Saturday, January 22, 2011

If you're looking for a way to help . . .

I have people come to me fairly often and tell me that they want to help our new church out any way they can. Well, if you're in that place, I have one for you. It's kind of unusual, but would be HUGE to me.

My wife, Sara, just started a new job a couple weeks back. It's Mon-Fri from 10:30am - 1:30pm. That means I'm home with Jude during those hours. I actually like being home with him, but I'm realizing more and more how much this limits how I can be available to do some much needed networking for the sake of building a more solid foundation for our new church.

I LOVE Sara being at work and she loves the work. Where you might be able to help is during those few hours in the middle of the day. If you like little kids (and I know you and trust you), maybe you could keep an eye on Jude here an there. It would free me up to put my first and best efforts into the church.

The need is Monday - Thursday, but the most helpful day would be Mondays. If you're interested in taking a day with the little guy here or there, let me know. Thanks.


Friday, January 21, 2011

Better Late Than Never (2011 Resolutions)

If you think of it, please pray with me and hold me accountable on these. Thanks.

2011 Goals: Jason Fitch

Physical Health:

  • Work out 3x per week – 60 minutes per day

  • Eat to live, instead of living to eat

Spiritual Health:

  • Maintain bible-reading plan six days / week

  • Maintain daily prayer plan six days / week

  • Begin regular fasting as I learn more about it

Family Health:

  • Go on a date per week with Sara

  • Go on a date per month with one of the boys

Church:

  • Church growth happens to facilitate:

  • moving to two services @ the theater

  • becoming financially self-sufficient

  • hiring of part-time staff

Monday, January 10, 2011

wow, what a weekend!

It's Monday night at 9:15pm and this is the first time I've been able to catch my breath since Saturday at 4am. I'm tired and I feel like I might be fighting off a little bit of a sickness. But, you know what, it's worth it. Much more than feeling tired, I feel incredibly grateful for what God has done over the last few days. Here's the recap . . .

  • Sunday morning was our second Friends Day at Freedom Valley and the response was overwhelming! Our Sunday morning attendance was 120 people - that's 48 more people than the previous week! Also had lunch with a big crew at Cheddars after church. Very fun!
  • Sunday afternoon was our BIG TEAM meeting. I shared vision and leadership ideas with about 25 of our adult leaders while about 15 or 20 kids went crazy inside the house. I can feel that team building and coming together.
  • Sunday after BIG TEAM I had the privilege of performing my first OK wedding. Fred Nimmon and Mary Katherine Moulton became Mr & Mrs. Fred Nimmon! Congratulations!
  • Early Monday morning we hit Owasso 1st AG for a staff off site planning day and it was HUGE! Today, we planned specific sermons all the way into July, our 2011 church events calendar, made some breakthroughs on our leadership flow chart and planned out this weekend's service! Huge thanks to Jake, Josh, Heather and Schneetown!
Tomorrow, is my big sermon prep day, but I begin with a networking breakfast with the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce. Can't wait to meet some new friends and I'm praying and believing that someone will connect to church and to Jesus because of our meeting tomorrow morning.

I'm so grateful to God. He is really beginning to accelerate thing with our church. Besides this, my wife Sara, began a new job last week and my parents are moving to Tulsa next week!

As Dave Ramsey would say, I'm doing better than I deserve.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Tuesdays are my big "sermon planning day". I devote most of my day to the teaching I'll do the following Sunday. It's normal for the sermon I'm working on today to have been basically planned three to six months in advance. But, more often than not, I'll run across the perfect scripture for a given sermon the week I'm set to deliver it.

It happened again today. I read Romans 7 & 8 this morning and it's exactly what I believe God wants to teach me and our church this weekend. This just helps me see the incredible value in regularly reading God's Word. I don't read my Bible to appease God or for the satisfaction I get from checking the "completed" box on my reading plans on YouVersion. (and yes, I do get satisfaction checking that box :)

I read my Bible - this is God's Word directly to me and you - because God speaks and teaches me as I read His world. He renews my mind. If only you could live inside my mind for a day or two; you'd see how much renewing it needs :) But, I bet you're no different. What's your plan to read God's Words to you this year?