Inspired By McDonalds Christmas Marketing

Yesterday I shared how my sermon was inspired by the current McDonalds Christmas marketing slogans…..’Indulge In Joy’ & ‘Share The Joy’.

Great slogans………but we know that real joy, indescribable joy is found only in Jesus, not triple thick eggnog milk shakes nor sharing our chicken nuggets. (Although the milk shake does sound good.)

It is with great joy, the joy of the Lord, we begin another week here in the Comox Valley. Another week where we can be difference makers in someone’s life.

I have been so challenged by the example of the Macedonian churches (2 Corinthians 8:1,2) who even in their severe trial and extreme poverty, experienced overflowing joy that welled up in rich generosity. (Check it out.) During this Christmas season I want to encourage all of you as ‘joy filled’ followers of Jesus to allow generosity and compassion to rise up in your life.

Keep your eyes and heart open to the many needs around you. Be willing to share the joy.

How Can I Share The Joy? Here are just a few things to get you started.
• Brain storm with your family / children some things you can do be a blessing to someone. (Get your kids involved in the conversation.)
• Offer to provide child care free of charge for a young couple / single parent so they can go Christmas shopping.
• Buy grocery gift cards to give away as you are directed by the Lord.
• Encourage the Salvation Army kettle people with a donation, at least a smile, eye contact and a kind word.
• Call or visit a senior or a shut in. Offer to take them shopping, or go on a twinkle tour.
• Invite a newcomer to the valley, an international student or someone who is away from their family - home for a meal.
• Prepare a Christmas ‘gift bag’ with your kids that a homeless or needy person could benefit from. (Practical Items)

Community Christmas Partnerships
• Help pack 100’s of Christmas Hampers – This Thursday & Friday (More Details: 250-897-3999)
• Team up with friends & deliver Coast Realty hampers Wednesday December 22nd (Morning)
• Salvation Army also needs people to help serve & pray with people who receive their hampers.
• Many great community opportunities where you can make a difference.

CPC Ministries
• Give to our Benevolent / Blessing Ministry – We have many ongoing needs.
• Bring groceries into our CPC food bank. (Accessed every week)
• As a small group – adopt someone in need that you could serve / bless in some way.
• Invite friends to our children’s Christmas pageant this Sunday. (Bring your Christmas Baking)
• Invite people to our Christmas Eve services.

Joy filled people are generous people.

Have a great week everyone…......Go Share the Joy !!!!!

Love in Jesus
Pastor Dave

PS. Yesterday I gave out a few hugs following the service and realized how good it felt: to give a hug rather than withhold a hug.

Top Three Contributors To Church Unity

It was so great yesterday watching the multiple generations of our church family praying together. Little circles of prayer that formed at the end of the service that led us into communion...........Teens praying with senior adults, young adults praying with pre-teens......you get the picture. But what made it extra special was the fact we were praying the same prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17:20-23. The same prayer where Jesus prayed.......that we would be 'one' just as He and His Father are one and that we would be brought into complete unity.

It was the two teenage girls that came up to me after the service and said....'this is so great Pastor Dave. The seniors we prayed with were so kind to us. We felt so happy praying with them.'

The kids get it......there is a desire for unity........we are better together. There is a commanded blessing of life and favour upon all who choose to dwell together in unity. Check out Psalm 133 .

The fact is, unity is very important to Jesus. Since it is important to Jesus, it needs to be important to us. Where there is unity in the church, a family, a marriage there will be greater strength. The Bible says that 'a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.' Ecclesiasties 4:12

The opposite is true.......Matthew 12:25 'Every kingdom divided itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'

The question is, how can we have greater unity? As I look back over 35 years of being a pastor, experiencing every aspect of church and family life immaginable, I asked my self the question: From my experience, what would be the top three contributers to unity? There were a quite a few on my list but here's my top three. If you would like to add to the list or give me your top three go ahead. Post your thoughts at the bottom.

Top Three Contributors To Unity

1. When We Pray For One Another
I remember hearing the story of one pastor / counselor who insisted that couples coming to him for counseling spend a half hour in prayer together in the prayer room before coming into his office. Inevitabley the counseling sessions were cut short. Barriers and obstacles were overcome. Faith for a united future was re-established.

There is something wonderful that happens in the Spirit when God's people will humble themselves and pray for one another. If there is someone you are struggling with, let me encourage you to begin praying for them and when possible, with them. Give it a try.

2. When We Forgive One Another
Getting hurt, happens. It happens all the time in relationships, including in the church. Unfortunatly I have watched too many people hold onto their hurts, nurse their hurts, justify their hurts to the point unity is destroyed. There is only one way to get it back and that is to do what Paul teaches here in........

Colossians 3:12 - 15 'Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.'

3. When We Celebrate Our Diversity
What makes the Body of Christ so special is the value and the contribution that each one brings to the church. We're not all the same. How many of you are glad about that? At the same time, while we are all so different, we really do need each other. We are interdependent on each other and therefore need to love and honour one another including all parts of the body. The Apostle Paul describes it this way.......

1 Corinthians 12:12, 24-27 'The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all it's parts are many they form one body........24 God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.'

When it comes to our diversity and having love for one another......I think St Augustine in the fourth century was on to something when he said: 'In essentials unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.' We need to be careful when it comes to the things we allow to divide us.

The last thing I want to say is that unity takes effort. We have to work at unity because it goes so against our human and sinful nature. Paul said in Ephesians 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’

Jesus made the effort for us so we could come into union and have a relationship with our Father God in Heaven. He died on a cross!!!!!

What about the relationships in your life, in our church, in the Body of Christ that need extra effort? Are you willing to make the effort. The blessing that comes with unity is worth it.

The kids get it. So should we.

Love in Christ
Pastor Dave

The One That Got Away

Let me tell you about the one that got away. I was fishing in the Puntledge River with my son and landed my first ever prize Coho salmon. I was pretty excited about the whole thing. Did what every fisherman does, knocked it on the head, gutted and cleaned the fish right on the side of the river. It was what happened next that I am almost embarrased to tell you. I layed the fish beside another fish we had caught earlier and with only a few minutes left before we had to head home, went back to fishing. A guy who had observed the whole thing wandered over to where we were, wanting to see the fish. My son said the fish was lying over by the rock next to another fish. The guy said...."There is only one fish." When we walked over to have a look, my heart sank with shock and disbelief. I couldn't believe it. What happened, even though we thought the fish was dead, there was still enough life in it's nervous system that caused it to flip a few times and with enough momentum it slid down the bank and back into the river. I can't tell you how terribly disappointed I was.

I thought there has to be a lesson in all of this. Well I came up with a few. One is just how easy it is for our old sinful nature to rise up within us from time to time. Just when we think we have died to sin and temptation is under control we find ourselves falling back into old habits and ways of thinking we thought we had left behind. It's like there is an attraction to get back into that old river again. How many of you can relate?

I am reminded of the words of Paul when he said: 'I die daily.' 1 Corinthians 15:31

Paul himself described his struggle with the sinful nature in Romans 7. .......But he also understood the grace of God at work in his life. He knew that his only hope was to continue to die daily, to crucify the old nature and allow the power of Christ to live and reign in his life. We can draw strength from his words when he said......Vs 24,25...... 'What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!' .......Who also gives us the victory. 1 Corinthians 15:57

I was also reminded how I need to help keep others from falling. The harvest needs to be protected.

I will be more careful next time I catch that Coho.

Happy Fishing
Dave

Getting Up When You Fall

This past week I was inspired by the story of Nick Vujicic, a young man that God is using to inspire others to not let their circumstances keep them from rising to their God given potential.

What makes his story unique is the fact that Nick was born with no limbs. It was at a point of great hopelessness and dispair even to the point when he considered suicide, that God encouraged him to focus on what he had not on what he did not have.

I want to encourage you to not let anything keep you down. Whether it's fear, discouragement, past defeats, addictions, disappointments, circumstances, entangling sins, wrong relationships, bitterness....the list is long.

All of these and more can cause you to stumble and fall, but with Christ you can overcome. Your steps can be firm. You can rise to your potential. You can be everything God intended you to be.

Philippians 4:13 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'



'The lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he has made firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.' Psalm 37:23,24

Encourage someone this week.

Blessings
Pastor Dave

A Great Message

This past Sunday Pastor Mike Bidell shared a great message on what it means to minister to God through worship.

As believers we are part of Gods 'Royal Priesthood' with a responsbility to be worshippers.

If you get a chance to listen to the message not only will it bless you but it will encourage you in your priesthood ministry. Check out the link from our website.

http://app.razorplanet.com/acct/40500-0597/tmpl/index.php?nid=15956&s=gl&media_id=401648&showMedia=a&preview=true

Trust you are enjoying our great Vancouver Island summer.

Blessings
Pastor Dave

You Are Amazing

As we come to the end of another school year, and with summer finally here (I think, I hope), I have found myself thinking alot this week about all the people here at CPC who willingly and faithfully serve the Lord in our various ministries.

Every week CPC people are picking up serving towels and in a Christ honouring way are giving their time, using their gifts and talents to bless our church and community. I was blessed even this morning by the comment of one of our small group leaders who expressed their thanks for the opportunity given to them to be used of God in their small group. It really is a joy to serve the Lord, and the benefits for oneself and others is so great.

The following are a few examples of those we are appreciating today:
* Children's Ministry / Kids Church & Nursery workers
* Ushers & Greeters / Communion Team
* Worship Leaders & Musicians / Sound & Projection People
* Caretaking Team / Grounds Care People / Maintenance People

* Landscape / New Sign Design Team
* Offering Counting Team / Debit Hosts
* Missions Committee / Foreign Aid Packing Team
* Youth Ministry / Leaders & Helpers

* Vibe Pre-Teen Parents & Leaders
* Life Group / Small Group Leaders & Hosts
* Moms & Tots Leaders / Child Care Providers
* Coffee Coordinators / Hospitality People
* Food Preparation & Kitchen Crews
* CPC Food Bank Coordinators
* Young Adult Volunteers / Alpha Team
* Congregational Care, Visitation & Compassion People
* Website Volunteers / CPC Board / Prayer Teams
* Gap Fillers - Everyone else who just pitch in where needed, often on short notice.

You are all truly an AMAZING group of people we are so grateful for. With out you we could never do the things we do.

I like the way the Apostle Paul expressed his thanks for the Thessalonian church. We as pastors and leaders here at CPC feel the same way about you.

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:2,3)

While summer is upon us, the needs and ministry continues. Let us believe God for a fruitful and blessed summer together. As Pastor Mike Bidell has often said: "It's fun serving and making merry together."

We love you and appreciate you.
Pastor Dave, Pastor Mike B, Pastor Mike P, Pastor Jabin

Going To Quebec

Next week Barb and I will be heading to Quebec with a team of leaders from our BC District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. One of our District's missional priorities is the province of Quebec.

During our time in Quebec we will be involved in some vision and planning meetings for our own BC District. In addition we will be spending time with Gary Conners. (Mission Canada -Quebec & Francophone Coordinator) We will be connecting with some of the leadership of French Canada, mostly around Montreal and Quebec City. On the Sunday, Barb and I will be ministering in La Salle at the Assemblée du Plein Évangile where I will be speaking in the morning service.

We are excited about this oppportunity and would ask that you our CPC family pray for us and our District Leadership team. We go with an open heart and desire to learn more about what God is doing among our friends in the province of Quebec.

Below is a video greeting from Gary Conners.



Blessings
Pastor Dave & Barb

Your Children & Influences

(The following article was written by Pastor Mike Bidell as a summary of a Family Builders Desert Night we had here at CPC. Part of the vision of our church is encouraging and helping equip parents in their important role.)

Recently a number of parents from CPC and our community had the privilege of sharing some desserts together and hear Terry & Anne Lindberg speak on the subject of “Your Children & Influences”. Their sharing as well as the Question & Answer time were helpful and inspiring and the desserts definitely didn’t disappoint!

Have you ever wondered about what's wise to allow as influences for your children? Have you ever worried about sheltering your kids too much? Or exposing them to too much? Where do we draw the line? Ever wondered what to do when your child becomes friends with a negative influence?

All are great questions and were the reason we asked Terry and Anne to speak on this subject.
They took some time in the session to teach on some ways to help our children become wise and discerning about influences around them.

1. Teach discernment to yourself as a parent first
* “Monkey see, monkey do” - children helplessly follow the example of their parents
* It is very difficult to promote a standard for your children but live below it yourself. Your child will always see through this.
* Are there any influences you’re allowing into your life or home that you wouldn’t want influencing your children?
* Read what Ephesians 5.3-5 -- do you think God is a cosmic kill-joy, or does this scripture say what it does because he cares for us and wants the best for us?

2. Communicate! - from your heart and open to theirs
* Communication is always most effective when you have a sincere heart to heart connection with your child. Build a bridge to your child’s heart and protect the connection you have.
* Be ready to explain why your values lead you to decide why or why not they can watch or do certain things
* Be honest and share from your heart. Allow them to see and hear that your primary motive for them is LOVE. Also communicate that you trust them and believe the best about them and desire the best for them.
* Explain things in a way they understand. Take time to think about how you will help them see your point of view.
* Teach them the eventual outcomes and consequences of negative influences.
* Ask them how they feel and what they think. It is important for your child to feel you care about what they have to say and are open to hearing their heart.
* Read Psalm 101.3 & 1 Corinthians 6.12 – these are good passages from God’s word that help us decide and communicate what influences we allow.
* Keep communication lines open with your child. They need to know that if they have ANY questions or have done something wrong they can come talk with you. If you have established a heart connection with your child and they trust you they will communicate openly with you.

3. Focus on positive influences
* Invest time and energy into things that are good for your children and bring out the best in them
* Encourage close friendships with those who are a good influence and build your child up
* Teach your children to be ‘face-to-face’ social first and esteem it above social media (facebook, online chatting, etc)
* Encourage your children to love people – to be ‘others-centered’ rather than slipping easily into the trap of being self-centered
* What things would you say bring out the best in your children?
* How can you allow for more influence like that in their lives?

4. Limit media access
* Current studies are continuing to prove that the less time spent in front of the tv (video games, movies, time on internet, etc.) the better
* The more a child is exposed to television the less their attention span and less their IQ are while behavioural challenges increase
* Have you ever found it easy to allow the tv to become a ‘babysitter’?
* What could you do to encourage creativity in your child?

5. Monitor what’s going on
* Keep your tv and computers in common areas in the home. It’s not that you don’t trust your children, it’s is just a wise move.
* If you notice behavioural changes in your children begin to ask yourself if you have noticed any attitude changes in their life. What may have influenced an attitude change? Return to the place of heart-to-heart connection with your child and have an open conversation with them motivated by your LOVE for them.

Over time you want your child to become wise and discerning. You want to trust them and empower them to make the best choices for their lives.

May God continue to bless you as you raise your precious children with love for the glory of God!

Pastor Mike Bidell
-Family Builders Ministry of CPC

My Wife Has Some Great Ideas

My wife has some great ideas. Let me share one with you. Each week when Barb goes grocery shopping, she has developed the habit of thinking about those who are less fortunate. As she is putting things in her grocery cart she asks herself the question: What is one or two things that our family needs that someone less fortunate might need as well?

Instead of buying just for us she will buy extra. For example, this week we may need a box of cereal and tomato soup. She will put an extra box of cereal in the cart and a few cans of soup. When she gets home, we have a place in our entry closet where she will put these items and after 3 or 4 weeks she will bring them with her to church and put them in the grocery cart in our CPC foyer.

Right now the shelves in our Food Bank Pantry at CPC are almost empty. This Sunday, Mothers Day would be a great week to bring some non-perishable grocery items and at the same time help others. If Barb's idea could be multiplied by 100 CPC households, it would make a huge difference. Think about it.

'A generous person will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.' Proverbs 22:9

Thank you to Bekah Davis for helping oversee this ministry.

God Bless You
Pastor Dave

PS. Another one of Barb's great ideas happened when she married me. 34 years ago this Saturday, May 8th. Happy Anniversary Barb, Love Dave

24-7 Prayer Comox Valley

This past week our church was invited to participate in a community wide prayer initiative.

Starting Sunday May 9th - Sunday May 16th the call is going out for people to pray. The plan is to have people praying around the clock for seven days. A neutral site has been provided: 1736 England Ave (Behind Petro Canada - Courtenay) It will be set up with a warm, welcoming and prayerful atmosphere. You are invited.

This Sunday at CPC there will be a sign up sheet in our foyer where you can choose a time period to go and pray. In addition you can go to this website and get more information as well sign up online. http://www.24-7comoxvalley.com/?p=16

The goal is to get people in the Comox Valley praying.....to see every one hour time slot filled during the seven day period. To imagine what God can do in our community as people pray.....

......

24-7 Prayer is happening around the world and it is exciting to be a part of it.

24-7 Prayer is first of all an invitation to pray.

• Out of this prayer comes community.
• Out of community and prayer will flow justice and mission.

For more information on this international prayer movement: http://www.24-7prayer.com/

Alpha Appreciation & Participant Comments

It is wonderful as a church to be part of seeing lives change and the disciplship of God's children. This past week we completed our first ever Alpha Course here at CPC which has proven to be an effective tool in exposing people to Christianity. In addition the course helps answer important life questions and provides some great teaching on how to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I want us to thank Mark Spyker and Pastor Mike Bidell for their excellent leadership, along with a great team of kitchen workers, volunteers, facilitators and prayer team who served us so well.

We are excited that a few of our Alpha participants will be baptized in water this Easter Sunday. God is so good.

Below is some of the feedback from participants who took the Alpha course.

"The discussions and information shared at the meetings was very meaningful. I was completely satisfied witht the Alpha course."

"I loved Nicky Gumble's lessons but really enjoyed the table discusussions."

"It was a great venue for discussing important questions." "Great job"

"I had a wonderful experience, very informative, life changing"

"I would love to take the course again."

"The Alpha course opened my eyes, my ears and my heart to the Lord Jesus. Hallelujah. Thankyou so much for everyone's efforts especially the wonderful volunteers."

Let's continue to pray for everyone involved and their continued life long journey following Christ.

To God Be All The Glory
Pastor Dave

Praying For You

I have been thinking and praying for a number of people in our congregation who are currently facing major difficulties in their lives.

For some it is health challenges, for other it may be financial struggles and for still others there are some relationship issues. Life can be very difficult at times, and for some it may even seem unfair.

I often feel at a loss for words but from my reading this morning I was both strengthened and encouraged by these words from the Psalmist David.

'Give your burdens to the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55.22

Praying for you...God is good even when life is hard.
Pastor Dave

Be Careful Where You Look

Today I am having arthroscopic surgery on my right shoulder. There is a life lesson that can be learned in all of this that I would like to pass along. It all started last summer during ‘Ride Your Bike To Work Week’. Wanting to get some exercise I thought I would give a try. One day while riding a borrowed bike I found myself in the bike lane but too close to a 2” raised concrete edge near the curb. When I looked down, instead of navigating the bike away I found my wheel getting even closer to the raised edge, I panicked at the same time grabbing the brakes, front brakes included. You can let your imagination fill in the blanks. You guessed it…..my front brakes locked up. I became missal catapulting over the handle bars, nailing my shoulder as I did a swan dive onto the side walk. Not a pretty site. At first it was my male pride that was hurt the most and then my shoulder and torn ligaments.

When I told this story to a friend of mine, Al Funk, fellow pastor as well avid motorcyclist…..He said to me: “You know Dave, as motorcyclist, our instructors teach us to be careful where we look. We have a tendency to drive right into whatever we are looking at. If you see a pothole in the road or an obstacle, instead of looking at the pothole, focus your eyes on where you want to be going and you will steer in the direction you are looking. I have thought about that statement a lot and the life lesson it can teach us.

Look at where you want to be going and not just where you are. Sometimes in life we find ourselves staring at the potholes and disappointments along the road of life. We find ourselves crashing into the very things we are trying to get past. There are many examples of this.

Relationships suffer, marriages crash when people focus on past wounds or hurts. The lesson in this: Decide where you want your relationship or your marriage to be. Start focusing on where you want to be going, not just where you are. You may need to address the issues, but the strength will come in focusing on the direction you are going not just where you are today.

Likewise churches sometimes get bogged down in problems, setbacks or economic struggles and can lose sight of the visions and dreams that God has placed in their hearts. The same lesson applies; we need to ask ourselves. Where are we going? What are we becoming? While we need to always pay attention to life’s present challenges, it’s keeping our eyes on where God is leading us that give us hope and courage to keep going in the right direction.

I leave you with these words from Hebrews 12:2,3 ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’
Be careful where you look, you might just end up there.

Off to staff meeting and then to surgery. Have a great week everyone.
Pastor Dave

I read this in my Bible reading yesterday.

A good reminder of what really matters.

'The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure.....They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold.' Psalm 19:9,10

Still cheering for Canada.

Watoto Children's Choir - From Uganda, Africa

We are very excited to welcome again to the Comox Valley the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda, Africa. They will be with us on Sunday February 7th at Comox Pentecostal Church

Choose one of two free performances. 10am or 6pm. Check out the video and invite your friends.