Staff Blog

Staff Blog

the community center and a bridge

the community center and a bridge

the community center and the bridge to the community
One of the great needs in our community is a place where parents can provide a caring and safe environment for their kids before and after school. There are single parent homes and homes where both parents work and in both types there is a need for someone to help care for kids, especially junior high and younger. Our community has a couple of good places that are trying to provide that service but something is missing.

What we need is a place where parents can send their kids before and after school where they will learn about Jesus, get help with homework, play sports and games, have music and performing arts lesson, etc.? Our community needs that type of community center to be a bridge between the church and the community.

I listed “learn about Jesus” first because that is not only the priority it is essentially the main issue. More than 70% of all the people who invite Jesus into their heart do so before the age of 14. Therefore, we want to help the children come to Jesus. Also, children are often extremely influential in helping parents come to know God. Accordingly the main, but often missing, ingredient is to insure that kids are learning about Jesus from people who love Jesus.

About 4-5 years ago we opened a brand new church building in Camarillo. It was [and is] beautiful. The idea of 100s of kids running around and “damaging” the building concerned some folks, but we were reminded about the words of Jesus, “let the children come to Me.” So we began our relationship with Pacific Camps to provide a place for kids to be loved, cared for and to learn about Jesus before and after school. The relationship has been a blessing but we’re outgrowing our current facility.  So what to do to help the children know Jesus?

For the last 8-9 months we have been fervently searching for an additional building for a satellite church campus and community center. Unfortunately, the government will not fund such a center primarily because we will be teaching the kids about Jesus.  On the other hand, or fortunately, the government will allow such a center and does encourage it through the tax code’s beneficial treatment of charitable contributions. Thus the responsibility and the opportunity, rests firmly upon the shoulders of God’s people – exactly where it should be.

We recently found a facility that we believe that God is leading us to occupy. This is very exciting but undoubtedly will prompt questions. So I’ll try to anticipate what I assume will be the FAQs as follows:

1. Why do we need another facility?

Phase I [2004] consists of fourteen thousand square feet. The sanctuary seats 520, and includes six classrooms and a pre-kindergarten space. Phase II [2006] is an additional seven thousand five hundred square feet. Phase II includes four additional classrooms, a fellowship hall, and nursery. The two-floor structures are connected by a covered deck, and below the deck is a courtyard and fountain area. The 2 phases total about 22,000 square feet.

Functional capacity of the facility is estimated at 1,100-1,150 adults. Capacity is based on three Sunday morning and one evening service. Current growth models contemplate reaching capacity by the end of 2010.

2. What’s the satellite campus/community center going to be?

The satellite campus will be about 22,000 square feet including a sanctuary/gym, arts and craft room, performing arts center, homework/computer room, and game room/youth room to impact the community for Jesus. The facility will be used primarily as a community center during the week and as a church on the weekend.

3. Should the church be undertaking such an obligation in light of the economic times?

We are seeking to be sober and wise stewards re the resources of our church community. There is an advisory board that is comprised of experts in business, real estate, finance and economics that call CC Camarillo their church home. They are godly people who advise the Church Board of Directors, and have been researching, analyzing and assessing the relevant issues for more than a year. We hope to continue to effectively minister to the needs of our community and to expand our influence to be able to serve the community for many years to come. It is their collective counsel that the proposed plan is prudent, wise, and of God.

4. Why is the church leasing instead of buying?

The 5-yr. lease plan provides greater flexibility, requires less capital, and provides options for us to use the facility for 20 years. In our proposed location the cost of improvements to the structure for our use are relatively contained. Thus, the lease makes economic sense for this facility.

5. Will pastor bruce be teaching at both facilities?

We plan on offering 2 Sunday morning services at both campuses at approximately 9 and 11. I’ll be teaching at both sites for the foreseeable future and we will gradually offer other teachers at both.     

6. Will Pacific Camps be involved at both sites?

Yes, praise God! We thank God for our relationship with the Camps and look forward to continuing to work together to reach our community. We want to avail ourselves of their expertise, staff, and other resources to maximize our effectiveness in reaching the community for Jesus. We’ll be working to figure out exactly what new programs can be offered through the new site. Typically, the camp will offer programs before and after school until about 6:00 pm.

7. What types of programs will the church offer when the camp is not using the facility [i.e. after 6:00 on weeknights and on weekends]?

We’re not sure. We’re exploring the needs of the community and welcome your input to develop flexible plans to meet the needs today and tomorrow.

8. When will the new campus be available?

Lord willing before the end of the year.

 

let the children come to Jesus

let the children come to Jesus

“let the children come to Jesus”

Ever wonder, “How can I help young people come to Jesus?” Perhaps you want to help, but don’t know where to begin or what to do. Maybe, you’ve never thought about it but perhaps we should …

When parents approached Jesus with their little children the disciples opposed them. The parents were seeking God’s blessing upon their children but the disciples saw it as a waste of Jesus’ time. Essentially, they thought that Jesus had more important things to do than to care about kids. Children in that culture, like in our culture, were generally not considered to be very important or influential [Mark 10:13-16].

Jesus was very upset and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Jesus urged the disciples and the parents not to create obstacles and to take action to remove obstacles. We are to tell the next generation about our wonderful God [Psalm 78:4]. So what should we do?

1. parent’s should demonstrate a real relationship with God. Your kids don’t need to see you’re perfect but they do need to see your faith is real.

2. family devotion time: create a time that works in your family’s schedule – maybe at breakfast or dinner. Turn off the electronics and talk. Spend some time talking together about the things of God. There are plenty of books available that are designed to help parents lead [I’ve written 2 that are available at our bookstore]. Make the family time with God a priority.

3. volunteer in a local church’s children’s ministry: the local church is to come alongside and help parents to raise their kids in the things of God. A great way to do this is for people to get involved helping as teachers in the children’s ministry. There seems to always be opportunities to show the love of Jesus to kids in the classrooms. Whether you’re a teacher, a helper who simply loves kids, a worship leader, or you own a glue gun and your not afraid to use it … there’s a need for you.

4. the community center: it would be great if there was a place where parents could send their kids before and after school where they could learn about Jesus, get help with homework, play sports and games, have music and performing arts lesson, etc. Our community needs that type of community center to be a bridge between the church and the community. More news to come …

 

Haven

Haven

When i was in high school, which was not too long ago, my youth leader came to a group of student leaders and asked us to come up with a name for our group. The previous name had been Virtuous reality. While it was creative, it didn't seem to fit our group. After much deliberation, the name haven was suggested. We all agreed. Haven means a safe place, refuge or harbor and it comes from Psalm 107:30. We decided on this name because we wanted our youth group to be a safe place where anyone could come and feel comfortable, welcomed and loved. 

Unfortunately, we failed at making Haven the place it was supposed to be. I remember one time, when i was a freshmen, there was a huge sleepover at one of the girls houses. All of my friends were invited. Basically, every girl in youth group was going. Except for me. I was the "uninvited" one. I was heartbroken. I cried. I got upset. And i hated seeing everyone after youth group taking their sleeping bags and car pooling over to this girls house. The girl explained that her mom said she couldn't invited anyone else and that she didn't mean to exclude me. That didn't help me. I still felt alone. Thankfully, me and that girl are now great friends and i have completely forgiven her. But at the time, i was so upset. 

 I made many people feel the same way as i grew older. I loved to plan things and i excluded people, sometimes selfishly, sometimes forgetfully. I would blow it off saying "well, i can't invite everyone!" Which is true. Sometimes i would try my best to include people and even then, i would forget someone or wouldn't have someones number to invite them. People's feelings would get hurt. That seems to be inevitable. the important thing was that i needed to make an effort to invite and welcome people.

Jesus seems to be the greatest example of this. As GOD, it would seem that he might want to hang out with those who were high up in the social status. He didn't. He hung out with losers and sinners. He hung out with the lowest of the low. We should have the same mind as Him. Not to say that there are people in youth group or church who are losers, but we are all sinners. Sometimes a simple hello or an invite to a group dinner is all someone needs to feel the love of Christ.

So why not make Calvary Chapel the haven that it is supposed to be? Why not take a break from sitting with the same group of friends and sit with someone you don't even know? Why not try to destroy the "clicks" and just be in one large group of friends? Why not stop gossip and mean jokes about people who aren't "like" you? Why not go out of your way to talk to someone who seems to know no one? Why not try to include new or less outgoing folks into the community of our church? Why not be like Jesus?

Cut It Out

Cut It Out

the expression “cut it out” is seemingly harmless [especially without any exclamation point] but context is king. When you tickle someone and they say, “cut it out” the tickling generally is guaranteed not to stop immediately. Similarly, when you're singing that annoying song and someone urges you to, “cut it out” chances are you’ll keep pushing their buttons. However, when the oncologist discusses your cancer and says, “We have to cut it out” the words are soberly received, pondered, and considered. What needs to be cut out? When? Will it hurt and will I live?

When life and death are added to the equation, “cut it out” is no longer a harmless little phrase. When it’s a renowned physician rather than “just a friend” we tend to listen … to hear the words, allow them to sink in, and impact our life.

Jesus talked about the need to “cut it out.” On His way to Jerusalem [Mark 9:41-50] he urged people like you and me to soberly examine our lives to see if there was any “spiritual cancer” that threatened us. He urged: if your hands, feet, or eyes offend you then cut it out. Hands represent our actions, feet our walk or general lifestyle, and eyes our desires. Obviously, Jesus used the concept as a metaphor He wasn’t suggesting that we literally cut off body parts, because that won’t solve the problem.

Now the idea of stopping my habits or ending a relationship that I know is contrary to God sounds painful, because it is. Jesus wants us to be radically in love with Him, because He is passionately in love with us. He wants to spend eternity hanging out with us in heaven – a place with no more pain, heartache, disappointment, etc.

Jesus encourages us about the benefits of life – zoe ­– spiritual, abundant, and eternal life with God as contrasted with bios – mere physical life. He also warns of the dangers of failing to “cut it out” … life threatening cancer. When Jesus warns about hell He speaks of eternal conscious torment flowing from separation from God. It’s serious and real … like news about cancer. Jesus is the Great Physician who not only gives the diagnosis but He offers the cure.

He prescribes a treatment plan of growing in your relationship with Him. We simply need intimacy and passion for Jesus: learning of Him by prayer, reading your Bible, and spending time to reflect. When we do that, we see Him more clearly as well as the cancer in our lives. We discover the danger of sin … how it threatens to ruin our lives today and for eternity. We learn we can trust Him and His love for us. We come to the place of yielding to the real Jesus and ask Him to “cut it out.”

The problem for most of us is our unwillingness to receive the news that there is something wrong in our lives that needs to be cut out. When confronted by the Word of God, family, friends and others that there are problems, issues, or areas where we need get right [especially with God] we often seek “a second opinion” to justify or excuse the behavior or attitude. In essence, we don’t want to deal with it because we don’t realize the danger and we don’t recognize the voice of Jesus speaking to us through all those sources … “cut it out.”

Paradoxes, Doctrine, and Alligators

Paradoxes, Doctrine, and Alligators

The Christian faith is full of paradoxes.  A paradox is a truth that is seemingly composed of contradictory statements which are in fact complementary.  Paradoxes are found by looking at something in a different light.  For example, haven’t you heard someone say before “it’s such a small world!” when they meet you in the supermarket and find out you both got your alligators from the same alligator breeder.  It’s funny how you can be so connected with someone you have never met.  So people will say it’s a small world.  It’s true.  But at the same time the world is really not small at all!  It is estimated that there are 6.75 billion people on planet earth!  

Often times, the failure to realize such paradoxes in Christianity leads to division, heresy, and even blasphemy.  For example, let us look at two attributes of God: Grace and Justice.  The two balance each other out.  God is a God of justice, so there must be punishment for sins.  However, He is also a God of grace so that He sends His one and only son Jesus to take the penalty for our sins.  Many people in history have taken this to great extremes by stressing one of these truths while ignoring the other.  If God is only a God of grace then He would never punish anyone and everyone would go to heaven.  This is  the heresy of universalism: that all people are saved no matter what.  This was a doctrine that found great momentum in the first five or six century’s of Christianity, which was greatly opposed by a few of our great church Fathers: Augustine and Tertullian.  To swing to the other extreme is to ignore the grace of God and to only stress His justice.  This leads to legalism: thinking that we can justify ourselves by moral acts which impress God and cause Him to therefore make a just decision in sending us to heaven.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

So why do I say all of this?  Such examples scream of the reality that we desperately need God’s word and His Holy Spirit to illuminate these truths to us.  Such heresies were born because people put down there Bibles and started deciding Who they thought God was.  Sound familiar?  This is making God in our image instead of beholding Him for who He is.  It is so easy for us as Christians to take this point and think of all the people we know, whether on TV or next-door neighbors, that do this.  Then we pat ourselves on the back and say, “man am I glad that I am not as lost as that person!”  Sound familiar again?  Click here to read this parable of Jesus before you continue.   It’s almost like Jesus is telling us every time we think we are very godly and spiritual to watch out.  That maybe before we make a sly comment about one of our cultural idolators we should examine our own hearts and ask whether or not we have sought out God for who He is or if we make Him in our own image.

Paul tells us that all Scripture is “God-Breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and that it’s purpose among other things is to help us to form sound doctrine.  All of that is really a fancy way of saying that the Bible tells us who God is.  If we know God is a just and a graceful God from the Scriptures, we can come to a biblical understanding of who He is.  I read a great book called The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer a while back.  One of Tozer’s basic premises of his book is that people cannot truly worship God until they know who He is.  This is so simple, yet so profound.  I feel a tug lately to become more of a student of God’s word.  Not so I can go around church and quote verses, but so that I can find out more clearly who God is.  The more I can see Him, the more I will be complete.  The Bible often uses this picture of someone who is so thirsty and then finally their thirst is quenched when they see God for who He is and enjoy Him (Jeremiah 2:13, John 4:10-14, John 7:37-39).  I don’t know about you, but I can relate to that feeling of thirst where I know there is something deeper and something seems to be missing.  That something is God.  We find God, not by merely guessing or philosophizing, but by exploring His words where He has revealed himself to people.  I want more of this beautiful God Jesus so I will never have to thirst again.  Here are some lyrics from a song I wrote about this.  It is called Maybe it’s You.

There is a River, Her Water brings Life

I’m dry as a desert, just thirsting for more

I’m thirsting for more, I’m thirsting for more

 

I am crying for something

I’m not sure what it is

I just know something’s missing

Maybe it’s You, Maybe it’s You

 

There is a Forrest, you get lost in Her trees

You never want to leave, ‘cuz it feels like Home

I want to go home, I want to go home

 

I am crying for something

I’m not sure what it is

I just know something’s missing

Maybe it’s You, Maybe it’s You

 

Oh Jesus it’s You!

Oh Jesus it’s You!

Oh Jesus it’s You!

Jesus it’s You!

 

www.myspace.com/newwaters

 

The Battle of Needs vs Wants

The Battle of Needs vs Wants

have you ever thought that life could get so horrendous that you would have to go to a local city dump to be able to attain enough food/resources to make it through a single day? as a country we have hit economic struggles. without a doubt our economy has taken a down turn. i don’t want to denigrate or demean what some people are going through right now, but when you get a global picture of what others are must endure it seems that we aren’t doing all that bad. 

the reason why i asked the question could you imagine ever seeing yourself going to a local dump to find enough recourse to get through the day, is because there’s roughly 1,700 people that live in managua nicaragua that call the dump “home” 

they gather by their own laws, rules, and regulations. every so often there is a trash truck filled with grimy trash that is dropped off in the dump. during that moment as many as can flock to the heaping pile of trash like a group of vultures to its dead prey. the point in all of this is to gather the best trash that you can in the least amount of time before someone else takes it.

have things gotten that bad here yet? 

as christians we know from reading scripture that Jesus has said “the poor you will have with you always.” yet have we truly began to live with that type of attitude. or, our we so focused on our wants and not being able to meet them that we have neglected to see the needs of those whose suffering is greater then ours. 

Heaven on earth is unattainable no matter how hard we fight for it. paul encourages the colossians to have a heavenly focus. we ought to have tunnel vision on heaven and Jesus. not that we check out of this life, but are so focused on God and His kingdom that we forget about the new car that just came out or some of the cares our culture elevates. 

secondly, Jesus says it in the most clear way possible. “seek first the kingdom, and everything will be added unto you.” have we become so numb to a verse like this, that we have felt the need to seek first everything we want and have God continue to add onto that? 

once we put our focus upon Jesus the cares of this world will surely fade away. when that happens we will be left with a much more clear and accurate picture of Jesus. i don’t know about you, but that far surpass any type of trial and tribulation that i could deal with here on earth and gives us the blessing to see others that are in need.