...to everyday life

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the Easter service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Our worship leader search is completed! See the previous posting on this blog.

#3 – We tried something new last weekend. Jake Eyler, our Care Ministry Director, preached the message at the Saturday service and Tim preached on Sunday. Both messages were on the same passage and in our Mission of God series. Jake is student at Bethel Seminary and previously served in a church about the size of Five Oaks in Manhattan Kansas, so he has a little more preaching experience than your average seminarian. The plan is to have Jake preach his next message a few months from now in one of the Sunday services. This gives all of us a stake in his development as a pastor and preacher.

#4 – Tim’s sermon on Sunday was powerful. If you missed it, you can listen to it or watch it here.

#5 – Hey Saturday nighters, we'll be offering free snacks and coffee before and after the Saturday service during the summer. Food, Fun and Fellowship! If you would like some information on how you can help with this ministry during the summer, email me. And don't forget: service time changes to 6:00pm starting June 1.

#6 – Here’s comment from the cards we send to first-time guests:

4/9  Great experience thus far.  One suggestion would be to have Pastor Henry greet folks as they’re leaving the sanctuary each Sunday.

#7 – Here’s a ministry opportunity for an individual, family or small group. This is from Pastor Larry Willman of Payne Avenue Free Church, an urban church in St. Paul. Please prayerfully consider this request. If you can help or you want more information, let me know.

I have an opportunity for some mature believers to use their gifts in a city neighborhood setting this summer.

For a number of reasons, we’re looking for some temporary help in worship leading, adult Sunday School teaching, & summer Wed night Bible Study leading (for a Men’s Group & a Women’s Group). 

Would you pray about it & see if God has anyone come to your mind that is mature & has some good things to teach/share in those above areas and who would be open to a “cross-cultural” experience where they could serve this summer.

We are open to creative options as well.

#8 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

Saturday Comments:

• Thanks for the worship. Terrific message, testifying to what’s real. Great closing set folks. Thanks.  [I agree. Jake did a great job.]
• Nice to see/hear Daniel back on stage. Great job Jake! Loved the “closet” illustration. Illustrations, such as dramas, help cement the sermon in the mind. BRING BACK DRAMA’S.
• I love child dedications. Dan the Piano-man! We want more piano! [He chose to do all piano on Sunday. Maybe he read your comment.]

Sunday Comments:

• Thanks Tim for sharing your vulnerable heart. Your story will bring hope to many. [Absolutely. You could have heard a pin drop.]
• Thanks for your courage to share your story, Tim! 
• Thank you for the testimony. Wow!
• Thank you for sharing, Tim. This was a powerful message. God is speaking to me. 
• It seems like we’re in a time of double standards with tolerance. We are expected to tolerate the lifestyles of others, but it’s not tolerated to share our belief. It’s frightening to know what to do. 
• Tim, thank you for making yourself vulnerable to model for all of us about taking the real personal stuff we deal with and allowing God to work in spite of us. I appreciate it. God works thru humbleness. Thanks. 
• Tim, thanks for being REAL! 
• Thank you Tim. 
• Thank you, Tim, for trusting God as you witnessed and shared with the church God’s powerful grace in your life.
• Thank you for sharing Tim. God is sooo good! He has prepared you to reach so many lives for Him! 
• Tim, thank you for sharing and opening yourself to us. God is using you to impact lives and draw people to him. God bless you and your family. Great job worship team! Sounded great. 
• Tim, thank you so much for sharing such a personal struggle. May God use it in mighty ways. You are a wonderful witness!
• Thanks for sharing your personal experiences Tim! It can be hard, but can also help others. 

#9 – We have a great video faith story for this weekend’s message. You won’t want to miss it.  

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Our staff leadership team just came back from three days of planning for our next ministry year beginning in September. My favorite things from our retreat:

• An extended time of prayer thanking God for what he has done over the last three years as we’ve been working on what we call the Transformation Agenda.
• Just being together. I think we all enjoy each other’s company a lot.
• Playing Catan every evening and making fun of the non-Cataners as they played cards without keeping score. Playing cards is great, but not keeping score?
• Getting Jerry to play his first game of Catan and watching him win big and get hooked.Beginners luck, Jerry.
• Having some vigorous, passionate discussions and knowing we’re still friends.

#2 – I’m so thankful for MN Adult and Teen Challenge.Transformed lives!

#3 – Seemed like about half of the folks at Teen Challenge need mentors, judging by the hands I saw go up on Saturday evening. Here’s information about mentoring.

#4 – Here’s the powerful story of Five Oakers Dan and Heather Hanson from Fox 9. Don't miss this! And pass it on to others. (If you get this via email, you may need to go to my blog site to see the video. Click on the title above.)

KMSP-TV

#5 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

• Thank you for today’s service. Our son is a graduate of Teen Challenge and is doing great. It’s a wonderful faith based program, the only one that worked.
• Wow. Can’t tell you how much it means to me to be here, witnessing Teen Challenge. God saved me from my addictions. This hit so close to home. Thank you.
• Thank you for having MN Adult and Teen Challenge here today. So powerful. I never grow tired of hearing God’s story of redemption in the lives of others.
• God Bless MN Adult & Teen Challenge. 
• Thank you for this impactful day! May God bless MNTC!  
• Does Teen Challenge use drama as therapy or for performances? Curious. [I don’t know. Check it out online.]
• Thank you, MN Adult & Teen Challenge. 
• Inspiring stories – God has custom made their missions to impact others. 
• Awesome – real moving! 
• Thank you to the men of Teen Challenge for being so free to share the love of the Lord to us today. (We are free at last) because of Christ.  [This is from a Saturday night attendee. I think it was all men or, at least, all men who shared.]
• Thank you to all the people who came today – it takes great courage to stand up in front of a group of people and showcase your sins and shortcomings! This is such a great example of how powerful God’s love and strength is. When we come before him and accept his grace, we can withstand anything this world places in our path!
• Great event! Thanks for reminding us how challenging life can be – and that all things are possible with Christ! 
• Very moving hearing the testimonies from the people from Adult and Teen Challenge. Jesus can and will help us to overcome! Amen! 
• Thank you for bringing MNTC! Awesome. 
• Wow! Thank you Henry for this – it was amazing! 
• Darn you guys, no Kleenex…thanks for the special heartwarming service.

#6 – This week’s message takes an interesting approach on what it means to share your faith with others, as we continue our Mission of God series. All I can say is it has something to do with a wardrobe.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the Easter service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – From everything I’m hearing, the Sunday morning parenting workshop was a big success. 274 parents and children attended.

Here are some of the “aha moments” listed on the evaluation forms:

• I'm an intense mom raising an intense child!!!!
• Control is not developing Godly behavior
• Seeing how my children saw themselves in God's eyes
• There are ways to discipline without controlling
• Conflict=my sin running into someone else's sin
• How do you calm yourself down.  James 1:19,20
• Not focus on compliance but development
• The “You Are Commandments”
• Making me aware of the message I send my kids, my own selfish or maybe time/agenda gets in the way
• Distinguishing behaviors and beliefs so that we can put the thumbprint of God in their lives

#3 – This coming weekend is all about personal stories of lives changed by God as MN Adult & Teen Challenge comes to Five for all three services. Who can you invite to this event? Remember, think of families who are struggling with drugs, alcohol or other addictions.

#4 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

• Love Jeremy! Very spirit filled worship today. [I agree. Thank you Jeremy for guest leading again this past weekend. You’re a joy up front and behind the scenes. And great job to the band and vocalists. You led us well.]
• Enjoyed praise and worship – thanks. A sermon that spoke directly to us – Kansas misses you, Henry! [Great having our friends from Kansas visiting. Threw me off part way into the message when I saw them.]
• Love the series, Henry! Thanks! 
• What a great worship set. Really felt lead in song and word – thanks. Loved the message and worship.
• Henry, thank you so much for your message and for helping me to see God’s will for my life so clearly. 
• Loved the worship.
• Great worship.
• Henry – great presentation of the character of God! Touching message.
• For what it’s worth, the worship leader this weekend was awesome. We hope to see him again!
• Really like the young man doing the music.
• Jeremy! Can we hire him? He is awesome….
• Awesome job today bandleader! 
• Pastor Henry – while in NYC last week, I was able to make it to the WTC Memorial and am happy to report that the “Survivor Tree” is alive and well. [Very cool!!!]
• Fantastic worship music today! 
• Hire this guy.
• The guest worship leader is great.
• I am continually impressed – when someone brings it like Jeremy brought it, how do people stand still? 
• Loved the worship set. 
• Another awesome message and sermon. I get so much of what I need spiritually, from our church every week. For direction, and guidance, to face my life of sobriety and overcoming my addictions. God’s grace is so wonderful, and it all starts here – for me – every week.
• Can we please have him as our worship leader? 
• Really enjoyed music this week!
• I like the worship leader! 
• Awesome praise leader today – Jeremy! 

#5 – Our Staff Leadership Team is off to our annual planning retreat Sunday afternoon through Wednesday. Pray for wisdom and discernment for us.

#6 - Here’s the sermon in 10 Tweets, “Fashion Statement,” Jeremiah 13:1-11, Week 4 of Mission of God series:

1. God wants to make a fashion statement and you are big part of that statement.
2. According to Jeremiah 13, "God wants to wear his people" (Chris Wright)
3. God's people will help turn the world to him when they admire what God has done for them and in them.
4. God wants to wear his people & for the nations to notice and say, "You look great!"
5. Are you making God look good?
6. You make God look good when you live like he calls you & designed you to live.
7. You won't be perfect but do people look at you & think, "There's someone whose faith makes a difference in how he lives."
8. You make God look good by doing good. “…let ur light shine before others so see ur good works and give glory…” (Jesus)
9. Christians response to 2^nd & 3^rd century plagues major catalyst for growth of Christianity. Made God look good by doing good.
10. Tripp: "This weekend u took a step into darkness… I'm pleading with u, live in the light." Son: "I want to. It's so hard. Will u help me?

I’m thankful for all of you and pray for you. Hope to see you on the weekend.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the Easter service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Big weekend coming on Saturday and Sunday. Parents of K-6^th graders RSVP here for the family workshop in the Community Life Center. Go to first or second hour and worship as a family for the other hour. We've planned a couple of kid friendly stations and other family friendly elements for all the services. Saturday nighters, this is worth coming back for, but please come to Saturday night. We need you there.

#3 – Another big weekend coming next week. Incredibly powerful stories of deep transformation as MN Adult & Teen Challenge comes to Five Oaks on May 4/5 for all three services. This will be powerful, and you really need to pray right now about who to bring to this event. Think families who are struggling with drugs, alcohol or other addictions.

#4 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

• Agents of redemption – thank you for such a personal, specific message! A big piece of my life’s puzzle was put in place today – you are a gift!
• Thank you Pastor Henry for revealing to us and reminding me of my roll in “redeeming” other people! Thank you for helping me want to be bold despite the rejection that I might/(will) receive from this world. It is worth it! 
• Great message Henry! Inspiring! Nice closing set. 
• First songs timing hard for group singing/worship. Rescued, Ransomed, Restored by the grace of God. Praise God! Thank you Henry for the message! [Yeah, we moved it to the prelude on Sunday.]
• Come Thou Fount – odd rhythm – kind of hard to sing with the counter melody. Next two David Crowder songs – great! Ending music was wonderful. 
• Keyboard sounded funny first song (synthesizer?). Come Thou Fount – strange rhythm if people were to participate.
• Please sing the standard version when singing old hymns so we can sing along! First song – really a bummer! Where are we at with search for praise leader? 
• Not sure if I just missed it, but I couldn’t find the verses for today’s message on the worship guide. [I didn’t make the deadline. I do recommend you pick up an outline each week.]

#5 - Here’s the sermon in 10 Tweets, “Signposts of Redemption,” Exodus 6:2-9; Romans 10:13-15:

1. Survivor Tree Video as a metaphor of redemption.
2. If you are redeemed, you are a signpost of redemption.
3. God has rescued you. The primary symbol of redemption for the rest of the Bible is this Exodus story of God’s rescue.
4. When the New Testament speaks of redemption, it has the completion of the Exodus story In mind.
5. We've been rescued from darkness (Col 1:13-14, awful things we've done (Titus 2:14) & from emptiness (1 Pet 1:18).
6. God has ransomed you. What did it cost God to rescue Israel from bondage? Nothing…until his Son becomes the Lamb who takes away our sin.
7. God uses redeemed people to redeem people. Invest in people far from God. It will cost you.
8. When Jesus spoke of redeeming lost people, his own already-redeemed people scoffed and rejected him.
9. When the Survivor Tree was planted, believe it or not, some people complained that it didn’t fit.
10. “I could crawl into this little pen & die right here. If you could say you worked for 9 years for something special, that's it.”

Looking forward to the weekend (and better weather)!

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the weekend service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – On Sunday, April 28, we’re doing something very different and very special. There will be no Sunday school on Sunday morning for K - 6th grade. Instead, parents are invited to join the kids for a parenting and family workshop in the Community Life Center. And K - 6th graders are invited to join their families in the worship center. Choose either hour for the workshop (two identical back-to-back sessions are offered) and attend the service the other hour. We’re keeping all those kids in mind as we plan our worship for that week. This is one of the ways we partner with parents in the discipleship of their kids.

#3 – Don’t forget the detour this weekend. You can’t get to us from the north on Radio Drive. You have to come up from the south. I already know it will take me a few days to remember, and I go to the building daily! Good luck to you on remembering.

#4 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

• Thank you for sending the book on Christian spirituality. I’m reading it through the second time.
• Awesome! 
• Can you give us an update on the search for the new worship leader? [The search team is still plugging away at it and interviewing two individuals this week.]
• Tim, fantastic sermon, so practical! Thank you for the encouragement to continue in the “trenches” for God. I am blessed as God uses me as His nation! 
• Loved to see a women lead in prayer! 
• I feel so blessed to worship with Five Oaks today after nearly a year away. God is clearly at work here. The church just continues to flourish and honor God and bless this community. 
• Ken, nice job with announcements! Good job on “Glory to God”. Tim an excellent message. I really like it when week to week we reinforce the theme for the series. God does not custom make his mission for us, we are custom made for God’s mission. That gal soloist can really sing! 
• Appreciate the singableness of most of worship today. 
• Tim, feel free to lead us in a Sunday School song. The truths from a young age are so relevant! There is power in voices raised.
• Thanks Tim for preaching important truths – about Prosperity gospel message and that the U.S. is not God’s chosen nation – but God’s people, Christians, are. 
• Love worshiping with Oh God song. Great job band. 
• Great singing ladies! 
• Awesome job Libby! Loved hearing your passion and leadership! 
• Thank you for the Bible and the book “Purpose Driven Life”. 
• What a gift the two female singers are today! 
• Great service Tim! Henry I am loving this series! 
• Beautiful song Kara! 
• Is there an update on our worship leader search? 
• Loved that we got to “meet” one of our elders on stage. Great job Libby and all worship team. Amazing teaching Tim! Thank you! 

#5 – $7,127 raised through the auction! Amazing! Thank you to all the businesses and individuals who donated items. Thanks to all the Five Oakers who bid high and often. This money helps send our youth to one of the most transformational experiences you can imagine—the Challenge conference with over 5000 other youth from around the nation. We’re not the largest church represented by far, but we usually have one of the largest of groups represented because this auction makes it affordable. Thank you and God bless you all. And by the way, the Cuban meal went for the highest bid ever thanks to two very determined people. This food better be really good!   

#6 – Here’s the comment we received back from the cards we send first-time guests:

4/3 - I truly felt welcomed – it is a very kind and warm atmosphere.  I will be coming back!  I have attended my church for 20 years and never felt the sense of community that I did at Five Oaks.  Thank you. [Wow! Way to go Five Oaks!!! That doesn’t happen by accident.]

3/10 - Appreciated intentionality of worship service to pull each listener into intimacy with our GOD, with its 4 ‘phases’ and stations.  Loved.  Refreshed by worship music, felt refreshed by Pastor Henry’s Bible teaching.  Kept engaged whole time by his content and style.  Very pleasantly greeted MULTIPLE times.  Really enjoyed the service.  Fruitcake Alert: Only thing that I really detest, hate, don’t like, dread is the Greet Your Neighbor part.  No matter that we’re given an ‘opener’, Greet Your Neighbor is awkward.  Especially for kids (and I really want my 13 year old to not feel awkward), it’s awkward for my sister to the extent she wouldn’t attend with us til A) it was over or B)it was a wedding or funeral.  I’m ridiculously distracted by dislike of it; I’m ridiculously tempted to choose seating accordingly.  Seemingly unnecessarily since we are well-welcomed and couldn’t be invisible.  Yea for the lovely greeters!  Of course I can make myself buck up, reach out, jump through the hoop of Greet Your Neighbor, and my kids will do the same.  But it is a discipline and downside that seems unnecessary given the profuse and warm greetings upon arrival – no one could feel invisible or left out.  It’s EASY to feel left out in a Greet Your Neighbor, wondering if you’re the only stranger.  I’ve come across the No Toucher (awkward) the I-just-blew-my-nose-now-I’m-shaking-your-hand, There’s awkward waiting and fake smiling if no one’s available.  I feel pressure to not neglect anyone, especially kids.  Not to mention the days I came as a sheer act of will, and now I have to paste on fake friendly.  Eek.  I will do the right thing and quit being me, me, me and reach out to my neighbor.  But if that neighbor is anything like me they’d wish there was one more worship song in its place.  Hope there is something constructive here amidst my personal fruitcakeyness. [I love the way you put this and I feel your pain. Okay, I don’t actually feel your pain because for me, something like a greeting time is easy. But I know of others that feel like you do and the anxiety you suffer over this is real. The reality is that our greeting time is the reason why so many people greeted you outside of the greeting time. We know this because we’ve experimented with no greeting time and the comments from guests take a very dark turn. I think it's because we’re only human and turn inward without the constant, real, tangible reminder not to. That’s what greeting does. If we could find another way of creating this atmosphere we would drop the greeting time and end the misery for a few of you who hate it and experience a lot of anxiety over it. And, yes, we know some of our guests hate to be noticed. But we live in a day where the majority of people looking for God or a church home want connection. The old philosophy of letting guests be totally anonymous is being dropped to reach the new seeker. So we are choosing to err on this side of the equation. I truly thank you for sharing this, it makes me think and re-think what we’re doing, and maybe we’ll have a breakthrough some day on how be a welcoming community without a formal greeting time. If you know of a church that has succeeded at that, let me know.]

# 7 – Check out the online version of a recent Pioneer Press article on our own Melissa Borner, ‘Cottage Grove breast cancer survivor brings humor to blog, humaneness to work.'

#8 – I’ve got some great memories of the Father/Son retreats my boys and I attended. They do too. In our first year they were recognizing fathers and sons who had the longest track records of attending and my oldest turned to me and said, “Dad, lets do this every year and be one of the longest.” Well, we did it several years until high school wrestling made it impossible. Our Journey Men’s ministry is participating in a Father/Son retreat on the weekend of May 3-5, so check it out here.

Lois and I were in Minnetonka over last weekend and attended a wonderful church in Hopkins. But we missed you. And we love you and are looking forward to worshipping with you this weekend.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the Easter service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Some of you noticed the signs last weekend about Radio Drive closing soon. We’ll be sending out information about that very soon. We knew work was coming and that the plan was to only close the road when a new tunnel was built and Hargis Parkway would serve as a detour. The plans changed on both fronts and no one informed us. They admit it was an oversight and have agreed to put up a sign or two south of us informing traffic that the road is open up to the church. It’s very disappointing and troublesome for us that the road coming from the north is going to be closed for 8 weeks, but the city’s reasoning is sound. We will have to make due. The detour is Woodlane to Military to Radio. We will post maps on our website and inform people on our phone message.

#3 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

• Thanks Dan and folks for a really nice worship set. Loved talk about Jesus being at the center of our lives. Henry this series in Luke has been fantastic and transformative for my family. Thanks for the great message prayer card idea. Thanks also for challenging and exciting us about this next series. Great closing song!
• Savior King – powerful truth in the lyrics.
• Great opening set! We love you Dan. Great response set! Concert quality! 
• Music good. Solo great. Last song. Started a little rough rhythm, hard to follow at first. 
• My Savior King – beautiful. Thanks for great leadership of worship, Dan! So moving! Loved it!
• I miss Justin. 
• Liked last song. Okay Henry, will do! 
• Great message Henry! Thank you! 
• Just wanted to thank you for the Men’s Ministry. It is a wonderful ministry!
• Henry, thank you for the way you bring the scriptures alive in my life!
• What are we doing when the road is closed! That message was so great!
• With the blocking off of Radio Dr. will there be an alternate route to get to Five Oaks? [See #2 above.]
• You missed an important part of our mission – vs. 24:49. We are indeed with power from the Holy Spirit. [You must have been writing this note while I was talking about it. Ha, ha. Actually, I only called attention to it but did not expound.]
• As a visitor, I was sad there were no musical notes to read as we sang, so I didn’t sing. No hymnals?!
• I had a light bulb moment today… realizing that I’ve always known I’m custom-made and not cookie-cutter made! It will help me go forth better today!
• What a wonderful custom-designed personal message and challenge. In search of a mission. A great small group study topic, too – which is coming! 

#4 – In case you weren’t here when we played this in the service, this is a video that will be featured in our new website and you can use to introduce people to Five Oaks.

#5 – It’s the last weekend for the silent auction! Some great stuff there and a great cause. Don’t miss it.

#6 – Sign-ups for small groups continue this weekend.

#7 – Loving our new Story of God group. Great discussion last night. I keep learning something new each time I do this. And it was so great to hear from some of the folks what had motivated them to do it. One person shared that I had said SOG is a great thing to do if you’re searching for hope and she’s needing some hope right now. God’s story, a better understanding of his character and a better understanding of his Word brings joy. No doubt about it!

#8 - Here’s the sermon in 10 Tweets, week one of “The Mission of God” series, “It’s all Part of the Plan” (Luke 24:13-52):

1. God doesn't custom-make a mission for you like you do for your kids when they're bored. He does something infinitely better.
2. 2 disciples headed out of Jerusalem on the day he was to rise in Jerusalem. Even after hearing he's alive! They're walking away from hope
3. Jesus gives them room to talk. We’re surrounded by people walking away from hope. Walk with them. Give them room to talk.
4. Jesus shows them from the Bible that the whole Bible points to him, his death and his resurrection.
5. He reveals to the disciples through the Word & breaking of bread.
6. There's no better way to introduce people to Christ than getting them into the story of God in his Word.
7. Chester: Their eyes are opened around the table because the Scriptures were opened to them on the road.
8. Jesus adds one more element in the upper room. The whole Bible is not just about  him; it's also about the continuing mission through us.
9. The apostles never repeat the Great Commission from Jesus but they continually recall the Great Commission from the OT.
10. Your mission isn’t custom-made for you; you are custom-made for God’s mission.

#9 – Here’s the comment we received back from the cards we send first-time guests:

3/31 - Easter – it was a very nice service.  Enjoyed meeting all of you.  Thank you.

See you all on the weekend!

God bless you, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the Easter service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – What a great weekend of worship and the proclamation of the gospel story through our Good Friday and Easter services! It was all an incredible spiritual meal for my soul.

#3 – Here are your comments/questions from the Communication Cards:

• Thanks for the reminder, despair and worry need not and should not consume me – I have hope! 
• Wonderful message of hope, Henry!
• Loved Sarah’s faith story.
• Thanks for a beautiful service! 
• Really like the new program!
• Good service, thanks Pastor Henry. Happy Easter! 
• Who am I to think my sins are any worse, I am forgiven!
• Henry, I appreciate the personal antidotes especially the story of Russ and Lynn [from last week]– wow!
• I really needed to hear that my failures don’t determine my destiny. I like Dan’s Mr. Roger's sweater too!
• Great music – How Great Thou Art – wonderful worship. Moving and motivating – faith story. praise God for His goodness, forgiveness, salvation, power and love. 
• Powerful music! Beautiful.
• Sarah, you are a beautiful woman. A beautiful Godly woman. Pastor Henry, thank you for this message. 
• Great choices on worship sets! Thanks for energy and joy in song. Henry, eight words led to difficult destiny – I love it! Thanks God. 
• New program format is great, really like seeing the songs we are going to sing. The map of worship stations is good addition.
• Thanks for the terrific, beautiful opening. Thanks Jesus!
• Great message, Henry. Thank you so much for sharing God’s great news for us with us! Powerful testimony from Sarah Bower – thank you. 
• Happy Easter!
• He is Risen, Indeed! 
• Alleluia! 
• Thank you for the nice service! 
• Pastor, I understood intent of analogy of Pope and beggar, but am not sure if some may have misunderstood it thinking you may be ascribing credit to Pope’s authority, otherwise I can only thank God for all your preaching and teaching. God bless. [Just need to say that I didn’t tell that story in every service because of time issues, in case some of you are wondering.]
• Great service – loved the songs, message and faith story.
• Willing to give it ALL for Him.
• Great time of worship.  Thanks for sharing the faith story!
• Wonderful service.  Thank you.
• Great service! 
• Great service – music and message were perfect.
• Beautiful service Henry – BUT still appreciate the ‘Dark’ service 6 years ago that kept us here.  Worship team was fabulous – I had chills! 
• Really needed the message today.  Thank you Pastor Henry!  Sara’s message was so touching and a great reminder/example that there is ALWAYS hope!
• Thanks for the great service!
• Thank you Henry, and nice Dan L.  Loved story of beggar and Pope.  Sara B’s story, too – choked me up, reminded me to never lose hope.  Have missed church w/all of you! 

#4 – Here’s the Easter Faith Story video. 

#5 – About 17 adults and children indicated a first-time decision to receive Christ and almost as many adults indicated a desire to learn more about beginning a relationship with Christ!   

#6 – Lois and I launched another Story of God small group last night with an orientation and fellowship time. I always look forward to the insights the group members bring from their reading. We discuss our first week of readings next week.

#7 - Here’s the Easter sermon in 10 Tweets, “Risen” (Luke 24:1-12):

1. We deny death’s inevitability; God denies death its power.
2. They came thinking death had defeated but learned that he had defeated death.
3. You can cheat death once or twice, but eventually death catches on and beats you.
4. “…then all who belong to Christ will be raised…” (1 Corinthians 15:23)
5. Our hope trumps our troubles.
6. Neuhaus: The times may be bad, but they are the only times we are given. Remember, hope is still a virtue, & despair is still a sin.
7. Our hope trumps our troubles because it’s based on God’s Word.
8. Your failures don’t determine your destiny. This truth is captured in 8 simple words: But Peter rose and ran to the tomb... 
9. Apart from the resurrection, what do you think would have determined Peter’s destiny.
10. If you're life feels stuck, meaningless, the product of your mistakes, be/ of the resurrection, your failures don't determine ur destiny.

#8 – I feel very sad that we’re wrapping up Luke this weekend. In some ways, though, this next series, “The Mission of God,” is a commentary on Luke 24:47 and we're launching the series this weekend by focusing on last passage in Luke. I’ll explain how so this week. It’s an incredible but often overlooked verse that will send us on a search of God’s mission from the entire Bible and of our role in that mission.  

#9 – Here’s the comment we received back from the cards we send first-time guests:

3/24 We loved the sermon and will come back for Easter. We are new in town from IL.  My church from there (Willow Creek Community Church) emailed me a list of churches and yours was one of them.

See you all on the weekend!

God bless you, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

• Loved the worship leader this week!
• Great worship – thanks! Thanks for sharing the story about your sister-in-law and Russ! Thanks be to God!
• Love the new worship program. Love the worship time. Awesome and powerful message Henry. 
• Love the bulletin format. User friendly for guests. [Thank you for your concern about guests! In fact, the feedback we received from member is to continue to explain the movements every week and use this only as a supplement for the sake of our guests. I love that. And that’s our plan. Also, we think there is value in driving home the movements to our regulars and mapping it on paper for reflection every week.]
• Enjoyed the teaching today. Music was good too! 
• Henry – thanks for sharing story of Russ. Thank God for people and our God who never gives up! 
• Awesome worship program revamp. Worship leader sounded great today. [Now we only have to train ourselves to use the new name: Worship Guide. I know I’m going to slip a million times.]
• Really enjoyed the energy and singing of today’s new worshiper. 
• Enjoyed worship leader’s voice. Great talent. Reached deep into my heart.
• Love the new worship program! I think it will help visitors.
• Music – great! I love the authentic passion! 
• Awesome, moving message today Henry. Thank you for blessing us!
• I’d like to hear a sermon addressing people who doubt that the Bible is true – vs. a lot of stories by humans (who aren’t God) and with a salvation message. Give warning if you do so, I can invite my friends. [You can get one in the archives on the Media link at our website. Go to 5/1/11, “What if…the Bible is Trustworthy.” Another suggestion is that you bring one of those friends to The Story of God small group. If they’re searching, it will appeal to them. In SOG we deal with the trustworthiness of the Bible and the strongest evidence is that it tells this one story from start to finish and the way it tells it. Other than that, I’ll try to remember to give a heads up when a message like that is coming up.]
• Thank you, Henry, for the story of Russ and Lynn! Such a true example of Lynn’s undying belief in the power of prayer, and one man’s humble surrender to the gift of grace.
• FYI – Pastor Henry, I love you to pieces. I work with lots of funny sounding syndromes, and to mention a funny one is funny, but to keep going kind of takes it too far and set an example for bullying to occur with kiddos. Just a thought to consider for future. I missed you while you were gone! I hope you and Lois came back refreshed. Love the new bulletin! Kind of miss (2^nd year in a row for me) Palm Sunday not focusing on the triumphal entry and preparation for Easter. We at least briefly mentioned it this year more than last year. [GREAT feedback on what I said about that syndrome. I agree. Thank you. And who can’t listen to correction that begins with “I love you to pieces”?!!!]
• I never before realized how important Barabbas and the other two criminals that were crucified with Jesus are to the Story of God. All three of those people represent me and what I deserve. Thank you for today’s message!
• Loved worship. Thank you.
• Awesome message. Awesome worship!
• Great worship – awesome energy! Great message. 
• Excellent worship leader – great energy! Very passionate. 
• Good sermon; thanks for sharing story about brother-in-law.
• Great singing worship time.
• Moved by our worship today. 
• Love the explanation pamphlet! Maps it all out – great for newbie’s. 
• Soon to be member, yeah! 
• Worship leader was awesome! Loved his prayer, could hear his heart. Love the fact he is a “little rough around the edge and comfortable in who he is in God. Great voice.
• Please hire Ryan! He’s great – lots of energy and feeling!
• Wow! Amazing teaching today, both intellectually and from you heart! Thank you. 
• I like the program layout. Also, can the worship leader ask people to stand as they are able? 
• Love the worship guide. Fantastic! Room was made for God’s simple truth. I can’t, he can. I think I will let Him. He is God, I’m not. Humility.
• Book title correction:  “Stories of Lost Israel in Folklore” by Rev. James B. Haggart (explains Brothers Grim stories). “Sea to Shining Sea” – Peter Marshells and David Manuel (Revival in USA).
• The screen is more frustrating then it is worth when there is such fast changes, you can’t write. You need to have the person in the booth write what is up there before they change the frame vs. pictures. [Email me. I need to know if you’re using the outlines or trying to write down the quotes that are in the outlines before we make any changes.]
• I’m concerned that the wording for the prayer station may be misunderstood – “trained ministers”, otherwise great worship folder! [Duly noted and changed.]

#3 – Congratulations to Five Oaker Brad Frost, head coach of the Gopher women’s hockey national championship team! What an amazing season.

#4 – We wrapped up our Story of God group on Sunday evening. Great and amazing group! We did a Bible content quiz at the first and last sessions. Quiz 1: Two-thirds of the folks got 3 or less questions right on a ten-question quiz. Quiz 2 (different but equivalent in difficulty): Nearly 90% got four or more questions right! It was an amazing reversal.

#5 – New Story of God session starts next Wednesday. Email me if you’re interested (you can do it from my blog site).

#6 – I will post the Financial Peace University results tomorrow on the blog. Prepare to be amazed.

#7 – One of the highlights of the year for me is the Good Friday service. It's at 7pm.

#8 – Three new small group leader teams have been trained for the start of our next trimester about three weeks after Easter. More have shown interest in receiving training.

#9 – One of the couples in Story of God were there for the second time and testified that it helps them immensely to do it a second time. Here’s an idea: Come again some time but bring a seeker with you. It’s a great evangelistic tool you can use.

#10 – Student ministry annual auction will take place the first two weekends of April. Four Disney park hopper tickets will be available, courtesy of Disney. Come and bid high and often.

#11 – The staff will be doing a taste test of City Kids Java coffee next week. It’s one of the companies/ministries we’re looking at for the Acorn Café.

#12 – The theme for the Woodbury Prayer Breakfast this year (May 7) is "Truth in Motion" and will feature keynote speaker, Chris Wright, President of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Five Oakers Caleb and Stephanie Brunz are chairing the planning committee this year. This is a consistently great event and wonderful opportunity to invite your seeking friends. Register here.

#13 - Here’s last weekend’s sermon is 10 Tweets, “Our Biggest Problem; God’s Only Solution” (Luke 23:26-49):

1. Everything the Bible says about our big problems is irrelevant until we accept what it says about the problem behind all problems: our sin.
2. Sin is your biggest problem and the cross is God’s only solution.
3. On the cross Jesus takes what only we deserve so that we can receive what only Jesus deserves.
4. Jesus is the only person in history who suffered and can say, “I don’t deserve to suffer. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
5. Like the first criminal we get focused on right here and now and demand relief right here and now.
6. Jesus' primary mission thru his 1^st Coming is to make sure you can enjoy the blessings of the New Creation at his 2^nd Coming.
7. Their biggest problem isn’t passing from this life; it’s perishing in the life to come.
8. The 2nd criminal faces same exact problem as the 1st but focuses on his eternity & the overwhelming love of God shown on the cross.
9. The second criminal simply repents and trusts Jesus. Religious Christians don’t like this
10. You apply God's only solution to your greatest problem the same way it's always been done in Scripture: repent and trust God.

See you this weekend as we celebrate the Resurrection!

God bless you, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

• Loved the songs after sermon. Heart on fire. 
• Thank you Dan Lukas for always choosing amazing songs and your awesome voice. Your words of praise and prayer are great.
• Really nice worship set. Dan you are doing such a great job with announcements and intro. Your story was so funny – great ice-breaker. Tim we are so blessed to have you here at our church. Thanks for letting God use you here. Tim your stories are hysterical. That was a great, great, great message and thanks for taking time in the closing prayer to let in sink in. beautiful closing song.
• POWERFUL message Tim, thank you! [I listened to it when I returned from vacation and I agree!]
  
• Great message Tim! Great worship leader, very nice tone! 
• God always speaks to me through the preaching here. Grace to you all, keep the faith!
• Thanks for the great message Tim – I honestly don’t think we can hear this message too often. 
• Music – slow. Tim – awesome! Thank you for breaking it down for us. I’m free because the judge said I am free.
• I really liked the worship director.
• Nice job by the young man leading worship!
• I’ve heard the story of Pilot and Jesus many times, yet never like that and I didn’t connect the dots. Thank you – I get it now. 
• Wow, Tim! This was an incredible sermon! The picture of Barabbas in shackles wailing down the hallway and coming out in the sunshine as shackles falling off was so vivid and personally touching to my heart. Thank you and thanks to God as he has worked through you.
• I met a woman named…during introductions who recently moved to Woodbury and is church shopping. She is searching and I feel led to suggest an in person contact for her, if she gives her contact info on these cards. 
• Happy St. Patty’s day! May the luck of the Irish and the love of the Lord be with you!
• Looking forward to summer and hope they’ll be dinner after the Saturday services again! [I guess you didn’t hear the announcement. No summer this year! No spring either. Winter will be followed by fall this year. We still need to discuss whether or not we will offer meals during the months formally known as summer.]

#3 – Our new Care Ministry is really taking shape. There are three branches to it. First is Befrienders, a ministry of people to come alongside others in times of transition or trouble. Our Befrienders have gone through 20 hours of training and are now doing an “internship” of sorts as part of their training. They will also participate continuing education and support meetings throughout the year. Second is the Help Fund. We’re working on the details of that right now, but this will be a team of people that do much more than hand out money to Five Oakers in need. Third is a up-to-date referral system for our folks, from counseling to recovery to financial assistance.

#4 – Speaking of Care Ministry, Jake Eyler has agreed to be our Care Ministry Director. Jake is a member of Five Oaks and a student at Bethel Seminary. His wife, Andrea, is a veterinarian. Some of you may remember Jake from his internship here at Five Oaks back in the summer 2006. Jake served on the staff of University Christian Church in Manhattan, KS, as College Minister and Facility Manager for three years before coming to Bethel.

#5 – The Kindle version of the Jesus Storybook Bible: Everywhere whispers his name by Sally Lloyd-Jones is on sale right now for $1.99. This is a great book for families. It tells the story of God so well, always pointing to Jesus. It’s enhanced to work really well with my Kindle iPad app.

#6 – We were in the Minneapolis Tribune recently. You can read the article here, "Eagle Brook Church is Just One of Woodbury's Megachurches." Here's the part about Five Oaks:

Five Oaks Church, also in south Woodbury, lies in the heart of a massive housing development that will start taking shape this spring. The board that runs the church is well aware of the challenge and opportunity, said the Rev. Henry Williams. “We’re trying to get ourselves ready.”

About 1,000 people worship weekly at Five Oaks, which has expanded its building in phases over the past decade. The church is right across the road from East Ridge High School. When Eagle Brook arrived, its officials discussed their plans with their church neighbors, Williams said. Like other pastors, he said Eagle Brook is a welcome addition to the worship community.

“With Eagle Brook coming, my feeling is it raises the water for everybody,” Williams said. “Eagle Brook is an amazing church that gets everybody talking, and our church very much has the same mind-set.”

#7 – This weekend, in our Commons, you can buy a voucher to a movie called Home Run that will be shown at Woodbury Theater. Part of the idea is to drum up enough sales to bring the movie to Woodbury. Here’s what one Christian leader has said about it: “What Courageous was for fatherhood, and Fireproof for marriages, Home Run is for battling addictions, bad habit, and hang-ups.  This story says that no hurt is beyond healing, no habit is beyond help, and no hang-up is beyond hope.” Go to the website here, or watch the movie trailer below.

#8 – Here’s a comment we received back from the cards we send first-time guests:

2/24 - Attended as a visitor with a family member who belongs – will return anytime as a visitor.  Contemporary, inviting, engaging service and friendly people at your church.  Coming from a more traditional background, I did miss not having The Lord’s Prayer as a part of the service.  I have and will continue to follow Five Oaks online, and shared my experience with my Pastor…

#9 – This weekend’s message is the last in our Killing Jesus series and focuses on the crucifixion. Hope to see you.

God bless you, Pastor Henry

Mid-Week Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

• Loved the opening worship set.  Thanks folks for being led by God.  Henry, thank you for reminding us that God is good for us by remembering he empathized for our suffering by experiencing it himself on the cross.  Very intimate worship time.  Thanks.
• I really miss Justin and his upbeat music.  He really did a great job celebrating God.
• Can Dan be our Worship Leader?  Again it was great worship time.  Loved the message.
• Wanted to say thank you to Pastor Henry for being so available and willing to talk in between services. 
• Wow- great message.  So anointed.  Thank you Henry for preaching that truth.
• We are so happy to say we are having another baby!  Everything is going great.  So excited! [Congratulations!!!]
• Loved the worship today! 

#3 – Here’s the sermon in 10 tweets, Luke 22:63-23:12, “God on Trial”:

1. The great God is good and his good is great for you.
2. The only evidence produced in his trial was evidence of human brutality and hard hearts.
3. Pilate: "YOU are the king of the Jews." Jesus looks weak, beaten and pathetic.
4. This isn't a good man being victimized by powerful men. This is God being brutalized by human evil & he is allowing it for a greater purpose
5. As they hit him and rip him apart, they're fulfilling prophecy.
6. If Jesus is not God the Son (divinity), this would be a good moment to declare it.
7. We question God’s goodness, but the only reason we know what good and justice are is because of God.
8. He wants us to judge him. He's not interested in overpowering us…want us to find him good…to love him deeply.
9. His goodness is seen in his desire to empathize with our suffering by experiencing it firsthand.
10. McKinley: When a Christian thinks about Jesus…enduring taunts...we see proof that Jesus is the heroic King we've always wanted.

God bless you, Pastor Henry