Today we wrapped up the Daniel Fast with a great "Ridiculous" evening worship service. There was a lot of joy @indiancreek today. I think the fact that we were denying ourselves things that are natural in order to seek after God created a sense of expectation. There was a good crowd and the worship was sincere and spirited. 

The funniest story I heard was from Jon DeWitt.  I asked him how the Daniel Fast went for him and he said, last night I was dreaming of Fogo De Chao. The waiter kept bring the meat to my table and just I left t my flag up.I cracked up laughing but boy could I identify. 

Rich and Dana Graham told me tonight that they had a real sense of peace this week. They wondered out loud if it was because their metabolism was running slower without protein. That is an interesting thought. I believe God supernaturally blesses those who obey but it makes sense He would do it through a natural way in addition to whatever He does divinely. 

It did cause a stir that we didn't serve donuts in the cafe. There were some disappointed children and we wish we would have spread the word more broadly and started earlier. We will own that mistake. We spread the word in the enews but it never feels good to see a child cry over the fact that we didn't have donuts or bagels. We did serve fruits and veggies. It didn't make sense to us on any level to serve the normal fare when we were asking people to abstain. What I found interesting is that there were a few people who really blasted our cafe crew and let us have it for not providing coffee and donuts. While that was by far the exception rather than the rule I find that attitude of entitlement quite fascinating.  

I am interested to hear the stories of God's provision in people's lives. I'm sure that they will come. The consensus was that this was a very good thing. I'm hoping that this is not an end to ridiculous living but is the start of a new normal. I think some of the breakthroughs and miracles people are seeking will come quickly and some will springboard from this showing up at a later date. When you have yours I want to hear it. Please share it!

Tonight seven of us met to pray for tomorrow when we wrap up the week long Daniel Fast. We prayed for people to increase their desire for God and we prayed for God to grant us freedom from sin, addictions and the past. Before we prayed we talked about our experience fasting this week. It was unanimous, this has been a good thing.  

Personally, it's been a challenge. I'm used to eating on the go and the Daniel Fast takes some real planning. Mike Zimmers said it would almost be easier to do a complete fast. It is nice that you can keep up your schedule. Sometimes when you are doing a no-food fast you have to cut back a lot to conserve your energy. What you have to be careful about with the Daniel Fast is to make sure that you do set aside generous time for Bible study and prayer. Otherwise it is just a different diet. 

I've experienced a lot of peace and joy this week. I don't know if it is because of the Daniel Fast or just a blessing from God but I'll take it. I have a great sense of expectation that many people will experience breakthroughs in the spiritual realm. I can't wait to hear the stories.

The Ridiculous Worship service is Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Olathe Campus. I hope you'll come and participate in extended times of worship, scripture and prayer. I have ridiculous expectations!

Day two was a good day. The oatmeal was good a second day in a row but a salad for lunch and beans for supper needs to change! Anyway, it is not about the food is it?  Here are some of the things people have shared about the fast.

Kristen and Josh Levitt are fasting from TV because they felt it was a bigger sacrifice as they are already on a stringent diet. 

Mike Zimmers said that the prayer time made the Tofu worth it.

Rich Graham wrote me that he swam his personal best on day one of his fast.

Jesi Kendall started her fast nearly a week ago so she could go on vacation tomorrow but still benefit from the fast. 

Larry Endecott agreed with me that he had a headache too. By the way no headache for me today!

One friend shared that he was trying to hide his fast from his wife because she would make fun. Good luck with that one!

Oh, and there was a great debate over whether we should serve donuts and coffee in the cafe @indiancreek this week. The result is that we will serve Daniel Fast friendly veggy and fruit snacks. Gotta love it!

It is fun to see people giving God a chance to speak to them. I've heard stories about people devoting extra time to prayer and Bible study. It is only day two and I had someone tell me they had a significant revelation. Yes, there are the comments about craving coffee but excitement is already building for the Ridiculous Worship event Sunday night. I guess one way to say it is, anticipation that God is at work is building. I can hardly wait!

Here is a scripture that God laid on my heart for this fast. It may be just personal or it could be for all of us. I lean toward the latter but I'll let you decide:  Ezekiel 11:19 - I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people and I will be their God.  

I'm praying and claiming that scripture for us Indian Creek!

I'd love to hear your stories. You can comment here or email me at gary.kendall@indiancreek.org

I took my two and one-half year old grandson, Landon, to see Christmas lights recently. One of the displays had syncopated lights to a TSO tune. Landon was in awe. At the end he said, Its’ a Christmas miracle!” I love his enthusiasm even if there is more to Christmas than he knows!

Today I read the story of how God met a couple in our church, the Indian Creek Community Church, at a time when they were down and nearly out. The way He lovingly and skillfully helped them recover started a flow of tears. Financially they were set and then a job loss and hospital stay took them to the bottom. They depended on food pantries and went hungry at times. Now they are on their feet again and thanking God for a three year journey into humility and need. Is it any wonder they regularly volunteer at our food pantry to help others and tell them about a Savior that is available for all? Talk about a Christmas miracle!

Two months ago I sat with a couple in our prayer room at church while they talked and cried. They openly weighed whether they could continue their marriage after a grievous betrayal. They honestly sought God and humbled themselves in a way that moves me now just thinking about it. Two weeks ago I met with them again and the restoration accomplished in their lives and marriage is a breathtaking journey. They’ve worked hard! They are making progress and still have a healing road ahead. God’s finger prints are all over their lives. I saw them Sunday and they were radiant. Another Christmas miracle!

Yesterday we had our year end conference Healthy Growing Churches conference call with church planters around the nation. I heard multiple stories where the power of God divinely enabled life change. Families in Chicago are able to provide for their children in an empowering way at Christmas because of the Mission church gift mart. A room in NY City was packed with young donors and interested potentials to support the next season of ministry for a two year old church, Skyline Community, started from scratch in the center of the city. A new campus is starting in a theatre in Orange County, CA. In Kansas City a Christmas for the Kids partnership with local grade school is serving over 200 children. Yes Landon, its’ a Christmas miracle!

We are folding CMA into Healthy Growing Churches after a year of working as one to see if the chemistry and mission is true to the heartbeat in both ministries. It is! We are one ministry with more potential than ever. We keep the best of both but we are better together! We will serve more churches and leaders and we will serve better. Its’ a Christmas miracle!

We have a front row seat to the reality that a baby born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago is still changing lives today! Someday I pray my grandson, Landon, will know that the miracle of Christmas goes far beyond a few lights and a great tune. The ripple effect of the way that God uses you, your church and Healthy Growing Churches causes me to exclaim as loud and with as much wonder as my grandson today, It’s a Christmas miracle!

When Belinda and I moved to Olathe to launch Indian Creek, we didn’t expect other pastors and churches to be excited we were coming. But we were surprised at the sniping and cold shoulders we received. A lot has changed since then. I am thrilled with the progress in KC. There is a fresh new wind of not only cooperation but collaboration in the churches of Olathe and Kansas City. In the rest of this note I want to talk about the kind of attitude and activity that is necessary to bring about the body of Christ working together in a mature and coordinated way. You, even as a planter, can be at the center of this kind of movement. In fact, you can have a central role because you are new.

First, think Big “C” not little “c”. God is building His Church; He calls it the Body of Christ, in your city. You and your plant are an important part. You are one part of the larger body. You might be a hand in the Church of your city—and here’s the good news--because of you the Body is better equipped than ever to reach your city. In your position you are going to have multiple opportunities weekly to speak about who you are and what you are doing. You will be tempted to focus only on your plant. And no doubt this is a time to cast a clear mission and vision. Of course you can describe what makes you unique. But at the same time you have a great open door to talk about the Big “C” church. If you quickly speak well of the other churches and talk about how you are just one part of many serving God, you set the stage for building unity in the body. Your voice will be timely and strategic to send the right message. It may even serve as a beneficial correction to others who want to focus on our differences.

Build the kingdom of God not your own kingdom. You will be tempted to play up your distinctions, and I hope you are conscious of the value your plant brings, but even as you invite others in--make it clear you are out to build up the whole Body. You are one part of the whole. The way God sees it there is one Church in your city and one Leader, Jesus Christ. The rest of us are under-shepherds stewarding our congregations and our city under His leadership. It will take all of us to reach our city. Your church could take off and reach thousands and you still couldn’t reach your city by yourself. It is going to take a concerted, collaborative effort to reach our city and it starts with the way we think about who we are.

Learn to measure more than nickels and noses. We aren’t winning in our cities until the rate of those finding their way back to God outpaces the population growth. It is great that you are a new plant but the reality is in most cities more churches are closing than launching. In most cities the divorce rate is equal to the marriages. Homelessness, run-aways and suicides are at epidemic proportions. These things are unlikely to change unless the churches in a city work together. Where you find unity, love, cooperation, corporate prayer, collaborative and intentional efforts among churches and not-for-profits you will see the light push back the darkness. I suggest you keep track of more than just your own statistics. Learn what the needs are in your community and team up with other churches to make a transformational difference. What happens outside your services is every bit as important as what happens inside your ministries. Team up with others in your city and community to serve your schools, to meet real tangible needs and watch God take care of your needs in divine ways.

You can do this if from the beginning you have a missional mindset. Think like a missionary moving into your city. Take stock of the kingdom assets around you and work together to avoid duplication. When you see a gap work with others to meet that need as God leads you. You don’t have to do everything. In fact it might be more strategic and purposeful to find one place you can make a difference and use it like a beachhead of transformation.

Tithe your time to ministry in your city outside your own plant. Get to know the other pastors in your city. Take them out to lunch and buy. Compliment them and learn from them. Promise to speak well of them and cast a vision for One church working together in a coordinated and mature way. Psalm 133 says, Where brothers dwell together in unity God commands a blessing. Pray for the other pastors and churches in your city especially when you are praying with your own team. Invest time in getting to know city officials. Ask the principals of the schools around you how you can serve them. Attend citywide prayer times or concerts of prayer. Join efforts where the churches in your community work together to do serving projects. Make it clear you are there to help the Bride of Christ look more beautiful than ever.

Avoid the pride that can come when you grow and others are not growing. Enjoy the growth and give God credit for it but realize some of what is at work is others are checking you out from other churches. Don’t give in to comparisons and don’t fall for it when people act you are the best thing to ever come to their city and then they tell you about the failings of others. These church consumers will leave you too and often a trail of destruction in their path when they go. Remember the words of Jesus, Beware when all men speak well of you (Luke 6:26). He also refused to take compliments to heart because He knew what was in the hearts of men (John 2:25). Some of the same ones that cheer you now will speak negatively about you later. Strive to grow by winning people to Christ and making new disciples. And if you are blessed with growth be sure you are also looking to equip people, release them and send them out to expand the work of God beyond you. We are called to reproduce and that means new groups, new missional communities, new campuses and new churches.

God will honor your efforts and He may even use you and your plant like leaven in your city. There will be a rise of the healthiness and life of the whole Church because of you. Since you are new, you have a unique opportunity to lead. The eyes of many will be on you. God is looking for leaders who are not just looking out for themselves, but for His greater purposes. You have an opportunity to bless the very nature of God and the Church in your city by the way you lead your plant. Go for it!

Next Sunday we kick off a 40 Day spiritual journey that will lead up to Easter. You can pick one up at Indian Creek Community Church, Gardner or Olathe campus, on Sunday. Here is the first one related to the power of the Spirit unleashed in us as the people of God.

After this prayer, the meeting place was shook, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the Word of God of God with power. Acts 4:31

There is something powerful and divine about doing a 40 Day spiritual growth project with your church that super charges the result. At the end of the next 39 days we will have a common language for what we’ve just experienced. We will read the same scriptures, know the same stories, and make similar commitments. Imagine the multiplied power of doing this together!

We live in a very individualized culture where the good of any one individual is often held higher than the good of the community. However God has chosen to work through the church to change the spiritual landscape of families and communities. The work He wants to do is bigger than any one of us. It calls us out of independence into interdependence. What you decide to do with your time, wealth, talents and life affects me and many others. I need you to be all in.

And you need what I bring to the church. We are members of the same body. Every one of us has a part to play. Imagine if on a given day your leg decided not to work—oh, you don’t have to imagine because you’ve had that problem! It’s a pain isn’t it? I’ve been there too!

Let’s decide that we are going to be a part of the next great move of God that brings heaven to earth.

Celebrate with us the greatest day in history! 

Pass this on to your friends and invite them to come with you to Indian Creek for Easter. We ask the questions, What is your impossible? and What if you didn't have to do it alone? The service is an awesome celebration of the resurrection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZPBxxfTJng&feature=channel

The service times are 9:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the Olathe campus and 10:30 a.m. on the Garder campus.

Impossible is Nothing!

When my Dad died last Saturday night one of the things it meant was that I would not get to share a message that I enjoyed writing. Actually Ben Stears, Steve Southards and I wrote this together. I was looking forward to sharing it. I knew after the events of the week ended like they did that I wouldn't have the emotional strength to share so Steve shared very well on Sunday in my place. I'm glad he did and I'm thankful once again in still another way for the ministry of Indian Creek.

But I do want to share the message so I'm going to offer it I love this church.docx. There is content here that didn't get shared on Sunday because we ran out of time. The interview with James Vogt was super and you may want to watch that on the media podcast. Just go the Web Site, click on media and choose last week's service, part B.

Thanks for the great outpouring of love and support for my family. The Celebration service for my Dad, Paul Kendall, is tonight at 6 p.m. at Indian Creek. Here is another reason why I love the Church with a capital C.

Today the first nurse to come into our room, a new one we had not met said, So this is the party room. Evidently the word got around the Hospice House staff that our room was a bit unusual. I started wondering what made it stand out. Was it the fact that every evening Dad’s room was full of people? He loved people. When we asked him if he wanted hospice at home or at the Hospice House where he could have more people, he didn’t hesitate one second. He wanted the people. Or maybe it was the fact that we had enough food to feed an army due to the generosity of our friends. Perhaps it was because we had more people staying overnight than any other room. But my guess is they named it that because we laughed so much.

If you knew my Dad you knew that he had a twinkle in his eye and a wry smile that clued you in to the fact that mischief was just beneath the surface. He was as talented with one-liners as anyone I’ve ever known. He was a great story teller and he loved to laugh. Three nights in a row as people gathered around his bed we would begin telling stories and end up laughing outrageously for hours. He would smile and open his eyes every so often and we knew he wouldn’t want to spend those evenings any other way. Come to think of it, we probably made way too much noise. But from the way the staff treated us I think they thought it was welcome.

Tonight nurses and aids came by to hug us and tell us how special the time with us had been. The staff at the Hospice House could not have been better. It far exceeded our expectations and they were pretty high at the beginning.

Yes, there was a party today too. This party was the finale. My Dad went to his heavenly reward at 6 p.m. He went peacefully. We didn’t have any meaningful conversation today so I’m glad we partied hardy for the days preceding. This last month was really hard in many ways. What is truly amazing is that joy is the predominant theme. We stood around his bed after the nurses cleaned him up and sang Amazing Grace. We formed a circle and prayed to thank God for his life and to ask God to help us. We enjoyed each other’s company and celebrated that during the whole tense month we didn’t have one cross word between anyone in the family. Yes, it was a party room! But our greatest joy is that we were just the pre-party to the real party happening up in heaven where the angels were dancing and Jesus was welcoming my Dad home!

We didn’t make decisions yet about the memorial service but as soon as we do I’ll post the details. The services will be next week sometime at Indian Creek Community Church.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers donation could be made to the Paul Kendall Memorial Fund at Cornerstone Bank, www.cornerstonebk.com. Thanks for your great support, prayers, gifts, food, cards, tweets, texts, Facebook notes, and personal visits. We feel your love and we love you right back.

If you want to read more details go to www.belindakendall.typepad.com and/or The Caring Bridge/visit/PauleKendall.

Last night we hosted nearly 900 at Indian Creek for Amy Tyler's memorial service. She touched our lives in a dynamic way in her 30 short years. Belinda and I had the privilege of offering the welcome and eulogy. It was a privilege to serve Amy's precious family.

In my message I felt compelled to address the question of "why." Someone asked me if I would post the message so people who wanted to digest it more slowly could do so. Here is the opening part of the question and then I posted a link where you can go to get the rest if you are interested. I've never before heard so many people say, it was "perfect." If that is true it is a tribute to the Holy Spirit giving the right words at the right time to the right audience. Thanks to those praying for us.

I think the question in this situation that no one wants to ask out loud, especially in a church, but is on everyone’s mind—is why?

Why Amy, why cancer, why now?

I don’t have the answer but I think we should push into the tension a bit today and most importantly turn to the One who does have what we need for all of life.

Luke 13

Jesus discussed tragedy and clarified that it is inappropriate to judge why a particular thing happened the way it did. Be very careful about assigning a cause to an effect…

To read the message click hereMem message for Amy Tyler[1].docx

My heart hurts over what is happening in Haiti. I lived through the ’64 earthquake in Anchorage, Alaska, so the pictures in the news have feeling attached from my own experience.

I’ve been praying, but I want to help in a tangible way and I’m guessing you do, too. Haiti has been devastated by the largest earthquake in its history—one of 7.0 magnitude. The capital city of Port-au-Prince is destroyed and the death toll is projected to be in the hundreds of thousands. The challenges of the relief effort will grow by the hour. The time is now to act! And the needs will continue for weeks, months, and years on different levels.

We can assist in the aid effort and let God’s light shine through Indian Creek Community Church. Here are some ways.

1.      100% of personal or corporate contributions to Indian Creek’s Live Out Haiti Relief Fund will be forwarded directly to the relief effort. Give online and designate the funds where it says “Other” and write Haiti Relief in the “comments” section. We will take a special offering this Sunday.

·         We will partner with others such as the Global Distribution Center work in KCK which is Heart to Heart International. As we have news about the volunteer mobilization, we will pass it on. If we hear of opportunities to provide on-the-ground assistance, we will pass them on, but with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army taking on major roles, civilian opportunities to serve may be limited.

·         We will gather supplies for Care Kits containing a specific list of practical hygiene items as soon as an Indian Creek leader steps in to lead it. We have all the instructions to accomplish this as a church! If you want to lead this effort contact Dave Geenens at Dave@inhancedleaderhip.com

2.         We have a partnering relationship with The Church of God in Haiti, The Church of God (Anderson), has a significant presence in the country, with 233 congregations and 32,000 constituents. You can make an immediate donation to the Disaster Relief Fund by clicking here.

3.         We are friends with Troy and Janet McMahon who lead Restore Community Church in Kansas City, MO. They partner with C3 Missions- the Global Orphan Project, http://theglobalorphanproject.org/, to build orphanages and clinics for children living in extreme poverty.

I knew you would want to help. Thanks for being the hands and feet of Christ.

P.S. Here is a personal message from Ben Stears, Gardner Campus Pastor:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLtne6jiGhs

I want to see us give God our first and our best in 2010. I believe this is the year where we connect the fruitful mission of our past to an even more fruitful future. It is the year of our 25^th Anniversary at Indian Creek and I can’t wait to see what great things God will do through us in the Next 25 yrs!

I’ve prayed about how to start this year with a Godward focus and I’ve talked with our Prayer Ministry leaders and Leadership Team.  I’ve come to believe that starting the year with 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting is God's plan. I am convicted that dedicating ourselves to Him and dedicating this year of ministry to His plan and purposes at the beginning is vital. I think God is delighted we would seek His face in this manner. He stands ready to hear and answer our prayers. And I'm sure He has plenty to say to us too.

I will invite the whole congregation to participate in Prayer and Fasting on both campuses this coming Sunday, January 10. To make the organizing part Prayer simple I will recruit 21 captains who will recruit 24 people to pray for an hour on their day. I ask every captain to do their best to fill all 24 hours on the day they choose. For example, I will take the first day, Monday January 11. I will recruit people to pray that day from Midnight to Midnight in one hour shifts. Anyone ready to sign up now either as a Captain to fill a day or a pray-er to cover an hour in the next 21 days?

The hours do not have to be offered at the Olathe campus Prayer Room. They can be offered anywhere. And it is okay to have multiple people praying on the same hour (and it might happen that there are some gaps). Sign-up boards will be available on each campus so the congregation can participate. You can sign up here in the Comment section and I will transfer your name to the board.

There will be a Prayer Focus for each day centered around scripture. People can pray on multiple days and there might even be some Captains that lead on multiple days. We are doing it this way this time to simplify the organizing part and allow us to focus our time and energy on prayer.

For the Fasting part I’m encouraging you to ask God how He would like you to fast. He will guide you. If you don’t feel led a particular way I invite you to join me and Belinda in a Daniel Fast where you fast from meat, fine foods, alcohol and locations (read Daniel 10:2) and use these days to humble yourself before God in repentance and dedication to Him.

This is a great way for a Community Group to start the year together. Pick a day and work together to cover that whole day.

I believe God has great things for us. Daniel said this in Daniel 11:32, the people who know their God will be strong, and they will resist him. (the enemy). God wants to strength us in our spirits and fuel a move of His Spirit among us. It will result in greater obedience to Him, blessing, freedom from the enemy and ultimately it will HONOR God which is our primary motive.

Let me hear from you. Tell me what day you will captain or what hour you will pray. I’m also curious how God will lead you in your fasting. Let’s start the year off right!

One of the books I'm reading over the holidays is, Primal, by Mark Batterson. This will be the fourth book by Mark that I've read and I love every one. I'm using one of his stories in the Christmas Eve message tonight at 5 and 9 p.m. at Indian Creek, Olathe. It is the story of a heart surgeon, Dr. Frist.

A man who knows firsthand about heart transplants is Dr. Frist. He is a Senator but he is also a doctor. He performed more than 150 heart transplants as a thoracic surgeon. He talks in reverent tones about the moment when a heart has been grafted into a new body.  All the surgical team can do is wait in hopes that it will begin to beat. When he talks about this, he stops speaking in medical terms and starts speaking in spiritual terms. He almost seems at a loss for words when he describes that miraculous moment when a heart beats in a new body for the first time. He called it a mystery.

Heart transplants are a marvel of modern medicine, but it goes way beyond what medicine can explain or understand. The heart is more than a physical pump. It doesn’t just circulate five thousand quarts of blood through sixty thousand miles of blood vessels day in and day out. The heart has a mind of its own. Studies suggest that the heart secretes its own brain-like hormones and has cellular memory. So a heart transplant isn’t just physical; it’s metaphysical. Heart transplant recipients don’t just receive a new organ; they receive cellular memories. Along with that new heart, they receive whole new sensory responses, cravings, and habits.

If you or I had a chance to talk with them we would hear them speak in reverent tones about the second chance at life they had been given. They humbly acknowledge their responsibility to honor the donor. And they would talk about their new desires that accompany their new hearts.

In a very similar way, when you give your heart to Christ, Christ gives His heart to you. And you become a part of the tribe of the transplanted. That new heart gives you a new appreciation for life. You humbly acknowledge your responsibility to honor the donor. And the cellular memories that come with that transplanted heart give you whole sensory responses, cravings, and habits. You literally feel different. Why? Because you feel what Christ feels.

And chief among those sanctified emotions is compassion. Your heart begins to break for the things that break the heart of God. You become motivated by the things that motive Jesus.

Jesus implants His DNA within us.  It is still our choice. But, as we embrace this new DNA, we become more and more like Jesus. As you do that, His power begins to flow through you to give you the strength, peace, or the power to do what you did not have the ability to do before.

It’s amazing. At unexpected times, as we follow Christ, His thoughts will drop into your mind at just the right time. You’ll have new strength and new resolve.  If you haven’t experienced this before, you don’t know what you are missing. This is the gift available to you tonight.

I hope you will come tonight and bring a friend. I also encourage you to trust God to give you a new heart if you ask. I'm believing God with you.

One service can change everything! This year I heard a story that I will always remember when it comes to Christmas Eve. A young lady came to Indian Creek for the first time on Christmas Eve. She'd been away from God and away from any church for some time. When she attended on Christmas Eve she knew she was "home." She rededicated her life and she came often for months. During the year she learned she had cancer. It was a fast growing kind of cancer and she didn't live very long. However, when she left for eternity she left with a peace about her relationship with God and with peace about her past. I'm so glad she she on Christmas Eve. I don't know where she would have been without what happened at that service.

People are more open to an invitation at Christmas than at other times in the year. Will you invite your friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers? You aren't just inviting them to your church you are inviting them to experience the truth of Christmas which is "God is with us."  It could impact their life for eternity. Tomorrow you will receive an invitation email. Please forward it on to your email string of friends and family. Offer to meet them at the Creek at either the Gardner or Olathe campus, whichever one you attend.

This is one of the ways we can continue the mission of Christ at Christmas!

Gary Kendall

The culture of generosity continues to grow at Indian Creek Community Church. Margaret Outler who heads up our Angel Tree adoption told me that we adopted 642 angels at the Olathe Campus. And Ben Stears added that we adopted nearly 70 at the Gardner Campus. At a minimum of $25 investment each that means that over $17,500 is being contributed toward blessing others at Christmas. I love it that when we think of celebrating what Jesus did for us at Christmas we think of passing the blessing on. God so loved that He gave and we've caught His giving spirit. Way to go Indian Creek!

Gary Kendall

Rebecca's passion for Jesus inspires me. Rebecca Everett shared her story with Indian Creek Olathe on Sunday. In case you attend the Gardner campus or you were out of town, I'll pass it on.

I’ve been a lukewarm Christian the majority of my life, and for the majority of my life, I’ve been missing out.  God walked with me, but I did most of the leading.  I knew I was made to worship Him and love Him, but because there were too many other tangible things that stole my time and my love, God never became my ultimate priority.

Thankfully, He loved me too much to leave me that way though, and in order to finally get it, He brought me to the desert where I fought to empty me of me and fill me with all of Him.  And when I finally surrendered it all, God became alive in me. He shouted and broke through my deafness!  He shattered my darkness and washed away my blindness!  I’m breathing and living because of Him! 

For so long I’ve been foolish to think I know better than God…that my ways, my dreams, my plans are better for me than His are. But God is holy, eternal, all-knowing, and all-powerful!  The sun doesn’t rise without getting His permission first.  He is the giver and take of life and everything in it.  And because of all He is, I can’t help myself from falling madly in the love with Him.  Most of us would probably say we love our children so much we would die for them if we had to.  But God did so much more than that.  He took the place of the convicted on death row.  He loves us that much.  And a lot of us might say that we already know that.  I thought I did.  But do we really?  Are we so in love with Him that we would give up anything and everything for Him? 

I have some very deep desires in my heart.  Desires I have tried in my own power to control and desires I thought I could never live without.  God knows them and He hears them as I pray every day believing God’s promises for me are true.  But if I never get married.  If my friend loses his fight with cancer before we’re ready to send him to heaven.  If I’m never able to have more children.  God’s love will be enough.  He will always be more than enough to satisfy me.   

Every decision I make is led by God because I know that apart from Him I am nothing and I never want to find myself living outside of His will.  Nothing I have or desire in this life will ever compare to what God has in store for me in eternity.  That doesn’t mean I don’t have bad days.  I still have painful tear-filled days where life is just plain hard and I feel alone but I daily choose joy because I’m confident that God is who he says he is, and God can do what he says he can do.  As much as I want the best for my daughter and would give her the world if I could because I love her, God loves me so much more than that.  I am loved unconditionally by the creator of the universe and my life will never be the same!

Thanks Rebecca for your transparency. I love what God is doing in you and through you.

Gary Kendall

Last week I shared how Indian Creek Olathe rallied around Mark and Shana through the Reverse Offering.  Sunday Shana found the courage to share their story, with great gratitude, with the community.  Here is what happened after that. Way to go Indian Creek! You inspire me. Praise God for revealing Himself through His people.

I just wanted to thank you for giving Mark and I the opportunity to share our story. I was really timid about it at first, mostly because I felt like I was "airing our dirty laundry" but God promised me that He would use our story to help others. After talking to so many yesterday, I can certainly tell He kept his promise!

For us, it was even more encouraging as God nudged a couple of other people into helping out. Two couples we know were moved to each give us  $500. They said they knew it was from God when they looked at each other and realized they were both writing a check for the same amount. Another young lady whom I don't know, but her name was Julia, handed me $100 in cash and said that her husband and her had a good year this year, and they felt they needed to do this. I could tell she was moved by their generosity because she was tearing up after I started crying. Both of these happened after the first service. Another young lady, with her infant son in her arms, offered us her extra baby swing, high chair, and other baby equipment. Though we don't need them, it was awesome to see her love for us and willingness to give.  Two gentlement offered assistance to Mark, Tim Love and Doug Courtney, and their words of encouragement and tips helped him to finish the job tonight!

With the checks, we were able to put together our November mortgage payment and pay it today.

But that's not all -- during the second service, I felt prompted by God to return 10% of what we had received to Him. (I think a little bit of your teaching moment had something to do with that. :) ) Immediately the cash went into the offering basket. I hadn't been able to make a contribution this week, and it felt really good to be able to do that. Part of me feels guilty that I gave away some of the money that was given to us out of God's love and provision, but it just felt right!

And then, today, I was at the grocery store and a little old lady was in line in front of me and was short $5 to pay for her bill. As she started deciding what to take out of her Thanksgiving meal preparations, I handed the $5 to the clerk. Yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to do that. But today, I had enough breathing room to be able to pay it forward, and as always, it felt good to be able to help someone else out. I haven't been able to do much of that lately.

Again, thank you. I was truly blessed beyond anything I can express.

We won't be in church Sunday as we'll be heading back from family in Dallas. Please pray for safe travels for us! I'm still a little nervous about whether everything is TRULY fixed, but am leaning on Phillipians 4:6 and Luke 12:22 heavily today. I've always been a worrywart and since I became a Christian 12 years ago, this has been my biggest battle!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes it is!

Gary Kendall