What do they need?

Did you know that everyone visiting First Free for the first time has five unspoken needs? Did you know that God wants to use you to help meet those unspoken needs?

The first unspoken need that guests want met is acceptance. They come asking, “Will I be accepted at this church?” Everyone needs a niche. Our life groups play a crucial role in meeting this need. Your job is to show our guests there is a place for them.

The second unspoken need is friendship. Guests of First Free come asking, “Will I find friends at this church?” People are looking for opportunities to develop relationships. They are not looking for a friendly church as much as they are looking for friends. Be a friend. Become a friend to our guests.

The third need guests want met is significance. “How will I make a difference at this church?” People want their lives to count. When we show people their gifts, talents, involvement and influence matter they will want to be part of that. First Free must be a creative place where all sorts of talents and abilities are expressed.

The forth unspoken need that guests are asking is, “How will I benefit from joining this church?” People will never grow spiritually without a commitment to live out what the Bible teaches in relationship with others. There are Biblical, practical and personal reasons for partnerships (membership). Do you know them?

The last unspoken need is in the area of expectation. “What will be expected of me at this church?” People have the right to know this before joining in. To worship, to pray, to use their gifts, to be generous, to serve the community, to spiritually reproduce themselves in others; whatever the expectation, the church must make it known.

Will you help First Free meet these needs for those who come?

Blessings,


P.S. Should I take this job? Should I marry this person? Where should I live? What does God want from me? If you have ever asked such questions you won’t want to miss this Sunday’s message – God’s Will: It’s simpler than you think!

Branding

Ten years ago nobody was talking about churches and brands. That doesn’t mean churches didn’t have brands or that branding didn’t exist; it simply means times have changed. Branding didn’t matter back then to the degree it does today.

I know the arguments: “We shouldn’t have to ‘market’ God” or “It’s not marketing God so much as doing our due diligence to make sure the love of Jesus is properly presented in our communities.”

To me, the bottom line is this: let’s make sure our “brand” doesn’t get in the way of reaching others with God’s love and truth.

All churches have brands. Yes, even First Free. By brand, I am not talking about a logo, a design or a given stated purpose. A brand is simply the experience someone has of our church.

If you tell your friends about First Free, what do you say about it? Do you say “it’s pretty boring, my wife makes me go” or “ I always feel welcome the minute I walk in the door” or “I like it but don’t understand the name” or “I tried to find it once, but couldn’t.” These kinds of experiences are the brand.

Every church provides an experience, whether good or bad, to those who visit. This experience is the brand! Do you think First Free needs a brand adjustment?

By that question, I don’t mean a new logo, fancier slides for sermons or more expensive brochures. I mean do we need to work to provide a better experience for those who are involved in their church and for those who could potentially be involved in the church?

I think the answer is yes and that every one of us should be part of the solution. There is a large coffee chain that trains their baristas by having them do a “go see.” A “go see” is when you go in front of the store and try to look at it through the customer’s eyes.

This “go see” improves the customer experience. Why not try a “go see” this Sunday. Come looking at the experience of our church through the eyes of a guest. Were you greeted? Was the facility appealing and clean? Could you park easily? Were there signs to show where classrooms, restrooms and the auditorium are? Would you know where to drop off and pick up your kids? Would you feel safe leaving them there? Did you feel welcomed by the pastor? Was the message relevant to a need in your life? Did you connect with others? Were you told why we do things the way we do them?

Let’s all work hard at creating experiences that will draw others to Jesus.

Blessings,


P.S. Help! I’m drowning in debt! What’s my next step? More money should make me happy shouldn’t it? God loves rich people more than poor people doesn’t He? Join me this Sunday at 9:00am or 10:30am to get the Bible’s view of financial contentment.

Since It's Father's Day...

Since it is Father’s Day this coming weekend, I wanted to commit this issue of the Freshly Bru’d to all the dads out there. If you are not a dad, don’t think “this issue isn’t for me.” There is something for all of us to glean.

The following are excerpts from Mark Merrill’s All Pro Dad book:

1.  Love is not a feeling; it is a decision. Love is an act of the will to be patient, kind, gentle, humble, sincere, compassionate, giving, faithful, trusting, forgiving, uniting and persevering.

2. Image is how we think others view us… identity is who we really are.

3. Children need to know we love them for who they are, not for what they do.

4. Your job as a dad is not that of a general contractor… your job is that of a CEO in your home.

5. People often say “time is money.” I say, “time is love.”

6. If you are married, the very best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother.

7. Everybody can be great, because anyone can serve. – Martin Luther King Jr.

8. Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that because that’s what the world needs, people who come alive. – Howard Thurman

9. You must be forever expanding your capacity to love in order to expand your capacity to lead in your home.

10. Leading a family is the hardest job a man can ever have. – Dave Ramsey

Blessings,

Pastor Mark

P.S. Dad’s Day is this Sunday! Be there! Invite your dad to join you. Take him to lunch afterwards. Tell him how much he means to you. If you want to learn how to be successful in life don’t miss the service. To be great, you have to be_________. What word do you believe should go in the blank?

A Dramatically Different Christianity is Just a Short Step Away

The more I read about the post-Christian era in the west, the more I am convinced that a dramatically different kind of Christianity is just a short step away. The well-worn path of how we have approached and measured following Christ, attending church using the church building, meeting in life groups, etc. will have to change if we want to be responsible Christ followers in reaching the world.

Let me share with you some things that are changing in many of our communities and churches. I will be the first to say “I don’t like the change” and “I wish it were not so.” However, these changes are upon us. The question for us is how will we adopt and adapt for ministry effectiveness.

The following are just observations however, if I were a “betting” man I would say that we should begin to prepare ourselves for their actuality.

1. The speed of change is accelerating. Gone are the days when a change is followed by a decade of the status quo. More often than not, the pace of change on the outside is greater than the pace of change on the inside of the church. This leads to a perilous disconnect.
2. Every Biblical reference is obscure to almost everyone. A lot of people in the church today have no point of reference. Concepts like communion, Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection are a complete mystery to many. We must not assume an “everybody knows that” philosophy.
3. It will become increasingly harder to say “come with me to church” and easier to say “meet me at Starbucks.” We need to discover and build a “meet me” philosophy of ministry.
4. Leader development and encouragement will be decentralized. The pace of life is making centralized gatherings more difficult and less productive to implement. Living rooms and coffee shops are becoming more productive.
5. Leader training will be accessed on a “need to know” basis and distributed on a “just in time” basis. Advances in training preparation is becoming obsolete. Now we have 24/7 delivery made possible on the internet.

With such changes, how will the church respond?

Blessings,

Mark

P.S. Have you ever felt you can’t measure up to the characters in the Bible? Have you ever thought that God is out to get you? Have you ever felt that He has abandoned you? If you have, you won’t want to miss this Sunday’s worship as we wrestle with these questions.

Top 20 Worriers

Have you ever found yourself worrying? Of course you have. Benenden Health surveyed 2,000 American adults to get a pulse on the 20 biggest worries of American adults. Here are the results:

1. My stomach/being overweight
2. Getting old in general
3. Savings/financial future
4. Debt
5. Energy levels
6. Credit card debt
7. Paying rent/mortgage
8. Job security
9. My diet
10. Keeping the house clean
11. Finding a new job
12. Sex life
13. General happiness
14. Wrinkles
15. Whether not I’m attractive
16. Physique
17. Meeting work targets/goals
18. Whether or not my partner still loves me
19. Whether my current partner is the right one or if I’ll ever find the right partner
20. What happens after death

It’s hard for many of us to get out of the worry mindset. Christian psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud states “when your mental map says that nothing you do matters, you stop focusing on the things that you do have control over, things that actually do matter and that can make a difference. When you regain control of yourself, strong results can be obtained, even in crummy environments.”

So how do I get out of the worry mindset? First, take your worry to God. He is the only One who has the power and wisdom to deal with every issue perfectly. He works in our best interest.

Second, memorize Philippians 4:6-7. When you find yourself worrying say “stop” and then recite the verse. If you have a hard time memorizing, take a notecard and write the word “stop” on one side and Philippians 4:6-7 on the other side; keep this notecard handy so that you can pull it out when you start worrying.

Third, replace the worry with something you could be doing the place of worry. Here is a list of things; let me know what you would add to it: smiling, taking a shower, calling up a friend to talk, exercising, doing a random act of kindness, making the bed, reading the Bible, cleaning the kitchen, sweeping the floor, going for a walk, praying, taking a few deep breaths, going to see your doctor, meditating on scripture, organizing the closet.

As the old song says “don’t worry, be happy.”
 

Blessings,

Pastor Mark

P.S. If love is so natural, why is it so hard? Have you ever been confused, frustrated, blind-sided or otherwise backed up against the wall when it comes to love? If so, you’re in good company. Join us this Sunday at 9:00am or 10:30am as we probe the subject that has confounded philosophers, scientists, poets and pretty much all of us at one point or another.

Anticipation... It's Making Me Wait

Do you anticipate going to church each weekend? I mean, when you consider “getting ready to go to church” this Sunday, what emotions does that phrase evoke in your family? In your heart? In your mind?

Psalm 84:1-2 tells us how the Psalmist longed for the next time he could be in God’s house, worshipping with God’s people. He actually couldn’t wait he was so excited.

May I remind you of a couple of things that will help you to get ready for church? First, get to bed at a descent hour on Saturday night. Second, bring your Bible. God’s Word is to be looked into intently. It is called “the sword of the Spirit.” Who would want to leave home without that?

Third, begin to get spiritually prepared. Spend a few minutes before the service in prayer. That means you have to arrive a few minutes before the service. Ask God to forgive you of any known sins (1 John 1:9). Ask God to use the volunteers who will be serving to bring glory to Him. Ask God to give you the desire to bring your best worship and service to Him. Pray for the worship team. Pray for the pastor to speak clearly and accurately God’s truth.

Forth and finally, connect with others. After all, worship has a corporate aspect to it. The church is to come together and worship. Pray for that person sitting next to you. Pray God will bring people who are disconnected from Christ and the church to First Free. Pray for your friends who need to give Jesus and the church one more try. Invite them to join you.
It’s time to meet with God in His dwelling place. Are you ready?
 

Blessings,

Mark "The Bru" Brunott

P.S. Have you ever felt alone? Have you ever questioned if you can walk the Christian walk with the strong anti-Christian lures around you? Do you ever feel weak in your faith? If you answered yes to any of these questions join me Sunday at 9:00am or 10:30am for some needed encouragement.

Thoughts on Mother's Day

This Sunday is the day in which we recognize our mothers and their contributions to our personal lives and our society. Years ago Erma Bombeck wrote one of the most meaningful tributes to mothers. I have enclosed it for your enjoyment.

When God Created Mothers
Erma Bombeck

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of "overtime" when the angel appeared and said. "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And God said, "Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts...all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head slowly and said. "Six pairs of hands.... no way."

“It's not the hands that are causing me problems," God remarked, "it's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."

“That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. God nodded.

“One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, 'What are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. 'I understand and I love you' without so much as uttering a word."

“God," said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "Get some rest tomorrow...."

“I can't," said God, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger...and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.

“But tough!" said God excitedly. "You can imagine what this mother can do or endure."

“Can it think?"

“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.

“There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model."

“It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."

“What's it for?"

“It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

“You are a genius,” said the angel.

Somberly, God said, "I didn't put it there.”

Lord, help us never to be too busy for mom. If you could take time and great effort for her on the cross in your death, help us to love her while we have her in our life.
 

Blessings,

P.S.  Have you ever felt manipulated into doing something out of “compassion?” I bet it didn’t feel very loving did it? Join us on Sunday at 9:00am and 10:30am as we dive in and look at the biblical boundaries of compassion. You also won’t want to miss this special Sunday as we honor those amazing women we call mothers.