the one life project: an idea and a way of life

Blog Moved

2010-04-24T17:29:00.001-04:00

MOVED TO WWW.DAVELONGSTRETHMUSIC.COM

Come visit me there! Thanks!

New Song - "Running Nowhere"

2010-02-22T14:05:00.003-05:00

Today a new song was born.. a new song for all of you who are lost, who are lonely, who are hurting, who are trying to find your way but seem to always run in the wrong direction or get stuck in a rut or run out of breath.. Ultimately this song represents God speaking softly to our desperate souls..

Running Nowhere
Dave Longstreth -- February 22, 2010

You’ve been down this road before;
You’ve been running towards the door
Trying to escape it all, can’t take no more
When you’re down and out of luck, feelin’ strapped and feelin’ stuck
Searching high and low, caught in a rut

Running, but getting nowhere; running, you’re losing ground
So take my hand, reach out your hand, and I will lift you up

So your world is caving in and your life is spread so thin
Need to catch your breath you just can’t win
Feelin’ like you’ll crash and burn, something waits at every turn
Trying to figure out when will you learn

Running, but getting nowhere; running, you’re losing ground
So take my hand, reach out your hand, and I will lift you up

If there’s one thing you’ll learn it’s you can’t go alone
Through this world, through this life on your own
So give me your hand, I have got a plan
You will see what your life was meant to be

So hurry no more and take some time to walk with me
And I’ll give you everything that you need
If you trust in me each day to live up to my word
I promise that you’ll never be the same

If there’s one thing you’ll learn it’s you can’t go alone
Through this world, through this life on your own
So give me your hand, I have got a plan
You will see what your life was meant to be
You will see what your life was meant to be
I promise that you’ll never be the same

Album Status Update

2009-12-03T10:12:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for your continued interest and support for the upcoming album and tour One Life. I wanted to share some updates on the project with you so that you can keep praying for it - because without God this project would seem impossible..

The One Life kickoff concert took place on Sunday, November 15th at Riverside Community Church's Oakmont worship venue. There were almost 200 in attendance that evening and the atmosphere was electric! It was so encouraging to have that much support and to hear the whole room filled with singing and support.

There was a love offering taken at the concert through the suggestion of Pastor Bill Ellis, our lead pastor here at Riverside. Nearly $3,000 was given through that offering!! I was blown away and I still am! It is so humbling to be supported in such a generous way! And that money will go a long way to helping this project be the success that we are anticipating.

Pastor Bill also announced that future donations towards the project could be made to Riverside Community Church marked "One Life CD." Since then another $850 has come in and a few others have pledged to send in. The support is much needed and appreciated!

To date the project goal is estimated at $9-13k depending on the number of CDs we are going to produce..

Also, the album cover is now finished thanks to Christie Pink for cover design and artwork and Abie Livesay for photography. I can't wait to release the album cover but for now it's under wraps :)

Details are coming together and things are progressing along as anticipated and God is already opening doors for this project and I haven't even started recording yet! I am taking some vacation time in December to work on the album, songs, arrangements, loops, etc. January begins the recording process with a release still schedule in mid-April right after Easter. Keep it prayer please!

Thanks for all of your support and encouragement! It is such a blessing!!!

Dan Shields - Lead Guitar

2009-11-23T11:21:00.003-05:00

Dan Shields is an accomplished guitarist on full time staff at Orchard Hill Church in the Pittsburgh area. He has played lead guitar on many studio projects connected with Furball studios and George Furlow. It will be great to have a musician with this style and taste to be a part of this project. This is his bio taken from Orchard Hill Church website (I've revised it slightly).

Dan began as part of the Music Team at Orchard Hill Church in 1995 and in 1998 became a full time member of staff. He is known for his skills on lead guitar and for leading worship. Dan leads the band by recruiting musicians and creating the musical excellence that is a cornerstone for Orchard Hill. He has a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA from Duquesne University in Music Performance-Jazz. Dan, his wife, Lidija, and their three children live in Wexford.

BIO

2009-11-19T09:54:00.000-05:00

A huge thank you to Laurel Houck who crafted an awesome bio for the upcoming album and for the websites (facebook, myspace, blog and music site). Thank you so much! Here it is...

Dave Longstreth | One Life (BIO)

Breathing hurts, eyes fill with tears, heart explodes and soars… all because of a song. That is the power of music, the language of melody, the substance of lyrics and the product of worship.

For over a decade, Dave Longstreth has been writing songs of praise and worship, leading others into life-altering encounters with God. His creative gifts were nurtured through life experience, relationships, and faith in a gracious and loving God. In 1999 this culminated in his first public worship songs, I Worship You Lord and You’re All I Need.

Dave prepared for ministry at Valley Forge Christian College. He toured with college worship teams, including Chosen 99, and participated in choirs and worship bands as a leader, soloist and speaker.

In 2001, Dave and his wife Carrie settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; they have two children, Kylie and Braden. He serves as Creative Arts and Missions Pastor at Riverside Community Church, and leads worship throughout the U.S. and South East Asia.

Dave’s inspiration springs from different sources: his grandmother’s love of poetry, music, and Jesus; his pastoral role; and the ups and downs of living a Christian life. His songs will take you on a journey of discovery in a way that words alone cannot accomplish.

In 2005, following the birth of his daughter and the death of his dad, Dave reflected on the value of an individual life. This blossomed into a passion for missions, the driving force and message for One Life, Dave’s first solo album.

“We have all been given one life, and one chance to use our gifts to make a difference for others, one life at a time. The goal of One Life is to motivate the listener to significant and purposeful action—action that will positively impact people world-wide.”

New Song - "I Will Run"

2009-11-17T15:10:00.003-05:00

I wrote a big part of this last summer but rewrote today and made additions as well.. It is probably going to be called "I Will Run"

Verse 1
I see you across the way
You’re standing there
Staring right at me

I take a breath
And I begin to breathe
I start to move
Move across the way

Chorus 1
I will run to you, yes I will
I will run, I will run
I will run to you, yes I will
I will run

When I've fallen down
When I've hit the ground
I will run, I will run
When I'm broken down
And feeling down
I will run

Verse 2
You've seen me on better days
Yet you moved to me
While I was unaware

And you called my name
Sorry I did not hear
And I've acted like
Like I was not afraid

Chorus 1
I will run to you, yes I will
I will run, I will run
I will run to you, yes I will
I will run

When I've fallen down
When I've hit the ground
I will run, I will run

When I'm broken down
And feeling down
I will run

Bridge
Your arms wide open
Your heart I can trust
I don't know how
And I don't know much

But this I know
And I know for sure
The time is now
I'll run through that door
Running, I am running

Verse 3
I'm tired and I cannot see
That the distance between us
Seems so very far

But in my weaknesses
You have made me strong
And you've closed the gap
You're standing in front of me

Chorus 2
You ran to me, yes you did
You ran, you ran
You ran to me, yes you did
You ran

When I fell down
When I hit the ground
You ran, you ran

I was broken down
I was feeling down
You ran (repeat)

The iPhone Helped Me Write A Song Today!!

2009-11-17T15:05:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for my iPhone.. The apps that I downloaded for songwriting (all free) are such great tools to assist me in my creative and finishing processes.. These apps are...

iTick (metronome)
Shaker (different handheld percussion just for kicks)
SSW LE (song writing software)
SutdioAppLite (haven't used yet but is a 4 track recorder)
DigiLite (drum machine)
NLogFree (synthesizer)
GuitarChords (shows chord graph for any chord)
TouchChords (teaching app for learning guitar chords/scales/etc)
Beatbox Free (just for kicks)
TrueDrumsLite (just for kicks)
Guitar Tuner (tunes my guitar)
Dictionary/Thesarus (helps me in my lyric creation)
RhymeZone.com (helps me rhyme words when I am in a crunch)
iTalkLite (records my song from internal mic and then sync with my PC to edit/save)

Carl Albrecht - Drums & Percussion

2009-11-12T09:29:00.004-05:00

I was at a concert last week with Paul Baloche, Brian Doerksen and Kathryn Scott - an Integrity Music worship event. Paul's drummer, Carl Albrecht' shared with the congregation a prophetic word that evening and the thought occurred to me that it would be great to have that caliber of a veteran drummer and worshiper featured on this project. I have heard Carl's talents throughout the years on several Integrity Music albums and in person at concerts. It just happened that the producer of my album (George) is great friends with Carl and his wife Leann - so I took a step out in faith and after the concert asked Carl if he would be interested in helping me out with the project if we flew him up from Nashville to the burgh for a few days in January when we start tracking in the studio.

Long story short - he is going to be doing all the drums and percussion for the project and helping me out with some loops. This adds a lot of excitement for me and the team to record this album because of the creativity and experience that Carl brings with him. Here is his bio adapted from his website at www.carlalbrecht.com. He and his wife have also co-written a very popular missions themed worship song that we do at our church "You Are" and have been awesome worship leaders for many years.

Carl has been a professional drummer & percussionist for over 30 years. He has a Bachelors of Music Degree in Composition and Arranging with an emphasis in percussion studies from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. He has played on over 80 Integrity Music projects; Maranatha Praise Band recordings 7 thru 10, & numerous other Christian, Pop, Country, Jazz, & Commercial projects.

Carl has worked with such artist as Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Paul Baloche, Lenny LeBlanc, Bob Fitts, Paul Wilbur, Alvin Slaughter, Darrell Evans, Phil Driscoll, Koinonia, Abe Laboriel & Friends, Kim Hill, Paul Overstreet, LeAnn Rimes, Connie Smith, Don Potter, Jason Upton, Travis Cottrell, the smooth jazz group - Quad Venti, and many others.

He currently lives in Nashville doing recording sessions, producing, and writing, as well as continuing to do various tours & seminar events.

**Carl officially endorses & "uses" YAMAHA Drums; SHURE microphones, PRESONUS pre-amps, and CUBASE recording software.. He also "unofficially" endorses VATER drumsticks, MEINL cymbals & percussion instruments, & REMO drum heads.**

George Furlow - Album Producer

2009-11-11T15:25:00.003-05:00

I am recording the album One Life at Furball Studios in Wilkins Township in the Pittsburgh area beginning in January. We have our first round of tracking scheduled for the third weekend in January which will include drums, bass, keys, guitar and my scratch vocal as well as loops which I will have mostly finished from now until then.

I chose George Furlow to be the recording producer of this album because of his veteran experience with praise and worship music and recording. George is also located just ten minutes down the road from my house in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh so that makes hitting the studio very simple. George's bio follows (adapted from his website at www.georgefurlow.com):

George was born in the town of Grafton, WV. He moved from Grafton to Washington DC and on to Cumberland, MD and then on to Baltimore, MD. His family finally settled in Pittsburgh, PA where he has lived for the past thirty five years. George attended Duquesne University and got a B.S.M.E of Music and a Master of Music in Saxophone. Since graduation of college, George has been a band director, teacher and Music Director/Associate Pastor at Covenant Church of Pittsburgh. In 1995, he felt God's call to move in the area of full-time music ministry to share with the Body Of Christ in a broader way. Having been a music director and raised in a church that was full of worship, it was God's plan to take those kinds of talents and experience into "All Nations".

In 2001 he returned to Covenant Church Of Pittsburgh where he is once again the Music Director/ Worship Pastor serving with Bishop Garlington, Denise Graves, Clarence Grant, Alton Merrel and Toni Turner.

Musical Experience

Pittsburgh Symphony
Benedum Theatre
Integrity Music: Ron Kenoly, Paul Wilbur, Don Moen, Marty Nystrom, Bob Fitts
Maranatha! Music
Promise Keepers
Bishop Joseph L. Garlington
Israel Houghton
Eagles Wings with Rob Stearns
Three Rivers Saxophone Quartet

Equipment & Studio List:

Soprano is a Yamaha YAS 62 with a Ralph Morgan *8 Jazz and Winslow Ligature
Alto is a Selmer Mark VI (1970 Vintage) with a New York Meyer #6 M
Tenor is a Selmer Mark VI 1958 Vintage Guardala King R&B mouthpiece
Flute is a Muramatsu GX
Yamaha WX-5 Windcontroller with a Yamaha VL-70 Module
Finale software for Music Notation.
Vandoren Java #3 on Tenor and Alto. Vandoren #3 on Soprano
Sure LX Wireless system with Clip-on 98 Microphone
Sennheiser 421 for flute and sax

Furball Music Recording Studio:

Nuendo 3.0 on Mac OSX
Hammerfall Digiface
Mackie Controller
Roland M 1000 Digital Line Mixer
Mackie HR 824 Monitors
Roland Professional V-Drums® set with expandable TD-10 sound module and full-size V-Pads™.
Avalon 747 Mic Pre
Roland 5080
Yamaha EX-5
Yamaha Motif (Rack)
Yamaha P100 Keyboard

Album Updates

2009-11-11T15:19:00.002-05:00

Well I am going to blog the bio's for the musicians that we have put together for the One Life album. We will be recording beginning in January. I am excited to have this team of musicians and the producer to help with this project!

Also, the photoshoot went well yesterday with Abie Livesay! Thanks Abbie for your awesomeness!

One other note is that the One Life Concert will take place this coming Sunday evening from 6-730 at Riverside Community Church in Oakmont. For address or directions check out RCC website at www.riversideconnect.org.

Hope to see you there!

-Dave

Photo Shoot Tuesday

2009-11-09T11:41:00.002-05:00

I will be having my photo shoot this Tuesday afternoon in Lawrenceville. This will be the photos for the One Life album and various promotional materials for the whole process. Please pray that I will look "good" that day :)

Seriously, please pray for creativity and a great outcome. Pictures are worth a thousand words! I am happy to say that Abie Livesay will be doing the shooting and I love the work that she has done with other clients in her portfolio.

Stay tuned for more updates it has been a busy couple of weeks and there is much to write. I will write a little each day to keep you up to speed with some of it.

Hope to see you Sunday night at my concert. Thanks!

- Dave

One Life Concert at RCC

2009-10-26T11:41:00.002-04:00

One Life Concert
A Night of Worship, Original Songs and Missions
Featuring Dave Longstreth and members of his band from Riverside Community Church

Press Release:

The One Life Concert will feature a night of praise and worship, original songs and missions from Dave Longstreth, Riverside Community Church's Creative Arts and Missions Pastor.

The concert will promote his upcoming album recording titled One Life and Dave will be joined by some of his Riverside worship band members. Admission is free and anyone is invited. An offering will be taken to raise funds for the One Life album and mission and a fund will be started in case those who want to give toward the project cannot give that evening.

For more information on the concert, the album, the ministry or the mission - please visit Dave's blog at www.DaveLongstreth.blogspot.com or his music site at www.DaveLongstrethMusic.com.

New Song - "Song of Freedom"

2009-10-13T15:45:00.002-04:00

I was inspired by a conversation that I had this morning with the wife of a dear friend from our church who had a massive heart attack this weekend. By the loving mercy of Jesus Christ and a true miracle this man gets to live with great hope for tomorrow. This couple has been coming to RCC for years and have been very encouraging to me throughout the years. Almost every Sunday Frank will come up to me after worship and encourage me with words of affirmation and love for the music that our team has put forth that week. I don't say this to brag but only to let you know how special they are to me and how much they have encouraged and supported my ministry here at RCC through the years. I was devastated on Sunday morning when I received the news that Frank had a heart attack and that the outlook was not good. I've seen and heard enough of these predicaments to know that his chances were slim at best. But then a miracle occurred - he came through and with great brain function after a longer than usual time without oxygen. Today was his first full day since the trauma and I went first thing this morning to visit with him.

When I was speaking with his wife Lynn, she encouraged me out of her own life about the freedom that we have in Jesus' name. I was blessed and knew that I had to write a song about this today while it was still so fresh on my heart. I offer this song of freedom to all who like me and like my dear friends - need the freedom that can only be found through the loving mercy and blood of Jesus Christ. This is a song of freedom, which I think will be a part of my upcoming album, "One Life" which you can read more about on my blog at www.davelongstreth.blogspot.com. Thank you!

Song of Freedom

This is our song of freedom
This is our song of joy
This is our song of freedom
This is our song of joy

No more let sin or sorrow
No more the enemy prevail
Christ has redeemed us forever
By His own blood we are free

We have been called to worship
To love, honor and obey
We have been called to go out
Releasing the prisoners today

One life to live, one life to give
One life, one chance to make a difference
One God, one Christ, one blood
One call, one church, one life

This is our song of freedom
This is our song of joy
This is our song of freedom
This is our song of joy

Donations through ChipIn

2009-10-05T14:08:00.003-04:00

If you are interested in donating to the album One Life please follow the link in the widget below - for more information please read my previous post here. You can also visit my chipin page at http://davelongstrethmusic.chipin.com.

Time to Begin Raising Funds

2009-10-05T13:25:00.004-04:00

Well I have a final price for the album that I hope to have released in Spring 2010! The album will be recorded locally at Furball Studio with an executive producer that has been featured on over 10 Hosanna/Integrity worship albums. He is an accomplished musician and worship leader and knows the music business especially in the genres of Christian music and Praise and Worship.

I will be recording with hired studio musicians so that I save time & money in the studio and have a full quality project that can be used to promote this ministry and message of The One Life Project - changing the world one life at a time! The project will be a full length album with full band instrumentation and multiple vocal tracks. It will be mastered at a studio in Nashville, TN and packaged in earth-friendly ecowallets.

A portion of the proceeds from this album will go directly to The One Life Project for the purposes of child sponsorship in South East Asia and life-saving heart surgeries in Tibet for children suffering from congenital heart disease. These projects are through the non-profit Christian organization South East Asia Prayer Center www.seapc.us.

I hope to raise a total of $8,000 in donations and album support to pay for the project and then additionally raise tour support for a South East Asia tour in the summer of 2010. On this tour I will be giving away the CDs to people in some of the poorer countries (i.e., Cambodia, parts of Thailand, etc.) and selling the album elsewhere. I have set the $8,000 goal to include the following support - $4,000 in donations and $4,000 in no-interest loans to be paid back to the investors from the sales of the first 400 CDs.

Please join me in prayer because this goal is huge to a person like me. I make an honest living but I am not well-to-do and have a young family to support in the early years of my career. But I have a dream and have waited for ten years to begin this album. I believe now more than ever that this is the time to realize this dream and make it happen. At the same time I have a call on my life to make a difference in our world through this one life that has been given to me - I want to use it to change another life and another and another...

The message of this album is all about using the gift of life that we've been given to change another life significantly. It is about both being and doing. It is about worship - a true and full definition of worship - to give glory to our Creator through the words, actions and thoughts of our lives.

Details on the fund-raising will be forthcoming. I will be collecting the funds through a PayPal account and paying the costs of the CD production directly from that account. I am sorry that I cannot offer tax-deductible donations but I am not a non-profit organization. I will be using an online fund-raising website called www.chipin.com.

Current Chart Scores for My Music on Reverb Nation

2009-08-31T14:30:00.003-04:00

My website, www.DaveLongstrethMusic.com, is hosted at Reverb Nation, which is a website started in 2006 that focuses on the independent music industry. If you have not had a chance to check out my website, please take some time to do so...

Everytime someone visits my website, plays my songs, signs up to be a fan or puts a banner/player widget on their site - I get a higher band equity score. Now this can be to/from my website, facebook, myspace or blog! The higher my band equity score rises the higher I go on the Reverb Nation charts.

Currently I was surprised to see these chart scores for my genre of music (Christian/Gospel):

National Christian/Gospel Charts #69
Regional Christian/Gospel Charts #2
Regional Charts (all genres combined) #52

Wow and thank you!! Please keep checking in with me on the blog, leave some feedback and comments because I need your prayers and encouragement these next few months as I take on the huge undertaking of recording my first solo album with all originals. And thank you so much for your support!!

Songs for One Life - The Album

2009-08-24T14:48:00.002-04:00

Here are the songs that we have selected (and by we I mean my wife Carrie and I) for the upcoming One Life album (in no particular order):

One Life (Unify)
The Perfect Place
Let Your Kingdom Come
Till One Day
Lead Me On
One Life (Give)
For All You Have Done
I Lift Up Your Name
Under A Bridge
*Untitled (still working on this one)

Song Arrangements - First Meeting

2009-08-24T14:38:00.003-04:00

This morning I had the opportunity to meet with the executive producer again and I found out that I am producing the project and he will be the exec producer and project engineer. All that rhetoric aside, we looked at each song (style, tempo, arrangement) and mapped out some beginning direction in order to put together a thorough price quote. I should have my quote at next Monday morning's meeting with him.

We are looking at a total of 10 songs (all original) which include fast, moderate and slow tempo in differing keys. All are rock style and categorized as praise and worship minus one which will be a ballad.

I also received some of his base pricing quotes to get me started and like I mentioned before - this will be quite an undertaking both financially and energy required. But I am excited to see where God leads and how this will all unfold. Please keep the project in your prayers!

Meeting the Executive Producer

2009-08-20T14:37:00.003-04:00

This week I had the chance to revisit with the executive producer and project engineer and his assistant that I've selected to record my album. Nothing is set in stone yet. Next week (Monday morning) I will meet with him and we will go over the album song by song and talk about arrangements so that he can provide me with a quote for studio musicians, studio recording time, post production and mastering.

After I receive this quote I will have a lot of prayer going on because it will be a big decision to sign the contract and start the process. I will definitely need to raise funds through donations and investors. I could do the album much cheaper somewhere else but the quality would not compare, and the experience and credentials that this particular executive producer has will be hard to find elsewhere.

Please keep my upcoming meeting in your prayers as I prepare my songs and talk about money.

One Life - The Album

2009-08-18T14:30:00.000-04:00

Well I have had a dream in my heart for about ten years now and that is to make a very high quality full length solo album. This will be my first solo album of all original songs that I have written over the years. The theme and title of the album will be "One Life" and will be about loving God and loving others. The heartbeat of this album will be about God's church being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to the least, the last and the lost in our world and in our generation.

I have gone from writing songs, planning the theme, putting together the mission that some proceeds will benefit and am now heading towards the exciting part - signing on with a producer, recording the music, publishing the album and touring to both get the message of my music out to the world as well as raising awareness and support for the selected mission project that this album will be dedicated to.

So please keep me in prayer - it is quite an undertaking and I hope to have a finished project in all of your hands by Christmas! Keep in touch via the blog, facebook and my music site for more info, demos and updates.

Links are:
www.DaveLongstreth.blogspot.com (blog)
www.facebook.com/dmlongstreth (facebook)
www.DaveLongstrethMusic.com (my music site)

Blogging at EPIC Until Next Year

2008-10-30T11:13:00.002-04:00

I will be putting this blog on hold until the start of the new year. Currently I am blogging at www.rccepicblog.blogspot.com so take a stroll over there and check it out..

Dave

Themes, Lyrics, Prayers and Exhortations

2008-09-24T14:42:00.002-04:00

Next time you worship corporately, I challenge you to pay closer attention to some of the elements of worship such as the set theme, song lyrics, transitional prayers and exhortations from the platform (and in some charismatic circles from the "crowd"). Sometimes a worship leader will design a set of songs based around a certain theme or interweaving themes. For example, this past weekend I led a set of songs based around the theme of Creation since we were talking about Creation that day. So three songs that made up that theme were How Great Thou Art, Creation Calls and Your Beloved. It sometimes helps to get a sense of the theme which can add much more impact to your time of worship. It's seeing the big picture.

Lyrics are a very powerful part of the corporate worship service. The poetic flow of a song can really help the human spirit express deeper thoughts, devotion, prayers and praise. Take an old familiar hymn Amazing Grace for example, the simple thought is that we've been saved but the poet and author of the song expressed it as Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see. Lyrics can be very powerful and help put more depth and emotion to the thoughts that we sing about.

Prayers during times of transition within the musical part of a worship set can also help us to draw deeper meaning from our times of corporate worship. A transitional prayer can be done by the worshipper as a private conversation between them and God or it can be led by someone on the platform. This prayer usually takes the theme or a specific part of the song that was just sung and applies it to the worshipper's life. An example of this is praying a prayer to ask God to help us to not just sing songs but to be compelled to move into action as a further expression of our worship (which could be prayed after the song God of Justice.

Finally, exhortations are mini-sermons, thought-provoking statements or just simple encouragement and edification to help worshippers draw deeper and closer to God during the time of corporate worship. I don't always feel the need to give an exhortation, but more times than not I share at least one small thought if not a few more words to help connect the congregation. Exhortations can be planned if you like that sort of thing, but the ones I give are usually spontaneous (at least for the first worship service). Exhortations can range from testimony, to personal reflection or devotions, to Scripture application to challenging the congregation to some standard or calling. Exhortations aren't meant to take the place of the teaching or preaching, but rather help people connect during a time of corporate worship through music and the arts.

New Blog Series: How to Worship Corporately

Step Into Africa - A World Vision Event

2008-09-11T13:09:00.002-04:00

We will be taking a trip to Sewickley for the WV AIDS Exhibit. We'll meet in the parking lot of RCC Oakmont Campus at 5 and return by 9 on Saturday, Oct 4th. FREE admission however tickets need to be ordered so RSVP to Dave Longstreth.

There are only 36 spots available. Sign up now..

--------

Can you survive the journey of a child?

Come walk in the steps of a child living in an AIDS-affected commuity in Africa. This interactive exhibit features a stirring audio tour combined with captivating photography that will transport you to the heart of Africa. You'll gain a completely new perspective on the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time.

You can invite your friends, family, and neighbors to come see, hear, and experience the life of a child impacted by the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time: AIDS.

Learn more about the step into Africa exhibit by logging on to worldvisionexperience.org.

If you are interested in volunteer information or becoming more involved, please email missions@ststephenschurch.net.

Why does music play such an important role in corporate worship?

2008-09-09T11:09:00.002-04:00

What is it about music that makes corporate worship so powerful? It's always been something that fascinates me, that's for sure. I remember as a kid singing those good old church songs like "Father Abraham" and "Deep and Wide". Do you remember those too?! The funny thing is that now my three year old daughter is learning some of those - and a few more that I didn't know. But at the same time she is learning some of the songs that us adults sing in church, too... And she loves them!

Music has always attracted me. In second grade I began playing the drums - I've always enjoyed rhythm and beating on whatever was closest to me (even my little sister on occasion). Then in seventh grade I picked up a guitar and began to teach myself how to play. It wasn't long before I left my young poet aspirations to begin writing songs. Then I began singing worship songs in my bedroom, closed away from everyone else - singing until my heart was full.

Music has the ability to reach into every part of our souls.
Words are great - a well spoken sermon has the ability to speak volumes to us. But music can go well beyond what the mere words of the song portray. Music is based on emotion and one of our senses - hearing - and sometimes even feeling. Some songs give us energy - like a good upbeat hand-clapping song with driving guitars and drums. Some songs help us proclaim truths such as a hymn with a driving beat that stands us up just a little taller when we sing it. And some songs take us away from our present circumstance through emotional strings/pads and haunting melodies. All in all - songs can work their way into the deepest parts of our being and attach themselves there to burst out in melody at just the right times.

Music inspires us to make decisions and move into action.
Once our hearts have been touched by both lyric and emotion of the song - we are more prone to make a decision and move into action. I think of songs that call us to mission, or call us to live holy lives. In the moment we are being touched by the Spirit of God - knowing that He is moving us toward Himself. From that moment we've been given the courage and the will to continue moving in that direction. And many times a season can be born. For me, I remember seasons that were captured in a single song. A certain song may have really spoken to my heart and I would listen to that song day in and day out for weeks at a time. They were times of change, times of moving into action.

Music has the power to change.
The ultimate goal of worship music is to lose ourselves and take on more of God's Spirit in our lives. As we draw closer to God through worship, we become more like Him. Music has always been the greatest catalyst of lasting change in my life. In my life change both begins and ends with music. Music puts the emotion of love with the commitment to love. That's a very important connection. Music has the ability to change hearts, then change minds - and even change the world.

How has music changed you?

How does music get into your deepest places?

Do you have a song in your heart right now?

New Blog Series: How to Worship Corporately

New Blog Series: How to Worship Corporately

2008-09-09T11:00:00.003-04:00

One thing is certain about corporate worship, it can be both powerful and intimidating. I remember many times as a seeker/non-believer and even as a new believer, standing in church watching corporate worship take place feeling disconnected and intimidated. This series of posts will address some of those issues. How do we worship in a corporate setting (mainly through music)? These are some of the posts I plan on writing...

1. Why does music play such an important role in corporate worship?
2. Themes, lyrics, prayers and exhortations.
3. Postures of worship (head, shoulders, knees and toes).
4. Why should I "go up front" and leave my seat?
5. How to clap at the right place and the right time!

Please take some time to read the posts and I'd love to hear back from you so leave a comment or two! Thanks so much for checking out the blog!

What Is Your Political Philosophy? Take the Quiz!

2008-08-27T17:00:00.003-04:00

I think that during this election season it is wise to know our political philosophy. I found this simple yet informative quiz (which won't take long to complete) very helpful in understanding the basics of where I fit on a scale between conservative-liberal, moderate and libertarian-populist. To take the quiz, simply visit...

http://www.ontheissues.org/quizeng/XPolitics/start.asp

If you don't want to register just click on the "don't save" button to go directly to the quiz. Your results happen at the end. Check it out!

New Song - "I Will Run"

2008-08-26T11:24:00.002-04:00

Today I wrote a new song. Its a song about love, about a love that can close any gap, that can travel any distance, that can lift us up when we've fallen down. This song is called "I Will Run" which at first we feel like only we can run towards this kind of "love". Then towards the end it becomes quite clear that the other person (which I see as a loving God) has been the one running towards us all along.

There is nothing that we can do to close the gap between our weakness, our failures and our total disregard to God. It is only because He ran to us that we have been made new. Check out the lyrics ====>

I Will Run
Dave Longstreth -- August 26, 2008

I see you across the way
You’re standing there
Staring right at me
I take a breath
And I begin to breathe
And I start to move
Move across the way

I will run to you, yes I will
I will run, I will run
I will run to you, yes I will
I will run
When I've fallen down
When I've hit the ground
I will run, I will run, I will run
When I'm broken down
And feeling down
I will run

You've seen me on better days
Yet you moved to me while I was unaware
And you called my name
Sorry I did not hear
And I've acted like
Like I was not afraid

I will run to you, yes I will
I will run, I will run
I will run to you, yes I will
I will run
When I've fallen down
When I've hit the ground
I will run, I will run, I will run
When I'm broken down
And feeling down
I will run

I'm tired and I cannot see
That the distance between us
Seems so very long
But in my weaknesses
You have made me strong
And you've closed the gap
You're standing in front of me

You ran to me, yes you did
You ran, you ran
You ran to me, yes you did
You ran
When I fell down, when I hit the ground
You ran, you ran, you ran
I was broken down
I was feeling down
You ran

You ran to me, yes you did
You ran, you ran
You ran to me, yes you did
You ran
When I fell down, when I hit the ground
You ran, you ran, you ran
I was broken down
I was feeling down
You ran

Questions for a Worship Leader - #5

2008-08-26T09:43:00.001-04:00

Q) What things do you love most about church ministry?

A) The thing that I love most about the local church is the opportunity to change our world. Rick Warren says it so clearly… the local church is the only organization that has the volunteers, the resources, the distribution system and the God-given inspiration to change the world. Bill Hybels says that the local church is the hope of the world. I’ve bought into this completely. I think that if we want to see the prayer of Jesus Christ come to fruition, that is “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” then the local church has to realize why it has been established – to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. We are the church, the body of Jesus and we’ll be His hands to a world that needs us and His feet to carry the news of personal and social redemption.

Questions for a Worship Leader - BLOG Series

Questions for a Worship Leader - #4

2008-08-25T10:29:00.002-04:00

Q) Describe a healthy relationship between senior pastor and worship leader.

A) I think that a healthy relationship between senior pastor and worship leader begins with just that, a relationship. As a worship leader, I want to know and appreciate my senior pastor, even on a personal level. At the same time I want my senior pastor to know and appreciate me on a personal level. After that relationship has been established, the next phase is to earn and build trust. Mutual cooperation and a shared vision are the foundations to that trust. True leaders lead by example and inspiration, not by a position of authority. Once the foundation of mutual trust has been established then both leaders have the opportunity to challenge each other to become better, dream bigger and carry out the call that God has for that congregation. A healthy relationship between senior pastor and worship leader is a shared calling to see God do what only God can do in a community of believers and beyond.

Questions for a Worship Leader - BLOG Series

Questions for a Worship Leader - #3

2008-08-19T14:08:00.004-04:00

Q) Describe your understanding of “team” or collaboration” when it comes to worship teams.

A) One of the things that I have always communicated to worship teams that I’ve had the privilege of serving on has been that there are no lone-rangers, no one-man shows and no room for big personalities. Worship is not at all about us – as individuals or as a group – it is always about the One that we worship. Now in this understanding, since we are all worshipers and have been given opportunity to help others connect and relate to God, it is the honor and responsibility of the worship team to foster an atmosphere and demonstrate authentic worship. Every member of the team has an opportunity and responsibility to lead others in worship – not just the “worship leader.” From a musical perspective the same can be conveyed...

...that each person represents a piece of the pie and should allow room for other musicians and vocalists to add to the overall symphony of praise. Finally, sharing in relationship with one another brings it all together. We share in what I consider one of the greatest honors that we have – to join together in seeking the presence of a very living God and to help lead others to that perfect place.

Questions for a Worship Leader - BLOG Series

Rick Warren Interviews John McCain PT 2

2008-08-18T11:21:00.000-04:00

This is part 2 of 2 videos of Rick Warren interviewing Sen. McCain at the Civil Forum on the Presidency at Saddleback Church.

Rick Warren Interviews John McCain PT 1

2008-08-18T11:19:00.001-04:00

This is part 1 of 2 videos of Rick Warren interviewing Sen. McCain at the Civil Forum on the Presidency at Saddleback Church.

Rick Warren Interviews Barack Obama PT 2

2008-08-18T11:17:00.002-04:00

This is part 2 of 2 videos of Rick Warren interviewing Sen. Obama at the Civil Forum on the Presidency at Saddleback Church.

Rick Warren Interviews Barack Obama PT 1

2008-08-18T11:10:00.006-04:00

This is part 1 of 2 videos of Rick Warren interviewing Sen. Obama at the Civil Forum on the Presidency at Saddleback Church.

Franciscan Prayer

2008-08-13T10:39:00.002-04:00

I know this isn't part of my current blog series but this is just too good to pass up. This came across our devotions this morning - it is a Franciscan prayer and it sums up what I want my prayer to be. Recently LifeChurch.tv put together a campaign of hundreds of churches worldwide called "One Prayer". The essence of the campaign is if you had one prayer what would it be. Well this is a good one for me. Enjoy and be lifted up!

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Questions for a Worship Leader - #2

2008-08-11T13:29:00.002-04:00

Q)How would you best summarize your relationship to God?

A)I would say that my relationship with God is authentic, open and real. It has taken me quite some time to unlearn religiosity and learn how to be completely real and authentic not only with God but also in my portrayal of God to others. Obviously I consider myself a work in progress and the more that I learn about God the more I realize how much I don’t know about Him. I view God as personable and fully interested in my daily activities, decisions, relationships, hopes and dreams; yet I also see God as quite mysterious.

It is in that mystery that I find adventure, risk, fulfillment, delight and sometimes even sorrow. Duty has been replaced by friendship, yet the mystery keeps me in proper perspective to continue to “fear God” as the Scriptures command.

Questions for a Worship Leader - BLOG Series

Questions for a Worship Leader - #1

2008-08-07T09:47:00.003-04:00

Q) When did you first realize your desire to lead others in Worship?

A) Worship has always been the lifeblood of my relationship with my Creator. Some of my fondest memories of worshiping have been the times when I would sing praise and worship songs in my bedroom as a teenager and get on my knees before God and just sit in His presence. It was inspiring, it was life-altering, and it was the most effective way that I connected with God as a new follower of Jesus.

It was after this foundation was laid that I began to take this worship that God had put in my heart out from behind closed doors. I started by leading worship with a youth group that I was a part of; from there I began leading worship in our main church services before going to college to begin my worship leading career. Helping others find the place where God can really do some inspiring and life-altering work was and still remains the motivating force behind my taking this gift outside of my small sanctuary of a bedroom into what I hope one day will be the nations.

Questions for a Worship Leader BLOG Series

New BLOG Series - Questions for a Worship Leader

2008-08-07T09:38:00.008-04:00

I am going to begin my first BLOG series titled "Questions for a Worship Leader". In this series I will answer these five questions:

1. When did you first realize your desire to lead others in Worship?

2. How would you best describe your relationship with God?

3. Describe your understanding of “team” or collaboration” when it comes to worship teams.

4. Describe a healthy relationship between senior pastor and worship leader.

5. What things do you love most about church ministry?

Hope to hear from you!

Links -
1. When did you first realize your desire to lead others in Worship?

2. How would you best summarize your relationship to God?

3. Describe your understanding of “team” or collaboration” when it comes to worship teams.

4. Describe a healthy relationship between senior pastor and worship leader.

5. What things do you love most about church ministry?

New Song - "The Perfect Place"

2008-07-30T16:02:00.003-04:00

Please take some time to check out my new song "The Perfect Place" available on my music player at www.davelongstrethmusic.com, facebook and my BLOG. Also, if you aren't a 'fan' of my music yet - please help me spread it around the world and sign up to be a fan. It's free, it's easy and it won't inconvenience you one bit. Thanks so much!

To check out the lyrics to my new song (taken from Psalm 25, please read on...

A Song of Psalm 25

Lord, I give my life to you
I will trust in you, my God
Show me every step on the road for me to follow
Lead me by your truth and love

You are God who gave me hope
So every day I'll hope in you
You have shown unfailing love
So lead me to the perfect place

Lord you're good, you do what's right
You've been merciful to me
Every time I've gone astray you have led me back
Teach me how to walk with you

You are God who gave me hope
So every day I'll hope in you
You have shown unfailing love
So lead me to the perfect place

For the honor of your name
Please forgive all that I've done
And when I've fallen down fix my eyes on yours
Pick me up and lead me on

You are God who gave me hope
So every day I'll hope in you
You have shown unfailing love
So lead me to the perfect place

You are God who gave me hope
So every day I'll hope in you
You have shown unfailing love
So lead me to the perfect place
So lead me to the perfect place

Worship and Missions - Philosophical

2008-07-17T13:28:00.004-04:00

You should see my desk right now after being on vacation for three weeks - there are more stacks and piles than I know what to do with. My first step is to throw away as much as I can. But looking around I see a lot of mail, papers, magazine covers, etc. that speak of two different themes, worship and missions. Now remember that my place on the team here at RCC is creative arts and missions pastor - so in my small mind these two worlds work together. Here's how I think that world of worship and the world of missions collide in a big way...

Worship literally means giving worth to the object, deity or person that we worship. Of course as Christians this hopefully means that we ascribe worth or glorify the one who created all things and who knows and loves us best. This should in theory outweigh giving glory to any other person or created thing in our lives. So if we are to truly ascribe worth and give the most glory to the Creator - then we cannot accomplish this on just a few hours a week. This type of worth-ship or worship has to happen with every part of our being (our decisions, desires and actions). This is what I call the life of a worshiper.

Then there is the term and the thought of missions. Missions by its definition of its function in churches is all about reaching the body, community and even the world for Jesus Christ - meeting physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social needs of people. So we assume that being on mission 24/7 is something that is very possible. It is being salt and light, it is being a witness all the time, it is living the life of a Christ-follower.

I think that what happens is that people associate everything that happens in the church to be worship and everything that happens outside the church to be missions. In my opinion this is not the case. Worship happens more outside the church than it does within and missions happens inside the church as well as outside the walls.

So where is the collision? The collision is the sweet spot, it is the best place to be. It is where the sky meets the earth, the beautiful horizon which we'll never actually stand in this lifetime but we are always walking towards it. The sweet spot is where heaven meets earth - and thus our one true mission is born. It is our mission as children of God and followers of Christ to see the glory of our Creator expressed in the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social lives of every person who inhabits this rock.

Do worship and missions go together? Like peanut butter and jelly. Like oreos and milk. Like wine and cheese. That's why everyone should get to do what I get to do. That's why no matter what my title or position on a team will ever be - I will always care about inspiring others to live lives of worship and mission 24/7.

New Baby Boy!

2008-06-25T23:38:00.003-04:00

This week is a very special week. I am happy to announce the birth of my son, Braden Connor Longstreth, weighing in at 9 lbs and 6 oz. He's a big boy and we love him! My 3-year old daughter Kylie just loves him, she's a great big sister!

Strategy Launch

2008-06-18T14:25:00.005-04:00

In May we launched the new missions strategy for RCC (really the only one we've ever formally had) which is P.E.A.C.E. You can listen to this strategy in my message (about 35 mins) podcast click here to listen. After I get back from a couple of weeks vacation since our baby boy is about to be born, I will start posting more information on how you can get involved in this strategy and ways that we are making a difference as a local body here in Pgh.

A Waiting Army

2008-01-14T16:46:00.001-05:00

According to Rick Warren, there are 2 billion people in the world that claim to be followers of Christ. That's quite a large number - about 1/3 of the world's population. Imagine what 1/3 of the world's population could do to fight spiritual emptiness and be a light in dark places? If even the smallest of light can penetrate large dark spaces - what about 1/3 of the world shining their light throughout the darkest reaches of our world

Imagine what 1/3 of the world's population could do to fight corrupt leadership and injustice? When there is such a large number of light carriers - who could stand up against truth and justice by taking advantage of the vulnerable and voiceless? Would that many followers of Christ stand by and allow those in power flex their influence to take advantage of the weak and the helpless?

Imagine what 1/3 of the world's population could do to fight extreme poverty? The fact is that half of the world lives on less than $2/day and we in America (even the poorest in America) are far wealthier than this. Each of us are so blessed and if we collectively fought extreme poverty - we would win. Imagine what 1/3 of the world's population could do to fight pandemic disease? Most of the global killers in developing countries are preventable such as the number one killer of children under age 5 - diarrhea. If 2 billion strong pooled resources we could win the war against HIV/AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, diarrhea - and who knows what else. Imagine what 1/3 of the world's population could do to fight illiteracy and poor education? Countries like Cambodia just don't have enough educated individuals to help bring sustaining stability to their developing nations. 1/3 of the world helping to educate the next generation - I think it's simple mathematics - the odds are in our favor.

The five global giants - it's an earlier post, check it out. The only organization in the world that can make an impact and even eliminate the threat of these giant killers is not the US gov't, the European Union or the United Nations - IT IS THE LOCAL CHURCH! We are an army of 2 billion people sitting in our pews just waiting to be mobilized and fight to eradicate the enemy of our souls, the enemy of humanity. Let our prayer reflect that of Christ's as he taught us to pray by believing - "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." We may have already won the battle in the end (through Christ's return), but we have not yet won it. The battle rages - the enemy devours and sometimes it seems as all we can do is fight to keep evil at bay. Let us unite under one name - the name of Christ - and put an end to this war!

Monthly Informational & Prayer Gathering

2008-01-08T12:29:00.000-05:00

Each month we gather to get updates and the latest important information on the missions of Riverside Community Church. We spend time reviewing reports and prayer requests for regional, national and global RCC supported missions. Opportunities to serve in missions are also given at these meetings.

If you have any interest in reaching outside the four walls of our church through community service, national disaster relief efforts or global world-change - then we urge you to come be a part of this monthly gathering. We spend about a half an hour sharing news, updates and upcoming opportunities, answering questions and taking suggestions and then we conclude with a time of focused prayer for each of these areas of mission. This is a casual atmosphere and all are welcome. Please contact Dave Longstreth for more information or just show up at our next gathering.

Where & When
RCC - Room 105
Sunday, January 13th
6:00 - 7:00 PM

Ask God to Change the World

2007-11-06T10:36:00.001-05:00

Just like in Jesus' day there are crowds and multitudes of people all across the world who are dying - physically and spiritually. the kingdom of the enemy is still strong but the kingdom of God is stronger. According to Barna research and other statistics, a little over a billion people claim to be followers of Christ, carrying on the teachings of Jesus and announcing the Good News about this Kingdom. Matthew records in his gospel account that Jesus went to the towns and the villages teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. Matthew says that Jesus healed every kind of disease and illness, and when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

When I traveled to Cambodia in August I saw great crowds of people who fit this description - confused and helpless; but you don't have to travel across the world to see this, right? Watch the news, look at communities in disarray after a disaster hits, spend an afternoon downtown and watch people as they run to and fro like mice stuck in a cage. You can see it in their eyes or the blank look on their face - I've been there, you've been there - it's the look of spending all our waking energy on keeping busy, trying to fulfill some purpose or just searching for that purpose.

Thank God that he had compassion on us and became our shepherd, gently leading us to quiet streams and still pastures - in other words - no matter what adversity comes our way having a peace in our lives knowing that we belong to something greater than all that's around us; someone greater than we could begin to comprehend. Jesus said to those that followed him - and to those that still follow him - "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." He didn't just say to them go (although he did say go many times); he told them to pray for God to send more workers into the fields.

Riverside is a place where we gather to love God and love others. Loving God means that we commune with him, we have a daily and ongoing relationship with a living God - and the acting out on that relationship is worship. Loving others means that we have fellowship with those who are the body and are the hands and feet of Jesus to those who have not yet found his Kingdom. We are committed to being a body that is whole and balanced with Christ as the head of his church.

We do much on a regular basis to accomplish this simple model of loving God and loving others. We gather frequently for worship through the message, giving, prayer, fellowship and the arts. We go frequently to serve the least, the last and the lost regionally, nationally and globally. Since our conception as a church in Penn Hills and Oakmont we've been a mission's supporting and sending church. But God is also saying to us, pray.

Each month, usually the second Sunday evening at 6 p.m., we are gathering to fulfill this call - to pray for Pittsburgh, to pray for the United States and to pray for the world. Please consider joining us for an hour of prayer each month and watch the bulletins and website of dates and times of our prayer gatherings. We'll spend some time receiving information and updates on various regional, national and global missions opportunities and reports that we are taking interest in as a church and we'll pray. It is important to God that we pray regularly; and it is vital to the world that we are faithful to do so.
----
The next mission's prayer gathering happens Sunday, November 11th at 6 p.m. in room 105.

Making a Global Impact, Locally

2007-11-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday the choir from Riverside Community Church met for the morning to impact the world here in Pittsburgh. We took a ride downtown to the World Vision Gifts in Kind warehouse in Sewickley (right outside of Pgh) to volunteer with the sorting of a shipment of clothing. We at Riverside have been sending various volunteers and small groups to the warehouse over the past year (mostly on Saturday mornings) to volunteer our time - in some small way - to make a difference all over the world. Each time we are able to sort thousands of pieces of clothing, books, supplies, etc. In other words- a 3-hour commitment at the warehouse with 10-20 volunteers on any given Saturday morning will literally affect thousands of people across the world.

World Vision is a very large organization, and we've not only finacially supported them but we've been able to support them with resources and volunteers. World Vision at any given time is at work in over 100 countries. They have ongoing community development programs, sponsorships and temporary disaster relief efforts. For more information on the Gifts in Kind warehouse in Pittsburgh, visit http://www.worldvision.org/get_involved.nsf/child/gik_IDC?Open&lid=pittsburgh&lpos=main.

For All You Have Done

2007-10-31T10:17:00.000-04:00

This is a new song that I wrote last week - again with the theme of being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ as a direct response (a.k.a. worship) for all that He has done in our lives!

For All You Have Done

Found love, found grace, found mercy
Found hope, found strength
Found everything we need in Jesus Christ!

With these things we’ve been given
We choose to give them back
To change the world for Jesus Christ!

Pour out the fragrance of your love
Send out the richness of your name we will carry

Your fame through all the earth; your name inside our hearts
We offer our lives to you, for all you have done
Our hands will be your hands; our feet will run with yours
We offer our lives to you, for all you have done

Your spirit lights the darkness
Your light, your flame will burn
Inside our hearts for all to see!

Your call, your movement made real
Serve God, serve others
Love our neighbor and love our God!

Pour out the fragrance of your love
Send out the richness of your name we will carry

Your fame through all the earth; your name inside our hearts
We offer our lives to you, for all you have done
Our hands will be your hands; our feet will run with yours
We offer our lives to you, for all you have done.

Voting Missionally and Biblically

2007-10-30T14:19:00.000-04:00

Thank you for visiting this link to check out the sermon manuscript which outlines our missions strategy called the PEACE Plan. Click on the read more link below to read the abbreviated sermon manuscript. God bless!

Sermon Title: Facing the Giants Pt 1
Sermon Theme: RCC Missions Goals & Strategy
Speaker: Dave Longstreth
Date: Sunday, May 18, 2008

***ABBREVIATED MANUSCRIPT***

Introduction
Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life and Founding Pastor of Saddleback Community Church has clearly and succinctly identified some of the biggest problems that we face in this generation all over the world. He calls them the Global Giants or Global Goliaths if you will. So today we are going to talk about Facing the Giants.

Many of you here remember some of the global campaigns that we took part in from the past started by Rick Warren and his church in California: 40 Days of Purpose, 40 Days of Community, even the structure of our adult Christian education classes that were once illustrated as a baseball diamond – remember these – Classes 101, 201, 301, 401 and 501?

Well in the past few years Rick Warren and a few hundred churches around the world have been silently developing and beta testing something called the P.E.A.C.E. plan, which begins with identifying 5 of the greatest problems in our world today (the Global Giants). The second part of this plan then studies what Jesus did during his earthly ministry which also just happened to be the 5 antidotes to these problems.

So this is what we’re going to accomplish today – identifying the problems and then revealing the solutions, then I’ll do my best to stay out of the way and just let God speak to you about what’s next.

Opening Text
Matthew 24:36-40 (NLTSE)
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important; ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’”

Main Points
1. THE GIANTS: The Five Biggest Problems that Our Generation Faces

a. Spiritual Emptiness
One of the biggest problems that we face in this generation has also been one of the biggest problems since the creation of humanity – Spiritual Emptiness. We are empty without a relationship with the one who made us. Billions of people across the world are spiritually empty; in fact in a world of over 6 billion inhabitants only about 2 billion claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.

We as believers know that Jesus is the only way to have an eternal relationship with God and it doesn’t matter how well-off those other 4 billion people are who don’t know Jesus – if they don’t have eternal life, then that is the biggest and most important problem that we face in our world today.

Here’s what the Bible has to say about spiritual emptiness in John 6:64: “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes noting. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.”

And also in the book of John,
“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:34-36 NLTSE)

b. Corruption and Injustice
The second problem in the world today that we’re talking about is the Giant of Corruption and Injustice. This occurs when leaders are egocentric or self-centered. Corruption and injustices many times cause the other big problems. Many of the problems that face nations and kingdoms could be solved if we just had leaders who were willing to lead with courage, character, conviction and maturity.

Now the definition of corruption and injustice is when someone who has more power abuses that power to take from someone with less power the good things that God intended for them: their life, their liberty, their dignity, the fruits of their love and the fruits of their labor.

The book of Ecclesiastes records, “Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.” (Ecc 4:1-3 NLTSE)

That’s kind of a downer, isn’t it?

The book of Luke records the disciples arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. (Can you imagine this? I mean come on, there they are, hanging out with Jesus, you know, who’s walking on water, giving sight to the blind, feeding thousands, forgiving sins and they are arguing behind his back who is going to be the greatest among themselves?) Anyways, in Luke 22:25, Jesus gets wind of their conversation and says to them…

“In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”

Jesus knew that corruption and injustices were a big problem in his day, and they are still big problems today. You don’t have to go very far to find a self-serving leader or corruption and injustice, do you?

The sad fact is that there is a dramatic shortage of Jesus-type leaders in the world today – and this is cause for so many of the world’s problems.

Most people don’t know what to do with power – they make the mistake of thinking that the power and influence given to them is for their own good rather than the fact that they’ve been given power and influence for the good of others.

c. Extreme Poverty
The third problem that we’re talking about today is the Giant of Extreme Poverty.

Lamentations 4:8-9 says, “Their skin has shriveled on their bones, it has become as dry as a stick. Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food.”

Rick Warren says, “Poverty keeps billions of people in miserable, desperate, dehumanizing conditions.” 3 billion people in the world live on less than $2 per day according to the United Nations. That’s half of the world! Of those – over a billion people live on less than $1 a day.

So it’s pretty safe to say that 1 out of every 2 people in the world are living in extreme poverty, worrying about what tomorrow will bring them if they wake up alive…

Will they have enough food to eat, will they have to choose which of their children doesn’t eat, will they worry about whether they’ll have a roof over their head or if their children will have any kind of hopeful future.

The truth is, billions of people are living in these kinds of conditions because of circumstances beyond their control – sometimes it’s corrupt leadership that puts them there, sometimes its poor education – but no matter what their cause, most of the time they cannot help the fact that they live in poverty and have little or no hope of getting themselves out of their desperate situation.

The problem with extreme poverty that really gets me is that it is many times preventable. Jesus says that we will always have the poor – that’s because there will always be people who make a lot of money, people who make an average income and people who make far less than average…

One billion people live on less than $1 per day – that is extreme. It is extreme when people live in the same community where there are million dollar mansions and just a few blocks away in the slums people can’t afford the basic necessities such as food, water, shelter and clothing.

This is poverty that we can change, this is poverty that we are compelled to change.

Each of us here today are wealthy compared to the other half of the world. If you make more than $100 per week then you are in the top 15% of wealthiest in the world. If you make more than $34k per year then you are in the top 5% of the wealthiest in the world. And if you make a six figure income – over $100k per year – then you are in the top 0.66% wealthiest in the world. Extreme poverty – it’s real and it’s everywhere.

d. Pandemic Diseases
The fourth problem that we’re talking about is the Giant of Pandemic Diseases. Pandemic diseases are diseases that infect humans; they are infectious diseases – and although diseases like cancer kill many people – it is not infectious like HIV/AIDS, malaria and others. Now this doesn’t mean that we won’t also address those with cancers or heart disease or other diseases – it just means that we can make a significant difference in some of the big pandemics that are ravaging the lives of millions of people across the world.

Most diseases that people are suffering from across developing countries are diseases that we’ve had cures for since the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We have the cure to diarrhea, the number one killer of children under the age of 5; we also know how to prevent it.

We know the cure for malaria, too. We know how to prevent malaria – its simple and its not that expensive either; remove stagnant water, buy a few bed nets, spray some DTT and yet this year over 500 million people will get infected from a mosquito bite.

We also know how to prevent the spread of the HIV virus which causes AIDS – yet this is the big one that is destroying Africa and South East Asia.

Have you heard of the tsunami-a-week statistic? Well when the tsunami hit South East Asia back in December of 2004 – over 240,000 people were killed in the first week.

We have a tsunami in the world every eight days because according to the United Nations, 30,000 children die of preventable diseases every 24 hours! That means we have a tsunami every eight days.

8,000 people die every single day from AIDS.

In 2002, only 8 deaths were reported in the US from Malaria – but every day over 2,700 people die from the disease, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

And then there are water-borne diseases. Now this one really gets me – every day over 3,800 children die from diseases associated with a lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation. That’s one child every twenty seconds.

…As long as it takes me to step over here and take a drink of water…

Another child has died because they can’t have this. And yet we take it for granted, don’t we?

Pandemic Diseases – often preventable and even curable…

e. Illiteracy and Poor Education
Finally, the fifth major problem that we’re talking about is the Giant of Illiteracy and Poor Education. Do you realize that half of the world cannot read or write? Half of the world is functionally illiterate. That sounds the same as the statistic for Extreme Poverty – I wonder if they go hand-in-hand?

The fact is that children living in poverty are unable to access good education. Often the standards and facilities of the educational institutes they can afford are lower than those available to children of higher-income groups. And all too often we see poor children dropping out of school earlier to support their families, especially in developing countries. We see this in rural Cambodia all the time.

Poor education vastly contributes to the entrenchment of the cycle of poverty. Corruption and injustices are also entwined with poor education as the lures of income and education are promised to families with younger children, and then their children are taken away and forced into slavery or the sex trade.

So you see the problem of illiteracy and poor education is something that feeds the problems of corruption and injustices, the problems of extreme poverty and pandemic diseases and even the problem of spiritual emptiness.

That’s why a multifaceted solution to any one of these problems is necessary. You can’t reduce or even put an end to pandemic and preventable diseases if you don’t lift people out of extreme poverty.

And you can’t lift them out of poverty if you don’t address corruption and injustice.

And you can’t win the war against corruption and injustice until you overcome illiteracy and poor education.

You can’t just evangelize people, get them saved to go to heaven and hope that all these other things will somehow magically take care of themselves.

This is why we need to have a purposeful, holistic approach to what we do as Christians to serve others and what we do as the mission of our local church. We are the body of Jesus – his hands AND his feet, called to love him AND to love others. We are called to serve God AND to serve others.

I was moved by a quote that I heard a couple of years ago at a WCA conference by Bono, the lead singer of a rock band named U2. In a recorded interview he told Bill Hybels the same thing that he addressed at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast earlier that year – he said…

Quotation
“The one thing, on which we can all agree, among all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and the poor… God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them…” (Bono, at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast)

Transition Text
Again, I am reminded that if we are to be the church that Christ came to establish, then we will live as Christ lived.

And this is what it says in Matthew 20:28 (Msg):
“This is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served
– and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

What did Jesus spend his time here on earth doing?

What did he teach us to do in response to these Global Giants –

And furthermore – how did Jesus model it for us in his life and in his ministry?

From these things we are able to clearly articulate 5 antidotes to the 5 Giants that we talked about. So here they are…

2. THE SOLUTION: The Five-Part Mission of RCC (P.E.A.C.E.)

a. Promote Reconciliation
Matthew 16:18 & 19 records Jesus as telling Peter and the disciples, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What did Jesus do – he planted a church and he gave the keys to Peter. So our model for combating the evil, global giant of spiritual emptiness is by Promoting Reconciliation (Promote Reconciliation) and we do this through 1) planting churches, 2) partnering with churches, 3) and evangelism.

I think that Jesus was successful, right? Look around – we are here because Jesus came to reconcile humanity with its Creator – Jesus worked through his church to reconcile us to God. I really like what Rick Warren says about the local church, it’s true and it’s something that we have to react on. He says…

There is an army of over a billion volunteers sitting in pews every week just waiting to be mobilized and our challenge is to figure out how to get the average person sitting in the average pew involved in addressing the biggest problems that we face in the world today.

Are you hearing this? We are an army. Rick’s not the first person to call the church an army though, is he? First of all I think of the armies of the Lord throughout the Bible, and then I think of the armies that went to war in the “name of the Lord.”

Well here’s the truth – WE ARE AT WAR! Only this war isn’t against flesh and blood but rather against the powers and principalities of a dark kingdom that are just thriving on the torture and mutilation of human spirits and physical lives all over this planet. And we have sat around doing nothing about it for all too long! It is time to stand and fight.

So we begin by fighting in the war for souls.

b. Equip Servant Leaders and Fight Injustice
So Jesus did not just give us a message – he gave us a model – and our model for combating the evil, global Giant of Corruption and Injustice is by Equipping Servant Leaders and Fighting Injustice (Equip Servant Leaders and Fight Injustice).

How did Jesus model equipping servant leaders for us? First, he demonstrated what a servant leader is. Remember Matthew 20:28, “Even, I, the Son of Man, came here not be served but to serve others and give my life as a ransom for many.” Jesus simply said, “I am modeling how you are to lead and you are to lead by serving.”

Now Rick Warren spends a lot of time equipping servant leaders and he points this out to us, he says…

“Jesus loved everybody, and he fed the five thousand, trained the seventy, discipled the twelve, and even within the twelve he mentored three. Peter, James and John were the three he mentored most.” Jesus invested the maximum time in those who would bear the maximum responsibility.

Jesus showed us that we are to mentor and equip leaders who will be others-centered rather than self-centered. This is something that I learned at Valley Forge Christian College, one of our Bible Colleges here in the Northeast that we support. In fact we’ll hear from them next week. Anyways, the point is that to combat corruption and injustices we need to first fight injustice, then remove leaders from power and influence and then replace them with servant leaders.

It’s a daunting task, but I’m up for it – are you? It doesn’t take very many pictures of children forced into prostitution or suffering from extreme poverty to make equipping servant leaders and fighting injustice one of my missions in life!

c. Assist the Poor
Next, Jesus modeled combating the Giant of Extreme Poverty by Assisting the Poor (Assist the Poor). And in Jesus’ very first public sermon he reads from the book of Isaiah and announces his agenda for ministry. He says, “The Spirit of the Lord… has anointed me to preach Good News to the poor.” (Luke 4:18)

Not enough evidence? Well there are over 2,000 verses in the Bible just on the poor, second only to personal redemption. So it’s safe to say that the Bible speaks a whole lot about spiritual poverty and physical poverty. How did I miss this at Bible school? It wasn’t until the past few years that this really got my attention and gripped my heart.

Some passages to consider include…

1 John 3:17 (in the Message version): “If you see someone in need, and have the means to do something about it, but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love in you? It disappears!”

James 1:27: “What God considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering.”

Proverbs 19:17: “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and He will repay you.”

“God is with the poor and vulnerable and God is with us if we are with them. Assist the Poor.”

d. Care for the Sick
Jesus also modeled for us the need to Care for the Sick; this combats the Giant of Pandemic Diseases. Matthew 9:35 says, “Wherever Jesus went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness.” In fact the Bible tells us that he went into every village preaching, teaching and healing. 1/3 of Jesus’ ministry had to do with caring for the sick. So we see that Jesus spent a great deal of time modeling for us the need to care for the sick.

Jesus was the healer and the Bible shows us that Jesus was full of compassion, mercy, tenderness and caring. Matthew 14:14 says, “Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Luke 6:36 reads, “You must be compassionate just as Your Father is compassionate.”

And Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:2: “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”

If we’re going to be like Jesus, we have to learn to be full of compassion, mercy, tenderness and care for people when they are sick. We must develop a heart about compassion, care about the things that God cares about and care for the people that God cares for – everyone, and especially those without a voice – the least, the last and the lost.

How can we demonstrate this heart of compassion and act on it? We must be prepared to go to the sick, no matter what their sickness or how they got it.

And we must be willing to relieve embarrassment, give hope, help to get the right medicine to them, teach healthy habits and ask God to heal those that are sick.

e. Educate the Next Generation
And finally there is the question of how we address the Giant of Illiteracy and Poor Education. We simply but purposely Educate the Next Generation. Jesus educated people – we all know that he was a teacher, THE teacher.

The Bible says in Matthew 4:23, “Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”

Teaching was also 1/3 of Jesus’ ministry. And teaching the children was very important to Jesus. It was recorded in the gospels that the people were trying to bring the children to Jesus but his disciples tried to shoo them away. Jesus then said, “Allow the little children to come unto me; for as such is the kingdom of God.” In other words, the kingdom of God is in the next generation.

Jesus also says in the gospels, “It would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be thrown into the ocean than to hurt one of these little ones.” I am not a smart man, but I think that children are important to Jesus, right?

Teaching children about knowledge and past experience is a responsibility for every person, not just for parents. Somebody passed that information onto you that helped you to grow and succeed in life. And God expects you to do the same for other people who are younger than you.

There are five building blocks that help people to grow: knowledge, perspective, conviction, skills, and character. Jesus modeled all five of these in how he trained his disciples.

Now according to Warren, “studies have shown that the number one determining factor of whether a child makes it in life or doesn’t is the presence of a caring adult in his or her life, somebody who could relate to him or her. It doesn’t have to be a parent. The parents may even be absent. If there is one caring adult in that child’s life, the likelihood of that child making it goes up exponentially.”

Educate the next generation – it your responsibility as a parent, in your profession and as a member of the body of Christ. It doesn’t matter if you are not a parent, you are called to help educate the next generation. It doesn’t matter if you have already parented your children – you are called to educate the next generation. It doesn’t matter if your profession isn’t a school teacher or daycare worker or if you aren’t the Sunday school teacher or member of the PTA – as a member of Christ’s body, you are called to educate the next generation.

The Bible says in Psalm 78:6-7, “So the next generation will know, and all the generations to come – know the truth and tell the stories, so your children can trust in God.”

In Proverbs 22:6, “Teach the children how they should live, and they will remember it all of their lives.”

If anyone living in poverty has sustainable hope…

If any community that is plagued by diseases can have them prevented and even cured…

And if any enslaved people have any hope for freedom…

We must educate the next generation and allow individuals, communities and nations the chance to think for themselves and sustain civilized lives.

RECAP
So Jesus spent his time here on earth promoting reconciliation, equipping servant leaders and fighting injustice, assisting the poor, caring for the sick and educating the next generation. This isn’t my plan, its not Rick Warren’s plan, it’s not an American plan or a United Nations plan – this is a Jesus plan.

Quote
Billy Graham said, “The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and the helpless.”

Conclusion - Recap
There was a clear point in time, and it was just a couple of years ago during the summer of 2006 that my heart had changed significantly – and it was one of those instantaneous types of changes. I was at the WCA Leadership Conference and had seen and heard about these types of things and I realized how blessed I really am and how I really don’t deserve any of it, really…

It was also something that Bono said in his interview with Bill Hybels that got me thinking. He said, “An accident of latitude and longitude can decide whether your child lives or dies.” And I thought about it for a moment.

And there I was, sitting with hundreds of leaders around me; yet completely alone for that moment standing before God hearing Him say to me, “What will you do with what I’ve given you?”

When I think about what it was that moved me to compassion like I’ve never known, what it was that gave me the resolve to spend the rest of my life doing everything that I could within my power to inform, inspire and integrate others into service and action –

It wasn’t a picture of a malnourished child in Cambodia…

It wasn’t even a picture of child suffering from AIDS in Kenya…

It was a picture of my little girl with a big smile on her face…
Beautiful clean hair and skin…
Nice clean clothes…
Nutritious food on her plate…
A warm and safe home to live in…
Enough toys to keep her attention…
A loving family and friends involved in her life every day…
And an amazing church to grow in with all the best hopes for success as she grows up.

And then I just realized that it was like Bono had said… Why was my daughter here with so much hope, so much opportunity and someone else’s daughter over there with no hope and no opportunity? That is reason enough to die trying to save the rest of the world.

Jesus said, “This is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

And it was said of Him in 1 John 3:16, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Application and Point of Decision
So how will you respond to this? When you are sitting here today with people all around you but you really find yourself alone with God asking you this one question, “What will you do with what I’ve given you?”

How will you respond? And how will you spend your life responding? Let us pray.

Father in heaven, hear our hearts today, we rejoice in your compassion and mercy,
You have given us all that we need and have blessed us beyond measure,
We offer our lives as living sacrifices, for all you have done.
Let your kingdom be done here on earth as it is in heaven,
And help us to stand against the evil giants of our day; and to serve you and others.
In the name of Jesus who modeled this for us, Amen.

Benediction
So now I leave you with the words of Jesus before he ascended into heaven, his great commission to his disciples and to us: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God bless you!

We Are Your Church

2007-10-18T10:47:00.000-04:00

This is a new song that I wrote the other day about being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. As Bill Hybel's says, "The local church is the hope of the world."
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We Are Your Church

We are your church, the body of Jesus
And we’ll be your hands, to a world that needs us
Justice and mercy, compassion and love
These are things we strive for, Lord
A cup of cold water for the dry and the thirsty
Help us to be your hands

You told us to go and change the nations
Share the Good News, tell of your salvation
Justice and mercy, forgiveness in love
These are the thing you offer to us
The way to the Father for the wayward orphan
Help us to be your feet

So we must go and change the world
So we must go and change the world
So we must be your hands and feet
So we must be your hands and feet

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Thanks so much for reading my song!

Missions Prayer Meetings

2007-10-15T16:22:00.000-04:00

Last night was our first formal missions prayer meeting at Riverside Community Church. To my great joy we had 14 people show up. Of course I hope and pray that we'll grow each month and my goal is that in one year we would have a tenth of our church joining together once a month in prayer for regional, national and global missions through RCC - that's about 70 people joining together in prayer.

In our first prayer meeting we had a time of welcome and relationship building in simple conversations.
Then I explained the five global giant problems and the simple 5-part solution P.E.A.C.E. We also talked about RCC supported missionaries and missions organizations, shared a few announcements of some local opportunities in the next month or so and then we prayed in small groups for regional, national and global missions. At the end of our meeting we prayed in "mission hall" at the church where our supported missionaries flags and profile pics are located.

Our next prayer meeting is being held on Sunday, November 11th from 6-7 pm in room 105. No need to rsvp, just show up and bring someone with you. We will be meeting regularly on the second Sunday of each month from 6-7 pm in room 105 unless that evening needs to be rescheduled due to holidays or other pressing church events. Please email me for more information or questions. - Dave

Featured Mission

2007-10-11T11:37:00.000-04:00

World Vision - Cambodia: Peace and Justice Program

Cambodia is located in South East Asia bordering Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Cambodia is now a free kingdom that not too long ago suffered through the famous "Killing Fields" genocide. The country was so-called "cleansed" from those who were part of the old political system. Anyone who had any ties with the former political system, educators, doctors, those with any form of education (even those who wore reading glasses) were executed by Pol Pot's regime. While the regime only controlled Cambodia from 1976-1979, Pol Pot's regime maintained strongholds and continued his terror until his death in 1998. The last of the Khmer Rouge turned over their guns in 1999. Since then there has been peace and two successful elections for government.

However, corrupt leadership and politics are much to blame for Cambodia's present day problems. There are injustices taking place that we in America could not imagine in our own country. "World Vision Cambodia commits to the aggressive pursuit of strategies to work with Cambodian children and adults, in communities and within the government, to address and improve issues of peace and justice that affect the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized."

The following is taken from WVC Peace and Justice Program highlights:
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From 2006-2010, WVC Peace and Justice Program will seek to address four identified critical roadblocks to achieving peace and justice. These are:

1. Violence Against Children
2. Worst and Hazardous Forms of Child Labor
3. Breakdown of Morality, Family Values and Sense of Community
4. Power Abuse and Exclusion that Hurts the Poor and Vulnerable

Violence Against Children:
Significant time and resources will be expended towards combating violence in identified communities as well as making sure that boys and girls who are survivors of violence in target areas receive effective care and healing services. Key Target Groups: Boys and girls who are survivors of violence (e.g. rape, physical and mental abuse, neglect).

Worst and Hazardous Forms of Child Labor:
Specific and tested interventions that contribute to the elimination of worst and hazardous forms of child labor will be identified and implemented. Survivors of child labor often have a distorted view of themselves and the environment in which they exist. Their need for caring, restoration and reintegration into their communities will be at the heart of all program activities. Key Target Groups: Vulnerable children within WV target areas which include children working in factories (e.g. brick factories), child domestic laborers, scavengers, trafficked children, survivors of commercial and sexual exploitation, etc.

Breakdown of Morality, Family Values and Sense of Community:
Intentional efforts towards transforming the breakdown of morality, family values and sense of community will be employed so that boys, girls and adults in target communities have transformed values, attitudes and actions resulting to increased trust, respect and co-operation leading to more peace. Key Target Groups: Boys and girls in peace clubs and children's clubs, parents, teachers, village chief, police and religious groups/leaders.

Power Abuse and Exclusion that Hurts the Poor and Vulnerable:
Program implementation will employ purposive actions that counter power abuse and exclusion that is detrimental to the quality of life of vulnerable children and their families. The goal is to enable people in target communities to harness their collective capacity to analyse local power abuse problems, identify solutions, and mobilize themselves to protect their rights and curtail the threats posed by abusive persons in authority. Key Target Groups: Communities in WV target areas, children and youth clubs, teachers, local authorities, persons in positions of authority, national agencies (especially those who have a mandate related to human rights violations).

World Vision is an international Christian relief and development organization working to promote the well-being of all people - especially children. World Vision seeks to serve people who are poor worldwide, regardless of race, religion or ethnic origin.
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Making the PEACE Plan Personal

2007-10-04T08:18:00.000-04:00

Please refer to previous posts "The PEACE Plan", "5 Global Giants", "The Solution", "The Plan" and "PEACE Trips" prior to reading this post so that it makes sense.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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The PEACE Plan begins with Christians understanding how the Great Commission of Jesus impacts life on a daily basis. What does it mean to live "on-mission" 24/7?

The PEACE Plan has three components to help every believer be a world-class Christian:
1. Personal PEACE
2. Local PEACE
3. Global PEACE

Personal PEACE is what each person can do within their circles of influence as it relates to the five areas (planting churches, equipping leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation). Below is a list of suggestions you can use today to begin living on-missions in each of the five areas. These are given just as examples to get you started. use your creativity to add new actions for each area!

Plant Churches. What I can do...
- Believe God could uses me to host a new group!
- Begin praying for two to four people who do not have a relationship with Jesus.
- Invite them to my new small group.
- Seek opportunities to share the Good News through my testimony.
- Invite and bring someone to an evangelistic church service.

Equip Servant Leaders. What I can do...
- Invite two to four believers to share the responsibility of my small group.
- Encourage them to pair us as spiritual partners to grow in God's five purposes for their lives.
- Help a believer take their next steps with God in their spiritual journey.
- Meet with someone over coffee to share what God is doing in my life.
- Invite and bring them to my small group.

Assist the Poor. What I can do...
- Pray for people in my spheres of influence that are in financial need.
- Ask God to make me aware of people living in poverty around me and commit some of my time, talent and money (beyond my tithe) to assist these people on a regular basis.
- Seek to help them in practical ways through job searches, budget planning or assisting in debt reduction.
- Teach them a new skill or provide tools through classes or training.

Care for the Sick. What I can do...
- Do an act of practical kindness to someone I know who is sick; them them a meal, offer to shuttle them to the doctor, do errands or shopping for them, watch their children, or send an encouraging note.
- Pray for healing, strength, comfort and peace with those I know who are physically suffering.
- Commit to praying daily for two weeks for that person.
- Communicate genuine concern by following up with that person.

Educate the Next Generation. What I can do...
- Look for someone younger with whom I could build a relationship and become a mentor.
- Encourage someone around me who may be struggling as a result of a bad choice or who lacks an educational opportunity.
- Help them enroll in English as a Second Language classes.
- Offer to tutor or support them.

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Please feel free to share some creative ideas that you have for any of these 5 areas of PEACE. In your comment, state which area(s) of PEACE and then your idea. Thanks for your feedback!

PEACE Trips

2007-10-03T12:40:00.000-04:00

Please refer to previous posts "The PEACE Plan", "5 Global Giants", "The Solution" and "The Plan" prior to reading this post so that it makes sense.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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Each PEACE trip is a comprehensive strategy, which attacks all five problems because they are entwined. Non-government organizations (NGOs) have historically had a tendency to specialize in just one problem area and governments have historically tended to ignore the spiritual dimension, but churches are uniquely called to care about all of the problems.
PEACE teams come along side other churches to empower and equip them to be healthy, balanced churches, fulfilling the great commission while utilizing the resources in the harvest to address the evil giants in their community. This allows the work of the small group to be both sustainable and reproducible. PEACE teams will be planting churches in areas where there is no church to partner with.

PEACE teams are equipped to train local churches to address the five evil giants in their community using their resources and other tools that are easily reproduced. This allows the local church members to be fully empowered to do PEACE themselves without the dependence on outside resources.

In the past there has been much criticism on the effectiveness of short-term missions trips. The PEACE plan stands out, in that we are training churches to connect directly with the local church in the area that they are reaching out to. Each PEACE team looks at the effectiveness and health of the local church since they too are called to live on missions and are the most effective avenue for eradicating the evil giants in their area. We are intentionally short-term because it forces us to rely on the local church in the area rather than our own people.

Our purpose in sending out short term trips is to help demonstrate for the indigenous community what they can do for themselves and what they can do for others. Financial dependence carries the implications that they can't do things for themselves and they can't help others. By utilizing short-term trips to empower and equip the local community all efforts become sustainable and reproducible.

The Plan

2007-09-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

Please refer to previous posts "The PEACE Plan", "5 Global Giants" and "The Solution" prior to reading this post so that it makes sense.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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The PEACE Plan is what Jesus did and this is how we can continue His strategy:

1. Plant & Partner with Churches (to address the Giant of Spiritual Emptiness)
- Most 501c3 organizations in the past 50 years exist because the local churches weren't doing what they should have been doing. This is due to the fact that much of the talent and expertise would go outside of the local church because churches didn't understand how to work with an entrepreneurial spirit or because the local church was too slow. Ministries such as Young Life, Campus Crusaders, Billy Graham Evangelism, World Vision, and the like were started because the local church wasn't reaching these needs groups effectively. In fact, history records over the past 50 years that most of the major accomplishments in these areas were NOT made by the local church but rather by these great organizations that were out on the battlefields doing the work.
Churches in past have taken a posture of saying, "We will pray, pay and stay out of the way." And so not to discredit the work of these organizations - but these accomplishments are only a drop in the bucket to what could be done. All of our agencies combined could not get it done - haven't even come close - this is because the VAST MAJORITY of believers (99% of them) sit in the pews doing nothing in these areas. We are not going to solve the world's greatest problems when 99% of the workforce is unmoved and immobilized. We have to figure out how to get the average person in the average pew involved, this is the beginning of P.E.A.C.E.

Technology has changed what it means to be missional, because now through the power of email, Internet, satellite, broadcast, etc. - ordinary people can be global Christians. Encourage each member of our churches to experience PEACE on a personal-level, local-level, cross-cultural-level and a global-level just once. If they do it just once, they'll be hooked - and how could they not?

The missions strategy of the 20th century has been first pray, then study, then give and then maybe someday go. Well Rick would suggest that we should adopt a new missions strategy for the 21st century that is first go. Don't pray, don't study, don't give - just go! Then come back and you'll want to pray, you'll want to study and you'll want to give.

As recorded in Romans 15:20 and I Corinthians 3:8 it only takes a day or two to plant a church. What global impact would be made for the kingdom if every church had a baby? The mark of physical maturity is the ability to reproduce. The mark of spiritual maturity is having a baby. A church that has not parented another church is still an immature church.

2. Equip Servant Leaders (to address the Giant of Corrupt Leadership)
- Refer to 2 Timothy 2:2.
- Teach others to be others-centered and then "pass it on".

3. Assist the Poor (to address the Giant of Extreme Poverty)
- Refer to 1 John 3:17, James 1:27 and Proverbs 19:17.

4. Care for the Sick (to address the Giant of Pandemic Diseases and Care for those who Suffer)
- Refer to Luke 6:36

5. Educate the Next Generation (to address the Giant of Illiteracy and Lack of Education)
- Refer to Psalm 78:6-7 and Proverbs 22:6

Agencies and organizations have been doing PEACE for years, the only change we make is how it is done and who is doing it. It's time to turn the tables and set them properly. The local church will be in the battlefields doing the work while the organizations support them.

We must move the local church from self-consumerism to unselfish-contribution. We need to teach our members to serve God by serving others. Faithfulness to Christ means taking risks, just read the parable of the talents and you'll see that Jesus despised the one who "played it safe."

We must ask ourselves what God could do through us if...
...we didn't care who gets the credit...
...we didn't care about our reputation...
...we didn't care about getting rich...
...we didn't care about getting criticized...

PEACE is a grassroots church-to-church strategy, helping churches around the world to make a difference together. Through PEACE, local congregations will become the heroes. Because of their location, motivation, longevity and credibility - local churches are the only grassroots organizations that can effectively address the five evil giants.

The Solution

2007-09-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

Please refer to previous posts "The PEACE Plan" and "5 Global Giants" prior to reading this post so that it makes sense.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
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These are 5 things that Jesus focused on during His time on earth that we can learn from:

1. Jesus planted churches.
- Matthew 16:18 - and now His church is 2.3 billion strong

2. Jesus equipped leaders.
- Mark 3:14 & John 13:15
- Jesus spent 3 years training his disciples whom He entrusted the keys to His Kingdom
- Jesus loved everybody, fed the thousands, trained the seventy, discipled the twelve and mentored the three
3. Jesus assisted the poor.
- Luke 4:18 - this is His agenda (there are over 2,000 verses on the poor)
- Be careful to not only look at missions through evangelical blinders - see that it is more than just souls for heaven later - it is for souls AND lives in the present (His Kingdom in heaven and on earth)

4. Jesus cared for the sick.
- Matthew 9:35

5. Jesus educated people.
- Matthew 4:23
- Jesus spent His time like this: 1/3 teaching, 1/3 preaching and 1/3 healing
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Reformation (to reform)
"If the first reformation was about Believing - then we could say that this reformation is about Behaving. In the past 50 years the church in America has essentially cut off the hands and feet of Jesus. We've been acting as nothing more than a mouth - a big mouth. We've been known about what we say, not by what we do. In fact, we're known more by what we're against rather than what we're for." (Rick Warren)

I like what Rick says here. I must agree that we as the American church at large have been guilty of this - and it may be the media's fault or our own (or both). This isn't to discredit that churches should be about "being" and what we "believe" - only that we should ALSO be about "doing" and "behaving". The gospel is whole - and the holistic gospel is this: personal salvation AND social salvation. Christ didn't just come to establish His Kingdom in heaven some day when we die - but also to bring His Kingdom alive in our present lives here on earth - though it cannot be compared to what eternity will be. This reformation (as Warren refers) is about finding balance so that we aren't just about personal salvation or social salvation. Generally evangelical churches have focused the majority of their efforts on personal salvation while mainline churches have focused the majority of their efforts on social salvation. Where are the churches that are focusing their efforts on a balanced view of the two? Let us be an example to others what a balanced church looks like and acts like. Let us be known for what we're for and what we do instead of just what we say or what we're against.
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So here is the SOLUTION as Warren states it. Matthew 10 and Luke 10 (the sending out of the 70) shows us how we do PEACE. "Ordinary people, empowered by God, making a difference wherever they are."

1. Ordinary People
- Revivals start in ordinary people's hearts
- This isn't only for the superstars or professionals
- This is a plan for the lay person

2. Empowered by God
- Any time God tells us to do something, He gives us the power to do it

3. Making a Difference Together
- No loners should go on missions trips because they come back and have no one to share their experience with - then over time it just fades away
- This is a Group-Based strategy

4. Wherever They Are
- Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, The Ends of the Earth
- Personal-Level, Local-Level, Across Regional & Cultural Barriers, Global-Level
- This is not about Location - it's about Dedication

PEACE can empower and equip each member of a local church to address these global giants in a holistic manner throughout their local community (Jerusalem), nearby communities (Judea), regional area crossing cultural barriers (Samaria), and globally (to the entire world).

This is a massive effort to mobilize 1 billion Christians around the world into an outreach effort to attack the five global, evil giants of our day.

Five Global Giants

2007-09-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

If you've been following my posts keep reading - if not, please read the post titled "The PEACE Plan" as a preface to this one.

The following content is a summary of what Rick Warren has laid out in his global peace plan.
--
These are the 5 Global Giants that ravage the lives of billions - not just millions:

1. Spiritual Emptiness
- Over 4.5 billion people in the world do not know Jesus Christ
- Of these, 2 billion never even heard the Christian message

2. Egocentric Leadership
- Self-centered or corrupt leaders are abusing their power to serve themselves instead of using their power and influence for the good of those who need help the most

- This is what happens when servant leaders become celebrities
- Refer to Zech. 10:2, Ezek. 34:8, Prov. 11:14

3. Extreme Poverty
- More than 8 million people around the world die every year due to extreme poverty related issues
- Over 3 billion people (half of the world's population) live on less than $2 a day
- Over 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day
- Refer to Lam. 4:8-9

4. Pandemic Diseases
- Currently, 300 million people suffer from curable diseases, most of these are under the age of 5
- There are over 40 million people infected with HIV/AIDS resulting in 15 million children losing one or both parents
- Pandemic is an epidemic spread over a vast geographical region
- Refer to Jer. 28:8

5. Illiteracy and Lack of Education
- Over 3 billion people are functionally illiterate (don't have the reading/writing skills necessary for ordinary practical needs)
- This just isn't illiteracy but also poor education
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Everyone has failed to solve these problems. There is only one force on this earth that can solve these global giants - that is the local church (with Jesus Christ as the head) - an army of 2.5 billion people just waiting to be mobilized.

Government + Business + NGOs + Local Church = Solution

1. Government's Role
- The government provides security to its people
- The government provides freedom to its people
- The government sets and enforces laws

2. Business's Role
- Businesses provide jobs which is the outlet out of poverty
- Businesses provide capital to invest
- Businesses provide and educate in management skills

3. NGO's Role
- NGOs provide expertise to the specific areas

4. The Local Church's Role
- The local church has universal distribution (we are the largest network on the planet)
- The local church has the largest volunteer pool (hundreds of millions)
- The local church has credibility in their communities (where none others have this - the local church is trusted)
Only a COALITION can solve these global giant problems with Christ as our model and our leader.

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan

2007-09-21T10:29:00.000-04:00

Rick Warren is the author of A Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church in California. He has called the biggest problems that our world faces The Global Giants. And these are the 5 Global Giants that ravage the lives of billions of people – not just millions: Spiritual Emptiness, Egocentric or Self-Centered Leadership, Extreme Poverty, Pandemic Disease, and Lack of Education or Illiteracy.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to help bring lasting change to a world in dire need. Through Planting Churches, Equipping Leaders, Assisting the Poor, Caring for the Sick, and Educating the Next Generation -- we can help turn the tide of rampant evil in our time.
And I would add that Social Injustice is something that feeds every one of these global giants and we must be strategic about fighting it!

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan and fighting injustice envelops strategies that have been around since the birth of missions; however it is presented here in a way that we can effectively set and achieve attainable goals. We at Riverside Community Church have already been viewing missions through this lens for a couple of years now, it just hasn't been a missions strategy. I hope to see this strategy take root in the way we do missions at RCC. PEACE and Justice are two themes that I'll refer to quite often in this blog. Are there any churches or missions programs that are implementing PEACE or Justice into their strategies? Has anyone out there heard of these particular plan yet? Rick Warren and Saddleback are still making model churches with this plan before they make it public. His goal is to see Christians all over the world - which he refers to as an army of people that waiting to be mobilized - unite and take on the Global Giants together. This is the concept of Nehemiah - to fix the wall in front of us. If we each do our part then the world will change... Well that's what The One Life Project is all about!

Faces of Cambodia

2007-09-20T11:21:00.000-04:00

Part of this blog features a video reel that is linked to youtube.com. I am including one life project videos that will be featured on youtube. The first video is a collection of photos that I took on my recent trip to Cambodia in August 2007. These are the faces of the people that I met. Their faces represent the great need that they carry and the awesome hope that Cambodia has in Jesus Christ. We get to be a part of God's solution to the greatest needs of our time!
Thanks for watching the video!

What I Get to Do!

2007-09-19T11:53:00.001-04:00

I am happy to announce that I accepted a change in my position at my home church, Riverside Community Church in Oakmont (Pittsburgh), PA. I am still one of two Creative Arts Pastors and will continue to serve in this area, but I've been able to add to my portfolio local, cross-cultural and international missions. Therefore my new title and job description are Creative Arts and Missions Pastor. It will be a pleasure to implement the One Life Project at RCC. If you'd like to chat about how you can be a part of what we're doing, then please send me a message or give me a call at 412-828-2488 (RCC). Thanks for your support!

Riverside Community Church, 401 Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont, PA 15139
http://www.riversideconnect.org/Thanks for supporting me in this area of my life!