Two teenagers - how did that happen?

MARISSA IS 13!!!!!!!!!!! I am not quite when or how this has happened. I remember all to well the day she was born. Now she is a teenager and a very beautiful, smart, talented, caring, giving (I could go on) one at that.. I looked in the mirror this morning and there were more gray hairs than yesterday. I swear this is true. I just did not see this coming. Next thing I know...never mind, I would rather dig a hole in the sand and not watch what happens next. Of course I can't do that. I enjoy watching my kids grow up. As they grow up our relationship matures. I am anxious for each new day with all three of my girls and the challenges and rewards that they present. Of course if my girls read this, you can stop getting older any time.

Walk Thru the Bible

You do not want to miss this

Walk Thru the Bible is coming this Sunday. I know that many have never attended a Walk Thru the Bible Seminar. I can promise you, if you attend it will be one of the best things you will ever do. I am posting a video that will give a better definition of what will happen at the seminar. Our seminar leader (who is not the leader on the video) will be speaking in both services this Sunday and will give us great taste of what will happen if you choose to stay for the rest. If you have children in the 1st - 6th grade you will want them to be a part of this great event. SEE YOU SUNDAY!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

The official start of College football 2007 started yesterday. I love college football. It is by far my favorite sport. I enjoy watching any game at any time. Of course my favorite team is the Colorado Buffaloes. I grew up in Boulder watching the games. We had season tickets and every home game during the fall I got to go to several games each season. I remember one game in particular when after the game I was able to go into the locker room and meet the players. I was all of about 10 years old. I will never forget that - it made me a lifetime (not a fairweather) fan. I cheer for them when they are good and when they are bad. Last year they did not give me too much to cheer about. I hope this season is different. Regardless of the outcome I will pull for them all season long. I am anxious to see what this season has in store. MY SATURDAY'S ARE FULL UNTILL JANUARY!!!!

A new series in Bible Fellowship starts Sunday

This Sunday in our married adult ministry our classes will begin a new quarter of curriculum. To some this may not be a big deal, but to me I am anxious for it to get here. Let me explain why.

I have always enjoyed new things (buildings, clothes, sporting equiment, books, etc). It is not that I do not like old things, it is just exciting when something new comes along. Don't get me wrong, I take care of old things and have a difficult time letting things go that sometimes should just be thrown away. Case in point, the black shoes that I am wearing today are 6 years old. I love these shoes. I like the way they fit and how comfortable they are. When I wear them my feet do not hurt at the end of the day. I have a new pair of black shoes that are not as comfortable and do not feel as good as my old ones. With that being said, the shoes that I am wearing today are getting so worn out that when I wear them, my back hurts (the heal is almost worn off on one side). So I know that I just need to throw them out and get some inserts for my new shoes and make the switch.


I have enjoyed the last 13 weeks in Bible Fellowship as my class has been going through a study in the minor prophets but I am thoroughly looking at the study in Matthew that begins this Sunday. It will bring a new set of challenges weekly from the riches of God's all sufficient and all relevant Word. How good can it get.

Going to lunch with the girls

One of the things I really enjoy is going to school to eat lunch with the girls at school. I began doing this when Meagan started school and it is something that I continue to try and do. Sometimes I am better at doing this than other times, but I really do try to make this a regular thing with the girls. School started a couple weeks back and I had not yet had lunch with any of them. That changed today when I took Malory lunch. It is great watching them get excited to see me at lunch. To my knowledge they have never gotten embarrassed by having me there (I hope that never changes). If you are reading this I would like to encourage you to take a few minutes and go eat lunch with your kids while they are at school. It is a great bonding time that is valuable beyond compare.

Early morning appointment with the green family

I am up early this morning because of an appointment with the Green Family. The appointment is at 6:52 in Yucaipa and I am going with my great friend David. The appointment hopefully will take no more than 4 hours. At the end of the appointment we will either be happy or very sad. I have been on several of these appointments with David and he usually comes away feeling very good. I, on the other hand, come back feeling not quite as good. The factors that determine how good we will feel are too many to mention. I am hoping that it is not too rough for me today. Either way I have never wanted to stop my appointments with the Green Family. They always leave me with the feeling that I want to go back for more.

The numbers are in

The numbers are in from last week. We had 1760 in attendance. I am thrilled with what God did through our efforts. This is the second highest total for attendance on any Sunday during the summer months in THREE YEARS. Yes you read that right. Only two other times did we go past that number in the three years. I really believe that sets the stage up for a great fall. If you read this blog it would be great to hear some of your experiences (good and bad) from this past week. Post some comments that will help encourage others for now and the future!!!!

Thoughts from Sunday

Yesterday was our In-N-Out day. I do not know yet exactly what our numbers were, but from observations, we were up. To me the most exciting thing was seeing quite a few people who visited classes for the first time. I talked to one person who asked me how people were getting tickets to get the free In-N-Out. I told her that she needed to attend a Bible Fellowship Class. I went later on to distribute tickets and found her and her husband in a class. This was her first time in one of our Bible Fellowship Classes. To me that made the day well worth the effort. I am personally considering the day a great success!!! I am just praying that it helps us build some great momentum going into this fall. God is doing some great things right here among us. I have prayed for a movement of God among us! I pray this is it!!!

IMMANUEL IS THE PLACE TO BE ON SUNDAY'S!!!

Let's get the word out fast!!!!

Big Bear Lake in the dark

Last night I went fly fishing with my good friend Aaron at Big Bear Lake. We did not get to the lake until 6:30pm and fished until just after dark in our float tubes. It was very interesting fishing in the dark out on the water in my float tube. I have fished in the dark before but from the shore. When he first told me what he wanted to do, I was a little anxious, but when it began to get darker it did not bother me. Thanks to modern technology, I was able to call Gretchen from the middle of the lake (okay so it was really only 100 yards away from shore). It was just a great experience that I will definitely do again. Hopefully next time the results will be better.

Be a part of what God is doing at Immanuel

This Sunday is our In-N-Out 2007 Sunday. Everyone who attends a Bible Fellowship class will receive a free In-N-Out burger. To me this Sunday is all about getting excited with what is happening at Immanuel. It really is not about coming to church to get a cheeseburger. During the summer I have seen some initial signs of revival among us. I hear about people who are inviting their friends to church. Last week we had two classes that had a total of 14 visitors attending (we had a total of 97 visitors registered in Bible Fellowship). Our preschool ministry has grown 10% over the same time last year. Our Married Adult Ministry is averaging close to 10% above where we were last summer. I truly believe that our Bible Fellowship Ministry is right on the verge of some great things. The question I am asking is - WHO WOULD NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF WHAT GOD IS DOING RIGHT HERE AT IMMANUEL!!!!!

SO GO INVITE SOME FRIENDS AND HAVE A GREAT BURGER ON US!!!!!!

She's a senior in high school

Today I dropped Meagan off at school for the first day of her senior year. I cannot express how very proud I am of what she has accomplished. It is the beginning of the end to this stage of her life.

If someone would have told me that this day would arrive right after she was born and was struggling for life itself, I am not sure I would have believed them. Last night as I was putting her to bed and praying for her, I told her how I was so very proud of her.

I am just praying that this year goes by slow (sorry Meg's). I will try my best to help her make it the best senior year ever!!!!

I LOVE YOU MEAGAN ASHLEY

DAD

Coming your way this fall

I just got done writing my article for the Good News Newsletter that will be coming out in the next few weeks. It highlights some things coming to our church this fall. I will say that this has been an incredible summer and it is not over yet. I really believe that it has set the stage for what could be one of our best fall seasons ever. I am going to put the letter in this post - because I am not sure who reads or receives the newsletter.

We have a very exciting fall coming our way! There are several events that you will not want to miss but I want to take this time to highlight three of them.

The first event coming our way is our In-N-Out 2007 attendance promotion on August 19. Everyone attending a Bible Fellowship Class on that day will receive a free In-N-Out burger with chips and a drink. Our goal on that day is to have 2,007 people in attendance in our Bible Fellowship Ministry. With some work, this goal is very possible.

I am praying that you will get into the spirit of this event by getting your class to invite people to attend. I just believe that if we put our best effort forward God will reward our work!

The second event is our Walk Thru the Bible Seminar, Sunday, September 9. This conference will change your life and the lives you touch forever. Using hand motions, catch phrases, and group review, you’ll understand the Old Testament like never before. It will rekindle your desire to read the Bible and pray daily. You will be amazed at what you will accomplish:

1. Grasp the special messages and meanings of Old Testament characters, themes, places, and events.
2. Integrate your knowledge of all 39 books, 929 chapters, and 23,214 verses.
   Meet key Bible characters up close and personal.
3. Trace major geographical movements on a giant map made up of the people attending the seminar.

This seminar is designed for you and everyone in your department/class!

• Adults, teenagers, and children
• Mature believers who want to keep learning and growing in their faith
• New believers who want a foundation on which to build a lifetime of Bible learning
• Those searching to discover the depth of God’s love for them
  

You can begin registering for this event which will take place Sunday, September 9 by calling the church office or in the pavilion beginning Sunday, August 5 or online at www.ibchighland.org. Cost for the event is $15 for each person with a $50 family maximum. Everyone who attends the AM services on September 9 will get a free preview. The seminar will start at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 9. Please call the church office or come by the pavilion for more information.


The third event is 24/7 Prayer Week and takes place September 16-23. This is a time when we come together as a church family and pray in an uninterrupted chain for one whole week. I believe that through this ministry change has begun to happen in the life of our church. Sign ups will take place through our Married Adult Bible Fellowship Ministry. You will not want to miss out on this very powerful experience.


I am really anxious to see how God uses these events to grow our church spiritually and numerically.

Growing Together,


Mark Rush

As you can see we have a busy month and a half ahead of us. Let's all pray that we will see people transformed through what God is going to do in our midst.

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.