One of our most unusual days at OneLife also quickly became one of my favorites…and most draining!

• We tested the waters with video preaching as we participated in One Prayer – a world-wide sermon series where the Church comes together as One.
• Perry Noble was our speaker and taught that God Is…Here!
• It was an awesome message and reminder.
• It only took a few minutes for the awkwardness of watching the video to go away. I literally forgot that he wasn’t live as we were watching and following along.
• OneLifers seemed to get into it too. They raised hands when he asked questions, laughed when something was funny, and even gave some “Amens!”
• Just goes to show that church isn’t about one person (i.e. the “Pastor”)
• At the end of the second service, it got even more unusual AND more awesome!
• We had a wedding. Yes.  A wedding.
• A real wedding? YES! A real wedding.
• Here’s the back story. Larry and Ami began coming to OneLife several months ago after not going to church for years. They got involved volunteering very quickly and rarely missed a Sunday. At the time they were living together along with Larry’s 5 kids but weren’t married. God began to convict them that this wasn’t His plan for their family. They decided they wanted to get married and after my suggestion to do so on a Sunday and share this with everyone as an example of their changed lives, they agreed.
• It was an awesome moment!! And many of their family members and friends were exposed to the Gospel in a very unique way.
• Pray for them and their new life together.
• After the second service, we had our second “Get to Know OneLife Lunch” where nearly 150 people stayed for lunch! It was great to meet so many new OneLifers.
• Then to cap it all off, Student Ministry kicked-off small groups with more than 20 teenagers there. I’m pumped for how great this ministry has started.
• Then I headed to do a funeral. No fun. But glad to be there for the family and offer words of hope from Scripture.
• We’ve been planning our next series that starts in July and I can NOT wait! It is going to be a fun one.
• Until then, don’t miss the next part of One Prayer. This week we learn that God Is…Father.
• Invite a friend, bring your dad, and we’ll see ya at OneLife! Sunday, 10 and 11:30 a.m. @ Powell High School.

We were braced for what all the “church experts” said would be a low day. It’s the first Sunday of summer after Memorial Day. Everybody’s supposed to be on vacation. Just throw in the towel and wait for Fall. Then church can resume.

Not at OneLife! To God be the glory…it was an awesome day! Momentum is really high for us and we aren’t taking a break from our dream of reaching this community with the Gospel. So this recap is a little longer than normal. But hang with me!

• First of all, the question everyone wants to know about because we are Americans and think this is most important! I call them the “feel good stats” and they were up. Attendance and volunteerism bounced back to pre-Memorial day levels. Factor in our college students who are gone and we were nearly back to right-after-Easter kind of stuff.
• Amazingly, we had a TON of first time guests, too.
• But all of that aside, the real momentum can be seen in other ways. First, we started a new series that really seems like one that will benefit a lot of OneLifers.
• It is a series that for 4 weeks is finishing this statement: God is…
• This week we learned that “Love is not something God does. Love is who God is.”
• This series is part of One Prayer – a world-wide sermon series where sermon resources are shared and churches around the globe come together to serve our communities give financially to missions partners
• As a result of just sharing truth each week, we’re starting to get a lot of “pastoral” calls from people who are hurting, their lives are changing, or they just want to celebrate with us what God is doing.
• Example 1: We’re having a wedding at OneLife this Sunday! A couple that has been living together and started attending OneLife in February is ready to seal the deal and obey God’s Word in their relationships. Going to be an AWESOME experience!
• Example 2: I met with a couple yesterday going through some tough stuff. The husband looked at me and said something that makes my heart pound out of my chest and something we’ve been hearing a lot of lately from guys: “She could never get me to go to church before now. This is the only church I’ve ever wanted to come to.”
• BULLSEYE!!!!!
• Then he prayed a prayer later in the conversation that went something like this: “God, I’m tired of doing life on my own. I’m tired of coming up on the short end of the stick. I want you to take control of my life.”
• That’s why I get up every day and do what I do! I love it.
• That’s why all you OneLife volunteers matter so dang much. You create a place that people want to come to, where they feel welcomed, and where the Gospel can be preached without barriers and distractions.
• Speaking of volunteers, some extra-special-jedi-warrior-volunteers put in nearly 14 hours on Sunday.
• They setup and tore down at church. Then they setup and tore down for the AWESOME student ministry kick-off event!
• More than 40 kids and 75 total people came. I was BLOWN AWAY!
• Dylan Martin and the StuMin volunteers rocked the house. I was so proud of them.
• This Sunday Student Ministry hosts first weekend of small groups, we are having our second Get to Know OneLife Lunch after the 11:30 service, and the service itself is going to be another great one as the sermon teaches us that God Is…Here!
• See you Sunday at 10 or 11:30!!!

Well, it turns out we’re not immune from the Memorial Day slump. At least, not in terms of attendance. Other than that, it was an incredible day!

• Best of all, another person started a relationship with Jesus. That’s what it’s all about!
• And guess who was preaching? Not me!
• For the first time this year, I took a Sunday off.  That’s 22 in a row. Don’t tell Perry Noble. He’ll yell at me.
• And I realized why it is so important for me to do that more often.
• First of all, it gave me an entire week to focus on other aspects of the church that need it.
• Then by Sunday morning I was more refreshed, relaxed, and actually got to take in the worship and being ministered TO through a great sermon instead of being stressed and consumed by the sermon I needed to preach.
• Dylan Martin, our student ministry minister/pastor/director/dude (we aren’t big on titles yet…can you tell?!) preached. He did an awesome job.
• He preached about Christ’s power being made perfect in our weakness. Man it was good.
• We followed that with communion and an extended time of worship. Once again, this made for an unbelievable morning.
• These were the songs…a great set: Our God is Love, All Because of Jesus, Jesus Paid it All, Your Blood (an original by worship leader Zane Ellis…stinkin’ good song), and Glorious.
• Two of those are from NewSpring’s new live worship album. You really need to buy this one.
• I stood at the front of the stage and nearly cried like a baby watching people celebrate and remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.
• And while our attendance was at its lowest point of the year, our volunteers still wore it out. Thanks to those of you who made it happen!
• I’m honestly glad Memorial Day is behind us so we can get back to “normal” and get most of our OneLifers back from vacation.
• We’re kicking off a new series this Sunday called “God Is…” We’re going to be learning and answering questions about God in four specific ways.
• This is part of One Prayer – a nationwide sermon series where we are partnering with churches all across the country.
• If you have friends who aren’t quite sure about the whole God thing or what they believe, PLEASE invite them! This will be the perfect series for skeptics and unbelievers.
• Oh yeah…it will be challenging for those of us who think we’re so spiritual that we need something “deeper” too. So no matter who you are – don’t miss it!
• And don’t forget…student ministry kicks off Sunday night at 6 p.m. at the Jubilee Center!