The last website that Asbury had was not compatible with all internet browsers. For example, I have an Apple. Whenever I went to the old Asbury website, I could not do anything. I could not open any links, see any pictures, etc.... Therefore, we have created a new, and very inexpensive, website. It is going to cost us $2 per month!! Awesome! Check it out sometime. Either go to www.asburynokesville.org or click the "Asbury United Methodist Church" link to your right. Let us know what you think.

To Save A Life

We took ten people to see the movie To Save A Life yesterday. It was great! Not only was it a good movie with good acting and realistic teen situations, but it was also had a good message that was not too cheesy. Check it out if you get a chance before it leaves the theaters.
After the movie we went back to Nokesville UMC to have a discussion and dinner with their youth group. It was really nice to have our youth interact with their youth. After all, most of them go to the same schools. It was also nice to talk about the movie and the issues that it posed for youth. We even had a police office and crisis counselor there to talk about suicide (a theme that the movie addresses in detail).
Thank God for good movies, good friends, and good youth group meetings.

Youth

This past weekend we went on a bowling lock-in with other churches from our area. It started off a little slow and ended a little slow, but it was great in the middle. Nothing better than bowling at 3 in the morning. We were fortunate to have seven youth attend and two youth leaders (yours truly and Sarah Valentine--thanks for your assistance!).
This week we are going to see To Save A Life at the Manassas Regal Cinemas (leaving after church on Sunday). I have heard great news about the movie. For one, I have heard that it is not cheesy. Often times movies with a good message are cheesy and youth can see right through them. As of right now, we have seven youth going again and four of them did not go on the bowling lock-in. We have about 15 youth active in the church. Just imagine if everyone came! If you have not given youth a try, you are missing out! You are always welcome at Asbury's youth group.

Change of Schedule

Up until now Alethea has had to work Tuesday-Friday and an occasional Saturday. This proved to be problematic for us. She gets off on Saturday, I work on Sunday, she has off on Monday. We could never take a long weekend away. However, things are starting to shift. Alethea now works Monday-Thursday. This means that we might be able to take a few days away for camping or some other family thing anytime we desire. The only problem is that Alethea will start working on Wednesday nights. Therefore, I cannot do chimes any more at church as I will have to take care of the kids on Wednesday nights. I thoroughly enjoyed chimes. It was fun, active, and a good fellowship event. I will miss the many laughs I had at chimes. If you are not doing chimes, you are missing out!!!! Give it a try even if you don't have any musical skill (I didn't have any skill). I know that you will find it to be fun and rewarding. Come out on Wednesday at 7:30pm.

Time Away on the Mountain

I will not be there on Sunday for the first time since I came to Asbury in July. I am sometimes guilty of practical atheism. Let me explain: I sometimes think that if I am not there, everything will fall into chaos. While I know this is not the case and that God is in control, it is difficult to let go sometimes.
This weekend I am learning to let go. I am taking some time to just be with my wife. I am taking a rest. Jesus often took a rest. Jesus often got away from the crowds. The Bible tells me that before I can be a good pastor, I must be a good father and husband. Jesus, through his example, tells me that I need time away to relax, to reunite with God, to recharge my batteries.
I promise that from now on I will take more time away. I will trust that things will be okay at Asbury. I will put my faith in God and listen to God's word for my list of priorities. They go like this: God, family and self, ministry.

Committees

I am not the biggest fan of committees. I cannot stand being in a meeting for over an hour. Eventually I just have to stand up, walk around, and get some energy out. However, I think we have to have a few more active committees at Asbury. This year people have often looked at me and said, "when are you going to do that?" At which I have said, "I did not know that I was supposed to do it." I think that you would rather have me visiting our members than watering 25 poinsettias. I think you would rather have me spending time on a well thought out sermon than putting greens on the pews. Therefore, we are putting together three new committees: Mission (doing all the outreach of the church-working with DaVita Dialysis for Thanksgiving and Christmas missions-etc); Altar Guild (decorating the sanctuary for advent and other special occasions-changing banners-ordering flowers-etc); and Cemetery (writing up contracts-ordering the plots-general organization around our cemetery). Please sign on for one of these committees so that these things do not always fall to the clueless pastor. I need more time to be the best pastor I can be (not to go kayaking---even though that would be nice). Working together will get us far!