Friday, July 31, 2009

Younger Unchurched Perspective on the Church


There is a quote that is being attributed to the younger unchurched which says this: "we like Jesus, but we don't like the church."

That statement, of course, raises a good number of questions. But it is good for us to listen to why many young people are saying this. How is it possible for us to reach the younger unchurched if we don't understand their concerns. One of the big issues that is raised over and over again is that there are hypocrites in the church. This doesn't mean that the unchurched are looking for perfect people, but they are looking for people who are genuine -- who are authentic. The hypocrisy charge comes in when we give the impression that we have it all figured out instead of saying "I am still a work in progress." It is acknowledging that we still have faults and failures but Christ is in the process of transforming us and we aren't what we used to be. We are working on the problem areas of our lives under the power of the Holy Spirit.

According to a study done by Ed Stetzer, two-thirds of the younger unchurched say that the church is full of hypocrites. On the othere hand, 61 percent of the younger unchurched say they would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked them to. There is a willingness to learn about Biblical truth. You can read more or listen to a radio broadcast here.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Mr. & Mrs. Joshua Hoy

We pray for God's best for Josh and Angie as they begin their new life together and desire to build a Christian home. They were married on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Offroading with Pastor Mike in Jackson KY



Pastor Mike gave me a "tour" of some of the "hills and hollers" around The Happy Church in Jackson, KY. Some interesting notes at approximately 3:30 into the video there is a cemetery that is located among the tress on a mountain top. The reason for the cemetery being up there is that the ground was worthless for anything else such as growing crops because of high clay content. So they use it as a cemetery. At 4:15 we are in a Creek Bed. And at approximately 6:00 Mike notes that we have lost our brakes. A turn too sharp and the passenger front tire caught the brake line and ripped it off. Mike said that he needs to adjust the turn stops on the front for the tires. Mike's vehicle is a jeep with 32 inch tires and 3 inch lift kit. Mike also has some tidbits of information which you will hear. We had picked up a boy, Kenny Lee who rode with us.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Missions KY2009 - Work Station

This is where I spent a good bit of the time on our Missions KY2009 trip cutting laminate flooring. You can see I had a trusty guard dog, Shadow to protect the area.

Robin & Angelo Shusko - New Members

We welcome Robin & Angelo Shusko into "official" membership here at Valley Grace on Sunday, 7/19/2009. Please pray for a safe delivery for the baby that Robin is carrying. She is due in about 4 weeks. Robin and Angelo would also appreciate your prayers for them for God's wisdom and grace as they prepare to enter the fascinating world of parenting!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Please Pray for Those at Youth Conference

This is a picture of the crew from our church which left on Monday for Youth Conference. Please be in prayer for life changing decisions for Christ. If you would like to follow the Youth Conference schedule, you can go here.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Mike Waugh's Testimony given on Sunday 07/12/2009

Mike Waugh Testimony from Pritchett4 on Vimeo.



The above video testimony was shared on July 12, 2009.

Reflections on Sunday - 7/12/2009


  • Praise Team did a great job in leading us to focus on worship.
  • Praise Team also introduced us to "None but Jesus" which we will sing this coming week with instruments.
  • Emilee Draper presented her medical missions trip to India this fall. Please be in prayer for her and the team. Her need is approximately $3,000. We have about $1,500 raised toward that already. If you would like to help support financially, mark your gift "India". Also she hopes to take hand santizer soaps, you can donate these as well.
  • Message: The Power for a Transformed Life - question: do we really know Jesus, or just name His name? From Acts 19:8-20 (will be uploaded this week, Lord willing)
  • Video Testimony of Mike Waugh was well received. Mike was welcomed into the official membership of Valley Grace (plan to make that available for viewing also). Please pray for Mike's upcoming surgery on Aug 17. It will be a bit tricky.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Reflections on the Passing of Life

I believe all of us have been reminded of the fact that earthly life can quickly be over. We have heard of the passing of celebrities and undoubtedly we are aware of others who haven't received the media attention, yet each life is precious. We have been informed that 31 million people watched Michael Jackson's memorial service. I heard about the death of a 17 year old, Gabe Brewer, who died in a car accident a week or so ago. His father preached his funeral message to a few hundred people, and concluded with a call to commitment to Christ through the song, "Give Me Jesus." Ed Stetzer has written a thought provoking blog on "A Tale of Two Funerals (you can read it and see a short video here). As Ed pointed out, one funeral looked back to the past, while the other also included a look to the One who gave His life and rose victorious over the grave. "Gabe didn't have a golden casket, but he is walking on streets of gold," writes Stetzer. I encourage you to read Ed's complete post and watch the video. It really helps to put life in perspective!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Missions KY2009 - Personal Care Items

Thanks for helping to provided personal care items to be taken on our Missions trip leaving on July 19. These items include toothbrushes, hair brushes, flip flops, shampoo, etc. We are still accepting items if you have something you would like to provide for the trip to the Happy Church in Jackson, KY.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Modesty: Nothing to Be Ashamed Of!


When you think of the word "modesty" what reaction comes to your mind? For many individuals they think in terms of Victorian style of clothing or something like bonnets and burqas. The topic may seem as archaic as 8-track tapes, or even LPs. So, as followers of Christ is modesty a consideration for today, and if so, where do we derive our principles of modesty?

We read that after Adam and Eve had sinned, God clothed them (Genesis 3:21). It is also important to remember that God has made us male and female and that there is to be a difference reflected in how we present ourselves. (No, I don't believe that means that females can't wear pants.) Paul writes "I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly..." (1 Timothy 2:9). So how do we help our children learn to do that? Michael Hyatt, who raised 5 daughters had the following “Four Guidelines for Modesty”:
  1. If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest.
  2. If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest.
  3. If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest.
  4. If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest.
As Dad's of daughters, it is important for us as men, to help our young ladies learn how to present themselves. This is contradictory to the world culture which says "if you've got it, flaunt it!" I recently was forwarded a link from a Christian Dad (no one you know!) who had proudly video taped his daughter singing up on an elevated stage. One of the first thing that went through my mind as a Dad who has daughters, was that her dress was too short (no, that is not a mind in the gutter - it is the protection of a Dad)! There are things that may be cute at 3 and 4 years of age, that are no longer appropriate as our daughters mature. This was a point of discussion on a few occasions in our home where, innocently, our daughters were not aware of the implications! (If you want to read the rest of Michael Hyatt's post, you can go here)

By the way, ladies, it is your responsibility to also model modesty to the young ladies around you, whether they are your daughters or someone else's. Mary Mohler writes, "if you arrive at church dressed in such a way that by the end of the service the people around you, by no fault of their own, now know the color of your underwear as they have watched you do a shimmy dance as you try to get your too-short, too-tight skirt to go under you, there is a big problem." She goes on to say, "and don't blame the men around you that they need to get their minds out of the gutter."

I have heard Christian parents concerned about the pressures that their sons are facing. Their sons desire to walk with God in purity, but are bombarded with immodesty and aggressive behavior from the young women around them.

So what do we do?

1. Lead By Example -- demonstrating modesty.
2. Teach your young ladies why modesty is important from God's perspective. Use Mary Mohler's article as a good place to start -- perhaps some dinner conversation or family devotions. (Thanks to Girls of Grace which also covers this topic)
3. Shop Differently. It may mean bypassing the juniors' department or Abercrombie, Mary Mohler goes on to write. "Unlike the discount stores whose marketing says, 'there are no rules,' there are absolutes! You can download Mary Mohler's article entitled "Modeling Modesty" here. It would provide a good point of discussion for parents with their children -- both male & female. We often hear the statement, "pick your battles." Mary Mohler gives some good reasons why this is not an area to forgo taking a stand.

You can add your thoughts below in the comments section.