At High Point Church, My desire is that every believer would not just attend church on Sunday, but also receive from God daily out of His Word. As we read God's words, we begin to see how God responds to things. Doing daily devotions re-patterns the way we think and transforms the spirit of the mind. Then when we face similar situations as Jesus did, we begin to respond in the same way. Journaling is an excellent way to both record and process what God has spoken to us. It's also a useful tool to use at a later time, to reflect on and review some of the 'gems' that you have received. Without writing them down, you may forget those blessings and some very important lessons! And while journaling is a very personal time with the Lord, you may want to share some of your daily journaling with your connection group or spouse. Through discussion, you may be able to look deeper into what God is speaking to you, gain new insight and even encourage others.
How to Journal- S.O.A.P.
You’ll need three items (Bible, Pen & Journal) or use a program like Youversion.com to store your journals and show you a daily reading plan. Here is a simple way to journal every day! (Click here for a Download Soap 365 Daily Journal to aid you in your process.) Pray before you begin that the Word will Come alive!
S for Scripture- Open your Bible to your reading for the day. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal. Don't know what to read? Try a daily reading plan. But remember the goal is change not quantity. Here is a screen shot from Youversion .com showing the daily reading plan
O for Observation- What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Look for the one word or phrase that screams at you off the page.
A for Application- Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
Here is another shot of a journal entry I did in Youversion.com
P for Prayer- This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.
Tell me how this goes for you? We as a staff are sharing every week our S.O.A.P.ing experience. Elizabeth and I have enjoyed asking each other what the other is being challenged in. It is a great way to grow together!
High Point Church will begin serving a Double Shot!
Starting September 13 we will be offering 9:00am and 10:30am services.
We will be multiplying our efforts by offering two services on Sunday mornings. If you have followed my last few posts, on my personal blog, you have seen pictures that explain our reason why.
1- Our cup is running over! We have been seeing record numbers of people attending High Point Church and we are reaching capacity in our main theater and kid’s area. We have to make room for every single person who wants to come. Each week we have people who are giving God and church one more shot. We want to make sure that they are able to experience the life changing power of the Gospel. Without this change we will unintentionally be turning people away due to lack of space. We don’t want our capacity to keep us from fulfilling our calling.
2- Our volunteers need a Break. We have volunteers who work hard every week of the month so that people who are in the service can grow through the teaching of the word and worship. By going to two services we are able to have every volunteer... "Attend one and Serve one." Now everyone has an opportunity to serve in an area of the church where they can use their gifts, find friendship and share in the joy of helping people connect with God, without missing church! If you would like to sign up and volunteer you can do so here... HighPointChurch.tv/volunteer
3- Like a good espresso, High Point was meant to be shared. Options make it easier for people to come and experience the "Life Changing" community we are. Kids nap times, work schedules, Viking/Packer games and other Sunday morning obstacles are lessened by the fact that now there are two service times.
Many of you want to bring a friend, neighbor or coworker, but are scheduled to serve. This also makes it possible for you to do both in one morning. Sharing your church has never been easier.
Starting September 13, we will be having 9am and 10:30am services. Mark your calendars and get ready for an exciting fall! We have already been preparing for this for several months, and I am so excited to finally tell you about it! Tell a friend and look for more details coming soon!
High Point Kids has been having record attendance. I remember when 0 or 1 kid would show up and it was such a bummer but we prayed and worked hard at making the program the best we could make it at the time. Terry Peterson our original Kids volunteer has worked selflessly over the last 3 and a half years to make it a worthwhile service for kids. He originally said he would be with the church to help us out for about 3 years. (I'll blog more about Terry, his heart and mission in another post.) Terry has worked really hard and created something that is now ready to hand off to the next generation of Kids leaders.
New and Improved is the best way I can describe what is happening. We are changing a lot while still keeping the core of what Terry Built in tact.
This Sunday High Point Kids begins a new Kids program. We have done our research, explored our options and interviewed the needs and wants of parents of that age children. I am pleased with what we have chosen for our volunteers to work with. It pairs the best of Video, live interaction and small group time making it a great tool for us as parents to utilize every week. 252 Basic is material birthed out of the local church. It is age appropriate in nature and teaches our children 3 basic truths. it is a simple and effective approach to helping our kids grow up and Live Their Potential!
1) I need to make the wise choice
2) I can trust God
3) I should treat others the way I want to be treated
We are moving to a Team approach. No longer will one person carry the weight of this program. They will work together in making each week the best that we can make it. I am so Excited for Jordan and Aimee Robertson, John and Jodi Johnson and Adam and Melissa Delveaux as they take the reigns of our new and improved Kids area ages 6-11. (we could still use 1 or more for this area and another couple people in the other Kids areas to volunteer as well.)
This is going to be a great shift for our Kids. Every week will be better than the last as we get more comfortable with the curriculum and the team gets more time under their belts. Everyone of the couples involved in this initial team has some background in education and will approach the bible in a way that makes sense for your child.
If you have kids stop down by our Kids area and meet our new team. Also Give Terry Peterson a huge hug on Sunday and let him know how vital he has been to High Point these past few years. He built something we can now stand on and take to the next level. That is an awesome thing to be credited with.
Let someone you know hear about the exciting things we are up to. We want to see the kids of this city Find Their Place- Develop their Faith and Live Their Potential!- Imagine a generation understanding why they exist at a young age! WOW! That is the role of the church.
