Don't miss Pastor Ken's live radio interview tomorrow morning...

A Christian radio station that broadcasts on FM Radio in Kentucky and Tennessee has heard the Cypress story and is interviewing Pastor Ken tomorrow morning, 2/1.  Click the link below and listen to the interview LIVE ONLINE from 8:17-8:42am and see how God is using YOU and the story of Cypress to inspire the Church around the nation.

http://www.thegoodmorningshow.com/

Take 60 seconds to read this...1...2...3...

If you are reading this, you already know...

• How to get online
• And you use TECHNOLOGYJ

We live in a society and culture that has never been more connected or technologically advanced…yet surveys tell us many people have never felt so alone or isolated as they do today.  Why is that?  Is it actually true?  Does the Bible really talk about Technology?  Absolutely!  Come explore how technology influences us and how we can harness its power to help us CONNECT with the things and the people that really matter.

I still don’t have an iPhone, but I may borrow my sons for part of the teaching…any guesses as to what for?

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See ya soon,

Pastor Ken ... 60

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