So don’t miss your chance to attend “Oscar Night: A Night of Love” on November 13th here at The Creek. It’s a night where we say thank you to all our leaders, volunteers and ministry partners here at the Creek. A great dinner, some laughs and a time to celebrate all God has done and is doing here at Hope Creek. “Hope” you can all make it we would “love” that!

Good leaders are like sharks…if they stop moving, dreaming, pushing, visioneering and learning they die. It’s why so few people truly are leaders…they stop swimming and then they die…worst part is most of them don’t even know they’re dead.

Last week in NY I got to meet one of my personal heroes. When it comes to vision, execution and just generally being a great leader I really like Bobby Flay…here’s a pic of me with him in his NY Bar Americain…nice…

Personal vision (as well as corporate) is a huge passion for me…it’s the age old saying, “If you aim at nothing that’s precisely what you’ll hit.” In the past I have been guilty of not being clear enough with vision to avoid being one of the name it claim it gurus that make me want to vomit…but I have learned the hard way that God given vision is just that and you can have that without coming across as a wanna be Messiah. So what’s your vision, for yourself, for your family, for the job you have or the people you lead…ask God to show you where he wants you to be this time next year…you might be surprised at the answers…I know I was.

So later this week I’ll be posting some awesome pics from my trip to NY. Lots of folks say bad things about the city but Karen and I LOVED IT…it was one of the funnest trips we have had as a couple…plus it’s not everyday you get to officiate a ceremony in Central Park. More info later and sorry for the lapse in blogging again.

I don’t think I say this enough, but to those of you who are a part of Hope Creek Church here in Durham…Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be your Pastor. I never dreamed it would be this amazing. I grow more and more grateful with every day that God brought us together.
Love you all!

Where did this one prized and valued character trait go? The concept of honor, of pride in who God made one to be and “living up to the name” you had been given seems to be behind us. Living with the understanding that if you assume certain titles or positions in our society they demand (or used to) the character trait of honor. That you did things not for yourself but for God, Corp and Country to borrow the infamous Marine Corp slogan. To put others ahead of yourselves. To Live and if need be DIE for honor…and when and if you should have to walk away while you are still living, do it with your head held high and your character and integrity still in tact. Honor, man I sure do miss it.

Okay, so usually my musings here are random and sometimes over the top, but today I am bouncing off the walls and about to go insane!!! We have an AMAZING fall planned here at The Creek. We’re halfway through our I Have a Friend Who series…developed by you and your friends and you guys have done an awesome job…we’re about to kick into a series on “Staying In Love”, Falling in love is easy, staying there is another issue (or issues) entirely. It’s gonna be awesome. In the midst of this series we’re doing a brand new event called Pigs and Pumpkins…a pig pickin, fall festival, trunk or treat, hayride musical bonanza all in one!!!
Then in November we’re going to take some time and talk about something that you all tell us on a regular basis…MY CHURCH ROCKS!!! It’s a series about why we do what we do, chock full of your stories and your friends stories about how God used you and your friends at The Creek to change their lives. It’s gonna be awesome. Got plans to travel? Cancel them! Bring your friends, bring your neighbors, bring your enemies…there’s something for everyone this fall at The Creek…can’t wait to see you all!

So many times we get hung up as pastors and churches on giving…what a tithe is, what’s an offering, how much, when, how often? And usually in explaining it we do a horrible job…leaning heavily on guilt sprinkled with a little manipulation we are pleased with ourselves when the giving goes up. SHAME ON US!
Yes giving is addressed in the Bible, yes we should talk about it, but to talk about giving money without talking about giving my life is, well stupidly out of context. When I surrender my whole self, all of me to God and truly undertstand what that means I will give of my time, talent and treasure. Captivated by God and recklessly in love with Jesus I will out give, out serve and out out everything everyone…little over the top preacher humor there. If we spent more time helping folks fall absolutely in love with Jesus and less time guilting people into stuffing OUR coffers so we can do the next grand vision God has given us (which is different than the one three months ago and radically different than the one a year ago and interesting because we haven’t even achieved the goals we set with the first vision three years ago…but I digress). Take my heart all of me! (my wallet, my time and my immense talent given to me by God will soon follow).

We had a great weekend this week at the Creek, the grand reopening of Kidz Cove! (Charlie and his team absolutely have BLOWN our minds with what kids ministry can be!) Kick off of our new I Have a Friend who series…awesome! And a time of sadness as we said goodbye to a friend…if you weren’t here this weekend I’ve included a transcript below of what was shared.
We love you Chris and Jordan…you will be greatly missed.
In case you were not here this weekend with us we wanted to update you on some recent happenings here at The Creek.

As we all know, transitions and changes are a part of life. While I cannot tell you all of the details, I need to let you know that Chris Doss is no longer on staff with us. Now, please hear and understand what I need to say next. There was no moral failing, no character issues, and no emotional baggage that powered this decision. Roads part sometimes, and Chris and I have always known that at some point ours would.

However, as we explored this transition it became apparent to Chris that he needed to move on sooner than we had anticipated, and so he has chosen to leave as of this last week. We deeply appreciate all that he has done for us. We would not be where we are today as a church if it were not for Chris’ heart, dedication and passion for God and people. We love him and cherish the time God allowed us to spend in ministry together with him. We wish he, Jordan and there soon to be little one the absolute best in life and ministry.

Now for the really hard part. Please don’t be tempted to do what is so easy to do in these situations, and try and create answers where there are none. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to a board member or myself. That being said, because it is a personnel change, it is our practice to not go into details out of respect for everyone involved. So please trust us, and as hard as it will be, we will get through this together. Our mission as a church has not changed Hope Creek still exist to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and we will continue to pursue that mission in the days and years to come. Thank you for your time and understanding.