Okay, honestly this was supposed to be called Sunday Night Mind Dump, but it’s now Tuesday so the title doesn’t quite fit.  When I got home from our 3rd service on Sunday night, I got out my computer and was ready to “mind dump.”  Instead, I found out that Knology’s internet service was down in my area and that they were “working on it.”  So, here goes – these are just a few random thoughts from my weekend and the weekend at Coastal:

• Had a wedding rehearsal and wedding Friday & Saturday.  Very nice couple, but did have a first.  The Bride decided to flip flop the Bride/Groom side (wedding party, seating, everything) because she had a “best side” for the pictures.
• Best part of the wedding for me was that I got to work with Kimmie and Renee from our church.  They were the photographers for the wedding – very talented and very special people.
• Last week was “wild & crazy” here at Coastal!  Sean did a bit of remodeling and preparing in the Youth Room for the new semester.  Wes oversaw several major projects in the auditorium:  painting, screens, projectors, shades, curtains!  Both guys did a great job!
• Can’t thank Ricky & Brian enough.  They both worked hard to see everything get done.
• We got a new door at the Welcome Center  entrance!  And boy what a difference it made.  In fact, it’s possible that the door stole all the thunder of the day!  Everyone noticed it and loved it.  Even students noticed it.
• It’s amazing what a difference small consistent changes make in creating and maintaining momentum.
• Oh and on top of all the stuff going on, Lora, my administrative assistant, went back home to Ohio to get her stuff.  We miss her when she’s not around.
• Sunday was part two of our “Back to School” series and it was “Teacher Day.”  We set aside a part of the service to recognize, pray for, and give a gift to the Teachers of our community (we gave each Teacher present a $20 gift card from Wal-Mart).  We had 26 Teachers in the house!
• We were back over 300 on Sunday!  Had lots of guests and excitement!  I was so excited to see so many of my Teacher friends from Oakland Elementary School.  I “cashed in a few chips” and put the “invite squeeze” on a few of them and they came!  They all said they loved it.  I think some might even come back.
• Our whole Worship Team is just awesome!  Love each and every one of them!  Sundays are long days for them.  Wes has done a great job!
• Loved the video clip and sermon bumper we showed Sunday!  Can’t go wrong with School of Rock and Jack Black.
• My message was entitled, “Meet THE Teacher” and I talked about Jesus the Master Teacher and what he came to do.  I think it connected.
• We have so many awesome volunteers!  I love seeing their enthusiasm and smiling faces each and every Sunday.  The Beams are AWESOME!  I think Kathy can comfort any baby and Matt is just as awesome in Clubhouse.  Kids respond so well to a man in Promiseland.  Matt leads our LIFE Group Ministry which has just started signing up people.  Kathy buys for and works in our Cafe.  Their son Josh ran the computer (with a brand new system) on Sunday morning.  And they set everything up for Ice Cream Sundaes on Sunday night!  Thanks guys!
• People love ice cream (Mike Pardini LOVES sprinkles).
• Proud of Gracie Horton for inviting her Teacher!  She came to the 3rd service!  Proud of Ronda Blanton for covering in Promiseland so they could sit with her.
• We need MORE volunteers for our 3rd service!
• A couple from Pittsburg, PA came to church on Sunday that I married 6 years ago.  On Monday I performed a Renewal Ceremony for a couple from Washington State that I married 4 years ago.  I enjoy performing weddings.  Honestly, most Pastors do not.
• It’s time to pull out the stops and make the ask for our new series starting September 12th, “That’s What HE Said.”  It’s all about SEX.

Well, that was our weekend.  I’d say it’s obvious I need to take a “mind dump” more frequently, but then that would sound gross.

Yesterday after work, I stopped by, of all places, TJ Max to buy hot sauce.  Yes, hot sauce.  Wes, our Worship Pastor, got me some Habanero Roasted Garlic Hot Sauce & Chipolte Sauce and I am addicted to it.  I can’t find it anywhere but there, so that’s where I go.

Anyway, I was wearing my, “I Love My Church” shirt (looks like the classic, “I Love NY” shirt).  A black woman at the store told me she loved my shirt and that she loved her church too.  I asked her where she went and she told me – a church out in the country.  In fact, she told me that they had recently celebrated their 143rd anniversary.  Wow!  143 years!  They had a revival and a big celebration.  I told her that our church was only 20 years and I was the Pastor.

When she found  out that I was a Pastor, she wanted to tell me something that she was very excited about.  She went on to tell me how they had just recently baptized their first white person at her church and that they had never had a white person before attend their church in all her years going there.  She hoped that this was the beginning of change.

I told her about our church, about how we had grown over the last year and a half.  I told her that one of the things I was most excited about was our new diversity.  We were starting to become a beautiful reflection of our community – white people, black people, rich people, poor people.  She thought that was great.  I told her I would pray for her church and she said she would pray for ours.

I’m not sure who said it first, but sadly it’s still true in many places:  ”The most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning.”  I’m glad that’s beginning to change at Coastal.  Because not only is it a beautiful reflection of our community, the truth is, it’s a beautiful reflection of Christ.