Crazy Week
This week has been “wheels off” crazy, which means we’re in store for a huge weekend. I really believe God is going to do something big at Palm Valley Church.
This weekend I’ll be talking about “lust”. We’ll hit the process lust takes in our life, the damage it causes, and how to beat the lust monster. Let’s face it, we all struggle with lust: wanting things (or people) that God hasn’t given to us. We’re going to hit it hard in the area of pornography, and leave you with hope and help to gain victory in this area.
This is a great weekend to invite friends who don’t know Christ to come to church with you!
Pure Sex on ABC 15 News
Last Saturday, as we kicked off our PureSex series, Channel 15 news showed up on campus. They videotaped part of the service, interviewed people on the patio, and then I did an interview with them after service. Our story aired in the number 3 spot on the 10:00 news that night. Check it out by clicking the link below:
Saturday Night – Going on Channel 15 News
Tonight as we kicked off our PureSex series, Channel 15 news showed up on campus. They videotaped part of the service, interviewed people on the patio, and then I did an interview with them after service. They’ve mentioned it during nearly every commercial break through the evening.
We’re scheduled to run on the 10:00 pm news tonight on channel 15, from all the times they’ve promo’d it tonight, it looks like we’re the lead in story!
Palm Valley on the Channel 5 News
The media blitz continues for our “Pure Sex” series beginning this weekend!
Be sure to tune in to the channel 5 news at 5:00 this evening where you will see me and our Student Ministries Pastor Ryan Nunez interviewed about the “Pure Sex” series. We knew going into it that this series would create an incredible buzz in our community, and we are excited to have the opportunity to share with the valley that God has an incredible design for great sex.
Be ready for an amazing weekend.
West Valley View Article
Just read the article, and I feel the reporter did a good job of capturing our thoughts, and he definitely gave it a positive tone. You can read it here…
Crazy Week – Big Opportunities
With PureSex beginning this weekend, it’s been off the hook crazy. The mailers hit the boxes yesterday, and we got our first angry email; obviously from a Christian, who doesn’t think a church should be talking about this. Listen, everyone in the world is talking about it, our kids are talking about it, why should the church remain silent?
Today I have a video interview with KPHO Channel 5 news. They’re coming to the office at 11:30 am, and it should run on today’s news. I guess it’s true, sex sells. If you think of it, please pray for me during this interview; that the tone would be positive and open, that I would answer honestly and succintly in a way that would draw people to come this weekend, and that the people who edit the video would have favor upon us.
Did an interview with the West Valley View this week, which should be in this morning’s paper. It was a fun interview, but they asked Ryan and me some crazy questions. It was obvious to me that people think the church will teach that sex is dirty and should only be used for pro-creation.
Overall, I believe this is going to be a huge weekend at Palm Valley Church. So pray that a ton of people come who don’t know Christ. If you haven’t yet, make sure you invite everyone you know who needs Jesus, this could be their day!
I can’t wait until Saturday!
Thankful For Great Leaders
Last night we had a meeting of our Legal Trustees. I was dead tired before the meeting, but honestly felt refreshed by the end of it. How many pastors can say that about a leadership meeting?
I love meeting with these guys because they’ve fully grasped the vision of of Palm Valley Church. They see their role as supporting me and the staff as we lead the church. Now get this; this does not mean that they are “yes men” who simply rubber stamp our decisions.
These guys are spiritually mature, and they bring a ton of leadership experience and giftedness to the table. They ask me the tough questions, they ensure that we’re being the best stewards possible of every dollar given, and they help me look forward to prepare for what God might be doing next.
Pastors: 2 warnings regarding choosing your leadership/deacon/trustee/elder (whatever you call it) team…
First, don’t be afraid to have a team around you, and that will even ask you the tough questions. Many church planters I talk to are afraid of this step in a churches growth. I need support. I need help. I need prayer. I need accountability. So do you. Don’t cheat your church of this because you’re afraid of giving up control, being turned on, etc… However you (yes, the pastor should set the structure biblically) structure your leadership, get help.
Second, be very careful about who’s on this team. Make sure they’re people who love the Lord, love you, and have shown faithfulness to the church through tough times. Don’t put anybody in leadership until they’re been through some rough stuff with you. Why? Anybody can hang with you when the time’s are good, character is revealed in the hard times. Be very slow to add people to this team. Make sure they’re committed to the long haul, and make sure they’re willing to do and say the tough things.
In closing, I’m thankful for the men God has brought around me to support my leadership of Palm Valley Church. Nobody will ever know the tough decisions they’ve made, and the issues they’ve handled. Thanks guys for walking the walk with me!
Dangerous Church Finishing
This series has been incredible for our church. I really sense God “quickening” the commitment we have together to fulfill the vision He’s given us. I really believe we’re as prepared as ever to go to the next level and reach more people for Christ.
I’m excited for this weekend as we wrap-up the series. We’ll be taking communion as part of the worship before the message. Derrick and Karina have put together an awesome set, and I feel like the message really ties the series together. It’s a God thing, and I’m glad He’s invited me to be a part of it.
Note: PVC’ers, you want to be there early Sunday so you don’t miss a minute. I believe it’s going to be an incredible service!
Holy Moment
I don’t use this term loosely, but this weekend was a “holy moment”. The word holy means “set apart for a purpose”, and that’s exactly what happened at Palm Valley Church. The body of Christ gathered together and declared we were “set apart” for the purpose of fulfilling the vision God has given us.
There was such a sense of God’s presence in our worship, especially at the end of the messages as I asked people to declard their commitment. We had provided each person with a stake, upon which we asked them to write the names of people they know who don’t know Christ. It’s a reminder that we each have a “stake” in the great commission. We will one day plant these stakes in the ground as part of the foundation of our church building.
As everybody raised their stakes in the air, we prayed a blessing upon this endeavor, and that the Lord would keep us focused on being a “dangerous church”. I was moved each service to see so many people make a deep spiritual commitment. God is stretching and growing us, preparing us to be dangerous tools in His hands. I’m fired up about what God’s doing in and through PVC right now! Here’s some more cool pics from the weekend…
New Believers
It is always been at the heart of Palm Valley to reach people who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior. We never want to be a church that grows by attracting all the Christians who move to the community. Nothing wrong with Christians choosing our church, that’s just not our focus.
We also believe that we have a responsibility to create an environment where new believers naturally become maturing followers of Christ. Paul Lewis is on our staff as Pastor to new believers, and is doing an incredible job developing this ministry. Today on his blog he wrote a great post regarding our philosophy of discipling new believers, and how we are developing this ministry. You can read it here…
Greg Rohlinger is the Senior Pastor of Palm Valley Church in Goodyear, Arizona. These are his thoughts on faith and leadership, as well as being a husband, father and pastor.