VBPH Update from Pastor Adam (November 14, 2020)
Greetings from quarantine-land!
It has been two and a half weeks since the Dragoon family retreated from public contact due to a positive COVID test. Thankfully, we only had mild symptoms for a few days and nothing since then. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we get through this strange time.
I wanted to reach out with an update in light of the announcements made by our Governor yesterday. The updates published by the state will not affect our services.
“We will continue having in-person services with the current restrictions already in place. Nothing changes.”
For details on the instructions received regarding religious services, please see the statement below, directly from Governor Northam's amended executive order:
“Individuals may attend religious services of more than 25 people subject to the following requirements:
Individuals attending religious services must be at least six feet apart when seated and must practice proper physical distancing at all times. Family members, as defined below, may be seated together.
Mark seating and common areas where attendees may congregate in six-foot increments to maintain physical distancing between persons who are not family members.
Any items used to distribute food or beverages must be disposable, used only once and discarded.
Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently-contacted surfaces must be conducted prior to and following any religious service.
Post signage at the entrance that states that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19 is permitted to participate in the religious service.
Post signage to provide public health reminders regarding physical distancing, gatherings, options for high-risk individuals, and staying home if sick.
Individuals attending religious services must wear cloth face coverings in accordance with Amended Executive Order 63, Order of Public Health Emergency Five.
The second big update I have for you is the announcement of our upcoming revival services with Evangelist Tony Chase. Every time Pastor Chase comes, he brings a dynamic spirit of conviction, repentance, and encouragement. I want to ask you now to pray and fast in preparation for what God will do in these upcoming services.
We can't wait to join you in-person once again. Until that time, we pray for your physical and spiritual well being. Many blessings!
Spooky COVID-19 Update from VBPH (Oct 30, 2020)
Hello, from Pastor Adam and the Dragoon family coming to you from quarantine land. Unfortunately, we received a positive COVID for our youngest daughter this week, forcing us into sequestration for the next couple of weeks. The good news is that we only have a few mild symptoms in the house for now (scratchy throats and runny noses).
“We would genuinely appreciate your prayers as we work through this time.”
We have been considering how to handle in-person church services for the next few weeks since we also have a few other families in quarantine at present. At this time, we believe it is crucial to keep our doors open for those who want to join us for in-person services. Additionally, we think it is essential to keep our congregation safe from any further viral spread. So, regarding our upcoming weekend services, we want to leave the ultimate decision in your hands, with a few guidelines for you to follow. In-Person Services WILL continue to occur in our building with a live sermon piped in from the Dragoon chateau. We will temporarily tighten our entry requirements to minimize COVID contractions:
Everyone must agree to wear a facial covering at all times while in the building.
Please do not attend if you have had any trace of illness within the last 48 hours, including sore throat, elevated temperature, cough, runny nose, or other common cold symptoms.
Please do not attend if you have been in close pro-longed contact with anyone who has had common cold symptoms within the last 48 hours.
No eating or drinking in the building, except for bottled water.
Please keep physical contact to a minimum.
The maximum body temperature accepted at the front door will be 99.5°.
Thankfully, we have a few of our core families that plan to be there to support our in-person services this weekend, including the Smales, Soests, and Zapatas. They will be ensuring that the doors are open to our church family and our community. We realize that there will probably be a lower attendance than usual, so prepare your heart for a more intimate setting.
We will continue to stream our services to our online platforms for those currently under quarantine or unable to meet the guidelines above. Please join us at our Online Church Platform, on Facebook Live, or YouTube.
Here's a list of upcoming events for this weekend:
New Members / New Converts Class on ZOOM, starting at 7:30 PM tonight. Use this link to join.
Saturday Outreach & Cleanup tomorrow morning prayer at 10:30 AM, going out at 11:00 AM.
Saturday night outreach to trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood: Answer your door and share the Good News! Our outreach team will be delivering flyers to you, so you'll be ready.
Sunday services at 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM, with prayer meetings one hour before.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support during this time. Our God is still deserving of continuous praise and service. Make sure to get out and vote!
Pastor Adam Dragoon
Sharing An Important Opportunity to Give
I hope this Labor Day finds you blessed. I wanted to take the opportunity to share this very worthy cause with you today.
When Taya and I became missionaries to Bulgaria in 2005, the first thing we did was to attend a winter Bible conference in Brasov, Romania. One of the first smiling faces we met there was Ionutz (Pronounced Yo-NOOTS, this is the Romanian transliteration of the name John). He was a vibrant young disciple from Bucharest, married to Monica Sandru. They were an amazing couple that we instantly connected with, and would later become pioneer pastors in Bucharest.
This couple profoundly impacted our lives and we count them as dear friends to this day. In 2008, we invited Pastor Ionutz to preach in our church in Bulgaria and he brought his young family with him, only about a two-hour drive from Bucharest. The weekend revival was helpful to us, Pastor Ionut preached with It was on the late car ride home from that revival in which Ionut, Monica, and three-year-old Eric were involved in a tragic car accident. Ionut was badly injured and had bleeding in his brain that caused severe damage. Thankfully, he survived the trauma but was in a coma for nearly a whole year. When he finally did come out, he did recover his awareness of his surroundings and his memories but wasn't able to walk or talk the same as before. Monica had to step up and become a full-time caregiver, as well as working to support the family. For twelve years now, they have learned to adjust their lives to this new reality. This family is a precious gift to the Kingdom of God and an example of unshakable faith in the midst of tragedy.
The last time we met them during an impact team in 2012, we saw the same warm, generous smiles that greeted us years before. We love them more than words can express. Now, twelve years later, we decided to host this fundraiser because this couple needs to purchase a wheelchair van to transport them outside of their home. You cannot imagine the difficulty they have getting him in and out of their current vehicle. I would deeply appreciate it if you would consider donating towards this goal and help us reach the expected cost of $20,000. We have already received $886 in the last few days from generous people like you. We hope you can pitch in as well. Even a $10 or $20 donation would help them immensely. Thank you!
When you click the button below, you will see our fundraiser page on our church’s website, vbph.org.
If you can’t give at this time, please help us by forwarding this message to people who may be able to help or sharing on your social media. Thank you so much for your consideration!
Back Together!
Potter's House People,
Great news: We are ready to host service in our new building tomorrow morning! As phase one of reopening takes place, we have a few guidelines for you to follow as we gather together once again:
Stay home if you are sick. The services will continue to be on livestream if you'd like to participate from home.
Please be patient at the front door as we take a moment to check temperatures of everyone coming in.
Please help us maintain six feet of social distance to prevent any spread.
Face masks and vinyl gloves will be provided to all that would like to wear them.
Make sure coughs and sneezes are covered by the inside of your elbow.
Wash your hands well and make sure you practice good hygienic habits.
With all these practices in place, we expect to have a wonderful time together in worship. Can't wait to see you there!
It's Finally Happening! – VBPH Updates
Good Afternoon, Potter's House People!
We hope you are all doing well during this time. Pastor Adam here, back again to give you some updates and valuable information. First of all, we signed the lease to get into our building! We are so excited to finally be able to move across the street into our new accommodations. So, there are a couple of things for you to be aware of:
The first day that we prayed for the building, March 2019.
We need your help moving!
We were hoping to get the keys today, but that didn't work out. Our new plan is to start the move Thursday night, continue on Friday afternoon and evening, then finish next Saturday. We could use all the help we can muster on those three days. Please reply to this message with the day(s) that you'll be able to join us.
We need your help giving!
The church has an immediate financial strain since we had to pay our last month's rent to the old building and the security deposit for the new building. That means two rent payments in one week! Ouch. We are asking everyone to do what you can to support us during this expensive week as we transition.
We need your help remodeling!
In the next few weeks, we will transform this ordinary building into an inspiring sanctuary. We will need those of you who are design-oriented to help us make the right decisions to beautify our worship center.
Turning to upcoming events, I have some important updates for you:
Volunteer Opportunities
A "Ministry Huddle" will now precede every live stream service that we do. If you are involved in any level of church ministry, we are asking you to jump into these Zoom meetings 30 minutes before every service. I'll be sharing a five-point strategy to maximize our live stream ministry. Don't miss them!
Livestream concert tonight at 7 PM!
I'm excited to share some new songs with you starting this evening, but I want to be clear, this concert is not about me or any musical ability. It is about reaching the lost with the Gospel that we know powerfully transforms the human heart.
Join the Ministry Huddle starting at 6:30 to be prepared for this outreach event!
Drive-In Church Tomorrow
Our fifth drive-in service is going on tomorrow at 11 AM, rain or shine. At this moment, it looks like we will have some early thunderstorms, but they should clear up by the time service begins.
We need all church members to be in the parking lot no later than 10:30 for a drive-in ministry huddle ahead of the 11 AM service.
Make sure to invite someone today!
Evening Service Livestream
We are very thankful to have a guest speaker for our live stream tomorrow night. Pastor Jamar Blyther will be sharing a powerful message with us starting at 6:30 PM.
Join us again at 6:00 PM for a Zoom prayer meeting/ministry huddle. We will send out links ahead of time to make it easy for you to connect.
Thank you for all of your support during this time. You are part of something truly magnificent.
Church Innovation During Quarantine
We have three things to tell you about as we anticipate the upcoming schedule of services:
Greetings, Potter's House people! Pastor Adam back again with another update for you.
We have been delighted with how our online services have been going. We have had fantastic responses to every service that we have posted. Our videos have been seen hundreds of times in the short time that they've been available in unbelievable numbers of countries and cities around the globe. These reports are encouraging to us, but we also recognize our need to experience interaction and relationships within the church. That's why we're pushing the envelope again.
In tonight's Mid-Week Recharge message, I'll issue a critical reminder that "The Church IS Essential." We still have a couple of open spots for in-person attendance. Please add your name here if you'd like to join us. For those who are unable to join us in person, please make sure to open your online church experience starting at 6:30 PM for prayer and then at 7:30 PM for the start of our service. Here's the link to use:
Looking Forward to This Weekend
We have three things to tell you about as we anticipate the upcoming schedule of services:
Friday Night Bible Studies – I was thrilled with the participation in our last meeting, and I'm looking forward to continuing our study together this Friday at 7 PM. Use this link to join our online Zoom meeting.
Saturday Night ALIVE Virtual Concert/Outreach – Our outreach video last Saturday was by far, the most viewed event we've ever done online. Simple testimonies and a simple Gospel presentation still have incredible power in a world that is desperate for hope. We'll add some live music into the mix on Saturday. We do need your participation, though: Would help us by recording a video of yourself into your selfie cam explaining how the Lord saved you? We want to play these testimonies during our concert live stream. Please send videos however you can to my email: pastor@vbph.org. Then like and share our event on Facebook to get the word out.
Sunday Drive-In Church Service – I am very excited about this idea. What a fantastic way to get out of the house and go to church without risking community spread of infection! As soon as I saw this idea, I thought, "this is the way to do church in germophobic times"! This Sunday morning, we are asking all of you to venture out of your homes and join us in the church parking lot for a Drive-In service. We'll throw open the shades and allow everybody to peek in through the window as we minister the Word of God. We have purchased an FM transmitter so you can tune in to our church audio on your car stereo. If the weather cooperates, then we'll set up a mobile stage right out on the sidewalk so all can see and hear from within their vehicles. We have limited space in our parking lot, so we are limiting this event to 50 cars. Save your place on our Facebook event page.
We thank you for your continued support as we do all that we can during this time.
Preparing for Tomorrow
Happy Saturday!
I would firstly like to thank everyone who participated with us in our virtual outreach earlier today. At the time of writing, the short video has received unprecedented attention online. We've never had an online video seen by so many in such a short amount of time. We included a full Gospel presentation at the end, so if you know a stubborn soul that needs Jesus, maybe this is the time that they need to hear this. Would you forward it to them? Tap on the image to watch the full video on our Facebook Page:
Amazing response to our virtual outreach service!
Looking towards tomorrow…
We are preparing for a full day of online ministry. I urge you to be fully engaged tomorrow with our services. Even though we may not all be meeting together at the church building, we are still the church!
““Let us hold fast the confession of [our] hope without wavering, for He who promised [is] faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.””
Our services are limited to a maximum of ten people in attendance. We are asking you to reserve your spots ahead of time using this sign up form. There are still a few spots available for tomorrow, but please take a look and reserve your spots for future services. We would love to see you there!
For the majority of you who will be participating online, the best place to keep your eyes tomorrow is our new online church platform at:
vbph.online.church
Alternately, we will also be live-streaming to our Facebook Page and our YouTube channel.
Our live stream will begin tomorrow at 10 AM. Here is the schedule of morning services to expect:
10:00 AM - "CrossTown" Children's Church for ages 3-Kindergartners
10:30 AM - "Konnect" Children's Church for 1st-3rd Graders
11:00 AM - "Loop" Children's Church for 4th-6th Graders
11:30 AM - LIVE Adult Church Service at VBPH
If you have children in these age groups, then I HIGHLY recommend watching these programs with them and participating in the fun songs and activities. You will get a lot out of them also.
Our live service will start at 11:00 AM as usual, but we will not be live-streaming our worship music. The live stream will start at 11:30 AM as we present prayer requests, receive the tithe & offering and then for the preaching.
Don’t forget to support your local church!
I need to remind you again how critical your giving is during this time. If you are used to giving cash or checks in our services, we encourage you to try our online giving. It is simple, safe, and secure and will ensure that we don't have any shortfalls.
Thank you again for your faithful support during this strange time in world history. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Church Services in Unprecedented Times
What strange and unpredictable times we are living in! Who could have known that we would be seeing what we are seeing and experiencing what we are experiencing? The Potter's House in Virginia Beach is taking the unprecedented step of switching to online services..
“What strange and unpredictable times we are living in!”
Who could have known that we would be seeing what we are seeing and experiencing what we are experiencing? The Potter's House in Virginia Beach is taking the unprecedented step of switching to online services to fully comply with the guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control and the emergency order released by Governor Northam of our Commonwealth. We wanted to share these three important actions with all of you:
1. We will open the doors to each service to only one family or few individuals (no more than 5) per service to comply with the guideline of meetings consisting of ten or fewer people. We have put together an online signup form for families or individuals to volunteer to join me and my family, plus a production assistant for each service. We implore you to sign up for slots for the next 2-3 weeks. This will allow us to see each of you at least one time during this time of quarantine and will help us have at least a few people in the audience as we live-stream the services. We will maintain social distancing and thoroughly be cleaning all touchable surfaces in each and every service. Click this link to sign up for slots to volunteer for our "One-Family Services"
2. For everyone not in attendance, we need you to join us for each and every service via our new online streaming platform. The services will be streaming at all of our normal times. You can join us at this link beginning one hour before every service as we pray together. We encourage you to gather your family or friends together to watch and interact in small groups. These services will give you a chance to chat while the service is happening and I may even be able to react to chat messages during each message. We also continue to need your financial support. If you normally give using cash or checks, we ask you to try out our debit card giving platform here.
3. REACH OUT TO SOMEONE! This is a time for the church to be even more active than ever. Here are some encouragements: Call someone over 65 and see if they need any help. Maybe you could get some groceries or run an errand for them. Support a local business by purchasing a gift certificate to help them get through these tough financial times. Share our online service link far and wide. What better way to share the love of Jesus.
We encourage you to remain vigilant as we navigate this outbreak. Thank you for your participation!
VBPH Statement on COVID-19
We wanted to give you a quick update about how The Potter's House Church is handling the current threat of the Coronavirus outbreak.
“we will not succumb to the spirit of fear”
Firstly, we will not succumb to the spirit of fear. In 2nd Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." At this moment, when every store we've been to is running short on supplies as panicked shoppers buy up toilet paper and hand sanitizer, we will choose to put our trust in the Lord to deliver His people from disease. We will not allow the Hittites (Hebrew: one who causes terror) to keep us from entering into our Promised Land of blessing.
“we will not be foolish”
Secondly, we will not be foolish. True faith is more than a simplistic belief; faith is action. That's why, in addition to our trust in God, we will also be practicing some common-sense precautionary measures for the next few weeks in our services. We echo the calls of the authorities on this matter, prevention begins with careful personal hygiene. Frequent hand washes, sneeze covers and maintaining personal distances will go a long way to keep any potential community spread from happening. We will also be practicing fist bumps instead of handshakes during our greeting times. If you have even the slightest fever or cold/flu symptoms, it's probably better to stay home until you're feeling better and your doctor says you are no longer infectious. Good news! We’ll be live-streaming our service via our Facebook page.
With these things in mind, we do encourage everyone who isn't showing symptoms to join us for our regularly scheduled services on Sunday at 11 AM and 6:30 PM. I have returned from the missions trip to Ukraine you sent me on and I believe God will inspire us if we will join together in faith. Also, President Trump has declared Sunday to be an official Day of Prayer as we lift up the needs of our nation to the only One who can deliver us. We should honor this great American tradition together in the service.
Finally, we believe that it is better to be spiritually thriving with a small chance of infection than to be spiritually starving and virus-free. Hope to see you Sunday!
P.S.- We have toilet paper at church!
A Big Weekend Ahead
Greetings from the road as we are returning from our fruitful trip to Romania for the last ten days. I can’t wait to share with you all of the amazing things that God did during this missions trip. But first, I wanted to share the upcoming schedule for all of the events happening this weekend:
Saturday Marriage Seminars
With Pastor Cary Mejia from Ontario, CA
We are excited to partner together with our sister church in Norfolk for this wonderful event to strengthen your marriage. These helpful seminars are open to all married couples, but ALSO TO SINGLES that aspire to the miracle of marriage. Doors will open tomorrow @ 9 AM for a continental breakfast for adults only. Please be sure to feed the kiddos before dropping them off. Nursery will be provided for all age groups.
Pastor Cary Mejia from Ontario, CA
The first seminar starts at 10 AM and the second one is at 11 AM. Let's be sure to take advantage of this wonderful time in marital instruction.
VBPH MOVIE NIGHT
We are excited to show this film tomorrow night at 7 PM. This movie does have an intense scene that garnered an R rating, so we will have an alternate film available for children if parents desire.
Unplanned is the inspiring true story of one woman’s journey of transformation.
All Abby Johnson ever wanted to do was help women. As one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation, she was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women about their reproductive choices. Her passion surrounding a woman’s right to choose even led her to become a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, fighting to enact legislation for the cause she so deeply believed in.
Until the day she saw something that changed everything, leading Abby Johnson to join her former enemies at 40 Days For Life, and become one of the most ardent pro-life speakers in America.
Sunday Services
Our Sunday morning service will continue our theme of standing up for the pro-life cause. You won't want to miss this challenging serve that will inspire you to defend life. Be there at 10 AM for prayer and 11 AM for the service.
In the evening service, our impact team would like to share with the congregation all of the miracles that took place during our missions to Romania. Join us at 5:30 PM to pray and 6:30 PM to worship and be inspired.
Looking forward to all God will do this weekend!
Help Us Harness Social Media for the Kingdom of God
Dear Friends,
We all know two things: we are called to win the lost, and social media stinks. What if there was a way to use social media to win souls, and help the church to make more impact?!?
VBPH has a an opportunity for you to reach out to our community, connect, and start conversations with our unchurched friends - and you can easily play a part. In fact, you are important to our success - and it doesn’t involve any extra time.
We’ve recently started a new service which automatically posts beautiful, inspirational graphics on our Facebook page every day. Some are Bible verses, inspirational sayings and quotes, as well as conversation starters. All we need you to do is like, comment and share them with your friends.
Of course, if any of your friends ever ask why you are sharing these graphics, tell them about your faith, or our church, and invite them to come with you!
So here are your next steps:
- Tap here to follow us on Facebook.
- Like and comment on our daily graphics to build engagement.
- When you see posts you like, share them with your friends.
Oh and one more thing, if you take pictures at church events, please post them on the church’s Facebook page. This will help show people how great our church family is!
You can also help if you are on Twitter or Instagram by doing the same with the church's posts there:
Thanks for your participation!
Who Stole $3,400 From Our Offerings Last Year?
A thief has been at work in our congregation! Each week, as your offerings have been generously pouring in, this thief has been skimming a cut off the top. We’ve been putting up with it because we thought there was no other option. The thief was CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES.
I have some good news and some bad news.
First for the bad news
A thief has been at work in our congregation! Each week, as your offerings have been generously pouring in, this thief has been skimming a cut off the top. We’ve been putting up with it because we thought there was no other option. The thief was CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES.
Ever since 2012, our church has had an option to give via credit card, whether through our website or via text giving. We have definitely seen an increase in giving related to having this convenient option available. In short, you love giving with your credit/debit card! The problem we began to face was that as the credit card giving increased, so did the processing fees. Every time a donation is made by credit card, there is a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee that comes out before it even hits our account. This may not seem like much to you, but when we calculated the amount we paid in fees last year it came out to $3,409.68! OUCH!
“when I calculated the amount we paid in fees last year it came out to $3,409.68!”
Now that our online giving represents more than half of our total giving, we had to make a consideration. Are credit/debit donations more likely to increase or decrease in the future? I think it is obvious that it is more than likely to increase as time goes by. We love using our cards to give! This means that we would be subject to higher and higher fees unless something changed.
Now for the good news
The Potter’s House has employed the services of a brand new giving platform that promises to recover what we’ve lost to processing fees; RebelGive. We are so excited to introduce this new platform that will ensure that every dollar you intend to give will come to us. Unlike most other church giving providers, RebelGive doesn’t artificially inflate their fees so they can keep a percentage of every church donation for themself. Going forward, your online giving options will include the following:
Give online with your credit or debit card. An industry-low 1.9% convenience fee will be added to your gift.
Give online with your bank account for the flat cost of $0.25 - no matter the size of your gift.
This change will add the processing fees to the intended gift, rather than taking it out afterwards. RebelGive has minimized this to the lowest possible rate for your convenience. If you hate that added percentage like I do, then you can give directly from your bank account for the insanely-low flat rate of $0.25 each time. This is a game-changer for our church and our donors and will result in the recovery of these lost fees.
How does it work?
We have already integrated the new platform into our website. When you go to any page at VBPH.org you will see this button at the bottom right. Tap or click on this button to experience the fast and convenient giving flow. It’s pretty slick!
Make the Switch Today!
In order to get you excited about using RebelGive to make your future donations we have a launch week contest. Every gift of $10 or more that you make this week (April 21-28, 2019) through our new platform will give you an entry into a Gift Card Giveaway. We’ll be giving a $50 Wawa Gift Card to one randomly-selected user of the RebelGive donation platform just to show you how much we appreciate you making the switch. The more times you give, the greater chance you’ll have of winning! Plus, any recurring gifts you set up will count for three entries.
We think you'll love the ease and convenience of the new platform. Go give it a try.
Happy Resurrection Day & Thank You For All Your Support!
8 Traits of Breakout Church Leaders
Fantastic excerpt from an amazing book I’m currently reading called Breakout Churches by Thom Rainer. If you want to see breakout in your church, you should really check this book out. Here’s the synopsis: “This is the story of thirteen churches and the leaders who moved them from stagnancy to growth and from mediocrity to greatness. Drawing on one of the most comprehensive studies ever on the church, this book reveals the process of becoming a “breakout” church and the factors that lead to this spiritual metamorphosis. Eighty percent of the approximately 400,000 churches in the United States are either declining or at a plateau. Is there hope for the American church? Breakout Churches offers a resounding “yes!” and offers specific examples and principles to help you and your church become more effective.”
This list is the result of an intense study of hundreds of churches. These eight characteristics are common among the leaders of churches that experienced a tangible breakthrough of ministry, influence and attendance. Every pastor would do well to pay attention to these areas:
Extreme biblical faithfulness. They not only give mental assent to key doctrinal truths, but they also practice these beliefs in their preaching, teaching, leadership, and ministry.
Longevity. Breakout leaders have an average tenure at their churches of 21.6 years, compared to the national average of 3.6 years. The issue of long tenure is critical, because much of the transition to greatness is a long-term process.
Confident humility. They have a high level of confidence but no appearance of arrogance or haughtiness.
Accepting Responsibility. Where other church leaders were quick to place blame on people and circumstances, breakout leaders accepted the responsibility for their ministry and did not blame others when things did not go well.
Unconditional love for the congregants they serve. While other church leaders are quick to describe the many problem people in their churches, breakout church leaders love their flock unconditionally.
Persistence. They never consider a setback a failure. They continually resist the temptation to quit or switch churches.
Outward Focus. The visions cast by breakout leaders always include an incredible passion for reaching the lost through evangelism.
Legacy. Breakout leaders are concerned about their ministries well beyond their own tenure or even lifetime, preparing for the next generation of church leadership. The breakout leader would say things like this, “I pray that God will allow me to look at this church from heaven fifty years from now and find out that the fruit of what we did is lasting.”
These eight traits have little to do with skill, personality, gifting, or charisma. Any church leader can embrace these principles and see the breakout that God intends for your congregation!e
Remembering the Son of Encouragement
I received the heartbreaking news yesterday that a great friend and mentor in the Lord had entered into eternity. Evangelist Richard Brooks had a heart attack Monday that delivered him into the presence of our Savior. We are heartbroken for his family and church, and for the thousands of souls that were inspired by his fruitful ministry. But we are also overjoyed at the homecoming celebration that must be happening now in glory.
Pastor Brooks truly had the gift of evangelism. Lost souls were drawn to his ministry no matter where he was: Whether in the prison system of Australia where he got saved, or the streets of Brasov, Romania where he led what became a thriving fellowship of churches, in the larger church where he brought a spirit of humility and foundational teaching or in the growing church where he inspired the saints to witness with boldness and led many to conversion. He was truly a man about the Father's business.
We remember him as a wonderful preacher, a soul-winner, a disciple-maker, an inspirational leader and a skillful Donald Duck imitator. But most of all, I will remember him as the fellowship version of Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement. Every time I spoke with Evangelist Brooks, I went away from that conversation a little more encouraged, a little more inspired, a little more excited to live for God, a little more challenged to live holy and a little more ready for Heaven. One more reason to look forward to the life in eternity is the chance to be encouraged by him once again.
I have included below all of the recorded sermons that I could find in our church archive. I challenge you to listen to these messages without being entertained, inspired, convicted and encouraged.
Please pray for Pastor Brooks' family and friends as they are grieving his departure during this time.
Revival in Virginia Beach - October, 2016
Two Episodes of TheBLAST Podcast featuring Evangelist Richard Brooks as a guest
Count It All Joy - Pastor Louie Lobato - Sermon Notes
Pastor Louie Lobato from The Potter’s House Church in Bullhead City preaching in The Potter’s House in Norfolk, VA
James 1:1-8, 12– “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ... Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
1. Framing the Core Lesson
James, the Bondservant
- James could have introduced himself as the younger brother of Jesus, but he didn't .. Gal 1:19
- He also could have introduced himself as the great pastor of the church in Jerusalem
- It's so interesting that he didn't use these facts to pad his reputation, but instead he introduced himself as the lowest of the lowest servant.
- “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.” Proverbs 15:33 NKJV
- A great man never thinks that he is great and a small man never thinks that he is small
Scattered Christians
- This book was written about 40 years after the death of Jesus amidst the explosion of revival in Jerusalem.
- It correlates very closely with the book of Acts
- Persecution is also exploding around the believers of the time
- Stephen
- “Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.... Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” –Acts 8:1, 4 NKJV
- This verse is aimed at the scattered Christians; those who have been persecuted, lost family members, lost homes.
- Good things do come from the persecution of the saints
- “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” –Philippians 1:12-14 NKJV
- Paul was chained to two Roman sentries. That means that two Roman sentries were always chained to the Apostle Paul!
- One of the reasons that Paul could endure great persecution was because he watched the early church go through impossible hardship. It inspired him and strengthened his new faith.
2. The Problem of Pain
The church has struggled with this problem from its inception.
- V.2- Count it all joy when you fall into trials and afflictions
- Be quite sure that trials are coming.
- The person who tells you that there will be no problems in your salvation is speaking from an empty head and an unread Bible.
- That is not man’s natural reaction to pain.. It must be supernatural!
- Facing piles of trials with smiles
- There is always an abundance of difficulty that we are called to face
- We don't count it all joy because of the pain, but in spite of the pain.
Mark of Spiritual Maturity
- The immature believer allows the trials and difficulty to effect their faith and steal their destiny
- The mature believer understands that God has been faithful before and He will be faithful again
3. How to Count it All Joy
Patience
- hypomonē- steadfastness, constancy, endurance .. in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
- Greater things coming out of your adversity.
Perfect and Complete
- Hebrews 5:8 (NKJV) though He was a Son, [yet] He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
- Suffering and pain is the only thing that can produce the wonderful outcome of spiritual completeness.
- Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose.
Asking for Wisdom
- If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask
- This scripture is often misquoted because it is plucked out of context. Trials and tribulations give us the inspiration to gain wisdom.
- How many good trials are wasted because Christians throw themselves a pity-party and run away from their problems?
- Moving away is not the answer to your problems.. It causes you to flunk the test!
Hearts touched at the altar
Time to Pray, Think, and Vote!
It's hard to overstate the importance of tomorrow's election for Christians. With both the Senate and the House in Republican hands, President Trump has been able to make remarkable strides in advancing the cause of the sanctity of life and the cause of religious liberty. He has put originalist judges on the Supreme Court and on the lower courts. He has made strong moves to protect our borders and restrict illegal immigration. He has revived our economy and strengthened our military.
Get the AFA Action iVoterGuide for all the information you need to vote your values!
This election is just too important for God's people to sit out. Be sure you go to the polls and encourage your friends to do the same. We have a historic opportunity right now to put lawmakers in office who not only share our values but have a majority in both houses of Congress. Don't squander this opportunity!
Missions in Action
Lagos is a trip.. take a listen to our audio report!
Lagos is a trip. Having been to Africa four years ago, I thought I was prepared for a return journey. But even Tanzania could not prepare us for what we've been seeing and experiencing here in Lagos, Nigeria for the last three days. This is a whole different ballgame. Topping out at over 20 million, Lagos is the most populous city on the continent. And you can feel it. Even though we have stayed mostly in one neighborhood of Festac City, we have gotten an authentic taste of the hustle and bustle of the big city.
We have also tasted something sweeter: the miracle of fruitfulness on the mission field. In these five services with long-term missionaries, Bitwell and Mary Hang'andu, our team has experienced the incredible blessing of God. The unity of the saints, the passion of their worship, and their vision to reach their city and nation is palpable. The revival services were amazing, each night more powerful than the last. Take a listen to our audio report below and please continue praying for us as we begin revival number two later tonight in the baby church!
A Busted Bus & Big-Hearted Believers
Once again, we have found ourselves on a road trip across America’s heartland on the way to our Bible Conference in Chandler, AZ. This morning, we drove through the bustling capital of the music industry, Nashville, TN. I couldn’t help but be transported in my mind to almost exactly one year ago, when we experienced one of the greatest miracles of God’s provision. I decided to share it with you today as a testimony of God’s awesome power. Check this out:
At that time, we were traveling with a group of about twenty people in our ”legacy” church bus. About twelve hours into the trip, we had almost made it through Nashville at around 7:30 AM on a Sunday morning. Suddenly, we were all awakened by a loud bang, followed by a clang, clang, clang. When we were able to safely pull over to the shoulder, one look under the bus confirmed our fears; the drive shaft had sheared off and was scraping on the pavement. I had a group of faithful church people counting on me to get them to Chandler in time for a Bible Conference! What was I going to do?
What appeared to be a major setback and disappointment, was actually a fantastic set up for God to prove Himself faithful.
That time when the drive shaft on our old bus busted in Nashville.
Here are all the miracles that occurred next:
- One Google search revealed that there was a heavy wrecker company less than half a mile away. They were able to get to us in only fifteen minutes.
- There was a Jack In the Box restaurant within walking distance for all of our people to have a nice breakfast while we waited to find out what was going to happen next.
- As we were emptying the bus, a Good Samaritan pulled over to see if he could help us with anything. We explained that we were a church group traveling cross-country to get to a Bible Conference. It turned out that he was on his way to church too. He went on to ask us if we’d like to come to the church service with him. What an opportunity!
- This possible angel in disguise started making phone calls and arranged for four separate cars to come and transport all of us to the church service. It turned out that the chuch building was only about one mile away from where the bus broke down. Coincidence? I think not..
- In the meantime, the bus was hauled away by the wrecker to their shop, where they just happened to have a mechanic available and the part that we needed on-hand. They only needed a couple hours to complete the repair.
- The church service was great, a welcome break from being on the road all night. We all cleaned up a bit and had a cup of coffee. We worshipped together at the West End Community Church and heard an encouraging message from the pastor who even greeted us from the stage.
- As soon as the service was over, I called the shop to check on the bus. They had literally just finished the repair and the bus was road worthy once again.
- Our angel organized a second convoy to get us all back to the bus's location.
- As if all of that wasn't enough, our friend who had found us on the side of the interstate slipped me $200 to put towards the repair! So amazing!
- We were physically and spiritually refreshed and back on the road in les than four hours.
- We made it to Chandler just in time to be there for the Monday night service.
Be encouraged today: when you think it's all falling apart, God will show Himself faithful.
Astounded by God's Provision!
Christopher Lee receives a word from Pastor Eric Pizzaro in a recent service.
Generosity Update
Just wanted to send out this quick update since we made the call for financial assistance last Friday. God was faithful to meet the need! Many of God's people responded to the call to generosity and gave to meet the immediate need over the weekend. THANK YOU!
We quickly realized that if only one of the many people had not responded, then we would not have been able to meet the goal. But I am so grateful to serve a congregation whose heart is moved to care for the bride of Christ. We thank all of you who prayed, gave and obeyed the voice of the Lord. May His blessing be returned back to you for your sacrifice! See you tonight in our service at 7:30p.
Destined for Disaster: Time to Take Heart
“But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island.”” –Acts 27:21-26 NKJV
Shipwreck — Author: CLAUDE-JOSEPH VERNET, Date: 1763
Imagine the scene: Paul had already warned them not to go. He told them all that this journey would end in certain disaster. Now that the disaster has come, Paul is forced to ride this sinking ship all the way into the ground. This is very symbolic for the journey that many men and women of faith are called to today. Maybe you've found yourself in a sinking work environment: the boss has no idea what he's doing and you are being dragged along through what you know will end in disaster. Perhaps it is a sinking marriage or family situation: ungodly leadership or lack of moral integrity has thrown your ship of home life into chaos that seems destined for disaster. Maybe it's a school project, a precious relationship, a ministry, a dream, an expectation or project. But it has crashed and burned, gone down in flames. What are the righteous to do?
In the midst of chaotic trauma, where all involved are filled with the expectation of disaster, Paul was still able to be a positive influence and encourage wicked men, drawing them to salvation of hope. Let's look at what he did:
- V.21- He Stood in the Midst of Them — He refused to run from them. Paul was committed to stick with them. Quitters never prosper in the Kingdom of God.
- V.21- He refused to be the judge & jury — Paul had a powerful temptation to become angry or bitter with these fools. Very easily could've said, "I told you this would happen, you bunch of idiots. You got what's coming to you." He was able to encourage even though hey ignored his advice.
- V.22- "I urge you to take heart" — His message in the disaster was encouragement, not doom and disaster. What's your message while the ship is sinking?
- V.23- He heard from God — "Do not be afraid, Paul" In the chaos, God was still able to get Paul's attention and deliver him from fear.
- V.25- Faith — "I believe God" Paul's faith was contagious, was expectant, that even though the disaster was real his faith was even more real. We can learn here from his example
In a chaotic world, filled with those expecting disaster, God still causes us to be an encouragement to the world around us. Can you still be a light in the darkness when the ship you are sailing on is bound for disaster?