This Weeks Wins!

What a great Sunday to start off 2013!

• Exciting to see Joe & Kathy honored for 10 years of service here at CCC!  Their value goes far beyond their work; they are some of the best friends people could ask for!
  
• It was neat to stand within 5 feet of anyone who went to Passion last week!  They seemed to glow with a new found energy.  I'm excited to see what Christ has inspired in their hearts and minds.
  
• We welcome the McAninchs by transfer!  We're also really excited about the baptisms of Evan McAninch & Sophie McAnelly!  Join me in praying for them as they begin their walk with Christ.

Taking Root,

Blake

Say a Prayer... And Be Jealous All at the Same Time

The images above are a few shots snapped by friends of mine at the 2013 Passion Conference in Atlanta!

We have a group from CCC there and so I ask you to pray for them today as they sit under the teaching of God's Word and encounter the Spirit!

Oh..  And be jealous.  Pretty much every talented and big name Christian artist and speaker is there this weekend.  All of 'em.

Check out http://268generation.com/passion2013/ for more details and a LIVE STREAM!

Taking Root,
Blake

Happy New Year!

Was this you at midnight?

Merry Christmas!

May today be as much about His presence as it is about your presents.

This Week's Wins

I'm a sucker for good music so CCC was a good place to be yesterday!  Kudos to all who made it happen!

Some other wins...

Really exciting to see Missy get baptized!  

I'm excited to see what God does in her life and ask that you be praying for her as she walks in her faith!  

(Sorry for the poor picture quality!  Gotta get a front row seat next time!)

 

CCC knows how to knock out blankets in no-time!  

40+ blankets in an hour!  What a cool way to bless individuals in our community!  I would put a challenge out there for your family to do one together and then deliver it together as well.  Ask God to lead you to someone who needs it!

Like many of you, I've thought and read a TON of things since the shooting in Connecticut.

I wanted to share this article that I thought provided some good biblical perspective on the situation:
School shootings, a world with devils filled, Advent, and Revelation 20

Taking Root,

Blake

A Letter from Arman!

Always a great feeling when we get a letter in the mail from our Compassion child, Arman!

Here's what he writes:

Dear Sponsor Student Ministry,

I really thank you for your support and precious prayers, because of that we are alright here.

And I hope that by the grace of God you are also doing good there.

I study good here as well as continuously attending at the project centre.  There I can get chance to learn many things.  All the teachers teach us with much effort.

So please keep on praying for my study and especially my family too.  We are also praying for you all.

Arman

Here's a look at the actual letter.

Arman's own handwriting!

He drew us a picture too!

Arman LOVES getting our letters back, so if you would like to write a letter to him, you can write it out and get it to me or email me your note and I will print it out and send them!

Taking Root,

Blake

This Week's Wins

Man, I love December.  I enjoy the change of pace and variety that it brings to life.  7 is a Biblical number, so I'm bringing you 7 wins from the week that was.

1. Shopping with Santa
   From the excitement of Santa to the generous hearts of kids shopping for friends and family to the teens and adults who sacrificed their Saturday morning to make this happen... AWESOMENESS. Check out the cooks in the kitchen before everyone showed up!
   
2. Christmas Tree
   A Christmas tree with family ornaments?!?!? Really neat tradition here at CCC.  I was glad to share with my small group family since my family had another engagement!
   
3. Tiny Tunes
   Tiny Tunes are always cute, but you had to LOVE those little choir robes!  Great Job to Kari Jo and their small group leaders, Debbie and Jennifer!
   
4. The Action Bible
   Seth, our JH Guys small group leader on Sunday nights, was super generous and got each of his guys the Bible you see below.  (Click Here for Amazon Link!) The stories from this week of guys being inspired and diving into God's Word have been nothing short of miraculous!  If you have a young or pre-teen guy, I just made an awesome Christmas gift recommendation!
   
5. The Colts
   I can't hold back.. I'm beaming.  My Colts have surprised everyone, including me, and it's been a highlight of my week to see how Andrew Luck is going to pull his team to a victory.  It's inspiring.  For those who are interested in hearing this boy wonder do an interview, here he is on ESPN Radio this morning.
   
6. Worm!
   We got a TON of rain yesterday!  It brought the crazy creation you see pictured below into my garage this morning.  God makes some cool stuff!
   
7. FUEL Meme
   I had some fun last week with a fun meme site and thought I'd share what went out to the students on instagram last week.  I'm thinking Duck Dynasty this week..

Pancake Chefs!

Family Christmas Tree

Nothin' Cuter than a Tiny Tune!

A MUST-HAVE for your JH Guys!

GIANT Worm! Kate's finger shows you how big...

Taking Root,

Blake

A Semester's Worth of Bottom Lines

I thought it would be fun to look back at the bottom lines we've had in FUEL this semester.  Here we go!

• We're FUELED by something greater.  What FUELS you?
• Choose to Live by Loving God.
• Choose to Love and Live for God.
• If you want to be Rooted, you have to Remain.
• Haiku:
  Who is Jesus Christ?
  The Gospels tell the Story.
  Life for Believers
• Choose to find your part in Hi(s)tory.
• Build Up, Keep In, and Don't Look Down.
• If I'm hiding, I'm not finding.
• Masks can change us, but God still claims us!
• We believe in an unbelievable God!
• Do your best on this test and trust God with the rest.
• Be a leader that serves rather than being served.
• We matter if what matters to us is our moments with God.
• God cleans up any mess.  Are you willing to step out from the rest?

This Week's Wins!

It was a LONG weekend in the Lawyer house as all 3 of us spent time being sick... NO FUN!  Still some great things happening at CCC!

• 7 Additions!  I hated not being hear for Carson & Katie's baptisms, but exciting to see people meeting Christ through baptism and joining the church!  God is good!
  
• Servant's Hearts!  I am very grateful to several people who stepped into fill the gaps I left on Sunday morning and evening.  Your response to last second requests are encouraging and I am glad to serve alongside people like you!  THANK YOU!

Taking Root,

Blake

This Week's Wins!

Thanksgiving slowed things down this week (A WIN in and of itself!), so there aren't a ton of things to highlight, but here's 3 wins I noticed!

On a side note, my Colts are winning quite a bit too thanks to this guy!

• Our young adult small group had a game night this week and it was great to spend time laughing and enjoying each other's company!  I feel like our small groups are going to get more and more of these opportunities through the holidays, and that's where community happens!
  
• I was a little jealous of a group that went to see The Story Tour at Southeast this past Friday!  I heard it was great and I'm offering up this link for you to check it out!  www.thestorycd.com
  
• We had a little guy get hurt during Sunday Night Devotions; The WIN???  Seeing and hearing the other 20+ kids lifting him up in prayer and encouraging him.  GREAT stuff...
  

Taking Root,

Blake

My Top 7 Thanksgiving "Wins"

We survived another year...

1. Family
2. Football
3. Tryptophan
4. Christmas Lists
5. Naps
6. Leftover Turkey Sandwiches
7. Time Off

Enjoy the day!

Taking Root,

Blake

Fall Retreat Photo Gallery

This Week's Wins!

I've been slow on the blogging train as we hit our peak time of the semester!  No better way to jump back in than an issue of This Week's Wins!

This week in FUEL we challenged our teens to be leaders in the families, schools, and here at church that served rather than being served.  I'm excited to see what God inspires this generation to do!  I love watching God call people into leading their own lives and others into a more Christ-like life, and I'm praying for those he's calling now!

Crazy Sock Reading Day was a blast at Campbellsville Elementary!  For those of you who are maybe retired or the stay-at-home type, reading at the schools is a great way to engage our community relationally and love on children!  If you're interested in doing this, contact the schools and see what you can arrange!

I am so grateful to have been on the Fall Retreat this past weekend!  So many people pulled together to make this a great weekend!  Special thanks to our speaker, Matt Lee, and his family, the team from Johnson University, White Mills Christian Camp, and our amazing volunteer team from right here at CCC that made this weekend great!  The time we had to relate to each other, relax, and realign with God were an inspiration to many of us!  Oh yeah, WE HAD A LOT OF FUN TOO!  Pictures to come, but I haven't been able to get them all transfered over yet...  If you went this weekend and have photos, share them! For now, enjoy the champion individual goating photo from this weekend!

Taking Root,
Blake

This Week's Wins!

I had a TON of fun being a part of my first Trunk o Treat here at CCC!  We were able to meet over 2100 people as they came in costumes of all shapes and sizes!

Katelyn and I love having people at the house and it was great to have some high schoolers there Friday night!  As we told them, the doors are always open!  

Just for fun..

Who do you think get's the WIN this week?

This Week's Wins

I LOVE to write this post every week!  Exciting to see how the Gospel is changing lives each week here at CCC!  Here's some highlights:

This sugar cream pie is one of MANY things you all have done for pastor appreciation month!
It is so overwhelming to feel the love that you all have shared!
THANKS A TON!

Snapped this photo during worship yesterday; a cool visual of the community we are blessed with!
I say the more the merrier!

Snapped this cool model of the Temple in our 4th and 5th grade guys  Root 2:52 group!
Bonus points if you can ID everything...

Cooper Hall squirms to the finish line as he wins a pizza party for his d-group at FUEL!

Taking Root,

Blake

This Week's Wins

Some more reasons to be reminded that I LOVE MY CHURCH!

• We've got a new brother in Christ! Be praying for Aaron as we know that Satan usually likes to attack in situations like this (See Jesus, Matthew 4).  Also, consider inviting our new brother to your small group, Sunday school class, or just out to lunch!
  
• KCA Pastor Appreciation was REALLY cool!  Just makes me smile thinking about seeing so many CCC kids quoting and singing scripture as they appreciated us and challenged us at the same time!  Special thanks for our notes and cards too!  You keep those around for future encouragement...

• A Lot of People Filled-In for Role's they don't usually play this week!  It's just stressful to fill-in for role's that aren't usually yours.  This week, I can count double digit people who did that to help fill in the gaps!  That's a great TEAM!
• Some Pictures From the Week...

This is a 55 Gallon Trash Can FULL of Candy!
People tell me it takes about 4 of these to be ready for Trunk O Treat!
Great job so far!

Tinley got to spend time with her Great Grandparents this weekend!
I post this because I want to THANK so many of you for being Tinley's
Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins during the week!
It means a ton to have that kind of family at church!

This Week's Wins

Running a little slow on the blog this week, sometimes God has other ministry in mind!

Here's a few pictures to highlight some good things:

This Week's Wins

I'm learning the more that I depend on God to show up, the more I get to see him work; and I continue to see that happening in the life of CCC!  Here's some wins that happened this week, sponsored by the letter M:

• God challenged and encouraged both Rodney and I at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta!  I know this doesn't involve everyone, but it has an impact on everyone!  We're hoping to invite other leaders in our congregation to attend this conference in the future!  The theme was Make.
  
• It was pretty cool to feel the Spirit moving amongst the people during The Great I Am yesterday!  What a blessing to worship with the worship team and spend some time resting in God's presence!  My heart was moved, motivated, and remade!
  
• The Fall Festival created memories, meetings, and meals!  First, Carla Williams did a FABULOUS job coordinating this!  Do me a favor and flood her with your gratefulness through a text, call, or note!  The memories made at the festival were awesome and the pictures are soon to come!  Keep your eye on the newsletter for more.  It was also cool to meet several new families that joined us!  What a great chance to learn people's story and invite them to join us in the journey of following Christ!  And then there was the FOOD!  Yum...  Also really cool to see us being able to provide a meal or two for some families that needed it!  Great job church!

Taking Root,

Blake

This Week's Wins

It's RAINING!! A LOT!

A good reminder of God's mercy that rains down on us each day.

We're in low gear as many are enjoying fall break this week; Here's a couple highlights from the week that was.

• A semester high 47 kids in Root 2:52 this week! Praise God!
  
• A GREAT turnout for the Heavenly Haven farm trip!  It was so fun, I didn't even get to taking any pictures!

This Week's Wins

Another week of being part of God's Story!  Here's some of the chapters that were written at CCC...

I am probably enjoying our Logos series in FUEL too much!  It has challenged me even in teaching it.  Here was a video we used this week, that pushed me to reach deeper in my devotion to Him!

Our Junior High ministry is rocking!  Special thanks to all the adults who chaperoned the trip to Elizabethtown for the concert, and to the Burton's who organized it!  Also, pretty awesome to have 31 in Sunday school this week!  We are building a GREAT team of volunteers in our Middle school ministry and are looking/needing to expand.  Ask God in your prayer time if he wants to use you to minister to this special age and then call me if he says yes!

For more pictures from the concert, click here!

Check out www.rodneybooe.com for more on the Ordination yesterday!  Here's my pic:

4 New Deacons being prayed over Sunday

Always exciting to look over and see youth leaders building relationships!  These 2 guys were rocking it last Wednesday night during the meal! 

A Picture of Discipleship

Taking Root,

Blake