Easter is the Superbowl of Christianity!

Christmas brings the celebration of Jesus’ birth to the forefront and all the world recognizes that day. Easter has even more significance because it remembers the three-day span in which Christ was arrested, put on trial, executed and then resurrected. While all humanity can say they were born, no one can say they accomplished what Jesus did. He is the only person and religious leader who ever predicted his death and resurrection and then it happened. Not only how he called it, but in accordance with every prophecy in the Bible about it.

So, how does a church get ready for Easter? At GFC, we do somethings different that week. One, we have a different service schedule. Easter is one weekend that most people who don’t attend regularly will attend. We offer services on Good Friday, at sun rise on Sunday and the other regular times. On the Van Dyke Campus, our staff and volunteers will park off campus and be shuttled to the church so we can accommodate the most people on the campus possible. We will bring in additional seating on all the campuses so everyone will have a place to sit and enjoy the service. Our amazing maintenance team has been working on special projects for weeks to ensure the campuses look their best. The staff will volunteer outside their regular jobs to help all the weekend ministries cover their responsibilities. Our children, youth and adult weekend ministries have been preparing special worship and teaching to capture the message and celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Countless volunteers will help out throughout the week and over the Easter weekend to make sure everything (and I mean everything) is covered.

You need to know that…really? You do because that is the heart beat of the church for people to know Christ. Other than the special service times and parking arrangements, all those people do the same things every week because they want someone to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. I was walking through the sanctuary yesterday and a volunteer was restocking the commitment cards and pens in the chairs. He said he gives a few hours each week to do that. I didn’t know he did that and either did you. But when we reach for a pen, we are glad he did.

Easter is worth every bit of preparation. Lives will be impacted in a big way. And to many of us, Easter is every weekend because God is always impacting lives.

I write this after hearing that I am going to be a grandfather again. Taylor and Katy are expecting about five weeks apart this fall. It is an exciting time for all of us.

After much discussion, I was titled “Pop.” (Kristin said “no” to my one ingenious idea of “G-PA Slash” – c’mon, no one ever called their grandfather “Slash.”) Ironically, both of my grandfathers growing up were called Pop. They were both pretty amazing guys. Different in personality, they were very wise and I have great memories with each of them.

Over a year ago, Jaxon made me a Pop. I have learned a lot in the last fourteen months. Here are a few of my observations:

– First thought when handed to me in the hospital – “Don’t drop him.”

– Second thought – “He is so light.” (Weight lifting paying off)

– Where does all the drool come from? Unlimited supply of that stuff.

– Do you have to change his outfit for everything?

– It isn’t very “macho” but that newborn baby smell is awesome.

– Can’t wait till he can move around

– He’s about to crawl…can you say, “Face Plant?” I know it is wrong to laugh but it really is funny. “Oh, you don’t think it is funny….yeah, me too.”

– The first time he looks up and recognizes you…then smiles.

– Does he ever cry? (Fast forward to next nap time…When did he start crying?”)

– When I was leaving for the airport and he put his forehead on my mine and left it there for a few seconds. (Through the tears, I told you I would come back…And I did)

– He’s walking…Yes!

– If it is electronic (phone, remote, has an off/on button) – he wants it.

– “Where’s Jaxon?” Still makes both of us stop, look at each other and smile.

Bring on the next two…this is the good stuff!

Many credit me with being the first employee hired at Grace Family Church. I am actually the second person. Pastor Craig hired Mary Auten as an assistant when the church began twenty-one years ago. I was the first pastor hired on the one-year anniversary, which brings me to the mere twenty-year mark.

Mary is a great part of our heart that makes GFC what it is today. In fact, GFC would not be where it is today if Mary hadn’t been such a vital part of what we do. She believed in Pastor Craig’s vision from the beginning. Whether it was in a strip mall picking up beer bottles before service, a 7th Day Adventist church loading and unloading supplies or growing the Van Dyke Campus, Mary was usually there. Serving with a smile and loving people in their journey to follow God.

One of favorite memories of Mary was when we were in the strip mall. Having moved in from Orlando, I was a huge Orlando Magic fan and even had a life size cut out of Shaquille O’Neal. I brought it to my office and set it up in the corner. It was so tall it came very close to the ceiling tiles in our offices. One morning, I came in and Mary was pretty angry with me. Apparently, when she came into the office that morning, she turned off the alarm and went down the hallway to turn on the lights. As she passed my office, the morning light cast a huge outline around the Shaq cutout. Thinking there was a giant intruder in the office, Mary ran out of the office and called security. When they went to investigate, there was a cardboard-thin Shaq smiling at them. Needless to say, Mary was not happy.

Mary announced that she is going to retire at the end of 2015. She is ready to settle into being a full time grandmother. Even in writing this, it hits close to home. Mary has been such a great part of the Bonham family. She has been a cheerleader for my kids and a source of love for all of us. We have shared some tremendous highs and lows with her. Casey used to mow her lawn and made sure he did a meticulous job because it was for her. We all love her and consider her one of us.

Mary Mary is amazing! You know someone is special when your heart smiles and tears up at the same time.

One question that I get quite often is “Do you or your wife sing?” With two worship leaders in the family and one talented “home only” guitarist, you would think we would be challenging the Von Trapp family with musical acumen. Although we both like singing, we don’t have that type of talent.

Yet, worship is a huge part of my life. As I am writing this, I am listening to Tasha Cobbs sing “Break Every Chain.” (Liked it so much, I pushed “play” again.) One of my favorite ways to get into God’s presence is to listen to worship music. Since Sunday is usually filled with tasks and details, it is rare that I can fully worship along with the congregation. I make it a point to have my own time of worship during the week. Why? Because one time I realized that I lost my voice.

Like I said earlier, I like singing. I sung in the choir in school and in the church all my life. A number of years ago, I went through a time where I was “too busy” with ministry on the weekends and with stuff during the week, where I put my own worship time on the shelf. I was driving up early to go to summer camp and I slid the CD in the player. As the music started, I began to warble out my singing voice. I stopped the music. I was dumbfounded. I sounded like I was gargling sand. I tried singing without the music and again, it was awful. I played the music really softly and the same result. I turned off the music and the Lord said quietly, “You lost your voice to sing because you stopped singing out loud.” I was shocked at first but I knew it was true. I lost my voice and something that I truly enjoy because I put it on the shelf.

The good news…it came back. I got back into my worship routine and my voice to sing came back. Do I sound like Casey…no. But with the routine, came His presence. And with his presence, came the joy of honoring God. And the missing part of our relationship was restored.

Have you put your voice on the shelf? Maybe it is another gift – one that brings you into God’s presence. Or another talent that you know brings the Lord hoy to see you use it.

It’s time for you to find your voice.

Psalms 40:3 “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the lord.”

I was at a wedding recently where three pastors shared. They each did a great job and their insights were poignant. One of them, Pastor Hal Mayer, said, “One of the best pieces of marriage advice I received over the years was ‘Make it easy to say I am sorry.’” That is a bull’s-eye!

Honestly, relationships are messy. Two different people with such disparity in the way they were raised, with unique personalities and their own beliefs are going to disagree. Hopefully, not on too much. It is hard to go through life without some conflict.

Whoa…you thought I was just talking about marriage. Actually, this principle applies to all relationships. Marriage is the one where you get the most vulnerable. You picked that person to share your life and dreams with each day. It is amazing how those “dreams” come with conflict and a cost.

So do all the other relationships you are in presently. You might not have as much conflict because at work, in social settings and in our groups, we can put on a great front. What do you do when you have conflict in these settings? Do you bring it out or do you just “swallow” your words and thoughts? Reading my blog, you know I am a big fan of hitting conflict straight on and having crucial conversations.

The pastor’s advice above is huge. Even in addressing conflict, you need to do it honestly and in humility. Own your part of the situation and when the other person owns theirs, “make it easy for them to say they are sorry.” We all want to win. By driving your point home and making the other person feel “small,” your win will come at an unnecessary cost.

Don’t forget – they might win the next one.

The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.

Mia Hamm

I posted this quote today because I love the visual. It is challenging, raw and what I imagine any athlete must go through to achieve excellence in their sport. I love that it costs the athlete to gain success.

But what really distinguishes this quote is the last five words – “when nobody else is looking.” That is the part that makes me stop. We live in an age where it seems like everything is out there. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram all keep us up to speed on the lives we want to “follow.” Emails, texts, facetime, and google chats are just a few of the ways that we can get thoughts and pictures to someone almost instantly. We move fast and honestly, I don’t want to go back to no social media and snail mail. People are the most important thing and how we communicate has its positives and negatives.

But “when nobody is looking” just glares at me today. During my quiet time, “when nobody is looking,” did I give God my undivided attention or did I just find a verse that I liked? When I looked over my calendar, “when nobody is looking,” did I ask God to help me make a difference or did I sigh and think “Oh, not that?” When I did my workout, “when nobody is looking,” did I push myself a step farther or did I just give myself grace to end early? “When nobody is looking” did I speak to under my breath after a conversation with someone? “When nobody is looking” did I recognize that I was wrong in a situation and take the steps to ask for forgiveness? Better yet, did I recognize someone else was wrong in a situation and decide the best course of action was to extend forgiveness even “when nobody else is looking?” Did I stop and sit with someone who needed a moment “when nobody else is looking?” Did I show gratitude for a blessing “when nobody else is looking?” Did I do what God asked me to do, when it didn’t make sense, when it wasn’t convenient, when it wouldn’t matter to anyone else…even though “nobody else is looking?”

Mary Rita Schilke Korazan wrote one of my favorite children’s poems, “When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking.” The last stanza starts with these two lines. “When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked…” I pondered that today from God’s eyes. He doesn’t look to stick it to us, catch us red-handed, point the finger – He isn’t out to get us. He looks because He loves. When I answer the questions in the paragraph above, I have lots of “yeses” and “no’s.” Each time, He looked. He watched. And He loved.

He doesn’t stop looking and He doesn’t stop loving.

What a God.

I have missed some of my “writing slots.” Ironically, I don’t have anything life changing reasons…the day to day rolled on and I was “riding the waves.”

Ministry in a church definitely has its cycles. You know when people are going to attend the most (start of a new year and the school year) and when they attend the least (financial series, Spring Break, and the week after Christmas.) Ministry for the individual does not have cycles. You truly have the opportunity each day to feel close/ distant to the Lord, celebrate a win or mourn a deep loss. In most situations, you will be the one leading others through their journey dealing with life’s circumstances. You learn to listen to God, help them celebrate/ work through the situation. You learn that your time to enjoy or mourn will come later. And when you set aside that time, you learn how fragile you are and you lead yourself through it.

In the last few weeks, I have heard about more deaths or lives in critical places. It has produced some tremendously painful responses and has left people with questions that are out of my league. Ironically, I have been to three weddings and heard some of the best life changes one can imagine during this same time frame. To see the faces, smiles and laughter, it makes you can’t wait to see what happens next!

In my time of reflection, I asked myself this question. “What is a common thread when God is involved in all of these situations?” This is one pretty broad spectrum of positive and negative life events – where is God? The word that came to mind – HOPE. As I stayed there, I pictured a very tiny seed in the ground and it went from a sprout to a strong tree.

When someone has a relationship with the Lord, there is always hope. Why? If God truly has no limits, is all-knowing, all-powerful – then He can do anything in a situation to make it better. Hope means there is peace and comfort to those mourning. Hope means there is a new step to be taken by newlyweds. Hope means there is an answer to questions that leave us dumbfounded. Hope means that new step is worth the taking. Hope means we are not alone when we feel isolated. And hope allows us the joy of being in relationship with others.

I write this on a day where a little guy who wasn’t supposed to make it as a newborn…well, he turned 5 today.

Sometimes, hope wins.

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

I have a friend named Fidel.

Between services Sunday, I was walking through the Van Dyke Campus looking for someone and I was directed to the Youth Center. Children were already gathered in there playing dodge ball and video games as they waited for the service to start. In the Moustache Cash booth, where kids can go to turn in their Zone bucks for prizes, stood Fidel. When the kids would redeem their paper gold, he would offer to show them a sleight of hand trick. Having known him for years, he always “got” me…sometimes, more than once.

“Hey, Chris! Do you want to see my new trick?” Having found the person I was looking for, we both turned and I said, “You bet.” Fifteen seconds later, I was stumped…again. He did another trick…we were both stumped. We laughed and talked for a few minutes and I was off to my spot at the stairs. As I walked away, I thought, “How cool is it that he is using a passion of his to make an impact on kids as they come into church?” When they come in, he is just as excited to do something he loves and they leave with a smile. Win, Win!

What would it look like if you took your passion and used it reach lives for Christ? You may be one of those people who think…”I could never do that” or “It just doesn’t match up with God.” You would be surprised how different talents have reached people over the years. Yours is waiting to be used…what are you going to do with it?

I stood in the same spot twenty four hours before. On Tuesday, I was watching 900 dads and daughters dance together, making lifetime memories. On Wednesday, I watched as 360 people sat at round tables discussing the parable of the talents after Tony Dungy delivered a strong teaching. I know Monday and Thursday, this room is used for Women’s and Married Couples large/ small groups. And if that doesn’t keep the lights on, the four services over Saturday and Sunday are coming. They happen every week.

Today, I want to give a special acknowledgement to the men and women who serve GFC on our maintenance team. Casey Call is our Director of Facilities and he recently told a group at First Step that they did “over 25,000 room changes last year.” That is amazing! And that is baffling. How can a church have so many room changes? Grace Family doesn’t believe that the church building should sit idle during the week. We want to reach people where they are at with so many opportunities for men, women, couples, youth, and children. It also serves as a launching area to go off campus with our soup kitchens and local outreaches.

In my position, I feel like I know about everything that is happening at the church. Honestly, there are times I am driving by and I think, “I wonder what is going on today?” Then, I smile. I love the fact that people are using their gifts and talents to reach people and it isn’t always the pastor preaching. People use our courtyard to meet, some come and reflect by the baptism waterfall and on many occasions, I see parents teaching their kids to drive in our parking lot. (They are the ones in the front lot actually driving in the traffic lines on a weekday afternoon.)

Kind of a boring blog, huh? Room changes, buildings, blah, blah, blah. I get it. Try reading it again with this in mind. Every time a door opens, an AC gets turned on, a person pulls on the campus…there is a chance they might take a step closer to Christ. The church is people not a building.

Just ten hours before, I stood by the stage in the sanctuary at GFC Van Dyke addressing sixty employees in our weekly Visions and Values meeting. I made this statement – “Some of the greatest messages you will ever see or hear will not come from this pulpit.” Fast forward ten hours, I got some great life messages watching 900 dads and daughters experience a special night.

Pastor Mike Moore and his team took creativity to another level. “Come Fly With Me” brought an old time classic of travel when the airplane industry was just taking off. Couples checked in by getting a passport with their own picture in it. They sat down to a snack and drink. Before heading to the dance floor, there were pictures to be taken and get their passport stamped at different locations “around the world.” Or, they could get their picture under the signature, Umbrella Canopy with the hot air balloon basket. The dancing started with some big band songs, which gave way to more recent favorites. The night ended with a huge confetti shower. What an amazing night for all who came!

Now for the “messages.”

– Watch a dad take a picture with his daughter. It is so cool!

– Walk through a courtyard of dad’s eating a snack with their daughters. Time slows down, time to talk and time to laugh.

– Watch the Disney effect – a church transformed into a wonderland of opportunities for photos, laughs and new experiences. You can’t walk too fast but you don’t want to miss anything.

– Look at a girl’s face as she walk with her dad after getting all dressed up. I can honestly say that I don’t know who walks prouder…the dad or the daughter.

– Dancing. Lots of messages here…but two thoughts for now.

1. Some of you guys can’t dance (me either) but you were game to do it for your girl. You rock!

2. A slow dance with your daughter is one of the most mesmerizing things. Some pick them up in their arms because they are so tiny. Some just love being close. Some are “showing them how to dance for the future dances to come.” Some just cry. Never gets old.

– Miracles. As a pastor, I know a lot of stories about the dad and their families. The one I will mention here is to see a dad who I visited in the hospital after a neck injury that should have paralyzed him. Within hours he got mobility in his limbs but it took months to get back into a daily routine. He hasn’t missed a DDD in years. He was there last night, dancing with his two girls. Yep, it still gets me.

Such an amazing event! Again, some of the best messages in life do not come from a pulpit.