I guess it’s the last series you’d ever expect from a church like Elevation. People seem to think we’re cutting-edge…but when it comes to what really matters, we’re old school. That’s been our vision from day one: new-breed methodology, old school theology.

We kicked off the Old Time Religion series on Mother’s Day, complete with a Hammond B-3, stained glass, and choir robes (no handbells, alas).
The sermon was prerecorded several weeks in advance at Moncks Corner United Methodist Church, the church I grew up in, where my grandfather served as pastor in the late 1950s. It was a fun way to take my staff on a field trip for the pre-record and expose the entire church to my roots. I preached the entire message in the sanctuary of that church, which brought back memories, and allowed me to honor where I came from (thanks Mom.) You can watch the sermon here.

This series is gonna be fun. I can tell already. I’ve got a smoking hot message about prizing and prioritizing the Word of God for this Sunday. And I’ll be preaching it behind a big old honking pulpit. What’s old is new again.
Invite all your friends. See you Sunday.
Butler Evite, Providence Evite

The same thing happens every time I spend a weekend away from Elevation. When I come back, I have a new perspective on how wonderful our people are. How exciting our mission is. How dedicated our volunteers continue to be.
From time to time, it’s good to step back and refresh your perspective. This doesn’t always mean spending time away from your church, family, or business in order to appreciate it. You can refresh your perspective by meditating on where you are today in light of where you used to be. It refreshes my perspective when I run into a new Christian and they tell me how much Elevation has changed their life.
I also regularly write out in my journal all the recent miracles God has accomplished on our behalf. That helps to lift my altitude and makes me appreciate the way God is continually developing us, little by little.

Ask God to refresh your perspective on your life, your ministry, and your family today. You’ll be surprised how much bigger God’s work in your life looks when you step back and see it in a fresh way. Truth is, He’s growing you all the time. It’s just hard to see it from day to day.

The audio blog this week is about the greatest shifts we’ve had to make and how the transitions played out.

If you’re in the middle of one yourself, I think you’ll find this helpful.
If you’re not, you probably will be soon.

Sit back for the next 30 minutes and enjoy the ride.

Larry Hubatka, Creative Pastor

It’s kind of voyeuristic. But that’s what makes it fun. This is a little different than a typical leadership interview because it’s really just two friends chatting about stuff. Hope you enjoy listening. Let’s us know what you think and we may let you bug phones on a more regular basis in the future.

To say I am excited about the One Prayer series would be an understatement. I actually think it’s going to be a history making event and Elevation couldn’t be more proud to be a part. I answered a few questions on today’s Swerve blog about my sermon in particular for the One Prayer series. Check it out here.

There is one more thing God has laid on my heart to offer as a resource to churches participating in the One Prayer series. If you are participating in the One Prayer series and using my message, I would be happy to record a one-minute roll-in video in which I specifically address the senior pastor and the congregation as a way to personalize the message to your church.
I know this may be a little awkward if we have no formal relationship, but I believe that affirming the senior pastor and addressing the particular church can add great value to the sermon. I hope this will help to make the One Prayer experience as powerful as possible for all those involved.

Here are the details:

• Email your request to us at Lshea@elevationchurch.org by 4:00pm Thursday, May 15, 2008

• Your email request to Elevation should include: Church name and address, name of the senior pastor and how he likes to be addressed (Pastor, Reverend, etc.), city and state where your church is located, a few fast facts about your church (for example, your church is 2 years old, you are in the middle of a capital campaign, your vision statement is…, etc.), anything specific you would like to be included in the roll-in video

• You will preview and download Elevation’s message from the One Prayer website as instructed by LifeChurch, but you will receive your roll-in video in the mail by Thursday, June 5th from Elevation. Do not email LifeChurch for your church specific roll-in video

• On the technical side of things, all dvds will be exported in standard definition in a 4:3 format. If you need something different, please specify that in your email

We hope this is a help to encourage your church during the One Prayer series!

If you want to find your sweet spot, you’ll have to journey past the perimeter of your comfort zone.

This week’s audio blog is what happens when Pastor Steven isn’t in the room. He typically leads us through the audio blog experience, but this week his instructions were to, “go ahead and record one without me.”

It doesn’t mean we’re any less respectful or that our focus changes, it just means some people feel comfortable saying things they may not normally say when your leader is sitting right next to you.

Enjoy this week’s post by the Creative Dept on the - dumbest - mistakes - we’re - embarrassed - to - admit - happened - but - we’ve - learned - and - we’re - moving - on.

Larry Hubatka, Creative Pastor