Shawn's Blog

Here We Grow Again...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:51:00 GMT

2010 is off to a great start! Our average attendance to date is 1022. That is tremendous! God is doing so many great things in our midst and we are seeing people come to faith and grow in faith.

With all of the excitement that comes with a growing church, there are also challenges. The biggest challenge in front of us is trying to balance out our three services so that we have space in the parking lot and space in the worship center.

Here are our averages for the three adult worship services:

1st service – 124
2nd service – 340
3rd service – 266

As you can see, our 10:00 hour is significantly more crowded than the other two, which also puts a strain on our parking lot. This is one of the key reasons we felt it necessary to change our worship times. An extra 10-15 minutes between services gives people adequate time to pick-up their kids and exit the parking lot before the next service starts. Reason number 2 for changing our times was to avoid the “rush” that we feel every Sunday. With such a short transition, we felt like we were simply programming to move people in and out as quickly as possible…and frankly, that’s no good. We will still plan for a 60-65 minute service, but if we do happen to go long (which will happen occasionally), it won’t be such a detriment to our transition and to our children’s ministry.

Now, I know the question you’re asking… “What part can I play in helping our church continue to grow?”

I’m so glad you asked! Church growth experts tell us that churches with multiple worship services on Sundays always see their largest crowds around the 10:00 hour. That shouldn’t be surprising…it’s not too early and it’s not too late. It’s a very conveniently timed service. So…if the majority of our guests are going to choose the 10:00 service, we need to make sure there is plenty of room for them. If you are a partner or a regular attendee and are attending the 10:00 service, PLEASE consider shifting to the 8:30 service or the 11:30 service.

Balance. That’s our operative word. We need your help to achieve that in our services. Your decision to give up “convenience” can help make that a reality and free up space for people who need to hear truth…who need to hear the gospel…who need to experience grace. I hope you’ll consider it.

On the Journey,

Shawn

Happy New Year!

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:16:00 GMT

Every year during the last week of December/first week of January, I get on an organizational kick. I don’t plan it, but I just always feel the need to go through files, purge, and reorganize. I’m going through our basement right now trying to get rid of junk we don’t need or use. I just don’t like chaos and so every year at this time, I start cleaning stuff up…which makes my wife and kids very nervous!

The new year just seems like a good time to clean stuff up. So whether you are one for making resolutions or not, I would challenge you this year to set some spiritual goals for cleaning some stuff up in your walk with Christ. Just like my basement, it doesn’t take long for stuff to start piling up in our lives to the point where it feels like chaos. What do you need to purge? What do you need to get rid of that is pulling you backwards on your journey? That’s a good question to ask your spouse by the way. Invite them in for some insight. They see things that you may not see. So, swallow your pride and ask them if they see anything in you that needs a little work.

Here are some suggestions:

Commit to spending several nights during the week eating as a family. This may require saying “no” to some other things, but this is time you won’t get back. Turn off the TV and enjoy a home-cooked meal together. Make family time a priority.
Read a good book that will challenge your spiritual growth. Here are a few suggestions: The Life You’ve Always Wanted; Divine Conspiracy; Renovation of the Heart; Celebration of Discipline; So, You Want to Be Like Christ?; The Ragamuffin Gospel. You don’t have time to read? Slow down and make time. Create some “speed bumps” in your schedule. Growth takes time. Intentional time. So, be intentional about carving it out of your schedule.
Read the Bible daily. Follow a daily reading plan. You can search the website for a variety of reading plans. www.bibleplan.org provides several reading plans and also sends you a daily email so that you don’t forget.
Get involved in a ministry at church where you are serving regularly and get involved in a small group environment where you are studying regularly with other believers. Nothing will propel your growth like serving and studying with other people.

Everybody’s next step is different. Decide what your next step is to draw closer to the heart of God and start walking in 2010. I’m looking forward to a great year of serving and growing together!

On the Journey,

Shawn

And The New Worship Minister Is...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:43:00 GMT

When I accepted the role of Senior Minister this past summer, I thought we were going to be in for a long search for a new Worship Minister. I’ll be honest…I wasn’t looking forward to the process of making phone calls, sifting through resumes, and interviewing candidates. I had enough to do already and that just seemed too overwhelming to think about. But thanks to Facebook and networking, I was quickly introduced to several quality candidates. One rose to the top of the list. I met with Justin Mosteller in July to see if he would be interested. Justin has brought his band to Center Pointe on several occasions to lead for our students and also led once on Sunday morning in January, 2007. Justin is a talented worship leader, and bigger than his talent is his heart for people and his heart for Jesus. I was disappointed that he said no, but certainly understood. Louisville was home. He was close to family and he had a great ministry. He had no reason to leave.

As the search continued into the fall, Justin and I reconnected and he was in a different place than when we had originally talked in July. God was stirring something in him. After many emails, phone conversations, and a few road trips, we brought Justin up at the end of October to meet with our staff and elders and we felt an instant connection with him. Justin led worship for us on November 1, and on Monday, November 2, he accepted our offer to come serve as our next Worship Minister!

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have him as part of our team…and I can’t tell you how difficult it’s been not to be able to share this great news until now! Justin was not able to tell his congregation until November 29 so in order to ensure confidentiality, we’ve had to keep it quiet for a month.

Justin will be starting with us on Sunday, January 17. He and his wife Ashlee are in the process of getting their home ready for the market. Please pray for them as they transition life from Louisville to Cincinnati. Leaving a church family, selling a home, starting a new job, and buying a home are some of life’s greatest stressors.

Can’t wait until he gets here! And, can’t wait to see what God does in him, through him, and with him!

Click here to learn more about the Mosteller’s

Fall updates

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:15:00 GMT

It’s been a great kick-off to the fall so far! I hope that you were as challenged as I was during our Reset series. It was great to study the first five chapters of Acts together as a church to be refreshed and reminded of what the earliest believers looked like…their authenticity, their generosity, their purpose, their mission, and their commitment to BE the Church of Jesus Christ. Let’s not settle for just looking like that…let’s BE that!

Starting on October 11, we’re going to switch gears. These last several weeks have been about who we are corporately as a body of believers. Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at who we are individually as committed disciples of Christ. We’re beginning a new series called Disciple-Ships where we’ll study seven words that end in the word “ship” that help define what a disciple is…Ownership, Worship, Citizenship, Workmanship, Ambassadorship, Studentship, and Relationship. I’m looking forward to this series and the challenge to dive deeper in our commitment as Christ followers. Shane Whybrew will be kicking us off. Shane is a former partner of our church and now lives in Indianapolis where he serves as the Director of Development for F.A.M.E.

Speaking of F.A.M.E., we are still collecting over-the-counter medicines. You have until October 25 to purchase the meds and help us fill the baptistery. There is a list of approved medicines at the Information Center. Pick one up and join the effort!

Last bit of news…the search for a new Worship Minister. I have been networking over the last few months and have been introduced to some great candidates. Please pray that God would give us discernment and patience as we start the process of interviewing. This is such an important position and we want to make sure that we have covered it in prayer and are completely in tune with God’s will (no pun intended). Our worship volunteers have done an excellent job in keeping the momentum going within the ministry. Make sure you tell them how much they are appreciated. They are a talented group…but bigger than their talent is their heart for authentic, biblical worship.

Now…I leave you with a spiritual question…what is your next step toward God? Where you were a month ago is not where you should be today. And where you are today is not where you should be a month from now. Keep moving. Keep progressing. Keep walking. Take a step closer to the heart of God. Christ-centeredness is a journey…and we’re walking together.

On the journey,

Shawn

Here we go…

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:10:00 GMT

Janelle and I would like to thank you for all of the prayers, support, and encouragement we have received from you over the last several months as we have earnestly sought God’s will for our ministry. To that end, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as your Senior Minister. I’m excited about what God is doing in the life of our church…and more excited about what He’s going to do! I am absolutely committed to listening well to the soft still voice of the Holy Spirit. We will be obedient to whatever God calls us to do…even when it’s uncomfortable. God cares less about our comfort and more about our commitment. We will be a church fully devoted and wholly committed to the advancement of God’s Kingdom…whatever that looks like. I look forward to BEING the church with you!

Now, take some time to browse the rest of this e-letter and our website. All of our ministries are back in full swing and there are several opportunities in September for you to get involved. Don’t sit on the sideline! Plug into a Life Group, plug into a ministry, and plug into a Study Environment. Fall is in full swing at CPCC!

Shawn

Get In

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:43:00 GMT

Our Life Group team is beginning a campaign this month called “Get In.” The idea is for you to get involved in a Life Group. Being involved with a group of people who can encourage you, lift you up, hold you accountable, and invest in your spiritual journey is a priceless experience. So, let me just say to those of you who aren’t in a group…Get In!

Now, I like the campaign so much that I feel the need to expand it. The Christian experience is so much more than 60 minutes of corporate worship on Sunday. If you are not involved in a ministry, if you aren’t taking advantage of growing your knowledge and stretching your faith through a CORE class, if you are just coming for an hour and leaving, you are leaving so much on the table. I want to challenge you to get involved in a ministry that allows you to serve others. This will help you live outside of yourself. And I want to challenge you to grow to the next level by taking advantage of the CORE classes we have to offer on the Sundays you’re not serving. You will be blessed beyond measure if you will take the opportunity to “get in” the game on Sunday morning by joining a ministry team and taking a CORE class.

Additionally, I would encourage you to take advantage of the Men’s and Women’s studies that are being offered through the week starting in September. These studies will challenge you to be a better parent and a better spouse…and there’s nothing quite like surrounding yourself with the same gender to learn that you are not alone in your struggles.

Everybody is at a different place in their spiritual walk. You are the only person who can identify what your next step is toward Christ-Centeredness. I simply want to encourage you to take that step by “getting in” this fall. Maybe you can do all of those things or maybe you can only do one of those things…but remove the option of doing none of those things. Baby steps are better than no steps. Don’t stay in the same place you were a year ago. Get in…and take your next step toward God.

Updates…

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:34:00 GMT

I hope you’re enjoying your summer and are taking opportunities to make memories with your family, spend time outside, and eat a little ice cream! It’s going by fast!!! I wanted to take a few minutes and update you on the goings on of Center Pointe.

First, Janelle and I continue to discuss with the elders and pray about the future of our ministry here. We appreciate your prayers and patience as we seek the Lord’s will on this matter. We feel blessed to be a part of such an awesome community of believers!

Secondly, in addition to the Senior Minister transition, we have a few others to mention. After much thought and prayer, Sheri Sams has decided to join the efforts of Axis Church with Stephen. She will be overseeing the music and worship services. Center Pointe has been home to Sheri for 13 years and she has served as our Music Director on a part-time basis for the past 2 years. It’s been a privilege to serve along side her in worship ministry. She will be missed, but she goes with our blessing. Sheri’s last Sunday with us will be September 13. Take time between now and then to thank her for her faithful service to Center Pointe. We have already begun the search for a new Worship Minister so please be in prayer about that as well. Also, we have a new addition to our Children’s Ministry team. Amanda Nolasco will be joining our staff on July 22 as the new Nursery & Preschool Director. She will serve part-time to oversee that program and give some much needed attention to our nursery and preschool children. Please welcome Amanda to the team!

Lastly, I hope you have enjoyed Dr. Pressley’s series on “The Gospel According to Isaiah.” He is such a gifted teacher and I’m grateful for his willingness to preach this summer to allow me time to transition and tackle my paper (which, by the way, is finished!). For the month of July, we are doing a 4-week series called “Open Mic.” We will have 4 different speakers who will preach on whatever they choose…hence, “Open Mic.” Here’s the schedule:

July 5 – “The King Is Calling” Mark Trinkle (Chairman of the Elders)
July 12 – “Hope In Christ” Dennis Herko (Herko Family Mission, Jamaica)
July 19 – “Too Much Jesus” Steve Poston (Student Minister)
July 26 – “Not Enough Jesus” Keith Wilson (Life Groups & Outreach Minister)

Janelle and I will be leaving on July 14 for our anniversary trip to Maui. Pray for safe travels, sanity for my in-laws who will be watching our two boys, and a relaxing time away together. We will be back in town on July 27 and I will begin a 3-week sermon series on August 2 called “LOST” from Luke 15.

Keep up the good work…and keep being the church!

Waiting...

Wed, 27 May 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Waiting...I’m not a big fan. I only get gas at “Pay at the Pump” gas stations because I don’t want to walk in and wait in line to pay. I’ve even driven away from a gas station after discovering it was payless at the pump! I will drive 20 miles (or more) out of my way to avoid sitting in traffic. I just don’t like to wait. But, let’s be honest…neither do you! We microwave our food. We DVR our favorite TV shows. We make phone calls while driving. We use “instant” messaging. We send an email and expect a response in two minutes or less. Remember the days when you had to actually call people in order to set up a meeting…and you actually had to wait until they got home to call you back? Crazy! We don’t like to wait. But here we are as a church…waiting.

I would submit to you that there is absolutely nothing better we could be doing right now than waiting. We’re a church in transition and we need to get this right…I need to get this right. And so we wait. We wait for clarity and a call from God. We are in a “season of prayer” and I hope you are praying for our leaders as they seek wisdom and clarity from God. I would ask that you continue to pray for Janelle and me as we seek clarity in our calling. This isn’t about us. It’s about the Kingdom. We simply desire to be in the very center of God’s will…and not a centimeter to the right or left. So we wait…and we pray…and we listen.

God’s not in a hurry and if our desire is to look more like him, then we shouldn’t be either. The Israelites waited for 40 years before they entered the Promise Land. Jesus waited for 30 years before he began his ministry…and waited 3 plus years before he took up a cross. Paul went to Arabia for 3 years before he actually began his ministry. Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come. God is patient. And as badly as we don’t like to wait, that’s how badly God wants us to learn to be patient and to be still. Faith is stretched in waiting. Trust is realized in stillness.

I appreciate your willingness to wait. As uncomfortable as it is, it’s necessary. Be thankful that you have a leadership who desires to wait, who desires to pray, who desires to seek the heart of God regarding our next Senior Minister, and who desires to hear from God before taking another step. Their patience is a reflection of the God they serve. So, let’s continue to serve together, make ripples in this community, and dream big…while we wait.

Transition Plan

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:20:00 GMT

The last few months have been a whirlwind to say the least. I would have never predicted that on May 1, I would be sitting in the position of Interim Senior Minister filling Stephen’s shoes as he was off planting a new church. I have processed a lot of emotions in the last 6 weeks, but the reality of it all still hasn’t completely sunk in. Maybe you relate. But, such is the journey of faith and my faith is being stretched in brand new ways. It’s both exciting and unnerving at the same time. I would be less than honest if I didn’t tell you that I feel completely inadequate for the task. But in the midst of my fear, I have an overwhelming sense of peace. I think God gives us that fear to remind us of our need for Him. We cannot do it on our own. Peace comes as a reminder that we can do all things through Christ. So, it is with that feeling that I step into this new role…completely confident that I cannot do it…but God can, as I remain faithful and available to Him. Janelle and I continue to pray for strength, wisdom, and clarity as we move forward, and we are humbled by the opportunity to serve Center Pointe in this way.

As for this summer, here’s the plan. I will preach on May 3 to wrap up our series, Plugged Into The Power. On May 10, Dr. Johnny Pressley will begin an 8 week series called The Gospel According To Isaiah. Dr. Pressley teaches theology at Cincinnati Christian University and has served as an interim preacher for Center Pointe on two different occasions. He is no stranger to our church and we are excited to have him teach us for 8 weeks out of the book of Isaiah. Beginning in July, we will do a series called Open Mic where we will have a different speaker each Sunday teaching on whatever they choose (hence the title, Open Mic). That leads us to August, where I will begin preaching more regularly on Sundays (sermon series TBA).

Having Dr. Pressley and others teach for the summer will allow me adequate time to transition out of some of my current responsibilities; plan and prepare for a great fall; finish an extensive research paper (40-50 pages) for my last graduate class this summer in order to complete my MA in Theology; and continue to lead the day-to-day ministry of the church. Needless to say, the summer will be extremely busy, and not having the added pressure of a weekly sermon is a blessing. I’m so appreciative of our staff and elders for allowing me the flexibility to plan the summer in this way. And, I have no doubt that you will be blessed and challenged by the men bringing the message each Sunday.

I would ask that you continue to pray for Center Pointe, the transition, our elders, our staff, and myself as we seek to discern God’s will for the next chapter of ministry here. We all want what’s best for this church, and ultimately, the Kingdom. We welcome your thoughts and/or questions as we move forward together in faith.

KidSpeak

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:24:00 GMT

Kids say the darnedest things. I think that was a TV show, but it’s true. I’ve spent a lot of time in the pool with my kids this summer. They love the water and they want me in it at ALL times. Campbell, my 6 year old, is a fish. He can swim really well and doesn’t need any help. But my 3 year old, Carter, is still uncertain about the water. He prefers the steps. He can sit in the shallow end, splash around, and stay relatively safe. But every now and then, I’ll take him a little further out in the pool. And he’s not sure what to do with that. He has this mixture of laughing and crying…it’s like a “this is really fun, but I’m still not sure about it” kind of noise. He hangs on as tight as he can, and I’ll draw him in close and say what every parent says, “It’s OK, I’ve got you.” And somehow, that takes the edge off. He believes that what I’m saying is true. He relaxes. He splashes. He enjoys the ride in his daddy’s arms.

Last week, I noticed that his confidence level has increased. He was walking further out into the pool by himself. And now, I’m getting nervous, so I walked out beside him and sat down to make sure that I was in close proximity. He walked over to me, put his arms around my neck, looked me in the eye, and said, “It’s OK daddy…you got me.” I laughed…and then I pondered. There was something deep about that statement…something profound. It was child-like. It was simple. But, it was true. I had been telling him for weeks that it was OK, that I had him. And he got it. He believed it. He walked like it was true.

As a father of a child, I was proud of that moment. As a child of the Father, I learned something about how God sees us. We may feel like we’re in over our heads. We’re concerned about the health of a loved one. We’re worried about the economy and whether or not we will have a job next week. We’re discouraged over a relationship and wonder if the damage can be repaired. We feel like we are drowning in life! But take heart. We have arms beneath us and a voice whispering in our ear, “It’s OK, I’ve got you.” And He never lets go. The question is, do you live like you believe that?

I wonder how different life would be if before taking our first step in the morning, we would kneel before the God of the Universe and simply say, “It’s OK daddy…you got me…whatever difficulty comes my way, whatever life holds today, I’m secure in your arms,”? Maybe we would walk like it’s true…and maybe, just maybe, God would smile at the faith of his children.