May 9, 2008

Being Visible

As I've said before most churches are virtually invisible to the larger community they are nestled in. I want Elevation to be more visible, so we have a media - vibe - visibility piece playing in the local Theater 9, on all 9 screens 7 times a day for the next 6 months. Here's a very low res and watermarked version of the piece. What are other ways to be more visible?

Posted by Chuckk at 9:20 AM | | Comments (0)

May 7, 2008

The Horror

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The death toll in Myanmar could rise to over 100 thousand people. This story will give you a taste of what is happening. This week we'll definitely be taking time in the Elevation service to pray as a community for this disaster. The suffering is enormous and profound. Join me in prayer every time you think of this horror.

Posted by Chuckk at 4:42 PM | | Comments (0)

April 29, 2008

Podium

A scene from last week's Elevation Gathering. Finally a proper podium for teaching the Bible!

Posted by Chuckk at 12:45 PM | | Comments (0)

April 27, 2008

Pieces of Flair

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Here's an idea. If you lead a church, church plant, church in a church or ostrich wrestling club here's new a way to update your folks. If you have a Facebook account add the Pieces of Flair application to it, design a "button" and send it to your friends with a note updating them about happenings in your community.

Example: tonight at Elevation we are hosting a Harley-Davidson themed evening planned so I made a Piece of Flair with a motorcycle engine on it that matches our screen images for the meeting. I then selected all my Facebook friends that come to Elevation, sent them the Flair and invited them to bring friends who might enjoy a biker -gospel night. I plan to send of Series-Themed Piece of Flair for each new series now. So there it is an idea, for good or evil.

Posted by Chuckk at 8:44 AM | | Comments (0)

April 25, 2008

Homer's Chore #1

A worship-pastor friend of mine was musing about how many people that come to one of the services at his church seem to feel like worship is a chore, "one said they like going to that service to get it out of the way for the weekend". Jesus must be PISSED these days. When church gatherings become a chore it is:

A. time for a new church gathering for you

B. time to admit you never really did love Jesus

C. time to reassess heart and move towards God

D. a good thing to just keep attending and prove to the younger folks in the church that it's all b.s. in your opinion

E. a sign that new fresh church gatherings are needed

Posted by Chuckk at 2:31 PM | | Comments (0)

April 21, 2008

Podcasts UP

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The last two week's of Elevation Podcasts from our new series; Free are now up online after a slight delay.

This coming week the Harley's will be rolling into the room for in an exploration of our Freedom from Legalism; sum thoughts from Galatians.

Posted by Chuckk at 8:03 PM | | Comments (0)

April 20, 2008

An Ancient Thought for a Postmodern World

About 100 years or so after Jesus' death the following words were written down by an early Christian and have survived to this day

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus was written somewhere between 130-200 C.E.

—The Relation of Christians to the World.

"To sum up all in one word—what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world."

Chuckk thinks...DISPERSE - INCARNATE - BE Soul-FULL.

We'll, off to Elevation to explore the connection between Romans 6: 1-14, Walt Disney's Pinocchio and the meaning of Trust in The Divine One.

Posted by Chuckk at 12:39 PM | | Comments (0)

April 16, 2008

Deeper

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Studying God's Word "deeper" for many Christians... well sadly it rarely happens. Some churches even offer Bible studies many of which seldom seem to take people much deeper than they would hear in the average sermon. Many Christians who spend a while in church never learn much beyond what they learned in their first 5 years of church attendance. Over the years I've met many people who wish they could learn more and go deeper, some folks have said they wish they could go to seminary to go deeper and grow wider in their understanding of the Bible.

Technology is our friend and this is an amazing time to be alive! Did you know you can audit full seminary courses online and free at that... and free is GOOD! Reformed Theological Seminary is a good school (disclaimer: no I don't consider myself to fully follow a full Reformed theology even though I am in alignment with much that is Reformed) ANYWAY they offer many full Master's degree courses online for free and they can be downloaded to iTunes and listened to on your computer or iPod. Maybe you could gain some seminary level education during your daily commute...or during your backyard cigar sabbath time... or during your daily run?

Download the wonderful RTS courses at iTunes or get started at the Reformed Theological Seminary website if you are iTunes challenged. I'm currently taking their course on church history as a brush up and it is AMAZING ( I just listened to 4 classes in one sitting. Go deeper.

Posted by Chuckk at 2:05 PM | | Comments (0)

April 10, 2008

Tahoe

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ahhhhh away at Lake Tahoe for a few days of rest with family and friends! Phone no workeee here thank you Jesus!

This is my new friend Diego, a buddy's Chihuahua -we both HATE snow (he shivers alot).

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I'll be back rested and full of NRG before Sunday for the start of the new series: FREE.

Posted by Chuckk at 8:44 AM | | Comments (0)

April 7, 2008

Lasers n' Fog

Last Night we had a great time at Elevation. Kenny Green and his crew from LUMINA lighting blessed us by bringing over some wild lasers and foggers and turned our worship space into a unique place to hang out with Jesus. Kenny you rock buddy thanks!

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The room was alive with lasers, extra l.e.d. lighting, mucho fog and the people were alive with interactive worship: dropping sin stones in water, writing words of thanks on the video screens, taking communion, meeting with the prayer team to share needs and reading Psalms into a live mic over a warm sonic backdrop. Omar and the band led us into everything from loud rocking songs (watching about 120 people physically spin around during Marvelous Light is something to see) to gentle reflective pieces like Heart of Worship. As usual, a ton of us mobbed Woodstock Pizza for community afterwards.

I'm starting on this weeks next series launch right now; "Free" : Balancing Christian Freedom With Responsibility. Should be fun!

On the iPod: Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

Posted by Chuckk at 4:53 PM | | Comments (0)

April 6, 2008

Good Friday

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Thank Jesus for being willing to hover above the Jerusalem dirt on a cross! Here's the audio from the Good Friday message that I shared at the main services at Santa Cruz Bible Church a few weeks ago, as we reflected on Jesus' cross. This message has a different, more quiet tone from Elevation service messages but I wanted to pass it on for anyone who is contemplating the Cross. -chuckk

Posted by Chuckk at 10:44 AM | | Comments (0)

April 5, 2008

yes

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...at Elevation last week:

yes, last week Omar rode his Harley into the room during the sermon - accompanied by smoke machines (some sermon illustrations just have sound and fury).

yes, this Sunday night will be a special interactive multisensory experience

yes, people who don't do church are showing up and smiling

yes, bring your unconvinced friends to Elevation - never come alone

yes, Jesus is working in people's hearts

yes, I love this stuff!

Posted by Chuckk at 8:43 AM | | Comments (0)

April 2, 2008

Visibility

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Most churches are invisible to folks who aren't already churched...

A few years back a friend of mine, who is now with Jesus mentioned what a good idea it would be to make one of those theater ads, you know, the ones that run between the movies at theaters... for a church. My pal Dan Snow always had great ideas about how to let not so convinced folks know about what Jesus was up to. Man! I miss Dan.

So we're doing one for ya Dan. Elevation will have a multimedia ad at the local Theater 9 in Downtown Santa Cruz. The ad will run on all 9 screens 7x a day everyday for the next 6 months in the hope that we'll let a lot of folks who don't do church know what we're up to, and yes it will have that Elevation vibe... If you're local keep your eyes open at the theaters in May as the summer blockbusters start hitting the screens.

I'm fascinated that most churches "advertise" only in places where Christian people look like Christian radio, newspaper religion sections and the phonebook. I am committed to making us visible to the eyes of folks who aren't especially looking for a church.

Posted by Chuckk at 5:22 PM | | Comments (0)

March 26, 2008

Elevation Looks Like

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Ah! less conventional church settings make me happy. I've been really loving the look and feel my wife and her team have been putting together at Elevation - Thanks Honey!

Posted by Chuckk at 10:03 PM | | Comments (0)

March 19, 2008

Good Friday, Picollos n Harleys

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This Friday is Good Friday. This FRIDAY will be this week's OFFICIAL Elevation worship gathering INSTEAD OF Sunday night. We'll gather with the whole scbc body in the main auditorium, I'll bring the message, Omar will co-lead the worship, there will be a choir (even though me no likee chiors so much) and a small orchestra. I hope there's a piccolo in the orchestra, I'm not sure why but I hope there is. We should be kind to piccolo players I'll bet most got the snot kicked out of them in high school and now know jujitsu as a secret weapon... Anyway, this should be a unique evening for us all. Services will be at 5pm and again at 7pm

In other important news my partner in crime, worship guru Omar Spence finally ended his 18 year sabbath from motorcycling and bought a cool black Harley Night Train yesterday - so we are now the official biker pastor duo. Elevation is biker-friendly and non-denominational, even KawaSuzukaHondahas are welcome, let's celebrate diversity with grace.

Posted by Chuckk at 9:06 AM | | Comments (0)

March 14, 2008

Free Is Not Just Paul Rodger's Band Before Bad Company...

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Free is good, free is a nice thing indeed, free is ...well almost nothing in Santa Cruz other than the disc golf course. BUT::: "Free" is the next series at Elevation, (coming next month). Free: the series will be an exploration of Christian freedom and responsibility; are we free to repetitively sin and be forgiven without guilt? Are we free to drink, smoke, kiss labradors on the mouth (see pic above), and eat rancid ceviche from an old tire laying on Seabright Beach? What does it really mean to "stumble a brother or sister" and how do we avoid this? How do we live free while pursuing holiness and living a life that makes Jesus get smile lines on His wonderful face? Come see.

Other cool FREE thing = check out Hulu (Free Tv online) it ROCKS - ht: Laura Rodgers

On the iPod: Spoon - "ya ya ya ya ya"

Posted by Chuckk at 5:37 PM | | Comments (0)

March 7, 2008

Why You NEED Your Local Holyman To Have Lots of Great Sex

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God made sex. Sex is GREAT. When you get religious leaders not getting enough GREAT sex things like this happen.

I like Paul's thoughts... 1 Corinthians 7: 2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. --The Holy Bible : New International Version.

I'll be advocating great sex this Sunday night at Elevation as we explore- The Wall pt #2: Barriers Between Us, Friends and Family

Posted by Chuckk at 9:44 AM | | Comments (0)

March 4, 2008

Why Should We Even Bother To Attend A Church Gathering?

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I just heard the best message I've ever heard on why church gatherings are worth getting up for. Listen in online to this great podcast: "Why do we go to church?" from a great preacher, Morris Proctor

Other news, my friend and partner in ministry, SCBC Executive Pastor Mark Schwenne will be leaving our staff as the Elders feel our church can't support an executive pastor position at the size we've become. Mark will be answering God's call to seek a place where he can be an Executive Pastor elsewhere.

Pray for SCBC as we journey through another big staff loss! Pray for my pal Mark as he heads out into uncharted waters. In the meantime, why go to church??? Listen in to Morris on the subject!

Posted by Chuckk at 4:56 PM | | Comments (0)

March 1, 2008

Why Does God Feel So Distant Sometimes?

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We start a new series THIS Sunday I'm stoked on it! This Sunday Ill be exploring some of the reasons God feels so distant sometimes. Anyway, here's the official new series blurb.

“The Wall: demolishing the barriers betweens ourselves, God and others.”

We all have barriers that get in the way of deep, honest, intimate relationships with our families, friends, God and the unconvinced. Join us at Elevation as we explore how to tear down the walls that separate us from others. Expect gratuitous Pink Floyd references, exposition of God’s Holy Word and the usual mixture of humor, honesty, the unexpected and kickin’ high energy worship.

Posted by Chuckk at 10:08 AM | | Comments (0)

February 27, 2008

Skid Row

GOOD Magazine: On Skid Row, Part 1 - Introduction

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Posted by Chuckk at 6:30 PM | | Comments (0)

February 25, 2008

The New Protestant Diaspora

Guess what? Protestant flavored Christianity is on the decline, (insert fake gasp)who would have guessed?!?... Are we paying attention yet? The stats are consistently showing what the "seat of the pants" and vote "with their feet" polls have been suggesting for years. Read all about it HERE.

If what we're doing isn't engaging folks in this postmodern age it may be time to smell the shade grown freetrade coffee and re-enculture our forms to connect with people. Timeless truth doesn't change but time-based worship forms and culture based traditions must.

It's an EXCITING time to be in ministry, charge friends, seize the day for the Kingdom of the Great One! Join the HolyExperiment of this 21st century.

Posted by Chuckk at 2:52 PM | | Comments (0)

February 22, 2008

Facebook

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I now have a Facebook come by n say hi HERE. We have a group for Elevation too HERE

Posted by Chuckk at 10:16 AM | | Comments (0)

February 19, 2008

iBand

Posted by Chuckk at 11:17 PM | | Comments (0)

February 16, 2008

Home

Andrea's heart-rate FINALLY slowed to a near normal level this morning and so we got to come home. We're wiped but happy to be out of the hospital. She'll need to lay low for a day or two but we'll be at Elevation tomorrow night to worship and I'll be speaking about how we are Tattooed by God's Grace. If you are part of the wounded SCBC body come be refreshed and heal with us. Thanks to all for prayer, texts, flowers, meals, coffee, phone calls and love.

Posted by Chuckk at 1:09 PM | | Comments (0)

February 15, 2008

Hangin"

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So we're hanging at the hospital for at least another day - Andrea's heart rate is high and won't come down so they won't release her at this point. She's breathing better though so that's a praise report but the heart thing is a new thing to figure out before she can go home. Will you pray specifically they can get to the root of this new "weed" in our garden.

Posted by Chuckk at 3:48 PM | | Comments (0)

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