“I Am Second”
What an intriguing statement! Doesn’t it just beg a question? Second to whom? And that is the point! I Am Second is a national movement proposing that we raise curiosity in the minds of friends by wearing the question on a hat, wrist band, coat or shirt. Please not a bumper sticker!
Hopefully the statement will provoke a question. And when it does here is another twist, you don’t give the answer! You point them toward a Website: http://www.iamsecond.com/.
On the Website they will find stories from names they recognize. There are testimonials from virtually every walk of life, athletes, entertainers, authors, media, business, social sector, etc. In 3-5 minute chunks of time your friend can hear the story of God’s work in the lives of these people. They can click through various pages on the site and find everything from how to receive Christ to how to find a small group. It is non-threatening and people can stay only as long as they feel compelled to visit. This takes the pushy nature of some evangelistic efforts out of the picture.
Your role is to check back with them later to see if they heard something they want to discuss further. Then with the relationship you already have you lead them into next steps. It could be introducing them to Christ. You may want to pop open your laptop and watch some with them and talk about what you hear. You may want to invite them to a group you are leading. But in any case you’ll likely already know you have an interested friend.
I Am Second puts the ball on the tee for you to share your story of God’s love in your life. With Easter coming this is a great tool to put in the hands of the people you lead. If we want people to be inviters we need to give them tools and I don’t know of a better one out there right now than I Am Second.

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!

Kudos and thanks to the many servant leaders who lived out the love of Jesus in a BIG way todayand yesterday at Indian Creek in Olathe and Gardner.

In Olathe it was the largest Spring Fest ever, 1400, and the best one. Way to go kidzAlive!, Journey and Live Out teams for leading the way! The extra effort to get the flyers out to so many schools and ministries really paid off. The planning and organization was solid and I especially liked the way we put people first.

In Gardner there were over 200 present for Spring Fest and the excitement was high. Gardner got to have their egg hunt outside because they did their hunt after the morning service today. The 3,000 door hangers they passed out yesterday created a lot of interest not only in the Egg Hunt but also in the worship service.

Ministry really is a tag team effort. Many of you invited friends. Once you got them here the volunteers were ready. The send off with a Palm branch and an invitation to Sunday services gives the Sunday teams like First Impressions, worship, Café, Speaking and Prayer teams a chance to let God work through them.

We do what we do so people will find their way back to God. What happened today opens the door for what happens next. Pray with me that we allow the Holy Spirit to use us to transform lives until all KC knows. Give God a chance to work in you!

Keep praying, keep inviting, Easter’s coming!

P.S. I even had a chance to hold my grandson Landon and to see Jeremy and Jesi. That is always a highlight to any day!

We got back from our Christmas vacation just after the New Year. My Dad went to the hospital while we were gone. By the time we returned the doctors were telling us to call the family together because his kidneys were in failure. So our Christmas decorations are still up. We’ve dedicated most of our time to being with my Dad at the hospital and now the Hospice Home. When we do go home it is only to pick up things and restock.

Every time I go in I see a darkened Christmas tree, bows, greenery, a nativity, and gifts that are unwrapped beneath the tree. The first few times I thought, we have to get that put up. As days turned into weeks I began to think, what makes this whole thing bearable is what happened at Christmas.  Now it’s become a symbol of why we have hope beyond the grave. I know that sounds more like an Easter thought but Christmas and Easter are forever joined as one.

Speaking of resurrections my Dad is amazing. He had a very bad night where the nurse told us he had “terminal breathing.” He isn’t eating or taking much fluid and he isn’t communicating. So I left the Hospice Home this morning to grab a few things from home, saw the Christmas tree again, and came back thinking we might be the home stretch. When I got back his eyes were open, he listening to my brother talk with his big blue eyes open. He even smiled. I won’t say he is like a cat because I don’t like cats but he has more than nine lives!

One thing that happens as we wait is that the grief is elongated.  We are dealing with the stages of grief now not simply at the time of Dad’s passing. In some ways that is good and helpful. In another way, the not-knowing is hard. When Dad is fighting for a breath in the middle of the night I find myself trying to breathe for him until I realize what I’m doing. It gives us time to say our “goodbyes” which we’ve done and that is good. But since Dad has Alzheimer’s it is sad that once we talk through something it doesn’t mean that it sticks. We might have the same conversation an hour later only we have to start all over about why we are here and what is happening.

Thanks for your prayers. I’ve never been very good at waiting. And Belinda would say I’m not a patient servant. I’m very active and I gravitate toward doing. Sitting, waiting and watching for some way to serve isn’t in my nature but I’m learning. Right now I think that is the best way I can love my Dad and serve my family. In so doing I think I am also honoring my heavenly Father. Thanks for your prayers.