If you haven’t heard, tonight is our Family Festival (formerly known as the Fall Festival).  We’re expecting three or four thousand people to be on our campus tonight, so you can bet it will be a great night.  This year, we’re more prepared than ever.  We have more games, more inflateables, and yes, more food than we’ve ever had before.  The games are free and the food is great (and cheap!).  Anyway, load up the kids and head to Southside tonight for the party of all parties!

Also, tomorrow I’ll post some pictures of my favorite costumes from the night.  See you tonight!

Last week was our pastor’s 20^th anniversary.  As a gift to pastor and his wife we wanted to do something special.  So, I sat down with Matt, Dennis, Randall and a few deacons and we began talking through some options.  We really wanted to send him to an Alabama National Championship game, but we had to get back to reality.  There were only two guidelines (1) we knew Pastor loved Hawaii (2) Mrs. Debby did not enjoy flying.  So, some ideas flew out the window.  However we kept coming back to Hawaii…they went for their 15^th.  It was said to have been the best vacation ever for them. (Mrs. Debby survived the flight)  Therefore, it became a no brainer.  This was not just a week in Hawaii, but also a cruise around the islands.  It truly is your “big daddy vacation.”

What price can you put on a gift like that?  I started thinking about how our pastor has led this church for 20 years.  When I do, I think our gift might have been too small.  Here is what I mean:

·        He has preached over 2,500 sermons.  Most of us would have a heart attack leading a bible study.

·        That is over 75,000 minutes of sermon delivery.  I wonder how many times he looked over at Matt as a kid sleeping on a pew…actually it probably was Steven, if you know Matt I’m sure he was taking notes as a 2^nd grader. 

·        I don’t want to even count how many weddings and funerals over the last 20 years.  What many don’t know is most pastors would rather do a funeral instead of a wedding – reason – the mother of the bride.

·        Imagine a 20 year span when anyone who is sick wants you to visit them.

·        Any bad news from any church member or a friend of a church member will always find a way into your office / phone call / email asking you for help.

·        Any moment in the flesh (big or small) can destroy everything you have invested your life into.

·        Every decision you make will directly affect a few thousand people – think about that.

·        Every decision you make will be criticized / discussed by a few thousand people…sounds fun!

·        Imagine loving and feeling spiritually responsible for a few thousand people.

·        Imagine having to put up with you and I on a regular basis J

I could go on and on, but you get the point.  Two weeks in Hawaii might turn into a month, and who would blame him?

A lot of people have been asking about our opening video to the Southwide Conference.  In fact, rarely has a video been as well received and applauded as this one.  So, if you missed it, or if you just want to see it again, here is our very own J-Ray, sounding as good as Bocephus himself, singing the Southside version of “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”.

Brad Powell rocked the house.  If there is one person in America that could speak to pastors on the importance of change, it is Brad Powell.  I’d love to be able to give everyone in our church a copy of the CD so they could hear how important it is for our church to constantly be looking forward, doing whatever it takes to reach people for Christ.  Anyway, here are a couple of bullet points from his talk.  

Tonight at the Southwide Conference, the music was superb once again as Bryan and the worship team/choir knocked another one out of the park.  More specifically, it seemed to be ladies night as Anisa, Theresa, Dale, Paula, and Amber all encouraged us with their wonderful voices.    

Tom Messer brought the message tonight.  Tom pastors the Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida.  His text was Exodus 25:18-22, and his title was, “His Ministers a Flame a Fire”.  Some of the highlights from this message were:

If we’re going to be God’s ministers then…

·         Our lives must be characterized by personal holiness.

·         Our faith must be fashioned in the crucible of adversity

·         Our hearts must be exposed toward God

·         Our minds must be amazed at the mystery of the Gospel 

I could say more, but I’m trying my best to be brief, so if you want to hear more, you can pick up a CD of this message (or any message from the Southwide Conference for that matter) at our Resource Center.

*Let me say this before I wrap up this post.  If you can come tomorrow morning, you need to come.  Brad Powell will be speaking in the first of two Wednesday morning sessions.  Brad Powell is one of the most gifted Christian leaders I’ve ever heard or been around.  I promise you that you will be glad that you showed up to hear what he has to say.

The second morning session just wrapped up and now it’s time for lunch.  Again, Bryan and the praise team led us in some more great worship.  The speaker for the second session was Dino Pedrone.  He is a pastor of the New Testament Baptist Church in Miami, Florida.  His message was entitled, “His House”, and his text was 2 Chronicles 7:16 .  The one thing that stuck with me from Dino’s message was, “If God has given you a dream in your heart, don’t let people take it out of you”

Anyway, I gotta go.  It’s time for lunch.  I think I’m going to Genji’s.  Yummy!