David Whiting Live

Meeting Results

Many of you have asked about the meetings on Monday and Tuesday.  Well, they were L-O-N-G.  I left the parking lot at 12:23 AM after Monday's meeting (started at 4:00 PM).  Not all of it was about the issues of conflict, but it was a long meeting!  We dealt with the controversial things in the first two hours. The rest of just "normal" building committee decisions with our consultant.  Tuesday's meeting wasn't as long, but was equally important and intense.

So - how did it go (I've been asked over and over)?  You have been praying - so you deserve some kind of report.  I will go into details on Sunday night (during the Vertical Worship service), but my brief answer would be this (based on how I asked you to pray):

• God answered your prayers in that I believe we clearly communicated and carefully listened.
• God answered your prayers in that I believe we spoke truthfully, yet in a gracious way (I don't know if they would agree, but I think we did).
• God answered your prayers in that I believe we responsibly represented those who are giving so sacrificially.
• God answered your prayers in that our Building Committee continues to be very unified on these important issues facing us.
• God has NOT yet answered your prayers as to a solution. We are waiting for two responses at this point. So on this issue - please keep praying!

More information coming on Sunday night.  Thanks for praying and following up with questions!

100 Months - A Personal Milestone

We are hearing a lot these days about President Obama's first 100 days in office.  It is an unofficial media milestone where every talking head on TV and radio rants about how good or poor of a job our new president has done.

Well, I've reached my own personal milestone.  As of Friday, I will have been at North Baptist Church (January 2001 - April 2009) for the same amount of time that I was a youth pastor in Harrisburg (September 1992 - December 2000). I was a youth pastor for 100 months.  I have now been a lead pastor for 100 months. It's hard to believe.

Baptized Coffee?

I learned something new this morning...  According to coffee lore, the church may be responsible for the popularity of coffee. Way back int he sixteenth century, advisers to Pope Clement VIII wanted him to declare coffee a drink of the devil because of its popularity amongst Muslims. Pope Clement must have liked his double shot of espresso because it's reported that he said, "this devil's drink is so good... we should cheat the devil by baptizing it."

We received an ad in the mail last week offering a medium Dunkin' Donuts coffee every Wednesday between now and June...   Little things can make me VERY happy.  I'm too cheap to pay for coffee very often, but I really like good coffee... so every Wednesday is a new highlight day for me for the next several weeks. Is it legal to hit a few Dunkin' Donuts every Wednesday?

 

A Head Start on Sunday...

Do you want to head start on this next Sunday's study of the Divided Kingdom?  If so - read 1 Kings 11:26 - 12:33.  Also read 1 Kings 14:1-20.

If you want some "help" in what to look for while you are reading - here are some clues:

• 11:26-28 - his position of service
• 11:29-39 - the prophecy about his future. This is a really important part. Notice the unconditional promises (vv. 31-37).  Verse 38 gives the CONDITIONAL promises. Notice those!
• 11:40-43 - the death of Solomon
• 12:1-24 - the kingdom divides (931 BC)
• 12:25-33 - a new religion created. This is the section we will focus on Sunday. Think through how this fits with the unconditional and conditional promises God made in verses 31-38. What does this reveal about Jeroboam?
• 14:1-20 - the judgment on Jeroboam

I hope that helps to get you read to hear the talk on Sunday.

Meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday...

Can you pray for me and our building committee?  We have VERY important meetings Tuesday (beginning at 4:00 PM) and Wednesday (beginning at 10:00 AM). I will be leading the Tuesday meeting. I could especially use your prayers then!  We are discussing an important disagreement that we are facing.

Some specifics:

• Pray for clear communication on both sides. In a big project like this we expect there to be some communication difficulties.  We've ran into a pretty big one. Pray that we can clearly hear and speak.
• Pray that I will speak the truth in love. I want to speak truthfully, yet do it in a loving way.
• Pray that I will adequately represent the hundreds that have collectively promised millions of dollars to this project.  I want to represent the church well Tuesday and be fair in an important dispute facing us right now.
• Pray for the continued unity of our building committee. 
• Pray that right will prevail - whatever that is.

Construction Pictures of the Week

The inside walls of the worship center are almost complete:

This is looking down the future hallway (from the current worship center). On the right is the back wall of the new worship center.  On the left will be the nurseries and large classroom.

"Leadership Lessons from Dead Kings" - Promo Video

Here is the promo video that Chris Mason put together for the series.  I am constantly amazed at the quality of what we produce that is done by all volunteers!!!

Leadership Lesson from Dead Kings from David Whiting.

As always - if you receive this by email - just click on "Leadership Lessons from Dead Kings" or click HERE.

I would encourage you to read 1 Kings 1-11 in preparation for Sunday.  I can't wait for part 2!!!

A Head Start on Sunday...

Are you open to a "head start" on Sunday's sermon?  If so - take the time to read 1 Kings 2-11 this week.  That is the passage I will be teaching on Sunday, but because of its length - I won't be able to it all during the message.

So - if you want to be ready for Sunday - take some time to read 1 Kings 2-11.  Great stories in those ten chapters!

Why Do We Have Such Large Crowds on Holidays?

We are presently averaging about 700 people over the last month or two.  We had about 950 on Easter.  Have you ever thought about why we gained 250 over our average?

I would say there are three reasons:

• "ChrEasters" (they attend church two to four times a year - especially Christmas and Easter)
• All "regulars" attend (even if they only come twice a month, they won't miss Easter)
• Invitations from "regulars" - this only happens in large numbers in "successful" churches.

Here is my theory as to why North had 250 over our average on Easter:

• There are some in our culture who are truly "ChrEasters" and only come two to four times a year. I would guess that only 20 to 40  people were legit "ChrEasters" last week.
• This second reason is because "everyone" from a church comes on Easter.  If we are averaging 700 - how many total people does that represent?  Certainly a lot more than 700 (maybe 800 or 850).  Everyone has their own "patterns" of church attendance.  On one extreme are "ChrEasters" - on the other "extreme" are those who only miss when sick or out of town (a majority of North).  But there are many who average three times a month, others who average twice a month, and some come about once a month.  So on a Sunday like Easter - ALL who call North "their church" will attend. In other words - if a family attends once a month, THAT is the Sunday in April they will be sure to attend. If they come twice a month, ONE of those two Sunday in April will be Easter Sunday, etc... So it results in other Sundays in April typically being a little below average - because they ALL show up on Easter.  I would guess this results in a boost of about 50 to 75 people on a Sunday like Easter.
• The third reason has the most impact.  It is simply people making special invitations to attend. All churches experience the first two reasons for attendance increases (no matter how theologically liberal).  But this third reason only happens in a church that its people believe that what is happening at church can and will make a difference in lives and where they are encouraged to invite others.  I would guess that is the largest reason for having 250 more than our average. In this case, perhaps it resulted in 125-175 more people coming on Easter Sunday.

Anyway - I was just thinking about my neighbor whose liberal church had a large crowd, and trying to figure out the difference between their attendance increase and ours on Easter Sunday. What do you think? Am I missing other reasons?

Why My Neighbor Hates Easter Sunday (Thoughts on Crowds at Easter)

Last Sunday afternoon (Easter Sunday) I was out washing my car and a neighbor came out of his house. So I yelled over, "Happy Easter."  He returned my greeting. I then asked him how church was that morning.  He attends a very liberal church (theologically). 

His response was interesting.  He said, "It was horrible. It was packed.  I showed up 20 minutes early and we had a hard time finding a seat.  I hate that people show up twice a year and who suffers? Those who show up every week.  I hate Easter and Christmas Sundays. They are such a pain in the *#%*."

What I wanted to say was, "Well, at least they CAME!"  But before I said it, I realized that the ChrEasters (those who attend on Christmas and Easter) didn't hear that Gospel at his church - so what good was it for them to show up?  So I just said, "Yes, I suppose it is a pain for those who come every week."

And it made me stop and once again be thankful for those of you who put up with huge crowds at North last week.  I heard and saw how crowded the lobby was, and I was told that they hallways were wall-to-wall uncomfortable.  And I'm sure that a few of our regulars were annoyed with all the visitors, but I never heard one complaint. Instead I heard genuine excitement about those who show up a handful of times a year and those who came because they were invited. And although people talked about how crowded it was - I never heard a complaint.  Thanks for loving the Gospel more than your own comfort!

More thoughts on this tomorrow...