Another Day Getting Settled

Well, I am getting settled into my office and the flow of things here @ HHC! Sunday was our 1st service here and it was GREAT! Pastor Chris did a great job speaking and the service had a great feel to it! We are so excited about being here and getting things going! It is always hard to start new and get to know so many people and all that but we are doing it! Tonight we have dinner with a great couple that has been leading the youth for the last few months. They have done an amazing job at keeping things together and planning some wonderful events like next week to King's Island (yeah)! We are eating together at Jesus' kind of favorite food (Mexican)! We are anxious to get to know them and serve together.

My office is all decorated and set up so hopefully this week I can get acclimated with computer stuff, paper work, and all that. It is so hard transfering everything back onto a new computer, especially when you have so many files and stuff! Well, I am sitting here in my office getting ready to head out to dinner so...Adios!!!

Busy, Busy

I really need to blog more I know! I have been super busy this week getting oriented into the life and flow of HHC as well as unpacking and building bookshelves, desks & decorating! It has been a great week getting to know the staff and getting settled in. Wednesday night for service pastor Chris interviewed Erin and I for the parents & teens and it was great! We were able to share vision, get to know you stuff, and more! We had a great turn out of parents that were supporting their church and kids which is awesome to see! This next Wednesday we are going to do a game night to just hang with the students and get to know them in a fun atmosphere. This Sunday we are being introduced to the church and it will be our 1st service, so we are anxious and excited!

Well, we are waiting for our house to sell in Oklahoma so we can begin to take the next step here and get unpacked. So be praying for the favor of God with all that! We can't really do anything until that situation gets settled.

Our heart and brains are being filled with vision and anticipation for the great things God is going to do with this area. We are ready to move ahead and be the willing ones God wants to use to bring His glory to this world!!! Get ready!!!

Back in Indiana

WOW! We are here in Indiana getting settled in (as much as we can). We have been super busy with seeing people, looking at houses, hanging with family and already practicing for worship and planning ministry stuff! Tomorrow I am going to lead worship at my Dad's church for their Sunday morning service. Thursday night we practiced with the team! I am excited about being there tomorrow and seeing first hand what God has been doing with the church. They started with 6 or so people and now have grown into 40+ each Sunday morning within a few months!

Monday morning I start at HHC (our new church) in Martinsville, Indiana. We are excited about getting started and getting to know everyone. We start with a pretty busy week getting oriented on all the operations of the church and all the leaders. This next week will fly by I am sure. Tonight we are sitting at my parents house relaxing for the first time and just doing laundry and getting some things organized for this next week.

To ALL of our AMAZING Journey friends we LOVE you and miss you guys!!! You have been such a huge part of our lives over this last year and a half and we are so grateful for the time together. We will be back soon to visit when our house sells (which you can be praying for) and say hey to everyone there!!!

Diamond Daze & Game Night

Well, Diamond Daze is coming up tomorrow night for the next few days!!! We are super busy getting ready for that up here @ Journey! The students will be doing an awesome STOMP and also our youth band is going to rock out for the community wide service tomorrow night @ 7pm. There will also be some bands from others churches, we are doing the HUGE Disney drama, and much more!!! We are going to bring a great service for the community tomorrow night that will be upbeat and inspiring. Of course our mammoth booth will be set up with the flat screens, lights, an outdoor cafe, bookstore, games, and more! What an opportunity we have to show the life that Jesus gives! We are taking full advantage of it!!!

Tonight we are having our annual GAME NIGHT for the students and it is going to be great! We will be playing dodge ball and some other great games. We will have prizes for best dressed gamer, best dressed team and other random things! We have refs all suited up with whistles and air horns, this is the real deal!

Also, if anyone can we are asking for Journey members to donate some baked goods for Diamond Daze. In the youth section of our booth we will be raising money for the students. So bring in some brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, etc... on Thursday or the latest by Friday @ noon! Every little bit helps so just come by the church and drop it off with us!!! Thank you so much!!!

WOW!

WOW! This has been a big last few weeks! If you haven't heard already Erin and I will be moving to Indiana about mid June. We have been so impacted by Journey, Pastor Jeff, and ALL the people here in Sallisaw! We were not looking to move or anything like that but how circumstances played out we felt the Lord was calling us to a church in Martinsville, Indiana. The timing was a lot sooner than we anticipated, but we felt the Lord was strongly putting a vision in our heart for the people of Indiana. Before we moved here to Sallisaw we didn't really have a heart for a certain region just a heart for people. But by being here in Sallisaw and being exposed to one of the healthiest churches we have seen God began to put a vision for the region of Indiana. Pastor Jeff & Mrs. Steph have really opened us up to the vision behind small county America and Significant churches making an impact in their local communities. I remember hearing Pastor Jim Graff (Pastor Jeff's pastor) say when he went into a small town to minister he felt like he knew what to do since he had grown up in small towns. I remember when he said that I felt in my heart that I knew what needed to happen in Indiana for God to reach the area. Journey has impacted Erin and I's vision of what a community church can really be. The church exist to reach the lost and that is what we have been immersed in. We LOVE the people of Journey SO much and feel like we have made relationships that will last a lifetime. It is bitter-sweet for us to be moving but we know God is in the midst of it. Not to mention the fact that Jarred Day will be taking over as youth pastor here @ Journey and that is amazing!!! He has worked so hard and has been so committed to the vision that God has taken him to a whole 'nutha level! Pastor Jarred Day will be perfect for the fit here @ Journey and will take the youth ministry into the next phase! Praise GOD that He knows how everything will work out at ALL times. He is in control and with God in the driver seat who knows what amazing places He takes us!