows page on my website.


Q: Tell us your “salvation story.”
A: I grew up in a semi-religious home. We went to church on Sundays. I went to a religion class on Wednesdays. I always thought that as long as my good outweighed my bad, I was good to go. I believed in God, but it was all head knowledge. I never had any sort of personal relationship with Him. I didn’t even know that existed.


My freshman year of college, my boyfriend at the time wrote me a letter about his faith and I have no doubt God used that to get my attention. So for the first time, I opened a Bible and read Matthew. Then Mark. Then Luke and John. It was like God speaking directly to my heart. I got down on my knees and told God I didn’t want to do this thing called life on my own anymore. I wanted Him to take over. I wanted Him be my Lord. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. You can read a more detailed account of my personal testimony on the faith page of my website. 


Q: What is your favorite Scripture and/or Biblical figure and why?
A: Right now, my favorite Scripture is Zephaniah 3:17. 


For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. 


I’ve really been meditating on that middle part. How amazing is it that we worship a God who will calm our fears with His great love? This means so much to me lately, as we are in the process of adopting a little boy or girl from the Congo. The entire process is risky and expensive and overwhelming. I rest in this promise from Zephaniah.


As far as favorite Biblical figure, I’d have to say Rahab. She was a prostitute, looked down upon by society. Seen by men as an object. Seen by women as something disdainful. Yet God saw through the scars and the shame and made her a part of His plan. He used her to save the Israelites. And she found redemption. She is proof that nobody is too broken, too scarred, too beyond-hope for Jesus. He makes all things new. 


Q: We know the best writers are avid readers. Who is YOUR favorite writer?
A: Oh man, there are so many authors I enjoy! It’s so hard to pick one. But I guess, if I had to choose, I’d say Francine Rivers. I’m not sure anything will ever top the Mark of the Lion trilogy. What a powerful story! I reread them at least once a year.


Q: If you were stranded on a island, which five books would you want to have with you?
A: I won’t count the Bible, since that’s so much more than a book.
Let’s see… I’d want a good variety.
Mark of the Lion trilogy (let’s pretend I get a three-in-one set and this counts as one book…pretty please?)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 


Q: We know you’re a real person who has a real life outside of your novels. Just for fun, what’s your favorite household chore? Your least favorite?


A: I think “favorite household chore” has to be an oxymoron, right? ;-)
My favorite is probably cleaning the kitchen because it’s the only time I watch TV and I love a clean kitchen. 


My least favorite is definitely vacuuming the furniture. We have a black lab who sheds like crazy and a three year old son who is just….a three year old boy. So the furniture gets dirty and vacuuming is not fun. 


Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of writing?
A: Going on dates with my husband. Playing make-believe with my wild-child of a son (his imagination is off the hook). Reading, of course! Being a junior high leader at my church—clowning around with a bunch of crazy junior high students keeps me young. Going on walks. And meeting friends at Panera for bagels, honey green tea, and girl talk.


Q: How and when do you set up and find time to write with a busy little man around the house?
A: It’s definitely a challenge! But I think anytime we passionately enjoy something, we make time in our schedules for it. There’s nothing quite like writing a novel—the characters become so real and inevitably, God teaches me something valuable. So writing has to be a priority. I try to make my priorities God first, my family second, writing third. Granted, I don’t always succeed. But I try. To stick to it, I usually get up early in the morning so I can spend time in the Word and with my latest story before I hear my little boy’s feet running across his bedroom floor.


Q: What advice would you give an aspiring writer wanting to “get in” this business/ministry?
A: Persevere. Rejection and waiting are inevitable parts of the writing journey. I like what my agent said in a blog post once. Start seeing each no as a wall placed in front of you. If you want it badly enough, you’ll scale the wall and come out stronger on the other side.
Here’s my take…
If penning stories burns in your heart and if pursuing publication draws you to your knees, closer to God, then that’s an amazing place to be, regardless of what happens. 
I have more practical advice on the writer’s corner page on my website. 


Q: Have you ever had a Christian “geek out” moment, like meeting a celebrity or going to an awesome conference (or both)? What was it?
A: Do you mean like an awe-struck moment? Or an embarrassing moment? I’m not a star-struck kinda gal. I’ve definitely gone to conferences and have had the pleasure of meeting some fantastic authors that I really admire. But I don’t think I geeked-out. 


As far as embarrassing moments, I have those at least once a day.  Once, at a writing conference, a waiter spilled soup down my back (and I mean, down my back) and in his mortification, tried to clean it for me. I about jumped out of my chair. I must’ve made a funny face, because my table mates laughed pretty hard. Bless the waiter’s heart, he felt horrible. 


Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Just a big giant thank you! For reading my book. For interviewing me on your blog! For helping me get the word out about my debut novel! I’m so grateful for all the supportive people I have met because of this writing journey. Thanks for being a blessing to me!
Oh, and I’d also love to point people to two quick things. The Wildflowers from Winter page on my website has all kinds of fun bonus features for readers who fell in love with the story. And if you’d like to read Wildflowers in your book club, please check out the book club page and take me up on my Skype offer! I love chatting with book clubs about my book!



Thank you, Mrs. Ganshert, for sharing with me and with those who are reading this. I personally am looking forward to Wishing on Willows with great anticipation!


Find Katie on Facebook, Twitter, and online. You can also check out her blog here. You can also check out Waterbrook Multomah, the publisher, here, including their Blogging for Books Program.


To WIN your own copy of Wildflowers for Winter signed by the author, comment below. One random comment will win. Must comment with a contact email address by 11:59pm CST Wednesday, June 27. Winner chosen by random.org.

Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Program Director for LHF. She received a copy of Wildflowers from Winter through Waterbrook Multnomah's Advanced Reader Copy Program, and was not compensated in any way for reading or reviewing the book, nor for publishing the above interview. Katie Ganshert was not compensated by Melissa McGinnis or Living Hope Fellowship for this interview. All opinions expressed belong only those who expressed them. 

Just Between You, Me, & God 6/18/2012

I was blessed to have two Dads. My birth Father was special to me. He had a quirky kind of sense of humor; some people call it a dry sense of humor. When I was headed off to the Boy Scout Jamboree in Idaho back in 1969 it was the farthest I had ever been from home by myself. My Mom was giving me all kinds of advice about what to watch out for, how to act, to be careful, and have fun. All my Dad had to say was, “Make up your mind, do you want to be careful, or to have fun.” My Dad taught me work ethic (although I didn’t realize it at the time). We all had chores to do and we couldn’t do anything else until they were done. We learned that there were consequences for what we did wrong and it wasn’t just time out. He taught us how to be courteous and respectful to women and others by the way that he treated our Mom and other people. He taught us how to mourn when my Grand Father passed away and that things don’t always go as planned when the family’s only car broke down half way along the way to Iowa for the funeral. He worked some long hours to provide for us but he set aside time for all of us also. Now I can’t honestly say that I have always acted according to these lessons and I’m not proud of the way I have always treated people in my life but my Dad’s lessons were still there none the less, and have helped to make me a shadow of my Dad. One other thing that He taught me was that I was blessed with another Father, my Heavenly Father. My Dad and Mom didn’t just drop us off at Church on Sunday mornings, we were all there as a family. My Dad was not a great singer but I remember looking up at him during the hymns while he followed along and sang all the words to hymns that still sing in my heart today. He showed me how to be involved in Church by volunteering and leading and teaching and caring for others. He had a compassion for people. My Dad passed away 5 years ago just a few months before his 90th birthday. I visited him in the nursing home where he no longer lived in our world but in somewhere else in his mind. I would listen to him talk to old navy buddies and teachers and I would try to join in the conversation. On one visit just a few weeks before he died he was rather quiet so I pulled out my Bible and began to read familiar passages and then started to sing to him some of the old hymns. Suddenly he started in on his own, “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’re and o’re! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!” He stopped for a moment with a grin on his face and looked past the empty open door of his room and said, “Oh, you liked that did you.” I’d heard that quip before when we would laugh at his corny jokes. It had become a habit to try and see what invisible person he was talking with so I asked, “Who you talking to Dad?” He answered as if I should have already known, “Jesus.” And I should have. Happy Father’s day to both of my Dads, and to you, Pastor Dean.

Pastor Dean Hanssen is the Ministries & Outreach Pastor for LHF.

Funnier than...Heck

Anyone who thinks God may not have a sense of humor can look at two things to believe otherwise: the platypus and my daily life. I truly believe that God wants us to laugh. It's healthy; it burns calories, reduces stress, and raises your heart rate (for more about the benefits of laughter, see this WebMD article). And it's FUN.

Proverbs 17:22 MSG says "A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired "

So, to pass on a little laughter, I have gathered some cool stuff around the Internet, and encourage you to look for your own good, clean fun as well!

Fun Sites:

Stuff Christians Like -- Written by Jon Acuff, author of Quitter and a book of the same title as the blog. Creative, insightful, inspirational, and downright hilarious.

Clean Christian Jokes -- Just like the title suggest, this is a database of clean jokes. May of them are cheesy, but good for a chuckle.

Memes:

More Fun Photos:

Videos:

My Dream Father's Day from andrewmanzano on GodTube.

John Branyan - The Three Little Pigs from timhawkinscomedy on GodTube.

You may not have thought everything here was hilarious, but I hope you got a chuckle, and don't be afraid to seek out laughter in the world. God has give us the ability to laugh, to enjoy the funny things that happen, and find joy in silliness and absurdity. 


Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF. She both finds and provides many reasons to laugh everyday.

Just Between You, Me, & God 6/11/2012

June 10 1972, 40 years ago, a young (20 year old), thin, red headed kid popped another Tums in his mouth as he waited.  Lined up beside him were his older and younger brothers and a close friend.  It was almost 7:00 in the evening and the candles around the altar area flickered in the breeze of the air conditioner.  The preacher stood there in his robe waiting as was everyone seated in the church, then one by one, the matron of honor and the two brides maids slowly came down the aisle followed by the ring bearer.  My stomach was in knots as I waited for what seemed like hours before the bridal march began to play.  Everyone stood up and looked to the back of the church in anticipation and then she appeared from around the corner with her Dad by her side.  I gasped for air and could hardly make her out through my blurry eyes.  She took a step forward and I thought, the most beautiful girl in the world is fixing to marry me!  She took another step...what in the world would someone like her see in someone like me?  She took another step...what if I forget my lines or faint or what if the Tums don’t work?  She took another step...how am I going to support her, I’ve got to be in school Monday and I don’t even have a job?  She took another step...what if her Dad won’t let her go?  She took another step...what if she changes her mind and just turns around and walks away?  She took another step and stood beside me, everyone and everything just melted away and it was just me and her and the preacher.  The preacher started, “We have gathered here today in the presence of God and these witnesses…”  Oh My Gosh!  I forgot that God was going to be here too, no pressure now!  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and within what just seemed like a few minutes I was kissing the girl of my dreams in church, in front of all of those people, and God.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  It took me a long time to realize that God’s prosperity is not monetary but spiritual.  He has blessed my bride and me through the good times and the tough times, He has given us supportive parents who set an example of 63 years of marriage each, two wonderful children and some beautiful grandchildren, but most of all, He has given us each other, to have and to hold, till death us do part.  Happy Anniversary Jeannie, I still can’t believe you said yes.  Pastor Dean 


Pastor Dean Hanssen is the Ministries & Outreach Pastor for LHF, and has set the bar very high for the rest of the husbands out there by writing this.

Review: The Church Unique by Will Mancini

As an author, Will Mancini explores the dynamics of casting vision and moving the church forward through his book, Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement.  He is also a talented church consultant or clarity evangelist, as he describes himself, bringing his valuable knowledge as a pastor and educator into the arena of vision casting for all-sized churches.  His group, Auxano, is named from the Greek word that Luke used to describe early church growth in the Book of Acts.  As a conference speaker, his charisma and knowledge of simplistically sharing the elements of steering the Church in today’s complexities provides the conferencees a blue-print plan of organizing their church.  He is multi-media and social media savvy, having a twitter post and blog spot in order to reach the new emerging leaders of today.  Will Mancini is influenced by his family and the job opportunities as a chemical engineer, pastor, and advertising agent.
  
The thesis of this book is that through a micro-cultural perspective of itself, the Church can identify its uniqueness or missional make-over through living the vision of God that creates a movement-oriented church, a surety to its DNA.  

He begins the book with an introduction where he delivers his story and process that is uniquely his to share.  He entices the reader to dig deeper and search for the elements of their own ministry context and the subsequent definitions of DNA.  He divides the book into four sections, each having specific connotations to visioning.  In his first section, author Mancini writes about recasting vision in respect to being a unique church.  He determines think-holes or barriers to leaderships, debunks the fallacies of strategic planning by allowing creativity to flourish and uses comprehensive historical perspectives to build a leader’s wider perspective of numerical church growth. Lastly, he compares church-goers and their identity with area space of ministry.

The second section of his book offers a clear path to clarifying vision, its benefits and barriers and how it is achieved and communicated.  He offers common-sense direction at pursuing God with an articulate vision or mantra. He stresses the importance of leading a life attuned to God and living out the vision He places upon His children.


Expressing the vision is the basis for the third section of the book.  This is the building-block process of declaring the definition of the vision.  It is the hands-on approach of seeing the vision with new eyes and reacting with certainty the way to embrace the missional mandate the Lord places upon individuals, leaders and churches.   Author Mancini offers a mapping tool to strategize a church’s mandate for vision and development.  In the expression phase, he explains in a further chapter the marks, the “clear ideal and the working definition of a disciple” that are the benchmarks of Christian examination.  [2008:154]   Mancini then furthers his framework analysis by expressing the urgency of communicating properly through being grounded, radical, connectional and daily evolutional.  Lastly in this section, he writes about the need to push forward, keep focus, measure progress, and ask for honest input.


Part four of the book advances the vision through never allowing the status quo to dictate your mission/ministry, keeping the vision aligned and attuned and by transforming hearts in the community in order to create community change.  The author closes by advancing thoughts of uniqueness upon each church, its culture and its community.


Several questions arise as to the author’s subject that is relevant to my context with Living Hope Fellowship: 1) what really is the most important thing to say to a core group to begin to cultivate the desire to communicate the vision of LHF at all levels? 2) After completing the conversation with a core group, how will we remind and disciple people in our church culture context that we are sent from God every day? 


With these questions in mind, I find that I have often dismissed or overlooked the importance of the aspects of vision.  Mancini carefully lays the ground-work for establishing a vision-conscious church.  The framework is intense and must be scaled to meet different church contexts, but there lies the element of uniqueness that he appreciatively communicates and admires. His usage of the Integration Model to justify weaving vision into the life of the church will expose the vision framework for full engagement among the congregation and leaders.


As a new church start-up and being vision-minded from the beginning, many times as a pastor, I have not contextualized the process repeatedly enough to integrate the vision in everything we do as a church.    In this respect, LHF suffers from lapsing or blurred vision, bad communication and from service fatigue.  In LHF’s current context, it is imperative that the vision be recast to develop a new personal formation of ownership, an ownership that leadership, core members and congregational members will buy into that generates an awareness of LHF as a unique church. In my ministry context, LHF is moving forward with some general discipleship standards as to this vision-process by the partnership forged with Senda Beth-el Church, a Spanish-speaking church, in order to develop an interest in starting a new Spanish-speaking church in Gladewater.  This is differentiating LHF among other churches in the community as collaborators in the Kingdom’s economy.  LHF is broadcasting a clear, simple message of how unique we are to the community.


Pastor Ben Bright is the Missional & Administration Pastor for LHF. This analysis was written as part of his studies at Fuller Seminary online.

And the Winners Are...

Thanks to all who entered, shared, prayed over, and watched our 1st giveaway! We have drawn the names of the winners, and they are...

*drum roll*

Julie B., Jill C., Sam P., Debbie E., Mary M., Lynn C., Diana M., Martin C., Freebies4Friends, Nikol B, Jim P., Judy W., Jessica R.B., and Crystal G.!!

Emails will be sent to the winners to notify them, and prize packages will be mailed this week. 

Again, thanks to all of you and we hope you continue to enjoy and be blessed by fellowship fragments!

Just Between You, Me, & God 6-4-2012

I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of my niece Lisa and her fiancé Josh on Saturday.  It was a simple and beautiful wedding filled with laughter and joy on both sides of the aisle.   I liked their emphasis on friends and family and not getting caught up in all the hype.  Many weddings on TV are shown as extravagant, over budgeted affairs where everyone is at each other’s throats and no one is focused on the spiritual outcome which will help guide the couple through inevitable rough times and help preserve their happiness through Christ.  Weddings play a major role in the Gospels and throughout the Bible.  God instituted marriage with Adam and Eve.  Genesis 2: 24, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."  Jesus very first miracle was performed at a wedding that He was attending when He turned the water into wine.  Matthew chapter 22 tells the parable of the wedding banquet where those who were chosen by God to be His chosen people refuse to follow and believe, in fact they reject the offers of God to come to His wedding banquet.  Now God opens the wedding feast to any and all who will believe and follow.  Jesus is depicted as the Bride-Groom and the Church (that’s us, the believers) as Christ’  bride.  In Revelation 19, starting in verse 6, John witnesses in Heaven, the wedding  between Christ and the Church.  “Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.  Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”  Then the angel said to me, “Write:  Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”  I don’t know about you, but that’s one wedding I don’t want to miss.  As unworthy as we are, through His crucifixion and resurrection we have been made clean and presentable as the bride of Christ.  The Grooms Father has paid for and arranged everything in order that we may celebrate this ultimate relationship with Him, forever and ever.  Embrace Jesus today as your Lord and Savior and 1000 years from now we will celebrate our wedding to Christ together, around the table at the wedding feast.  God bless you Lisa and Josh, Pastor Dean


Pastor Dean is the Outreach & Ministries Pastor for LHF. 

Review: Gospel of Yes by Mike Glenn

Publisher/Date: Waterbrook Multnomah, 2012


Too often in church we hear the word “no.” We are told what’s not okay, what we shouldn’t do, what’s not “right.” We are reminded of what we as Christians and the church oppose, but rarely is the word “yes” used regularly In The Gospel of Yes, Mike Glenn (pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church in the Nashville area of Tennessee) discusses why this is a shame and directly contradictory to the Gospel. He shares the stories of people who have accepted their “yes” from God (which is roughly defined, the gifts that God has for you, a culmination of your talents, your purpose, and the beauty you possess because of Christ).


There is not enough blogspace to fully explain how much I enjoyed this book. I found it eye-opening, humbling, and yet uplifting as I read. I realized that although I had accepted my “yes” from God, I all too frequently allow the world try to drown it out with many a “no.”


Beautifully illustrating basic truths such as our worth being in what God gave to save us, our glory in being made in His image, and why Jesus gave the Great Commandments of faith, Glenn explains how one simple word can carry such magnitude. The language is simple, easy to understand, and well-founded in Scripture.


While I believe that every Christian should read this book, leaders should especially because it reveals to us not only how to find our own “yes,” but how to help others find theirs, and encourage them in it. He speaks about the uniqueness of each believer and that in truth, one “yes” does NOT fit all. It is a great read all around and I encourage you to pick it up. 

I could go on and on about how fantastic this book is, but I don't want to give away too many spoilers; besides, there is little I could say to add or better interpret what has already been written within its pages.. Suffice it to say, if you don't read it, you're missing out. Mike Glenn is a gifted writer and this is truly a God-inspired, Scripture-centered work that will change the way you look at yourself, your life, your ministry, your heart, and God's heart.

(This video is a very rough cut. Please be patient with me.)

Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF. This book was provided as part of Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books Program, though her opinions are all her own.

Time Is Running Out: Catalyst Swag Giveaway Ending Soon

Just two days left to enter for the Catalyst Swag Giveaway! Drawing will be June 3, 2012, ad we will be mailing out the packages the following week, so now's the time to enter!

You can enter on the original post here.

Here's a reminder of the prizes, just in case you need more motivation:

Go enter. Go now. :)

Review: Johnny Rogers ZuCamp Series

Working in Children’s Ministry, I am always looking for curriculum to engage my audience, which consists of mixed-age children ranging at any point in time from 2- to 10-year-olds. Often I design my own curriculum and “aim for the middle,” where my older kids act as mentors to my younger ones, learning in an applicable way. This works well, but sometimes it would be nice to use something that requires less direct preparation and more spiritual legwork.

Enter Johnny Rogers. Designed for 6-12 years, there are multiple series available. The site where I (or rather, my husband, who loves looking for stuff on the Internet) found it (www.kidmo.com) offers several courses, but allows you to request samples to preview and “try out” with the kids. Forms were filled out and discs were shipped. What I received was Lesson 2 of the ZuCamp series, which teaches about putting God’s Love into action. Lesson 2, “The church cares for people,” focused on teaching kids that God’s Church isn’t in four walls, but within us, and by caring for people, we take the church to them (which lines up directly with our church’s Core Beliefs, Values, and Mission Statement).


I tried it with the kids, and it was a HUGE success! The video lesson DVDs include their own worship songs, which were an especially big hit with the twirling dancer in the class, but also upbeat and engaging enough to encourage our “too big for bouncing” brooding worshipper. The video lesson was quirky, humorous, campy, and cheesy in the very best sense. It was also Scripturally grounded and had a sound point made continuously through the lesson. The characters were over-the-top in a fun way, and the class got a particularly large giggle at the ZuCamp leader trying to resuscitate a rubber chicken. I found it enjoyable to watch and the kids were enthralled. After the lesson, the kids enthusiastically let me know they wanted more like it, and were able to tell me in their own words what they learned, including the youngest class members. To say I am impressed is an understatement, and we will be buying the entire ZuCamp series, and I am looking forward to trying other series as well (a complete listing is available at www.kidmo.com). 


In addition to the great lesson and worship music, the DVD contains “opener” music to be played while kids are coming in, a trivia section, and other reinforcement sections. It is designed to be popped into the DVD player and let run with minimal interference from the teacher. It does have a section menu so that relevant sections can be used, while those that are less applicable can be skipped. There are also resource CD-ROMS that come with the lessons with extra materials, such as worksheets, which are handy, but weren’t directly applicable in my Children’s Church setting because we have such a broad scale of reading levels in our group I generally avoid worksheets in favor of simple hands-on crafts that every child can do with little or no assistance. At $149.00 for the entire series, this is not likely to break most church budgets and can of course be used more than once (it could also be used for a four-day Vacation Bible School with a “camp” theme).


Thank you, Johnny Rogers, for making the lives of Children’s Church and Sunday School teachers just a bit easier!


www.kidmo.com also offers Phil Vischer’s What’s In the Bible? Elementary Program for Churches, and Lil’ K Preschool Program lessons (ages 2-5). I also previewed a Lil’ K video, and while it is not applicable to my Children’s Church situation, it is cute, reminiscent of “Blue’s Clues,” and has a strong Scriptural foundation as well. I have not at this time reviewed the What’s In the Bible? sample disc I received.


Melissa McGinnis is the Children’s Ministry Director for LHF. Her opinions are her own and she was not compensated for this review in any way.