33 people were baptised during the weekend of April 19^th - 20^th.  Were you also energized as you saw the Holy Spirit extend conviction and boldness for so many to come forward to declare their allegiance to Christ?  Just consider that each of those baptisms represents a fascinating journey with God — some just beginning, some already spanning many years.

We were all pretty pumped around here that week.  So why is it we are so amazed when God moves?  We expected him to do something.  We planned it by allowing lots of time at the end of the service.  We made the challenge specific.  We had extra clothes in the back.  I think it is about God being God and us being human.  Sometimes our faith just doesn’t catch up to his expectations.  Other times we pray, but don’t want to come off as presumptuous.  But most of the time I think it is the clear but simple fact that following and serving God is a mystery.  He moves when he chooses.  And he chose that weekend.

Don’t miss this opportunity to pray for those who boldly confessed their faith.  Pray that they continue in their walk.  Pray that Christ becomes even more real and more near to them.

We look forward to more of his work!

Soccer is one of those sports where the coach makes his most significant contribution during practices. There is some input that can occur during the game, such as halftime adjustments, but for the most part the game is decided on the field by the players.

Soccer season in Hillsborough opened last week and for our first practice I worked on one drill only - corner kicks. I think the kids thought I was nuts. There was so much more important stuff to deal with as our first game was only 10 days away. Well, last Saturday we played that first game. We won 2-1. Both goals were scored on corner kicks. Now the kids are paying real close attention to their coach during practices.

You know me - as a pastor I can’t help but think about life lessons from stuff like that. I think our daily lives are like playing the soccer games. You have to think on the fly. You make decisions and move forward. Sometimes the odds seem to be stacked against you and other times it seems like everything is going your way. Regardless, I think the game is decided by what you are doing in your practice sessions.

Personally, I am experiencing some storms right now and so I have focused on some critical early morning practice sessions of prayer and Bible study. I take my time in those sessions. I am pretty sure they will come back to make the difference in the score. So what are you practicing?

Hey, we are going to celebrate this weekend! The final week of our Awaken series will include baptisms. So come prepared to enjoy the Lord. I will be speaking from Acts 8. Why not take a look at that chapter and try to guess what part I will use and what my main point will be? Then this weekend you can see if you guessed correctly. See you then.

It has been a lot of fun to speak to so many of you after the services during our current series.  It is pretty exciting when you get a grasp of what it means to be awakened by God and journey with him. And I am finding that many of you have made a decision to start your own journey with God.  But how many of you have declared this to the rest of us, and begun to deepen the impact of the journey?  Here are a few ways that you can do this.

How many of you are interested in being baptized on the weekend of April 26-27?  Why not send me a response as you read this?  If you have found yourself awakened during this series or you just have never decided to be baptized, then contact me and join the group that will celebrate that weekend.

Before you decide your weekend activities, remember that this Saturday morning you can join us for one of our core Discovery classes.  If you want to explore membership and find out why we believe that developing community is part of the journey of awakening, then come to D¹ - Discovering Community.  If you want to get a better handle on the disciplines associated with your journey and understand why knowing God is the first step, take D² - Discovering Spiritual Journey.  And if you want to take a step into service and catch the fever of bringing hope into our world, then come to D³ - Discovering Ministry.  Keep in mind that these are sequential classes.  Sign up today.

I have been to Cuba twice in the past five years.  During each trip, I fell more in love with the Cuban people, and left inspired to learn further about the history and current affairs of this neighboring island.  As you can probably imagine, it was with great interest that I watched Fidel Castro step down earlier this year.  As I listened to him address his people, I wondered how he considered his 49 years in power: whether he looked over his career and evaluated what he had really accomplished.

A museum opened in Havana last year to commemorate the Castro years.  In a news article covering the event, a reporter commented that on the Saturday he visited the building, he found it completely empty but for a lone, bored attendant who asked him for an antacid (since “medicines are very scarce”). In this caricature of the country’s larger problems, I can’t help but think that Castro’s revolution died well before his retirement.

Meeting the needs of people is a critical lesson that Castro should have learned.  Let’s not make the same mistake at home.

Jesus is our cornerstone.  He is relevant and compassionate to each generation. God’s Word and our faith should continue to meet the practical needs around us, because the incredible work of Christ will naturally see people around us changed, just as we are transformed.  Friends and strangers should walk through these doors because they want to experience a relevant, a compassionate, a practical love.

I don’t want anyone to live less than a full life — do you?

The first four-service weekend went extremely smoothly, and I want to thank all our regular attenders for helping with this transition.  I was concerned that the 10:30 service would be crowded, but in the end all three services were evenly attended and we topped the 2 000 mark for combined attendance at all four services (not including the children in Promised Land and Kids Klub Church).  Remember that we will now continue with the new weekend service times of 6pm on Saturday, and 9am, 10:30 and noon on Sundays.

During the next five weeks we will continue our new series, Awaken.  We will see how Scripture tells of lives that were changed when a connection was made with the risen Jesus.  And this weekend, you will actually hear more than one account…

This week I read that the Gospel of Luke speaks about the poor and our responsibility towards them an average of one in every seven verses.  Now, I haven’t counted the verses myself, but I will definitely be studying them further.  And if it is true, then it’s an issue we need to think much more about as a church.  If you want to join me in your own personal study to see what Scripture has to say about the poor, I’d welcome the chance to hear about your findings: send me email me at bloghannold@princetonalliance.org or just hit reply if you received this entry in your Inbox.

I’ll be enjoying time with my family next week.  I probably won’t post another entry for a little while, but you are always in my prayers.