A Lesson in Finishing Strong

2013 Mid-America Cup College Showcase U-14 Girls Champions

Have you ever found it hard to finish strong? Have you ever found your heart in a place where you wanted to just ride it out? Have you ever just thought, "I will settle.... settle and let the chips fall where they may."? I think one of the hardest things for human beings to do is to finish strong. People tend to fade when the going gets rough or near the finish.  I was reminded this weekend that oftentimes the best is found at the end...if you finish strong.

This weekend was a reminder to me that if you finish strong, great things can happen. My Quincy United U-14 girls played in a tournament in Peoria. We have been very successful this season, but that did not guarantee us success this time. We started off slow on Saturday morning, but managed to pull off a 2-0 win in our opening game. I was not too concerned, since we never play well in the first match of a tournament.

Our second game was later the same day. We came out slow (again) and were not playing well together. As the game went on, we continued to make mistakes and we looked very sluggish. Things fell apart for our team and we ended up tying 1-1. We should have destroyed our opponent, but we didn't. I felt like I had called a poor game and my team under-performed. Our backs were against the wall...We had to win the next match or we would be coming home early.

I decided to call a rare team meeting. We all gathered in one of the hotel rooms just before we all called it a night. I began the meeting by apologizing to my team for my poor coaching and for not preparing them for the task at hand. I then challenged the girls to do a heartfelt evaluation of their performance and desire. They were all ears and leaned in. The last thing that I told them was, win or lose, I wanted them to finish strong. I could live with the results as long as we finished well.

Sunday's match was quite a turnaround. The girls came out with passion and heart. The match was a battle. We scored early in the match and the competition responded right after halftime to tie. The second half was hard-fought. We were running out of time. A tie would put us in our cars and headed home to Quincy. The girls didn't give up, and with one minute left in the match, we  scored! We played hard to the very end, and now had made it to the championship. We finished strong!!

We were excited to make it to the final, but we were beat up. Two players were injured in the match, and we had only two hours to rest before the last match. I didn't have a lot to say before the final match. I told the girls to leave every ounce of energy on the field and to finish the deal.

We came out and exercised our will against the Peoria team and won in convincing fashion. A 2-0 victory led us to the podium. We finished strong even when things were not going well.

 Are you at a moment in your life in which you need to finish something strong? I will leave you with this quote:

"If the word QUIT is in your vocabulary, then the word FINISH is likely not." - B.G. Jett

Pittsfield First Renovation Update - Flooring Completed

GATHERING AREA

CLASSROOM

CLASSROOM

Easter Sunday Service Favorites

There are several things that I truly love about Easter Sunday. I thought I would list a few of my favorite things. 

Breakfast 

The breakfast that Shane and his crew prepare for us is amazing. The biscuits and gravy are a favorite of many. They serve breakfast from 8:30 til 10:00 in the KidZone building.

Music 

The music is full and energized. There is just something about Easter where people sing from a place of victory vs defeat. I am looking forward to listening to Allison, Jen and Amy at the beginning of both services.

Preaching 

I really enjoy speaking to people. Sharing the Gospel in a clear and simple way reminds me of my times at the Huron County Jail. We will be looking at Romans 8:1-16. It is a passage that clearly states that we are no longer condemned.

Clothes 

Everyone puts on their Sunday best at Easter. I like to dress up and Easter is no exception!

Baptism 

I have the privilege of baptizing two people Sunday morning who have come to Christ as a result of the ministry of Columbus Road. 

Friends 

I enjoy seeing friends who have come back into town for the day to visit family.

Focused 

We are all attending the services to celebrate the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation Jesus provides through His resurrection. 

I look forward to tomorrow and I hope you are also. What are some of your favorite parts of Easter? 

If you do not have a church home, you are more than welcome to come to Columbus Road. Our services are at 9:00 and 10:30.

2013 CR Archery League - Off to a Super Start !

I had the opportunity to stop in and visit the opening night of the Columbus Road Archery League. I walked in to a room filled with enthusiastic archers. We have over 70 people participating in the 2013 league. People of all ages and skill levels have joined in on the fun. The league spans over a ten week period. Teams are formed and  scores kept to determine champions at the end. Here are a few pictures to help capture the night.

At Full Draw

A Full House 

Check Out The Equipment

A special thanks goes out to Wes Siepel, Brian Hodges and Doug Althide for their leadership and management of the league this year!

Bill Hybels - On the Beauty and Power of the Local Church

"I have a little mantra: There's nothing like the local church when the local church is working right.
When the Spirit is in charge, and when God's anointing power is on a church, lost people are getting found, and found people are growing up, and lonely people are getting enfolded, and bored people are finding purpose and a cause, and the poor are being cared for. To me, when that's all happening, prompted, and empowered by the Spirit as opposed to fueled by human power, that is the most beautiful activity I've ever witnessed."

Graham Chapel at Washington University

This weekend I had the opportunity to perform a wedding in St. Louis, Missouri. Jay Yousef and Alex Brand were united in marriage on Saturday afternoon. The ceremony was beautiful and went off with- out a hitch. Graham Chapel was simply amazing. I have never performed a wedding in a venue like Graham. As I was looking around the chapel I discovered am inscription at the base of the stained glass window. It comes from I Kings 8:58 and reads: The Lord God be with us, as He was with our fathers, that He may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways and to keep His commandments. It is undeniable that many of our institutions of higher learning were centered in Biblical Christianity.

Front View

Rear View

A Simple Invite Card

Last week was filled with things to be thankful for. I never cease to be amazed with how God uses people and what would appear to be insignificant things in the lives of others. Sometimes it happens in the strangest and most unlikely ways. In every phase of our lives we are impacting and influencing people. The last week was no exception in being reminded of this.

Monday evening was spent at Ed and Adjet Amante's home. They are members at Columbus Road and are transplants from the Philippines  A group of friends gathered to say goodbye to Carlos Paredos Olivo who is from Mexico and came to the states to work. He attends our church and is going back home to be with his family. The evening was filled great food, fellowship and  well wishes for Carlos.

The Invitation

Carlos, who does not speak a bit of English, closed our time together by telling us his story. I was brought to tears as he spoke about how God had brought Jason Wollbrink into his life. Ed and Jason had developed a simple invitation to a Spanish speaking Bible Study.  Carlos responded to the invite card seen above. Carlos shared about his alcoholic, abusive past. He shared how he had tried everything to stop but nothing or no one could help. One day, he pulled out the invitation and decided to walk to the church, looking once again for help.

After a couple of attempts, he finally found our church. God used Jason over a period of several months to lead Carlos to the Lord. He faithfully has attended our church since that time period. He was discipled by Jason which resulted in his baptism and weekly tithing. Carlos would sit in the back of the church as Jason would translate the message to him. Our people were gracious, hearing a dull roar in the back of the auditorium each week. It was a bit different in a primarily caucasian, mid-west church.

Jason, Carlos and Ed

We learned many things about ourselves over the time Carlos was with us. He shared with us how much we meant to him even though none of us could speak Spanish  We are blessed to have known him and look forward to hearing how God uses him in his home land.

The next time you are encouraged to invite someone to something, think twice before you say "No." You never know how God is working and what He will use.

Blessings

Trunk 'r Treat 2012 - Life is good at Columbus Road!

 

 

Cool Post Card

Why Do So Many Young Adults Leave the Church?

I just finished reading Essential Church by Thom Rainer and his son Sam Rainer III. This book was written to leaders in the church. The authors answer the questions: why do so many young people leave the church? and what will it take to bring them back?

The book reveals many insights that the authors have gained from interviews they have conducted with young adults.

The chapter entitled "A New Spin on Hypocrisy" is powerful. Their findings show that young adults are much more likely to drop out of church if their parents are not involved. Dropping your teen off at church is a sure fire way to insure that you will be taking your grandchildren to church also. People who serve, faithfully attend, and speak positively about the church and its leadership have a much greater opportunity to succeed in raising adults who will be involved in a faith community.

Most young adults did not have significant reasons for dropping out of church. It could be summed up in one statement. It was not imporatant to my parents and it is not important to me. The authors have discovered that secular universities, public education, and the church are NOT the greatest contributors to young people leaving the church. The root (of hypocrisy) is found in the family unit. 

You may be heading down a road that will take you to a destination you won't like. The popular church culture has created the largest back door in over 75 years. Parent, what do you want your child to be doing in ten years? Does it look like what you are doing now?

Kidzone Soccer Academy - Day # 1