Tag: Church

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The Power of a Difference Maker

Difference makers. We all have them in our lives. People who understand their purpose is greater than their careers, personal successes, and the things they accumulate. They are people who have vision and step up at the right moment. The success of most people is built on the shoulders of the unseen.

We get a glimpse of such people in the early story of the book of Acts. It’s a critical moment found in Acts 5. The church is growing, and as always, with growth comes difficulties. The issue of their moment was widows being neglected. It was problematic because the disciples are feeling the call to go, but recognizing that the ministry to the widows was vitally important. Through prayer and Spirit guidance the issue is resolved. Seven businessmen, full of the Spirit, one who is Stephen, step up and the crisis is subdued. The needs are met and God’s word advances.

Everyone needs others who recognize their purpose is greater than themselves. Where would many careers be without those key players who step up in our critical moments. Mary and I will forever remember such an individual. Someone who stepped up and secured the future of our ministry and the future of Life Connections.

Our “Stephen,” showed up when our church was in its infancy, fighting for survival, and we were struggling financially. Starting the church required that I step away from a 15-year career at Indiana Bible College and came with an open-ended severance. Unwisely, I did not ask for, and was not given, an end date for my compensation. For five months I applied for jobs, but had absolutely no success. I was either underqualified, overqualified or didn’t fit the roll they were seeking to fill.

It was an October morning in 2005 when I got the call that our severance was ending. In an instant I was spiraling, questioning my decisions, and filled with anxiety. Besides the church, the weight of a home and auto mortgage, a wife, and the responsibility for our eight- and six-year-old kids were leaving me overwhelmed. I was certain we were on the edge of losing everything. Then, just days after the first call, another came. God sent a Stephen into our crisis. It was an unexpected call from an incredibly successful businessman and longtime friend of our family, George Coogan. He offered me a job, but with conditions. He wanted my roll to be part time so I could continue developing what was happening in Fishers.

George, and his wife Loretta, have always been kingdom minded. They married early, started a family with very little, but lived with a God confidence. In his early years George served as a part of my church’s youth team. He was someone that I as a teenager had high respect for. They and their kids had become close friends, so close that arrangement had been made that if something ever happened to my parents, they would become our Godparents.

A lot of time and space had taken place between those early days and the phone call I received that day. George owned a regional janitorial supply company, was absorbing companies regularly, and was a highly respected businessman in Indianapolis. Yet, in all his successes and accomplishments, his heart had not changed. His successes never replaced his passion and priority for God’s kingdom.

I would spend the next five years working with George. He invested in me, allowed me to develop his web presence, and establish the branding for all his companies. Looking back, I’m sure he could have found someone more talented and knowledgeable. Though I didn’t appreciate it fully at the time, I now understand that he was more concerned about the development of a Spirit driven church in Fishers, than his business. 

George, and his investment in us in our critical moment, was a major catalyst to Life Connections becoming a vibrant church. Truthfully, God could have made another way, but Mary and I feel that if it had not been for George’s vision, Life Connections may have never come to fruition.

Though they would never share it, Mary and I know we are not the only beneficiaries of George and Loretta’s kindness. There are churches that are soaring, ministers that are preaching, and businesses that are successful because of the way they live their lives. Say the name George Coogan around Indianapolis and you hear stories from a range of people, from those who were down on their luck to those in corner offices of skyrises. George quietly has made a difference in one person’s life at a time.

In closing, I wonder if there may be someone who has been blessed with successes but still feeling a tug that there is more. You’ve succeeded in business, in life, but sense you have a greater purpose. You do! It’s called the ministry of helps and its critical. It’s the ministry like that of six unnamed men in Acts 5, Stephen, and George Coogan. Go make a difference in someone’s life like George did in ours.

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Life Connections Farewell: Celebrating its Spirit and Impact

Every chapter has an opening and a closing, so it is with Life Connections, the church that started out of our home in 2002 and the one we stepped away from in 2022. Acts 13:36 says, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;” Life Connections served its purpose, for its generation, and will leave an indelible mark on eternity. As Pastors Phil and Annie Daigle closes its chapter today, September 22, 2024, we look back on the incredible impact Life Connections had on families, its community, central Indiana, and the world.

Its vision, its values, and its impact was like none other. It was a New Testament church, one that mirrored the early church that started in the book of Acts. At the same it modeled how to be relevant and connect with current culture. It had a unique niche. It served the community of Fishers, Hamilton County, and families from across central Indiana. It was known for at least two important dynamics. Its community impact and its prayerful commitment to being a Spirit filled and led community. In its early years it was a regular part of the Freedom Festival and parades. As it grew it became known as the place where families could bring their kids for a myriad of events. More importantly, it became a place where people felt safe to bring their families to learn about Jesus and experience His presence. It was a place that wasn’t about religion and rules. It was not another copycat of the latest fad religion, but a place where they and their families could experience the Spirit and grow in God in a likeminded community of others that were on the same journey.

Life Connections was about service. That DNA would show itself yearly as people came out of hibernation after a cold and snowy winter. Life Connections would welcome hundreds of kids and families at its annual Bagels and Bunnies Easter Egg hunt, a free breakfast and a photo with the Easter bunny. 

Summer would bring X-treme Camp, a VBS, that was like no other. The camps were highly interactive, with lots of zany variation, and the famous, X-treme Camp Obstacle course. Whether it was the Amazing Race, Space Jam, or Wipe Out, over 1000 kids participated in Life Connections X-treme Camps.

Winter would bring Breakfast with Santa, donuts, cookies, coffee, and of course, a free picture with Santa. Through the years Life Connections gave away thousands of free pictures with Santa. We can’t count the number of tears we’ve seen, the “thank you’s” we’ve heard, and the lives that were impacted by these events.

In addition to those major events Life Connections became the place to be each June when we were privileged to host the Fishers Strawberry Festival. There were tons of bounce houses, mascots like Boomer, Rowdy, and even the Chick-fil-a cow showed up, along with crowds of people from all over central Indiana. Nothing said summer was here like a biscuit topped with ice cream, strawberries, and a big dab of whipped cream. The festivals revenue never went to Life Connections, instead monies went to missionaries, helped churches who been impacted by extreme weather events, and other areas where we saw need.

Life was about serving those less fortunate. So many were grateful for Bagels and Bunnies and Breakfast with Santa, but Life Connections went further. Life Connections gave away hundreds of Thanksgiving meals through the years, provided Christmas gifts and meals to families yearly, and partnered with the city of Fishers to provide bags of food weekly to needy families. Life Connections served its community… it served its generation.

Life Connections was a place where you could expect to experience the presence of God. It was a unique church. It was Spirit led without being eccentric. It was progressive yet valued its past. It knew while it was imperative to relate to its world, it had to be a place where people could experience what the apostles and the churches of the New Testament experienced. It shunned the legalism that stymied so many Spirit-filled churches yet valued the power and the liberty of the Spirit.

It was first and foremost, a place of prayer. It valued very strongly the words of Jesus, “my house shall be called a house of prayer.” It was a place where God’s presence dwelled, and His Spirit was welcomed. Done decently and in order as the apostle Paul commended, people came to Life with wonder, “what will God do today?” Miracles took place, lives were transformed, and families strengthened. Life Connections strived to model the “house of prayer” principle individually, as families, and as a church corporately.

Life Connections was multicultural, a place for all people. For some time, Sunday worship included the 10 a.m. worship service, an Indonesian service at 1 p.m. and a Hispanic church at 6 p.m. In addition, to serving the nearly one dozen different ethnic groups that attended, we had translation equipment that allowed us to serve the Indian and other cultures along with an interpreter for the deaf community.

Life Connections knew how to laugh and have fun. Whether serving at one of the many community events or engaging at one of the many church “family” events, few churches knew how to have fun like Life Connections. There were more memories and friendships built at events like Life’s Annual Chili Cook-off than one could ever imagine. Lifetime friendships were made around a campfire, on a hayride or during a trash talking corn hole tournament. Whether it was the Christmas Gathering at the Hudson home, a bible study, a party that someone hosted with good food, or even if it was before, during or after a service, there was always the sound of laughter at Life.

Life Connections was a place that valued God’s Word. Life Connections taught about, lifted up, and pointed people to Jesus. It was a place that was careful to preach and teach the Bible in right context. While the Sunday services were inspirational and inspiring, bible studies and the series taught were dedicated to building a strong relationship with God and having fellowship with others. Whether it was a book of the Bible, a practical perspective on a social or current issue, or a series on a book by Jentezen Franklin, Kyle Idleman, or Greg Groschel, people grew in their knowledge of God’s word, and in their relationship with Jesus.

Life Connections was a place that valued the Spirit-filled experience that took place in the book Acts and what was the only experience and dynamic of the New Testament church. We tried to emulate that dynamic. It was a Spirit filled and Spirit led place. It was not a religious institution, not a doctrine, but a place where you could safely experience the Spirit. It was early on that we discarded the label of a denomination and took on the atmosphere as a place of healing. If you wanted to find a discarded label you could find it at Life Connections. There were those who were Catholic, Jew, Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal, the list could go on, but once you came to Life you became a person. A person who knew that everyone was broken, everyone needed the blood of Jesus, and everyone was growing, some more quickly than others, but everyone’s progress was celebrated. It was a place where you could be real, fail, heal, and grow without judgement. It had a unique vibe and was a distinctive place for many.

Life Connections was a spiritual hospital, not a nursing home. In a hospital there are a lot of sick people trying to get better, a lot of people serving, doing their best to help people get better, but still human and understanding that nearly every situation needed a touch from God. Life Connections never exploded in numeric growth but literally thousands of people passed through its doors through the years, at its height in early 2020, nearly 400 people called Life their home. Generally, we only saw about 70 percent of those though, unless there was a crisis, it was Easter or Christmas. For a while it bothered us, but we will never forget a moment in a prayer service as we were struggling with the issue that God spoke to our heart and said, “I’ve called Life Connections to be different, it is a hospital. I trust you to let Me heal people and you to let them go.” So, it has been, many, thousands who came through its doors over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, some died spiritually, others decided to move into a spiritual nursing home, but were excited that most were healed and moved on to greater ministries or became an integral part of the church community and helped others heal, grow, and impact the world.

In closing I go to Life Connections beginning. Our mission statement was simple; “Connecting people to faith, family, and friends.” As with the passing of an individual, we say farewell to Life’s physical presence. We know its influence, impact, and spirit will live on for generations. People will forever remember its love for the Spirit and its high values of passion, excellence, and integrity. There will be families who will pass down the Word that was taught, values instilled, and experience of the Spirit for years to come. There are friendships that were made that will last a lifetime. Though it is no more, it will forever be. Mary and I count it the highest of honors to have served the Kingdom of God in Fishers, Hamilton County, and central Indiana at Life Connections. We will forever be indebted to an unnumberable host of people who ran along side with us, brought vision and ideas, creativity, gave, worked and served, cried and prayed… who believed in Life Connections. If you were ever a part of Life Connections in any way, thank you.

How do we say farewell to Life Connections? I guess the best way is the way I would close each Sunday service. If you’ve been there you know it well. So, for one last time…

     The Lord bless you, and keep you;

     The Lord make His face shine on you,

     And be gracious to you;

     The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

      And give you peace.’

                                  –  Numbers 6:24-26

Preach Always, If Necessary Use Words,
Jon & Mary Hudson

 

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I Call Him Dad

He was 20 when I met him, though I don’t remember much about the encounter. He had a reputation of being a bit wild and crazy. He was a son of a preacher who drove fast and was a little reckless, to the point he even once rolled his car. His nickname, “speedwater.” He was as thin as a rail, had a flat top, and had just met a beautiful young lady in Indiana. He married her, and soon after, I met him for the first time. He is my dad.

I don’t have the memory he has; he can remember things from when he was a child, events as early as three years old. He remembers his first bike, walking to school, and even his homes and places in the many towns he lived in as a preachers kid. I have memories of things we did as a child, but they only come by watching slides (old photos shown on a projector for those who have no idea what a slide is). Slides of him taking us vacations out west, to many national parks landmarks, California to see an uncle, and what felt like  yearly trips to Florida.

Dad worked in a factory in my early years, the Gearworks in Indianapolis. I mention this because it’s my first actual memory of him, every week, on payday, he would bring me a Matchbox or Hot Wheels car. I still have them today. Our first home was simple, a little ranch in Noblesville on Cumberland Road, it still stands today, and brings a couple of early memories. First was the day I woke up to cows in our backyard, somehow, they had broken through the fence. A second was the night he and mom let me and Jim Coffey sleep out in my tent in the side yard. He strung a light out to our tent to help “keep the monsters away.” We couldn’t have been more than four years old. Finally, I remember big snow storms and the drifts we would have, it was like a Christmas card, and dad would always be out early in the morning shoveling snow.

At the age of five, we moved to a new two-story colonial home on the north side of Noblesville. It’s been home now for over 50 years.  I don’t remember riding bikes, playing games, or playing ball with dad, he wasn’t much of a ball player and that was pretty much my life as a kid, but there are still lots of memories that stick out. First was coffee, he always had a cup of joe with him. Sometimes he left it on top of the car, sometimes he spilled it, but a black cup of coffee was always near. Second, I remember the year dad got mom a popcorn popper for her birthday. To say the least, it didn’t go well. I resolved in that moment that if I ever got married, my wife would never get an appliance for her birthday or Christmas. The final memory is the best. For years mom wanted a pool. Dad’s excuse was that he couldn’t find the pump to the well in the backyard. This worked well for a while, until mom decided she would help him find the pump. One day she sent me under the house to find the water line, I spotted it, and we started digging. We were getting close, my hands and head were in the hole, when mom said, “let me give it one more shovel.” My head still in the hole, she hit the line. Suddenly there was an Old Faithful explosion of water. With several neighbor’s help, we finally got the water shut off. I bathed at one of their homes, and a few months later we had a pool. Dad had met his match. That pool provided so much fun and laughter through the years, and though he didn’t swim much, it says a lot about who he is. His enjoyment was watching the memories he was able to give to his family.

Dad has always had a passionate love for his family which led to him being an incredibly hard worker, doing all he could to provide for us. Our lives changed when he decided to leave the factory and become a real estate agent. Over time he began to succeed, and not only did he become a good salesman, but the companies he worked for noticed his leadership ability. He would become a manager at three different realty firms, spending his final twenty-five years, as a Vice-Presidnet of the Noblesville branch of F.C. Tucker, the largest realty firm in Indiana. His office was nearly always the top preforming group in the company, and his office was a place people loved to work at.

Dad’s strongest attribute is his love for God and His Kingdom. He grew up in a pastor’s home, and there was much he saw that he didn’t like, but it also made him the man he is. After marrying, he became a sectional youth leader and was a song leader. With my mom’s gift of playing both the piano and organ, they were quite a team. My first memory of dad in church was when we left the church in Noblesville and started attending a church in Alexandria, Indiana. Dad became an important part of the church and a close friend to pastor Davenport. Soon after we started attending, the church went into a building program. Though I was just a child, I have fond memories of tagging along with dad and helping on the project.

When I was twelve, we left the Alexandria for a church in Indianapolis, Calvary Tabernacle. It’s here that dad left an indelible mark. He served as an usher, taught in Sunday School, and became a board member. He was a board member for nearly 25 years and was an integral part in securing finances for multiple projects. He left a lasting impact helping Calvary Tabernacle build a new facility and assisting them secure facilities for Indiana Bible College and Calvary Christian School. When Mary and I started Life Connections he came on board and heled us secure financing for its current campus and served on the board for 15 years. In addition, Dad has supported countless missionaries and mission’s project. His impact on the world and the Kingdom of God will not be fully known and appreciated until eternity.

I would define my dad’s life in four dimensions. As mentioned above, he is an incredible businessman and a man who loves God and His Kingdom. After dad’s love for God and the Kingdom he has an incredible love for reading. His office is a small library, filled with a mirid of authors and subjects. Get an invite and you will see 50 years of National Geographic Magazines, the complete collection of Louis L’Amour westerns, a plethora of books on travel, and many biographies. Still larger, is his collection of religious writings and Bibles. Nearly every book Max Lucado has written, authors from the early 1900’s, and all types of commentaries on the Bible. Finally, dad loves to travel. He and mom have traveled the world, seeing five continents. They have been to every state in the U.S., Europe, Israel, Egypt, China, and so many other places. Add countless cruises and ports and there aren’t many places they haven’t been.

Today, December 15, 2023, we celebrate dad as he turns 80. He has lived a full and successful life. He has lived a blessed life and blessed many. He has impacted people’s lives personally, impacted his community, and impacted the world through his passionate love for God and missions. He has been a successful dad, grandfather, and now great grandfather. He has left us all with an amazing example of how to live life, to be a Christian, and has given us a legacy that will outlive him. Dad. I’m blessed to walk in your shadow and thankful that God chose me to be your son. I love you and admire you more than you will ever know. Happy 80th!  May God bless you with many more healthy and prosperous years.

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Tap into the Two-Thirds

Watching and trying to wrap my intellect around so much that is happening in our society right now, my mind went to Ephesians six where Paul warns the church in Ephesus that they were not battling against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness. It’s a warning that there is another world beyond us, a world where there is spiritual war transpiring, and it’s real. It’s Satan and the third of the fallen angels fighting a losing war against God and the two-thirds of angels that fight with Him. This warning wasn’t just for the church in Ephesus, but for ages to come. 

I have no doubt that this world, the one we live in today, is experiencing this darkness, and that a portion of society has tapped into the darkness around and above us. It’s obvious by Hollywood’s incredible fascination and ability to bring mind-bogglingly dark themes to our minds, hearts, and homes. I have no doubt that they have tapped into, become enamored, and captivated by evil. To be able to create such vivid, detailed, vile, and demonic creatures and bring us such intense violence and evil concept to our eyes can only come from those who have tapped into darkness. Beyond Hollywood, our world is being forced to accept the immoral and repulsive values of a few. The depravity that Paul described in so many of his books has captured much of academia, corporate offices, and governments entities. It has moved into ordinary citizenry, to the point we don’t want to turn on the news, for fear we will see another demented person has shot up a restaurant, mall, or public place. Our major cities are war zones and entire streets are filled with zombie-like men and women, so strung out on drugs, that people are having to leave to find safe havens. The picture I’ve painted is dark, but it is not hopeless. I believe there is hope.  

I believe that though Satan, his angels, and those who have embraced his wickedness are having incredible success, that there is, as Elisha said in 2 Kings 6:16, a spiritual army that is much larger than the one we’re feeling overwhelmed by. I believe darkness is limited and that God and the two-thirds of His angels are far superior and ready to engage and take over this battle. I believe our world is desperate to see and experience it! I believe that there are young men and women who are coming on to life’s stage that have been anointed and put in place, for such a time as this. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul is preparing a young Timothy, and I believe young men of today, for the last days and the perilous times that would come. He described the wickedness and baseness of their hour, but I note that his greatest fear and warning was there would be religion that had a form of godliness, but no power. Understanding Paul’s concern, it makes it imperative, that we pray for those who are stepping onto life’s spiritual stage today. We must pray that they have courage, that they will step out of conformity of religion, and take us where many are afraid to go. We must pray that they have the resolve to step away from traditional, model, and franchise Christianity, that they will lean into their anointing and calling; that they go rogue! They must tap into the power of God, and gain access to the two-thirds of the principalities and power that is around them. I am absolutely confident that there is a realm of untapped spiritual power. I’ve tasted it and seen a sampling, but I long for, and believe there is so much more. 


There is a power in God and a force of angels that are at their disposal that is as real as the darkness their world is experiencing. I know because I have tasted it. Once I was in a Sunday service that was as bland and as normal as could be, but suddenly, without warning, with no manipulation, no musical hype, no cheerleading preacher, an overpowering move of God sent me and the entire audience to our knees, overwhelmed by God, I crawled off the floor spiritually exhausted some six hours later. I often reflect on a conference that Mary and I attended where we experienced God’s overwhelming presence so strongly that we couldn’t do anything but fall to our knees. I remember hours later, well after midnight, rising from the floor, forever changed. At Life Connections, where we pastored for 20 years, we had many Saturday night prayer services when God’s presence moved into the room, and we would be arrested by God for three or four hours. I sensed it again at Asbury this spring. 

These are but a few of the samplings that we have experienced, and I believe that we only scratched the surface of God’s power, and that God has so much more for this generation. I believe that this generation, IF they reconnect to the power and absolute necessity of prayer, and IF, they will tap into God’s power and the forces of God, has the potential of experiencing one of the greatest demonstrations of God’s power ever seen. God said there would be a generation that would do greater things than He, and I believe that this generation will tap in, go rouge, and follow the Spirit, has the opportunity to be that generation. That they could see something grander than the Great Awakenings or Azusa Revival.


For this to happen this new generation of leaders must experience what they have read about but few have seen. It’s what an older generation has seen little of, but what some has longed and prayed for. We must be positive, encouraging, and believe with them that they can tap into God’s power and the realm where God’s army is two times as large and unquestionably more powerful. We must be diligent in praying that Gods young leaders of today get so hungry for a move of God that they are willing, if they have to, to go alone to a place like Moses did. We need to pray that they will have the courage to stand like Elijah, with confidence and boldness to believe that fire can still fall from heaven and call it down. Their world needs a demonstration of the almighty God. We must have the courage to pray that they will have the passion to take us from our comfortable hour and fifteen-minute services to what Solomon experienced, a wall shaking, cloud filling, inability to stand in God’s presence experience. We need to pray that God takes these generational men and uses them like he did the three Hebrew children, where after a fiery furnace experience, an entire nation said, “the Lord, He is God.” 


There are some incredibly passionate young men in cities where I pray God uses them in such a way that leaders of those cities say like they did of those in Acts 17, “these are they who have turned the world upside down, and they have come to our city.” Is it possible? I say yes. We got a glimpse of what is possible to those who tap into this power a few months ago in Asbury, Kentucky. A few young people started praying, tapped into something supernatural, and within a few days they had the attention of the world. People took vacation days to come, entire churches visited, national news media set up stages, all to see a move of God. The crowds swelled so large that there were traffic jams to get into the small town, people waited for hours in line to get into the chapel, additional meeting places had to be set up, and the city finally had to ask the college to close it down because it was overwhelming and crippling their community! 


To every God believing person I’m inviting you to begin to pray passionately. Pray what Mary and I have been praying, for a move of God that is indescribable, yet undeniable. Pray that the spirit of the powerless church that Paul warned of is defeated. Our world, our churches, and we as individuals need to see God bring to the world stage His signs, wonders, and miracles. Pray for yourself, for your pastor and his wife, that we all will have the courage to go beyond conformity and tradition. Pray that that we all will tap into the two-thirds.

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Sample Saturday

Sample Saturday was one of the favorite days around the Hudson home when our kids were growing up. After a long week of work and activities we would take a Saturday morning and go to Sam’s Club to stock up on groceries. What it meant to our kids was running to every tasting stand to sample whatever was being served in the little cups. Whether it was crackers or cookies, fruit or energy drinks, chicken, hot dogs, or shrimp, we would hit nearly every stand, and some of them multiple times. Reflecting back, I smile at the simple ways we found to make everyday chores fun, but as I was reminiscing, I realized something else too, that Sample Saturday never satisfied us. We got just enough food to whet our appetites but not nearly enough to fill our stomachs. Often the end of Sample Saturday would mean grabbing fast food, even though we had eaten a ton of samples, we needed to find a place that served a full meal.
I reflect on this because over the past three months Mary and I have been on a sabbatical. While on it, we’ve done something we’ve always wanted to do, visit other churches, see their systems and structure, participate in their worship environments, and hear the Word from different perspectives. It’s been quite the journey. As we’ve sampled nearly a dozen churches, we’ve walked away with a greater appreciation for the way we did church at Life Connections, the church we pastored for 20 years. Here’s a few things we discovered on our Sample Sundays.
First, was the challenge of being a guest and simply navigating the entry. In nearly every lobby we got the feeling you get when you need to buy a new car but dread going to the car lot, or the feeling you get when trying to negotiate the vendor areas at a Flower and Patio Show. Overly smiley people, who wanted us to feel like they were our best friends, that wanted us to know that they were really cool, but too often made us feel like we were dealing with someone who was trying to sell us a fake Rolex. To every hospitality team, know three things. One, we want to come and find our seats unnoticed, discreetly, without feeling like we have to go through a receiving line at a wedding. Second, we really don’t need everyone in the building to know were “the guest” and we definitely don’t need everyone to clap for us, we’re really okay if you simply say, “if you’re a guest we’re honored that you’ve come to visit.” Finally, we don’t need parting gifts, i.e., your coffee mug, we have one from the other 11 churches we visited, and they are all going to the same place, Goodwill.
Second, unless the church was self-consumed and out of touch with the rest of society, nearly every worship service felt like we were living in Bill Murray’s Ground Hogs Day movie. Same show, different building. Every venue had three pre-planned songs, no more or less, that featured a mixture of the latest trendy hits sprinkled with one of the 14 songs you hear on K-Love. Every show featured vocally gifted people who were trendily dressed, and each place had studio quality sound and lighting, but there was not much depth in the worship experience. Worship teams. Please! Get away from your script, learn to lean in and follow the Spirit, call an audible in the middle of worship, have a goal of creating vertical worship and ushering us into the presence of God where we lose track of our cell phones and our life issues. Cause us to lose track of time and take us to a place where we are consumed by His presence. We will gladly trade your incredibly talented singers and musicians for an experience that takes us into a place where we can cry, feel unexplainable joy, and sense the overwhelming awe of God’s glory and presence.
Third, we were overwhelmed by the number of gifted pastors and their ability to share the gospel. There are some really amazing and talented pastors who are sincere and studied. We walked away from so many churches with incredible notes and relevant issues to work on in our lives. The one issue we struggled with was that there were too many series and messages that felt like we were setting through Ted Talks. Pastors. Make it personal. Be energetic, excited, and exuberant. Let us feel your passion. Let us sense your desperation and hunger. Let us experience God. Give us a fresh Word from Heaven instead of the latest trendy series, church growth program, or featured book.
Finally, churches, would it be too much to ask that you make room for God. Way too many places had church down to a formula, a science, or an unbreachable schedule. In most places there was no liberty for God to move or a time for people to experience His overwhelming presence. Please make room for God moments, call an audible, have a suddenly. Rarely, in any church was there a place for a response to the Word preached, for someone to pray with another person, for an opportunity to make a commitment after being impacted by the Word you just heard. We don’t want some kind of crazed demonstrative response, only room for the miraculous, for healing, for someone to engage with a person who had had their heart stirred, for tears to fall freely, for the Holy Spirit to have freedom, for the possibility of someone walking away impacted by the power of God. We grieved as we left so many services, longing for more than a sample, more than Jesus light, more than an hour and fifteen minute gathering before the next service or returning the next week. We left many places brokenhearted and wishing people had the opportunity to experience a service where they could be impacted by the life altering touch of God’s presence.
I am nobody, but if I could humbly offer a word to any pastor, lead or worship team, it would simply be this. Pray more. Be Spirit led. Be an original, not a copy. Focus on giving people more than a Sample Saturday experience on Sunday. Give them more than a little plastic cup of Jesus. To those looking for a church for your family I would say, find one that gives you a full five-course unforgettable feast. Find one that causes you to say, I came, I saw, I heard, I felt, I experienced, and I can’t wait to go back. Find a place that gives you more than a sample and a coffee cup, find one that causes you to leave saying, I encountered Jesus like I never have before.

Author’s Note: If you are a member of Life Connections, know that after visiting many amazing churches, Mary and I want you to appreciate how blessed you are to be a part of LC. What is happening through your new Lead Pastors, Philip and Annie Daigle is unique and special. If you are not a part of Life and you live in central Indiana, you should seriously consider planning a visit.

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Make Room for Suddenly

The book of Acts covers from the ascension of Jesus to the death of Simon Peter and Paul. During the Acts timeline, Paul writes 13 books, 14 if you are of the belief that he is the writer of Hebrews. Simon Peter and James write another three, leaving just five books written after the Acts of the Apostles ends around 70 A.D. Nearly every epistle needs to be read through the prism of the book of Acts. The epistles are written during Acts to saints, people who have experienced the only Spiritual experience found in the 40 years that the book of Acts covers. I mention this because there is a word that catches my attention throughout the book. The word is suddenly, and depending on the version you read, it’s found over a dozen times. Luke wants us to know that much of what people witnessed in the book of Acts happened suddenly. It wasn’t planned, choreographed, or manipulated. The Spirit moved indiscriminately, at its own discretion, independent of any groups, agendas, or schedules. As we’ve started our sabbatical, we’re taking the opportunity to visit churches, something I’ve longed to do throughout my pastorate. I wanted to visit churches with different dynamics, see their systems, experience their services, and get a taste of their vision and passion. In some churches we’ve seen incredible vision, experienced great worship, and heard profound preaching and teaching, but left feeling like there was no room for the Spirit to have its liberty. Great experience, incredible talent, amazing messages, but no room for a “suddenly.” An hour to an hour and fifteen minutes and it was on to the next service or next week. In other venues we’ve left feeling like we were being hyped, manipulated, almost as if they didn’t need a “suddenly,” they could create a move of God on their own. Sing a song fast enough, repeat the chorus a dozen times, have a few timely key changes, and boom! A move of God. We left those services feeling like this was their Sunday routine. A lot of show, but not much substance nor dynamic growth happening in their lives. Different in style, but still no room for an authentic “suddenly.” In nearly every venue we’ve felt sincerity, God’s love, and a desire by each church for people to see Jesus and experience His presence. After some of our recent experiences, I returned to Acts to see when “suddenlys” happened. What I’ve found is that “suddenlys” happened in times of where prayer was the focus, “suddenlys” happened without scripts and programs. “Suddenlys” came without hype or manipulation and happened when people took time to seek God, were praying for His will, and were more concerned about God approval than what a crowd might think. As we’ve visited different church communities, we’ve heard this hunger communicated by others, “we just want to find a place where God’s presence can be experienced freely yet authentically.” Today, more than ever I’m sensing we need less polished, programmed, and planned church. We need less hyped-up, manipulated, and self-created services, and more desperate desire for a “suddenly.” We need more of what John 3:8 says, “like the wind blows. . . so does the Spirit.” Structure is invaluable, being relevant is critical, and doing things decently and in order should be properly balanced, but at the end of the day we need more divine intervention and more indescribable but undeniable. I pray that pastors, churches and more importantly, in each of our personal lives, we begin to desire more “suddenly there came a sound from heaven.”

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What is Important

Labor Day. The unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall. It’s when we move from t-shirts to sweaters. We put away the sandals and bring out the boots. We’re already starting to feel a few of those crisp fall nights. Soon mums and pumpkins will be on the front porch, and we’ll be raking leaves. At Life, fall is when we turn our focus to our families, we call September, “The Month of the Family.” The idea comes from the Old Testament when Israel would gather as a nation. These gatherings were so important that they did them three times a year. These get-togethers focused on the families of Israel recommitting their lives and families to God, remembering God’s goodness, and celebrating life with good food and friends. Important values then, important values still today. So, what should we focus on during the Month of the Family? The same things that Israel did. Reconnect to God. Make sure you, your spouse and children are committed to God first, that we remember that He is our priority and source of our successes. Second, reconnect to each other. This means being intentional, it is saying my family is my priority. Spend time, talking listening and laughing. Ride bikes, take walks, play games. It is all about saying life gets busy, but you are the most significant part of my life. Finally, it’s connecting with your church family. There are co-workers and acquaintances, but then there are those who will be with you in tough times, that’s your church family. This month FSM will be going to Top Golf, we’ll have special men’s and ladies only evenings, and it will culminate with our annual Chili Cook-off, the one event you don’t want to miss. Plan to reconnect to God, your family, and your church. Join us this September as we celebrate family.2

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Imperfect Treasures

You walk into a store and begin to look around. After perusing the store for a few minutes, you realize everything is slightly used, marginally broken, missing something or has been returned. A button is absent on a shirt. A vase has a miniscule chip. An appliance is in an open box. Almost everything in the store is useable, though some things seem, slightly defective. Some would walk away, only wanting something that is new, while others might think, “I’ll take a chance, I think I can work with this, or I can fix this.” Much of our home is filled with items bought at consignment stores, garage sales and secondhand retailers. Mary and I find pleasure in the search and getting great deals. One day, as I was reflecting on our finds, God gave me a gentle nudge, basically saying, what you do with things is what I do with people. God loves taking broken, hurting, and damaged people and putting them back together. Understand, all humanity is broken, all of us. In fact, if you get to know most of the Life Community, you will find it is filled with people who are or have been broken. Some of us are still missing some pieces in our lives and others God is still working on. If you are looking for a perfect friendship, perfect pastor or perfect church community, Life is probably not the place for you. But, if you are slightly broken, are willing to take a chance on God and some other damaged people, you will find some amazing treasures at Life. Get around some of us and you will find a few knobs or buttons missing, and you might find a few chips in our personalities or attitudes, but we are all becoming God’s treasures. He’s taken a chance on us. We’ve been blood bought and we’re now a work in progress. Life, a place to find or become a gently used treasure.

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The Gift of Belief

What do you believe? It’s an important question because what you believe becomes your truth, it becomes what you live your life around. As a society we are living in a time when beliefs are being fiercely challenged. The internet, access to information, and exposure to so many ideas and opinions are impacting life as never before. This is why personal ownership of belief is critical in this hour. Our beliefs can’t be based on religious tradition, church denomination or a pastor’s personal beliefs, it must be your belief. Your belief must come from a reputable source. It must be a source that has been proven true and has stood the test of time. Your belief must be something you have studied and can defend. I have always found my beliefs in God’s Word, but in today’s world, even that is being challenged. God’s Word has been eliminated from schools, mocked by media and is being explained away by educators and science. For it to be secure in our life, for our family’s future, it must be something we read, study and have ownership of. So, what do I believe? I believe that God came to this earth as Jesus. I believe that He healed people that were blind, deaf, lame and had diseases. I believe Jesus walked on water, multiplied bread and brought dead people back to life. I believe that Jesus was crucified on a cross, died and resurrected and was seen by hundreds of eyewitnesses. I believe He sent His Spirit first to a group of people in an upper room and then to every culture and period of time. This is my belief, I own it and its what I build my life, my family and my future upon. What do you believe? It’s a choice. It’s God gift to you.