Celebration Communty Beach Church

Kayaking: pt. 2

2009-08-02T20:54:00.003-04:00

As you can see, kayaking is restful and relaxing. Any kayaking enthusiasts out there? There is nothing to worry about!

WebWord for July 3oth, 2009

2009-07-30T16:33:00.010-04:00

On the one-year anniversary of his son’s death, Greg Laurie wrote a very powerful blog entry about the truth that his son was still alive in heaven. I thought you would be blessed from it as our WEBWORD for this week...

Christopher David Laurie is Alive!

You may have read that headline and thought, “Poor Greg has become delusional! Doesn’t he realize that Friday, July 24, 2009, is the anniversary of his son Christopher’s death?”Yes, I am more aware of that than you will ever know. I think about it every day, every hour, sometimes every few minutes. It never escapes me nor does the painful grief that accompanies it.Grief is like a blanket that covers everything in your life when a loved one has died. Nothing is the same, everything is different.I have plumbed the depths of the pain of sorrow, and have doubled over in pain from the power and reality of it more times then I can count.So, as you can see, I am very aware that my son is gone. I am also aware that his body is in a grave.

However . . .

The Lord is there

Having said all of this, I must also testify to the grace of God in such circumstances.When Paul complained of his “thorn in the flesh,” which was some kind of physical malady aggravated by the devil, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you.” In effect, Jesus was saying, “Paul, you have me. I am there with you” (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-9).And the Lord has been there for me as well. He has also been here for our family, bringing His peace and calm in the midst of this deep valley we have been walking through. As David said, “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4 AMPLIFIED).We are not alone, as I have heard from so very many who have also lost loved ones, including children, since Christopher’s passing. More importantly, the Lord Himself has been there with us each step of the way.

A choice

When a loved one dies, especially your child, it is absolutely devastating. They were such a vital part of your life. You depended on them, and they on you. So when they are suddenly gone, it’s like part of you is gone as well.The fact is, I would trade places with Christopher without hesitation and leave him here on this earth to love his wife, mom, brother, and, of course, his beloved daughters.That choice has not been given to me. But another choice has—the choice of how I am going to react to this.Will I merely react emotionally to it, and live permanently under the cloud of grief, pain, and sometimes even despair? Or will I listen to what the Bible says about this and perhaps gain a new perspective?Though I have spent plenty of time with the former, I work at living by the latter.

My son is alive

How could that be? Let me state it another way . . . my son is alive in another place.It’s not that he merely “was,” but he is! He is more alive than he has ever been, in the presence of Jesus Christ in heaven.Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26 NKJV).Jesus then said “Do you believe this?” Not everyone does, of course.Did you know that this statement was made in front of a tomb? You can have no harsher reality than that. Nothing could be more real than the death of Lazarus.Jesus was saying Lazarus was alive, not just because he would be raised from the dead momentarily, but because death for the believer is not the end. It is just a change of residence.

He is the God of the living

One day, a group of religious leaders, called the Sadducees, came to Jesus with a trick question.The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. In other words, they did not believe in life beyond the grave.Maybe that’s where they got the name Sadducee. They were “Sad, you see?”They challenged the idea of the dead living and Jesus responded:

But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” So he is the God of the living, not the dead. (Matthew 22:31-32 NLT)

When someone dies, we often speak of them in the past tense—“Christopher was my son”—and that is true. But when someone is still alive, you speak of them in the present-tense—“Christopher is my son.”God said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” not “I was God of Abraham, etc.” That is because when Jesus said that, He knew that these great patriarchs were still alive, not on Earth but in heaven.

Therefore, we can and should speak of our loved ones who have gone to heaven in the present tense, because they are very much alive.No, I cannot speak to my son right now, nor can he speak to me, but I will soon enough. I cannot hug him or tell him I love him or remind him to do something like I could when he walked with us here in life on earth.

But one day I will see him again. I don’t just feel it. I know it.

Christopher David Laurie is my son, and he is alive.

And so are your loved ones who put their faith in Christ and have gone before you. You have God’s word on it.

STEP AWAY FROM THE TWINKIES!

2009-07-28T23:21:00.002-04:00

For those of you who know me, (and even those who see me from a distance) I need to lose a few (30?) pounds. I have tried the gym, running, walking, (which led to crawling) and I even bought a really nice treadmill (which I am willing to give to a good home).

So far, there has been nothing that has stuck (unlike the globs of fat around my stomach area). But, just wait...I have discovered Kayaking. No, stop laughing, really! Here is a photo of my "Pelican 100" kayak as I was getting ready to launch at Rookery Bay (which was really cool even if I did get lost and ended up kayaking for over 4 hours!). Any more kayakers out there? I would love to hear from you .... genescott@hotmail.com or leave a comment below.

Pastor Gene

Don't Get in a Hurry by Rick Warren

2009-07-25T22:55:00.004-04:00

As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process:

Believe God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, “Everything on earth has its own time and its own season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV).

There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth (springtime) followed by a period of stabilizing and testing (fall and winter).

What about those problems, habits, and hurts you would like miraculously removed? It’s fine to pray for a miracle, but don’t be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change. Over time, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles. Over time, a little sprout can turn into a giant redwood tree towering 350 feet tall.

Cancelled!

2009-07-25T22:28:00.002-04:00

Sometimes we have to say no to things that are good so that we can say yes to things that are better. So, I am no longer doing the podcast 'Ramblings from 'Paradise' so that I can keep the blog and WEBWORD current. Thanks for understanding. (But the message and music podcast will still be available each week.)

What is Coming up at Celebration?

2009-07-25T20:06:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

I have been out of town this week to just get away and work on some new message and Bible study ideas. Here are some things I have been working on. I finally finished the bible study you asked for on intercessory prayer. "How To Pray Where Other People Get The Blessing" (even if they never pray).How many of you would say that you have been blessed by the prayers of others? That other people prayed for you and it’s helped? Well guess what? You can learn to pray that way. This Wednesday you will learn how. You will also learn about five 'prayer-busters' that will keep your prayers from having all the power they can and I have been playing around with a bible study on a book everyone has been talking about called "The Shack." Interested? In August Bible study will revolve around CONFRONTING THE JESUS I KNOW

I feel closer to Jesus than to my wife, family or friends. It is a special relationship that I can only have with someone who loves me so completely. But yet, I still have questions. If Jesus was 100% God as well as a man, why couldn’t he have just prayed to Himself? Is Jesus the only way to Heaven? What would have happened if Judas had not betrayed Jesus? What would have happened if Jesus had sinned? Did Jesus have a secret, shadow mission? I invite you to join me every Wednesday in August at 7 pm as I share with you the Jesus that I know. That takes care of Bible Study.

Message topics are:

AUGUST:

NATIONAL LAMPOONS CELEBRATION SUMMER VACATION!

Picnics and pools, fireworks and hotdogs, vacations and baseball, golf and the beach. There’s nothing like summer weekends to rejuvenate the soul.We all enjoy summer and God uses recreation and activity and beauty to bring us closer to Him. You voted as the five top activities of summer...road trip, reading, family time, sunsets and the beach. We will have fun looking at how God uses these activities to bring balance into our lives. So join us, every Sunday in August for "National Lampoons Celebration Summer Vacation!"

SEPTEMBER:

KEEP CELEBRATION GREEN

Why Do we meet outdoors every Sunday in the Park? We will take a good look at "Worship When It Doesn't Make Sense" How To Worship When You're Worried"

"Worship When It Always Doesn't Make Sense" "How To Worship When You Are Wounded"

OCTOBER:

GOD HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

During this month we will look at the purpose Of Celebration

What Drives Your Church?

The Foundation for a Healthy Church

Reaching Out to Your Community

Who Is Your Target?

Knowing Whom You Can Best Reach

Bringing In a Crowd

How Jesus Attracted Crowds

WebWord for Wednesday 7/15

2009-07-18T15:13:00.002-04:00

HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US

"LOGOS and "RHEMA"

PART ONE...

Most men do not want greeting cards ladies mainly because you give us cards with these long passages written on them. It’s like homework. But you are standing there, waiting for our heartfelt reaction, so we pretend to read and finally give the head nod. Oh yeah. However, what we are really doing is silently going one Mississippi, two Mississippi.

Sometimes we connect. Sometimes we don’t. One of the ways that I try to connect with people is through humor. Obviously, it doesn’t always happen. A few months ago I told what, according to this British scientific organization was the funniest joke in the world. And after church, several of you came up to me and said, it wasn’t really all that funny. And then you asked me what I had ever said that had gotten the biggest laugh? This is an easy one. Last year, Larry & Claudia gave me a surprise 50th birthday party. And at this party was a dollar tree. Do you know what that is? People just stick dollar bills to it and when I counted it all up later that night I had a roll of about 80 one dollar bills. So the next day, I went to the mall to buy me something and when I pulled out this huge roll of dollar bills, the clerked said, you must work in a restaurant as a server. I said, no, I am an exotic dancer. I thought they would hurt themselves in Penny’s from laughing so hard. By the way, I wasn’t the first person to use that line, but I bet I got the biggest response. Sometimes we connect. Sometimes we don’t. Now 91% of you out there are trying to connect with someone. And it’s Not your spouse, friend, parrot, or computer. But you are trying to connect with God. An article in Tuesday’s USA Today called A Closer Look At Prayer looked at a Baylor study that found that 91% of Americans believe in God and 83% of us pray…the question is. Everyone prays (the study found that even among those who don’t believe in God, one out of three atheists have prayed). Everyone prays. Is someone listening? And that is the question we are going to look at over the next several weeks.

Jesus made an incredible promise in John 15:7 about being connected to Him. “If you stay joined to Me [connected] and My words remain in you, you may ask any request you like and it will be granted.” That is an incredible verse. That is like a blank check, like God giving you unlimited credit.

But how do you do that first part? How do you stay joined to God? How do you stay connected?

All over the world people want to get connected to God. in the Orient People use rituals and all kinds of lights and incense, putting their body in certain movements, they sell gongs. So you can wake up God.” When you have a prayer you had to get God’s attention (God’s a busy guy) you had to beat the gong to get God’s attention. It’s kind of like the dial tone and then you can get connected to God.

In Matthew 6:7-8 in The Message paraphrase He says, “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. (In other words, like treating God like a genie.) Don’t fall for that nonsense.” That was said over 2000 years ago and it’s still relevant today because there are many books, magazines, seminars, self-help books that teach you if you just pray a certain way or you chant a certain thing or you do so many of these rituals, you’ll get on God’s good side and you’ll get whatever you want from God.

I saw in a super market tabloid: “Bible prayers to flush out body fat.” Now, this is worth reading! I didn’t buy it, my wife did. I would never buy these kind of magazines! It said, “You can lose 10, 20, 30 pounds or more with Bible prayers that are guaranteed to flush out body fat… for eternity!” Not just one time but for eternity. It talks about that you can rest assured that the flab you lose will stay lost. You don’t have to eat any special diet. You can eat anything you want. Exercise? No! All you have to do is pray these special prayers. On Monday you pray, “Man does not live by bread alone.” On Tuesday you pray “I am the bread of life.”

There’s a different prayer for each day.

When I saw that I thought that’s what Jesus was talking about when He said “They’re full of programs and formulas and advise, peddling techniques of getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense.”

I have a book called “Praying The Promises Of God.” It pretty much says, pray this promise and it will happen? And to be honest with you, this is how I was brought up how to pray.
I was reading about a man who was a diabetic and he read the verse, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14. So he said, "God, I'm going to ask that You cure me of diabetes," and he threw away his insulin and three days later he died. What happened? God promised. Why didn't it work?

The fact of the matter is there's a misconception people have about the promises of God. It's this: You cannot automatically claim a promise that's been given to somebody else in the Bible unless the Holy Spirit gives it to you. Now next week we will look at the difference between a general word from God and a specific word of God to you...

Singles Pool Party

2009-07-18T15:08:00.005-04:00

A fun time was had by all at Friday's singles pool part at the church campus. Over 30 were in attendance to hear Dr. Judy Laird speak on relationships.

Another singles gathering will be Saturday (18th) for the Jazz festival at the Naples Beach hotel.

A heads up, Dr. Judy Laird will be speaking Sunday (19th) back at the church campus for married couples (6:30 pm). Check with Rebecca 239.842.0347 for more details...

You Miss a LOT if You Miss Bible Study!

2009-07-08T22:44:00.005-04:00

Pastor Gene has been known to say things without thinking, and if you are really lucky and very quick, you can play a joke on him using his own words.Case in point: At Bible study on 7-1-09, Pastor Gene told a story about receiving a money tree for his 50th birthday that contained 80 one dollar bills. When he went to purchase something at JC Penney's and pulled out a stack of ones, the sales clerk asked which restaurant he worked at. Gene, being very quick witted, responded that he wasn't a waiter, but an exotic dancer. At this point the sales clerk and all the other customers burst out laughing! Now this story had nothing to do with Bible study, but Pastor Gene told it anyway. He closed Bible study by saying, "Next week, everyone remember your dollar bills."

We couldn't let the remark go by unchallanged could we? So last night, without Pastor Gene knowing, everyone at Bible study was given a dollar bill with the instructions to give it to Pastor Gene as if he were a male dancer. After Pastor Lana's prayer, she started by tucking a dollar into Pastor Gene's shirt pocket.

Thanks everyone.
Annie

P.S. All monies collected were given to the Helping Hands fund.

WWJWD (On dollar bill) = What Would John Wayne Do?

WebWord for Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

2009-07-08T22:29:00.004-04:00

WHAT MAKES GOD SMILE?

The ninety-fifth Psalm is one of a series of psalms which the Israelites sang together as they went up to the temple in Jerusalem to worship. The series begins with the ninety-fifth Psalm and concludes with the one hundredth Psalm. 5 songs that they would sing…(Sing go to next song) Each of these is a demonstration on how to worship. They are not only magnificent poetry but they are also instructions on what worship is and how it is to be done.

The most fundamental question you can ask in life is, Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? The Bible is very, very clear about this. It tells us in Revelation 4:11 why God made us. “You (God) created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created!" Circle “for your pleasure”. You were made for the pleasure of God. You were created to bring God pleasure. If you want to know why you’re here on this earth, if you want to know why you’re alive, if you want to know why you take the next breath that you take it’s because God made you to enjoy you. Not for your benefit – for His benefit. You were made to bring pleasure to God. That’s why you’re here. Until you understand that, you don’t understand life.

The Bible says in Psalm 149:4 “The Lord takes pleasure in His people.” Those of you who are parents, when you watch your children do you ever get pleasure by watching them. Sometimes. And the same is true of your heavenly Father. God says, I made them and I enjoy them. You were made to bring pleasure to God. That is your number one purpose in life – to get God's smile. He created you for His own benefit.

There’s a word that God uses that describes when we bring pleasure to God. That word is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in the human vocabulary. In fact, I guarantee you, everyone here, including me, has misused this word. It is the word “worship”. When we bring pleasure to God, we worship God.

Psalm 95:1 says “Come let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and praise Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great king above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His for He made it and His hands formed the dry lands. Come let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. He is our God. And we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”

Let me give you a definition of worship. Worship is living a life pleasing to God.

I got this card: “Dear Pastor Gene, I loved the worship today. I got a lot out of it.” I hate to tell you this but worship isn’t for your benefit. It’s not for you anyway. It’s for God. When we worship we’re bringing pleasure to God not bringing pleasure to ourselves. So if you came and said, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today,” you came for the wrong reason in the first place. Worship isn’t for you. It’s your first priority and we do it for God to bring Him pleasure.

I’ve got to learn what do I do first. When I learn that, then worship always gets off on the right foot. Psalm 95:2 says “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.” The big idea here is you start to worship as you and I start our meal. You start your worship by offering thanks. That’s where it begins.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s plenty in life that’s tough. I’m not saying that when you come to worship you pretend that nothing’s wrong in your life. But what I’m saying is there’s never a moment in our lives when we don’t have something to thank God for. Our salvation, forgiveness, heaven, the fact that He sent His Son. What He’s done in the past, what He’s doing in the present, what He’s certainly going to do in the future. There’s never moment when we don’t have something to thank Him for.

Four ways you can make God smile:

1. We bring pleasure to God when we love Him above everything else.
Psalm 95 at the end of the Psalm the psalmist says, “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts."

When you come to God and say, “God, I’m not coming to You because I’m in a crisis and I need You to bail me out. I’m not coming to You because I’ve got this big request or I want You to make me a millionaire or super successful. I’m just coming to You because You made me. And I want to get to know You and I want to love You.” That thrills the heart of God. When you come running into His arms and you delight in the fact that God made you and loves you, that brings God great pleasure. That makes God smile. When was the last time you did that?
Psalm 99:5 Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

2. We bring pleasure to God when we trust Him completely.
Psalm 147:11 says “The Lord takes pleasure in those that honor Him and trust in His constant love.” It’s in trusting God you bring God pleasure.

Noah trusted God completely. He had incredible faith. “By faith Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see and he acted on something he was told and his act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.”

3. We bring pleasure to God when we obey Him wholeheartedly.

Again, Noah is an extremely great example of wholehearted obedience. Hebrews 11:7 says “Noah obeyed and built a boat when God told him to do it.” Genesis 6:22 “Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him.” Circle “everything”. What is included in the word “everything”? Everything! All. In other words, when God said I want you to do this, Noah didn’t just build any boat. He built it to the exact specifications. And they’re quite long. They’re in the Bible there in Genesis. God says I want you to built it this wide and this deep and this high and here’s how I want you to put the door and all that kind of stuff. And Noah followed it to a T. He followed God, he obeyed God wholeheartedly.

It’s the attitude of David. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey."

Actually, going through life, if you want to know God's will you can usually figure out “what would I normally do in this situation?” Figure out the exact opposite and that’s God's will. Because it’s natural for me to think about me, not you. It’s normal, it’s natural, it’s human nature for me to be self-centered and not care how it’s going to affect anybody else. And God says I don’t want you to think that way.

I must obey Him completely. That brings the smile of God.

4. We bring pleasure to God when we fulfill His purposes.

God smiles on our lives when we fulfill the purposes that He put us on earth to fulfill. In Genesis 9:1 after the flood is over and the ark has landed and they’re getting out of the boat, here’s what God says, “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said...” I want you to go to church every day of your life and I want you to pray ten times a day and I want you to talk in spiritual terms and say Jesus and be really spiritual and let everybody know it. That’s not what He said. “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply [translated have sex] and replenish the earth.” Ok, God! Now, this I can get a handle on. God says, “Here’s what I want you to do now. I want you to go make love with your spouse, raise families and do the things I created humans to do. Be human! This is what I made you to be. God has given you certain abilities, capacities, as a human being and God takes pleasure in watching you be a human and do human kind of stuff.

This is very, very important. Because a lot of you think that the only time God is smiling on your life is when you’re doing something religious. That only when you’re doing something spiritual is God really pleased. For instance, right now God is pleased because you’re sitting in bible study. But when you go over the Chili’s and order nachos for lunch, He’s frowning. No. God smiles when you order nachos. He told me that! God takes pleasure in watching you enjoy. Who do you think gave you your taste buds? He gave you the ability to enjoy. In 2 Timothy it says “God has graciously given us all things for our enjoyment.”

It’s like that Olympic runner Eric Little, they made that movie about him years ago, Chariots of Fire. He said “When I run I feel God's pleasure.” Well duh! If God's wired you to be a runner, God takes enjoyment in watching you be what He made you to be. Of course He takes pleasure in watching you run if you’ve got an ability to run because He gave you that ability.

What I’m saying is everything in life can be done as an act of worship, everything in life can be done to bring glory to God, and everything in life can be done for God's pleasure if you do it with the right attitude. If you say, God, today I want to live for Your pleasure. You can wash dishes for the glory of God. You can mow the lawn for the glory of God. You can close a deal for the glory of God. You can play golf for the glory of God. Everything you do in life can be done to bring God pleasure if you’ve got the right attitude saying God, You gave me this ability and I want to please You with it. You can please in the kitchen and you can please God at work and you can please God wherever you are. If you live for His pleasure.

Psalm 37:23 “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Circle “every detail of their lives”. God delights in every detail of your life. If you like to sell, God enjoys watching you sell. Who do you think gave you that interest, that ability, that desire? It’s all for His pleasure in watching you be you. Every detail of your life. Whenever you use any talent or any ability that God gave you and you do it for God's glory that’s an act of worship.

Psalm 14:2 “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise. [And who are wise people?] Who want to please God.”

Will you be that person? Will you be that person?I invite you to live your life for the pleasure of God. I’m going to and I invite you to join me in Psalm 100.

Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

(With thanks to author Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Church")

The Beach Church

2009-07-06T22:09:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

First of all, there WILL be a WEBWORD for this Wednesday...just catching up from vacation. And now, the top reasons that you know you attend the beach church!!!

If baptisms have to be canceled due to high waves, you attend the beach church.

If the song played by the band at church is the same song you heard played last night at Jim’s Tiki lounge, you attend the beach church.

If the pastor is dressed in such a way that you think he might come up to you and ask for any spare change, you attend the beach church.

If you are dressed in such a way that people think you might ask them for any spare change, you attend the beach church.

If your seating options include sunshine or shade, you attend the beach church.
If your dog is more excited about going to church on Sunday than you are, you attend the beach church.

If you stand in line for coffee and it is already 90 degrees in the shade, you attend the beach church.

If you buy your church shirts at larrys beach shack or alvin’s island you attend the beach church. (mention my name and they will politely escort you out).

If every sunday you have to decide, socks or no socks
you tell the cashier at publix ‘you look marvelous’

the bald spot on your pastor's head is the color of freshly picked strawberries!

the last three sermon illustrations had to do with bbq!

you're not sure, but you think it was the beach boys version of "nothing but the blood" that you heard during church!

you think that mackerals are a praise band

you belong to the weather channel ministry

your church also offers tourist information

you think wearing sunglasses at church is really cool

And if somebody, with a smile, tells you that you look marvelous! You attend the beach church.

James' Speaking Debut

2009-06-22T04:13:00.007-04:00

We all are blessed every Sunday by James’ wonderful singing voice. This morning we were blessed by his message, “Why Me Lord? A Sermon To Myself.”

James spoke of our spiritual leadership role to our children, of using the gifts God has given us and by listening to the lessons others, especially our children, can teach us. Because James was willing to be used by God by stepping outside of his comfort zone of singing and sharing his God-given gift of speaking, we were all blessed.

The standing ovation he received was in praise of an awesome God whose glory shines through those who are willing to be used by Him. The words on today’s Connection Card summed it up nicely: “James rocks!”

Pastor Lana

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - The Last Post

2009-06-20T17:43:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone,

Well, this is the last of the vacation blogs. Sad isn't it? I mean, now we will have to return to Naples! Actually it was an amazing week but it will be good to get back. Our last day of vacation was spent in Mt. Airy North Carolina...or as we know it...Mayberry! We rode in Barney's squad car and ate at the Blue Bird diner. Rascal Flatts sings a moving song called "Return To Mayberry." So, as we head back to paradise, I l leave you with the words to that song...

(well)I miss mayberry Sitting on the porch drinking ice-cold cherry Coke

Where everything is black and white

Picking on a six string

Where people pass by and you call them by their first name

Watching the clouds roll by

Bye, bye

Sometimes I can hear this old earth shouting

Through the trees as the wind blows

That’s when I climb up here on this mountain

To look through God’s window

Now I can’t fly

But I got two feet that get me high up here

Above the noise and city streets

My worries disappear

Sometimes I dream I’m driving down an old dirt road

Not even listed on a map

I pass a dad and son carrying a fishing pole

But I always wake up every time I try to turn back

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 7

2009-06-20T01:35:00.010-04:00

Hi everyone

It has now come to an end. This afternoon we turned off of the Blue Ridge Parkway for the last time to the town of Mt. Airy (Mayberry...more on that tomorrow). We have now driven all of the parkway from North Carolina to just over the Virginia line. When we try to arrive at certain destinations, did we ignore the beautiful view during the journey? one philosophist said: our beginning and destination are all the same-from birth to death, what makes the differences are the view during our journey. From today, I want to enjoy my view on the journey, no matter where is my destination, there is also something beautiful worthy to explore….

The photos are from Grandfather Mountain. We were up there during a storm with measured wind gusts of over 60 miles an hour! It was fantastic. Here is a nice poem about Grandfather Mountain…enjoy.

Grandfather Mountain

Beyond green grassy, sunlit plains
Over fields in flowers tiled,
Past wooded valleys and their swirling mists,
Across rivers both tame and wild
There stands a mountain great and tall,
A mountain firm and strong
Old and grand it proudly sits
Forever singing its song:
Long, long have I laid here
Holding high in the palms of my hands
Forests and animals, brooks and caves
Beautiful, thriving lands.
Aged am I now, but a father shall I stay
To my children dear and many.
For generations more shall I guard them close,
Their provider and sanctuary."
And faithfully does it tower, this mighty mountain
Mindful of its committed role -
A grandfather, in all his wisdom and joy
With thanksgiving and remembrance his goal.

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 6

2009-06-19T04:27:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

This is Annie. I would love to share all of the humorous events that have happened over the last several days. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time or space on this blog, so I’ll limit myself to one or two.

First of all, you need to ask yourself, “How is Gene doing with the numerous hiking trails?” Not well in case you can’t figure that out. This is the only exercise Gene will get for the entire year. He claims he can’t keep up because of the thin air and having altitude sickness. Riiiight.

Now, imagine Gene hiking in the same outfit that he wears to Church on Sunday. Funny thought isn’t it? Next set of questions should be: Did Gene know he was going to be hiking on vacation? (Yes) Does Gene own hiking boots? (Yes) Did Gene pack hiking boots? (No, he claims that they are heavy) Would Gene be able to keep up if he was wearing hiking boots? (Probably not) Would Gene slip on rocks and tear his shorts if he was wearing hiking boots? (not likely but in his sandals it happened on a daily basis.) Would all the park rangers laugh at Gene if he was wearing hiking boots? (No)

When we stop for trail information, the park rangers look at Gene and laugh, then tell him that the trail is not a good idea. The following photos says it all.

Here’s hoping that Gene gets back to Naples with his one pair of shorts intact.

Annie.

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation Part 5 and WebWord for Wednesday June 17th, 2009

2009-06-17T23:52:00.009-04:00

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks for the emails and text messages about how much you are enjoying the travel blogs. You can leave a comment at the end of every blog as well. This blog will also be our weekly bible study because when we pulled onto the Blue Ridge Parkway this morning, we were met with clouds, fog, and rain. You can see from the photos it was really beautiful but, at the entrance to the parkway were these huge flashing signs saying…”All Florida tourists go home!” No. Just kidding. They were flashing…SLOW DOWN! And so I did…to about 5 miles an hour. The cars behind me just loved it! But, that brings us to what is consistently voted as the most favorite chapter in the Bible of people in America. The 23rd Psalm. We’re going to look at God’s Road to Rest and how you and I can experience it through the incredible truths in this Psalm.

As I read through Psalm 23 several times this week I was immediately impressed with how it spoke to the reasons why you and I can’t find rest … why it is so hard to just respond to the flashing sign and just slow down! All the barriers in our lives. I was also impressed as I read it as how easily I (and I’d guess some of you too) how easily many of us miss the real point of this Psalm. We don’t really see it - as familiar as it is - the real point of what he’s talking about.

To show you what I’m talking about, as an illustration, I went through the 23rd Psalm and wrote a Collier County version of the 23rd Psalm. I’d like to read that for you:

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want.
The Lord is my supplier, I tell Him what I want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He gives me green pastures to run around in.

He leads me beside quiet waters.
He takes me down life’s rapids.

He restores my soul.
He superenergized my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
His path for me is often not clear but I’ll follow it if I find it.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
He will help me to avoid the valley of suffering because God knows I would be afraid.

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
You provide a fast food meal as I’m running from my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil.
You drip a tiny drop of oil on my head.

My cup overflows.
My cup is almost full.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Although I may face heartache and loneliness all my life I hope to make it to heaven where I can finally rest.

That’s a Collier County version. That’s our Americanized version. That may be your version. There’s something deeper in this Psalm. The greatest confidence in God than I’ve ever experienced and you’ve ever experienced. It’s an incredible Psalm. The reason why it’s the most popular chapter. It’s not that it’s sentimental. Maybe it is for some. But the reason why this is the most popular chapter in America is it’s powerful. It has something to say. It has the power to change your life. “The Lord is my shepherd…”

The Lord is your shepherd, you’re a sheep. This is where we get messed up right from the very beginning. We want Jesus to be the good shepherd. But we want to be the sheep dog. We want to chase all the other sheep and tell them where to go. That’s what we want to be. We don’t want to be the sheep. The Bible does not compare us to a sheep dog. The Bible doesn’t compare us to a roaring lion. The Bible doesn’t compare us to a tiger. The Bible compares us to a sheep. It’s hard to admit. The Greek word for sheep is d-u-m-b. They are dumb animals. We want to be sleek. We want to be suave. We want to be God’s gift to the world but we are sheep.

Can you imagine a sheep saying, “I am the master of my universe!” like we try to say. It doesn’t work. We are sheep. That means we are dependent. When I can admit that then I can recognize how deeply I need a shepherd. Sheep need a shepherd. Without a shepherd they won’t survive. Sheep cannot be left without care. To be confident as a sheep I must stay close to the shepherd. The Bible says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

Circle “makes me.” He doesn’t allow me to lie down in green pastures. It’s interesting that the Bible says He makes me lie down. There’s something to that in what we need. There’s something in all of us when we think about green pastures. Wouldn’t you like to be in a green pasture, where you’re just there and it’s green and you’re rested? You just get that picture of it’s just so restful.

But we can’t handle green pastures. We don’t know what to do with them when they come into our lives. We can’t handle them. We get a green pasture in our lives and we go, “Where’s the lawn mower? I’ve got to get this thing mowed.” We get a green pasture in our lives and we say to ourselves, “How can I make this thing even more fruitful? Maybe a little fertilizer and it’ll produce more. I’ll make it a better green pasture than it is.” We get a green pasture in our lives and you know what some of us think. We think, “I don’t deserve this. Why should I have this? I feel guilty being in this green pasture.” Or even worse. Worse of all. We get a green pasture in our lives and we look around and think, “I think his pasture is a little greener than mine is. Just little greener. Why isn’t mine that green?” We don’t know how to handle green pastures.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.” If you’re going to lie down in the green pasture of God’s abundance, we’re going to have to learn to accept and enjoy the places of abundance that God puts into your life. Not feel guilty. Sure you don’t deserve it. That’s grace. Not feel like you have to rush past them. But to accept and enjoy those places of abundance.

What I’m saying to you is, Stop running in place in green pastures. Instead, take a minute to lie down, to enjoy God’s abundance. Recognize it’s His alone. “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

How about the last few lines of the Psalm. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” When you’re unsure about your future, renew your view of God’s future. Surely – certainly – goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

Just look to Jesus Christ and say to Him, “Lord, You are my shepherd. I shall not be in want.” Then pray to Him with confidence, “You make me lie down in green pastures. You lead me to drink the riches of Your life. You restore my soul. Although I will walk through the valley of suffering, You will be with me. You will protect me from my enemies and even from myself. You prepare a table of victory in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with refreshing oil. My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Pastor Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 4

2009-06-16T23:18:00.009-04:00

Hi everyone,

Today is Tuesday and that means .... blueberry yum-yum night! That's right. I just had this delicious North Carolina confection at a Christian themed restaurant called "The Shepherd's Table." And what would a travel blog be without mentioning food.

Needless to say, I am eating my way along the Blue Ridge Parkway and what a delicious ride it is! Grilled trout, bar-b-que in all of it's forms, fried chicken, chicken & dumplings, made from scratch bisquits and cornbread and salad. OK, the last item was just a joke. /div>

The first photo is proof that we ate at the highest restaurant east of the Mississippi on top of Mt. Mitchell (watched a cool storm blow through while up there...check out the view behind Annie) and, believe it or not, the other photo is ANNIE'S plate of food at the Pisgah Inn! (I just had the salad...).

Pastor Gene

Pastor Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 3

2009-06-15T21:27:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

Today is Monday and I ate some amazing food (but more on that for Tuesday's blog). But, besides eating, I also did something today that was inspiring. I got up to see the sunrise! Yes I did! The photo is about an hour before sunrise on the Blue Ridge. My brain kept asking..."Is it Easter already?" It was amazing but I still believe that a sunrise is just a sunset in reverse so just sleep in. But I am glad that I did and lived this verse this morning ..."The heavens declare the glory of God!"

Pastor Gene AND ANNIE'S Summer Vacation - Part 2

2009-06-15T20:05:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone,

First of all, I am changing the title of this daily blog to Pastor Gene AND ANNIE'S Summer Vacation, Part Two. Annie once again gave me 'it's always about you speech' and 'I am on vacation with you too.' I think she is still a little sensitive from that 'big target' remark I made earlier. Oh well. This will be the blog for Sunday (since I had to endure an ENTIRE DAY with no internet/cell phone access!). And since it was Sunday, we visited the St. John In The Woods Church at Flat Rock. This church was founded in 1833 and is so beautiful. VERY TRADITIONAL!

So, why there? Because, even though it was pretty much the opposite of Celebration Church (which we missed very much but I know that Pastor Lana hit it out of the park) it was a reminder to all of us that it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. Whether the park or the mountains, we all worship one God, one Saviour, One Faith.

PASTOR GENE'S SUMMER VACATION...PART ONE

2009-06-13T18:48:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone,

I have survived the first day of vacation planned by my wife Annie. Her vacation plans involve lots of hiking in places they would need to send in a helicopter to get me out. She described the first day as 'hike the trail ... wait for Gene.' She accused me of throwing rocks at her and missing. I told her ... 'how could I miss such a big target!' Can't wait for day two!

Pastor Gene

WEBWORD FOR WEDNESDAY: JUNE 10TH, 2009

2009-06-11T02:28:00.007-04:00

PSALMS FOR LESS STRESS....INTRODUCTION

So many times in life, a little thing called discouragement sets in. It’s the gray slush of winter. Like a dreaded disease, it gnaws away at our insides. We are all subject to the currents of discouragement that can sweep us into a danger zone. Even the most positive people can get discouraged. After Sunday’s service, (letter… “A friend of mine, really needed you but you didn’t return several calls and requests for counseling. WHY?! She deserves an apology. She had a death of a parent and a son. She needed you!!” –Unsigned (of course) …) what a bad day.   

Illustration: Former heavy-weight boxer James (Quick) Tillis is a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980’s. He still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa. “I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under by arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ “When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”

To lift us up from times like these and to give us a renewed perspective, God gave us poetry, especially the Psalms, that reflects on His kindness, His love.   Quotation: Martin Luther prefaced his 1528 translation of Psalms with these words: A human heart is like a ship on a wild sea, driven by the storm winds from the four corners of the world. Here it is stuck with fear and worry about impending disaster; there comes grief and sadness because of present evil. Here breathes a breeze of hope and of anticipated happiness; there blows security and joy in present blessings. These storm winds teach us to speak with earnestness, to open the heart and pour out what lies at the bottom of it.

In Psalms you have, in poetic and musical form, the history of the Hebrew people. Psalms contains the emotions.– many of which are prayers, praises, and songs - were written as a response to the everyday occurrences going on in their life and nation.

Psalms is a peek into how these people responded to him in times of tragedy (Psalm 88 and 91)

how they praised him in times of victory (Psalms 92 and 66)

how they talked with him in times of confusion and anger (Psalms 73 and 58)

how they cared for each other in times of need (Psalm 23 and 37 and 42)

how they repented and confessed in times of disobedience (Psalm 32 and 51)

how they found God in times of loneliness (Psalms 71 and 62).

Did You Know… 

Psalms is the only book quoted by Satan

At least 6 people wrote this collection of songs, prayers, and praises. Though David didn’t write all of them, he did write more than 50%. Other authors include Asaph (chief choir director for David), Sons of Korah (OT band/musicians direct from playing the palace in Jerusalem..), Ethan, Solomon and Moses

Psalms contains the longest and shortest chapters in the Bible

It is the longest book of the Bible

It contains the exact middle chapter of the Bible – Psalm 118. That’s right -- there are 594 chapters before and after Psalm 118. Now, if you add those two together (594 + 594), you get 1188. Take that number and turn it into 118:8. What does it say? “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”

The Book of Psalms is quoted more times in the New Testament than any other book, along with Isaiah. Not only did other Biblical writers enjoy this book, but the fact that the Psalms are so often added to copies of the New Testaments in America indicates that we English readers have come to love this book.

What the Psalms Invite us To Do 

The Psalms are your invitation to pull off of the busy highway of life, full of cares and take the scenic route where you have time to enjoy God.   

Questions:

Have you found yourself being moody lately?

Have you found yourself in bad circumstances?

Do you feel that God is distant or that He is somewhat unfair?

Are you angry because evil seems to always win?

Do you feel like complaining? Have you done something really stupid and you’re discouraged about it?

Then The Psalms are for you. We can’t deal with all of the stuff in this messed up world without an encounter with God. That’s what the Psalms do for us. They are our words that in desperation we utter back to God when our relationship with Him has been clouded.  

The Bible was written in many genres. One of these is poetry. There are five Books of Poetry in the Bible, all of which are found in the Old Testament. They are: Job (addresses suffering), Psalms (addresses praise and worship), Proverbs (addresses wisdom), Ecclesiastes (addresses wisdom), and Song of Solomon.

So, this is our introduction to Psalms. Next Wednesday we will look at what is consistently voted as the most favorite chapter in the Bible of people in America. The 23rd Psalm. We’re going to look at God’s Road to Rest and how you and I can experience it through the incredible truths in this Psalm.

(With thanks to Tom Holliday)

GoFish!

2009-06-08T20:00:00.004-04:00

Join Celebration Singles Tuesday 6/9/2009
@ 6:30 pm
Pinchers Crab Shack
Tin City

What is GoFish?

God Ordained
Fresh – Single Adults: 20s
Innovators- Single Adults: 30s
Survivors- Single Adults: 40s
Heroes- Single Adults over 50

JOIN US
By expressing your interest at
gofishsingles@gmail.com

Send your name, mailing information, phone numbers and email address to register. Information will remain confidential.

The vision of GoFish Singles Ministry is to form an environment in which single adults can find a sense of community and have the security of knowing that being single does not have to mean being alone. To accomplish this vision GoFish Singles Ministry is structured to provide Godly activities through a technology based delivery system which will be the foundation block by which single adult members can:

Connect with other single adults Christian in the church through ministry, social and networking events hosted by GoFish.

Serve as an outreach to single adults in our community in need of a loving and caring church home or collaborative singles fellowship through targeted singles events.

Provide evangelistic opportunities to reach un-churched single adults in a relaxed environment.

Four components have been identified as foundation blocks for sustaining this outreach to single adult members of Celebration Community Beach Church as follows; online Christian singles community, targeted singles ministry events, social and networking events.

WebWord

2009-06-06T18:20:00.003-04:00

One of the best things happening at Celebration is not our Sunday morning outdoor service (even though it is pretty cool!). No, it is our Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening bible studies. Many of you attend and enjoy the fellowship and study and really bad jokes. But many more of you can't make it but you would like to go a bit deeper. So, since you are reading this on your computer, I will post every Wednesday "WEBWORD" which will be a condensed version of our weekly bible study.

So, beginning next week, we will be talking about "Psalms For Less Stress" and Psalm 23. So, check in and learn more about how the Bible can change your life each week.

2009-05-20T16:48:00.006-04:00

Hi Celebration family,

Each year, our church gives as generously as we can to sending local children with MS to camp. If you would like to give through the church then please contact the church office at 239.649.1588.

Pastor Gene

One Month to Live

2009-05-14T18:22:00.005-04:00

We’re starting a new series that we’re calling “One Month to Live.” The idea behind this series is if you knew you had one month to live, what would you value? This question isn’t new. It’s been around as long as death has been here If you knew you had one month to value, what would you do?

One month to live, what would you do? Talk to me.

I want to hear from you. Leave a comment on what you would do if you only had one month to live?

(Well, for starters, I wouldn't pick the month of February!)

Pastor Gene

Reducing Debt

2009-05-11T15:59:00.011-04:00

A few weeks ago, our Executive Pastor, Gordie Mefford, delivered a powerful and timely message on reducing debt. I thought about that message as I came across this devotional so I thought I would share it with you...

In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:

"Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!" (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NLT)

When you spend more than you earn, you end up in tremendous stress. The Bible says, "Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it" (Proverbs 21:20 TEV).

What motivates us to live beyond our means? Why do we spend ourselves into debt? Why are we rarely satisfied with what we have?

There are three myths that drive us into debt:

MYTH: Having more things will make me happier.

FACT: "Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!...So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!" (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NLT)

MYTH: Having more things will make me more important.

FACT: "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be" (Luke 12:15 TEV).

MYTH: Having more things will make me more secure.

FACT: "The Lord is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe. Rich people, however, imagine that their wealth protects them like high, strong walls around a city" (Proverbs 18:10-11 TEV).

When we buy into these myths, we always overspend. So, here's how to enjoy life more on less:

Find happiness in helping others. Jesus said, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving" (Acts 20:35 TEV). Just look around you and you'll see this is true. The happiest people are those who help the most, not those who have the most. Misers are always miserable.
Find self-worth by getting to know God. God says, "...you are precious to me..." (Isaiah 43:4 TEV). You matter to God. He made you for a purpose. Genuine self-esteem comes from establishing a relationship with God and becoming all he meant for you to be.
Find security in trusting God, not a bank balance. The Bible says, "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you'" (Hebrews 13:5 TEV). Real security must be found in something that can never be taken from you. While there are many ways to lose your possessions, Jesus said God will take care of you if you trust Him.

John Raker

2009-04-30T03:05:00.003-04:00

There was a great letter to the editor in Wednesday's Naples Daily News concerning a valued member of Celebration. Here is the letter in case you missed it....

Editor, Daily News:

Fifteen years ago John Raker, co-founder of Collier Harvest, made contact with the U.S. post office in Naples to help letter carriers distribute the food collected on their annual food drive.
Over the years, 4.5 million pounds of food has been delivered to the agencies of Collier and Lee counties to feed the hungry “without money.”

He indeed should be considered for Man of the Year.
Bert Paradis

Real Florida Eating!

2009-04-27T21:26:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, I have this love/hate relationship with food. OK...it is mainly love. OK...it's all love! So, when you ask me, as a Floridian, what is the perfect Florida meal, I respond with one word...buffet! No...the word is...mullet! I was meeting with our pastors last week and neither one of them had ever heard of a mullet? How about you? So, to provide a benefical public service, please peruse the attached photos. That is fried mullet. Those are hushpuppies. You eat the hushpuppies with guava jelly. That is sweet tea in the glasses. What you are looking at (and, in my case, drooling over,) is an authentic Florida supper. By the way, that is my father doing the frying.

"Is Your Church Worth a Second Date?"

2009-04-22T15:47:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone,

I came across this article called "Is Your Church Worth A Second Date"? by Rod Arnold of Smart Churches.

Let me know, do we fit well in these four areas? Feedback please???? (you can always be anonymous!)

Step #1: Like Us

When you meet someone for the first time, you make a judgment on whether you like them. You pay attention to their personality, their sense of humor and how they interact with you. Whether we admit it or not, first impressions really are huge. We make instant decisions, often subconsciously, about whether we want to get to know that person better. In business, a "brand" is a mental image that comes to mind when someone thinks about an organization or a product. What is the mental image that comes to mind when people think of your church? Do you make a great first impression? Does it compel them to want to get to know you better? If you could paint the perfect mental picture about your church for the people in your city, what would it look like?

Step #2: Know Us

If your church makes a good first impression on someone, they will want to get to know you better. They'll want to know what you think and talk about, what's important to you and what you're passionate about.

Step #3: Trust Us

Think about the people in your life who you trust—I mean really trust. Doing a trust-fall exercise on a teambuilding retreat is great, but just because someone didn't drop you on the ground doesn't necessarily mean you're going to trust them to always have your best interest in mind.

One of the keys to developing trust is simply time. The more time we spend with people, the more we see what they are really made of. We see their character and values in action. People need time to see what your church is all about, to see if you are consistent in what you say and do, to believe that you really care about them, and to build trust.

This is especially true for many people who have been burned by church in the past. Unfortunately there are a lot of "de-churched" people out there who have been victims of church politics, gossip or disingenuous leaders. Building—or rebuilding—trust and changing their opinions about church can take some time.

Step #4: Join Us

Ultimately, your goal is for people to decide to make your church their home—to integrate into a community that loves each other, serves each other and supports each other through life's highs and lows. But getting to this decision is the result of a relationship, not a transaction. And healthy relationships are a progressive process of discovery. So what can you do from a practical standpoint to help more people get to know your church?

So? Are we doing things right? Could be doing things better? What do you think?

Pastor Gene

Happy Earth Day?

2009-04-18T14:45:00.004-04:00

I want to be honest with you up front. I have never been very excited about Earth Day. In the past, I have always associated Earth Day with work. Whatever club or group that I was a member of would send out a flyer telling us where to meet on Earth Day where we would celebrate by picking up 50,000 cigarette butts. Happy Earth Day. Whee!!!!

A Christian environmentalist will care for creation, the creation that God has made. Not just to look at it but care about some of the things that are happening. Some of you do. Some of you are making a difference. You need to do that as a believer in Christ.

I am responsible for God’s creation. Does that include people? Yes. Children? Animals and plants? It includes everything that has to do with our purpose in God’s creation. We’re responsible from the very beginning. In Genesis 1:26 God said “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness. And let them rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, over all the creatures that move on the ground.” We are responsible as stewards.

And from the very beginning in Genesis 1:25 Adam and Eve carried out that responsibility. God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it.

Just look at His creation. Even things we’re familiar with. The honeybee. When one bee finds pollen it has a problem; it’s got to tell all the rest of the bees where the pollen is. They don’t talk! So the bee goes back and through an intricate dance, it shows the other bees where the pollen is to be found. It’s absolutely amazing. They make a circle and the number of circles they make shows the distance to the food source. They also show the distance by wiggling their abdomen or their bellies (belly dancer bees). The greater the distance the more slowly she wiggles. The direction of where this flower or group of flowers is, is revealed by how the bee cuts across the circle after this dance. The exact angle that the bee makes tells the bees exactly what angle to take from the sun.

The creation that’s around us is something to be fought for. It’s something that you and I need to stand up, as believers, and say, “It’s God’s creation because it expresses who my Father is” Sometimes in all the argument about global warming and PETA and creation that point is missed. We’re talking about the who. That’s the key. Creation expresses the very character of God.

And of course, when you meet outdoors each and every Sunday, it is not too hard to make the connection between creation, creator and worship!

New Message Series -- Hitting the Reset Button

2009-04-18T14:38:00.003-04:00

You know, I was thinking about these old commercials they used to do years ago. I think initially it was for a laundry detergent, where if a company really believed in what they were selling, they would actually offer a challenge. They would come up to folks, generally women in those days, and take whatever laundry detergent was in their grocery cart out of the cart and then put their brand in and say

"We're going to give you a challenge. For a limited period of time we want you to test our product. We want you to try things our way. We know there's a resistance. Maybe you're afraid. Maybe you're kind of stuck in a rut, so don't take our word for it. Think about this as kind of an experiment. You try this yourself. You judge the results. You decide, and if you do this, your life is going to be different. Your laundry is going to be better. Your whites are going to be whiter. Your reds will be redder. Your blues will be bluer. You will smell better. People will want to date you more. It will change your life."

Then this idea, kind of, spread, and not just for Tide. I was online earlier this week and they have all kinds of these challenges. There is a Purina 30-day challenge…switch your cat's food for 30 days and see if your cat is not happier. Quaker Oats 30-day challenge…switch breakfasts for 30 days, and see if your cholesterol doesn't go down and you're not happier. One organization online has the husband 30-day challenge…which I guess is, you know, switch husbands for 30 days and see if your marriage doesn't work better or something.

So today we want to offer you a 30 day challenge. These past six months have been rough. I was trying to think of a great theme song for this series and this one song would not leave my brain…from the BeeGees…Ah Ah Ah Ah staying alive, staying alive. Sing with me….for these past six months or more everyone has just been trying to stay alive. Just survive. Like we said last week you have the choice to panic or pray and most people have chosen to panic, well almost everyone. One Sunday morning, everyone in one bright, beautiful, tiny town got up early and went to the local church. Before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking about their lives, their families, etc. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate. In a panic …Soon everyone was evacuated from the church, except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, not moving... seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence. Now this confused Satan a bit, so he walked up to the man and said, "Don't you know who I am?" The man replied, "Yep, sure do." Satan asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?" "Nope, sure ain't," said the man. Satan was a little perturbed at this and queried, "Why aren't you afraid of me?" The man calmly replied, "Been married to your sister for over 48 years." But for most of us, we have been pushing the panic button. Well, here is what we want you to do for the next 30 days. Instead of hitting the panic button, we want you to hit the reset button.

These economic times are causing all of us to Press the “RESET” button. Not the EASY button but the RESET button. So, for the next 30 days…

RESET what is important in your life:

Time to get off the acquisition treadmill - ‘Things’ do not equal happiness. People with few worldly possession are just as happy (or happier) than people that have loads of ‘things’. He who dies with the most toys, still dies.

Instead of spending money, spend time with the people you love and the things you are passionate about.

Get back to basics. Simple is better. The less you have, the less you have to lose/worry about.

And then…

RESET your definition of security:

When you’ve lost everything you thought you had, or half of everything you thought you had, where do you turn for that sense of security? Is money really security? The ultra-wealthy guy who lost his health couldn’t buy one more day with all his money. Life is full of uncertainty; uncertainty is part of God’s plan. Our security comes from our relationship with God.

RESET what you thought your future/retirement years would be like:

They may be different than you thought, not better or worse, just different. There are opportunities in the change that we would not have considered otherwise. Grieve the loss, then start being grateful and filled with joy for what you do have. If you have friends, or family, and God, you have everything you need for a fulfilling future/retirement.

So, we will give this a 30 day free trial…things, money, jobs, and retirement. Your whites will be whiter, reds redder, smell better…all those things.

(Thanks to Valerie Pike for suggesting and researching this topic).

Should I Have FaceBook Page?

2009-04-18T14:17:00.007-04:00

I came across this article and loved it. So, I want to share it with all of you ...comments?

The antidote to technological isolation
by Jon Ferguson

I have over 800 friends on Facebook and about the same number of Twitter followers. I have additional acquaintances on Plaxo and LinkedIn, not to mention all my Outlook contacts. I can access the New York Times, CNN, and almost every version of the Bible on my Blackberry or laptop in seconds. I have instant access to incredible amounts of information and literally thousands of people. Yet sometimes I wonder if I’m any more connected or better informed than I was before all this accessibility.

We can have a false sense of community because we have contact with so many people, but often have no real connections. We can have loads of information at our fingertips, but rarely interact with it in a way that makes a difference or results in life-change.

Jesus offers a solution to this kind of technological isolation. One day a man asked Jesus, “What is the most important commandment?” In Jesus’ day, people had taken the Bible and boiled it down to 613 commandments. So the guy is saying, “Help me out here, cut through this information overload and just tell me which is the most important commandment? He was asking Jesus, “What’s the big idea?”

Jesus responds by saying the most important one is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” In the same breath he says, “And the second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. No commandment is more important than these.”

Why did Jesus give the two most important commands and not just the one? He adds this second thing so that we don’t fall into a “just Jesus and me” kind of spirituality that can lead to isolation. When Jesus says to love other people with the same kind of focus and energy that you love yourself, he is echoing God’s original dream in Genesis. Jesus doesn’t say love your neighbor as yourself because that’s what nice and good – what Christian people should do. It’s because it’s how we are hard-wired to live. It’s what it means to be a Christ-follower.

"We can have a false sense of community because we have contact with so many people, but often have no real connections. "

Jon Ferguson

Thoughts on Easter 2009

2009-04-18T14:10:00.004-04:00

All of the area churches were buzzing last week as we all talked about their upcoming Easter worship services. Seemed like we were all excited. I know I was. It's not that this one day is more important than any other Sunday, but that many nominal Christians and relatively unchurched individuals show up at our worship on Easter. Some are coming for the right reasons, some for the wrong, but for a variety of cultural and spiritual reasons most of our churches have higher attendance numbers on Easter than most other Sundays. And this exciting.

But I think we can easily get confused. It's not exciting simply because attendance is higher. And it shouldn't be exciting because we put on a big show. It isn't about the big band, the cool music, great choir, or whatever else we are tempted to exalt for a big show.

It's exciting because worshipping our risen Savior is exciting. It's exciting because as we make much of Christ, many more have the opportunity to hear his story and his words, and by God's grace many will believe! And, it is in many ways just like any other Sunday-- the gospel is preached and people need to live a cross-centered life in the power of the resurrection. Now after saying all that....I thought the Easter sunrise service at Lake Avalon was amazing with the fog over the lake and the sun peeking through right at the end of the service. I also liked the format we used during the 9:30 service at Cambier of 4 messages with four songs. We will use this same worship format during the Christmas eve service. The music was phenomenal but the greatest part of the service to me (as it is every Sunday) is the massive amount of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who show up so early each and every Sunday morning to basically build a church in the park.

Tomorrow Never Comes

2009-03-30T21:49:00.009-04:00

Hi everyone,
Another fun service Sunday with over 100 wedding rededications! A special thank you to Jim & Lisa Lyle for being so brave renewing their vows in front of over 1100 Sunday (and that is with the iccky weather). You are all the best.

I shared a poem in Sunday's message on love that lasts. The poem is Originally titled Tomorrow Never Comes," it was actually written by Norma Cornett Marek in 1989 as, in her words, "a tribute to a beloved child I lost, in hopes it would cause people to never be careless or too busy to let our loved ones know we love them.""I am honored that it was used for the Sept. 11th tragedy as a tribute" Marek told BreakTheChain.org. "I really do not see why this certain poem is so coveted. It is a mother's heart speaking, not a great poem by any means, yet many seem to think so."

If I knew it was the last time I’d see you fall asleep
I’d tuck you in more tightly and pray your soul to keep.

If I knew it was the last time I’d see you out the door,
I’d hug and kiss you one more time and call you back for more.

If I knew it was the last time I’d get to share your day.
I know that I’d make certain it didn’t slip away.

We assume we’ll have tomorrow to correct an oversight.
That we’ll always have another chance to make everything all right.

That there will always be another day to say that I love you.
There will always be another chance to ask, “What can I do?”

But just in case I might be wrong and today is all I get
I want to say that I love you so that you will not forget.

Tomorrow is not promised that we’ll see another night.
Today could be my last chance to love and hold you tight.

Instead of waiting for tomorrow, show your love somehow.
For if tomorrow never comes you’ll wish you’d done it now.

That you didn’t take the extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
Instead you were busy, too busy for the one that you now miss.

Hold your loved one close today and whisper in their ear
Tell them that you love them and why you hold them dear

Say “I’m sorry, please forgive me, you’re the best, it’s ok”
So if tomorrow never comes you’ll not regret today.

Food for Haiti

2009-03-06T16:32:00.003-05:00

Saturday, was a very exciting day!! Over 500 of us showed up to help make food packets for the children in Haiti. It was so much fun!! I was a “weigh person” which means I was responsible for weighing each bag of food to an exact amount per bag (14 grams each). It was great to meet new people, laugh and talk amongst everyone at our table. Each person had a different responsibility and we alternated getting tickled by each other’s antics during the process. We all looked goofy in our hair nets and even wore them to church the next day to show our support for the project. Thanks for the experience!!

Love,
Polly Graziano

2009-03-02T16:02:00.009-05:00

What an amazing service yesterday! The weather was beautiful (the rain and clouds held off until well after the service was over). Several of you have already sent me (we written) copies of your letter to the editor and some of you have received this response..."who is trying to make you leave this park?" You have asked me for more specifics on this, so here is a quick synopsis...

The Community Services Advisory Board has made Celebration Community Beach Church’s exit from Cambier park a priority. After several months where the church put up with accusations, innuendo and downright deception from this board, the city attorney stepped in an issued a legal opinion that some members of the board disagreed with, the result being of Audrey Bender resigning from the board in protest. However, they were able to have this discussed at the January workshop of the Naples City Council. And we are now on the agenda for the November 2009 workshop. Why November 2009? Because in November 2010, our use agreement with the city will be up for renewal and some members of city council want to make sure that we have plenty of time to locate a new church location. So, yes….there is an organized effort including a letter of protest filed with the city from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Remember, in your letters to the papers and city council...BE POSITIVE!!!!!

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP CELEBRATION BEACH CHURCH STAY IN CAMBIER PARK?

1. PRAY. Pray for our church leaders, Naples City Council Members, and for all our members and attendees.

2. SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR.
(This is effective whether you live in the City or the County.)

Here’s how:

Email: letters@naplesnews.com

Mail: Naples Daily News
ATTN: Letters to the Editor
1075 Central Avenue
Naples, FL 34102

Fax: # 263-4816
If you have questions, call: # 263-4773

Rules of engagement: 250 words or less; Must include full name, address and phone (address & phone will not be printed.); If mailed or faxed, letter must be signed; last but not least - WRITE SOMETHING POSITIVE…NOTHING NEGATIVE!

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Editor,

I’d like to share my personal experience with you about Celebration Beach Church and what it means to me. A friend invited me to the service at Cambier Park several years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. The music is upbeat, the sermon topics are bible based and relevant to my daily life, I see friends and familiar faces all around me, and Pastor Gene’s jokes make me laugh long after I’ve left the park. Life isn’t always easy, in fact things are especially difficult right now, but Celebration Beach Church picks me up and helps me find joy in each and every day. What better place to be with God than in nature! Celebration Beach Church is a great asset to the community and an important part of my Naples lifestyle.

WARNING – if you go, it may be habit forming!
Valerie Pike (25 year, full-time, Naples resident)

3. SEND A LETTER TO NAPLES CITY COUNCIL
(Most effective for City Residents.)

Here’s how:

Mail: Naples City Council
735 Eighth Street South
Naples, FL 34102

Fax: # 213-1010
If you have questions, call: # 213-1000

Mayor: Bill Barnett, mayor@naplesgov.com
Council Members:

Penny Taylor, ptaylor@naplesgov.com
Theresa Heitmann, theitmann@naplesgov.com
Gary Price II, gprice@naplesgov.com
John Sorey III, jsorey@naplesgov.com
Margaret ‘Dee’ Sullick, msullick@naplesgov.com
Bill Wilkomm III, bwilcomm@naplesgov.com

Only one rule: WRITE SOMETHING POSITIVE…NOTHING NEGATIVE!

SAMPLE LETTER

(Date)
(Name of Naples City Council Member)
(Address)
RE: Leasing Cambier Park to Celebration Beach Church

Dear (Naples City Council Member),

I am writing to you in support of renewing Celebration Beach Church’s non-exclusive lease at Cambier Park in November 2010. As a constituent of the City of Naples I thought I should bring to your attention the positive effects of this motion:

If the lease is renewed:

The City upholds the federal laws of treating religious organizations the same as it treats non-religious organizations.

The City generates much needed revenue, helps downtown businesses, and increases utilization of City Parks.

The City promotes healthy enjoyment of the great outdoors.

The City leads by example in the every growing ‘green movement’.

Lives may be changed for the better because Celebration Beach Church is in the Park. Life hurts, God heals.

People may be drawn to the City of Naples because they’ve found a church they can call ‘home’.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my opinion on this matter. I hope that my expressed concern will make a difference in your decision.

Sincerely,
(Your Name)
(Your City of Naples Address)
(Your phone number)

Best of Naples

2009-02-18T15:53:00.002-05:00

Hi everybody,
Check out the plaque...pretty cool!

Equal Access

2009-02-15T16:51:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone,

By now, you have read today's article in the Naples Daily News.

Several of you asked my opinion of the article and I said I would try to put something up on the blog today, so here it is.

This is not a separation of church and state issue even though Ms. Bender seems to think so.

This is not a real estate issue even though several members of City Council seems to think so.

This is an equal access issue!

Any organization can use the park but a church? The city attorney has said that you cannot refuse Celebration the use of the park because of religion.

Here is a new word for you..."Christophobic." These are people that are afraid of Christians....afraid that our God will rub off on them somehow! We want people to want what we have, not to be fearful of it.

And just another random thought... Whatever happened to tolerance in our country? In the next few weeks, I will be talking about these issues. But I would love to hear from you and let me know what you think or suggestions?

Remember, the greater the opportunity, the greater the obstacles! Our goal has always been to be an asset to Naples. I want the community to say, 'We need Celebration for the love they show others.'

BTW....great service today with 1000+ to hear Randy Kington! Be sure to check out the great photos on the website.

Pastor Gene

Weddings in Naples

2009-01-27T21:09:00.006-05:00

I have just returned from fulfilling a dream come true. I officiated a wedding in the Disney wedding pavilion at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Here at Celebration we receive numerous requests on a weekly basis about how to get married in Florida. So, in this blog, we will try to help. For those who dream of a romantic outdoor wedding, Naples Florida beckons. With its endless sunshine, warm weather year 'round and beautiful beaches, Naples is the perfect place to hold nuptials. Our favorite location is at the south gazebo at Lowdermilk Beach park (see the photo above). Follow these simple guidelines to be on your way to wedded bliss.

To get married in Florida, visiting couples need only go together to the nearest clerk of the circuit court office to obtain a marriage license. Marriage licenses are good for 60 days. The standard fee is $96.00, which can typically be paid with cash or by charge or personal check.Florida residents must wait three days to get a license. However residents who can provide documentation showing they completed a state-approved marriage preparation course within the year don't have to wait the three days.

The pastors at Celebration use the "Pre-Marriage Awareness Inventory" with topics including conflict management, financial and parenting responsibilities. As a bonus, residents who take the course get a reduction of $34.50 off the license fee. And it's not necessary for residents to obtain licenses from their home county. As soon as a license is obtained, a wedding ceremony can be performed anywhere in the state. To obtain a marriage license, U.S citizens must provide their social security numbers and photo identification, such as driver's licenses. International visitors must bring passports, or naturalization or immigration numbers.

Also, people who have been married previously must provide the date of divorce, annulment or spouse's death.With a few exceptions, both the bride and groom are required to be 18. Florida doesn't require blood tests or medical exams. Contact the local clerk of the circuit court for further information. Also. at Celebration, we can provide wonderful music and photography services. You can call the church office at 239-649-1588.

2009-01-27T16:20:00.003-05:00

Sponsored by Celebration Community Beach Church

Saturday, February 21st at 9:00 a.m.

Celebration Community Beach Church through their Vision for Haiti, Helping Hands Program will sponsor the project "Kids Against Hunger".

We need 300 volunteers to help put together 100,000 meals of soy protein, dried vegetables, chicken flavoring and rice.

Donations are needed to cover the cost of supplies and delivery to the children in Haiti. We are also looking for workers for this important project. Your contributions can be made out to Celebration Community Beach Church and is a tax deductible contribution. Please indicate that your donation is for Vision for Haiti. You can bring your contribution on the day you volunteer or you can send it to:

Celebration Community Beach Church

65 12th Street South

Naples, FL 34102-6265

This Morning's Poem

2009-01-25T15:18:00.002-05:00

I WAS THERE
By Bobette Bryan

I was there
on the day you were born,
and I gave you special gifts
to last a lifetime.

I touched you,
made you smile,
helped you grow,
and watched you take your first step.

I even reassured you
that all would be OK
when you lost your first tooth.

I saw you off
on your first day of school
and I lingered by your side
the whole day.

I was there
to console you
every time you cried
and I held you
every time you fell
and scrapped your knees.

I was there
every day all through the years,
and I always strived to give you direction.

I helped you every step of the way into adulthood,
bringing you daily gifts
of inspiration, hope and love.

And I gave you trials
so that you could grow into the
warm and beautiful person you are…
but I never abandoned you to them.

I’ve never,
not for a single second,
turned my back on you
when you needed me…
even when you thought
that you didn’t need me.

I heard you
every time you spoke,
and I answered every prayer
though sometimes-
for your best interests-
I didn’t answer them
the way you hoped I would.

I’m still with you
through your Joys,
your hopes,
your tears,
your dreams…
through the bad days,
the good days-
through every day of your life.

And I will be there
in the end
to give you comfort
and to see you safely Home
where you’ll sit beside Me
in all the glory of Heaven.

Love-
God

2009-01-11T06:33:00.019-05:00

HERE ARE THE FILL IN ANSWERS TO THIS SERMON'S MESSAGE.
ALSO I HAVE LISTED SOME OF THE SCRIPTURES QUOTED THAT WERE NOT ON THE OUTLINE.

“No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the
power of the grave.” Psalm 89:48 (NLT)

DENIAL “This isn't happening to me!”
“I am frightened inside; the terror of death has attacked me.”
Psalm 55:4 (NCV)
ANGER “Why is this happening to me?”
“I was overcome with anger. The more I thought, the more
troubled I became; I could not keep from asking: ‘Lord, how
long will I live? When will I die? Tell me how soon my life
will end?’” Psalm 39:3-4 (TEV)
BARGAINING “I promise to … if you’ll let me live.”
“You can never pay God enough to stay alive forever and be safe
from death.” Psalm 49:8-9 (CEV)
DEPRESSION “I just don't care anymore.”
“I'm at the end of my rope, my life is in ruins. I'm fading away to nothing, passing away.” Psalm 109:22-23 (MSG)
ACCEPTANCE “I'm ready for whatever happens.”
“I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, ‘You are my God!’ My
future is in your hands.” Psalm 31:14-15 (NLT)
“My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even
my own family stands at a distance.” Psalm 38:11 (NLT)

HOW TO COMFORT SOMEONE WHO IS DYING

C – I need to confront my own fears.
O – Offer my physical presence.
M – Minister with practical assistance.
F – Fortify them with emotional support.
O – Open them up with questions.
R – Remember the family has needs too.
T – Turn them to Jesus.

Psalm 38
“I’m burning with fever and I’m near death. I’m worn out and utterly crushed. My heart is troubled and I groan with pain.”

Psalm 116:15
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now [the ivs, the doctors, the medical equipment, the machines. We don’t look at all the troubles we see right now] we look forward to what we have not yet seen. [that’s heaven] For the troubles we have seen will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”

Psalm 23 - that everybody knows:
“Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me.”

Psalm 142
“I looked for someone to come and help me but no one gives me a passing thought. No one will help me. No one cares a bit about what happens to me.”

Psalm 38:11
“My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.”

COMMENTS?

Naples Christian Women’s Connection

2009-01-09T18:07:00.003-05:00

Ro Schober and Pastor Lana at
Friday’s Naples Christian Women’s Connection

Ladies, I wish you all could have been at the Naples Christian Women’s Connection today. You would have seen a large dining room filled with women wearing funny, colorful, creative and downright strange hats. Prizes were awarded for the best hats and our own Ro Schober won a prize with a hat her daughter had made especially for her. You would have enjoyed our usual delicious luncheon and scrumptious dessert. You would have been blessed, inspired and encouraged by Pamela Tolson, our excellent speaker and vocalist.

Next month’s meeting will be held on Friday, Feb. 6th. Look for the flyer with all the information on the back table. I hope I see you there next month. You’ll be glad you came.

Memory Problem

2009-01-05T20:08:00.005-05:00

Here is a bad joke:

Patient to his psychiatrist: Doctor, I can't remember anything! I forgot what happened yesterday. I forgot what my car looks like. I can't even remember my own name.

Psychiatrist: How long have you had this problem?

Patient: What problem?

Well, that joke describes your humble pastor! I was in the library today (the most important card in my wallet is my library card) and a couple greets me. I say hello and I said that I had missed seeing them in church. They then informed me that they were in church Sunday and had been attending for the past 5 years! They were very nice and said some really nice things, but the entire time I just stood there thinking, 'you idiot! Why can't you remember their names?' This happens to me all the time. So, I need your help. What would be the best response?

I am sorry. But I do not remember your names. Could you tell me?

Just act like I know who you are

Call 'hey you' or 'how's it going'

Just say....'my brain is full and I have to excuse myself now.

Any suggestions?

Beach Chair Buddies

2009-01-05T00:05:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone. What a great service Sunday!

80 degrees and beautiful blue sky. And because of the weather, we came close to having 1000 in worship at the park. Now this is unusual because we usually don't hit 1000 till around February/March. Of course this means that we are already running out of chairs! We can only bring 850 to the park. And if this is a challenge in January, imagine what the next few months are going to be like?

Fortunately, there is a wonderful solution. Just become a 'beach chair buddy.' Here is how. Every Sunday, just bring a beach chair for you to sit in and an extra for a 'friend.' We have had some wonderful beach chair buddy stories from the past years so, who knows?

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-05T00:00:00.003-05:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
FOR THE WEEK OF Jan. 4th-10th, 2009

4th - Wayne Groenstein
Nancy Temple
6th -Tom Rauenswinter
8th - Mickey Jensen
9th - Amy Webb

Christmas Eve Service

2008-12-29T23:07:00.002-05:00

Wow! What an amazing Christmas Eve service!

78 degrees at sunset (and what a beautiful sunset) over 3500 people packed into Lowdermilk park and the beaches. The glow of thousands of candles and voices lifting up to the starry sky and singing 'Silent Night.'

Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who helped make this possible. From the trolley greeters to the living nativity to Saint Nicholas to the candle and program crew to the signing to the photographers to the singers and band to the security crew to the chair crew to the...well you get the picture! And what a wonderful article in the Naples Daily News!

Any suggestions for next year? Leave a comment on the blog.

Helping Hands Ministry Update

2008-12-29T22:59:00.005-05:00

I just want to say how full my heart is from the generous giving from you during a difficult financial season. Not only did we sell ALL calendars/CD packets which raised $1500 for additional Christmas giving, but also the thousand dollars spent (if not more) through our helping hands ministry and 8000 meals for children through our Haitian mission ministry. And we had families who 'adopted' other families in need and provided trees, food and gifts! Well Gene, where was the money spent? How did we help? Just to list a few...

Providing money for steel toed work boots and clothing to help someone start in a new job
Two single parent families with children receiving everything they need for Christmas including food and gifts.
Numerous families helped with money for mortgage/rent payments during December.
Paying for an apartment so a family could be near their new born baby that had to spend time in a Children's Hospital out of town.
WAL-MART gift cards
PUBLIX gift cards
Gas for chemotherapy trips from Naples to Tampa.
And lots of food from our food pantry.

And, be sure to ask John & Anne Raker about our successful 'Food In The Fields' program. These are just a few examples. One thing that I have learned is this. Celebration Church truly believes in helping those that are less fortunate or in need. In many of these cases during December, I found myself thinking..."There, but by the Grace of God goes I." So thank you and know that when you help in Christ's name...

"whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, I say unto you, you shall not lose your reward."

Celebration has a Wonderful New Service!

2008-12-29T22:55:00.002-05:00

Have you noticed a new face on the stage? And have you also noticed that the movement of her hands are pure poetry? Well this person is Kaye Fleming who is now signing all of the Celebration services for the hearing impaired. Kaye is a teacher and has been doing religious interpreting for 30 years. Kaye is a wonderful example of someone sharing her unique s.h.a.p.e. in ministry at Celebration!

Have You Heard Our Podcasts?

2008-12-29T22:49:00.004-05:00

If you are like me, one hour each Sunday is just not enough! I want to hear more, learn more, just get 'more' about Celebration Church! That is why we have 3 weekly podcasts that you can listen to for free. One podcast is each Sunday's message, one podcast is the music of that Sunday AND one podcast called 'Ramblings From Paradise.' This 7-10 minute long weekly podcast is just ramblings from my mind along with Peter Marsh. Needless to say, each rambling podcast is different and never boring. You can listen one of two ways. If you own an ipod, you can subscribe for free and just update it weekly or you can listen directly from the church website.

And remember, at www.celebrationbeachchurch.com you will also find weekly photos (be sure to check out the photos from Christmas Eve) and timely blogs that you can respond to. So learn more and get more from your church. If you are listening, just drop me a note right here on this blog. I would love to hear what you think of the podcasts and anything else on your mind.

2008-12-20T18:03:00.001-05:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
FOR THE WEEK OF Dec. 21st-27th, 2008

Birthdays
22nd - Philip Cooke
25th - John Glanville
26th - Mary Smith

Anniversaries
23rd - Vernon & Janice Brown
Al & Carol Konigson
24th - Doug & Pam McCree

2008-12-07T15:02:00.001-05:00

Then Sings My Soul .... My deepest gratitude and thanks to Pastor Gene, Pastor Gordie and Pastors Sam and Bunny Sewell for making the dream of my ordination service last Sunday a reality. I'd like to express my thanks and appreciation to Pastor Harold Brown and North Naples United Methodist Church for the use of their chapel and fellowship hall. My thanks to Peter Marsh for his wonderful music that added so much to the service.

My appreciation and thanks to Joyce Chesser and all of our marvelous hospitality ladies for the lovely reception following thge service and to Pam Costa and Arlene Thompson for their great photographs, the videographer and recording the service.

I'd like to thank my wonderful church family for the cards, gifts, kind words, love and support you've given me. And a special thank you to those of you who came to witness and participate in my ordination and share my joy. This was truly a family affair and labor of love that I'll carry in my heart forever.

Pastor Lana

2008-12-02T18:42:00.002-05:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

FOR THE WEEK OF Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2008

Happy Birthday
Nov. 30th - Maureen Aughton

Dec. 1st - Mark Block
Helene deNeergaard
Polly Graziano

3rd - Ron Pendrick

4th - David Bilby
Dean Langdon

Happy Anniversary
Philip & Janice Cooke

2008-11-28T07:11:00.013-05:00

Our beloved Pastor Lana will be ordained on November 30th at 3:00 at the North Naples United Methodist Church in the chapel.

Please join us us for this joyous occasion.

Directions to the church.

This is such a happy and important occasion, not only in Pastor Lana's calling but in our calling as a church family. I hope everyone will be there to support Lana as she has been there throughout her time at Celebration for all of us. Pastor Lana, God bless you!

Pastor Gene

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-23T22:07:00.013-05:00

Here is the Thanksgiving poem on food that I shared after todays message. After all the important things said about relationships, this is what people requested that I blog about....sigh.

Anyway, I don't know who the author is, but I pass it along to you...thanks for the large crowd today for our community Thanksgiving service and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I ate too much Turkey,
I ate too much corn,
I ate too much pudding and pie.
I'm stuffed up with muffins and too much stuffin'
I'm probably going to die.
I piled up my plate and I ate and I ate.
But I wish I had known when to stop,
For I'm so crammed with yams, sauces,
gravies, and jams
That my buttons are starting to pop!
I'm full of tomatoes and french fried potatoes.
My stomach is swollen and sore,
But there's still some dessert so I guess it won't hurt
if I eat just a little bit more!

2008-11-23T21:59:00.003-05:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES FOR
THE WEEK OF Nov. 23 - Nov. 29, 2008

Happy Anniversry!
26th - Sherman & Sharon Collins
Ernie & Jeanne Kemnetz
Jim & Amy Webb
29th - Bill & Donna Bull

Happy Birthday!
24th - Jan Grunewald
David Holt
David Jensen
28th – Sherry Jenson

2008-11-15T16:40:00.005-05:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
FOR THE WEEK OF Nov. 16 - Nov. 22, 2008

Happy Anniversry!
17th - Michael & Toni Duron
22nd - Web & Deb Boyd

Happy Birthday!
17th - Mary Hughes
Christine Lonergan
Jim Lyle
Timothy Meister
21st - Shirley Buffa
22nd - Michael Faucett
Pat Perry

Do Pets Go To Heaven?

2008-11-12T17:21:00.009-05:00

The photo to the left is of my good friend Alan and his dog Biscuit. Biscuit has been attending Celebration church with Alan for at least six years. However Biscuit is 17 years old and has cancer and lives in constant pain. So, this week, Alan is having him put to sleep. Any pet owner can sympathize with what Alan is feeling. But, when times like this arise, there is always this question…”Do our pets go to heaven?” If you want the full, lengthy answer with all the scriptures, please order the message from March 2008 called “Do Pets Go To Heaven?” But the short answer is, I believe….YES!

God likes animals….no, God loves animals. We see that all through scripture…

In the Old Testament…Genesis 24 relates how, when Eliezer went to Haran to find a wife for Isaac, he looked for a girl who would show kindness both to humans and to animals. After Rebecca had drawn water for Eliezer and his men she immediately watered their camels. In Proverbs 12:10 we can read "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal"

It’s very interesting that Jesus seemed to be around animals often, and He frequently used animals in His parables. It would appear that Jesus had animals on His mind. Jesus was born in a manger, which is a feeding trough for livestock, and was surrounded by animals. Isn’t it interesting that of all the places that Jesus potentially could have been born, that it was in a stable with the animals? The Bible says that when Jesus returns He will ride a white horse.

Will my dogs be waiting for me there? I firmly believe that God takes care of all his creation including the animals of this world. God included the animals in His covenant with Noah. In fact, each of the seven times He spoke of His covenant with Noah, He also included the animals. And the Apostle Paul wrote this…

Romans 8:19(KJV) … the lesser creatures await Christ's return to redeem the sons of God so they, too, will be released from physical death to eternal life.

GOD wouldn't allow pets to be banned from Heaven. After all, HE created them to be our companions in life, why would he separate us in death?"

Congratulations!

2008-11-08T15:40:00.002-05:00

BIRTHDAYS
FOR THE WEEK OF Nov. 9 - Nov. 15, 2008

9th - Chuck Gagliano
11th - Cindi Barone
Ruby Whalen
12th - Carolyn Jackson
Annie Scott
13th - Phyllis Stillwell
15th - Brian Flannery
Carol Konigson

ANNIVERSARIES
12th - Don & Mary Bauer
Ron & Pat Pendrick

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

2008-11-03T05:12:00.000-05:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
FOR THE WEEK OF Nov. 2—Nov. 8, 2008

Happy Anniversry!
4th – Gene & Pam Costa

Happy Birthday!
7th – Marlys Kopen

Congratulations!

2008-10-30T17:34:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Norvella Adkins, Chad Lipscomb & Jimmy Smith (tall guy) who was baptized in Gulf of Mexico at the celebration @ sunset service Oct. 26th.

Why Celebration Isn’t Political : by Pastor Lana

2008-10-29T11:33:00.000-04:00

Election Day is next Tuesday and I encourage all of you to get out and vote. It’s your duty and obligation as a Christian and as a citizen. And that, folks, is the entire political message you’ll ever hear at Celebration! We do not endorse candidates, nor would we ever allow a candidate to speak from our pulpit. We even refuse to give out “voter guides.”

Jesus only gave us two commands--make disciples and baptize them. If you’ll recall, Jesus’ followers wanted to make Him a political figure but He refused to enter politics and instead told them to pray for their leaders and pay their taxes! Celebration is a place where everyone should be able to come and feel welcome—rich or poor, fat or thin, Democrats or Republicans. Politics is transient—the church is eternal. Our main function as a church is to win souls for Christ and help them find their purpose—that’s it.

This is why we will not be posting political views or allow that type of comment on the blogspot. At Celebration we need to be “one in the Spirit, one in Lord, and they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

2008-10-27T18:36:00.002-04:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
FOR THE WEEK OF Oct. 2 -- Nov. 1, 2008

Happy Birthday to:

29th - Mitzi Cobb
31st - Terri Milbourn
Nov. 1st Ellen Alvarado

Happy Anniversary to:

26th - John & Cindi Barone

2008-10-18T19:42:00.001-04:00

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
FOR THE WEEK OF Oct. 19--25, 2008

Happy Anniversary to:

19th – John & Sandra Estridge
20th – Pastor Gene & Annie Scott
21st – Larry & Marcia Vigus
25th – Kermit & Jean Moore

Happy Birthday to:

22nd – Pastor Gordie Mefford

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled -- John 14:1

2008-10-18T17:05:00.010-04:00

… Your friends lost their house… The co-worker lost her job…The couple next door lost their retirementIt seems that everyone is losing their footing. This scares us. This bailout with billions. These rumblings of depression. These headlines: “Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What's Next?”

What is next? …a hedge fund manager said, This is worse than a divorce, I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife". And now you know why the person who invests all your money is called a broker! There is a lot of fear in America right now.

So, in November, we are planning a special message series to help you out called…let not your Heart be troubled. How to cope with all the fear.

And I would like you to do something for me. Just click the comment box underneath and type in your greatest fear right now. You do not have to give a name. Just check the anonymous box.

Parking Woes

2008-10-15T20:51:00.005-04:00

After a pretty much hurricane free summer (can you say Ike?), we are now getting ready for fall and our winter church family escaping from the chilling north to the balmy breezes of SW Florida. However, with the construction of a new parking garage, the closest parking is over a block away.

The Naples Women's club is wiling to rent us their parking lot for Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. The cost would be $300 a week. So, what do you think? Do we need the extra parking closer to the park? Do we just urge people to walk and park in the parking garage off 5th? ("If your walkin' your livin'). Leave me a comment and let me know if you think it is worth the extra expense.

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

2008-10-11T18:38:00.005-04:00

	14th	Bill Bull Tom Knack
	16th	Don & Joyce Chesser
	18th	Mary Kenary

Communion

2008-10-11T05:46:00.004-04:00

Why Not Communion On Sunday Morning?

Almost every time, when someone asks me what church am I pastor of, there is always a blank stare when I answer "Celebration Beach Church." And then, when I say, "It's the outdoor church." I get pretty much the same response. "Oh....'that church!" We are asked a lot of questions concerning Celebration Church. What do we do when it rains? Is that really the pastor? and this one..."Why don't you serve communion during the Sunday Morning church service?

We do believe in communion. Jesus never asked His disciples to remember His birth. But He did instruct them to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders of His death. These two ordinances are: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is an object lesson that represents a great spiritual truth for believers. Jesus never said when or how often believers should observe The Lord’s Supper. He instituted it on a Thursday night. Since it is a ‘supper’, it may seem more appropriate to observe it at an evening service.

Since our Sunday morning service is designed so you can bring your non-believing friends, (if we served the cup and bread, many of them would just think that we were scrimping on the snacks!) we only take The Lord’s Supper at our "Celebration At Sunset" service at Lowdermilk Beach park. That is when the Celebration family gathers for supper (usually fried chicken) and then Pastor Lana leads us in communion and we conclude that service with baptisms in the warm gulf waters at sunset.

Congratulations!

2008-10-04T18:55:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Nathan and Melissa Greve who dedicated their son, Kody, at our Celebration @ Sunset service last Sunday night.

Congratulations to Lathan Hill and Shenandoah Webb who were baptized in the Gulf of Mexico last Sunday night, at our Celebration @ Sunset service.

Happy Birthday & Anniversary!

2008-10-04T18:54:00.002-04:00

Rainy Days and Sundays

2008-10-03T17:17:00.007-04:00

The #1 most asked question is not "Is that really the pastor?" No. The most asked question is, "What do you do when it rains?" And my answer is "We get wet!" I know, hilarious. Like that great Canadian joke... Hi, did you have a good Summer? - Yes indeed, we had a great picnic that afternoon!!! Or this one...One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small boy into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence was broken at last by a shaken little voice saying, "The big sissy."

Over the years, Celebration has been blessed with wonderful weather that can only be found here in paradise. During those few(very few) Sundays when it does rain, we still have worship. We are able to seat around 150+ underneath the (dry) Cambier park bandshell. But, believe it or not, we have had rainy Sundays where the bandshell was packed and people sat out in the rain under their umbrellas! (I mean, we sit in the rain for ball games all the time...why not church).

We never cancel church! We have had church during tornado warnings, high wind warnings, flash flood warnings, tropical storm warnings, and, of course, hurricane warnings! In fact, one of the best attended worship services was the Sunday before hurricane Wilma hit! Imagine that. The bible reminds us that "The rain falls on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5). So that pretty much covers all of us. See you Sunday...rain or shine!

Happy Birthday and Anniversary

2008-09-27T16:59:00.002-04:00

Events for September and October

2008-09-27T16:39:00.004-04:00

This week's Bible Study on October 1st will meet at the church office @ 7 PM.

View the September/October event listing.

http://ccbcnaples.blogspot.com/2008/06/celebration-events.html

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

2008-09-20T18:45:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday & Anniversary!

2008-09-13T16:56:00.002-04:00

Brookes Legacy

2008-09-12T04:58:00.006-04:00

This Sunday we are proud to have join with us at the morning worship service "Brookes Legacy". This volunteer organization is a 'no kill' pet placement agency here in Naples.

At any given moment they have over 100 pets available(or soon to be) for adoption. And adoption coordinators who are ready to help you find the perfect pet for your household.

If you love pets and what we do, and would like to help them with their mission, please consider, fostering, sponsoring, adopting, volunteering, or donating! Our rescued pets count on it. Have you got room in your home and heart for one of our special furry pets? There's a wagging tail or a purrfect purr and a ton of unconditional love waiting for you! TAKE A LOOK- we know there is one for you!!

For more information about adopting, volunteering,fostering or donating, you can email them at brookeslegacy@gmail.com

Happy Birthday & Anniversary!

2008-09-06T14:54:00.001-04:00

Rock the Universe!

2008-09-06T11:19:00.004-04:00

This morning our youth group left for Universal Studios and "Rock The Universe." They will have the opportunity to hear some of the best Christian music out there today, as well as making new friends from church youth groups from around the world.

Go HERE to see a larger version of this photo.

Additional photos of the trip are located HERE.

P.E.A.C.E. P.L.A.N.

2008-09-03T16:54:00.005-04:00

If you were in church over the Labor Day weekend, it probably wasn't what you were expecting. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback church issued a challenge to all the churches of America to come up with a global peace plan and Celebration has risen to that challenge! When we started Celebration on the beach at Lowdermilk, those 12 people who came for that first service and the hundreds of you that come now every Sunday. We have this naples, lower latitude lifestyle, casual, jimmy buffet meets Jesus, environmentally positive, pet friendly outdoor worship experience as our part of being the Kingdom Of God. The coolest part of the kingdom I think, but that is why we are here. The Celebration P.E.A.C.E. Plan revolves around:

P – Plant a church

E – Equip the leaders

A – Assist the poor

C – Care for the sick

E – Educate the next generation

Do you know that we fully support three school/churches in the villages outside of Cap Haitian in Haiti? You pay the salaries of three full time teachers and the salaries of two pastors. You feed 700 children a day a nutritious meal. You have put roofs and built walls. We are paying the full tuition for a student from this village to become a nurse so that she can go back to her home and start a free clinic. This from a church that meets outdoors. If you want to know more, please contact our church office.

Radio Spots!

2008-09-03T16:19:00.004-04:00

Beginning this Friday, Celebration will be running radio spots on WAV 101.1 They will run (9 each day) every Friday and Saturday during the month of September. So give them a listen and then blog on and give me your opinion.

Can't wait to hear them and to hear from you.

Your Pet Friendly Church!

2008-08-27T17:11:00.002-04:00

This is going to be our newspaper ad on Saturday, 8/30.

Congratulations Mike!

2008-08-26T20:20:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Mike Dotson,
who was baptized last Sunday night
in the Gulf of Mexico at the
Celebration @ Sunset service.

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-23T15:23:00.002-04:00

Notes from Pastor Gene

2008-08-22T05:30:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone,

We have had several calls on how we weathered tropical storm Fay. Except for a few members who lost power, it seems that most of the church family got through it rather well. However, at our house, the storm did blow in a huge visitor from the everglades. This spider is in our front yard so, when you visit, remember your bug spray!

Bad Girl!

2008-08-20T20:42:00.004-04:00

Each Wednesday, we are continuing our bible study on bad girls of the Bible and someone asked me who I thought was the wickedest woman in the Bible. There were several names that came to mind, including Jezebel, Herodias, and Potiphar's wife. But I guess my vote would have to go to Athaliah. Who? (see, you need to spend at least one hour a week studying the bible!)

What did she do? Well, besides being Ahab’s and Jezebel’s daughter…

What she did was to kill all her grandsons, when her son died, so that she could take the throne for herself. 2 Kings 11:1 describes this killing. One of her grandsons escaped, because his aunt Jehosheba hid six-year-old Joash from his grandmother. Eventually, Jehoiada, the High Priest, brought young Joash forward as king, and had the wicked Athaliah killed.

The story is also told in 2 Chronicles 22-23.

Destroying your own grandsons, to further your own ambition, strikes me as about as evil a thing as one can do. I can't imagine any grandmother I know doing that, and it's hard to imagine any grandmother I don't know doing it, either.

I don't know who the wickedest woman in the Bible was, but Athaliah is a candidate, I guess.

And who said Wednesday Bible study is boring?

Meet Our Featured Members!

2008-08-19T21:58:00.007-04:00

JOHN AND ANNE RAKER

How long have you been going to Celebration?

Anne- 9 years
John- 8 years

How did you find Celebration?

Anne- A friend told me about it.
John- My wife led me there

What is your ministry?

Anne- Many areas. Helping Hands and Hospitality.
John- Outreach

What about you would surprise us?

Anne- I once aspired to be a professional ballet dancer.
John- I have a beautiful singing voice. (I think so anyway)

Do you have any pet peeves?

Anne- Folks who do not say what they mean.
John- Undependable people.

What are your hobbies?

Anne- Gardening and environmental concerns.
John- Helping others and keeping the yard.

Favorite type of music?

Anne- Jazz.
John- Old time gospel music.

Favorite food?

Anne- Fried chicken.
John- Anything sweet.

Favorite movie?

Anne- The last one I saw. This time “Mama Mia”.
John- Any John Wayne movie.

Favorite book?

Anne- Any mystery.
John- The Bible.

Favorite Bible verse?

Anne- We love because God loved us first.
John- The first one I ever learned, “Jesus wept”.

What would you like us to know about you?

Anne- Mostly that I want to reflect God's love to all I come in contact with.
John- That I care about you.

Be Prepared!

2008-08-16T19:37:00.014-04:00

Get traffic conditions from the state of Florida on your cell phone.

http://fl511.com/

Sign up for breaking news via your cell phone.
http://www.nbc-2.com/BreakingNews/

Local hurricane information

http://www.colliergov.net/index.aspx?page=101

http://www.abc-7.com/Hurricane/

http://www.winknews.com/weather/hurricane

Additional Information

National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

http://www.hurricanetrack.com/

http://www.hurricanecity.com/

Preparedness

http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/pdfs/hurricane-safety_flyer.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_587_,00.html

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

2008-08-16T17:31:00.001-04:00

2008-08-10T05:52:00.011-04:00

Here is the Japanese Lords Prayer that was a part of this Sunday's message...

A Japanese author wrote his version of Psalm 23

“The Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush. He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness, which restores my serenity. He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind. His guidance is peace. Even though I have a great many things to accomplish today, I will not fret. For His presence is here. His timelessness, His all importance will keep me in balance. He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with His oils of tranquility. My cup of joyous energy overflows. Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever.”

We Want Your Opinion!

2008-08-10T05:48:00.003-04:00

This was our Saturday ad.

Do you agree or disagree?

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

2008-08-09T16:25:00.001-04:00

Mindless Rants

2008-08-08T04:55:00.005-04:00

I received a very good book called “The Blogging Church; Sharing The Story Of Your Church Through Blogs.” The book included contributions from five of the most popular bloggers in the world. And it seems that one of the main reasons for a blog is that you have another avenue to share and for me to share right back with you. In other words, I am supposed to just go with the gut and rant on whatever is on my mind (and yours). So, 12 mindless rants (not hard for me) about Gene Scott of Celebration Community Beach Church.

I consider my self a servant, nothing more or less. What I want people to know about me is that I am willing to pour my life into others. My #1 goal is to show you how to get from here to there.

I am a Florida native (although thank goodness I have no accent). I grew up in the small gulf coastal town of Perry (famous for its pine trees and Stuckey signs)

Except for attending seminary in New Orleans and Atlanta, I have lived my entire life in Florida. I mean, when you are already in Florida, why go any place else! I first came to Naples as a pastor of East Naples United Methodist Church.

When I met Annie I knew that I had found my ideal woman. However, it took a while for Annie to say yes because she was waiting for her ideal man.

Some people will say (my parents) that I became a minister so that I could talk in church and get away with it. But when it came to being called by God, I knew that it was the only thing that I must do in my life. There was no option. This is my S.H.A.P.E. I accepted the call for ministry at a church youth camp one summer. I worked my way as a youth minister through college (Florida A & M and Florida State University) and served as a student pastor while earning my Master of Divinity degree from Emory University. I also have a doctorate in Ministry (but don't tell anyone, I don't want to have to wear long pants!). I was a United Methodist Pastor for a lot of years.

Three great sources for jokes; the Internet, your family, and the bathroom mirror. The sermon ideas come from you. I like to preach what I call ‘Readers Digest' sermons. That is why many of the sermon titles start out with ‘How to… beat worry, handle stress, etc.' The world does its best to beat you down each week. My goal is to fill you up so that you can make it through a few more days. That is why you will never hear a negative or judgmental message at Celebration church.

I have three great sons who are also 3 great guys. Chad, Brian, and Curt. I also have two dogs..Sheemee the Princess & Shakh the mutt.

I have been known to play golf once a year and enjoy saltwater fishing. My motto is, “If you will invite me to do it with you and pay for it,” that's my hobby.

My mother taught me to love the Bible. My father taught me to love the church. Pastor Felix Parker taught me to love the ministry and Pastor Lareby Alligood taught me to love people. Annie (my wife) has taught me to love myself. There is not a day that goes by that someone does not influence me in some positive way.

Other than marriage and the birth of my children, one of my great life changes was a seminar (remember I am always preaching against trying to change your life through a seminar). I drove to Atlanta Georgia to hear Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church. And there, for the first time, I think I truly understood what the purpose of the church was really for. I went back home, threw out every sermon I had ever preached, and began to learn the ministry once more from the ground up. Celebration Church is a result of that Purpose Driven seminar so many years ago.

By far, my greatest satisfaction as Pastor is to bring new people into the Kingdom of God through Salvation. I will talk 24-7 about Salvation anytime, anywhere. My next greatest satisfaction is helping people journey from ‘never be' to ‘could be' to should be' and finally ‘must be.'

Where I would like to see our church 5 years from now, does not involve a number. In 5 years I would like to see every member of Celebration Community Church serving as a minister…fulfilling the S.H.A.P.E. that God has given them and, in doing so, discovering real happiness, purpose, and significance in their life!

Join Us for Fellowship!

2008-08-07T21:11:00.002-04:00

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

2008-08-03T11:18:00.003-04:00

So, after listening to today's message, you want to find out if you are smarter than a 5th grader? here are two different websites that offer tests that will grade you. Good luck (you will need it!).
Here they are..

http://www.gotoquiz.com/are_you_smarter_than_a_fifth_grader

or

Click here for 2nd Quiz

Congratulations Pat!

2008-08-02T14:36:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Pat Titmas who was baptized in the Gulf of Mexico at the Celebration @ Sunset service last Sunday night!

Happy Birthday & Anniversary!

2008-08-02T14:31:00.004-04:00

Notes from Pastor Gene

2008-07-31T15:55:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

Several of you have asked if I had survived all the tests that they are running on me and so far so good. But I have learned that there is always ONE MORE TEST! "The feel good movie of the summer..'The Never ending Tests' starring Gene 'all you can eat buffett' Scott." The tests have found a blockage between my gall bladder and my pancreas. I never even knew that those two were connected. So, the bottom line looks like removing my gall bladder which they now can do at any 7-11.

Pastor Gene

Happy Birthday!

2008-07-27T16:17:00.004-04:00

Notes from Pastor Gene - July 20

2008-07-21T04:45:00.008-04:00

I am writing this after a really tough weekend. In one night I developed pancreaticis, diviticulotis, and passed a kidney stone. So, just lying on my back, I had this idea. Why not place an ad in the paper with a convertible on the beach with the top down with the tag...welcome to a church that is topless! Of course Annie said no and this just shows what drugs can do to an already messed up mind.

Thanks to Pastor Lana and the entire Celebration team for another great service. I am sorry I wasn't there. So just keep me in your prayers and I will give out a progress report next week. Also, I hope that we can have a blog post soon from our Haiti mission trip.

Pastor Gene

Notes from Pastor Gene - July 14

2008-07-14T15:40:00.013-04:00

Hello happy bloggers,

Another great summer service! We did not get a crowd count this Sunday (400+?) but some great connection card comments...

And as Pastor Lana put it.. "wasn't it wonderful that the rain held off until everything was picked up, packed up and gone?!"

By the way, I am writing this today (Monday) from my office away from the office in Central Florida. Check out the photo. One of the great things about starting a church is that you get to try things in a different way. Since the beginning of Celebration, I have wanted there to be an emphasis on the preaching and teaching. So, around four times a year, I just pack up and spend a few days doing just that. What am I working on this week? Well, a new message series I am calling "The only thing constant is change." Change is now the new buzz word but it is more than that. Just check out this weeks Time magazine with South Florida on the cover. Not quite sure the topics yet, but we need help in figuring out our place in the changes happening to all of us and all around us.

Also, I am pulling out a 2002 bible study on Bad Girls Of The Bible. Adding slightly bad girls, really bad girls and bad boys also to the mix so should turn out to be fun on Wednesdays.

OK...my question for the week...
the connection cards show that the majority of first time church guests last week found Celebration by just "stopping by" and "Checking it out".

Should we take money spent on newspaper advertising and use it for banners and other high profile signs letting people know that this is a service in the park? Both? None? Other ideas? Let us know what you think on...the blogspot!!!!!

Pastor Gene