Aug

 

 

 

“When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not. Disagreement, at this stage, stimulates me. But once a decision has been made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.”
- Colin Powell

Jul

Today was a great day.  What an awesome God we serve!

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 folks showed up for our groundbreaking ceremony at the Aiken Family Y / Cedar Creek West site on Trolley Line Road.

Here are a few thoughts on what God is doing through this partnership:

The Family Y is an amazing organization with a bold vision to reach people in this community and help them develop their mind, body and spirit.  Part of the YMCA’s mission statement says, “To put Christian principles into practice.”  That is exactly what we, as followers of Jesus, are called to do.  Not just talk about who Jesus is but to actually live out the commands and example He has given us.

One of our core values at Cedar Creek Church is that we are “Better Together.”  Partnerships are the key.  Identifying where God is at work in our midst and to partner with people and organizations that are like-minded.  We know that in Aiken County alone there are, statistically, 77,000 people who are unsaved and/or unchurched.  That means they don’t know who Jesus is or don’t have a church home.  It will take THE CHURCH, not just Cedar Creek Church, working together to make a difference in reaching those folks with the Good News.  That is why we also must be willing to work together with other churches, leveraging their strengths and gifts where we are weak and allow them to benefit from where we are strong or gifted differently.

“To reach people that nobody else is reaching, we must do things that nobody else is doing.”  I heard Craig Groeschel, pastor of Lifechurch.tv, say that about two years ago and it’s TRUE!  This partnership allows us, a church, to share space (a non-traditional, third space) with an organization that naturally draws people.  We have an opportunity to SERVE our community by being there to share life with those who will come through the doors of the Family Y.  Culture changes, so we change.  The message never changes, but the method in which we communicate that message must constantly change.

We don’t want to be the biggest or the best church IN our community, but we do strive to be the best church FOR our community.  This will happen when we welcome and accept any and all who want to find out what Cedar Creek is all about.  They will discover that we are all about Jesus and how He alone can change lives and gives us purpose in living out His mission.

Everybody is a potential something.  Every man, woman and child was made by God and He has a purpose and a plan for each life that He has created.  I was reminded this morning of the power and potential of our kids.  Some of the Family Y “camp kids” came out and shared a few songs with us.  After they finished, Danny McConnell, President of the Metro Y, talked about growing healthy kids and the impact their Y experience will have on them.  Knowing that we will also have an opportunity to volunteer and help through Y programming excites me to no end.

God is moving.  I had an opportunity to share my “Y pine tree” story with those gathered today.  How God in his providence ordained this property and set it aside years ago for this very purpose.  I have spent much of my life running the woods of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida and have NEVER seen trees like the ones on this site, anywhere.  God truly reveals Himself through His creation and, each time He does, I am humbled and honored to be a small part of this adventure.

Thanks to so many.  I had the chance to thank several people (and a couple who I forgot to mention) who have worked tirelessly to help move this vision closer to becoming a reality.

First of all, my beautiful wife, Keli, who loves me, tolerates me and is my partner in ministry.

Danny McConnell, Bob Deering, Richard Fine, Brad Brodie, Phillip Lee, Richard Swift for the courage and vision to take a chance on this partnership.

David Hardy, Ray Massey and Toren Andersson for their integrity and professionalism and friendship to me.

The Aiken Family Y Board members, current and previous, for the legwork and nuts and bolts negotiations that helped this plan go forward.

And last, but no way least, the people of Cedar Creek Church (Banks Mill, On The Ridge and West), West Campus lead team, our amazing volunteers…who have prayed, given sacrificially and done “whatever it takes” to do what God has called us to do to make Aiken County a better place, one life at a time.

All praise and glory to the One who is worthy – Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Jun

Apr

I was totally blown away to see over 650 people at our two Easter events at the Convocation Center!  Jesus said that He would build His church and we are seeing that.  It’s not about us or our efforts, only about Him and what He has done!  (Side note: Cedar Creek saw over 4,000 total between our three campuses and seven services).  A-MA-ZING!

Those who attended heard the Gospel and had a chance to respond.  Praying that seeds were planted and watered.  (Still waiting to hear how many folks met Jesus for the first time this weekend).  Phillip brought it and clearly communicated that we ALL have been jacked up by sin in our lives and need a Savior.  Christ’s death on the cross and victory over death is the only place that we can find true security.

Good people make all the difference!  I know I say that all the time, but it’s SO TRUE.  We had a an opportunity to setup on Saturday and close to 50 folks showed up on a SATURDAY morning and helped turn the Convocation Center into a church.  We could not do what we do each week if our volunteers didn’t do all that they do to create an environment where people can come and hear about Jesus and experience His love.  We can never have too much help and Saturday reminded me how smooth things go when everybody pitches in to do something.  If you would like to be a part of the setup team, give Tammy a shout and she will hook you up!

Our creative guys are THA BOMB!  Alan and Walter had a ton thrown at them, some at the last minute, the past few weeks and they hit it out of the park again.  The “life change” stories that were shown during Phillip’s message were well done and clearly communicated the difference that Christ made in their lives.  I was moved by James’ raw honesty, Michelle’s authenticity and the Smart’s story that could have been mine and Keli’s story 13 years ago when we found Cedar Creek Church.  Thanks to those folks for being willing to let God use their story to help the rest of us.

Our Kidz Creek folks are the heart of everything that we do!  Week in and week out they show the love of Jesus to large numbers of kidz in creative and informative ways.  Especially dear to my heart (having started there myself) are the nursery folks who love on babies…they saw 18 BABIES yesterday at the West Campus!

Guest services were spot on and new folks had no trouble feeling welcome, finding their way and getting something to eat and drink!

The media ninjas handled some last minute tweeks and numerous video transitions with a smooth, Barry White-like goodness.  Props to the guys who were working it yesterday!

The worship team did an incredible job of leading us to the throne of God to worship Him!  One week after announcing that our worship leader was taking some time off to focus on school, the rest of the team stepped up and showed how annointed they are.  They are a talented group of folks who lead us by example, worshipping God in front of us each week.  Yesterday’s journey from the city limits of Jerusalem (Hosanna) to the empty tomb and resurrected Jesus (Everlasting God) was clear and powerful.  Thanks to Jeff M for his faithfulness to step up and lead this amazing group of leaders!

Last, but by no means least, thanks to our Centerpoint crew who saw close to 100 middle and high school students between both services! Rick Lee filled in for Todd, our Student Ministry Director, who is away in South Asia with a team on a short term mission trip. Rick’s heart and calling to student ministry is obvious and his love for Jesus just oozes out of him. Rick has a genuine gift of speaking to students in an authentic and transparent way that God is going to use for years to come.

Thanks to all our folks who call Cedar Creek home for inviting your lost friends, neighbors, co-workers and family.  If statistics are correct, there are approxiimately 77,000 people in Aiken county alone that do not know Jesus or have a church home.  That number astounds me.  What I realize is that we, THE CHURCH, have to work together to reach these folks with the good news.  It won’t be done by Cedar Creek alone.  It will take every church that is a part of THE CHURCH to do what Jesus said to do.  Let’s get busy loving these folks, not just by telling them about Jesus, but also by helping them, serving them, showing them that a life following Jesus is better than a life following the world.

I know that number seems overwhelming.  How will we ever reach all those folks?  It’s like the question of “how do you eat an elephant?” The answer: one bite at a time.  We will reach Aiken county, South Carolina, our country, those who have never heard all over the world… ONE LIFE AT A TIME.

Who are you bringing with you next Sunday?

Are you in a HOME group yet?

Where are you serving?

Mar

Sunday, March 7, 2009, the West Campus met on the site of the Aiken Family YMCA / Cedar Creek West and celebrated our churchwide commitment and NEXT step for a permanent home for the West Campus.  During our service we took just a minute to acknowledge that, as one church in many locations, we are always BETTER TOGETHER.

We understand that most who committed to NEXT 2010 will be giving to something that will never personally benefit them.

This is the history of Cedar Creek Church.  As Dennis Swanberg once said here we’re “planting shade trees that we will never sit under.”

To Be The Church God will always call his people to do things for others who can’t do things for themselves.  See Joshua 1:11-16

It is what God himself did for us by sending Jesus.  May we never forget that as we join Jesus on His mission to reach the lost and hurting in this community no matter what campus we gather on.  We are ONE CHURCH.

Mar

http://www.vimeo.com/9901820

 

Well, folks, it’s almost time!

 

This is your friendly reminder that this week’s West Campus gathering will NOT be at the USCA Convocation Center, as usual.  We WILL, however, be meeting on the property at the YMCA / Cedar Creek West site on Trolley Line Road.

 

I am FIRED UP that we get to celebrate this partnership and all that God is doing in us and through us  on the site where the building is going up!  Sunday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m. we will gather in a HUGE white tent and worship together, kidz and adultz, all at once.  Not to mention that our hospitality this week is being provided by Dunkin Donuts….coffee and donut holes.  YES!

 

The weather is supposed to be GREAT.  Please wear your “play” shoes because the site is still dirt and you don’t want to mess up your good stuff.

 

Come early, come ready to worship and come ready to celebrate our amazing God and this NEXT step for Cedar Creek Church and the West Campus.

 

In Him,

 

Wes

Feb

 

 

Yesterday, our Senior Pastor Phillip Lee shared the vision for what’s NEXT at Cedar Creek Church and, specifically, for the West Campus and our potential partnership with the Aiken Family YMCA.

As you read through the information and think through all that Phillip talked about, surely questions come to your mind.

What are they?

Bring them here as “comments” and I will answer them.

Let ‘er rip!

Jan

I am really fired up about our first series of 2010!  This coming Sunday, we start “One Month To Live” which is based, in part, on the book by Chris and Kerry Shook.

Phillip will kick this series off with an overview talk of what it looks like to live a “No Regrets” life.   Over the next several weeks we will walk through and dig into God’s word and discover four principles of intentional living.  Our hope and prayer is that we will all learn what it means to:

Live Passionately

Love Completely

Learn Humbly  and

Leave Boldly

Our “theme” verse for this series is “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”  Psalms 90:12 (LB)

If you live in the Aiken County area you can join us Sunday mornings for this series at one of our three campuses of Cedar Creek Church.  Click here for more information, service times or directions to a campus near you or to join us for the messages online.

One Month To Live Challenge

• Ask everyday – What would I do if I had one month to live?
• Get connected with a H.O.M.E. Group to fully experience this series!

Jan

This is the “Holbrook paraphrase:”

The Law of Requisite Variety states that for a system to thrive and sustain, it must generate and encourage variety within it’s internal structures.  Clear?

Ok.  A little more simplified and cliche’…routine is the enemy!

Basically, this is why your body plateaus every two weeks of doing the exact same exercise and you see no further improvement.  Your body will find the most efficient way to do whatever you ask it to do and, without variety of exercises, you fail to experience increased strength or endurance.  That’s why mixing up workouts, increasing load or duration always produces positive results.

Spiritually, we do the same thing without even realizing it.  Sing the same song week in and week out, pray the same exact prayer everytime you eat a meal, structure a service the exact same way every week and, soon enough, it becomes routine…rote…ritual.  Growth stops.  Interaction ceases.  You check out.  The words no longer mean anything, you don’t actually think about what you’re thanking God for and you do not experience worship anymore.  You plateau.  You slump.

The sacred becomes routine.

What is the sacred or special in your life that has become routine?

Maybe it’s in your relationship with your spouse…

Maybe it’s in the way you interact with God’s word…

Maybe it’s you talking AT God and not listening TO God…

Maybe it’s in the way you serve…or don’t serve…

Most of the time, to break out of the slump, it requires just a simple change.  Often a little variety helps break the stagnation.

Always do your quiet time in the same place?  Move.

Always read the NIV translation?  Try KJV or NLT or The Message paraphrase.

Always pray the exact same prayer?  Talk to God and LISTEN.  Don’t just demand whatever it is you think you need without ever spending time being still…and quiet.

Not connected in a HOME group and part of a Sunday morning team?  Take a step.  Visit a group (or two) and volunteer.

It’s a new year and time to get out of the rut!

Jan

There is something about a cow.  I’m not really sure what IT is but they are…cute…in an ugly sort of way.  They are big, even the young ones, and they are curious.  So are kids…curious, that is.

Outdoors, you can’t help but see God’s handiwork displayed in all of His creation.  Even…in the face of a cow.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  Romans 1:20(NIV)

Jan

Alright…the question is, “What is your plan for reading through God’s word this year?”

Do you have a plan?  If not, let me make a recommendation…YOUVERSION.  The folks at Lifechurch.tv have put together a great, free resource.

www.youversion.com is an online Bible in different languages and different translations.  They also have 20 suggested reading plans that you can personalize and use this coming year.  It syncs up to Iphone and Blackberry or other “smart” phones and has an online journal to keep up with your writings and notes as you read.

I have picked mine and started reading.  What say you?  Do you have a plan?  Comment back here and let me know which one you go with!

Jan

Happy New Year everyone.

I have finally put together my list of books “to read” for this coming year.  If you’re interested, you can check them out here.  Not sure which one I’m most excited about getting to, however, I think “Last Child in the Woods” is high on my list.  Given the theme, and my heart for the woods, I am very interested to see what the author has to say.  I have long believed that much of our ills as a society stem from kids with nothing to do and a general lack of interest / opportunity to explore the great outdoors.

Peace to you and yours this year.

May 2010 be our best yet!

Dec

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.  This past year has been an incredible start to this new adventure that God has for our family.  We are so thankful for all of you who are walking with us.  Your love, prayers, friendship and partnership has encouraged and strengthened us more than you will ever know.

May God bless each of you and keep you growing closer to Him and closer to one another in 2010!

Much love from our house to yours,

Wes, Keli, Will and Hannah

Dec

Spend a little time around Cedar Creek Church and you will hear somebody say, “The bigger we get, the smaller we  have to get.”  It is a core value and the heart of all that we do.  To maintain that intimacy and authentic sense of community, we must multiply our HOME groups and our campuses as we grow.  This has never been more true than this past year.  After seventeen years, Cedar Creek went from one church in one location to one church in three locations.  Over this past year we’ve learned many new things and have been reminded of many things that we knew but had gotten away from.

One thing that came back to us was the need to appreciate our volunteers in smaller gatherings and throughout the year in simple, yet effective, ways.

Keli and I had the privilege of serving dinner, along side of our HOME group coaches, to our HOME group leaders at Jay and Anita Judy’s house.  We gathered together to show our appreciation to our leaders for shepherding God’s people day in and day out.  What a great time together!  The evening was reminiscent of the days when the entire church staff could meet in one living room.  Now, there will be many small group gatherings of this kind as God continues to bless the work He began at Cedar Creek in 1992.

As we constantly look for new and creative ways to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some things must not change.  Life…happens in small groups, not in the large group gatherings.  We continue to gather in the big settings to worship and celebrate all that He is doing in us and through us.  We also must never give up meeting “from house to house.”  Thank you Lord for the reminder to “go back the way we came.”

Dec

 

So, I am woefully deficient when it comes to correspondence and communications. And everyone said, “Amen!”

Especially when it comes to this blog.

So…I am employing or deploying some systems, people and tools to help me do a better job.

This is just one step…my I phone. Yes, I know I am way behind on this technology but I am here. Better late than never!

We shall see if it works…

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