The Journey: blog

Updated- ways you can Serve! @BhamDreamCenter on Thursday evenings- See you tonite!you

We have updated the "ways you can serve" on Thursday evenings file. Here's the new pdf:  Download Ways to serve- updated 06-11-2011

Again, if you want to serve, the best ways to get involved are to do any of the following:

1) Use this list and start serving directly on Thursdays. 

2) Go to the registration table. They will have this list and introduce you to a team member.

3) Attend The Growth Track. Attend four weeks, on Thursday evenings, 5:50 p.m. to 6:35 p.m.

More info on  a previous post.

Prayer Force United prayer walk heads to Bessemer for June walk... next Saturday (18th)

Next Saturday, June 18, 2011, the Prayer Force United prayer walks will pick up in Bessemer... This time last year, the group multiplied- now, prayer walks happen on the 3rd Saturday of each month in Birmingham and in Bessemer. We'll join forces this month- just as we did this time last year when their walks were inaugurated on the west side of town.

Walk starts at 10:00 a.m.-  you can join us an hour early for a pre-prayer walk prayer meeting at 9:00 a.m. 

All details are on the pdf flyer, attached: Prayer Force United  Flyer 6-18-11- Bessemer prayer walk

In July, we'll be back in Woodlawn- at The Dream Center.

Ways can you serve at The Dream Center, Thursday evenings

Here's the update... ways you can serve. If you want to jump in, you can do the following:

1) Use this list and start serving directly on Thursdays. The person you need to see is listed. In most cases, they are the leader. Sometimes, they are the person that can get you to the leader. Rest assured, they'll put you to work.

To download the list, you may need to "right click" and "save as"): Ways to serve- updated 06-09-2011

2) Go to the registration table. Anyone there (usually two gals named Julie and Tracy) can help point you in the right direction. 

3) Attend The Growth Track. The Growth Track classes run on Thursdays from 5:50 until 6:35- and are 45 minutes short. Four classes (taught the four Thursdays of each month) will take you from basic Christianity (101), through spiritual disciplines (201), your gifts (301), and your ministry (401).

That's it! Thanks, again- it's very humbling to see so many of you in action, so graciously and eagerly each week.

@BhamDreamCenter mind-dump, from Thursday 06-09-2011

Here we go... that's Rob's t-shirt- the shirt that stopped a bullet that was headed to his heart at the shooting on Monday morning. Other than that, here are a few highlights, updates, and random thoughts from the Thursday Night gathering at The Dream Center (5:30 p.m. food / 6:45 p.m. worship & Word):

• Rob Malcom, who was shot multiple times this week, was with us. We've posted more about that on this blog throughout the week. You can catch up there.

• You can catch the audio of Rob's testimony during the middle of the teaching time from this week. The audio from the teaching is here. Rob talks from 12:00 - 18:15 in the talk.

• Kids' church (called Dream Nights), began this evening. Randall & Kay Moore are children's ministry vets who have stepped up and completely taken the bull by the horns on this. I thank God for them and for what they are doing!

• This opens up more seats in the main area. Invite some more people. We now have more space.

• By the way, your kids are still welcome in the service. Do what you feel led to do with them.

• We're still working out some kinks on 101, 201, 301, 401... no worries. We'll get it in a good flow soon. I'm grateful for the team we have leading this.

• Tonight was the second Thursday of the month- and bike night. It's great to see the motorcycle crew out- though I think (between me and you) it's too hot to ride at this point in the year.

• Thank you to all of you who serve every week- and to those of who you simply show up,  start working... and we don't even know who you are! It will be great to get to know each other as we serve our city together, loving the people and expressing the life of Christ.

• Later in the week, I'll post ways you can serve on Thursday nights on this blog. I have a pdf file that needs a few more tweaks.

• One of the young woman who helps with the food on Thursdays, Geri Martha, made the bread for the burger that just won Birmingham's best! Congrats to her.

Dream Nights starting tonight @BhamDreamCenter during the Thursday Night service. Kids service for ages 4-11. As always, children welcome in the service- but here's another opportunity for you. Led by seasoned leaders Randall & Kay Moore (Randall on the left below, Kay holding the mic).

@BhamDreamCenter mind-dump, from Thursday 06-02-2011- better a week late than never

 

 Here it is... the low-down from last week's gathering (5:30 for food; 6:45 for worship & Word) (yes, I know... the next event is today / tonight):

• We began running 101, 201, 301, 401 this week... at 5:45 p.m., next door to The Dream Center at Christ Health Center. That four week set of classes runs every month, always on Thursdays... and teaches Basic Christianity (101), how to read the Bible & pray (201), ways to discovery your talents and gifts (301), then releases you into your ministry (401). 23 attended the first run of it!

• 8 more people saved! (That brings the total to 141 since we began mid-way through January.). That's 141 people whose eternity is different now!

• This was week 19 of the event, by the way- including a week we changed-up for the tornado. It's amazing to see what the Lord is doing through everyone in such a short time.

• Someone had the bright idea of serving around the front side of the building, rather than the side (where we had been)... now, we're running everyone to the front door instead of the garage bay doors. 

• I loved it! It kept the worship area (fire truck garage) cool, and it made that atmosphere different in some way.

• It was great to see Pastor Peeples in the house- he's a Pastor and friend from the Woodlawn area, who is a great supporter & ministry partner through Prayer Force United.

• We're talking about Simple Christianity right now... simply making some practical applications to what it means to follow Jesus. Tonight we discussed being the absolute best you can be in the place God has you right now. Instead of waiting for "the next big thing," the opportunity around the corner, or the dream gig... do everything you can do serve strong now.

• It's basic; it's easier said than done; but it's revolutionary.

• Fun fact: I didn't give an invitation. I prayed for everyone in line with the teaching from tonight. Jason Cooke came up, as planned, to take the next leg of the service, gave an invitation... the 8 people were saved. Incredible how God uses teams to make things happen.

• The food was exquisite: half-chickens (200 of them), fresh corn on the cob, and gourmet potato-salad (chef works at Bottega's in Southside). Then, for desert, Bud's Best Cookies. I think Bud should pay us to advertise or something- for pairing his cookies with such great food. That, or just send more free cookies : )

• Pastor Short-Tee was in the house tonight- and served up an opening number from his previous CD. The Track? "Thrown the Devil Fits!"

• I like it when we open up with fun songs- whether it's a rap song by Short-Tee, a Gospel Choir number led by Jonette, or kids dancing and rhythmically hitting trash cans (that's coming in a few weeks!)

• By the way, Short-Tee was leading an outdoor church service at Park Place with us last year... When it was time to launch again for the Spring, we prayerfully decided that it would be best to pray for a team that would help carry this event off each week. That team has started to emerge and will begin meeting again in the next few weeks, so that the event doesn't land on a few people- but on many. It's been incredible to see the Lord bring this team together, in His timing. It appears that the Hip Hop Church in the Park will resume sometime around August. Here's a video link to 42 News, who covered the bi-weekly outdoor church last Spring.

Many of you have called, emailed, and texted about the shooting yesterday...

The staff member at The Village who was shot yesterday will make join us at The Dream Center on Thursday evening, during the 6:45 p.m. worship service. In fact... Rob Malcom actually returned to work today, which consisted of going to Home Depot to gather materials for some current construction jobs (he runs one of the not-for-profit businesses here).

Rob's biggest concerns right now are:

• Getting in touch with the people who prayed for his healing to thank them (we aren't passing out names and numbers, because so many of you prayed- so don't wait for a phone call).

• Praying for the man who shot him.

• Sharing the goodness of God and His protection over him yesterday.

To that end, Rob will share a few minutes during the teaching time at the weekly Thursday Night Dream Center service... as always, the food line opens at 5:30 p.m. (come hungry), and the worship starts at 6:45 p.m.

Location: 5705 1st Avenue North, in the former Fire Station, across from Woodlawn High School.

In the next few minutes, Rob Malcom (staff member at The Village who was shot this morning) will walk out of the hospital. The doctors are astounded at his progress- all of our prayer warriors expected it and are astounded yet not surprised.

God is gracious. We all have much more work to do together.

Thank you for your prayers. Will keep updating.

A staff member from The Village was shot this morning at least four times. He was hit in the neck, the chest, the hip, and the (no kidding) rear end. Local news stories have said that the shots were life-threatening, which is understandable due to the location of the bullets.

Despite the news report, Rob Malcom (the staff member) is doing incredible.

One doctor summarized it, "The stopping point of the bullets doesn't make sense from where they entered his body." 

One entered his chest and missed his heart by an inch.

Another hit his neck and missed his spine, becoming a "superficial" wound.

We visited Rob at the hospital- and the most painful wound is the one in the hip, he says.  When not updating people on the wounds, recounting the story of God's protection from being shot from less than ten feet away, or wincing from the pain in that hip, Rob prays for the man who shot him- a man he has never met and apparently was looking for someone else.

There is no damage to any organs, it appears. They are still running tests and waiting on final results (the shooting was around 10:30 a.m., this morning, so I'm writing about 4.5 hours post-event).

Rob's life story is a testament to the redemptive power of Grace. He currently runs one of The Village's not-for-profit businesses, and spends much of his time pastoring and counseling people coming through the same road he has travelled. His life has been radically changed by Jesus- and the Lord evidently has much more work for him to do.

We are grateful- and will post more about Rob later. Thanks for continuing to pray. 

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