Preparing for Revival!
True spiritual renewal doesn’t just happen randomly or without cause. Great revivals of history didn’t show up by chance or through happy circumstances. God moved in powerful ways when His people prepared.
"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. –2Ch 7:14 NKJV
We look at the great revivals of history with fondness and anticipation. But, if we want to see what they saw, we must be willing to do what they did. We need to pray like the 120 in the upper room before the Day of Pentecost. We need to rid our lives of worldly lusts and pursuits. We must humble ourselves and realize that this is Jesus’ church, and He is invested in her guaranteed victory. AND we need to organize, outreach, and witness as though Christ were coming back tomorrow!
Here’s a question for you: Who Do you Know that Needs Spiritual Renewal?
The truth is that there are probably at least a few people in your life that need a touch from God in these difficult times. Maybe it's you, your spouse, your parents or kids, your co-workers, or your neighbors. Good news! We've got some special services this week that can turn things around.
Tap Image to Download Flyer
Revival Services are starting Sunday morning with Evangelist Allen Jenkins from Chandler, AZ. We need your help to get the word out this weekend! Here's the agenda:
Saturday's events kick off with a Prayer Meeting at 10 AM. This is our chance to cry out to God for the upcoming week. Please join us! Then, we'll hit the streets with an outreach starting at 11 AM, joined by an impact team from our sister church in Norfolk. We'll then return to the church building for a hot dog cookout starting at 1 PM. After this, we will head back out for Outreach Part 2 beginning at 2 PM, joined by a youth impact team from our other sister church in Newport News. Finally, we'll head back to the building to clean up things and put back together services starting Sunday morning.
We need ALL HANDS ON DECK for this significant Saturday outreach. Please join us for as much as you possibly can. It takes all of us to make revival a success. Please show up and do your part.
With Much Appreciation,
Pastor Adam Dragoon
Why Two Sunday Services?
‘Why do you go to church twice on a Sunday? Isn’t once enough?’ In many churches the Sunday evening service is disappearing.
BECAUSE TWO SERVICES ARE HELPFUL PRACTICALLY.
For example, I know of a Christian couple, a nurse and a policeman, who often have to work shifts over the weekend. They started going to a new church which met in a school and just had a morning service. But their shifts clashed with the morning service. Suddenly it hit them that they had not been able to attend a Sunday service for weeks. They concluded that they would have to leave and find a church which met both morning and evening to give them an option.
Two services are helpful evangelistically also. Many non-Christians have to work on Sundays. I had a conversation like this recently. ‘Come to church,’ I said. ‘Well, I have to work through the nights on Saturdays, so it’s a bit difficult for Sunday morning.’ ‘How about Sunday night?’ ‘Well, yes, I suppose I could come on Sunday night.’ So, two services make sense practically.
BECAUSE TWO SERVICES ARE A PATTERN IN SCRIPTURE.
While there is no explicit command in the NT, this is evident in the OT. We find this ‘morning and evening’ pattern explicitly in Psalm 92: ‘It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.’ As Christians, we meet on Sundays as the day of Christ’s resurrection. It is suggestive that the gospels record resurrection appearances in the morning and the evening (John 20:1, 19).
BECAUSE TWO SERVICES MATCH THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
The commandment tells us to ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ With the change from the Old Covenant to the New, the Sabbath is changed into the blessing of the Lord’s Day. According to Genesis 1, a day has both a morning and an evening. And despite what has become popular in our evangelical culture, it is still the Lord’s Day, not the Lord’s Morning, which we are to celebrate.
BECAUSE TWO SERVICES ARE THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH.
As we look back over history, we find that morning and evening worship on Sunday was the norm. In the early fourth century (by the time persecution had receded and the church had a chance to settle), we find the church historian Eusebius describing church practice as follows: ‘It is surely no small sign of God’s power that throughout the whole world in the churches of God at the morning rising of the sun and at evening hours, hymns, praises… are offered to God’ (Commentary on Psalm 64).
During the Middle Ages, morning worship became known as ‘matins’ and evening worship as ‘vespers’. At the time of the Reformation the custom of morning and evening worship was continued in Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer with its rubrics for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. So churches that have dropped the evening service have sharply departed from the normal practice of Christ’s church. Now I’m not mad on tradition, but the question is this: ‘Are we wiser and better Christians than all those who have gone before us or is it because actually we are succumbing to the secular spirit of our age which marginalizes God?’ Have we fallen into just doing the minimum?
And bear in mind that as we think about the pressures of modern life, it is only the last 100 years or so that Saturday has become a generally non-working day. We actually have more leisure time and time for our families than many of our forebears.
BECAUSE TWO ENTHUSIASTIC SERVICES REBUKE SECULARISM.
The meetings of Christians, especially on the Lord’s Day, point forward to the coming Day of the LORD (Hebrews 10:25). The special day, one in seven, always did point forward to God’s kingdom. That is why the Lord Jesus did so many of his miracles on the Sabbath. He didn’t do it simply to upset the Pharisees. He performed those miracles on the Sabbath because it was appropriate. Those miracles were redolent of the power and joy of the coming kingdom. With the resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week, Sunday speaks of the same thing. It looks forward to the rest and release and joy and fellowship of the world to come, when Jesus returns.
Now secularism sees everything just in terms of this life. But by coming to church on Sunday we are making a statement. We are saying ‘No’ to the view that this life is all. We are saying we are looking forward to Christ’s coming kingdom. And, by having two services on a Sunday, we are saying, ‘This is not a mere duty, we are enthusiastic about this!’
BECAUSE TWO SERVICES OFFER YOU TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ENCOURAGED.
Hebrews 10:25 says that the purpose of meeting together is to build one another up. We are encouraged as we meet with God’s people, pray for one another, share our lives. In particular, our faith is helped under the preaching of the Word. ‘Oh, I can listen to a sermon tape, or do a Bible study at home.’ That is true. But, as Christopher Ash pointed out so ably at this year’s EMA, that is not the same as being together under the Word of God all knowing what we have all heard and therefore looking to help one another obey. How can members of Christ’s body say by their actions ‘I have no need of you’?
And in a society where we have so many ungodly ideas fired at us from the media to lead us astray, we need a double dose of God’s Word to feed our souls and keep us straight. Christians go back into the world, marriages fail and, not always but often, neglecting the evening service is the first sign that something is wrong. Let me say also, some of you are desperate to see your children saved. But if you neglect the evening service you are hardly setting them an example of enthusiasm for the things of Christ. Then you wonder why they are not interested.
But, of course, there is the flip side to encouragement.
BECAUSE TWO SERVICES OFFER YOU TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS.
Staying at home and listening to a sermon is very ‘me’-centered, Sunday is not just about you being encouraged but about you encouraging others. So Sunday nights give you a second opportunity to do that. Perhaps in the morning you have children with you. It is not very easy for you to talk to others and keep an eye on them. But if husband and wife take it in turns to put the children to bed so the other can come out in the evening, now you have the chance to be free to talk and pray with others and actually encourage them.
And even your very presence is an encouragement. When Sunday school teachers, or those who can only get out in the evening, come to an evening service where the congregation is sparse and the singing a bit weak, they won’t be as encouraged as they could be by a big congregation and seeing all their friends.
So, you can see, that although there is no explicit command in Scripture that churches must have a morning and evening service, and it is not a sin to only have one service, nevertheless it makes a lot of practical sense. And this is quite serious. Our needy nation is not going to be turned around and saved by seeing a lot of empty churches on Sunday nights. People are going to be challenged by seeing full churches, and hearing enthusiastic singing and thinking, ‘What’s going on there?’
Christmas Contemplations – Jesus Meets Us in the Mess
As we approach this most beloved of all holy days, I find myself filled with equal parts melancholy and child-like wonder and gratitude. Most of you can relate to the heartache of missing loved ones who have stepped into eternity over the last two years. In our church, we have had to endure the loss of one of our most faithful members as she entered her reward in Glory. But we have also rejoiced mightily this year as we have seen so many miracles, conversions, and little steps of faith that have added up to significant results!
This Christmas, we wanted to wish you all the Merriest of Holidays as we remember the profound imperfection surrounding the circumstances of our Savior's birth. In other words, a perfect God showed up in the middle of a big mess. Think of the issues that most people wouldn't abide:
Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths, the same that shepherds used to clean their sheep.
Mary gave birth to her first son in a borrowed manger after a 100-mile journey, surrounded by barnyard animals.
Mary and Joseph were young. Perhaps not more than fifteen or sixteen years old, unprepared for the duties of parenting.
They were also most likely peasant-class. Having very little wealth or resources to speak of.
Joseph made incredible sacrifices to care for and protect a woman and child that technically did not yet belong to him.
Ostracization and public scorn would have accompanied this young family because of the pregnancy occurring before their wedding day. The community would view Mary as a harlot, Joseph as a coward, and Jesus as illegitimate.
King Herod's paranoia drove him to murderous insanity, forcing our motley crew to flee to a foreign nation for a time. Joseph and Mary would likely have never been outside of a 100-mile radius. Now they would face the danger of a new culture, new food, new language, and new risks every day.
Jesus was also born while his people were suffering under the tyrannical rule of the Roman empire, not exactly a great time of Jewish prosperity.
All of this is to say that our Lord wasn't born into a perfect situation; rather, it was a mess. It was layer upon layer of messes that compounded into a conglomeration of stress and ambiguity regarding the future. And right there, hope for all humanity was born.
This hopeful aspiration still inspires me, that Jesus is not afraid of our messes. Every human life represents layers of confusion, strife, abuse, stress, anxiety, and heartbreak. I am grateful that he doesn't wait for us to clean up our acts before entering the Jerry Springer nightmares of our lives. He comes to us while the mess still remains.
This world is enamored with the idea of perfection, even though it remains insurmountable. Social media glamourizes the perfect smile, the perfect meme, the perfect body, the perfect family, etc. But let’s remember today that the only truly perfect thing in this universe is its Creator. And He did not turn His face from sinful humanity. In fact, He initiated salvation by sending His only Son into the world.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
I encourage you this Christmas, even if the house of your life is an untidy trash heap, allow the Savior in the front door when he comes a' knocking. You'll be glad you did since the truth is that no one can truly clean up his own life without Emmanuel.
The End of Mandates at VBPH (COVID-19 Update)
Over the last 24 hours, we have heard some very encouraging announcements from the federal Center for Disease Control and Governor Northam. The medical experts have now decided that mask mandates are no longer necessary indoors or outdoors for vaccinated individuals. We've all been anticipating this time when each person can again determine for themselves what mitigation efforts are required. So here at The Potter's House Church, we are happy to announce that we are dropping all blanket COVID requirements. We will no longer be checking temperatures as you enter the front door because we believe you are smart enough to know if you are well enough to attend services. Today, we begin to put the COVID-19 outbreak behind us for good.
In this time of transition back to normal, we will need to exercise the spiritual fruits of patience, lovingkindness, and longsuffering with one another:
Some of us might believe that COVID-19 is still a serious enough threat to warrant continued use of facial masks and social distancing. That is OK.
Some believe that widespread vaccinations are a good enough reason to end personal masking and social distancing. That is OK too.
Some believe that since they have recovered from COVID that they have antibodies and natural immunity to the virus. That is OK.
Some are young and healthy enough that COVID-19 was never a looming threat to their health. That is also OK.
Some love to lick doorknobs. That's OK as well. (Just Kidding)
The point is that over the last year, we have gotten used to removing these critical decisions from individuals by mandating behaviors. That phase is now over. As a church, we leave it up to each person to determine what is best for themselves. As pastor of this congregation, I want to ask you all to be understanding towards one another. Every person can decide how best to handle these essential decisions of health and well-being. Please respect their decision as you want to be respected.
This development should not be a reason for division, strife, or gossip. If someone is wearing a mask out of an abundance of caution, respect their decision. If someone isn't wearing a mask, respect their decision. If someone is vaccinated, respect their decision. If someone is not vaccinated for health reasons or personal convictions, respect their decision.
Let's remember the words of the apostle:
"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." –Rom 13:8 NKJV.
Happy New Year in the Word of God
“A Bible that’s falling apart
usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” – C.H. Spurgeon
The passing of the new year always brings a moment of reflection as we assess where we’ve been over the last year and where we are headed in the next. Many use this moment to institute adjustments to their lives to see positive changes in their future. These resolutions commonly include losing weight, being more organized, making more money, etc. May I recommend a resolution that promises to change your life more than all of these combined?
Daily Bible Reading
Heb 4:12 NKJV - 12 For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The truth is that most believers are woefully illiterate of the Bible. Many wouldn't even know the difference between the Gospel of John or the epistles of John. Take a look at these recent statistics, published on ChristianityToday.com: "Between early 2019 and 2020, the percentage of US adults who say they use the Bible daily dropped from 14 percent to 9 percent, according to the State of the Bible 2020 report released today by the Barna Group and the American Bible Society (ABS). A decrease of 5 percentage points in a single year was unprecedented in the annual survey's 10-year history; between 2011 and 2019, daily Bible readers had basically held steady at an average of 13.7 percent of the population. But the decline continued during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic, and by June, the percentage of daily Bible users had dropped to 8.5 percent."
It's time to get back to His Word. We want to help!
For the last few years, the Potter's House of Virginia Beach has participated in a corporate daily Bible reading plan. This year we hope that you'll join us if you haven't already done so. The plan we've selected for this year includes a constructive commentary that I've already found to be a blessing. As always, my prayer is to see that you receive direct revelation from God for your life, your future, your family, your finances, and your friendships. The Bible is where we can find God's instruction book for life.
We look forward to reading together in 2021! Click the button below to subscribe to our Bible reading plan in the Youversion Bible App.
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;”
COVID-19 Update from VBPH (December 11, 2020)
Hello VBPH family! We hope you had a productive and joyful week as we turned our eyes toward the holiday season. We look forward with great anticipation to the coming weeks as Christmas tidings come our way. I wanted to share a few quick thoughts with you as we begin this weekend:
Latest COVID-19 Guidelines
Governor Northam had a press conference yesterday outlining our state's updated recommendations for reducing the spread of COVID-19. Our church community's bottom line is that the state cannot prohibit our ability to worship freely. However, this does not mean that we will throw caution to the wind. VBPH will continue to have in-person services for those who have not exhibited any fever or flu-like symptoms within the last 14 days. We will continue to require social distancing, mask-wearing, and careful hand-washing while we gather in the building. We continue to take prudent precautions to prevent any spread within our congregation. We encourage anyone who may have an increased risk of illness to stay home and participate in our services via live stream.
This Weekend
Here are the latest announcements regarding our upcoming events:
Our weekly outreach and cleanup team will be tomorrow at 3 PM. Please take careful notice that we are switching to an afternoon meeting, rather than in the morning. We will meet for prayer starting at 2:30 PM.
The annual Norfolk Christmas banquet is taking place tomorrow at 6:30 PM. The physical location is 6820 N Military Hwy., 23518. Please be on time and ready to pay $10/person at the door. This event is for people aged 13 and over.
Our Sunday services will go forward at regular times at 11 AM and 7 PM. Please take the time and effort to invite someone who needs Jesus. We can't wait to see you there!
Thanks for staying connected and involved in winning souls, making disciples, and planting churches.
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.