EdYoungBlog

Hope 4 Haiti Initiative

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity, and I wanted to update you on what we are doing to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

In our continued efforts, we have formed a valuable partnership with Convoy of Hope—a humanitarian organization that already has established facilities and personnel on the ground in Haiti. Because of the generosity and support of the people of Fellowship Church, we have already been able to contribute significantly to this organization.

Also, as a result of Fellowship Church’s influence through C3, we are leading a global effort with other churches to gather and deliver supplies directly to the island.

Just 36 hours after the earthquake struck,

C3 sent our first airplane of much needed supplies to the island.

And through the community of churches in C3 and your support, we will continue to gather supplies at our Miami campus and get them to the people of Haiti. You can help make this happen! And I encourage you to do all you can for our Hope 4 Haiti initiative.

This is a difficult time for thousands of people. But this is also a time when we can work together to show Christ’s love to the people of Haiti in a very real and tangible way!

Reaching Out

Over the past several hours, I’ve been praying for the people and thinking about the situation in Haiti. And as I reflect on the devastation and destruction that so many people are experiencing right now, I can’t help but see an opportunity for the Church to reach out and make a difference!

Right now, details are still coming in from the Red Cross about specific physical needs and how we can help. But as those details become available, we are opening up our Miami campus as a collection point. I encourage you to contribute what you can to what they need. If you are outside of the South Florida area, you can help by texting HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to relief efforts.

This is a difficult time for thousands of people. And I encourage you to pray for all those affected by this tragedy. But this is also a time when the Church can truly assist and, in a very tangible way, show the world what following Christ is all about!

Stay tuned for more updates here and on my Twitter and Facebook as well.

Do You Ever Have the Itch to Baptize?

This past Sunday we had an amazing number of people make the decision to follow Christ. I watched as hundreds of people flooded the altar areas of our different campuses. And as they were standing down front, I suddenly got an itch to baptize. I hadn’t planned it. We didn’t know it was going to happen. But it did. And it was amazing.

Quickly, our team got everything together for that spontaneous baptism (our staff motto is: I’m always ready to do anything, everything or nothing!) And after preaching, I ran up to my office, threw on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, and bolted to the baptismal area.

While running out of the building (out of excitement), I cut through one of our flower beds (ignoring signs), bounded down the hill and began to baptize. What an incredible experience! Tears of joy, laughter and applause cut through the crisp fall air as so many young people at the zenith of their lives went public with their decision to follow Christ and do a 180 in their lives.

However, several days later, I began to have a horrendous itch on the back of my legs that looked strangely like poison ivy. I thought, “Where did I come in contact with this demonic plant?”

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was in the flower bed (that I shouldn’t have cut through)! I walked away from this ordeal with itchy legs and two powerful reminders.

First: always follow the itch to baptize!

So many of the church numbers lists are focused on attendance. But really, we should follow the number of baptisms. This is what it is all about. It’s great to know who’s showing up. But the bigger question is: who are you reaching?

The second moral: stay out of the flower beds!

In other words, God has a path set for you and he's posted signs along the way. Walk where you are supposed to walk. If we walk on HIS grass and stay out of HIS beds, we won’t have to deal with the poison ivy that may be there, the poison ivy we were never intended to deal with in the first place!

"The Today Show" ... Yesterday

Lisa and I had the opportunity to be on The Today Show yesterday to talk about the important role women play in churches. And I said, I think the role of women is the soul of society!
 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Back to the Basics, Again

I posted this video for the first time about a year and a half ago. But I think it's always important to remind ourselves of why we do what we do. It's all about getting back to the basics, again.

LisaYoungBlog.com

Lisa is starting her own blog! That’s right. Now you’ll have a chance to connect with her and hear straight from her online – right here.

And, as she says, "as long as there is purpose," she’ll be giving you some phenomenal personal insights and perspectives on life from the viewpoint of a wife, mother, and woman on the frontlines of ministry.

Let the blogging begin!

The Next Generation

For the past three weeks I've had the chance to speak to the students of Fellowship Church - something I would challenge every lead pastor to do every now and then. It gives you an opportunity to connect with the next generation. It helps you get a read on the pulse of your students. And you will definitely catch some seriously contagious energy! Check out what I'm talking about:


 

 

 

 

 




 

3 Big Wednesdays

If you're in the 7th-12th grade; or maybe you have a student who is, remember what I said this weekend.

"Bring them to church!"

I can't wait to connect with them at 3 Big Wednesdays! Check it out...

Family Fun Fest '09

It's not just another big, church event. It's the event of the summer.

At Fellowship, we've always believed the family is something worth celebrating. That's why this weekend we're hosting the biggest event in recent memory - Family Fun Fest '09.

Maybe you have a family of four or forty. Maybe you’re an empty-nester or a newly married couple. Or maybe you consider your closest friends to be your family. Whatever the case, bring everyone you can with you. It's something you don't want to miss!

Summer - Blockbuster or Flop?

 (Guest post by Buddy Cremeans)

In the heat of the summer, visit any church in America and you would probably describe your encounter as a "lackluster experience" more than a "blockbuster experience." Not at Fellowship Church! Even the biggest critic couldn't argue their runaway smash summer success... At the Movies.

I had a suspicion the reviews were going to be good when we pulled into the parking lot of Fellowship's Miami campus to discover it was jam packed. Seriously, not a single space! The attendants kindly redirected us to a make shift grass parking lot and I immediately thought, "This is every pastor's dream! How can this be happening in the middle of the summer? Everybody is on vacation, right?"

Apparently not.

"And how can this be the same campus I visited two years ago when there was plenty of parking?"

Not any more.

You could instantly feel the movie buzz as my family and I walked onto the Miami campus. Blockbuster soundtrack anthems were amped outside, followed by the unmistakable aroma of popcorn popping that captured our senses. We were having a multisensory experience of creativity before we ever entered the church.

And what happened next? I burst out in laughter when I saw the entrance of the church. Everyone had to walk across the Red Carpet, which included a high-speed flash photographer, paparazzi style! Unbelievable!

Next, we were ushered off to find seats (none of those left either) to experience passionate worship and an unforgettable message woven seamlessly into the movie, "Gladiator." Now every time I see or hear about that movie I will think about Ed's message on betrayal.

"God's purposes are bigger than our perpetrators."

Thank you, Ed. I now understand why the parking lot was full. FC Miami's ingenuity and hospitality made everyone feel like a VIP. Thank you, Fellowship Church, for reminding us all of the privilege we have in playing a role in sharing the Gospel story!