Calvary Chapel, Point Loma

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 18, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 2 comments

Pastor Mitchum’s sermon began with a 15-minute story about wild pigs and a family trip to San Luis Obispo. On this trip, Mitchum and his daughter prayed that God would send a big wild pig. “I knew if this prayer isn’t answered it will take a big dent out of [my daughter's] faith,” said Mitchum to the 35 people who attended the morning service. After the prayer, a 400-pound pig emerged from behind a car. Mitchum said his daughter smiled, looked over to him, and said, “Daddy, prayer works.” Prior to the sermon, communion was served in thimble-sized cups and as fragments of cracker. “The Lord can relate to our weaknesses and took our weaknesses to the cross,” a man said as people partook of communion. Pastor Mitchum preached from the 27th chapter of Acts. In Mitchum’s sermon he read a passage from the Bible and then reworded the text as the sermon’s message. “It is the same fire that melts the wax that also hardens the clay,” Mitchum said of responses people have to the message of Jesus Christ.

Full Article: Calvary Chapel Point Loma

Midtown Church (United Church of Religious)

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 11, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 4 comments

“In a traditional church, God is over here,” said Paula Brandes as she reached her hand away from her body. “In Religious Science, God is within us. We don’t have to reach out to find God. We see God as our equal.” Brandes serves as the teacher for the children’s group at Midtown Church. “Christians want to be your parent, laying down the law for you. Christians, and most religions, have all sorts of rules. Christians have a need for this. They need and want this structure.” Brandes compared Christians to children who thrive in a disciplined environment. “For me, I don’t want a structure. I don’t want to pray to God, I want to pray with God. I am equal with God. I know this seems so New Age, and yet it is inherent in who we are as people. If people were given their own free choice, I think they’d want this. I just can’t see God as a god who wants to be the boss as [these other religions do].

Full Article: Midtown Church (United Church of Religious)

North Park Apostolic Church

Posted by D. Goodmanson on May 4, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 30 comments

“The Apostolic Church is probably the only truly orthodox church. We teach the apostles doctrine from the original 12 apostles. We do not follow post-apostolic teachings,” said Bishop Joel David Trout. “For example, we are not a classic Trinitarian church, where there are three separate and co-equal, co-eternal persons. We believe there is only one God. He was manifest in the flesh as Jesus. We reject the idea that God the Father was revealed in Jesus. We reject people inserting language besides how God describes God. People don’t understand the trinity. It is extra-biblical.” Bishop Trout went on to tell me that “Catholics and Eastern Orthodox are an amalgamation of paganism with Christianity that was not part of the first-century church. If they want to continue the traditions of Peter, then do so. They have extra-biblical teachings.”

Full Article: North Park Apostolic Church

Bezalel @ Kaleo

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Apr 29, 2005 in Church | 2 comments

Kaleo’s very own Bezalel has released their first cd. They’ve gotten a great response. Check out the cd at www.cdbaby.com/bezalel. Vote for them at www.musolist.com/bezalel/, they currently are in the Top 5. They even got picked up by Tower Records.

Mixing eclectic influences from Bach to the Beatles, Dylan to Death Cab, and a little Rolling Stones and Radiohead thrown in for good measure, Bezalel is creating beautiful ambient indie-folk-pop songs filled with tension and truth. Brian, Chris, Dustin, and Mike met at Kaleo Church in San Diego, CA where they just sortta organically formed a band to lead the congregation in song. One thing led to another and they recorded “Fidelity on High” in Brian’s studio, which will be released in April. This album could be defined as one of the most adventurous worship albums ever recorded. Not your typical CCM Nashville crap, if you know what we mean. That’s about all we have to say about that.

We are really proud of this new cd as a reflection on the community we are creating here in San Diego.

Bonita Valley Community Church

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Apr 27, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 0 comments

In the 35-minute sermon, Pastor Brawner included jokes, humorous stories, a fairy tale, and a comment about the Chargers. At one point Brawner said, “The Apostle Paul was a golfer. You can tell this because Paul said, ‘That which I want to do, I don’t do. That which I don’t want to do, I do.’ A joke that referenced Romans 7:15. The simple sermon made five points and concluded with, “Like Jonah, We Are Invited To Run ______ God!” The congregation wrote in “with” as the final point.

Bonita Valley Community Church Article

Mega Churches that are Family of God-centric

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Apr 24, 2005 in Church | 3 comments

Have you seen a large church that does a good job of not segregating the family into compartments based on age, gender and sin groups? What does that look like? How can a large church still be a place that is united as a Family of God?

It seems as I visit ‘mega-churches’ they all are program-run and divide the people of God into small groups based on these classifications. I would love to hear if people have seen a large church do this well.