“Ordinary people, empowered by an extraordinary God, building a community of Christ in West Orange County.”
Posted by Tom Welch on March 2, 2010 under News | 
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Go Find Your Desolate Place
“Life comes at you fast”, says a recent string of commercials. That tagline resonates because we all feel it. It’s called stress.
Stress isn’t just when bad things happen. Even “good stress” can have adverse effects. Stress knocks us off our groove. Stress can even knock us off our mission.
Posted by Tom Welch on February 23, 2010 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment
3D movies used to be relegated to the cheap horror and sci-fi genre’s of yesteryear. We’ve seen the goofy photos of people in theaters with the red/blue glasses on, waiting for the boogey man or a Martian to pop out of the screen. Now we are those goofy people with the special glasses on! 3D movies are all the rage and may be the future of cinema.
So if you have a 3D movie experience, why are you following a 2D Jesus? If we r4ead the bible as passive observers, we only see Jesus in 2D. We read (or listen), but we remain uninvolved. Jesus stays on the page and in the book.
But the real Jesus won’t stand for this. As we encounter him in Scripture, the Holy Spirit draws us in to the story and we become part of the drama. We are called join Jesus on his mission!
Jesus is still on mission. His mission has not changed. We are called to look to see where he is moving, and join him on mission. Three truths become crucial:
1. Jesus mission is defined in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
2. We are called to go on mission with Jesus to the poor, captive, blind, and broken. If you want to be on mission with Jesus you have to go where he is. Where is Jesus? He is with the poor, captive, blind, and broken.
3. But first we must understand that we are the poor, captive, blind, and broken that Jesus came to. The cross tells us that we are more sinful and broken than we could ever admit. And the cross tells us that we are more loved and cherished than we could ever hope!. The gospel first comes to us in our sin, guilt, brokenness, and bondage. Only then are we fit to share it with the world.
So have a 3D encounter with Christ. Break out of your 1D life and join him on his mission!
The well wisher of your soul’s happiness,
Pastor Tom
Posted by Tom Welch on February 11, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment
The Mission on the Move
If you want a quick guilt trip, compare your last 24 hours with Jesus first 24 hours in Luke 4:31-44. Let’s see: preach the good news - check! Deliver from demons - check! Heal the sick - check! Jesus was definitely a man on a mission!
Posted by Tom Welch on February 5, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment
Okay guys, it’s time to get serious and become a real “Band of Brothers”. We’re starting up a men’s group next Wednesday night (February 10th) at Tom McCoy’s home at 7:00 PM. We’ll meet each week for eight weeks for conversation and encouragement.
We’ll be looking at Chip Ingram’s series on spiritual warfare called “The Invisible War: What Every Believer Needs to Know about Satan, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare.” We need to remember that we are in a battle and need to guard one another’s back.
Nothing fancy - bring yourself and a friend. And don’t come just because you need it. Come because we need you!
Here’s the details again:
Where: Tom McCoy’s home
When: Wednesday’s at 7:00 PM
What: Topic - Conversation - Encouragement
“Matthew’s Hope” homeless ministry has a new need: Bike lights for the homeless friends who don’t have them. This is for both safety reasons and financial reasons.
Many homeless people rely on their bike for their transportation to and from job sites, grocery stores, etc… But they are often stopped by the police and ticketed for “improper equipment” because they don’t have lights.
Well, the Winter Garden police have offered to carry bike light kits in their squad cars to give to the homeless people they stop! They will also give them info on Matthew’s Hope where they can get a “hand-up”.
For $15 you can sponsor a bike light! We’ll be receiving an offering this Sunday. Make a separate check out to ‘Next Community Church*” or cash will do!
Thanks for making a difference!
*”Matthew’s Hope” is awaiting their non-profit status.
Posted by Tom Welch on January 21, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment
The Father’s Heart
What we all crave, deep within our souls is the blessing of our father. The Bible makes much of the importance of a father’s blessing and the heartbreak when that blessing is withheld. Many adults pursue their father’s blessing years after their dads have passed away. That sense of approval, respect, and love is what our heart’s long for,
What does the father’s blessing sound like? Well, Jesus heard it. It sounds like this:
Posted by Tom Welch on January 19, 2010 under News | Be the First to Comment
This weekend, our district leadership team, met with our Haitian pastors in the Southeast Florida region. There is a deep burden among our Haitian people who are receiving mixed reports from their homeland. What we are seeing on the news each day, their families and their church’s families are experiencing. On Sunday, we visited, as many Haitian churches as possible letting them know their Alliance family is standing with them through prayer and support.
One of our Haitian pastors attempted to go to Haiti on Saturday, but was unable to get his flight to Port Au Prince. He was to go and do preparation for an advance team that would go in this week. We know of four US pastors already there, and we hear of others who are planning to go this week, as well. As we gather reports, we will know better how we (the Southeastern District) should respond.
Phil Skellie and Robin Dirks, of CAMA Services, are coming to Orlando today to meet with us and to seek to get into Haiti to discern the need and establish a base from which we can operate.
The response we are encouraging is…
There are over 150 churches, schools, and orphanages in Haiti that use the name of the Alliance, but there has been no organization or training of them. Many of them have been planted and supported by pastors who also pastor US churches. We are seeking to identify each one, as well as “mother” churches (not necessarily C&MA) where our workers have come from, and extended family from there. We don’t know what this will look like, but we are hearing there is a great need for those in the Port au Prince region.
This past Saturday, the Superintendent and I met with the many of the pastors of the Haitian South Association of the C&MA. We heard from those who have spoken to family and friends in Haiti. The reports are grim, and there is a level of frustration at the inability for help to get to those who are injured or hungry. Plans were made on how to proceed.
On Sunday, we visited eleven churches in South Florida, sharing how the churches of the C&MA are supporting them in prayer and relief efforts. It was greatly appreciated.
A memorial service for the Haitian community is being planned in Fort Lauderdale by several of our pastors.
If you have helpful input on the District’s response, the best way to communicate is by email to harris@sedcma.org. Thank you for your prayers
Posted by Tom Welch on December 30, 2009 under News | Be the First to Comment
Why care?
Christmas (yes, we are still in the Christmas season) is a time of giving. We drop coins into bell ringers buckets and participate in special offerings for those in need. We should do this all year round. But we especially show compassion at Christmastime. But why care? We care because God does. Consider a verse from the psalm we looked at last Sunday:
Posted by Tom Welch on December 17, 2009 under News, Pictures | Be the First to Comment
Undies Sunday… from tom welch on Vimeo.
Posted by Tom Welch on December 14, 2009 under Pictures | Be the First to Comment
