10 Step Summer Recovery Plan

Here is a 10 step plan to get your members back into regular attendance. We all know that people are here, there and everywhere during summer and sometimes it is more difficult than we think for them to get back into the routine of regular attendance. So here you go:

1. Prayer
2. Set goals
3. Evaluate current leadership status
4. Enlist a FAITH team/participate weekly in Reaching IOU
5. Contact every member enrolled
6. Invite every member and prospect to In-N-Out 2007
7. Plan an end of summer fellowship for all members and prospects
8. Decorate room
9. Give people a project and a purpose
10. Celebrate

What is takes to grow

The other day I was thinking about what it was going to take to get my grass to grow a little better than it had. I mean I had fertilized and watered it and it still was not growing quite like I thought it should. So I decided to look into things. From that I determined that I had over fertilized a little and that I was still not quite watering enough.

My course of action was as follows.

1. Mow and fertilize (lightly) right before I went on vacation
2. Increase the watering cycle
3. Go two weeks without mowing

The result is that my yard is finally looking like I think it could.

The application to church is this.

1. The grass will not get green on its own
2. We have to work the land
3. We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to see our friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances like God sees them - saved or lost - and then desire to share with them the hope that exists for them
4. Trust God for the results.

Good Morning

I am looking forward to today!!! I guess I am so anxious that I can't sleep. I woke up shortly before 3 and my mind began to kick into gear. I tried to convince myself that I needed to go back to sleep, but that did not work. This is a good thing. I am now anxious to see what God is going to do today. I guess I am just anxious to find out what God is up to today.

Vacation

Well, we are back from Yellowstone. I will have to say that is was truly an awesome time. I believe we made some lifetime memories together. Here is a quick breakdown of the trip.

1. 2,500+ miles
2. Wildlife seen - Elk, Deer, Buffalo, Pelican, Heron, Trout, Bald Eagles (with their Eaglets), Red Tailed Hawk, Kite, etc...
3. Gysers including an eruption of Old Faithful
4. Grand Teton Mountain Range
5. Cabela's Retail Store in Lehi, Utah

Too much more to list. Those were just some of the highlights. We really had a fun time together making memories as a family. We are already planning the next Rush Family vacation for 2008.

I'll be seeing you

Today we leave to go camping in Yellowstone Park. The plan is to take two days to get there. We are excited and anxious for some family time. I believe camping is something that brings families closer. Seven days in a camper, four days in a car, you can't get much closer than that! I will be praying for Immanuel this Sunday. I pray that God will continue to pour out a great blessing this weekend. When we return ,I hope to hear that it was an awesome day. When I get back I will give a synopsis of our adventure.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

Dodgers and Uncle Tommy

Yesterday we got the chance to go to the Dodgers game. Gretchen's uncle from Maine is in town and he wanted to go. It had been a while since we had gone to a game. So, we purchased tickets and headed down to Chavez Ravine (AKA Dodgers Stadium) to watch one of my favorite teams (the Dodgers) play the Atlanta Braves. This is her uncle's first time to California. Needless to say he was in awe. I can not count the number of times he said, "I can't believe I am in California watching a Dodgers game." We even got him to cheer for the Dodgers about midway through (one of his favorite teams is the Braves). I guess he just got caught up in the moment (sorry Jeff). Of course this is from a guy who occasionally gets to go to Fenway to watch the Sox.

He will leave Thursday with great memories and a desire to come back for more. What can I say, living in SoCal has advantages.

What to do

I have been a part of the Immanuel family for 7 years now (I officially celebrated that last week). I can truly say that it has been AWESOME. Sure there have been some down times, but those all pale in comparison to the UP times. I also know that Immanuel can improve. We can become better and we certainly have more people to reach. I wrote an earlier post which was a recap of staff retreat and I would like to take a few posts to follow up on what was accomplished so we can begin to transfer the principles into the DNA of the church.

The first principle is that of Attraction. This principle is really simple. It is fulfilled through us working together to win the lost in our community, the IE, state and world. It is what we do (individually and corporately) to tell others the great message of the gospel? This is the ministry to the largest segment of population in the entire world - the lost. It is our mandate from God to GO and make disciples.

I would say that the church has a lot of hooks out there to Attract people. We just had one last night - The Patriotic Musical. We have many others coming our way in the very near future (VBS, Game Wagon, Team Impact, etc). We also have a large Attraction event each week in the form of our worship service. Most people will attend church if we just ask them. All of these events are individuals working along side the church to reach a lost world.

It does not stop there however, we are to be individuals who take the great commission seriously. This means that we are to be outward in our focus and evangelistic in daily tasks. You might be saying, well I go to church and all I know is people who go to church. Hog wash!!! We all know lost people. They might be the people who check us out at the grocery store, people at the coffee shop, waiters and waitresses, just to name a few.

So the task is really simple. Pray and ask for Help from God. Help in the following ways.

1. Boldness to share (your testimony, an invitation to church, the gospel)
2. Open eyes to see the lost world
3. The remembrance of what it was like to be lost
4. Divine opportunities
5. Obedience

Let's all become aggressive and get out there and together help win this world to Christ.