2011 reflections & important reminders

Dear Cypress,

I am living one of my favorite weeks of the year…the week between Christmas and New Year’s! This week is one that’s always filled with movie watching and plenty of family hang time. I also seem to find myself, as many do, reminiscing over the past year and looking ahead to the next.

As 2011 comes to a close, we have so much to be grateful for as a church. We are coming off of our largest Christmas Eve ever with over 6,000 attending five services! As I said at our Christmas morning service, “It’s great to have that many people, but what we really count is the number of changed lives for Christ.” My desire is to see how many of those 6,000 we can “entice” to return for our January series, where attending church becomes more of their weekly routine rather than a once in a while experience.

Also, we are on target for a month-long grand opening for our Children’s Ministry Center in January. You’ll be hearing more about the exciting things planned to impact kids’ lives, and don’t forget, basketball is right around the cornerJ

On a final note, the way New Year’s falls this year, Saturday night giving will be credited to 2011, and Sunday, January 1 giving, will be applied to 2012. For more detailed questions, feel free to contact our business office (614-878-8192), or email Barry Hines (barryh@thecwc.net). God Bless You and Thank You for your contributions in 2011 making it one of the best ever!

I AM CONVINCED though what GOD has in store for 2012 is beyond anything we could ask or imagine! Let’s make it memorable and meaningful.

Pastor Ken

Christmas Eve ~ Humbled & Amazed

It was hard to go to sleep last night after our first Christmas Eve service at Cypress.  Over a 1,000 people attended our Thursday Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve service.  I received several texts, face book “buzz” reports & updates, plus had several personal conversations with people telling me the story of their friends and family members who were “touched and blown away” last night by the service.  On one hand I am always amazed when this happens, BUT THEN ON THE OTHER I sensed God asking me late last night and early this morning, "why are you so surprised…"  You see we’ve been planning, preparing, praying and inviting friends for this service, for a month. 

So, Here are my final thoughts in bullet point style:

Ø  Invite your friends, I promise 99.9% of you will be glad you did!  There is always that .1% J   It's not too late, you still have time!

Ø  It’s not simply about a Christmas Eve service, it’s about exposure to Truth that holds the potential to change your life forever

Ø  The thing I loved hearing most from last night is when I heard from several who were at Cypress for the first time saying, “I’m coming back, it was different than I thought and I loved it”

You have four more times to get your friends to Cypress to experience Christmas Eve… Friday @7 / Saturday @ 3, 5, 7

I seriously can hardly wait to experience it new and afresh tonight.

Hope to see you there,

Pastor Ken

thecwc.net

Don't Miss Christmas Eve @ Cypress!

Join us

Christmas Eve at Cypress... 

 Christmas Eve Services

December 22 ~ 7:00 pm

December 23 ~ 7:00 pm

December 24 ~ 3:00; 5:00 & 7:00 pm

  

 Christmas Day Service

December 25 ~ 10:00 am

The story of your generosity being heard around the world!

Cypress Wesleyan helping others keep warm this Christmas

by Tricia Allen (Wesleyan Information Network) | Dec. 19, 2011

Many Ohioans in and around the state’s capital of Columbus are a little warmer this winter because of area Wesleyans.

Cypress Wesleyan Church in Galloway, Ohio, recently sponsored a coat drive, and more than 1,200 adults and children in inner-city Columbus received a new coat just in time for Christmas. A missions-minded church, Cypress supports both local and global outreaches every year, and the coat outreach is a priority.

Nicole Yoakem, a church member and local elementary school teacher, knew that God wanted her to “do more than bring a coat to donate.”

“Many children come to school wearing clothes that are either too small or too big, have holes in their shoes, and no coat or ripped coats that don't zip,” says Nicole. “Every year I buy a couple of coats for my students because I feel awful standing outside at recess in my coat and gloves and seeing them freezing with a t-shirt on and no coat. The coat drive was the answer to my prayers for several of my students and other students in our school.”

The day before the coat drive, students at her school received a letter announcing the event.

“I prayed and prayed that families would go and get their children coats so they wouldn’t be cold outside at recess anymore,” says Nicole. Soon after the coat drive, she noticed several had walked into the classroom with new coats. One first grader said everyone in his family visited the drive, and each member of his family received a new coat.

“He said, ‘This coat actually fits me and it doesn’t have holes in it,’” said Nicole. What he said next brought tears to the teacher’s eyes. He told her it was the first coat he’d ever had that zipped. Nicole says every student in her class who needed a coat went to the drive hosted by Cypress Wesleyan. Many other students at the school commented that they’d found new coats at “the church that was giving away coats for free.”

Click here to see a video about the coat drive.

This Weekend!

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the land, people were busy making final preparations, buying gifts, and preparing the ham…or something like that.  Most families have traditions, most kids are excited about being on Christmas break, most parents are wondering how they are going to survive this fun (but crazy) schedule for the next two weeks.  Here is what I do know…it’s the weekend before Christmas, and I’m really looking forward to continuing our iChristmas series as we explore national trends of Consumption & Connection as related to Christmas.  I can tell you, I am using a part of the Christmas Story this weekend I have NEVER TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, and my study has been fascinating.

And on another note…do you remember the song "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” on the iPads two weeks ago?  Well, there is something else “special” planned for this weekend.  When I say we have a creative team…it is a capital CTJ

See ya soon,

Pastor Ken

Winning is...

I’ve known something for a long time about myself, but tonight as I watch Sunday Night Football, I’m reflecting on it.  Charlie Sheen and I have something deeply in common.  What is it that I’ve known for a long time … I LOVE TO WIN!  Today I just finished playing a fun family game of “catchphrase” with friends, it got a little intense, but we won.  Earlier today I cheered the staff team in a dodge ball tournament … champs, later the PACKERS PLAYED ( need I say more )!

I guess my love affair with winning began as a young kid playing sports.  It’s funny to watch little kids play sports where you “don’t keep score”, ask any kid what the score is and they all know.  What’s more funny, is ask some of the parents on the sideline of those games where you don’t keep score, and most of them know as well. Last night my wife Serena, my oldest son Jackson and I played scrabble… I came in third… I have told them both it’s now a best of five series and we will have a rematch. J

Bottom line Fact… we keep score in life and everybody loves to WIN.

Here is what I’m thinking about, If I took the same deep seeded intense desire to win, when it comes to getting my Christmas Wish List ( five friends ) to come to church this Christmas season, I wonder how much greater the odds are they may attend… and as a result have their life touched by God in way they would never be the same for eternity. 

This Christmas season … commit to WIN … get your friends to church and we all will encounter the Victorious One, His name is Jesus.

PK

A Can't Miss Weekend

Team Cypress,

This week is truly a “can’t miss” weekend around here!  Here are 3 quick reasons why:

1.    In the words of my middle schooler, the musical iNoel is going to be “mad sic.”  If you are like me, I had to verify that meant really, really good, which it does and is, but a whole lot more! J  You will regret it if you miss the musical, also it’s an easy invite for your 5!

2.    Kids, it is Starbucks Weekend…enough said!

3.    There will be an announcement of HISTORIC PROPORTIONS made in the life of our church!  Hint… I’m so proud of you and what God is doing in and through us!

See ya soon,

Pastor Ken

thecwc.net

social media

this is partly a test, and partly taking new territory.  My question is how is the best way to communicate with people in today's society.  Answer, social media seems to be the most popular and easiest way... is it personal or simply convenient. thanks for taking part in this test...and don't forget to invite your 5 for Christmas.  For service times @thecwc.net