Pastor Chuck's Blog

This coming Sunday is going to be a big day.  I’ll be finishing up the sermon series we’ve been walking through the last several weeks.  In this series, we have been exploring a new vision for Church on Mill which the Leadership Team is proposing become both the direction of the church and form our Church Constitution.  So far, we’ve explored a purpose statement and the methods used to accomplish the purpose.  This coming Sunday we’ll be diving into church distinctives.  If none of that gets you excited, let me say it a different way: we are attempting to define exactly why we exist, what we are to do, and who precisely we are as a church.

Since the church is so valuable it required the shedding of Jesus’ blood to come into existence, it is paramount we know exactly what we are aiming for as a church family.  In addition, we must never forget the stakes are extremely high when it comes to spiritual matters.  There are dire needs in peoples lives that will only be met through missional churches who are content with nothing less than glorifying God through lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you are a member of Church on Mill, you’ll be asked to express whether or not you believe the vision, as proposed by the Leadership Team, is a Bible-saturated dream you can get on-board with.  In other words, we are going to vote on this as a congregation.  It will take all of us, by God’s grace, to live out this vision.  It will require sacrifice, prayer, brilliant God-given ideas, and perhaps doing things none of us have even thought of yet.  But it will be so worth it!

What can you do between now and Sunday?  Read the vision if you have not yet, pray, talk with fellow Church on Mill friends, visit with someone on the Leadership Team if you have questions, and come Sunday ready for a historic day.

Prayerfully,

Chuck

http://www.churchonmill.com/Proposed_Church_Constitution.pdf

If you’ve got questions about Jesus, we’ve got good news for you!  This Sunday, 10:45am at Church on Mill, we will try to answer your questions according to Scripture.  Last week, I finished the first of several sermon series we’ll be doing on Luke’s Gospel.  We’ve covered everything from the events just prior to Jesus’ birth up to around 30 years old.  As the most important figure in all of history, you can’t afford not to understand who Jesus is.  And making decisions about whether Jesus’ claims are true or not and whether he accomplished what Luke says he did or not are the most important two decisions you’ll ever make.  Come Sunday ready to dialogue about the man who claims to be God.

If you have questions but would rather not ask them on Sunday, feel free to post them here or email me and I’ll try to address them on Sunday.

Thankful for Jesus,

Chuck

Friends, in just a few short weeks something very big is coming!  After 10 months of prayer and extensive study of the Scriptures, your leadership team has developed a series of theological principles we believe will guide Church on Mill for many, many years to come.  These statements spring from the Bible so they are full of life, power, and God’s blessing.

It is our sense that the timing is now right to propose a new vision for the church family.  Church on Mill has a wonderful heritage to build on and it is time to lock arms as a congregation and do just that.  Why does Church on Mill exist?  How do we fulfill our purpose?  Just who are we aiming to be? In light of all God has show us from Scripture and in light of our growing sense of God’s unique direction for Church on Mill, I will begin a series of messages aiming to answer these questions on July 25th.  You will have the opportunity to hear the proposed statements, prayerfully consider them, and express your understanding of God’s will.

Personally I must tell you I love these kinds of moments.  When God graciously gives his people a strong sense of his direction, truly great things are right around the corner!  Begin praying now both for your church family and your own heart.  Mark your calendars for July 25th!

Anticipating Great Things,

Chuck

Hello Friends,

I hope you are planning to be in the worship service this coming Sunday.  We will have a terrific time of singing and fellowship, as always.  Then we will aim to tackle one of the two most important events in human history – the birth of Jesus Christ.  Whether you think you’ve heard it all before or the concept of God coming to earth is new to you, I believe God has something to say to you this Sunday!  Finally, we will take the Lord’s Supper together to remember that the reason Jesus came to earth was to die.  The baby did not stay in the stable: he went to the cross.  Lord willing, it will be a very meaningful Sunday and jumpstart a very meaningful week.  Next week is VBS!  I hope you are praying already for this life-changing 5 day event.  Scores of volunteers and kids will be on the church campus for an unforgetable time of fun and exploring God’s Word.

My family was back in Oklahoma for the last week visiting family and friends.  I think our parents noticed Jill and I were there, but I’m quite confident they noticed the grandkids! While driving home from the airport last night, I thanked God for the Valley – specifically for you.  As we approach our first anniversary of serving at Church on Mill, it is amazing how quickly this has become home.  God has blessed us.  Thank you!

See you Sunday,

Chuck