Opportunity to help at new building

As we approach the move in to our new building, there are a few last things to get done. One those is the landscaping around the building. This is a great opportunity to serve and help get our building ready to be used to reach even more people for Christ.

Join us this Saturday morning, May 1st, from 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM at 431 N. Litchfield Rd. Please bring a pair of work gloves, a hat, sunscreen, and a leaf rake, if you have one.

See you Saturday!

EMERGENCY –Help needed (MEN)

Guys, I need 12 men on Thursday, it will save the church many thousands of dollars and help make our new building look even more awesome…

Many of you have asked about ways that you can help with getting moved into the new building. We have been able to purchase countertops and cabinets out of several Blockbuster stores (at pennies on the dollar) that are going out of business. Because the stores are closing we have a very narrow window to pick these items up. We are looking for volunteers to help all day Thursday, April 22nd, to pick up counters and cabinets from Blockbuster stores in Phoenix and Tuscon. If we can’t pick these up Thursday, we lose them. Call your friends, let’s get this done!!!!

If you are able to help on Thursday please email Ryan Nunez our executive pastor at rnunez@palmvalley.org

Haiti Team Reflections #1

Our team of 17 people that went to Haiti returned Saturday with incredible stories of ministry and life change. Over the next few days they will share short snippets from their experience. Up first is Lori Starkey…

Where does one begin after a trip to Haiti? Do you write about the devastation or the rebuilding? Do you write about the fear or the joy? Do you write about how scared you were or how safe you felt? Do you tell about the earthquake during church or do you tell about the amazing service to honor us? So many emotions and so many stories ….
At the orphanage, I spy Melissa who was found in the rubble where both parents died during the earthquake. I was afraid to pick her up as she seemed so small and frail. Her arms so tiny and her legs so thin, how could this be? Melissa is one year old yet she appears to be so much younger. As I cuddled her to my chest my heart broke. How long did Melissa cry before she was heard? How lonely did she feel? This little baby all alone how long did she wait? Then I realized that God was with her. Melissa was safe in the orphanage where she would be loved and fed, just waiting for that special family who was set aside for this special little girl. Melissa will be engrained into my heart forever as her picture will remind me of the devastation the Haitian people suffered yet through all of this they manage to smile. Joy shines in them, true joy. May I learn to have the true joy that the Haitian people have in my life. The wonderful children that I met in Haiti bring a smile to my face as I think of them.

Holy Land Tour 2010

Lori and I are planning another trip to the Holy Lands and we would love for you to join us. Download the Brochure!

Fill The House

This week we were down walking through the building to make sure construction was all on track and I had some things I needed to say:

It is a “good” Friday

Today is a big day in our home, not only because it’s easter weekend. Today, we celebrate the 8th birthday of my youngest son.

It was 8 years ago that Lori and I drove to the hospital for a planned “inducing”, since Lori was past due date. This was our 3rd child, so we figured all would go smoothly. We stopped for breakfast then headed to the hospital to check-in. We decided over breakfast that we would name our new son “Andrew”, a name Lori and I had always loved. We settled in the room, got ready, and waited. We talked, laughed, prayed and waited.

Sometime mid-morning everything went wrong. A buzzer started to sound, the nurse ran in and checked Lori and the baby. She began to yell for help, and our world was rocked for the next few minutes. A doctor ran in, checked, and assessed that the cord was “kinked”, and our baby wasn’t getting any oxygen. He shouted for everyone to prepare for an emergency C-section.

I remember looking at Lori, and both of us being scared. I began to cry, and Lori unbelievably was consoling me I signed papers (waivers), our personal doctor came running in, and we were off to the surgery room. They prepped Lori, I got dressed in scrubs, and within seconds the surgery began. I remember pleading with the Lord to protect Lori and Andrew, guide the surgeons, and give us a miraculously healthy baby.

Literally within a minute, before Lori’s anastesia had fully taken, they had performed the surgery. They took out this perfect little boy and handed him to me (I got 1st’s). The doctor’s assured me Lori was fine. I spent the next minutes holding this miracle and thanking God for this blessing.

As I stared at my son, praying and thanking God, it hit me. This was not an Andrew, this boy is a “Joshua”, a strong and courageous leader. The name Joshua is a type of the name Jesus (a foreshadowing in Scripture). When Lori woke up about a half hour later, I handed her our son and said “meet Joshua”. She said “who?” I told her the story and she loved it; a very special name for a very special boy.

I’m amazed 8 years later at God’s goodness and provision in so many areas of our life, but particularly today for Josh. He’s an incredible young man who loves Jesus. He truly is strong and courageous. He’s a leader. I reminded him today that God has a huge plan and purpose for his life, so he’s got a responsibility to live it out.

Happy Birthday Josh, you truly are a gift from God!

Easter Weekend

I woke up this morning with great anticipation for Easter weekend at Palm Valley Church. I trust you are preparing your hearts to join us in worship this weekend to celebrate the resurrection our Lord Jesus. As I’m writing you, I’ve taken time this morning to remember all that Jesus endured on the cross, and I can’t believe there’s only 32 hours before we begin the first of 6 Easter services.

As we approach this potentially life-changing weekend, I’m asking you to join me in three ways…

1) Pray for all the aspects of the weekend services at PVC. Pray for the greeters and ushers, the children’s and youth environments, the worship team, and for me as I teach. Let’s bathe the weekend in prayer, asking God to do a mighty work in the hearts of so many who will come.

2) Put on a full-court press to invite everyone you can. I know people who don’t know Jesus, and so do you. Let’s pray and ask God for help, and then boldly invite everyone we know to join us so the “His house will be full”!

3) If at all possible, please attend service on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Or Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. This will free up seats for first time guests who will most likely come to the 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. Services.

Thanks so much for your partnership in helping our community find hope and life in Christ, I’m believing God for big things this weekend!

Construction Underway!

It’s so exciting to see what is happening at our new building.  The contractors have been lightning fast in their attack of the job, and things are starting to take shape.  You can follow the construction updates and see pictures at:  PVC Greater Things

Outreach Opportunities

Hey PVC’ers, we’ve got some great opportunities to make an impact for Christ in the coming weeks. I would particularly ask you to pray about the Vegas opportunity, as we will be helping Verve Church launch! email Pastor Brent at bhodges@palmvalley.org about serving in one of these…

Verve Church Plant (Las Vegas) – March 25th – 28th
Join us as we help Pastor Vince Anotnucci pass out doorhangers and spread the word about Verve Church.

Haiti Relief Trip – April 8th – 17th
This trip will focus on construction and medical relief efforts, but anyone is welcome to attend. If interested, the first equipping is February 21st at 10:00 am Desert Edge High School, room C15.

Local Haiti Relief Work – March 27th (10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Palm Valley Church has partnered with the Haitian Disaster Relief of Arizona to help pack up relief supplies to send to Haiti. We ask that you commit to serve for at least
2 hrs, but are free to stay for all 5.

Weekend Reflections

Loving the feel of this series, “The End of the World As We Know It”, one of my favorites we’ve done…

• Keeping the end times simple is harder that I thought it would be going in
• Bummer not having Saturday night services this week due to a dance at the school.  Numbers remind us (once again) that we really do reach a different crowd on Saturday night.
• Preached with bronchitis.  Thankful for a great doctor and good drugs.
• On the way to church I asked my son Jake, “what’s the best part about the tribulation?”.  His answer is my favorite quote of the week… “we won’t be here”.  Glad my son’s pre-trib
• Getting tons of interest in our Israel/Rome trip this December.  I’m pumped because it’s going to be an awesome trip!  for info email my assistant Kathleen at kflanagan@palmvalley.org .
• Loving the song “Glory to God”.  The team nailed it this week and the crowd was singing off the hook on that one.
• Loving how eager people are to learn about the end times stuff.
• Big props to Sean Smith, Creative Pastor, whom I called at midnight Saturday to make changes for the morning.  He jumped right on it and got it done, with a smile.
• Our Small Group had baptism during our meeting last night.  Awesome to baptize 7 members of our group declaring publicly their faith in Christ.  That’s 10 members in my small group I’ve had the privilege of baptizing in the last year.
• If you’re a Christ-follower and you’ve not gone public in baptism, what are you waiting for?  It’s the first step of obedience, take it!
• Pray for my bronchitis to go away, I want to be done with it.
• Make sure you don’t miss the last week of this series this weekend, I promise it’s going to be awesome!!