Sacred Digital: Chuckk Gerwig

CSI: Jerusalem

2010-03-08T18:31:38Z

Our new series CSI: Jerusalem starts this Sunday at E! It's a journey through the scriptures in the direction of the Cross - Easter is coming. We'll explore the various evidences related to the homicide of Jesus of Nazareth and his amazing example of living well in intense, unfair suffering and personal persecution. Jesus gives us the divine pattern for victory, even in the most painful and dangerous seasons in our lives. In week #1 will look at the premeditation via the prophecies of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Week #2 will explore the unfair corrupt trials of Jesus. In week #3 we will look at the murder of the Messiah and in the final week (Easter Sunday) we'll celebrate the surprise return of the Victor and walk the Emmaus Road. Series Study Challenge: Join me this month in reflecting deeply and studying well by reading through the accounts of the trials, death and resurrection of Jesus in all 4 gospels once a week each week this month.

The Other "I Am" o' Jesus

2010-03-01T18:39:36Z

Last night we wrapped up the Hello My Name is Jesus series. If you're paying lots of attention you may have noticed we didn't have a message on Jesus' statement "I am the Vine". I intentionally left that one out of this series because we worked through that passage in our reConnect series a while back. If you want to listen to that last "I am" you can find it on our website's media vault - HERE. This Sunday should be a great one we have a Worship and Communion night followed by our first all church meeting now that we're all of 8 weeks old. Next series on deck... CSI: Jerusalem.

THE way? Another voice...

2010-02-22T05:10:59Z

Soup Days

2010-02-18T05:08:36Z

When you are planting a church you may find yourself without an office and a few other things that can be useful to ministry... but it's soooo much fun to be broke and living on faith n duct tape! PTL, for our official Elevation Board Room table! Here's where the magic happens.

Postmodern Thoughts - A Prelude to this Sunday's Message

2010-02-15T19:35:19Z

Chilly Sheep

2010-02-08T20:28:20Z

Last Sunday we explored Jesus: The Good Shepherd. My Dog, "Chilly Cheese Dog" made a special guest appearance as a sheep of sorts. Catch it online at our media vault or at iTunes - the message will be up by Tuesday this week. Thot: Jesus doesn't love you because it's His job as God. God's love doesn't come as a duty because he is God... Jesus loves you and I because he chose to go down to the pound and pick up mutts to show his love to - because he wanted to. If you are His sheep U R Chosen and loved by the Shepherd of Souls. Love others likewise; be a good shepherd who lays down your life for others - don't be like a hired hand who bails on others when things get dicey.

A Hint... This Sunday @ Elevation

2010-01-26T23:05:04Z

Launch Day Video

2010-01-23T17:25:26Z

elevate!

2010-01-18T16:43:21Z

We're Off and Running! As we head into our first year as a new church in Santa Cruz remember this is a UNIQUE time to invite people to come check it out or better yet invite them to come WITH YOU. Santa Cruz and beyond will be won by loving friendship, service and personal invitation. ELEVATE! God is up to great things at E! Check out more pictures from our launch

Launch Update

2010-01-13T02:10:19Z

Just as after every wedding there comes a marriage, after every launch there comes an ongoing ministry... (unless your launch sux soooo bad you abandon it and start sniffin' glue). We are now officially launched as a church after last weekend's first official worship service. The Elevation launch was wonderful... a great evening. There was tons of excitement and many new faces and Jesus was certainly evident and active around the room.

204 adults and about a dozen kids showed up so we filled all the seats on the floor all the way back to the rear wall -(people always wanna know how many humans show up for these things so there's your number). The added people gave the worship a sense of punch and excitement. The look and feel of the room was excellent - way to go Environment Team. People were deeply engaged during worship and during the teaching time also.

We have our greeting team, kids ministry, coffee ministry and all things tech and environment in order and functioning well.

50 some odd people went out afterwards for AfterHours in our new (old) location downtown. We also went live with our new website last week. Check it out at www.elevationSC.org! So everything is in motion and God is blessing Elevation. Now to steer the ship! Thanks for your prayers!

Hola, Me Llamo es Jesus!

2010-01-11T23:09:25Z

So the launch was a BLAST! A couple of hundred of adults and a bunch of kids showed up, with big smiles. The vibe was electric, the teams blew the door off the place in hard work excellence and leaning into the wind of God's Spirit. Ill try to get some picture to put up later this week. What a pleasure, big, big fun! So... We're OFF!

??? If you are planting a church what should your first series be about? I was chewing on this and thought duh, how about... Jesus. This Sunday we start our new series called: Hello: My Name is Jesus.

We'll explore Jesus in His own words. What does Jesus have say to about himself, His nature, His work and His feelings about you? Join us as we check out the "I Ams" of Jesus.

This will be a GREAT series to invite friends to especially if they are unconvinced and undecided about Jesus. Be a community of invitation - reach Santa Cruz for Jesus!

This Sunday's Special Church Launch Message: Reset

2010-01-06T06:54:37Z

A New Year, A New Church, A New You ... a chance to Reset. This Sunday's message as we launch our new church!

This SONday 1.10.2010 --> 6:30pm @ Christian Life Center --> 1009 Mission Street, in our beloved funky Santa Cruz

The NEW Elevation Website is now online.

2010-01-04T19:28:45Z

Yep, Elevation now has a cool brand new website thanks to our friends at Brough communications and the amazing Kevin Plaskett. The new site went live last night, go check it out!

The new webpage looks fab, will have more features and will also allow us to update it much more effectively. This means it will have fresh content more frequently. The new site will be a MAJOR communication station for all things E, so check it frequently to be in the know.

I also want to thank Randy Boose for building and maintaining our original E site (many hours of quiet service in that thing!)

If you visited the old site you may need to hit refresh on your browser or it may lead you to the old one, old habits are hard to break you know.

John Belushi Sez..."Spread the Word!

2010-01-04T06:23:01Z

One way to let every Facebook friend you have know about the Elevation launch next Sunday is to go HERE and become a fan of Elevation launch, then click the "suggest to friends" button on the left hand side of the page. Spread the word as we launch next Sunday 6:30pm at Christian LIfe Center 1009 Mission Street in S Cruz. Spread the word! Then bring a carload with you to the big shindig next Sunday. Belushi approves!

...Pic of John Belushi from a fun moment at a past Elevation service.

Thanks for...

2009-12-29T20:19:17Z

I am truly thankful to Jesus that I have the privilege of pastoring Elevation! Last Sunday night at Elevation we had an interactive station where people could write a brief note for thanks to God for how he has blessed them through His work at Elevation over the last 2 years. Here's what people had to say

Thank you for helping me to see the true light of Jesus. /// I am thankful that Elevation could free me from the stringent legalities and guilt ridden feelings from my old catholic style church. /// I am thankful for God bringing me to Elevation after a long dry search. /// God provided a church home for us, a place he had called us. /// I am thankful for Chuckk, God bless him and keep him. /// Thank you Jesus for teaching me to love people here at Elevation. /// Thank you for giving me hope again. /// I am thankful for bring able to be free to use my gifts at Elevation, and to be free just to be who I am here. /// Thank you for strengthening my faith through many trials in the past two years. READ MORE - CLICK THE LINK BELOW]]> /// Lord thank you for your faithfulness and the reminder of that through worship and the word delivered. /// I am thankful for Elevation for the love they show me and the hugs, and the music rocks. /// Through Elevation we saw many people come, and they could walk through these doors I whatever journey they were on and they could be themselves, thank you Jesus praise you. /// I am so thankful I found this church after it started, I love to be part of the set up every week. /// Thank you God for giving Elevation a loving and authentic community that resembles Christ’s love. /// Love and acceptance. /// I am thankful for the new relationships established here at Elevation and for the deepening of old relationships. /// For the love and support of the body during Omar’s accident and recovery. /// Thank you God for Elevation I have met new friends here and have seen some grow to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, God rocks. /// Elevation thank you being used by Jesus to grow us. /// I am thankful for the new life I was given, I’m thankful that the Lord provided a way out of an unhealthy relationship, I have been richly blessed in 2009 thank you Lord. /// Great is your faithfulness, your blessings are new every morning. /// Thank you for such a loving church family that helps me when I am sad, down, lonely, and weak. /// Elevation has allowed me the opportunity to spend more quality time with my family, to make new friends, and to get to know my neighbors better. /// I am thankful for God healing me by showing me reality because I was on medication so I had lost reality. /// I am thankful for our pastor Chuckk for being real and honest, meeting people where they are at and that’s what a Christian should be. /// I am thankful that God gave me a church home and the security in His family before extreme difficulties began last year. /// Thank you for your presence here at Elevation. /// Elevation has given me a community and friendship beyond understanding. /// Dear God I am so thankful that even though my wife has Alzheimer’s she still knows and trusts Jesus, thank you for saving s both. /// Jesus thank you for raising up teams of ministries to start and lead Elevation. /// God thank you for Christian fellowship. /// I lost my girlfriend to a suicide, I thank the Lord for the few years that I was able to spend with her. /// Praise God for working through Omar to encourage me to stop smoking marijuana, 6 months addiction free. /// I thank the Lord for my family without their support I wouldn’t be where I am today. /// Dear Jesus thank you that my mother is not in pain and is with you in heaven, thank you for my good health, for my church, family, and friends. /// Thank you God for Elevation, helped me to see it is ok to color outside the lines. /// I’m thankful that God has used Elevation in a real and practical way to make a difference in my life and the lives of my closest friends. /// The warmth of fellowship and true servants of Christ. /// I come from a family of unbelievers, God has given me a surrogate spiritual family in Elevation. /// Thank you for the renewal and refreshment. /// Thank you for finding a place to serve and love others. /// Community. /// Thankful that God is in control of my life and not me. /// Thank you for revealing yourself to me in a way I could receive, Thank you for Elevation and it for being a real church. /// Thank you Lord for all you have given me, all of my blessings and strength through my trials. /// Thank you for my friends, family, and sobriety. /// Thank you for taking care of me and the gifts of my new life. /// Gathered myself and my family at a church together. /// Thank you Lord that the broken, flawed, and the “ sinners and tax collectors” can come and worship and grow, and we are all broken. /// Thank you God for showing me my path and giving me peace in my steps of life. /// I am thankful that God delivers us through difficulty. /// I am thankful for a place to worship freely with others. ///