Sunday Rewind

Sunday, September 16th, was a kickoff day for many different facets of the worship ministry at Immanuel. The high school choir kicked off with a bang. Root beer floats, $5 Starbucks cards, and the reveal of this year's choir tour destination topped the list of favorites. The students discovered that we are taking Washington D.C. by storm this spring, and the trip is going to be an exciting one. We are already putting some things into place as we prepare to win people for Jesus.

We also began our Sunday afternoon Immanuel Choir rehearsals. This rehearsal is an alternative to the Wednesday night rehearsal. There are many whose schedules do not permit them to be at choir rehearsal on Wednesdays, so we're making it a little easier for them. This is a trial run. We are planning on giving it until the end of the year to see if it will warrant the participation necessary to keep it going. My hopes are that it will. Though we usually run upwards of 100 on Wednesday nights, this very first Sunday rehearsal brought us nearly 20 people. Hopefully we'll see the Lord grow this rehearsal from here as more people learn about the opportunity.

The orchestra had a retreat this weekend and saw much success. Ken Hughes was our guest clinician. Ken travels with the band "Denver and the Mile High Orchestra", and has also worked with artists such as TRUTH, Jaci Velazquez, Rosemary Clooney, and many others. His insight and leadership really made the weekend a success.

So, there you have it. Another blessed weekend. God is good.

Sunday Night Rewind

Tonight was amazing! It was awesome to see God's people come together to worship Him. We implemented a new look, a new focus, and a new sound to the evening worship service. What an incredible difference! Tonight confirmed my suspicions about Sunday nights. Sunday evening has seemed to be the watered-down version of Sunday morning, with no true identity of it's own. We were intentional about tweaking that service and saw the results. People were buzzing before the music even began, simply from seeing a new stage design. When the band began and the praise team kicked into gear the energy from the congregation was unreal.

I saw, for the first time, the Sunday evening crowd excited about worship. Distractions came come in many forms. It had come in the form of complacency among our evening service goers. People used to come in expecting nothing exciting, and as a result, they got nothing exciting. That alone took our eyes off the Lord on Sunday nights. We simply created an exciting atmosphere, refocused our attention, and true worship took place. Praise the Lord! From this point on, we have to be intentional about tweaking and adjusting on a regular basis.

Refocus, retool, and you'll be reformed. Immanuel has quickly become the place to be on Sunday nights. See you there next week!

Sunday Nights At Immanuel

Beginning August 5th, Sunday nights at Immanuel are undergoing a change. Until now, Sunday night has been a miniature version of Sunday morning. Our desire is to give Sunday night its own identity. The stage will have a new look, we'll have a new worship band, even the praise teams are a new mix. The purpose is to put more of an emphasis on worship and to raise the level of excellence, as opposed to giving Sunday night very little attention.

Make sure that you bring your family and friends to Sunday nights at Immanuel. It is an intimate worship setting with an incredible time of the preaching of God's Word. I can't wait for August to get here!

Sunday Night Rewind

- Our Pastor preached an incredible message out of John tonight.
- We had a lady share her testimony about how God delivered her from the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses and saved her. She now is coming to Immanuel and is interested in starting a ministry to bring people out of the cult religions and into a relationship with Christ.
- I am exhausted. Come Sunday night, I have very little left. Whew...long days.
- Praise Team auditions are next Sunday.
- I am leading worship at a funeral tomorrow. Old Rugged Cross - Amazing Grace. I've never heard those at a funeral before (just kidding).
- We're praying about a television ministry. Our own, that is. Pray that the Lord gives us direction. I met with the finance committee this afternoon concerning the possibilities. We don't want to go on tv just for the sake of being on tv. We want it to be a ministry that's worth the time and expense.
- Frank Salgado was back at church this morning. Frank had a major heart attack a couple of weeks ago. His comments to the choir this morning? - "Thank you for your prayers. All I have to say is....My God is a Mountain Mover!"

Sunday Night Rewind

It seems that there is always something happening at Immanuel. Tonight was our Patriotic Celebration. It was absolutely amazing to see Jordan Smith back with us, and he carried the Navy Flag tonight during the worship service. For those who don't know, Jordan was involved in a road-side bombing in Iraq 3-4 months ago. After sustaining injuries and experiencing paralysis, Jordan experienced something supernatural as God touched and healed his body. Jordan - thank you for risking your life for me and my family. We love you and are glad you're home!

I've never seen a church family get so "pumped" over God and Country. Immanuel lit up tonight as we celebrated together. I've already got HUGE ideas for next year...and yes, they will be accomplished. The more I get to know God and the closer I grow to Him, the bigger my dreams are. We are going to accomplish huge things in the coming weeks, months, and years. I am convinced that we are going to see the hand of God upon us as we win Highland and the surrounding communities to Christ.