Seven Reasons I LOVE OUR CHILDREN’S MINISTRY!

Our Children’s Ministry has had OVER 900 kids/volunteers the last several weekends!  What an incredible opportunity, what an awesome responsibility. Let me share seven reasons WHY I LOVE CHILDREN’S MINISTRY AT CYPRESS!

#1 – It’s clean! No nasty carpet, no smells, no dirty floors! I know that our kid’s area is clean and that matters to every parent.

#2 – It’s safe! Background checks have been ran on every staff member (in our church) and every volunteer that has any contact with children (or students). There is a solid check-in system; a child checked in can only be checked out with a security tag.

#3 – It’s fun! My seven year-old LOVES CHURCH, LOVES IT!! I love the fact that “fun” is a value in our Children’s Ministry! Where in the world did we ever get the idea that kids must suffer through church? Heaven is NOT boring; it’s going to be a massive party/celebration and church should be as well, especially for kids!

#4 – Our Staff and Volunteers are Awesome…our children’s staff and volunteers LOVE children!  They volunteer and serve out of delight rather than duty! If a staff member or volunteer in the children’s area does not absolutely love children, then they need to be moved to another area. Kids can read right through an adult, and a ministry that isn’t based out of love for children will be unfruitful and ineffective.

#5 – Our Kids Know God’s Word! Every week on the way home from church I ask Peyton two questions. By the way…these are the two questions I’ve shared with our Children’s Ministry Team, for over a year, in regards to what our vision should be for Children’s Ministry. I have said that parents are going to ask their kids two questions every Sunday…which are…

1. Did you have fun? (This one is first 90% of the time!)
2. What did you learn?

It always fills my heart with joy every time Peyton tells me what he learned in his class about the Scriptures.  Seriously, when a church commits to teaching children about Jesus, in an environment that they love and in a manner that is on their level, then they are making an investment in the next generation!

#6 – We invest heavily in our Youth and Children’s Ministries! I don’t believe they are “the church of tomorrow.” I believe they are the church of TODAY! I believe they matter TODAY! I believe that if we invest in them TODAY, and teach them about Jesus TODAY, and help them grow up with a favorable view of church TODAY, then their tomorrow will look a lot different! Disney spends money on them; the Cartoon Network spends money on them; the CHURCH should spend money on them!

#7 – They have an EXCELLENT LEADER, MISS KATHY GEORGE!  Our Children’s Director is the absolute best on the planet! (p.s. today is her birthdayJ) She LOVES kids and has three boys of her own! She has more passion for children and their families than anyone I know! By the way…a passionate and wise leader makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE! I am so honored that my two older boys have had, and Peyton currently has, the privilege of being in an environment every week that is directly impacted by Kathy’s vision and passion of seeing children learn about Jesus on their level, and developing a relationship with Jesus as their “best forever friend and Savior.”

A dynamic CHILDREN’S MINISTRY cannot be underrated! If we want to reach them, we have to start as early as we can!!

Have a great week! Pastor Ken

I have a feeling this weekend is going to be very MEMORABLE!

Sometimes all we need is a little nudge.  I’ve often reflected on some of the best and worst decisions I’ve made in my life, and I find there is a common trait…someone was there offering me encouragement!  It was still MY decision, but often there was someone who helped “encourage me” to that point.  Can anyone relate?

I’m asking you to help “encourage” a friend/neighbor/co-worker to get to church this weekend by INVITING them.  We are in week three of our Culture Shapers series and we’re talking about FASHION with a live “through the decades” runway show.  In terms of fashion, is culture shaping us or are we standing up against and shaping culture?  This weekend promises to be very fun and thought-provoking.  I will be talking as a Pastor, a Man and a Dad!

An invitation could be the one nudge someone needs to see the direction of their life change forever!

Two more things…sit near the front and be on time.  If you’re late, you’ll miss a very “memorable” part of the service!

See ya soon,

Pastor Ken

Doing Our Part ... Making Room

Dear Cypress,

I know you are extremely busy so I will keep this brief and to the point.  We need your help and partnership!  Since Christmas we have grown by an additional 500 people.  Praise the Lord for that!  You are inviting friends and they are coming!  Our attendance the last two weekends has been right at 3,700 and we have run out of room at our 11:15 service. 

We are expecting a great turn out for worship this weekend.  So I am asking those of you whose schedule will allow, could you help us out for this weekend by attending Saturday night worship (6pm) or Sunday first service (9:30am) this one time.  In the coming weeks, I will be addressing some of our longer term solutions that will allow us to continue to create environments and opportunities for people to hear and experience the life changing message of Christ for months and years to come.

Invite a friend and show up for the, “Fashion Show Through the Decades,” this weekend as we continue our culture shapers series.

So looking forward to this weekend,

Pastor Ken

Are you tired of dealing with all the DRAMA?

This weekend continues our Culture Shapers series, asking the question, “How does culture shape us and how are we shaping culture?”  We’ll be looking at the type of thing that happened in my home last night and this morning…DRAMA.  Our drama had to do with school…will it be closed tomorrow, or maybe a delay?   Oh, the anticipation, the suspense, even the prayers and, this morning, the let-down (for me it was actually joyJ).  In books and movies, often times, they all live happily ever after and the hero wins.  So, how do we reconcile real life with story life?  I’m really looking forward to this one.

Also, the kids are sure to have a great time as our Children’s Ministry is welcoming ventriloquist, Gene Cordova, in week two of their Grand Opening.  As a parent, I can think of few things better than knowing my child will laugh, have a great time, and learn about Christ!

Finally, I believe there is another “hit medley” of drama classics from years past. 

See ya this weekend and, in the spirit of one hit drama you may or may not remember, “Hey, let’s be careful out there.” 

Pastor Ken

Five things I want every Cypress person to hear...

I’m at a restaurant waiting for a meeting to start and I find my thoughts running over with praise and gratitude to God.  Praise for who He is and what He is doing in our midst.  The Lord brought this scripture to mind…

Psalms 145:1-6 (NIV)
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

Let me tell you a short list of the awesome works God is doing in you and through you:

1.  Last weekend we set a “normal weekend” attendance record.  We had 3,697 in worship!  God has to smile when He sees His kids coming in His honor to spend time in worship. 

2.  I have received numerous (more than a handful & less than a hundredJ) reports about how you invited friends to Christmas Eve, or this past weekend, and THEY CAME TO CHURCH!  YOUR INVITATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

3.  The Orphanage Project in Peru is PAID IN FULL!  Fifty-thousand dollars through your generosity will directly impact the lives of 2,000 children!  Three meals a day, an education, AND the opportunity to hear about Christ!

4.  We have a record number of kids playing basketball this year…over 460 kids!  This means more opportunity to reach and connect with those who do not yet know Christ in a personal way!

5.  We haven’t had really cold weather yet but, when we do (and we willL), there’ll be over 1,200 who’ll be warmer as a result of your generosity during our Fall Coat Drive!  Hope and Love given as a tangible expression of Christ’s love.

Well, my meeting is about to begin, so I had better wrap this up…just wanted to share some of the things I’ve been meditating on and, to remind us all, how great is our God! 

Have a great rest of your day,

Pastor Ken

Culture Shapers starts this weekend...don't miss out!

Cypress, let me give you four great reasons to be in church this weekend:

1.     We are kicking off our new series, Culture Shapers, and asking the question, “How does culture shape us and how do we shape culture?”  This weekend, we’re taking a look at Comedy, particularly in sitcoms…aka Modern Family Weekend.

2.     In addition to an amazing worship set list, there is a special “through the years” sitcom medley, which is sure to bring a smile to your face.

3.     This weekend also kicks off a Month-Long Grand Opening for our Children’s Ministry area!  Don’t forget, it’s also Starbucks Weekend for the kids!

4.     Finally, I will be announcing the Grand Total for the Orphanage Project in Peru, highlighted during the Christmas Eve services.  Hint…amazing news and I’m so proud of you. J

This would be a great weekend to bring a friend.  Extend an invitation and come expecting great things from our great God!

Looking forward to it,

Pastor Ken

BIG Things on the Horizon @ CYPRESS in 2012!

There are several stories in scripture that have always intrigued me.  Do you remember the story of Jesus in his hometown and the amazing reaction to him…or should I say lack thereof?  The Bible says Jesus performed only a few miracles in his hometown because of the lack of faith (or expectation) on the part of the people. 

Mark 6:1-5 / Matthew 13:58

I’m not sure if Jesus was expecting a “hero’s welcome” or not,

but what he experienced and as a result what the people expected,

their experience was less than what God desired.

I read a book over the Christmas break detailing the power of “social networks” and their effect on how people think, behave, and shape their values…interesting research to say the least.  A Cliff’s Notes version ~ what each one of us, so to speak, “brings to the table” in terms of our attitude, expectations, habits, etc., goes a long way in determining the expectation AND the eventual experience not only for ourselves but for countless others around us as well.  Expectation can have a positive or a negative influence.

As we get ready to kick off our first sermon series of 2012, Culture Shapers, I wonder, “What are you expecting God to do in you and through you?”  I expect, in fact I believe, 2012 will be the most fruitful year of ministry we have ever seen.  I really believe that!  In 2011, the foundation was laid to impact more lives than we could imagine and, in 2012, we walk through open doors of opportunity.  This will be the year we launch our first Multi-Site, the year our Leadership Internship Program for college students opens, the year the vision to expand our reach to minister to 2,000 orphans in Peru becomes reality, and so much more!!!  God is going to do BIG things in us and through us in 2012! 

As I was typing this, I received a report from our Sports Ministry team that we have the largest number of kids participating in our basketball league ever in the history of our church!  We have over 460 kids playing this year, over 105 coaches, not to mention refs and all the others involved to make this ministry happen.  But remember, we count wins and losses not in numbers involved, but rather in the number touched and transformed by Christ’s love THROUGH SPORTS MINISTRY…touching and transforming those lives begins this weekend with Culture Shapers.  This sermon series is going to provide context for processing some life questions many have had, but never really thought about. 

I know God desires these things and, according to scripture, I also know He expects each one of us to do our part. 

Come ready, come expecting…this is going to be fun! 

Pastor Ken