Top 10 Reflections & Highlights from Biker Weekend...

1.  The Value of Great Leadership & a Great Team:  If you want to do something small with little impact…do it yourself.  If you want to be a part of something BIG, with BIG ETERNAL IMPACT…gather a great team!  Dwayne Cochran and his team, Bikers for Christ, did an amazing job. Thank you!

2.  So PROUD of the Love and Generosity you exhibited to support Angels of East Africa...just over $28,000 was given to support this ministry!

3.  There was a huge response of people, at every service, committing to seek Christ to change their lives!

4.  Amazed, once again, at what God can do with one life surrendered to him, no matter what one’s background might be.

5.  Reminded, once again, not to judge a book by its cover.  Equally surprised to see “young kids in skinny jeans” leading worship, via bluegrass, as “bikers who look like they could kill you” worshiping Jesus with arms lifted high to heaven.

6.  The power of an invitation at work…I’ve heard several stories of Cypress people who invited friends…they came, they heard, they accepted Jesus into their lives!  Thank you for INVITING!

7.  An unreal, huge, BIG, over the top THANKS to all of our Children’s Ministry volunteers who “rolled with the flow,” especially at the 11:15am service.  We try very hard to keep our service times to one hour (out of respect for our people, volunteers, and especially our guests).  Funny side note…sports is about the only arena where people get excited for “over time”  I have not heard one complaint from our volunteers who pulled a “DOUBLE OVERTIME” as ETERNAL WORK was being accomplished, by Christ, through our GUEST SPEAKER!

8.  I’m always impressed by the power of advance planning…not just the leadership and teamwork, but all the food that was purchased, all the preparations, t-shirts, door prizes, advertising, etc…advance planning pays off.

9.  It’s always great to see record, near “standing room only,” crowds…especially in response to #3 and then #2.

10. The biker ride was really fun, even though Serena and I had to cut ours short for Peyton’s last baseball game of the summer!

Basking in the Beauty of God’s Goodness today…have a safe and fun July 4th!
See you this weekend….It’s BIG!

Pastor Ken

An amazing story of an unbelievable journey...

You don't want to miss Sam Childers, aka The Machine Gun Preacher, 

sharing his incredible story of an unexpected calling.



By your faith Cypress, it is becoming a reality...

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

It was believing without seeing…our church exercised faith to help find a way for 2,000 children to receive three meals a day and an education. By faith, it is becoming a reality…

 

From the Front Lines…

a report from the Peru Mission Team:

Went to the farm yesterday…Wow! They have an amazing plan to use the land. Amazing to walk through the land that a church in Galloway, Ohio purchased…Incredible! We had the privilege of going to the soup kitchen grand opening today…Unbelievable! The gift of Cypress is truly changing the landscape of Ayacucho, Peru!

And...This Weekend! 

Dave Bever will be speaking to us about claiming victory in the little things and the BIG things through living by faith.

See you soon,

Pastor Ken

Keeping Cypress Updated...

Hope your summer is going great so far!  Last week, I sent a fiscal year-end letter to all the families in our database.  If you did not receive a letter, we may not have your correct information in our system.  Feel free to email your name and correct address so we can update our system - admin@thecwc.net.  See copy of letter below:
_______________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                                                 

Dear Team Cypress,

As our church’s fiscal year has come to an end (May 31), I want to take the opportunity to give you an “annual ministry update.”  So many great things have happened during the past year.  I feel like Paul when he wrote, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” 

Last June, our Cypress family averaged just over 2,300 people in attendance.  This May, we averaged over 3,200.  Each number represents a person, a member of a family, hope, and life-change in process!  Our ministry income has increased by 10%.  We’ve added one new staff member, Dave Bever, to be our first Multi-Site Campus Pastor.  Our Dublin Campus, opening this October, is the first of several multi-site campuses we will launch.  We reached beyond our own walls to an orphanage in Ayacucho, Peru, and purchased 65 acres to create a self-sustaining farm, providing three meals a day plus an education to over 2,000 children.  We also sent a medical/construction mission team, led by Dr. Rob Pema, to minister to the physical needs of hundreds in San Salvador, El Salvador.  In October, Team Cypress donated over 1,250 winter coats to the needy right here in our own city. 

There have been countless stories of life transformation shared each month through baptism.  However, the most important story this past year is "your" story.  I pray that God has blessed you in many ways to encourage, strengthen, and sustain your life journey. 

As we look forward to the coming year, let me give you four summer challenges:

1. Stay faithful in weekend worship.  Summer is a change of pace for many with school being out, family vacations, etc., but it is a great time to stay faithful in worship as well!

2. When you are out of town, be sure to stay in touch online, www.thecwc.net.  Worship and sermon teachings are available to help you stay connected and growing.

3. Before you go on vacation, be sure to offer your tithe.  Warning: from personal experience…if we take our tithe (God’s portion of our income) with us on vacation, we will be tempted to spend money that does not   belong to us.  For your convenience, you can give online and also check your current giving record, www.thecwc.net.  In July, you will be receiving a semi-annual giving summary for 2012.  Please be assured that we, who work at Cypress Wesleyan, deeply appreciate your financial faithfulness to the Lord’s work.

4. Keep Cypress on your radar all summer long...

· Father’s Day Weekend (June 16/17) ~ Back by popular demand…the mechanical bull!  Also, enjoy the fun of a baseball pitching machine and homemade ice cream!

· July 4^th Weekend ~ Biker Weekend with special speaker, Sam Childers, “The Machine Gun Preacher.”  Sam will share his incredible story of obedience and bravery as he stands and fights for the rights of children in Southern Sudan.

· In August ~ “BIG SUMMER SPLASH” (VBS).  As kids explore the wonders of the beach, they’ll also discover the Big Answers to their Big Questions about Jesus. 

As you can see, we’re going to experience a wonderful part of our life journey this summer.  I’m so glad God has brought us together for this season of our lives.

Your Pastor and Friend,

Ken 

How do Big Dreams become reality?

I was recently talking with a friend who lives out of state, listening to him describe the “BIG” things he was trusting God with in his life.  Then he said, “I’m just praying and waiting.”  I commented that all BIG things begin with prayer, but I asked if he had adjusted his thinking or pattern of living in any way.  He said, “No”…and I was left wondering if things in his life will ever change.

Last weekend, we talked about gaining a vision for something “BIG” in your life, your family, and what’s happening in our church.  This weekend, I will be sharing three categories of strategic investment in order to see “BIG” Dreams become REALITY! 

We will also be celebrating a time of prayer-commissioning for a special team of workers trained to love and minister within our church…and, of course, it’s Child Dedication Weekend! 

Looking forward to learning together what the Bible has to say about taking daily steps so we may experience the BIG things God has in store.

See you soon,

Pastor Ken

Sharing Cypress stories at General Conference 2012...

Pastor Ken's devotion at

The Wesleyan Church General Conference 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPsT-24w3pU&feature=BFa&list=PLC9034B3F90FF0A7D

What motivates you?

An iceberg always has two parts…one part we see, the other we don’t.  Research tells us it’s the larger portion that lies beneath the surface (affected by the currents of the ocean) which determines largely the direction the iceberg will travel, even more than the prevailing winds that blow. 

This weekend, we are exploring the question, “What is it that motivates us in life?”  We will also be looking at some of the exciting realities for Cypress in the coming months.

I’m looking forward to kicking off summer with you this weekend at Cypress.

Pastor Ken