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To Sum It Up

• Cynthia, Debbie & Daniel Cort and the rest of the production/band team did an amazing job leading worship.  It was one of my all-time favorite Sundays!
• The only think that I like better is when Debbie & Daniel happen to sit behind me in the service and sing in our congregation.  God has gifted us with a multitude of talented vocalists and musicians!
• My takeaway from yesterday is that Jesus is truly the ONLY way to everlasting salvation.
• I love Palm Sunday.  I love the fact that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, an indication that He was coming in peace.  But the people of Jerusalem responded by laying down their robes and palm branches in His path, an indication of royalty!  He came to this earth to bring peace and those who followed Him made Him King of their lives.  I LOVE THAT!
• We can do that same thing in our own personal lives.  He comes to being peace and we should respond by making Him King of our personal lives.

I've been praying specifically for people to make lasting commitments to Christ at HHICC.  These past few weeks, during our message series I AM, I've been offering an invitation for first time salvations, recommitments, and assurance of salvation commitments.  Two weeks ago, we had two people make first time commitments, last week another two and yesterday at least seven.  God is moving in the life of HHICC and our Island!  He is hearing our prayers.! Would you join me in praying for our Easter services this coming Sunday?

• Pray for good weather for Saturday set-up and  for Sunday worship services.
• Pray that many people come prepared to have Jesus radically changes their lives.
• Pray that there are many brand new lives who answer "YES" to the question, "Do you believe?"

I hope you can join me on Thursday for our Maundy Thursday service as we reflect on Christ's death for us through communion, prayer, and worship. If you are a Christ follower, this service will be an amazing opportunity for you to express your love and gratitude toward Christ and his sacrifice for you.

So...it's Easter Week! I look forward to seeing you Thursday and then Sunday, 9:30 or 11:00 AM under the "covered environment." (it's a tent, Cynthia...)

Wanted: People who are better than me

It used to bother me when I had bosses, colleagues, employees and volunteers who were faster, smarter and more creative than me.  I always felt like I had to prove something.  I didn't want it to be said of me "He couldn't do that."  Let's call it what it is...insecurity.

Then September 1, 2011 arrived.  That was my first day on the job of being a Lead Pastor.  I don't know if my perspective changed or if what we were going through as a church (quick start-up and a new facility) caused me to change.  Perhaps the combination of all of my responsibilities (husband, father, pastor, son, friend, counselor, etc...) forced me to have a change in my attitude.  

I still have a long way to go.  Sometimes I still try to sound more intelligent (that never works by the way) and to prove myself to other people.  However, I'm enjoying the faster, more creative, and "better" people around me so much more than I have in the past.  I'm more inspired now by them rather than feeling insecure by their skills, experience and results. I find myself really thankful for them and longing for more of them around me every day!

To Sum It Up

Hi everyone.  This past Sunday was one of those days that I'll remember for a very long time.  Allow me to sum it up...

• After over 14 months of negotiations, we were able to announce that Hilton Head Island Community Church had executed a lease/purchase contract with Hargray at mm 9 on Hwy 278.
• We have roughly 100 days to complete our demolition/renovation work for Phase I, which should start in the next few weeks.  If you signed up to volunteer to help with the Phase I work, you will be contacted very soon.  The best way to help us now is to respond quickly.  Every day that we delay at this point is a waste of money.
• I want to remind you that while the church is NOT a building, that God will use our new facility  to draw people to Himself.  Praise to God for seeing us through this thus far.
• My message last Sunday centered around the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.   I talked about being patient with our loved ones means staying close to them, sacrificing for them and serving them.
• Perhaps there are some of you who have already been doing these things and your own patience is running thin.  Let me remind you that Paul encourages us in Galatians 6:9 not to "become weary in well doing."  You might not be able to physically continue this three step process, but you can still have an spirit of patience in those situations.

Here is how you can pray for HHICC and the Phase I renovation project at the building at mm9.  Pray that...

• ... the permit process with the Town of Hilton Head Island is completed in a timely manner.
• ... we are able to raise the remaining $ 85,000 that is needed to complete Phase I renovations.
• ... all those who work on this project are kept safe during the demolition/renovation work.
• ... God would use this new facility to further His kingdom here on HHI!

Have a great week!

I dream of a church...

This past Sunday, I preached a message entitled "I dream of a church."  If you are a part of the Hilton Head Island Community Church family and did not have the opportunity to hear it, I encourage you to take a listen this week.  On our four year anniversary and  the dawn of this new chapter now called Hilton Head Island Community Church,  I wanted to define what kind of church we are to be. We'll get to what we'll do as a church in the days, weeks and months to come, but I thought it was important to describe who we should be right out of the gate.

I dream of a church...

• ...that tells people that they can belong before they must believe or behave.
• ...that offers people the opportunity to deal with their habits, hurts and hang-ups without the embarassment of being judged.
• ...that is a spiritual urgent care center open for people to receive healing in a time of crisis.
• ...that demonstrates the love of Christ to those who are suffering.
• ...that allows broken people who have been redeemed to passionately worship God.

It may not always be easy or pretty. In fact, sometimes it'll be downright difficult and messy.  God's love is so strong that there is NOTHING that can seperate us from it (Romans 8:38-39). In light of this, we should be compelled to create an environment for people to be drawn toward that love regardless of where they are coming from.  The world needs the answer we have.  Let's not be afraid to share it!

On your mark, get set, Go!

Four years ago this weekend, LowCountry Community Church launched the Hilton Head Island Campus as a multi-site extention of itself on Hilton Head Island.  This past summer, LCC's elders voted to send us out to become our own church.  And so tomorrow begins a new chapter in the life of this congregation.  Tomorrow Hilton Head Island Community Church (HHICC) will be born!

I'm honored to have led this extention of LCC over the past four years.  I'm thankful for the vision of LCC's Lead Pastor Jeff Cranston, the leadership of its elders and the friendship of the staff.  I am forever grateful for Jeff's influence in my life and we, as a church, will never forget how we got to where we are now.  I look forward to the days ahead as partners in kingdom work!

With all of that said, it's a new day and it's time to get ready for the future. Over these last 4 years, dozens of lives have been changed as a result of God working through LCC-HHI, but I believe we've just scratched the surface.  I believe our greatest impact on the lives of Islanders for the cause of the kingdom is not in the rearview mirror, but is ahead in our not too distant future.  It's time to take our mark and prepare for God to work in and through us.  Are you ready HHICC?  On your mark, get set, let's GO!  See you tomorrow at 9:30 or 11:00!

Margaret Feinberg

Scouting the Divine

SHEEP
The imagry of sheep are all throughout scripture. Nearly 700 references to sheep in Gods word.

John 10:1 - 5

The shepherds voice draws the sheep in.

The shepherd knows the details of the sheep.

Not only does the sheep know the shepherds voice but the shepherd knows the voice of the sheep.

HONEY
Nearly 70 references to honey in scripture

Exodus 3:8a
A beehive is like the body of Christ. Each person works together for a purpose and each person has to do their job.

VINE YARD/ WINE
Hundreds of stories of wine and vineyards.

John 15
Pruning
A pruning tool is small and sharp. It is precise not general.

Abiding
It's not until the 4 th year that the first grapes come fourth, 7th year the first wine and 17th year that a vine financially produces profit.

A vine is planted in rocky soil to force the vine to push forth down deep into the ground.

We should all scout the imagry of the Divine!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Mark Batterson

Building alters vs building monuments

I Samuel 14:35
• Alter building is one of the most important tasks of the leader.

• We don't celebrate enough of what God has done right.

I Sam 15:10
• Saul went from building an alter to God to building a monument to himself

• If we think small of ourselves then we begin to set up monuments to ourselves.

• Insecurity leads us to thinking small of ourselves. God has appointed those who are called!

• We have to do the right things for the right reasons.

• Saul became so concerned with competing with David. His focus became about numbers.

•. You are not appointed by people you are annointed by God

• Have I forgotten God's call on my life?

• Need confidence in your leadership? Remember that you are annointed by God!

• Sometimes the failure of a dream is God's greatest gift.

• The greatest thing that God does is often in spite of not because of us.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Catalyst - Reggie Joiner

Reggie Joiner A shift in how we view the family 1. Most of us have been influenced by the church but ALL of us have been influenced by the family. 2. We all have a picture of what the family looks like. • It's a disolusion for us to have a preconceived idea of what the family should be. • What family actually is sometimes is unexpected to us. 3. If we hold to tightly to our ideal picture of family we set up families to be disillusioned. 4. God doesn't really give us a picture of the ideal family in scripture 5. Your calling as a leader isn't to get families to conform to a common picture. SHIFT IN THINKING Lead them to a relationship with God 6. There are two different approaches: • give them a better picture or • give them a better story - every family can realize the story of restoration in their life. A bigger story! 6. Parents don't need a better picture they need a better story. They need hope. 7. LEARN TO COOPERATE WITH GOD SO YOUR KIDS CAN HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD! 8. God doesn't use perfect people he uses broken people! Dueuteronomy 6 • Moses is concerned that Israel will forget who god is • How do we transfer faith from one generation to the next. When you have a bigger story approach you: 1 - imagine the end 2 - fight for the heart 3 - make it personal 4 - create a rhythm 5 - widen the circle In a given year the average church has about 40 hours to influence a child. The average family has 3000. Who should we be influencing? The child or the family? Who is the next entity to influence the family? It should be the church. Lead our families to see the story of redemption and restoration in teir lives. Let go of pictures and embrace stories!

Reflections on Team Leadership

Hi, I'm Todd, I like to work alone.  Yes, I'm an independent thinker, I'm stubborn, I tend to go it alone and I usually believe what I think is the best way to do things.  Not too many people know that I'm this way because I mask it with diplomacy that I learned at a very young age.

This independent attitude may be my greatest strength and my greatest weakness.  As LCC-Hilton Head Island nears it's two year anniversary, which by the way will be held on Sunday, September 13th at 10:30 at Hilton Head Island High School, I've had time to reflect on my ability to lead our great group of staff, lay-leaders and volunteers.  There were a lot of successes and a lot of failures in my ability be a team oriented leader.

As the summer has gone on I've been thinking more and more about what it really means to approach decision making, visioneering and moving the ball forward more and more as a team. 

Then a few weeks ago, Cynthia told about Andy Stanley's Leadership Podcast on that very subject.  WOW!  It knocked my sock off!  So, I decided to pick up a book that someone gave me that has been sitting on my desk, unread for some time, called The Power of Team Leadership by George Barna.  I feel as thought a new world awaits me. 

TEAM LEADERSHIP.  Over the course of the next few months, I'll pick up my blogging again and center most of my thoughts around what I'm learning about the whole idea of TEAM LEADERSHIP.  Contribute, comment and join me on this journey and let's see what we can learn about working together as a team.

posted by todd

A long hiatus

It's been quite a while since I've blogged.  I've even backed off of facebook and twitter....I know heaven forbid.  But there have been other pressing things that have consumed my life, not the least of which is a purchasing a new home that we'll move into within the next week.  Once we get moved in and life settles down I'll begin blogging again.  I've got a lot of things in my brain that I want to get on my blog.  But for now the world will have to wait.  Thanks for being patient!  See you soon!

Todd